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YOUR ENGLISH - SPANISH NEWSPAPER - FORMERLY
VALENCIA - ALICANTE - MURCIA
February 9 - February 15 2007
No 197
The CB Friday
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INSIDE
MAC’S MUPPETS - SEE PAGE 40
LAND LAW PROBE
A MAJOR probe into Valencian property laws and
alleged fraudulent urban
legislation has been started
by the British Embassy.
A top official from the Madrid embassy has begun
investigations into the alleged real estate irregularities that are affecting hundreds of ex-patriate Britons
in the Valencia and Murcia
regions.
Many face having their
homes, which they bought
in good faith, demolished
or seized to make way for
urban developments under
notorious land grab laws.
The probe is being co-ordinated by the new British
consul for Alicante and
Murcia, Juliet Maric.
The embassy has received
a flood of complaints in
recent months and it has
now taken action after campaigns by residents and in
the European Parliament.
The latest case involves
homes in Catral where the
Valencia regional government has intervened.
A developer has been
charged
with
illegally
building eight houses in the
town and told a court that
MICHAEL CASHMAN
the mayor, José Manuel Rodríguez, had given him permission.
A judicial commission is
investigating whether 1,200
houses in the town were
built illegally.
Campaigning Conservative
MEP Michael Cashman has
slammed colleagues on the
European Parliament Petitions’ Committee who tried
to delay a fact-finding mission to Spain until after the
May elections.
The mission is planned for
the end of the month but
two members of the European People’s Party, one a
British Tory and the other
Spanish, said they would
boycott it if it went ahead
before the elections.
Mr Cashman said: “The
EPP’s request to delay because of the elections is
playing politics with people’s lives and is totally unacceptable.
He said that Spain’s Partido Popular appeared to
be pushing for the delay
and said: “They are putting
real pressure on the EPP because they realise they have
something to hide.”
Mr Cashman said there
were persistent and ongoing
concerns that regional laws
in Spain violate European
Union law and there were
thousands of horrific cases
of abuse that they continue
to hear of on a daily basis.
Only last week Valencia officials told an airport car
parking business at El Altet that it had to close even
though it has operated legally for years.
In Tormos, residents have
demanded for six million
euros if their homes are
compulsorily purchased for
villa development.
Mystery
death of
sister of
princess
THE sister of the Princess
of Asturias, Erika Ortiz,
has been found dead and is
alleged to have committed
suicide.
Sra Ortiz, 31, (pictured
left) was found by her
boyfriend, who let himself
into her flat after she did
not reply to his call.
Her
sister,
Princess
Letizia, is pregnant with
her second child and is
married to the heir to the
Spanish throne, Prince
Felipe.
The Royal Household is to
make an official statement
but has meanwhile asked
for respect and prudence.
Sra Ortiz, who was buried
yesterday, separated from
her husband, by whom she
had a daughter, six, last
May.
King Juan Carlos returned
from his engagements in
Germany and Queen Sofía
flew in from Indonesia.
The results of an autopsy
are awaited.
Sources said that Sra Ortiz
has been depressed and
suffering from stress and
anxiety in recent months.
Boxes of pills were found
near her body.
Full story - page 3
news P2 • letters P12 • travel P25 • cars P28 • sports P36
NATIONAL NEWS
Page 2
February 9 - February 15 2007
Huge demo
against ETA
stops capital
MORE than 200,000 people
marched through Madrid
on Saturday calling on the
Zapatero government to reject any negotiations with
Basque separatist group
ETA.
The protesters waved Spanish flags and carried posters
reading “You defeat ETA,
not persuade it.”
ETA called a cease-fire last
year and caused optimism
that prime minister José
Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
could bring peace negotiations.
This collapsed after the Madrid airport car bombing
on December 30 that killed
two Ecuadoreans and de-
molished a multi storey car
park.
Conservatives say Zapatero
is naive to think he could
negotiate with ETA, but the
prime minister has said he
would never rule out dialogue with the group.
Leading members of the
conservative opposition Popular Party, including former
prime minister José María
Aznar, joined the rally.
Similar rallies were held in
other cities, while a peace
march was held in Bilbao.
ETA has been fighting for
four decades for an independent Basque homeland.
The conflict has cost more
than 800 lives.
Station bomb blast
UNITED AGAINST ETA: Part of the Madrid demonstration that demanded no talks with the terrorists
WEATHER
AROUND THE COSTA BLANCA THIS WEEK
FRIDAY
LIGHT RAIN
62ºF 16ºC
SATURDAY
SUNNY
69ºF 21ºC
SUNDAY
PARTLY CLOUDY
67ºF 19ºC
MONDAY
MOSTLY CLOUDY
69ºF 21ºC
TUESDAY
SHOWERS
64ºF 18ºC
WEDNESDAY SHOWERS
64ºF 18ºC
THURSDAY
63ºF 17ºC
SHOWERS
Police warn of terror base
SPANISH
police
have
warned that the country is
becoming a base for Pakistani terrorists.
They held a Moroccan suspected of belonging to a
terrorist outfit involved in
recruiting suicide bombers
for Al Qaeda.
Morocco had issued an international arrest warrant
for Moroccan Mbark el-Jaafari, who was captured in
Reus, near Tarragona.
A BOMB exploded at a railway station outside Bilbao
early on Monday.
It caused serious damage
and started a fire but no one
was injured.
The device exploded in Barakaldo, a town on the outskirts of Bilbao, the Basque
capital.
The blast happened just after midnight and it is suspected that it was set off by
young supporters of ETA,
the armed Basque separatist group.
On Sunday police held 18
fugitive members of an outlawed Basque youth group,
which the Supreme Court
ruled last month as a terrorist organisation because of
its alleged links to ETA.
Spanish radio suggested
the bomb blast on Monday
might be in retaliation for
the arrests.
The explosion set off a fire
inside the station, which
handles commuter trains.
Firefighters worked for several hours to put out the
fire and services were suspended until it was extinguished.
Barakaldo mayor Tontxu
Rodríguez said the explosion blew out doors and
windows.
He said it was the third
time the station had been
attacked.
Sr Rodríguez said: “This is
not the path to peace and
freedom. All this does is to
disrupt the everyday lives
of citizens.”
On December 30 ETA detonated a bomb at Madrid airport, killing two people.
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Tel/fax: (+34) 96 646 24 60 / 96 646 24 61 Mobile (+34) 627 596 439 · Ctra. Cabo La Nao, C.C Arenal, first floor, Local 18 y 19 · 03730 JÁVEA - ALICANTE
NATIONAL NEWS
February 9 - February 15 2007
Hunger
striker
is near
to death
THE fate of Iñaki de Juana
Chaos, a Basque terrorist
who served 18 years for 25
murders, was hanging in
the balance as he appeared
near to death after 93 days
on hunger strike.
Basque nationalists say his
treatment by the Spanish
state is a travesty because
on the point of release from
jail last year, De Juana Chaos was suddenly sentenced
to 12 more years for two articles he had written for a
Basque newspaper.
If the ETA hard man dies,
he will become a martyr for
the Basque separatists and
probably unleash a fresh
round of bombings.
De Juana Chaos, the former
head of the Madrid commando of ETA, started his
hunger strike after being
convicted of making terrorist threats and jailed for a
further term.
He had been sentenced to
3,000 years jail for a series
of terrorist attacks but he
served 18 years - the maximum sentence possible and expected to be released.
Prosecutors then brought a
fresh case against him accusing him of making terrorist threats in newspaper
articles.
The articles were published
in the pro-ETA newspaper
Gara in December 2004.
Coke haul
A CONSIGNMENT of cocaine destined for Spain
was discovered by customs
at Coventry airport.
The £30,000 stash was hidden inside more than 140
prunes at the UK’s largest
parcel depot.
In an attempt by traffickers
to disguise the drug, the cocaine was wrapped in clear
plastic inside the fruit.
Each prune contained 4.4g
of the illicit drug.
The consignment had arrived from Guyana and was
due to be sent to Spain.
No arrests have yet been
made said Customs.
Page 3
Hundreds still stranded at sea
HUNDREDS of Asian and
African migrants spent
their seventh day aboard a
broken down freighter off
Mauritania as Spain tried
to convince West African
countries to take them in.
The vessel broke down in international waters off Senegal on February 2 and was
intercepted by a Spanish
coastguard ship which tried
to tow it to the nearest port.
In spite of pressure from
Madrid, Mauritania refused
to let it dock.
The freighter is thought to
have set out from Guinea
on its way to the Canary Islands and was first spotted
by a Spanish aircraft on November 30.
Spain is now talking with
Senegal and Guinea, as well
as Mauritania, on the future of up to 400 migrants
thought to be aboard the
vessel and a Foreign Ministry spokesman said: “These
other countries have responsibility for the stricken
vessel. It’s not Spain’s responsibility.”
A Spanish hospital ship
was expected to arrive at
the freighter, Marine I, on
Wednesday to supply it with
food and medical supplies.
The migrants are believed
to be from Pakistan, Indian
Kashmir, Bangladesh and
African countries.
The Marine I passengers are
the latest group of Europebound migrants to find themselves stranded at sea while
countries argue over them.
African migrants spent days
stuck on a Spanish fishing
boat off Malta last July as
Mediterranean
countries
bickered over them.
Mystery death of
Princess’s sister
THE
younger
sister
of Princess Letizia of
Asturias was found dead
on Wednesday. Erika Ortiz
Rocasolano, 31, was found at
her apartment in Madrid.
Her sister is married to the
heir to the Spanish throne,
Prince Felipe, son of King
Juan Carlos.
Although the cause of
death is not yet known, it
is believed that she took her
own life.
The funeral took place on
Thursday at 14 hours in
Madrid.
Sra Ortiz, who was separated from her husband,
sculptor Antonio Vigo, was
known to be depressed.
The couple had a six-yearold daughter.
