ALMERIA has emerged as thesafest of the eight Andalucianprovinces in a tourism surveycarried out by the Institute ofNational Statistics.

In the section on safety andsecurity, Almeria scored animpressive 8.8 point averageduring 2014, even reaching nine inthe first quarter of the year. The

score puts it almost a point abovethe Andalucian average.

Another area in which Almeriaexcelled with regard to tourists washealthcare, with a score ranging

between 8.7 and 9.1 The lowestwas in Quarter Three and thehighest Quarter One.

In the section for tourism quality,which was split into beaches,

landscapes and naturalparks, and urban areas,Almeria scored fairly lowwith urban areas, failing toreach eight at any pointduring 2014.

According to the report,tourists stayed for anaverage of 8.7 daysalthough Quarter One hadan average of 10.8 days.Average daily spend was50.60.

Orange DayGADOR holds its Dia dela Naranja (OrangeDay) on SundayFebruary 15 in thePlaza de laConstitucion. There willbe various activitiesand, obviously, lots oforange-based productson offer.

YouTube pushTHE PSOE politicalparty in Almeria hasbegun to reveal itscandidates for theupcoming municipalelections byreleasing videos onYouTube. They arebeing presentedunder the campaign,We Share AlmeriaProvince.

FRONT EXTRAEWN

ISSUE NO. 1545 TRUST WE DO!our advertisers 12 - 18 FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

WORK on the motorwayat Albox is nearingcompletion, with anopening date nowbecoming a strongpossibility.

A surface layer is beingapplied along 8.7

kilometres which will befollowed by drainage, afinal steamroll andinstallation of signs, bothvertical and horizontal.Then the barriers andbeacons will be put inplace ready for opening.

Completion of the workwill see the new motorwaystretch provide continuityof traffic along 22kilometres to join othersections already in servicebetween Albox and Finesand the link to Cucador.

The road has three links,one to access Alboxsindustrial area, one toenter the Endesasubstation and theneighbourhood of LaMolata and finally one forArboleas.

Albox motorway reaches final stages

Almeria: the province thattakes best care of tourists

Dedicated to the memory of respected colleague Angus Russell Watson19

60 -

2015

NEWSEWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera2 www.euroweeklynews.com

INDEXNews 1 - 34

Finance 35 - 40

Letters 41

Daily TV 48

Leapy Lee 50

Time Out 54 - 55

Health & Beauty 60 - 63

Food 69 - 72

Albox 74 - 78

Homes & Gardens 79

Property 80

Classifieds 81 - 83

Motoring 84 - 86

Sport 87 - 88

INSPECTORS from the three healthdistricts in Almeria have opened 234penalty cases during 2014 for breaches ofthe smoking ban.

The smoking fines vary from individualfines for people smoking in prohibitedareas like schools and health centres, tobusiness owners who have not imposedthe ban on their premises. Inspections arecarried out in response to directcomplaints and at random by inspectorswho not only check for smoking ban

breaches but also for any other issuesrelated to public health. Of the 234 cases,80 were resolved positively and theDepartment of Health has raised 34,373via fines.

Experts and scientific societies estimatethat it costs the public and private healthsystems 15 million a year in treatingsmoking-related diseases. The prevalenceof smoking in Almeria remains high with42.9 per cent of men and 30.5 per cent ofwomen smoking despite the legislation.

Smoking fines bringin more than 34k

LIGHTING UP: Smoking in banned areas means a fine.

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AGENTS from the Central Unit ofDrugs and Organised Crimedivision (UDYCO) of the NationalPolice in Madrid have carried outone of the biggest drug busts inSpain resulting in nine arrestsincluding three people fromAlmeria.

The agents seized more than500 kilograms of cocaine, dealinga massive blow to an inter-

national organisation dedicatedto drug trafficking.

Apparently the drugs werediscovered in a Cartagenawarehouse in the Cabezo Beazadistrict. Police have arrested thenine traffickers including onefrom Almeria City and two fromOlula del Rio.

The three men arrested inAlmeria are allegedly linked to the

marble industry. Among them isJose Antonio GG, also known asEl Gari, a 56-year-old employerfrom Almeria who was acquittedby the Supreme Court in 2013 ofa double murder committed in2009 against two members of thePertolos gang.

All nine detainees have beentransferred to Cartagena wherethey await court.

Educabanda programmeMORE than 5,000 primaryand secondary students areparticipating in the newEducabanda programme inAlmeria City. The programmeis to promote culture amongyounger residents throughmusic.

Four finedTWO brothers of matadorManuel Ruiz and two moreindividuals have been finedfor brawling during a bullfightheld on August 30, 2014. Themen were fined 180 each.

Disability gainsMINISTER for Equality, Healthand Social Policy, Maria JoseSanchez Rubio, said thefuture law, Rights and Carefor People with Disabilities willensure that 537 jobs incentres across Almeria aresafe.

Macael jobsMACAEL Town Hall hasreleased 49 employmentopportunities for youngpeople in the town. Rolesinclude helping in the toylibrary, home help andmaintenance of public spaces.

Marble strikeWORKERS at the Escuela deMarmol in Fines are planningan imminent strike becausetheir cut off date forresolution (January 2015)passed with no resolutionfrom the Junta de Andalucia.

Fighting backMEMBERS of the SecurityForces have been helpingwomen in Albox with selfdefence tips and techniques.The free two day course waspaid for by the town hall andthe province.

Olula lightOLULA DEL RIO may soon beenjoying a new set of streetlamps. The town council haschosen to get interest freefinancing from thegovernment to change theentire street lighting.

ewswatchNNine arrested in drugs bust

Soluciones Go OnOLULA DEL RIOS SolucionesGo On donated 10 per cent ofa months takings from itsdesign and print business tothe local food bank. Thecompany is made up of localyouths.

Fancy dressHEAD to the indoor cyclingclass at Albox Fitness Centre infancy dress on Friday February20 and you could win a prizeof a weekend pass to theindoor pool. The class startsat 7pm.

Padel worksALBOX Town Hall has begunclearing the rambla in thetown centre to ensure asmooth surface for four padeltennis courts. The courts willbe open in time for carnivalfestivities.

Kiddie libraryVERA library has a range ofnew activities for children,organised by the Departmentof Culture. Head alongMonday to Friday 5pm until8pm. On Fridays stories areread in Spanish and English.

Dog blanketsTHE extended cold snap hasleft many dogs in unfavourableconditions. If you have anyspare bedding, blankets or oldcoats, please drop them intothe APSA shop in Albox.

Street repairsPAVEMENT repairs on LosCanos in Vicar is nowcomplete. The work comprisedpaving and kerb repairs andreplacements as well asimprovements to water flowand electricity.

NEWS 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera 3EWNTRUST our advertisers WE DO!

CREDITlev radin / Shutterstock.comCREDITlev radin / Shutterstock.comCREDITlev radin / Shutterstock.com

ALENCIAS famous Fallas fiesta is fastapproaching and given the popularity ofthe event with both Spaniards andforeign visitors alike, those wishing to

attend this years festivities would be advised to startorganising their trip before its too late.

Characterised by gigantic cartoon-ish creationsand spectacular pyrotechnic displays, Las Fallas isundoubtedly one of Spains noisiest and craziestfiestas, which goes some way to explaining itspopularity. Visitors expecting to pop along to checkout a few of the impressive ninots (cartoon-likecharacters made out of plaster, papier mache,Styrofoam, etc) floats before retiring to their hotelfor a relaxing evening will have to perhaps rethinktheir plans. Each day of Las Fallas begins with theLa Desperta (the wake-up call) that sees brass

bands marching down the streets at 8am everymorning, followed by revellers throwing firecrackers.

Fireworks, firecrackers and explosions are theorder of the day with huge crowds keeping theentire city buzzing throughout the festival. The starsof Las Fallas are definitely the ninots. Eachneighbourhood designs and constructs their own,usually set around a theme to lampoon well-knownSpanish celebrities or political figures. The mostimpressive part of the display is on the final nightwhen the huge ninots are burnt to the ground.

Be warned. It may be difficult to find a place tostay during Las Fallas given its massive popularity,and visitors should start checking hotels now. Thefestivities take place from March 15 to 19, but thereare lots of activities in the weeks running up to themain event.

V

If I look back I feel old, if I lookforward I feel young. The second halfof my life starts now, said actor AntonioBanderas during his acceptance speech atthe Goya Awards, where he was honouredwith a lifetime achievement award.

Quote of the WeekTWO regional leaders of New Generations, theyouth wing of the ruling Partido Popular (PP),have resigned after being caught on cameraholding a Francoist Spanish flag and giving Nazisalutes. The men claim the photo was a jokeand taken before they took up their positions,but the photo was clearly taken in a PP office.

is the amount of people whowill vote for new politicalparty Podemos in the general

election, according to an El Pais poll. The ruling PartidoPopular got 20.9 per cent in the poll and the Socialists(PSOE) got 18.3 per cent.

27.7% And finally...Number of the week

A noisy month ahead forValencias famous fiesta

holbox/Shutterstock

CARTOON CREATIONS: Theimpressive floats at Las Fallas.

Angus RussellWatson

6.6.1960 8.2.2015RESPECTED colleagueAngus Russell Watsonhas been tragicallytaken from us.

Angus, who workedin Euro Weekly Newssadvertising department,died in a cyclingaccident on Sunday(February 8) aged 54.

In the time he spentwith us he rapidlybecame one of theEWN family, not just respected for hisintegrity, but loved and appreciated forthe fun and humanity he brought not onlyto the office, but also to the lives of thosehe worked with. Typical of his sense offun was when he turned up at theChristmas party dressed as an Arabsheikh the only person in fancy dress.Well, I thought there might be a girllooking for a rich man around, he joked.

Angus was born in Worcester, England,on June 6, 1960. From there the family

moved to Cheshire,then Woodford andthen back down toBreedon in theMidlands. On leavinghome he went toHarlow College wherehe took a course inbusiness studies,followed by a career inThe City as arecruitment consultant.He moved to Spain in

1999, first to the Andalucian village ofComares, where he ran an estate agencyfor several years. He carried on living inthe Axarquia region up until his death.

He is survived by his former wife Ericaand their two children, Isabella, 11, andOliver, 13, as well assister Linzi, brotherJames, motherElizabeth and fatherIan Findlater RussellWatson.

NEWSEWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com4

TS interesting to watch thegrowth of Spanish political partyPodemos and listen to thearguments from both sides as

to how effective the party would be ifelected to power in this election year.