Her body was discovered by
her current boyfriend, cameraman Roberto García,
who found her in a bedroom
where there were several
boxes of medication.
The Spanish press reported
that she had had problems
with stress and anxiety following the breakdown of
her marriage.
Her husband’s family have
asked for “respect and
understanding at this difficult time.”
Her sister, Princess Letizia,
who is six months pregnant
with her second daughter
has not commented but the
royal couple have cancelled
all immediate engagements
to attend the funeral.
Prime minister José Luis
Rodríguez Zapatero, has
asked for maximum respect
for the families of the dead
woman and opposition
leader, Mariano Rajoy, has
expressed sympathy.
Sra Ortiz’s other sister,
Telma, received the news of
her death in the Phillipines
and returned to Spain on
hearing the news.
Sra Ortiz was an arts graduate and was working as
a producer in the design
department of the television company, Globomedia.
Sources said she had recently had a lot of time off work
due to personal reasons.
King Juan Carlos cut his
official visit to Germany
short and returned just in
time for the funeral, which
he attended together with
THE head of the Catalan
government’s Interior Department, Joan Saura, has
proposed legalising all
forms of drugs as a way
of fighting drug trafficking
and its associated illnesses.
Speaking in an interview
with the TV3 television station, the leader of the ICV
party was asked if he supported legalising the consumption of cannabis.
He said: “All drugs should
be made legal. It’s something I’ve always defended.”
Sr Saura said that legalisation did not mean being in
favour of drug-taking itself,
but that it should form part
of a series of measures to
put an end to drug trafficking.
He said that partial prohibition was not the best way to
dissuade people from taking drugs.
Police in
dig swoop
his two daughters Elena
and Cristina.
Queen Sofía also suspended
her trip to Indonesia but at
the time of the funeral she
was still in the air on her
way back to Spain.
The Valencian council
offered its condolences to
the Royal household.
Basques want link with Navarra
THE political wing of ETA, Batasuna, has called for the Basque Region and Navarra to become a
single autonomous region of the
Spanish State.
At a San Sebastián press conference Batasuna spokesman, Arnaldo
Otegi, put forward what he called a
new proposal to solve the conflict.
Minister
wants to
legalise
all drugs
He called for an autonomous region inside the Spanish state, made
up of the Basque region and Navarra, provided that it was approved
by the residents of both areas.
He said such a union would be a
transition phase.
Batasuna has also proposed the
union of the regions of the French
Basque country, Lapurdi, Nafarroa
Behera, and Zuberoa into a new
French autonomous region.
He said: “The citizens have the capacity to freely decide their political and institutional future.”
The Basque regions of Spain and
France have long campaigned for
independence.
SPANISH police have arrested more than 50 people
in one of the world’s biggest swoops against the
pillaging of archaeological
sites.
The detainees, who were
suspected of stealing some
300,000 objects from at least
30 sites, were arrested in
Andalucía as well as Madrid, Barcelona and Zamora.
They included suspected
thieves,
intermediaries
who sold the stolen objects
and collectors.
Medal awards
THE mayor of Benalmádena, Enrique Bolin, has
awarded the medals of the
city to two men who are
charged in the multi-million euros
Malaya corruption case in Marbella,
Córdoba businessmen Rafael Gómez, and Cristóbal
Peñarroya, who are both
on bail. The awards are for
business and social merit.
Never a dull moment in a vibrant city
MADRID has taken a turn to
the artistic during February,
with the Madrid Abierto
(Open Madrid) art exhibition. This is no ordinary
exhibition; you won’t have
to queue to get in, nor pay an
entrance fee, because the art
is on display in the streets.
It is the fourth time Madrid
has organised the annual
event, thatruns alongside
the ARCO (Contemporary
Art Exhibition) at the
IFEMA centre.
Madrid Abierto incorporates pieces from international artists and one of
the most alternative contributions is called Alarm
Bike. This work by German
Leopold Kessier, basically
consists of a bike that has
been left leaning against the
wall of the Círculo de Bellas
Artes museum. The bike is
unchained and whenever
anyone tries to make off
with it, an alarm sounds.
This is ‘interactive art’ and
apart from scaring you half
to death (if you are trying to
nick the bike), the aim is to
give the viewer a different
perspective on art than you
get from strolling past 2D
paintings in a gallery.
If you’re visiting Madrid
don’t be surprised to see similar art scattered through
the city in underground stations and cafes, alongside
public buildings or even
embedded in the pavement.
As a tip, the key streets to
investigate are between the
Paseo de Recoletos and the
Paseo del Prado axis. Expect
to find 658 projects from 55
different countries. Madrid
Abierto runs until February
28.
Another
phenomenon
taking Madrid by storm,
is stand-up comedy - in
English. The Giggling Guiri
is a monthly comedy night
that takes place at various
venues in central Madrid.
For those who have no idea
what a guiri is, well, look
in the mirror and you’ll see
one - it’s a jokingly affec-
tionate term for a European
foreigner in Spain.
Top quality comedians fly in
from the UK to give the expat
audience (that also comprises Spaniards) a bit of a giggle. Recent performers have
included Mike Wilmot and
Mark Watson. The highlyacclaimed Watson is not only
incredibly funny, but has
also gained a huge following
from the Edinburgh Festival
after performing a 33-hour
stand-up show! We guiris in
Madrid can’t wait for the
next instalment that comes
in the form of Australian
comedienne, Sarah Kendal
(left) on February 25.
There’s never a dull moment.
Last week, Ewan McGregor
and Hugh Jackman strolled
past my office. They’re in
town filming a new movie
called The Tourist.
K. Tuxford
[email protected]
LOCAL NEWS
Page 4
City is still
in the race
VALENCIA has accelerated
in the race for winning the
Formula One urban circuit.
So says Valencia president
Francisco Camps, whose
last meeting with Bernie
Ecclestone inspired confidence that Valencia will be
awarded the prize by 2008
or 2009.
This week Mr Ecclestone
announced that Abu Dhabi had been awarded the
Grand Prix in 2009.
The F1 supremo said an Abu
Dhabi Grand Prix, which is
expected to take place at the
end of the 2009 season, will
not be a threat to nearby
Bahrain which has hosted a
race since 2004 and recently
agreed a long-term deal.
He said: “I am sure that
Bahrain and Abu Dhabi
will work closely together
to make sure Formula One
is very successful in this
part of the world, which is
very important.
“I think we are now well
served in this part of the
world,” fuelling hopes for a
Valencian Grand Prix circuit.
Earlier this year double
world champion Fernando
Alonso, raced demonstration laps in front of about
10,000 people by Valencia’s
City of Arts and Sciences.
Town fears
gang attack
A TOWN mayor has taken
court action against the serious problem of lack of security in his town.
Albaida mayor, Juan José
Beneyto, said there are not
enough resources in the
town to protect its residents.
He said there are only six
regular Guardia Civil policemen, serving a population
of 5,830 and that the station
is closed in the afternoons
and the evenings, when 75
per cent of crime occurs.
Beneyto has also criticised,
the organised gangs which
are frightening to the population of Albaida and seven
other localities.
He said: “The neighbours
live in terror.”
He said that in the last year,
the assistant representative
of the government committed itself to provide more
resources in the region,
although this has not happened.
Crime rises
FIVE juveniles a day are
hauled before the judge for
criminal offences, says the
regional youth prosecution
service.
In the first two weeks of the
year, cases involving 54 children accused of crimes passed into prosecutors’ hands.
Of these, 17 were charged
with violence against their
partners or parents.
Six cases were for breaching
existing sentences, two for
coercion and one each for
threats, degrading treatment and sexual abuse.
Most crimes by children relate to theft, mainly forcible
and violent break-ins, followed by vehicle theft.
February 9 - February 15 2007
Church welcomes
immigrant flocks
CATHOLIC churches are throwing
open their doors to allow other religions to worship under their roof.
The number of migrants moving to the
Comunidad Valenciana has brought
a wealth of different religions to the
region.
Many immigrants are not Catholics
but allowing them to worship in the
churches has proven to be a means
of integrating rather than alienating
people from different countries.
Orthodox, Lutherans, Protestants, Anglicans, have celebrated their masses
in Catholic churches and have been
given space for their own chapels.
Muslims have not been given the same
opportunity but this is due to the difference in practising their religious belief. The imam of the mosque Méndez
Núñez in Valencia, Abdul Rahim, has
stressed that Muslims and Christians
coexist without any conflict whatsoever. He said the different religions respect each other with an open dialogue
and friendship among the people.
At a recent congress on religions, the
Muslim community has asked for lessons of the Koran to help understand
and learn more about their culture.
There are many examples where
Catholic churches have opened their
doors to either Orthodox or Lutheran
believers. Last month they celebrated
a week of understanding in Orihuela.
The Almudena church in Benidorm is
let out to the Lutheran parish for services whenever they request it. The
same occurs in Calpe at the chapel of
Nuestra Señora de la Merced.
Torrevieja offers the Inmaculada
church to Protestants from the UK,
Sweden, Finland and Norway. In Elche
the San Crispin chapel is open to Orthodox believers.
San Fulgencio in the South opens its
church to Lutherans. Santa Marta between Torrevieja and Santa Pola reserves its parish church to Orthodox
services whenever requested.
In Vallada the orthodox believers, who
are mainly from Romania, have been
given an area in the Catholic Church
to practice their religion.
The Association of East European
Countries in Castellón has supported
Hungarians, Poles, Rumanians and
Bulgarians to integrate into the local
community with cultural exchanges
across the borders.
Burglars with taste for exotic pets
AN albino python and two tortoises
have been stolen in the latest raid on
exotic animals in the Comunidad Valenciana.
Two masked thieves broke into a pet
shop in Valencia at the weekend to
steal two tortoises and a three-metrelong albino python, all valued at more
than 3,000 euros.