A poll this week shows they are outin front in terms of popularity, and theyare the only ones to have smashed thetwo-party system that Spain has hadfor decades. Podemos are riding on theback of a bad 2014 for the rulingPartido Popular (PP), who have beenhit by financial scandal after financialscandal. People are sick of corruptpoliticians and want change.

But are the Socialists (PSOE) theanswer with their suave new leaderPedro Sanchez? Or are Podemos thenew kids on the block going to takethe reins? Detractors say that Podemosare spouting all the right rhetoric thatthe average Spaniard wants to hear,

but lack the experience to run acountry, especially one with as manycomplicated issues as Spain has - highunemployment, economic uncertainty,the Catalan issue, animal rights, etc. Sowill the people stick with PP, the triedand tested stalwarts with plenty ofpolitical nous? Or will they go forchange? It remains to be seen and itsunfortunate that expats dont get achance to vote in Spanish nationalelections (unless, of course, they havegiven up their British citizenship infavour of Spanish).

Whichever party wins this yearsgeneral election is going to have animpact on the hundreds of thousandsof expats who live in Spain, butunfortunately, most of us are simplybystanders in this particular drama.Lets hope that whoever wins willhave the best interests of Spain - ourhome - at heart.

I

Our ViewExpats: bystandersto national issues

Have your say and leave your comments at www.euroweeklynews.com

Brussels fairALMERIA is impressingat a tourism fair inBrussels as theprovincial council ispromoting the area toBelgian travellers. TheSalon des Vacancesfair is considered oneof the best in Europe.

Vicar skatingSKATING lessonsare to be madeavailable to adultsand children agedfour and above. Theclasses will be heldat the sports trackfrom Monday toThursday at 4pm.

City parkingWORK has started onthe construction offree parking spacesfor 50 vehiclesbetween Ciudad deJardin and 500Viviendas in AlmeriaCity. The work willcost 47,238.

NEWS EXTRA

GUARDIA CIVIL officershave arrested tworesidents of Garrucha, SRLaged 24, and SGC aged26, on suspicion ofcommitting eightburglaries in the town.

Seven of the propertieswere all used as secondhomes by their ownersand the thieves got awaywith items of jewellery andelectrical appliances.

The officers conductedan inspection of theproperties and were ableto establish a commonmodus operandi.

Further inquiries led theofficers to the two men,both known to have anumber of previousarrests.

SRL has a history ofcrimes against trafficsafety and robbery whileSGC has a history ofarrests for traffic safety.

Garruchaburglarsarrested

NEWS 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera 5EWNTRUST our advertisers WE DO!

Snow storms HEAVY snow left areasof Almeria inaccessible.People living in highaltitude areas such asLos Alamos, Oria andTijola have been stuckas access roadsbecame impassable.

Tourism plugCOSTA ALMERIASsocial networkshave gone a littlecrazy since DavidBisbals recent plugat the Fitur tourismfair. Both Facebookand Twitter havereported increases.

Future boostMARIA JOSE SANCHEZRUBIO, speaking onbehalf of the Junta inBenahadux promisedthe future DisabilitiesAct will boost specialemployment centres.

NEWS EXTRA

ALMERIA Provinces consortium forwaste management has launched afree app called Recicla 2 showinglocations of the provinces 100,000recycling bins.

The app, which is available on smartphones and tablets, covers theprovinces 48 municipalities and showsreceptacles for cooking oil, batteriesor used clothing using the geolocationof the relevant device.

President of the consortium,

Eugenio Gonzalvez, said: Sometimesresidents will not know where to findthe nearest receptacle and thanks tothis app, that is what can nowhappen.

One of the priorities of theapplication is to show preciselocations for the more unusualcontainers, which are sometimeslocated inside shops or municipalfacilities, as in the case of batteries orfluorescent lights.

RECYCLING BINS: Now precise locations will be shown for all containers.

Almeria launchesrecycling app

ON Wednesday, January28 work began on variousimprovements, repairsand renewals in manyareas of Mojcar.

The works consist ofthe refurbishment ofexisting lampposts andinstalling street lighting inareas previously withoutany lighting such as theCuartillas area and inCalle Esquimo.

Existing lampposts inPlaza Rey Alabez, laAvenida Encamp, CallesMelodas, Bellavista andAtalayones have beenrefurbished to enhancethe image of the town.

The council workers arealso tackling the upkeepand refurbishment of the

childrens play areassituated between Marinade la Torre and Cuevasdel Lobo. The workincludes repainting theinstallations wherenecessary, installing newswings and carrying outany repairs as needed.

The town hall estimatesthat the work will takeabout a month tocomplete but stated thatmore work will be carriedout to prepare for Easterand the summer holidays.

THREE people had to betreated for acid burns andtwo for smoke inhalationafter a fire at a dairy in thePuntal area of Sorbas.

Workers at the dairyalerted the emergencyservices after the fire brokeout and spread rapidly, dueto the highly flammablematerials on site.

Firefighters acted quicklybut three were hurt by acidwhen the fire reachedcleaning materials in thedairy. The fire took almost10 hours to extinguish.

Lubrin mayor, DomingoRamos, said 14 jobs havebeen lost as a direct resultof the blaze.

The cause of the fire isstill under investigationalthough Levante FireDepartment has suggestedit may have been causedby an electrical fault.

NEWSEWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com6

AlmeriaStrings

ALMERIA STRINGS hastheir monthly meetingon Thursday February19 at Greg and Cos,Turre, from 1.30pm.New members arewelcome. For moreinformation visitAlmeriastrings.org.

Boutique saleGRAB a bargain atAPSAS boutiquesale with 50 per centoff clothes andaccessories. TheAvenida Lepantoshop is open from10am to 2pm andthe sale ends FridayFebruary 13.

Road worksWORK has begun onthe AL-6101 betweenthe intersection of theA-334 and Purchena,with a diversion inplace. The work, towiden and resurface, isexpected to last twomonths.

NEWS EXTRA

Fire at dairyinjures five

13th FEBRUARY - FRIDAY CARNIVAL

10h. CHILDRENS CARNIVAL PARADE byBartolom Public School Pupils.

Departure from School to Town Hall Square 22.30h CARNIVAL DANCING

Organised by the Orchestra Prometida. 23.30h Arrival of the Groups at the Multipurpose

Centre.LOCAL COMIC SONGS COMPETITION

14th FEBRUARY - SATURDAY CARNIVAL

22:30h CARNIVAL DANCINGOrganised by Orchestra Prometida 11:30 Arrival of the Groups at the Multipurpose

Centre.

15th FEBRUARY - SUNDAY CARNIVAL

GRAND CARNIVAL PARADEFrom Aguas River Roundabout up to Parque

ComercialNote: All participants groups must be ready at

16:30hDeparture point: Aguas River Roundabout where

the starting command will be provided.Start time: 17:00hAll children taking part must be disguised.

18th FEBRUARY - ASH WEDNESDAY

17:30h MASS AND DISTRIBUTION OF ASHESAT SANTA MARA MOJCAR PARISH CHURCH 20:00h BURIAL OF THE SARDINEJoined by Mojcar Municipal BandDeparture point Multipurpose Centre to Plaza

NuevaFollowing the sardine burning, chocolate and

fried biscuits will be offered.

22nd FEBRUARY - SATURDAY CARNIVAL

20:00h COMIC SONGS DISPLAYPlace: Multipurpose CentreTime: 20:00hFREE ENTRANCE

Improvement works

PLAY AREAS: Being repainted and repaired.

MOJACARCARNIVAL

NEWS 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera 7EWNTRUST our advertisers WE DO!

GUARDIA CIVIL arrested aman as he tried to stealfrom a bank in La Mojonera.

Named only as AKJ, the24-year-old tripped thealarm while breaking intothe bank, triggering an

alert at the police station.Police were on the scenevery quickly and found thatentry to the bank had beenforced. A swift and silentsweep of the buildingrevealed AKJ crouched

behind a desk, trying toforce open a drawer.

The officers found himto be in possession ofseveral tools includingtongs, pliers, a chisel and aset of Allen keys.

The agents identified theman and arrested him onsuspicion of theft. AKJalong with the case details,have been placed into thecustody of a court inAlmeria City.

Almeriastill animportantvegetableexporterALMERIA exports morethan 40 per cent of thecountrys horticulturalproduce, specificallyvegetables, according todata compiled by Extenda.

Sonia Ferrer, speakingon behalf of the Junta deAndalucia regional govern-ment, said: In view of itsattitude, responsivenessand efforts to findalternatives for horti-culture performance,Almeria is reaffirmed asthe main supplier of freshvegetables from Europe.

Ferrers words cameduring a visit to the FruitLogistica in Berlin whichshe attended with theJuntas representative forAgriculture, Fisheries andEnvironment, Jose ManualOrtiz and the Minister ofAgriculture, Elena Viboras.

Ferrer concluded:Despite Russias veto toimporting food productsfrom the EU and the fall inprices of certain productsduring the season,Almeria horticultureremains strong.

Garage hashish seizedNATIONAL POLICE in Almeria have seized 123kilograms of hashish from a garage in Agaudulce.

The operation has led to the arrests of two membersof an organisation responsible for drug trafficking whowere distributing throughout the province as well asexporting to Italy. The detainees of North African originhave been brought before the courts.

Burglar caught in act

Enix crashTWO people wereinjured and anothertrapped in a trafficaccident on the N-340close to Enix.

The road was closedfor approximately 90minutes whileemergency servicesattended.

LOS GALLARDOS residentRob Primus Lambertbegan running when hefirst joined the ArmedForces.

He received anallowance for transport toand from the barracks, agood distance from hishome. Rob realised that ifhe ran to the barracks hewould save money.

He continued trainingduring his time in theforces, discovering atalent for long distancerunning rather thansprinting, due to his tallstature.

When he saw anadvertisement for runningDeath Valley in the US,Rob knew he wanted tohave a go at thisstrenuous course. Entry

was dependent upon firstcompleting a run fromKirkby Stephen to York inless than 30 hours. Robdid it in 25 and headed

off to Death Valley wherehe ran 150 miles,covering two mountainranges at 15,000 feet.

Rob returned for thedouble, there and back,and became the firstBritish and European manto do so. Unfortunately,Rob sustained an injury25 miles from the endwhich delayed completionfor him and stopped himgaining the world record.

Since then, Rob hascontinued running, ledgroups and expeditionsand travelled to some ofthe most exotic locationsaround the world topursue his love ofadventure racing.

Rob still runs, enjoyingthe tranquillity of themountains surroundinghis home at LosGallardos. But it waswhile recently watchingthe movie, The Way, thathe chose his next project,to walk the Camino deSantiago in May, takingfive weeks. Rob is raisingmoney for two charities,Cerebral Palsy and GreatOrmond Street hospital.

If you would like todonate to either cause,search for RobertLambert on the JustGiving website or contacthim direct on 603 260167.

NEWSEWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com8

From Death Valleyto the Camino deSantiago for charity

ROB LAMBERT: Raising money for two charities.

ALBOX COUNCIL hasannounced more than 20activities during the comingweeks with something toplease everyone.

March 6 brings the sixthedition of the Flor delAlmendro, a walk around

Albox and its thousands ofalmond trees just cominginto bloom.

There is an amateurtheatre competition,various talks in theFederico Garcia Lorcaauditorium, a chambermusic contest on March 17and the popular medievalmarket which runs fromMarch 6 to 8 in Plaza San

Francisco. In addition,there is an art exhibition inthe hall at Avenida Pio XIIfrom March 9 to 22.

To promote cultureamong younger residentsthere is a musical plannedas well as a Meet TheAuthor presentation. Therewill be a gymkhana in thestreets of the town and ofcourse, Albox Carnival.

Councillor for Cultureand Sports for Albox,Francisco Carillo, haswelcomed the manyactivities planned for thetown and stressed the highquality of the events.

The councillor pointedout the variety of activitiesthat should pleaseeveryone regardless of ageor spending power.

NEWSEWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com10

In bloom PLANTAS ANDALUCIAproduces 24 millionroot cuttings ofornamental flowers,making it the largestproducer in Andaluciaand the fifth inSpain.

Oria abuseMAGISTRATES inAlmeria are exami-ning a videoshowing allegedabuse by staff atOrias centre forjuvenile offenders.

NEWS EXTRA

All going on in Albox

THE council has begun work to repair thedamage caused by the recent high windsthat tore across Albox.

Wind gusts measured in the municipalitywere among the strongest across theprovince and caused damage to roads andpublic facilities. Several landslides occurredand schools were damaged. There werefallen trees and fences in both CEIP Virgendel Saliente and IES Cardenal Cisneros.

Sports facilities were also affected withfalling billboards, and the sports pavilionsuffered damage to the roof and metaldoors. Clean Point sustained damage tocontainers, a fallen wall and damagedfencing. A bus shelter collapsed and trafficsigns were uprooted.

Planning Councillor Sonia Cerdanpromised that Albox would give priority toschools, public roads and basic services forAlbox residents. The council has also set upan advisory service for residents.

Repairing wind damage

UNDER WAY: Repair work in Albox.

NEWS 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera 11EWNwww.euroweeklynews.com

THE exhibition AlmeriaBlanco y Negro (Black andWhite) by the deceasedexpressionist artist Jesusde Perceval runs untilFebruary 28.

It contains a sample ofthe artists work which isbeing fully displayed at theMuseo Casa Ibaez inOlula del Rio. This is thefourth time the town hasworked closely with MuseoIbaez to promote localartists and their work.

Huercal Overa mayorDomingo Fernandezinvited residents andvisitors to view the workand added: The towncouncil is making a majorcommitment to culture,bringing it closer to ourresidents and in this veinwe are staging majorexhibitions.

Jesus de Perceval wasborn in Almeria City and

would have turned 100 onApril 17. He showed anaptitude for art at a veryearly age and studied atart school in Almeriabefore heading to theEscuela Superior de BellasArtes in Madrid. Art critic

and collector AntonioManuel Campoy describedPerceval as having themost skilled hands thatpossibly exist in Spain. Hedied in October 1985 inAlmeria after completinghundreds of works of art.

An expression ofblack and white

From left to right: Mayor Domingo Fernandez, thedirector of Museo Casa Ibaez, Juan Manuel Martin,and Councillor for Culture, Antonio Lazaro.

ONCE again, Mojacartook to the stage at theannual InternationalTourism Fair in Madrid.

The general feedbackfrom the majorcompanies representingthe hotel and accom-modation sector at theFair was very positiveindeed.

Moreover, it was theplatform to representMojacar as a majortourist destination andthe opportunity for thetourist representatives

to participate in anumber of professionalmeetings and events tohelp promote the brandimage of Mojacar.

One of the initiativeshighlighted was the newinformation website forthe whole AlmerienseLevante (the easternpart of the province)which offers freepromotional space tocompanies in Mojacarand the surroundingarea. Additionally, at thestand of Turespaa,

Mojacar was presentedas one of the group ofmost beautiful towns inSpain to all directors ofSpanish Tourist Officesboth here in Spain andabroad. In addition, aformal agreement wassigned with the highcommissioner of thebrand Espaa.

The 23rd annualpresentation of theGolden Indalo awardsalso took place at thetourism fair, followed byplenty of positive media

attention. The first 2015winner was RafaelHernando, for hissupport of the upcomingconstruction of Phase 2of the MojacarPromenade (a projectwhich has been on holdfor more than 20 years).

The other award wentto Christiane Gohl, theinternationally knownauthor who writes underthe pen name of SarahLark.

Christiane has spreadthe name of Mojacarinternationally throughher many books andactively promoted it asthe perfect place to liveall year round.

NEWSEWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com12

Mojacar at Fitur

MOJACAR: Promoting

the town asa major tourist

destination.

NEWS 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera 13EWNwww.euroweeklynews.com

MARITIME RESCUE centres in Andaluciaco-ordinated the rescue of 6,306 peoplein 1,077 maritime activities during 2014.

Carmen Crespo, representing theJunta de Andalucia regional government,praised the centres, describing theservice as effective and humanitarian.

The five rescue centres cover thewaters from Southern Spain to Ceutaand Melilla. The figures, according toCrespo, are an increase on 2013, whichinvolved the rescue of 6,135 people in1,086 activities.

The rescue co-ordination centre inAlmeria monitored 32,517vessels in the watersclose to Cabo de Gata andprocessed 3,135immigrants travellingfrom North Africa to theSpanish coast by sea. Atport entrances, 2,475ships were processed.

The outcome is notalways positive, however.In early December lastyear, 23 people, includingseven babies, were lost atsea after attempting acrossing during storms.The 33-foot boat ran intotrouble shortly afterlaunch although itmanaged to get within 23nautical miles of Almeria.

6,000 saved byMaritime Rescue

A MAN who was sentencedto 21 months in prison forabusing his 14-year-oldsister has been acquittedby the Supreme Court.

The court, referring tothe 14-year-old girl, said:She missed the truth onmore than one occasionand offered three differentversions of events duringthe court procedure. Thecourt described the younggirls story as plainlyinconsistent and referred

to the lack of evidence fromthe parents. The defendanthad vehemently deniedthe accusations from thestart.

The sister had accusedher brother of touching herinappropriately behindgreenhouses while theywere out cycling. The sistersaid she pushed him away.

The court thenoverturned the convictionoriginally set by AlmeriaProvincial Court.

Court acquitsabusive brother

12 -18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera 15EWNNEWS TRUST our advertisers WE DO!

WORLD famous clothingand shoe designer PatriciaRosales dropped in to Nijarwhere she met with localartisan Isabel Montoya todiscuss the purchase ofNijar fabrics and rugs,

thereby joining traditionalcrafts and special materialsfor her fashion collectionswhich are sold around theglobe.

Mayor of Nijar, AntonioJesus Rodriguez, was on

hand to share his pleasurethat Nijar crafted fabricsand materials will find theirplace in haute couture.

He said: This is a goodopportunity for Nijarproducts. It creates jobsand further dissemination.The products will be knownworldwide thanks to thecollections of PatriciaRosales.

Rosales also suggestedcreating a brand with theNijar products in order tomarket the area inter-nationally. She discussedwith the mayor the variousbenefits of using locallymanufactured productsfrom small to mediumenterprises.

Rodriguez said thecouncil at a provincial levelwould be responsible formanaging the project,organising finance andpublicity.

APPROXIMATELY 100 young people from fourth gradein Carboneras schools have been learning about safetyon the roads.

The course, Policarboneraseduca, was run by theLocal Police under the umbrella programme,Carboneras en Valores (Carboneras Values). Theprogramme, launched in 2011, has the backing of CivilProtection, Motos Nieto and PJ Bikes.

The children learned about signalling and movementas well as basic bicycle maintenance including wheelrepair, chain and brake repair, cleaning and lubrication.

Road safetyfor children

Designer boostfor Nijar products

NEWSEWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com16

Text threatsAN Almeria court hassentenced a 39-year-old Almeria man to 10months in prison for acontinuous barrage ofthreats to his ex-wifevia WhatsApp.

Five yearsPROSECUTION isseeking five yearsimprisonment for aCantoria residentwho allegedlyforged her auntsidentity in order toaccess her bankaccount.

Hidden pills A SPORTSinstructor atEl Azabuche prison hasbeen sentenced to oneyear and six months inprison for smuggling300 pills into theprison. The pills werehidden in his backpack.

NEWS EXTRA

NATIONAL POLICEofficers in Almeria havearrested an Almeriaman suspected ofstealing from bars andkiosks in Almeria Cityand Aguadulce.

The man was caughtafter forcing theshutter of a kiosk in theport area of thecapital.

The man is alleged tohave stolen approxi-mately 8,000.

MGQ, a 37-year-oldman of Spanishnationality wasarrested for sevencounts of theft incommercial establish-ments in January 2015.

His case was broughtto court, but he wasarrested again severaldays later for crimeswith the same modusoperandi.

POWER outage caused a Vuelingflight from Almeria airport toBarcelona to be cancelled, leaving thepassengers stranded overnight.

The delayed flight landed just after11pm although it was due to departon its next leg at 10.20pm. This left107 passengers stuck when theairport subsequently closed during adelay to the Barcelona boundpassengers.

The passengers endured a longwait, some of them exposed to badweather, before they were informedthat the flight would be postponed

until the following lunchtime.A number of the affected

passengers claimed that staffinformed them the pilot had refusedto fly outside of his working hours, areason that has been denied by thepilot and Vuelings communicationsdepartment.

The company said the plane landedlate due to an electrical fault and itwas that fault which caused thecancellation. Many of the affectedpassengers were transferred to theHotel Tryp for an overnight staybefore flying out the following day.

Others have filed complaints andrequested a ticket refund.

Suspectedthief

captured

Vueling passengersstranded overnight

ALMERIA has a new communityforum set up and moderated byresidents across the province.