Police have confirmed there has been
an increase in exotic animal thefts in
the Valencia area of late.
At the end of last year, 25 puppies were
stolen from pet shops in and around Valencia, while mid-January, nearly 100
tortoises were stolen from a Castellón
wildlife centre.
Burglars are targeting pet shops because of a lack of security alarms on
the buildings coupled with the animals’
high values.
Animals are then sold on the black
market or on the Internet.
Seprona, the Guardia Civil’s animal
protection unit, said 668 protected
species of animal were recovered last
year.
These included 481 birds and 168 reptiles as well as a tiger, leopard and
puma.
In the light of the thefts, many pet
shops have now stepped up security
measures and some even have guards
at night.
EXPATRIATES could soon
be benefiting from more
low fares after Ryanair announced new routes from
El Altet airport.
From March 25, the Irish
airline will fly daily between Alicante and London
Stansted, as well as to Dublin, Liverpool, Dusseldorf
and Pisa.
It hopes that 370,000 passengers will soon be flying
with them annually from
El Altet. Its announcement
is likely to spark a commercial battle between other
low-cost airlines Easyjet
and Thomsfonfly, which
dominate the low-cost air
travel market in El Altet
airport.
Air traffic in El Altet aiport
has experienced a spectacular increase since 2000,
mainly thanks to the British market. In 2000, Brit
passengers numbered 2.5
million people, whereas in
2005, numbers had jumped
to 4.5 million.
Rival airline EasyJet had
more than 9,000 flights between Alicante and various
destinations in the UK last
year.
Ryanair also plans to expand its Murcia-Dublin
route.
From March 26, the Ireland-based firm will run
seven flights a week from
San Javier airport on the
Mar Menor to Dublin, as
opposed to its current four
flights. Ryanair will also fly
between Dublin and Málaga
nine times a week.
President
breezes in
SNAKE IN THE GRASS: Thieves are turning their attention to rare animals
Phishing scam nets ratepayers
A PHISHING scam that has erupted
in the Murcia Region targeting thousands of householders has been uncovered.
An email purporting to be from the
Agencia Tributaria, which is responsible for collecting local rates, tells
recipients they qualify for a 90-euro
refund.
The message appears to be signed by
the agency director-general Luis Pedroche y Rojo.
To claim the refund, users are invited
to click on a hyperlink where they are
asked for personal information including credit or debit card numbers
Ryanair
flying in
and password. The details requested
are sufficient to allow a person’s card
to be cloned, say police investigating
the incident.
Although the agency says the mail is
mostly written in poor Spanish, apparently by a non-native speaker, parts of
it have been copied directly from the
Agencia Tributaria’s website so that it
appears more authentic.
The agency says it would never request personal details by email nor
make tax refunds via credit card.
Its official websites are www.aeat.es,
www.agenciatributaria.es and www.
agenciatributaria.com.
Combat class violence
HUNDREDS of teachers are going
back to class to learn how to deal with
the rising violence at schools.
The regional education ministry has
drawn up an ambitious programme to
deal with spiralling school violence,
sources have revealed.
About 500 teachers from the Comunidad Valenciana are to receive expert
tuition on how best to deal with cases
of violence. Over the next three years,
every school in the region will have
an expert mediator to eradicate the
growing phenomenon.
The ministry has stated that a similar
course will be set up for parents but
has not stated when it plans to do so.
AFTER a year of treating
patients, the president of
the Comunidad Valenciana
Francisco Camps officially
opened the health centre
Parque lo Morant in Alicante.
Patients with appointments
for the day could barely get
into the centre, since the
president had arrived with
the entire cabinet of ministers from Alicante town
hall, as well as representatives from doctors’, pharmaceutical and nurses’ associations.
Camps was proud to say
that 40 per cent of his budget or 5,000 million euros is
reserved for the construction of health centres. Another two are due to open
later this year.
He then rushed on to Vistahermosa to repeat the procedure and unveiled a commemorative plaque at the
auxiliary health centre.
He finished his tour in less
than two hours in Asaja, on
the outskirts of Alicante,
to open the building of the
farming syndicate.
Critics said that this round
of public appearances solely served the purpose to
cover up his months of absence from public functions
and to increase the popularity of the party at the onset
of the election campaign.
Camps announced Luisa
Pastor will be the candidate
for the Conservative party
in Sant Vicent del Raspeig.
LOCAL NEWS
February 9 - February 15 2007
Guides set
for golfers
A TEAM of specialist golf
police has been created
to decide on the future of
courses in the Comunidad
Valenciana.
It consists of 19 specialists
from different areas, such
as golf federations, tourist
organisations, architects,
constructing
companies
and ecologists. It had its
first meeting earlier this
week.
Over the next few months
the group will put together
guidelines on how many
golf courses the Comunidad
Valenciana can have, where
they can be built, what size
and infrastructure they
have to have and what other
facilities or what land they
have to respect.
They will base their decisions on an ecological sustainable development of
golf courses in the Comunidad Valenciana.
Over the past 10 years golf
has become more and more
popular. Statistics show it
has increased by 10 per cent
in popularity every year.
At present there are 22
courses and another 55 in
the pipeline.
This compares to 42 in Catalunya and 80 in Andalucía.
According to information
that is available from the
councillor for territory and
construction in Valencia,
the province can host 65
without causing any damage to the environment or
the agricultural sector.
We’re buzzing
ELECTION
campaigners
have found a new tool in
the fight to win votes - a topselling sex toy.
Forget traditional pens
or lighters – members of
Alicante council’s workers
union (SPDA) were given a
surprise when its leaders
made the unprecedented
decision to ditch traditional electoral propaganda and
hand out ‘vibrator rings’ instead to encourage votes.
Members
laughed
and
joked as they were given
the rings, which have
been a top seller in recent
months in Spain. Written
across the vibrator was
the union’s slogan ‘Vibrate
with your syndicate’.
Top trophy
THE North Costa Blanca
Branch of the Royal Air
Forces Association has
won the RAFA Overseas
Trophy for having the
biggest
percentage
increase in membership
of all 25 RAFA Overseas
Branches in 2006.
The NCB Branch membership rose from 100 to
125 during the year.
Page 5
It’s snow joke for
airport passengers
HUNDREDS of frustrated expatriates
and holidaymakers heading for England were forced to wait for several
hours at Valencia, Alicante and Murcia airports as the heaviest snow of
the winter blanketed Britain.
Luton, Stansted, Bristol, Cardiff and
Birmingham airports all closed runways yesterday morning due to the big
freeze.
Travellers in Spain were caught up
in the chaos as the planes which were
meant to take them home remained in
the UK.
They endured a lengthy wait before
they could check in their luggage.
The situation worsened as more people
headed for the airports to catch their
flights.
The snow began to fall in Britain in
the early hours of yesterday morning,
with southern areas and the Midlands
particularly badly affected.
A spokesman at Heathrow Airport said
a full team of snow specialists worked
through the night in a bid to keep the
airport running as normal. British
Airways cancelled about 25 flights,
while American Airlines cancelled one
but this was only a handful compared
with the total number of flights from
the airport, he said.
A spokeswoman at Gatwick Airport
said about 20 flights had been cancelled. She advised passengers to
check the situation with airlines and
come and check in as normal.
Luton Airport was closed because of
the bad weather.
Today, Friday February 9, airport chaos was expected to continue with the
snow turning to thick ice.
Pupils toe the line to win prizes
THREE La Nucía pupils have won
prizes in an Alicante province competition.
The students at Elian’s British School
won the awards in the competition run
by Elda’s Museo de Calzado (shoe museum).
Schools in the province were invited to
send in a painting or write a story.
Alejandro Díaz Chinchilla, nine, won
first prize with his painting in the primary category while Alejandro Pascual Reig, eight, received a comendation
in the same category.
Lara Morales Cano, eight, also won
first prize in the primary category with
her story.
Carolina Gimeno, Spanish headteacher at Elian’s, said: “The standard from
all of the entries was very high and we
were very pleased to see that our students were rewarded for the quality of
their work.”
A REGULAR Sunday carboot sale has been taken
over by a town councillor.
The sale which is held in
La Pobla de Vallbona, near
Llíria every Sunday had
been run using official
channels by The British Intercultural Association.
However control was seized
by PSOE councillor, Francisco González Rodríguez
on January 28, after the
town mayor had initially
authorised the event.
The sale has been growing
from strength to strength
with more traders and visitors every week.
Rodríguez now wants the
council to keep the revenue.
He has also demanded that
traders would have to register their ‘business’ and pay
social security and other
taxes, even though most of
them use the event to offload
a few unwanted items.
The carboot has ran for
years and its traders are
mainly Spanish. No other
carboot in Spain requires
carbooters to register their
stall as a business.
After the takeover most of
the regular Sunday market
traders failed to turn up for
their pitch.
Its organisers, Neil and Bev
Harrison are planning to
challenge the takeover and
search for another site.
Woman dies
TOP NOTCH: Pupils picking up their awards
Five go off on an adventure to Arctic
A GROUP of five daredevil adventurers
who live on the Costa Blanca, set off for
an expedition across the North Pole last
week.
The men decided to rise to the challenge
of crossing the Arctic Circle on snow
mobiles in just three days.
Carlos Pérez, a 45-year-old Jávea businessman. with Finns, Jukka Honkanen,
52, and Miko Kankappa, 24, who also live
in Jávea together with Belgians, Bert
Wets, 37, and Charles Randquist, 46,
from Moraira, have arrived in Finland
where they will begin their intrepid
journey of a 1,500km round trip on their
Yamaha Warriors GT snow mobiles.
They face the dangers of extreme cold
temperatures which can drop as low as
40ºC below zero with only three hours of
daylight each day.
Each have had extensive physical train-
Sale booted
into touch
ing to prepare them for the cold and they
will also take a special diet to help them
endure the cold.