It has been set up as a non-profit community site, coveringBaza to the coast, with all revenuegoing to charity. At the end ofeach quarter, forum members can

nominate their chosen charitywhich will be followed by a poll formembers to vote for the winningorganisation. Full accounts will bepublished quarterly.

To find out more, visit the newforum at www.arboleas.eu andregister.

New Almeria forum

STRANDED: Passengers flying to Barcelona had to wait until the next day.

DESPITE the cold andthe snow inland,hashers came fromacross Almeria to meetfor the latest hash runat Vera.

Certain people werenoticeable by theirabsence, Puff, Ma andPa Bates and Big Nuts,all of whom struggled toleave the warmth oftheir quilts, or was itthat they were snowedin?

After the laughter dieddown at the hashers

who were snowed in,the rest of the groupgathered for instructionfrom Eco before headingoff.

There were a numberof visitors, first-timersand returnees to thehash, so there was lotsof chatter and catchingup with old friends.

The route took thehashers along themotorway, throughagricultural areas whereSlot Machine and DimSim were eating lettucebefore realising that thefront walkers had almostdisappeared from view.

After the walk,punishments werehanded out, includingfor poor Eco who wasonly a campo wateringaway from a full house.

Nobody rememberedsong lyrics without songsheets but Beer Barbiesaved the day andserenaded us all with afew risque tunes thatshe had learned fromher hasher dad.

Then it was off to anearby bar for tapas anddrinks before headinghome.

It was another greathash with greatconversation andsurprisingly warmweather.

NEWSEWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com18

Zurgenasavings

ACCORDING toZurgena Council thetown has saved62,987 byrefinancing its loans.The council negotiatedconsolidation of twoloans into one at theend of 2014, reducingdebt by nine per cent.

Five injuredFIVE people ofunknown identitywere injured inVicar as a result ofa collision betweentwo cars. The fiveinjured weretransported toPoniente hospitalfor treatment.

NEWS EXTRA

HUERVAL-OVERA hascelebrated its 276thedition of the annualNoche de las Lumbresevent.

The town celebratedthe blessed transferwhich commemoratesthe current parishchurch. Events beganwith Mass at the churchof Nuestra Seora de laAsuncion, followed bythe procession accom-panied by townsfolk,religious representativesand members of thecouncil. Huercal-Overamayor, DomingoFernandez, joinedresidents of Huercal-Overa to carry candles.

Lights in the townwere dimmed while fireswere lit in the streetsand candles werecarried. After everyonehad congregated,residents and visitorscelebrated until late intothe night with food anddrink, ensuring thatagain a strong towntradition was honoured.

Noche delas

Lumbres

HASHERS: Accepting their punishment of beer.

An ecofriendly

hash in Vera

NEWSEWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com20

FOUR people werecaught stealing copperfrom the half builtAlgarrobico atCarboneras.

Officers from theGuardia Civil arrested59-year-old ACC, 22-year-old VTM, 23-year-old GMC and 24-year-old CCM. All thedetainees are residentsof Nijar and suspectedof theft, although theywere caught in the actby the officers.

The officers saw avehicle hidden in theundergrowth close tothe abandoned hoteland chose toinvestigate further.

They heard loudbanging from the hoteland discovered thefour suspected thieveshelping themselves tocopper from thebuilding, specificallyfrom electrictransformers.

The officers alsofound various toolsintended to assist inthe copper theft.

Copperthievescaught

redhanded

HUERCAL-OVERA Council has announcedseveral new bus stops with immediateeffect.

New stops include La Concepcion, LosNavarros, Overa (next to the tobacconistand the church), El Pilar, Saltador, SanFrancisco, Las Labores, Urcal, RamblaGrande, La Hoya, Santa Maria de Nievaand La Loma.

The extra stops aim to encourage theuse of public transport and enablepeople to get into the town centrewithout having to drive their ownvehicles. This also benefits people whodont drive or currently have a vehicle.

Including the new stops there are now24, covered from 8.30am to 2pm, whichextend to the Atalaya neighbourhood.

New bus accessin Huercal-Overa

THE almond trees arenow blossoming acrossAlmeria despite therecent heavy snow,making it the perfect timefor picturesque walksthrough the countryside.

Until March 15 the 2015Rutas Almendro en Florcontinues, in conjunctionwith the JornadasGastronomicas de laAlmendra.

This weekend Lubrin isfeatured. Saturdays 11kilometre ramble startsfrom El Pilar taking in oldfarmhouses and historicmining sites as it passesthrough El Fonte and LaMela. Sunday brings aslightly shorter 9.5kilometre trail from Lubrinto La Alcararria and LaAlameda, taking in localolive oil and honey farms,

townhouses, churchesand caves.

Both routes start at9.30am and lastapproximately 3.5 hours,with lunch served at2.30pm at the Albarrestaurant in El Pilar.

Further walks arescheduled in Sorbas,Uleila del Campo,Benizalon and Senes.

Each walk costs 20including a three-coursemeal, or 5 without food,with reductions forchildren.

To book either of theLubrin walks thisweekend telephone theAlbar restaurant on 650069 077 or visitwww.almeriainformacion.com (in Spanish).

Beautiful blossom trails

ALMOND BLOSSOM: Despite the heavy snow.

NEWSEWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com22

RBL MojacarMOJACARS RoyalBritish Legion meets onThursday February 19at 11.15am at theArtisan centre inMojacar Pueblo.Everyone is welcome.

Gergal findREGIONAL policehave discovered adozen archaeolo-gical sites. Amongthe findings is one ofIbero-Roman originin Gergal withremains of build-ings, a mill, burialplots and pottery.

Alboxs son RECTOR Pedro Molinahas been given the titleof Son of Albox. In anemotional speech therector described hisfeelings after receivingthe news.

NEWS EXTRA

HUERCAL-OVERA will playhost to approximately 50motor homes fromFebruary 26 to March 1.

The motor homes aremembers of the Swedishclub Husbilsklubbe.se.

During their visit theannual petanquechampionship will be on,which is of special interestto the members. Some ofthe motor homes will becoming from Sweden, whileothers will arrive fromelsewhere in Spainincluding Alicante, Malagaand Murcia where some of

the members have secondhomes.

Huercal-Overa mayor,Domingo Fernandez, said:The club made a request

to the town to take part inthe petanque champion-ship and to use the RVparking area. Having themotor homes and about

100 tourists in our town is aboost to the economy ofHuercal- Overa.

Since the RV area wasopened, hundreds of

tourists have come tomeet our people andenjoy their stay. Motorhome tourism is animportant area withinthe sector and Huercal-Overa will be a part ofit.

Husbilsklubbe.se clubhas 12,000 membersand Huercal-Overa isalready featured on thewebsite.

Caravans coming

HUERCAL-OVERA: Councillors and residents are already enjoying the new caravan park area.

GUARDIA CIVIL officers arrested two Nijarresidents for stealing firefighting equip-ment from a property in San Isidro, Nijar.

Officers surveillance led them to LEK andHB, both 29-years-old and residents ofNijar, as the men acted suspiciously.

The officers approached the men whowere found with a farm vehicle and a bag.

Officers discovered electronic devices inthe bag including an external hard drive,decoder and two remotes.

The men couldnt prove ownership of theitems and were nervous, so the officersmade the assumption that the goods hadbeen stolen. The men were arrested onsuspicion of theft.

Two Nijar thieves arrested

SPAIN is to lead a NATOmilitary unit set up to bedeployed quickly in areaswhere major crises breakout.

The decision to organisea 5,000-member rapidreaction force was made ata meeting of NATO defenceministers in Brussels, withSpain supplying 4,000 ofthe land troops making upthe advance team.

The essence of thisforce is its deterrent capa-bility, said Spains DefenceMinister Pedro Morenes.NATO needs to have a unitthat will show the worldthat its reaction can bestrong and immediate.

The new team is to bebacked by special forcesand air and sea units.

EWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera24 NEWSwww.euroweeklynews.com

GUARDIA CIVIL officers have arrested ahunter for illegally killing an Ibex goat inthe natural park of Sierra Maria LosVelez.

The hunter had hidden the body of theanimal before making his getaway. TheSeprona environmental unit of theGuardia Civil heard that during a day oflegalised hunting of wild boar, an Ibexgoat was possibly killed and the bodyconcealed.

With limited information, the Sepronaagents were still able to locate thesuspected hunter. In an initial interviewthe hunter denied killing the animal andgave several contradictory accounts ofthe day. However, he eventuallyadmitted that he had fired a shot at theIbex and subsequently hidden the corpsein the Cerros Gordos area of Sierra MariaLos Velez natural park.

The hunter gave the agents thelocation of the corpse and they were ableto locate the body which was in an

advanced state of decomposition andhad been partly devoured by vermin. TheIbex goat is being reintroduced to theSierra Maria Los Velez, its former nativehabitat.

Hunting of the animal is illegal.

Illegal hunterfinally caught

GRISLY FIND: Corpse of the illegally-killed Ibex goat.

Spaintakeslead RAPID REACTION FORCE: Spain will lead a NATO military unit.

Phot

o: U

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12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera 25EWNNEWS

BETSY and Warren Talbotmade a life changingdecision aged 40 anddecided to live the rest oftheir lives out of suitcaseswhile travelling the world.

They witnessed somesevere health crises inpeople close to them, alsoin their 30s, causing thecouple to re-evaluate theirlives and where they wereheaded. They askedthemselves just onequestion: What would wechange about our livesright now if we knew wewouldnt live until 40?

The answer to thequestion prompted them tomake major changes totheir lives. They packed uptheir home and their livesand booked a one-wayticket to Ecuador. Now, in2015, they are living inLubrin and are quick toextol the virtues of the

town which they describeas perfect. We love theweather, the people, thelifestyle, they said.

Through their website atwww.marriedwithluggage.com Warren and Betsy havebeen sharing theirrelationship in the publiceye since 2008, when theyfirst made the decision toquit their jobs, sell

everything they owned,and travel the world fulltime.

The plucky couple havewritten a number of booksabout their journey as wellas keeping the worldinformed of their progresson the website viapodcasts. They plan tospend the next year inSpain, learning Spanish.

Lubrin is perfectfor suitcase couple

BETSY & WARREN: Made a life-changing decision.

www.euroweeklynews.com

MORE than 20,000 peopletried to enter Spainwithout permissionthrough the borders ofCeuta and Melilla in 2014.

Of those attempts,2,300 people successfullymade it into the Africanenclave cities, most ofthem entering Melilla.

Figures obtained bypress agency EFE confirmthat the illegal entry ofimmigrants throughCeutas border hasdecreased, although ithas rocketed at Melillasfrontier, where numbershave doubled comparedto those in 2013.

Co-operation withMorocco, whoseauthorities have becomemore involved in thecontrol of irregular

immigration, the rein-forcement of policepresence in the area andanti-climbing fences, hasresulted in large numbersof immigrants being

prevented from jumpingover the fences.

The number ofmigrants arriving inMelilla by sea dropped in2014, at 200 people, as

opposed to 250 in 2013.Instead, the fence wasthe main objective for themany who survive inmakeshift camps in theland around Melilla, with

2,200 finally managing toscale it and enter thecountry.

In total, 18,800migrants tried to reachtheir goal of entering

Europe through Melillasborder fence, including170 attempts carried outby large groups of peopleattempting to scale thefence at the same time.

12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera 27EWNNEWS

Scale of illegal immigration revealed

A SURVEY has revealedthat more than half ofpeople in Spain thinkwhole life jail sentencesare necessary.

The latest Metroscopiapoll, which included theresults of 1,000 telephoneinterviews carried out lastweek, was published aschanges to the penalcode regarding sentencesfor terrorist crimes weredue to be debated in theSpanish Parliament.

Of the 67 per cent thatsupported whole life jailsentences, 47 per centsaid that these should berevisable.

Although figures havedropped since 2010,when 82 per centsupported the measure,only 18 per cent ofthose questioned nowdeclared themselvesfirmly against it.

Women were reportedto approve of whole lifesentences more thanmen, and those betweenthe ages of 18 and 34 (71per cent) more than thoseover 55 (60 per cent).

Life mustmean lifesay most

www.euroweeklynews.com

EWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera28 NEWSwww.euroweeklynews.com

The fightagainst

cyberattacksSPAIN suffers the third mostcyberattacks of any country inthe world, behind the US andthe UK.

Spanish Foreign AffairsMinister, Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, announced that lastyear more than 70,000 cyberincidents were reported bycitizens, businesses andinstitutions.

The minister said Spain wasworking to fight such attacks,which have been included in theNational Security Strategy as oneof the 12 most important threatsto the country.

A National CybersecurityStrategy and a NationalCybersecurity Council have beenin place since December 2013 toco-ordinate with ministerialdepartments.

On an international level,Garcia-Margallo mentioned thatSpain is working with the UnitedNations Security Council.

NEW coins bearing the profileof King Felipe VI havegone into circulation.

The 1 and 2 coinsare being introducedand will graduallyreplace thecurrency bearingthe image of theformer king, JuanCarlos. Around fourmillion of the new2015 coins wereminted in Januaryafter being approved bythe ministrys treasury andfinancial policy division latelast year, according to Spanishnational newspaper El Pais.

The new coins feature theimage of the 47-year-old king,who ascended to the throne inJune 2014, replacing hisfather. The former monarchsimage has been on theSpanish version of the 1 and

2 coins since the euro wasfirst introduced in Spain in1999.

The Economy Ministry said

that the old coins willcontinue to be validthroughout the eurozone andwill gradually be replaced by

the new ones. A special 30collectors edition coin bearingFelipe VIs profile was issuedat the end of last year.

THE crime rate in Spaindropped 3.6 per centlast year, according tothe latest reportpublished by the HomeOffice.

The report gave a totalof 2,093,621 crimesregistered during theyear by the varioussecurity forces, whereasthe total for 2013 was2,172,133.

The resulting crimerate was given as 44.8crimes per 1,000inhabitants, a positiveresult, which theministry said puts Spainin the spotlight as aninternational referencepoint for fighting crime.

Drops were registeredfor almost all types ofcriminal offence,especially robbery,which fell by 17.3 per

cent, and violentdelinquency, which fellby 14.1 per cent,although 20 morehomicides wereregistered than in 2013.

Vehicle thefts alsodecreased, with a totalof 43,374 reported in2014, 5,481 less thanthe year before.

Home break-insdropped slightlyfollowing a scheme theNational Police put inplace last year, with

121,873 reported,compared to the127,444 in 2013.

The only type of crimereported to haveincreased was homicide,with a total of 322.

The only region wherecrime was shown tohave increased wasNavarra, although theHome Office declaredthat this was due to thefact that Local Policeforce data were includedfor the first time lastyear.

The most notableimprovement in crimerates was for theBalearic Islands, with a6.9 per cent drop,followed by La Rioja (6.7per cent), Andalucia (5.7per cent), Asturias (5.3per cent) and Aragon(5.2 per cent).

King Felipe featureson new euro coins

New 1 and 2 coins bear the profile of King Felipe VI.

Four million of the new2015 coins were minted

in January.

Spain gets saferas crime rate falls

Drops wereregistered for

almost all typesof criminal

offence,especiallyrobbery

THE European Commission (EC) hasraised Spains growth forecastsignificantly for this year.

After reducing the countrys 2015

economic growth prospects from 2.1 percent to 1.7 per cent late last year,Brussels is now predicting a growth of 2.3per cent.

A report issued by theEC revealed that theSpanish economy beganto grow in 2014 due tobetter financial conditions,increased confidence, areduction in unemploy-ment and falling oilprices.

The report said that theeconomy would continueto grow in 2016,predicting a 2.5 per centrate. The Commission alsosaid that job creationwould rise during 2015.

The EC report is moreoptimistic than theInternational MonetaryFund (IMF) report, whichrecently forecast a 2 percent growth for Spain for2015.

EWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera30 NEWSwww.euroweeklynews.com

BRITISH holidaymakers caughtspeeding on Spanish roads couldsoon be tracked down and finedunder new EU rules expected tocome into force this year.

The new measures could resultin motorists caught by speedcameras while in their own carabroad receiving fines sent to theirUK address or being pursuedthrough UK courts if they dontpay up.

According to MailOnline, suchdrivers currently cannot be tracedas there is no system for foreignpolice to track them down.Foreign motorists can be traced ifthey are driving a hire car while

abroad, but not if they are usingtheir own car.

But the proposed changes couldbe made EU law by a bill that willapply to all member states. Itwould see motorists pursued for

speeding, running a red light,using a mobile phone or drink ordrug driving. Drivers will receive aletter in their own language fromthe authorities in the country theoffence was committed.

Spanish MEP and the EUParliaments negotiator, InesAyala Sender, said the newlegislation could cut road deathsby 50 per cent, adding: Citizensare never thrilled to receive aletter telling them they have beencaught committing a trafficoffence, but they do welcome thefact that everyone in the EU willbe treated equally, no matterwhere their vehicle is registered.

The bill will also apply toEuropean drivers caught speedingin the UK. If approved, the bill willapply from May, but the UKwill have two years to enforce thenew law.

Fines for speeding to go EU-wide

CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Motorists can now be traced.

DUNE

SCG/SH

UTTERSTOCK

Economy set togrow by 2.3%

UPWARD TREND: EC has raisedSpains growth forecast.

Perfect dayA BRAWL involving 50 people broke out inAspe after police told three inebriatedwedding guests not to drive. Two officerswere later fined for excessive use oftruncheons to end the fight.

Black markTHE underground economy creates one inevery 10 new jobs in Alicante Province.Cross-referencing official figures revealedthat of 27,000 new employees last year,only 24,000 were registered with SocialSecurity.

No takersNO bids were submitted for the contract torun Villenas bus service which includes freejourneys for pensioners. The contract willbe revised and advertised again, the townhall said.

Nick nickedIBERDROLA is pursuing the council atTavernes, near Gandia, for irregularities inthe new police stations electricity supply.There is neither a meter nor a contract, theenergy company said.

No profitALICANTE Citys town plan (PGOU) is to beredrawn. Landowners affected by theoriginal, which was never officiallyapproved, will not be compensated as theyhad not acquired indemnifiable rights.

Stolen drainsMORE than 800 drain covers were stolenfrom Alicante City streets in the last year,costing the city thousands to replace andendangering motorists and pedestrians.

Foiled robberyTWO people have been arrested for tryingto steal 45 rolls of irrigation hoses fromPilar de la Horadada. Police foiled the theftof agricultural equipment valued at 3,375.

Broke businessesFOUR bankruptcies were processed inJanuary in the Murcia Region, down from14 in January 2014. The month saw 237new companies created.

Exchange visitTWENTY students from Devon in the UKwere on an exchange visit to CartagenasLos Molinos school to practise theirSpanish.

Hunters finedEIGHT men have been prosecuted in Elchefor crimes against wildlife after beingcaught by police in El Hondo natural parkhunting threatened birds. They have beenfined 1,440 and banned from hunting fortwo years.

Raising awarenessESTEPONA driving schools arecollaborating with the council to raiseawareness amongst future drivers of thedangers of alcohol behind the wheel and tonail home the fact that it is the main causeof traffic accidents.

Concert announcedPABLO ALBORAN will be giving a concert inTorremolinos at El Pozuelo football stadiumon August 1 as part of his Terral Tour 2015.Tickets priced at 30 are available fromthe town halls Cultural department oronline.

Encouraging tourismMALAGA City was present at Salon desVacances in Brussels, the main tourismfair in Belgium, where Andalucia held astand to promote the area. A total of19,986 Belgian tourists stayed in Malagahotels in 2014.

Fatal accidentA SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD motorcyclistdied in Malaga Citys Calle Pacifico aftercrashing into a lorry. Witnesses said thatthe lorry belonged to Limasa municipalcleaning company.

Fifth in rankingMALAGA came fifth out of 183 cities inSpain for businesses awarded stamps fortourism quality. A total of 128businesses received stamps within theState Tourism Departments IntegralTourism Quality at Destinations System(SICTED) programme.

Improved access ALMUECARS Council has eliminated allarchitectural barriers in Calle GarciaLorca, where two public schools arelocated. Two ramps have been installedto help access for disabled people.

Antique building THE faade of the Maquinilla de Nerjabuilding will be renovated with a budgetof 45,788. The Project seeks to stopthe damage produced by rain on thehistoric building.

Theatre success ALMOST 18,000 spectators attended atheatre play at Motrils Teatro Calderonin 2014. Culture councillor Elena Vallejostressed the theatres great success,which held 106 events last year, out ofwhich 25 were for charity.

Wall collapseA WALL collapsed near the Rambla delas Brujas in Motril due to strong windson February 5. Traffic was interruptedwhile maintenance workers removed thewalls broken pieces. There were nocasualties.

Hiking route ALMUECARS Council has organised ahiking route of medium difficulty toGuajar Fondon (Costa Tropical) onFebruary 22. Registration can be madeat the municipal sports offices (958 883142).