Over three days averaging 500km a day,
they will cross through inhabitable forests of Finland to the inhospitable snow
plains of the North Pole, some yet unexplored.
The speed of the snowmobiles, which
have a horsepower of 180 and a maximum speed of 50 km an hour can expose
them to temperatures reaching –70ºC.
The men will stop every five hours to
refuel and by night will camp out in
military style tents and keep watch for
bears, wolves and reindeer that roam
the forests.
Sr Pérez said: “The intense cold can be
overcome by the rigorous physical and
psychological training we have had in
the last year to prepare us.”
AN 80-year-old woman from
one of Valencia’s oldest and
most respected families has
been discovered dead in her
home, which had been completely ransacked.
The woman had been tied
up. It has also been revealed
that a newly-hired home
help has allegedly fled.
One of her daughters said
her mother was so shocked
it led to a fatal heart attack.
One of her other daughters
is Conchita Cañamás, one
of Valencia’s most respected floral decorators.
COMPETITION
WINNERS
Last week we offered four
lucky readers the chance
to win a copy of ‘Growing healthy vegetables
in Spain’ or ‘Growing
healthy fruit in Spain’
by gardening experts
Clodagh and Dick Handscombe.
The thinkSPAIN/today
winners of the vegetable
book are:
Lisa Davis from Calpe
and Harry Thomas from
Torrevieja.
The winners of the fruit
book are:
Helen Jones from La
Nucía and Jerry MacMillan from Manchester.
LOCAL NEWS
Page 6
February 9 - February 15 2007
Not before time
At last it appears that action is being taken to expose
the iniquities of the Comunidad Valenciana’s land
law.
For years local councils and the regional government
have ridden rough-shod over property owners as they
have permitted developers to grab land for massive
urbanisation schemes that cannot be supported by the
area’s fragile infrastructure.
The British Embassy has sent a top official to the region
to investigate the numerous complaints that have been
made by homeowners who find themselves threatened
with losing their properties even though they were
bought in good faith and they were assured by lawyers
and town halls that they had purchased legally.
MEP Michael Cashman has campaigned endlessly on
behalf of those under threat and he is rightly indignant
that two of his colleagues, one British and one Spanish,
have tried to halt a European Parliament fact-finding
mission to Spain to investigate the abuses of the law.
The Valencia government already knows that its land
laws were in breach of EU law but has only derisory
efforts to alter the situation.
There are vast amounts of money to be made out of
property development on the Costas and those who
spend their money buying homes here deserve justice
and fairness, not the shabby treatment some appear to
be receiving.
The embassy should follow Mr Cashman’s example and
pull out all the stops to halt the appalling, and sometimes illegal, treatment of homeowners.
SHOOTING PARTY: Hunting could be banned from the popular Montgó natural park
All guns blazing to
shoot down hunts
HUNTING could be banned on the
Montgó natural park.
After many complaints by residents
about the danger of hunting, two ecological groups Adanat and Agró are
preparing a motion to ban the bloodsport.
The mountain is a haven for walkers
and tourists who could be under threat
if they ventured into the gunmen’s
path.
More urbanisations and leisure areas
are springing up on the Montgó, which
also means there is not enough space
to hunt safely.
About 60 per cent of the park’s borders are shared with Dénia and Jávea
towns.
Neighbours from both towns have
complained that they have found shot
partridges or lead bullets in their gardens.
The gun groups cause noise pollution
and the growing number of lead bul-
lets shot into the park are beginning to
damage the park.
The ecological groups have set up a
petition in favour of closing the gun
clubs.
The town hall has mentioned that the
hunters have long-standing rights
since they were set up before the Montgó was converted into a natural park.
They argue it may prove difficult to
shut them down. Others feel the Montgó is the wrong place for buildings.
Vineyards
oppose law
A lesson in skills
It was a chastened England chief coach who left Old
Trafford on Wednesday night with the scorn of the supporters still ringing in his ears.
Spain proved to England fans what most discerning
football observers have always recognised - there is no
substitute for technique.
Watch any La Liga game and you see levels of skill and
technique that the average English Premiership players can only dream about.
Only teams like Arsenal and Manchester United aspire to anything like the quality of the average La Liga
match.
Observe the players on view for England and ask how
many would attract the attention of a top Spanish
club.
The answer is very few whereas England’s teams would
gladly take all the Spain players, from goalkeeper Iker
Casillas to striker David Villa, if they had the chance.
Until England players can match the techniques that
are shown by the players of Spain, Italy, Brazil, Portgual and Argentina, World Cups and European cham-
WINEMAKERS in the Murcia Region have hit out at
proposed laws to ban massive street drinking parties,
known as botellones.
They say it could spell disaster for vineyard and bodega-owners.
The regional health ministry is considering passing
legislation that will outlaw
huge gatherings of young
people drinking in the
streets at night, and clamp
down on underage drinkers.
Advertising of alcoholic
drinks could also be limited.
Wine industry workers,
backed by various unions
and co-operatives, say they
agree with plans to control alcohol consumption
among under-18s. However
they insist they cannot accept restrictions imposed
on wine promotion and
publicity.
They reminded politicians
in an open letter sent to the
health ministry this week
that the sector provides
jobs for 30,000 people in the
region.
Province at bottom
of salaries league
SPENDING power in Alicante province is the lowest
in the country, a report has
revealed.
Average family income in
Alicante province rose by
only half the amount registered elsewhere in Spain
between 2000 and 2005.
The study shows that during these years, the average
income per person in Alicante was 11,907 euros per
year, 11 per cent more than
in 2000.
Salaries in the rest of the
country increased by 21.5
per cent to 14,583.5 euros.
Similar increases were experienced in Valencia province, where salaries grew
by 20.15 per cent. The report
shows 300,000 people have
moved to the province but
this has done nothing to increase its wealth.
Individuals in Vizcaya, in
the north of Spain, earn
the most at 18,867 euros.
The poorest area in Spain
is Jaén, where the average
income is 11,133 euros.
Forking out to train chefs
HOTELS and restaurants in
Murcia are having to resort
to offering crash-courses
to unqualified chefs due to
lack of staff.
Thirty-hour courses are
being given to train people
as cooks, kitchen assistants, waiters and bar staff
thanks to a number of new
shopping centres with restaurants and banquet halls
opening up in the region.
Bosses in the catering sector say finding enough qualified staff to fill vacancies
is becoming increasingly
difficult.
This has led to express training courses for members of
the public to ensure there
are enough employees to
meet customers’ demands.
“It’s the only way we can
keep the businesses going,”
said a catering spokesman.
BOTTLE IT: Two-thirds of new mothers turn to the bottle
Mums say no to breast-feeding
ONLY one in three mums in Valencia carry
on breastfeeding two weeks after giving
birth, according to figures from a city hospital.
Paediatrician Eva Carvajal from the Hospital la Casa said: “These figures can be
applied to most hospitals in the region and
indeed in to hospitals all over Spain.
“We are encouraging mothers to breastfeed
for mothers, given the great number of advantages that it has for them and their babies.”
Pub opens its doors to young revellers
YOUNG revellers will be able to enjoy
live music and discos in Moraira.
The club, for youngsters aged 12 to 16 in
the Teulada area, can now enjoy Disco
Jove at Moraira’s Pub Las Vegas every
Friday between 19.00 and 24.00 hrs.
Entry costs three euros with one drink
included.
A free bus service between Teulada and
Moraira is available, with buses leaving
at 20.00 and 21.00 hrs and returning at
00.15 hrs.
Also, Benissa’s filmoteca will be running cinema evenings every Sunday
from 19.00 to 21.00 hrs, and Las Vegas
Pub will be putting on café-theatre
evenings on two Thursdays every
month.
Street clean
PROSTITUTES are being
driven off the streets of Alicante in a new crackdown.
The city hall has launched a
campaign to increase police
presence in known red-light
areas and allow greater control over the hostels used by
local prostitutes.
The hostels will be required
to apply for a nightclub licence, in place of accommodation licences under which
they currently operate.
Other measures include
council programmes to
help women who work as
prostitutes to find legal employment.
Businesses in the city say
the women are brought in
from the Vega Baja.
LOCAL NEWS
February 9 - February 15 2007
Flying high
at Valencia
ABOUT 6.5-million passengers are expected to fly in
or out of Valencia airport
this year.
Works to enlarge Valencia’s
Manises airport will enable it to handle 2.5-million
more passengers than at
present.
Building has continued at a
frenetic rate since it started two years ago to finish
in time for this summer’s
America’s Cup.
As well as a 500-metre extension to the runway, which
will allow intercontinental
planes to land, two more
terminals have been built.
The airport car park is being enlarged to accommodate twice as many cars as
before.
Airport authority AENA
spokesman said: “The two
new airport terminals will
allow a quality service for
our passengers in the face
of a huge increase in airport traffic that will occur
this summer.”
Extension of Valencia’s
metro system means passengers will now be able to
reach the airport from the
city centre by public transport.
The airport work should be
finished by April.
Waiting list
HUNDREDS of Dénia residents are being forced to
wait up to 20 days to get a
doctor’s appointment.
Residents of La Faroleta
neighbourhood in Dénia
called a meeting earlier
this week appealing to the
council to build the town’s
second health centre as a
matter of urgency.
They said it was shameful
that the capital of the Marina Alta only has one health
centre to cater for its large
and growing population.
José chosen
MAYOR José Císcar has
been picked as the Partido
Popular candidate for Teulada’s local elections next
year.
Císcar said at the opening
of the election campaign
that he was very happy his
party members still consider him to be the perfect
candidate for the May elections.
School plan
A THIRD nursery school
for children up to two years
old is to be built in La Cala
district of Benidorm.
The local authority hopes
that the future El Tossalet
school, will be up and running by May 2008.
Page 7
Armies battle for
world recognition
NEARLY 400 people, including armies
of Moors and Christians, have hit
Madrid in a bid to turn their colourful festival into a UNESCO world
heritage event.
A delegation, headed by Alicante city
council, headed for the capital to seek
parliament backing for their bid.
After handing in their formal petition, nearly 400 people including
Moors and Christians, musical bands
and regional authority figures paraded from the Parliament building
to the Puerta del Sol in traditional
filaes.
Benidorm mayor, Manuel Pérez
Fenoll, said the festival, which is celebrated in 200 towns around the Valencia region, is important because it
is a union of civilisations.
The Moors and Christians festival is
performed all over the Comunidad
Valenciana.
It celebrates the expulsion of the
Moors from the region during the reconquista.
Legend tells of Saint George coming
to the aid of the Christian armies in
a battle in 1279 to defeat the troops led
by the Moorish captain Al Athrak.
MOORISH: Hundreds call for UNESCO heritage status
The festival generally takes the
form of noisy re-enactments of key
events in the reconquista, with the
participants dressed in elaborate
costumes.
It caused quite a stir in Spain last
year as some religious figures tried
to ban the event for being ‘unkind’ to
the Moors, who always lost.
However commonsense prevailed
and the street battles will continue
as tradition dictates.
TV show sets up comedy website
A MOCK travel website has
sprung up to help ITV promote its new comedy series
Benidorm.
The ITV six-part series,
starring Johnny Vegas,
takes a wry look at holidaymakers on an all-inclusive
fortnight’s break in Benidorm.
It has received mixed reviews from the UK media,
as its larger-than-life characters expose the caricature of the typical Brit
abroad.
The website www.solanaapartments.co.uk
was
produced by digital agency
Poke and is part of a campaign to promote the show,
which aired its second episode on Thursday.
It includes an amusing
‘learning the lingo’ page
and a €uround currency
converter showing how
many cigarettes, beers and
chips you can get for your
euro.
ITV’s in-house promotions
agency, ITV Creative, produced the on-air campaign,
which features clips giving
a flavour of each character,
using the strapline ‘It’s a
funny old place’.
The print work, created
by M&C Saatchi, captures
amusing holiday snaps of
the cast which are placed
in the photo album of one
of the show’s characters.
Hit-and-run
driver kills
woman, 30
A 30-YEAR-OLD woman
has been killed in a hit-andrun accident in central Alicante.
The Bolivian woman was
knocked down in the early
hours of Sunday morning
as she was crossing the
road on the Gran Vía opposite the town’s district
hospital.
Witnesses said a vehicle,
travelling at high speed,
jumped the lights and hit
the woman.
She was immediately attended to by SAMUR medical services but later died
from her injuries.
Meanwhile, the driver of
the vehicle sped away from
the accident leading to a
six-hour police chase.
A man has been arrested
for fleeing from the scene
of a crime and failing to aid
an injured pedestrian. The
identity of the man has not
yet been revealed. Police
have not said if he was under the influence of drugs
or alcohol.
Four deny
killing man
FOUR men are standing
trial accused of beating a
German tourist to death in
Monforte del Cid.
In 2005, the 67-year-old man
was hijacked and forced to
drive his attackers to a deserted farmhouse.
He was tied up, taunted
and beaten so he would tell
his captors his credit card
PIN numbers. He later died
from his injuries.
The prosecution has accused the men of acting
in cold blood and in a premeditated manner. The accused claim they had no
intention of killing their
victim.
The crown prosecution service is calling for prison
terms of between 30 and 35
years if the four men are
found guilty.
11 arrested
WE’RE ROLLING: Film crew shooting in Benidorm last summer
ELEVEN people suspected
of being responsible for a
bank robbery in Elche have
been arrested in Madrid.
Police are investigating
whether the suspects, who
are all from Chile, are behind a further 30 bank robberies across Spain.
The robbers who burgled
the bank in Calle Ramón y
Cajal, Elche, made off with
more than 5,000 euros.
Witnesses described them
as extremely violent.
www. javea . com
LOCAL NEWS
Page 8
Jávea is still
waiting for
the new
indoor pool
JÁVEA residents have
been waiting 12 years for
the local authority to fulfil
its promise to build a new
indoor pool.
Swimmers are still wondering when construction will
start.
Two months ago the council
admitted it was only going
to pay two of the six million
euros necessary to build the
pool. The statement was later amended, claiming that
the authorities in Valencia
are going to pay for the entire construction costs.
Local sports councillor José
Francisco Erades said he
feels let down by Valencia.
Jávea is now considering
forking out the six million
euros for the project to get
the ball rolling.
February 9 - February 15 2007
Diamonds are forever
GRIEVING relatives are ensuring they keep their loved ones
close to their chest - by turning their ashes into diamonds.
Carmelo Hernández, of Alicante, had his mother’s ashes
turned into a bluish, half-carat diamond inscribed with her
favourite Latin phrase ‘Omnia mea mecum porto’ or ‘I carry
with me all my things’.
He said that turning her into a precious stone had something symbolic and eternal to it.
A Swiss company, Algordanza, is turning human ashes into
diamonds at a cost of between 3,750 and 15,500 euros depending on the size and cut of the stone.
In Spain and Portugal, about 100 relatives have turned the
remains of their father, mother or spouse into gems, according to reports.
Ana Alonso, a widow from Logroño, has transformed her
husband’s ashes into two heart-shaped diamond earrings.
“This way I will always have him near me,” she said.
The Algordanza jewellery business was founded in 2004
and now operates in 17 countries, including Spain, France
and Germany. Its website www.algordanza.org explains
how the ashes become a diamond from the chemical processes used to treat the carbon to its high-pressure, hightemperature synthesis into a stone, which may be engraved.
Port has designs
on main prize
Crime soars
on Mar Menor
UP to fifteen crimes a day
are reported in the Mar
Menor and Cartagena area,
Guardia Civil officers reveal.
They believe there is mafia
presence in the area.
In Cartagena, Fuente Álamo
and La Unión, there have
been 4,200 crimes reported
in the past year, of which
3,700 involved burglaries
and car theft.
The branch of the Guardia
Civil based in Torre Pacheco, which covers Cabo
de Palos, La Manga, Los
Alcázares, San Javier and
San Pedro del Pinatar, says
of the 1,200 crimes reported
in the area, a thousand involved break-ins or stealing
vehicles.
More than 500 cars were
stolen in the Mar Menor
area in the last year, statistics show.
Whilst the crime-rate fell by
four per cent in the Cartagena area between 2005
and 2006, it went up by the
same amount in the towns
covered by Torre Pacheco
police.
At present, the Cartagena
branch of the Guardia Civil
has 54 officers and Torre
Pacheco has 99. Both have
requested a further 60 to enable them to fight the rising
crime in the province.
A VALENCIAN building has been
nominated for one of the most prestigious architectural prizes in Europe.
The Veles e vents building was designed by David Chipperfield as part
of the America’s Cup development
by Valencia port.
It is now in the running for the Mies
van der Rohe prize, which is awarded annually to the most architectur-
ally-innovative buildings erected
during the past year in Europe.
The European Commission revealed
that only one other Spanish building
has made the shortlist - The Contemporary Art Museum of Castilla-León
designed by Luis M. Mansilla and
Emilio Tuñón.
The award ceremony will take place
in May.
Human traffickers arrested
A GANG who reportedly forced women into prostitution ‘to pay off their
debts’ has been busted in Torrevieja
and Rojales.
The ringleaders allegedly made the
women sell themselves until they had
paid off sums of between 4,000 and
7,000 euros.
Police say the women were sent to
clients’ houses under surveillance of
their captors.
The victims were mainly young foreign
women in financial difficulties who
had been lured into travelling to Spain
by the promise of lucrative work.
Once there, officers heard that the
girls’ passports were confiscated and
they were made to work as sex-slaves
until they had paid off the money their
kidnappers had spent on bringing
them into the country.
One of the hostages managed to pay
Doctors get
Lions share
MEMBERS of the newlyformed Lions Club covering
the Jalón and Orba valleys
have donated a photocopier
to the doctor at Jalón’s new
medical centre.
The copier was bought with
funds raised at a quiz night
the group held at the end of
last year.
The club, which meets on
the first and third Wednesday evening of each month,
is looking for new members.
Anyone interested should
phone Bob Spokes (Orba) on
675 377 473 or John Wright
(Jalón) on 666 446 360.
back her 7,000 euros in just three months.
The anti-fraud and illegal immigration squad, the UCRIF, freed the victims last weekend and arrested a man
of Spanish nationality and a Brazilian
woman.
They believe the operation also owns
a number of flats in Portugal and that
their illegal operations could be more
widespread.
Heinz dishes up tall order
AMERICANS
want
to
build the new skyscrapers that will be part of the
City of Art and Sciences in
Valencia.
The Heinz family, who have
made their millions selling ketchup and other food
products, have prepared a
plan for the construction of
three tall skyscrapers to finish off the area between the
centre Príncipe Felipe and
the railway lines.
The first proposal was presented more than two years
ago with four skyscrapers.
This was cut to three to allow
the buildings to be taller.
As it stands now, the plans
show the highest building
called Torre Valencia would
stand at 308 metres, mak-
ing it the tallest building in
Spain. The second building
named Torre Castellón is a
little shorter at 266 metres
and the lowest one with 220
metres is Torre Alicante.
The buildings will be used
as hotel and private living
accommodation.
The next step will be that
the town hall opens the public bidding for the construction rights and the purchase
of the land.
The Heinz family has said it
will also consider the possibility of only building one
of the three towers. The
plans were prepared by the
famous Valencian architect
Santiago Calatrava, who is
behind the City of Arts and
Sciences in his home city.
Torture
teacher
arrested
A VALENCIA teacher has
been accused of recording videos of children as
young as 12 being sexually
abused.
The man, aged 29, has been
arrested by National Police.
They found videos involving 200 children all aged 12
and under.