Body found THE body of a 55-year-old man has beenfound inside a pipe in Calle Josep Roig(Palma). National Police believe the manmay have committed suicide.

Cultural Interest THE Popular Culture Advisor ofMallorcas Provincial Council has giventhe green light to the project seeking toname the Ball Dels Cossiers festivities inManacor a Festivity of CulturalInterest.

Broken jaw A 20-YEAR-OLD Colombian man washospitalised in Cala Millor after anotheryoung man broke his jaw outside a nightclub. The attacker has a criminal recordfor similar incidents.

COSTA DEL SOL

AXARQUIA

MALLORCA

COSTA BLANCA NORTH

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH

NEWS DESKEWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com32

ews from our editionsWith six editions and read by more than half a million people, EWN is Spains largest

free local English-language newspaper

N

A LOCAL chef is amongst the finalists inthe Denia Red Gamba internationalcookery contest.

Federico Guajardo from Denias HotelLos Angeles will compete with sevenothers selected from 72 contenders tocreate a dish using Denias red prawns asthe main ingredient. Denia mayor AnaKringe announced the shortlist whilevisiting the Madrid Fusion gastronomysummit. Alvaro Abad, chef at El PlantioGolf resort in Alicante City will be anotherlocal representative present at Deniasmunicipal market on February 24.

Guajardo also competed in last yearsRed Gamba challenge, coming secondwith salted Denia prawns accompaniedby citrus creamed almonds, toastedgarlic meringue and olive oil.

As before, the local fishing guild willprovide locally-caught prawns for theevent which is backed by the municipalmarket, Denia Tourism Centre, theAehtma hoteliers and restaurateursassociation and local businesses.

There is a 2,500 first prize this year,with 1,500 for the runner-up and1,000 for the third-placed chef.

For more local news from our regions see www.euroweeklynews.com EWN top for all the news from Spain.

Land

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MADRID FUSION: Denia mayor Ana Kringe, second left, reads shortlist.

Prawn challenge

Mob crackdownPOLICE in Moscow claim there are only around

eight mob bosses currently residing in the city, withmost of the 44 registered bosses having left the cityor been imprisoned. Nine bosses were brought tojustice last year.

Formula ETHE new Formula E electric car racing

championship will hold a Moscow race in June on citystreets near the Kremlin. The race will be the ninthand penultimate round of this years championship.

Man bites copA 19-YEAR-OLD man in southern

Russia is facing up to five years in prison

for drunkenly trying to set a German Shepherd dog onpolice officers and then biting police himself. Officershad to seek medical treatment for their injuries.

Tiger attackA HUNTER in the Khabarovsk region has survived

a tiger attack, escaping with only a broken collar boneand bruising. He had been checking hunting trapswhen the tiger attacked, but made it to the safety ofa winter hut.

Aspiring poetRUSSIAS Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has

released a series of poems exploring the themes ofemigrating and the impossibility of ever truly leavingRussia behind. He previously published a series ofpoems in 2012.

Churchill movieA NEW movie based on Winston Churchill is set

to be filmed. Darkest Hour will be undertaken bythe team behind the Stephen Hawking biopic TheTheory of Everything. It will be focused on theDunkirk evacuation.

Escape fundONE in 10 Britons have an escape fund in case

they decide to leave a partner. The average amountstashed is 7,500 (10,000) and men (11 per cent)are more likely to have a fund than women (8 percent).

Car sales upNEW vehicle registrations recorded the highest

January sales figures this year since 2007. A total of164,856 new cars were sold throughout the UKduring January. The Ford Fiesta was the mostpopular, followed by the Vauxhall Corsa and FordFocus.

Attenboroughs hawkweedA WILDFLOWER discovered in Wales has been

named after TV presenter Sir David Attenborough.Attenboroughs hawkweed was found a decade ago

but has only recently been classified as a newspecies.

Bovril birthdayICONIC British drink Bovril has released special

limited edition vintage-style jars to celebrate its125th anniversary this year. The fluid beef drinkjars will feature retro Bovril adverts from the 1920sto the 1960s.

EWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera34 www.euroweeklynews.com

Economicgrowth

THE EuropeanCommission has predictedthat the German economy isset to grow by 1.5 per centin 2015.

War babiesGERMAN historians have

claimed in a new book thatmore than 400,000 childrenwere fathered by soldiers ofthe four Allied powers thatoccupied Germany afterWorld War II.

Building runTHE 38th annual run up

the Empire State Buildinghas been won by a German.Christian Reidl ran up theManhattan skyscraper in atime of 10 minutes and 16seconds.

Measlesoutbreak

AN outbreak of measles -mainly in Berlin - hasscuppered the healthauthorities hopes oferadicating the disease by2015.

Jobs cutSIEMENS are to cut

7,800 jobs worldwide,including 3,300 in Germany,the engineering giantannounced this week.

Drone problemREPRESENTATIVES

from every German state areto meet in May to discussthe problem of drones beingused to ferry contrabandsuch as mobile phones anddrugs into prisons.

Protection kitsSHEPHERDS in North

Rhine-Westphalia can nowavail of herd protectionkits that include electricfencing and cameras tohelp protect flocks of sheepfrom the encroaching wolfpopulation.

GE R M A NPR E S S

EUROPEAN PRESS

Stories making headlines in Europe

B R I T I S H P R E S S

R U S S I A N P R E S S

SCANDINAVIANPRESS

Combatingpiracy

DENMARK: The DanishForeign Ministry hasannounced a new three-year strategy for fightingpiracy, moving to thecoast of Nigeria for thefirst time.

EU jobsDENMARK: The number

of EU citizens taking jobs inDenmark increased by 15per cent between 2013 and2014.

Rubbish plansDENMARK: The

government has introduceda 72-initiative strategy tocombat the amount ofrubbish produced bycompanies and citizens inDenmark.

Popular again NORWAY: Nora and

Lucas were the mostpopular baby names inNorway in 2014. Theywere also the favouritesin 2012.

Sunbed banNORWAY: A health

institute has called for aban on sunbeds, arguingthat their popularity in theoften overcast countryhas led to a large increasein skin cancer incidents.

Snow recordSWEDEN: A 50-year-

old snowfall record hasbeen broken in Lulea. Thecity airport measured 113centimetres of snow, twocentimetres more thanthe 1966 record.

Bad areaSWEDEN: The Tensta

district of Stockholm hasbeen deemed the mostunsafe residential area inSweden.

Photo: Michael Norgate/flickr FORMULA E: Moscow-bound for June road race

EMPIRE STATE BUILDING: German wins38th run up skyscraper.

Eric Kilby/flickr

AS threatened, Telefonicais putting the brakes on itsfibre optic plans.

The CNMC, SpainsMarkets and Competitionregulator, wants Telefonicato share the ultra-rapidnetwork it is currentlyextending throughoutSpain by renting outinfrastructure to its rivals.

This would be charged ata set price throughout thecountry, apart from townsand cities where competi-tors have already installedtheir own fibre opticnetworks in open competi-tion with Telefonica. Theexceptions include Madrid,Barcelona, Malaga, Sevillaand Valencia.

Telefonica opposes theCNMCs plans, claiming thatthis affects the cost-

effectiveness of its invest-ment and discouragesother companies from ins-talling their own systems.

By the end of 2014, morethan nine million Telefonicausers had switched to fibreoptic broadband and thecompany was intending toextend this to another 5.5million homes during 2015.Instead it will now cutdown expansion to 3.6million households.

The slowdown will affectTelefonica clients in Madridand Barcelona, plus theirdormitory towns, as well asprovincial capitals Sevilla,Malaga and Zaragoza.

Installation companiesare also unhappy asTelefonicas reaction to theCNMCs plans could affectup to 17,000 jobs.

SPANISH tourism began to recoverduring the last quarter of 2014.

Overnight hotel stays by Spanishtourists increased by 6.2 per centlast December, compared with a0.6 per cent rise in internationaltourists. Madrid did best with 17per cent, followed by Andalucia(6.6 per cent), Catalua (6.7 percent) and the ValencianCommunity (3.3 per cent).

The Spanish are travellingmore, inside and outside thecountry, said Industry andTourism minister Jose ManuelSoria.

In 2008 when the crisis firstreared its head, the Spanish made168.8 million national andinternational journeys, a recordthat fell by 9 per cent over the nextfive years.

Spanish on the move again

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almerawww.euroweeklynews.com 35EWN

inanceA EURO WEEKLY NEWS 6 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION // WWW.EWNBUSINESS.COMF

Wingsclipped

IBERIA is reducing itspoints programme forclients flying economyclass with cuts of up to 75per cent on nationalflights. Business classclients paying the highesttariffs will benefit most.

Be prepared COMPENSATINGsmall investors whoacquired Bankiashares in its flawed2011 flotation willcost approximately500m. State-ownedparent company BFAand Bankia will splitthe payments to avoida capital increase.

usinessBextra

legal&

Telefonica pullsfibre optic plug

THE 6.7 billion contract for the highspeed line to Mecca went to a 12-company Spanish consortium.

Work is behind schedule and lastDecember the Saudi Transport minister,himself an engineer, criticised lack ofprogress on several sections of the 450-kilometre project.

Nevertheless, the challenge will not endeven though the consortium completeson time, sources said, as it must run theline for 12 years, transporting an annual60 million passengers.

Last year Spains own thousands ofkilometres of AVE links had a record year

with 29.4 million passengers, half thatnumber.

A train every four minutes! Like Japan!And with separate carriages for men andwomen! the sources exclaimed.

Profits are more or less assured forthe private companies involved inconstruction, but running a line like thisfor 12 years could be an enormous riskfor public companies like Renfe and Adif,the same insiders said.

STAT OF WEEKbusiness

Renfe AVE S-100 at Sevilla Santa Justa

SAVH

WIKIPEDIA

PESCANOVA, which exitedbankruptcy last May and is

controlled by creditor banks,posted net profits of 1.649billion between January and

November. It still has negativeequity of 616.6 million.