He is suspected of using his
position as a freelance valenciano teacher to gain the
children’s trust.
He also went on organised
camping trips with children, offered his services as
a children’s entertainer at
parties as well as regularly
teaching youngsters.
A police spokesman said
“Thousands of archives
of child pornography have
been taken apart, the majority of which are videos
in which children are hit
and tortured.
“None of the children are
older than 12. In some cases
they are just babies.”
The man is accused of making films showing himself
inflicting physical punishments on the children, including whipping them.
The images were then circulated on the internet,
which lead to his arrest in
a police clampdown on suspected internet child pornography.
Switch off
THE lights went out across
Valencia’s most prestigious
buildings to highlight global warming.
On Thursday most cities in Spain switched off
their lights to demonstrate
against climate changes.
Between 19.55 and 20.00hrs
most public buildings were
plunged into darkness.
The IPCC, Intergovernmental Panel for Climate
Change, came up with the
idea after presenting their
report on climate change to
2,500 representatives of the
UN last Saturday in Paris.
In Valencia the City of Art
and Sciences and other wellknown public buildings
switched off their lights for
five demonstrative minutes.
The REE, the Spanish electric network, noticed a drop
in electricity consumption
of 1,100 MW throughout
Spain, which is about 2.5
per cent of the total consumption.
In real figures this is a drop
from 40,830 to 39,780.
In the Comunidad Valenciana Iberdrola saw a reduction of one per cent. At
19.55hrs. the consumption
was 4,939 MW and five minutes later it had dropped to
4,857 MW.
REE had made provision
to supply enough electricity when the lights were
switched on again.
It had agreed supplementary supply from France,
however, the Spanish network could cope on its own.
The dark five minutes
should remind governments that electricity is
not unlimited and that they
have to ensure that no city
has to switch off their light
due to a crisis or a shortage
in electricity supply.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
February 9 - February 15 2007
WORLD IN BRIEF
Airline’s hefty rise
on bag allowances
Page 9
US responsible for Brit death
THE US squadron involved in the 2003 so-called
‘friendly-fire’ killing of Lance Corporal Matty
Hull in Basra, Iraq, has apologised to his family.
The US has confirmed that UK military officials
took part in the 2003 US inquiry which cleared the
two pilots of any wrongdoing.
The two pilots involved in the attack which killed
L/Cpl Hull and injured four other Household Cavalry Regiment members were reservists from the
Idaho National Guard’s 190th Fighter Squadron
and had never been in action before.
Spokesman Lieutenant Tony Vincelli said the
squadron is very sorry that this incident happened.
He said: “We’re obviously very, very sorry for the
family and extend our sympathies to them.”
A US cockpit video and recording of the pilots involved was withheld from the inquest into L/Cpl
Hull’s death, but was leaked to The Sun newspaper after the Ministry of Defence had denied to his
family that it even existed.
In the recording, one of the US pilots can be heard
saying ‘We’re in jail dude,’ after realising the mistake.
The recording found its way to Oxford coroner Andrew Walker, who is hearing the inquest into the
25-year-old soldier’s death.
He was forced to adjourn the inquest until the
MoD is able to obtain US permission to use the
tape in evidence.
BRITISH Airways passengers wanting to
check in a second bag now face paying up
to 240 pounds on top of the price of their
ticket.
Travellers on shorter international trips
will face a bill of £120 for every extra bag
per return journey and 60 pounds on domestic journeys. The extra charges come
into effect on Tuesday and apply even if the
luggage is not over weight restrictions.
BA said that it wants to simplify baggage
charges and insisted most passengers will
be better off.
Bird flu cull shock
A VET involved in the cull of 160,000 turkeys in Britain’s first outbreak of bird flu
has not been infected with the H5N1 virus,
the Health Protection Agency said this
week.
The cull of turkeys on Bernard Matthews’
farm in Suffolk where the H5N1 strain of
bird flu broke out was completed on Monday. Russia and Japan banned British poultry imports after the country’s first outbreak of the H5N1 strain in farmed poultry
that sparked the cull.
Actor on gun charge
HOLLYWOOD actor Ryan O’Neal has been
arrested in his Malibu home following an
alleged dispute with his son Griffin O’Neal
which is reported to have ended with him
brandishing a gun and firing a shot.
The 65-year-old screen veteran, who won an
Oscar nomination for his tear-jerking performance in Love Story, has been charged
with assault with a deadly weapon and
negligent discharge of a firearm. He was
released on 50,000 dollar bail.
Peace for Palestine
RIVAL Palestinian factions are holding
talks in Saudi Arabia focusing on forming a
united government that would honour past
agreements with Israel.
Ismail Haniya and Khaled Meshaal, the
leaders of Hamas, and Mahmoud Abbas of
Fatah, have discussed forming a coalition
cabinet that may end a Western-imposed
financial boycott. Unless Israel, the US and
EU find any declaration satisfactory the financial embargo may not be lifted and talks
with Tel Aviv could fail.
CHANGING FACE: Lisa Nowak in happier times, left, and today, right
Space cadet on
kidnap charges
AN American astronaut has
been charged with trying to kidnap a woman she thought was a
rival for the affection of a space
shuttle pilot.
Navy Captain Lisa Nowak, 43,
is accused of attempted kidnapping, battery and other crimes.
She drove from Texas to Florida
to confront Colleen Shipman,
disguised in a wig and trench
coat.
Police said Capt Nowak, who
was denied bail, used pepper
spray on Ms Shipman.
The man in the love triangle is
said to be Navy Cmdr William
Oefelein, who was a pilot on the
Discovery’s mission to the space
station in December.
Police said Capt Nowak drove
1,000 miles (1,600km) from her
home in Houston to Orlando International Airport, wearing a
nappy to avoid a toilet break.
Capt Nowak then followed Ms
Shipman in an airport bus.
She pursued Ms Shipman to her
vehicle in the car park.
Ms Shipman locked herself in
but rolled down the window
when Capt Nowak began to cry,
the court report says.
Ms Shipman was then attacked
with the pepper spray, it says.
She drove to a car park booth
and police were called.
An officer followed Capt Nowak
and she was stopped allegedly
carrying the wig, an air rifle, a
steel mallet and a knife.
A search of her vehicle revealed
pepper spray and e-mails between Ms Shipman and Cmdr
Oefelein, police said.
Worldwide
child abuse
AUSTRIAN
authorities
have uncovered a major
international child pornography ring involving more
than 2,360 suspects from 77
countries, including hundreds in the United States,
who paid to view videos of
young children being sexually abused.
The children were under
the age of 14 and screams
could be heard, said Harald
Gremel, an Austrian police
expert on internet crime
who headed the investigation.
Interior Minister Guenther
Platter said the FBI was
investigating about 600 of
the suspects in the United
States. German authorities
were following leads on 400
more people, France was
looking into about 100 others, and at least 23 suspects
were Austrians.
Platter said videos downloaded from the internet
and seized by Austria’s
Federal Criminal Investigations Bureau included images that showed ‘the worst
kind of child sexual abuse.’
Gremel said: “Girls could
be seen being raped and you
could also hear screams.”
The investigation began in
July when a man working
for a Vienna-based internet file hosting service approached authorities at the
interior ministry to say he
noticed the pornographic
material during a routine
check, Gremel said.
Hit the sack
MORE than 1,000 sacks
of opened letters have
been discovered by Mexico’s postal service, hidden at the home of one of
their employees.
The shock discovery occurred 10 years after
the first wave of letters,
which had all come from
the United States, disappeared.
The postman had been
trying to steal cheques
and post office giros.
Mexico’s postal service,
Sepomax, has stated that
the letters are now under
their protection.
It has not yet decided
when and how they will
be distributed to their
rightful owners.
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NEWS FEATURE
Page 10
February 9 - February 15 2007
Go wild in the country
brother to sensually stimulate her to provoke a reaction.
He is full of optimism and
hopes to see her happy and
smiling, rather than having
a ‘lost look on her face’.
An Asturian psychologist is studying the strange case of the Cambodian jungle girl who was found living
wild recently. Samantha Kett investigates.
I
magine trying to teach
an animal to walk on its
hind legs, speak or eat
with a knife and fork.
Imagine a human being
who crawls on all fours,
growls at anyone who
approaches him or her
and eats scraps from the
ground.
It is possible to teach an
old dog new tricks but at
times even experts despair
and some begin to wonder
whether it is worth trying.
Psychologist Héctor Rifá,
from the University of
Oviedo (Asturias) was
more
optimistic
than
many when he made the
first steps with 29-year-old
Rochom Pnieng from Cambodia.
Records dating back more
than 400 years report children brought up by packs
of wolves, chimpanzees
and even domestic dogs.
Many have been abandoned by heartless parents
or have somehow become
separated from their distraught families who eventually gave them up for
dead.
By the time these ‘lost’
children are found, their
parents have little or no
hope of communicating or
bonding with them. Their
child has become, literally,
wild.
The most recent discovery of a feral child was
just a few weeks ago when
Rochom Pnieng, who has
been living in the Cambodian jungle since 1988, attempted to steal food from
woodcutters about 325 kilometres from the capital,
Pnom Penh. She is said to
have growled and yelped at
the men, fleeing when they
tried to approach her.
Local police officer, Sal
Lou, who came to investigate, ran back to the nearby village of O’Yadaw to
fetch his wife, Rocham Yit.
She identified her as their
long-lost daughter thanks
to a scar on her shoulder.
They have never given
up hope that one day they
would find her and her sixyear-old cousin who disappeared while tending animals in the forest.
Rochom Pnieng’s parents
say she refuses to wear
clothes or use chopsticks to
eat, does not speak in any
intelligible language and
rubs her stomach when
she is hungry.
Asturian psychologist Héctor Rifá, who was in the
find
right
the
financial
advice
Animal
instincts
Rochom Pnieng lived wild in the jungle since the age
of ten
area at the time studying
non-verbal communication
among indigenous tribes,
has had some success getting through to her.
“Firstly, she had to recognise herself in the mirror.
She stuttered a bit and then
I stood next to her, so she
could make the connection.
It’s a question of breaking
the isolation,” said Rifá.
“You make gestures and
she copies you.”
Last week, the Spanish
psychologist spent a night
with Pnieng and her family in a house of barely 25
square metres which is
home to 15 people.
He said she is already walking on two legs.
“She fixes her gaze on you
sometimes, whereas before
she’d look away,” he said.
Rifá has given her two
teddy bears, one large and
one small, so she can play
out her maternal instincts.
One represents a parent,
another a child.
“It’s very important that
now, in her house, she has
something she can call her
own – the mirror, and the
teddy bears,” he said.
Rifá’s next challenge is
to teach her mother and
Oxana Malaya from Ukraine was brought up by a pack of dogs.
i
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at
Light may be at the end of
the tunnel for the young
Cambodian girl but others
have not been so lucky.
Oxana
Malaya
from
Ukraine, known as the Dog
Girl, lived in a kennel from
age three for five years after her parents abandoned
her. She ran around on all
fours, barked, and was unable to speak. Now, aged 23,
she lives in a home for mentally-handicapped people
in Odessa and works on a
farm.
Chilean Axel Rivas was
thrown out of the family
home aged five. Running
away from a children’s
home three years later, he
was brought up by a pack
of stray dogs in Talcahuano, living in a cave. He survived by suckling the milk
of a dog who had recently
given birth.
He became distressed, aggressive and depressed
when social services ‘rescued’ him in 2001 and tried
to escape many times, once
by throwing himself into
the sea.
He begged to be allowed to
live with the dogs again.
“They’re my family. Please
let me go back to them,” he
pleaded with the police.
Ivan Mishukov, six, was one
of millions of children left
to fend for themselves during the Russian economic
crash in the late 1990s.
He befriended a pack of
wild dogs by offering them
scraps of food he obtained
by begging. The dogs gave
him shelter and warmth
during the Moscow winters
where temperatures plummet to –30ºC.
Ivan would bark and growl
when cornered and his
four-legged family would
not let any humans near
him. When police eventually caught him, he snarled
and snapped and had to be
hemmed into a corner.
However Ivan was able to
start school after a period
of rehabilitation in a Reutov children’s home.
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[email protected]
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NEWS FEATURE
February 9 - February 15 2007
Page 11
A
A dream
dream of
of aa dress
dress
There are six weeks to go until Rebecca Pagett, Dénia’s Fallera Mayor, the queen of the Fallas, opens
a week of mad fiestas that culminate
in the burning of the fallas, the paper
maché figures exhibited on the main
squares in Dénia, Valencia and all
the other towns and villages in the
area. Rebecca’s dress is now ready
and she let Cornelia Muller have a
first glance before she presents it to
the public this Sunday.
How it all
started
Last May the commission
in the town hall of Dénia
elected her as the festival
queen. The mayoress rang
her at home and congratulated her on becoming the
town’s Fallera Mayor for
2006 and 2007. Last August
she went to see a special
seamstress who measured
her, and in October she
chose the material and the
design. Then progress was
slow because the beautiful flowers had to be sewn
into the dress and the lace
of her undergarments woven. When the material
was finally ready, it still
took nearly four weeks to
cut and sew the dress. A lot
of work, time and money!
Some buy a car, Rebecca
bought herself a dress…
Getting
dressed
The rich purple is Rebecca’s favourite colour, and
the necklace, and earrings,
the aderezo, and combs,
the peinetas, are her personal design. She decided
which stones and pearls
she wanted and how she
wanted them arranged;
she created the initials on
the comb and the size of
her earrings; a jeweller in
Valencia made them especially for her. The only
piece that is standard, if
one can say that when talking about such a unique
and beautiful dress, is the
apron, the manteleta. She
also was not free in the
choice of her hairstyle, she
has to have the traditional
three pieces, (postizos), the
long plaited tail is curled
up behind her head and
she has two smaller ones
over her ears, extensions
that are made of natural
hair. And when everything
is so exquisitely chosen
and sewn the shoes have to
be in keeping with the rest
of the dress; so the plain
black shoes are covered in
the same elegant material
as the dress.
The life of a
fallera
Her first big public day will
be on February 26. On that
day Rebecca and the mayor
will announce the crida,
which is the welcome of all
the fallas in Dénia and this
year’s fiesta from the balcony of the town hall. There
is always a surprise guest
present, the pregoner, this
is either a local celebrity
or someone important in
Dénia. Together they proclaim the official opening
of the fiestas.
For the next two
weeks there will be
many parties, some
behind closed doors,
some fairly open to
the public and many
spilling out on to
the streets. Another
highlight is the sopar
de germanor, the
fraternity
dinner,
which takes place
behind closed doors
on March 3. There
all the members of
the different fallas
come together for
a big private bash
and a good reason
to put on those
beautiful dresses.
March 11 marks
another highlight
of the fiesta, the
gala dinner. The
falleras, the girls,
fiesta princesses
and fiesta queens
of many other villages will come
to Dénia for yet
another
round
of
celebrations
and another opportunity to put
on these lovely
dresses. The culmination of the
evening is awards
of the prizes for
extraordinary
fallas.
There are 11 fallas in Dénia, but here a falla is not
a papier maché figure; it is
a group or society whose
members get together to
celebrate, to drink and eat
and elect their own falleras, the girls in the beautiful dresses who represent
them in the processions
and adorn the streets. The
falla also builds the fallas,
the papier maché figures
that are burnt on the last
night of the fiestas. Rebecca and her father have been
members of the same falla
for the past 18 years, the
Centro in Dénia. As long
as she can remember she
has always dressed up as a
Rebecca Pagett
fallera, even before she officially became a member of
the falla Centro.
The mingling of the falleras
was started long ago, what
we see now in the streets is
the end of their year. It has
been a long tradition that
the falleras visit each other
in different towns, so the
town halls have a ‘fallera
intercambio’ so to speak.
They are invited to many
festivities and official acts,
like inaugurations, openings or just to remind the
public of the beauty of
the Comunidad Valenciana and its local girls.
The most important day
for a fallera like Rebecca
is March 19, the presentation of the flowers to the
Virgin Mary – or ofrenda
de flores as the Spanish
call it. On this day there is
a big procession through
the central streets of
Dénia. All the fallas and
falleras will carry beautiful flower arrangements
in honour of the Virgin
Mary. Rebecca will be accompanied by local brass
bands and the other members of the fallas. Rebecca,
as the fallera mayor, will
be the glorious finale of
the procession and walk
behind all the others to
greet the people and show
off her fabulous dress.
What is a
falla?
As it has already become
obvious, a falla can be various things. Most people
will know it as the papier
maché figure that is burnt
in public. It is also the society of people that build
the falla and arrange their
special get togethers and
bands for the processions
during the Fallas, which
is already the third meaning of the same word – the
name of the fiesta. Originally a falla was the pile of
bad work, a carpenter had
produced over the course
of the year and decided to
get rid of at the onset of
spring, so the carpenter got
rid of his fallos, his false or
bad pieces. It is celebrated
on March 19, the day of the
patron saint of the carpenters, San José.
LETTERS
Page 12
Letters
Dear Sir,
We in Labour International Costa Blanca North
are writing to express our full support for the
Spanish Socialist Party (PSPV/PSOE) in its recent, and ongoing, attempt to expose the alleged
corruption in the contract for public cleansing
in Jávea.
We feel that Councillor Pascual Codrina (in
charge of cleansing contracts) and his colleagues are prioritising the need to ‘clean up’
the town of Jávea in both senses of the word.
We appeal to every citizen of Jávea to lend his or
her backing to this anti-corruption initiative.
Yours
Kevin Bruton,
Chair, Labour International Costa Blanca North
Get in touch with
by email: [email protected] or by post to Letters to the
editor; Centro Comercial La Teulera 12-14, Avda. Rey Juan Carlos I, 61-63, 03727, Jalón/Xaló, Alicante
Dear editor
Upon reading your article
on the world’s oldest mother I am shocked how any
medic could not realise that
she was 67. Whether she told
them she was 55, they should
still have checked her identification and are there many
women her age who could
pass for 55?
Personally I believe that it is
unfair on the twins she conceived. In reality, how long
will she live - long enough to
see them reach their teens?
The dramatic measures that
she took to have children is
clear to see and obviously
she had the determination
to have children late in life.
If by the time she reached 67
and didn’t have children, why
does she feel maternal now?
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Fertility treatment should
be restricted, not because
older people don’t deserve
a chance but because their
lifespan is much shorter.
For women like Carmela
Bousada who are on their
own, the children are never going to experience the
same as many other children who have both parents
and younger parents are
more able to physically interact with their child.
By the time her twin boys
are running around she will
be in her 70s and unlikely to
be able to keep up the pace
and be able to interact with
them like other parents.
If nature intended on her
having children would she
not have conceived earlier on in life or by natural
methods, not by faking her
age and selling her house to
fund the treatments?
A local resident,
Susan Murray
Dear editor
The article featured in last
week’s paper discussing
the minority of Spanish
in many villages came as
shock to me.
When I moved here 25
years ago I was among
one of the only foreign
families living in my local
village and true enough
over the past few decades
it is noticeable the change
which has occurred.
There are now many more
English run companies
ranging from builders to
bars and the traditional
way of life seems to be
changing to accommodate
the increase of ex-pats and
other foreigners.
However it is clear to see
why many Brits may now
be moving out of England.
Following a recent influx
of Polish, Romanians and
other Eastern-Europeans
into Britain, many towns
in the United Kingdom
are being changed into
Muslim communities and
British now have to re-
spect many more nationalities and religions. Who
can blame them for wanting to leave when after all
they can not live without
fear of offending some
other culture?