Saudi AVE behind schedule

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGALEWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com36

British Amrcn Tobacco 3,599.25 -28.75 -0.79 68,770.30

British Land Co 830.50 -9.50 -1.13 8,672.64

BT Group 438.20 -4.80 -1.08 35,946.32

Bunzl 1,861.00 -25.00 -1.33 6,382.86

Burberry Group 1,769.50 -27.50 -1.53 7,926.59

Capita Group (The) 1,140.50 -17.50 -1.51 7,554.58

Carnival 2,873.50 -31.50 -1.08 6,268.80

Most AdvancedAuris Medical Holding AG $ 6.38 1.13 21.52%Coherus BioSciences, Inc. $ 28.66 4.27 17.51%ePlus inc. $ 82.43 10.98 15.37%Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. $ 3.02 0.38 14.39%Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. $ 29.99 3.76 14.33%MFRI, Inc. $ 6.53 0.79 13.76%Pixelworks, Inc. $ 5.78 0.69 13.56%SAExploration Holdings, Inc. $ 3.8884 0.4483 13.03%Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $ 30.83 3.33 12.11%Vascular Biogenics Ltd. $ 13.71 1.48 12.10%STAAR Surgical Company $ 7.60 0.79 11.60%

Most DeclinedRentrak Corporation $ 56.62 23.90 29.68%Control4 Corporation $ 12.98 2.81 17.80%Maxwell Technologies, Inc. $ 7.04 1.21 14.67%GoPro, Inc. $ 47.12 7.25 13.33%Sierra Wireless, Inc. $ 32.88 4.51 12.06%NIC Inc. $ 15.73 2.07 11.63%NETGEAR, Inc. $ 30.67 4.02 11.59%Expedia, Inc. $ 77.87 10.13 11.51%Vestin Realty Mortgage II, Inc. $ 3.65 0.42 10.32%VelocityShares 3x Long Silver ETN $ 22 2.49 10.17%eLong, Inc. $ 17.03 1.87 9.89%

CCOO MM PPAA NN YY PPRR II CC EE (( PP )) CCHH AA NN GG EE (( PP )) %% CCHH GG.. NNEE TT VVOO LL UU MM EE

MMM 3M Co 166.07 -0.48 -0.29% 1.8MAXP American Express Co 85.01 +0.28 +0.33% 5.1MT AT&T Inc 34.87 +0.33 +0.96% 27.7MBA Boeing Co 148.00 -0.60 -0.40% 4.4MCAT Caterpillar Inc 83.21 -0.36 -0.43% 5.6MCVX Chevron Corp 109.61 +0.30 +0.27% 7.7MCSCO Cisco Systems Inc 27.24 -0.02 -0.07% 25.5MKO The Coca-Cola Co 41.45 -0.34 -0.81% 12.4MDIS Walt Disney Co 102.02 -0.62 -0.60% 8.5MDD E I du Pont de Nemours and Co 76.10 +0.10 +0.13% 4.8MXOM Exxon Mobil Corp 91.50 -0.86 -0.93% 12.3MGE General Electric Co 24.52 +0.02 +0.08% 27.5MGS Goldman Sachs Group Inc 183.43 +2.66 +1.47% 3.3MHD Home Depot Inc 109.04 +0.05 +0.05% 4.2MIBM International Business Machine... 156.72 -1.19 -0.75% 3.3MINTC Intel Corp 33.30 -0.64 -1.90% 29.3MJNJ Johnson & Johnson 101.10 -1.36 -1.33% 9.2MJPM JPMorgan Chase and Co 57.89 +1.12 +1.97% 25.2MMCD McDonald's Corp 93.99 -0.35 -0.37% 4.7MMRK Merck & Co Inc 58.79 -0.38 -0.64% 9.9MMSFT Microsoft Corp 42.41 -0.04 -0.09% 34.6MNKE Nike Inc 91.79 -1.55 -1.66% 3.7MPFE Pfizer Inc 33.17 +0.18 +0.55% 35.0MPG Procter & Gamble Co 85.61 -1.09 -1.26% 8.4MTRV Travelers Companies Inc 107.20 -0.21 -0.20% 2.5MUTX United Technologies Corp 119.81 -0.30 -0.25% 2.8MUNH UnitedHealth Group Inc 107.60 -1.22 -1.12% 3.7MVZ Verizon Communications Inc 49.33 +1.47 +3.07% 47.4MV Visa Inc 267.42 -4.38 -1.61% 2.8MWMT Wal-Mart Stores Inc 87.33 +0.05 +0.06% 5.6M

Centrica 294.80 -1.60 -0.54 14,699.99Coca-Cola HBC 1,090.00 -12.00 -1.09 3,988.08Compass Group 1,116.50 -13.50 -1.19 19,111.49CRH 1,706.50 -17.50 -1.02 12,918.96Diageo 1,893.75 -15.25 -0.80 48,145.70Direct Line Insurance Group312.00 -3.50 -1.11 4,744.50Dixons Carphone 414.90 -4.80 -1.14 4,887.07easyJet 1,670.00 -30.00 -1.76 6,851.84Experian 1,175.00 -15.00 -1.26 11,797.51Fresnillo 868.75 8.75 1.02 6,597.04Friends Life Group Limtd 403.60 -2.00 -0.49 5,620.71G4S 279.65 -3.05 -1.08 4,381.70GKN 373.60 -6.10 -1.61 6,354.02GlaxoSmithKline 1,511.25 -6.25 -0.41 73,019.95Glencore Xstrata 267.48 2.08 0.78 35,175.54Hammerson 689.50 -11.00 -1.57 5,525.36Hargreaves Lansdown 984.50 -5.50 -0.56 4,736.07HSBC Holdings 612.25 -8.55 -1.38 117,815.18Imperial Tobacco Group 3,015.00 -29.00 -0.95 28,861.08InterContinental Hotels 2,591.00 -23.00 -0.88 6,160.30International Airlines 538.50 -2.50 -0.46 11,055.92Intertek Group 2,451.00 -5.00 -0.20 3,951.75Intu Properties 365.60 -6.80 -1.83 4,908.51ITV 224.80 -2.90 -1.27 9,100.02Johnson Matthey 3,246.00 -44.00 -1.34 6,640.36Kingfisher 335.40 -2.60 -0.77 7,849.25Land Securities Group 1,281.50 -20.50 -1.57 10,304.58Legal & General Group 265.50 -3.40 -1.26 15,918.81Lloyds Banking Group 74.81 -1.00 -1.32 53,937.13London Stock Exchange 2,344.50 -11.50 -0.49 8,182.97Marks & Spencer Group 478.05 -3.25 -0.68 7,858.21Meggitt 542.00 -3.50 -0.64 4,379.69Mondi 1,199.00 -18.00 -1.48 4,460.14Morrison (Wm) Suprmrkts 177.40 -1.60 -0.89 4,224.16National Grid 890.85 -18.45 -2.03 34,413.74Next 7,067.50 -97.50 -1.36 10,911.35Old Mutual 212.70 -1.60 -0.75 10,500.06Pearson 1,355.00 -20.00 -1.45 11,109.41Persimmon 1,592.50 -21.50 -1.33 4,949.34Prudential 1,608.25 -11.75 -0.73 41,451.67Randgold Resources 5,357.50 47.50 0.89 5,140.41Reckitt Benckiser Group 5,532.50 -42.50 -0.76 40,009.24Reed Elsevier 1,150.50 -17.50 -1.50 13,217.38Rio Tinto 3,035.00 6.50 0.21 43,510.46Rolls-Royce Group 902.50 -9.50 -1.04 17,150.98Royal Bank of Scotland 381.45 -2.55 -0.66 24,008.98Royal Dutch Shell 2,161.50 -3.50 -0.16 84,614.74Royal Dutch Shell 2,245.75 -4.25 -0.19 55,368.04Royal Mail 451.30 -4.50 -0.99 4,511.00RSA Insurance Group 442.40 -11.90 -2.62 4,557.51SABMiller 3,466.00 -33.50 -0.96 56,858.61Sage Group (The) 478.65 -6.25 -1.29 5,217.57Sainsbury (J) 266.95 -2.85 -1.06 5,150.19Schroders 2,921.50 -45.50 -1.53 6,581.77Severn Trent 2,042.00 -54.00 -2.58 5,083.81Shire 4,813.50 -98.50 -2.01 29,162.61Sky 952.50 -13.00 -1.35 16,481.08Smith & Nephew 1,187.50 -9.50 -0.79 10,696.28Smiths Group 1,161.50 -25.50 -2.15 4,640.34Sports Direct Internatnl 706.50 -8.50 -1.19 4,276.03SSE 1,603.50 -24.50 -1.50 16,108.14St James's Place 856.75 -10.75 -1.24 4,547.76Standard Chartered 920.40 -17.80 -1.90 23,125.85Standard Life 399.35 -6.05 -1.49 9,625.38Taylor Wimpey 134.80 -2.30 -1.68 4,444.23Tesco 227.53 -1.17 -0.51 18,884.33Travis Perkins 1,941.00 -23.00 -1.17 4,854.68Tui Ag New Ord Reg Shs 1,111.50 -13.50 -1.20 13,758.02Tui Ag Ord Reg Shs Npv 1,137.00 -16.00 -1.39 N/ATullow Oil 406.70 -3.40 -0.83 3,800.65Unilever 2,777.50 -24.50 -0.87 36,341.15United Utilities Group 962.50 -31.00 -3.12 6,793.31Vodafone Group 229.98 -1.42 -0.61 61,011.66Weir Group 1,836.00 -7.00 -0.38 3,947.55Whitbread 4,834.50 -70.50 -1.44 8,971.28Wolseley 3,790.00 -34.00 -0.89 9,941.68WPP Group 1,434.00 -15.00 -1.04 19,141.13

NASDAQCLOSING PRICES FEBRUARY 9

DOW JONESCLOSING PRICES FEBRUARY 9

3i Group 473.10 -3.40 -0.71 4,626.38

Aberdeen Asset Mngmnt 435.95 -4.95 -1.12 5,735.93

Admiral Group 1,460.00 -8.00 -0.54 4,066.08

Aggreko 1,620.00 -8.00 -0.49 4,195.22

Anglo American 1,149.00 3.50 0.31 16,359.21

Antofagasta 705.25 3.25 0.46 7,006.98

ARM Holdings 1,052.00 -27.00 -2.50 15,187.59

Ashtead Group 1,085.50 -8.50 -0.78 5,393.33

Associated British Foods 3,009.00 -33.00 -1.08 23,837.31

AstraZeneca 4,442.00 -25.00 -0.56 57,236.81

Aviva 534.25 -2.75 -0.51 15,592.40

Babcock International 1,017.00 -14.00 -1.36 5,165.09

BAE Systems 511.75 -5.75 -1.11 16,240.08

Barclays 251.08 -4.37 -1.71 41,002.94

Barratt Developments 453.25 -6.45 -1.40 4,667.59

BG Group 935.65 0.75 0.08 32,630.06

BHP Billiton 1,502.50 -2.50 -0.17 32,473.10

BP 450.75 0.15 0.03 82,039.61

CCOO MM PPAA NN YY PPRR II CC EE (( PP )) CCHH AA NN GG EE (( PP )) %% CCHH GG.. NNEE TT VVOO LL UU MM EE

LONDON - FTSE 100CLOSING PRICES FEBRUARY 9

CCOO MM PPAA NN YY PPRR II CC EE (( PP )) CCHH AA NN GG EE %% CCHH GG.. VVOO LL UU MM EE

CCOO MM PPAA NN YY PPRR II CC EE CCHH AA NN GG EE NNEE TT // %%CCOO MM PPAA NN YY PPRR II CC EE CCHH AA NN GG EE %%CCHH AA NN GG EE VVOO LL UU MM EE

US dollar..................................................................1.13454Japan yen..............................................................134.666Switzerland franc ...............................................1.04881Denmark kroner................................................7.44409Norway kroner ..................................................8.64035

0.74418 1.34375Units per

MAKE THE MOST OFYOUR MONEY WITH US

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almerawww.euroweeklynews.com 37EWN

MEDITERRANEAN Spain has much tolearn from the sophisticated businesssigns market in the UK.

There is much more to customerenticement than a shop front and avehicle covered with self adhesiveinformation.

Avoid garish quick an slicksignage. If it looks like somethingyou would see on Blackpools promyou may turn customers away.

The visible exterior of yourbusiness is a direct reflection of yourprofessionalism or lack of it.Remember, your signage is yourcompanys business suit.

Vinyl self adhesive signs were

never intended to be permanent.Reasonably priced, easily applied andremoved, they are perfect for specialoffers. They are also ideal for publicholidays such as Christmas, Easter,and Valentines Day good wishes or

offers. If you want to remove vinylsigns on vehicles, borrow thehairdryer from the bathroom. A fewminutes of hot air and they can bemore easily peeled off.

A boards placed outside businesspremises are a good idea. When Ibought one for my specialistbusiness, situated on a busy mainroad, the turnover increased by one-third. Although I had been trading forover two years, I was constantlyasked by road users how long had Ibeen there. I later figured out why.Motorists do not look left and right;they look ahead.

Ideal for tradesmen, the A board

is light, mobile, and can be leftoutside wherever work is beingcarried out. Likewise, signagefastened to clients walls or gates.

Family car magnetic signs areworth their weight in gold. Unlike selfadhesive signs these can be placedon car doors and peeled off asrequired. The downside is they canbe stolen. The magnet attracts thelight fingered too.

Enterprising business types cansign their family car up and leave thevehicle parked near the entrance to asupermarket or mall all day. Imaginehow many people will see it and thereare no fees to pay.

Mike WalshMike Walsh was for 20 years RegionalAssessment Manager for the Guildof Master Craftsmen, Britainsbiggest quality assurancebody for businesses.

www.michaelwalsh.es 966 786 932

Talking shop

Visible signs of the times

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGALEWN 12 - 18 February 2015 / Costa de Almera www.euroweeklynews.com38

Who must fix their subsiding terrace?

A. Yes, your first call should be to yourhome insurance company. That is whyyou pay them. And, yes, I noted thatanything outside the exterior walls of abuilding, such as terraces and gardens, isthe property of the Community.

I also said that exclusive use of theseelements is assigned to the individualowners. The Spanish courts haveconsistently ruled that exclusive usemeans that each owner is responsible forhis own terrace or balcony or garden, sorepairs are on you, even if the basicownership is the Community.

There is a clause in building contractsrequiring the builder to have insurance torepair defects, but this insurance runsout after 10 years. So the only option leftagainst the builder is a normal lawsuit forthe defect. I agree subsidence after 15years seems like an actionable defect,but this is tricky, possibly involving thearchitect or the geological study of theland, and the judge will have to decide.

Of course your first choice should beyour insurance company. Put in a claim.If you are lucky and your policy coversthe problem, they will pay up and thentry to recover the amount from theoriginal builder.

Be aware that insurance companiesare always alert to find some-thing intheir small print to escape paying.

OF late there has been muchtalk about the rise ofmanscaping and beautyproducts for men.

Where once upon a timeshelves were mostly laden withfemale cosmetics, nowadaysmen too have their fair share ofspace in the bathroom cupboardfor their beauty creams andserums.

However, it appears thatwomen still use a lot moreproducts than men. One recentstudy reveals that 35 per cent ofwomen use one or two productsdaily, while 17 per cent usethree or four products a day.

Meanwhile, 33 per cent ofmen admit to using one to two

products each day, but themajority of men (54 per cent)dont use a single product whengetting ready in the morning -so it turns out guys really arentso high-maintenance.

OK. Well put our hands up inthe air and admit that women

are big spenders when it comesto beauty products, but doesthat mean that we should facesexual prejudice in the market,with companies charging anunjustified markup for productsmarketed towards females?

A study by an American

fashion magazine shows thatannually women pay millions tocosmetic companies in extrafees and markups - fees thatmen just dont have to pay.

The magazine researchlooked at a variety of products.For example, deodorants onaverage are 10 per cent moreexpensive if aimed at womenrather than men. Pretty pink-coloured razors are much morepricey than the male versions ofthe blades.

Perhaps they are crafted bytiny elves, whereas boring oldmachines make the male razors!

Anti-aging creams are wherewomen really get stung. Forinstance, a very well knownbrand charges 60 for a 50mlmoisturiser, whereas the samebrand charges only 40 for a100ml male version of the samemoisturiser. Thats 20 cheaperand double the size!

So the obvious money savingtip is check whether theres acheaper version of what yourebuying in the Mens aisle.

JanePlunkett

A look at finance for females

jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews.com

Loose change

MANSCAPING: Men too are using beauty creams and serums.

Youre so vain and paying for it too

Women pay morefor their beauty

products than men

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

Q. I have an apartment on the Costa Del Sol in acomplex run by a Community. My balcony/terrace issinking and so is the one next door. The Committee of ourCommunity advised us that it was our problem. They saidwe, the owners, were responsible for repairs, eventhough the terrace is outside the exterior wall of thestructure. You have said in your EWN column thatanything outside the exterior wall belongs to the

Community. The flats were built in 2000 and I think thissubsidence should not happen to such a new build.

We are ground floor but below the structure is acommunal garage area so our back terrace is actuallyeight metres above street level. We dont know whatinfill was used below it.

I have home insurance and perhaps we should put in aclaim. A.C. (Costa del Sol)

You and theLaw in SpainBy David Searl

Good figuresSANTANDER reported pre-tax profitsof 9.72 billion last year, a 32 per centincrease. The bank, the eurozoneslargest, confirmed its intention ofcontinuing to focus on retail bankingduring 2015 and announced that its 10principal markets presented increasedgross profits for the first time since theeconomic crisis commenced.

Different faceNEW 1 and 2 pieces depicting FelipeVI are now in circulation, eight monthsafter he was proclaimed king. SpainsTreasury authorised the changeoverlast October and the coins were struckin January, the first of four million ineach denomination that will beproduced in the next few years.

PersuasionIAG, the group composed of BA, Iberiaand Vueling which hopes to acquireAer Lingus, pledged that neither thecompany nor its routes will disappear.IAGs offer includes a promise that theIrish airlines 23 pairs of Heathrowslots will not be used by the groupsother airlines or sold.

BUSINESS EXTRA

Thanks fromSamaritansfor generosityON Saturday January 31, NigelHopkins and all of his singers andmusicians put on a trulywonderful evenings perform-ance of Music of the night.Afterwards Samaritans in Spainundertook a bucket-shake toraise funds.

The audience was extremelygenerous on the night, raising anamazing 565, then Nigelhimself donated enough to takethe amount to an incredible650.

I would like to offer my thanksand the thanks of all ourvolunteers and, indeed, ourcallers for this generosity.

I would also like to offer mysincere gratitude to all of Nigelssingers, musicians and otherhelpers for a wonderful eveningsentertainment. And I mustntforget the staff and managementof the Orihuela Costa Resort fortheir time, making uscomfortable and refreshed.

Thank you to you all.Chris Sumpter, president,

Samaritans in Spain

Pick it up!SEVEN dogs have died due topoisoning on the beach ofPuerto Alcudia, Mallorca.

The mayor has now made itobligatory for the animals towear muzzles for fear that otherfatal casualties will occur.

It is really horrible thatsomeone deliberately spreadpoison for this purpose, but Isuppose many people are angryat the mess and smell left literallyeverywhere by many dog-owners.

I am a dog-owner. Hes a bigfellow of 38 kilos and I walk himevery day and am delighted thatin winter we can walk, play andrun our dogs on the beach herein Santa Ponsa.

I am 80 plus - no big deal - butI always collect his necessitiesand, many times, those of otherdogs. We also pick up all sorts ofother refuse that could be takenby the wind or tide into the seaand cause trouble for othercreatures.

You irresponsible dog owners:

use your brains! Again, its no bigdeal to bend down (greatexercise) and collect your dogsmess. All you achieve with yournegligence, apart from thedisgusting mess, is to createenemies for our beloved bestfriends.

Olivia Amengual, Nova StaPonsa (Mallorca)

Free-for-allWE visited the Motor show inMalaga and it was a veryenjoyable afternoon with plentyto see.

I would just like to warnanyone visiting an exhibition atthe Palacio de Congresos aboutthe parking. When we arrived ahigh viz-jacketed man directedus to a space, then demanded5 for parking.

We questioned this, asking fora ticket first and refused to payso he eventually gave up with usand moved on to his nextvictims. I took a photo of him onmy phone as I was now worriedabout the safety of the car.

When purchasing our entrytickets I told the staff who werehorrified and assured me theywould notify security and thatparking is free.

If the man had asked for 1we probably wouldnt havequestioned it.

Luckily the car was OK and onleaving we then saw the signsstating free parking, so checkbefore you pay!

Diana Clark (by email)

Greedy seaOUR urbanisation, CostaNatura, is really close to thebeach and as far as ourfrontage is concerned, big rocksprotect the beach.

However at the wild beachwhich still belongs to thenaturist zone, erosion isconsiderable or even horrible.The sea takes whatever it canget in the winter and there isnobody who cares.

I tried to bring the subject tothe attention of the EsteponaTourist Office and they correctlyanswered that they are unableto intervene because it is theresponsibility of the CoastalAuthority.

Obviously this Authority hasits own targets, which aredifferent from those of the townhall, and doesnt care whathappens to the beach althoughnaturist tourism contributesconsiderably to coastal tourism.

It is the wrong approach tocelebrate the high occupat