In Spain no foreigner is
entitled to free accommodation or paid dole money.
They have to register, pay
into the system and work
before the Spanish government give anything.
Whereas in Britain, those
foreigners who move in
seem to get better care
than those who have lived
there all their lives and
are British. Where is the
fairness?
It is true that ex-pats
should not be trying to
change Spanish villages,
but when Spain has so
much more to offer, a
more relaxed lifestyle
and healthier living, who
could expect an increase
not to occur?
Dear Editor
I read with interest and
sadness the article in your
paper last week about
clashes between rival
gangs of youths.
Unfortnately it seems that
Spain is now going the way
of Britain and America
with gangs of young people fighting in the streets
and making the area feel
unsafe for local residents
who feel threatened by
the urban tribes hanging
round on the street corners.
When my husband and
I first arrived in Spain
twenty years ago we were
impressed by the fact that
the lawlessness which prevailed in Britain at that
time, and that has since
got worse, was unknown
in Spain and you felt you
could walk the streets at
night without fear and
that your children could
go out in the evening to
play with their friends
and you didn’t need to
worry about.
Unfortunately times are
changing and there are
more and more assaults
and robberies. Personally
I feel that the European
Community is too open,
it seems to me that since
the Eastern bloc countries
have joined the EEC the
crimewave in Spain has
increased as mafia groups
from abroad are dealing in
human trafficking, prostitution and drugs.
I know that you can’t turn
the clock back but it’s sad
to see that Spain seems to
be going down the same
downhill path as Britain
and America.
Yours faithfully
Mr Kennedy,
Forna, Valencia
Mrs Davenport
NEWS FEATURE
February 9 - February 15 2007
The perils of
arrest abroad
Page 13
Live the dream
TEXT: CORNELIA MULLER
I
n this ever decreasing
world where it is so
normal to go on holiday
in Spain, Thailand, America or wherever your fancy
takes you, it also makes it
more likely that some will
end up in jail for breaking
a law they may not have
known existed.
At present 3,200 British
nationals are imprisoned
abroad with more than one
third of them are detained
for drug offences.
There is also a growing
number of Brits, especially young people, becoming
involved in taking, carrying or dealing in drugs on
holiday.
The highest number of offenders, about one third,
are caught in the United
States, followed by arrests
in Spain which make up
about 12 per cent of all
imprisoned British people
worldwide. More than half
of these are charged for
drug use or trafficking.
For using or carrying
drugs abroad you will get
a criminal record in the
UK if caught abroad. Not
to forget the consequences
you have to face in the different countries. Some are
very strict, Cyprus for example has zero tolerance
for drug users. Most culprits are either fined heavily or even jailed for life.
Spain is less harsh, but
certainly does not pardon
drug use. When caught
here penalties are severe
and sentences can be up to
12 years.
This is nothing compared
to some far Eastern countries - Thailand, Malaysia,
Singapore, and Indonesia can impose the death
sentence for some drugs
charges.
There are about 64,000
prisoners in Spain and
nearly a third of them are
foreign. In the UK only 13.6
per cent are foreigners.
Your rights
Under the Spanish criminal system the prosecuter
has to prove that the suspect is guilty. He does not
need to prove his innocence.
If a person has been detained, by law he cannot
be deprived of his freedom
for more than 72 hours.
Upon arrest the arrested
person must be advised
of his rights, the charges
against him and must be
seen by a court within 72
hours. Anybody who does
not speak Spanish has the
right to have an interpreter.
During this time the police
have the right to interrogate the suspect, however,
only in the presence of a
lawyer. Any suspect always
has the right to be represented by a lawyer. If he
does not have the means to
Major offences that are
deemed crimes against the
State, like large-scale drug
trafficking or money laundering, are dealt with by
the Central and National
Courts in Madrid (Juzgados Centrales de Instrucción and Audiencia Nacional).
The suspect must personally appear at the trial. If
he fails to do so a search
and find (busca y captura)
court order is issued which
can be enforced internationally and at any time.
Prisoners usually serve
three-quarters of their
sentence before being conditionally released.
7.80 %
Transfer to the UK
Once a British citizen has
been tried and given a final
sentence, he can apply for
transfer to his home country. Once back in the UK,
the prisoner still has to
serve the prison sentence,
but at least he is now subject to British law.
Prisoners abroad
pay for a private lawyer he
is given a legal aid lawyer
(ex officio).
The examining magistrate
is in charge of investigating a crime assisted by
the judicial police, which
are members of the national police. The State
Prosecutor must ensure
the defendant’s rights are
respected and the victim’s
rights protected.
When a case is heard the
investigating judge can
decide whether the suspect is safe to be released
until a final sentence is
issued or whether there is
the danger that the suspect
may flee. In the case of foreigners Spanish courts are
more likely to decide that
the suspect must remain
in prison, since it is easy
for them to leave the coun-
try where they cannot be
traced.
There is also a limit to the
length of time a person
can be remanded in custody without a final sentence. This varies between
three months and a year,
depending on the crime
which carries an upper
limit of six years.
Where sentences can be
imposed for longer than
six years, the defendant
can be remanded for up to
two years.
It can take up to two years
for the examining magistrate to gather the necessary evidence.
Once that has been done,
they will prepare the
ordinary
proceedings
(sumario) which are sent
to the local Criminal Court
(Juzgado de lo Penal).
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The British charity Prisoners Abroad supports
British prisoners in jails
around the world. They offer moral support, communication with relatives at
home, help with dietary issues, or send funds so that
the prisoners can buy food
and other basic products.
In many countries including developed countries,
prisons do not offer free
food or even basic hygiene
items like soap or toilet papers.
A truck driver who was
wrongly sent to jail in Nice
for allegedly trafficking
drugs was thankful for the
charity, since he was not
given any fruit, vegetables
or toilet paper.
The charity can be contacted via the website www.
prisonersabroad.org.uk.
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NEWS FEATURE
Page 14
February 9 - February 15 2007
Things are hotting up
Is it too late to stop a world catastrophe?
TEXT: ALEX ELGAR
T
he Comunidad Valenciana and other
regions of Spain
must take urgent action
if a major environmental catastrophe is to be
diverted before 2050, according to the United Nations, Greenpeace and
other major environmental groups.
Climate change, the biggest social, economic and
environmental threat facing the world today, have
far-reaching implications
for us all.
Flooding,
intense
droughts and extreme
weather events will become commonplace by the
middle of the century as
man continues to pollute
the atmosphere at unprecedented rates.
Spain, which has repeatedly come top of most
polluting countries in the
west, came under attack
by Kofi Hannan, former
secretary general of the
UN, during Nairobi’s climate change summit at
rs
lle
ta
ins
s
la
rova
Panasonic app
the end of last year.
He said: “The Spanish
government must place
global warming at the
forefront of its policies;
the issues of immigration and energy must be
treated as a matter of urgency.”
Scientists tell us that during the last century, the
Earth’s average surface
temperature rose by about
0.6°C.
Evidence
is
getting
stronger that most of the
global warming that has
occurred over the past 50
years is attributable to
human activities. This
includes the burning of
fossil fuels and deforestation, both of which create carbon dioxide, the
main gas responsible for
climate change, as well as
other greenhouse gases.
Put into context, the
world’s icecaps are melting at astronomical proportions. Temperatures in
the Antarctic are growing
by five times greater than
Bottom in the Kyoto agreement – Spain’s dismal
track-record on environmental policies receives
world attention
average, where 90 per cent
of the world’s ice can be
found.
Ironically, the first humans to suffer from climate change will be the
world’s poor (not to mention hundreds of species
of animals) – the innocent
victims of a phenomenon
which has been largely
caused by us polluters in
the west.
About 200-million Africans could be forced to
migrate to Europe by
2050, as environmental
conditions grow too harsh
to survive.
Laura Caniot, from Solar
Generation, a worldwide
youth movement intent
on saving the planet, said:
“Time is running out. We
are worried - it will be the
young people who will
be most affected by the
consequences of climate
change. Africans will be
the first to suffer and will
have to face the worst impacts of global warming.”
Comunidad
Valenciana
Climate change in the
Comunidad Valenciana
is a reality, according to
Juan Carlos Císcar, co-author of a study on climate
change and its possible
effects in Europe between
2020 and 2080.
He said: “Climate change
has come about principally due to greenhouse emissions from fossil fuels and
a change in land use.”
Some scientists believe
that 2007 could be the
warmest in history, especially during the first half
of the year. Indeed, if the
past five years are anything to go by, we can expect record temperatures
again.
Last November was the
hottest ever on record for
Castellón and Valencia,
while it was the second
hottest for Alicante. Temperatures were two to
three degrees higher than
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February 9 - February 15 2007
average, while rainfall
was also high. Alicante
registered 81.8 l/m2 of
rain, 94 per cent above the
average for that month
(42.1 litres).
If global warming continues at its current level in
the region and in other
areas of the south of Europe, agricultural output
will reduce, more vulnerable groups will die from
high summer temperatures.
Aims
Scientists state that global
emissions of greenhouse
gases need to be half the
level they were in 1990, if
the world is to avoid a 2°C
temperature rise in average temperatures.
Developing
countries
must reduce greenhouse
gases, the world’s poorest
countries must develop
sustainable development
policies and by 2050, half
of the world’s energy demands must come from
renewable energy.
Greenpeace has urged the
Spanish government to
take drastic action, stating there is still time to
avert a major climatic catastrophe.
Councils need to set up informative and educational campaigns as well as
business grants for those
wishing to set up renewable energy technologies,
or the use of eco-friendly
Page 15
fuels in cars, and other
dissuasive tactics for air
travel.
Latest news that air passenger duty were increased as from February 1 will go some way in
helping global warming
by dissuading some passengers to use air travel
but green campaigners
have said the increased
levy would make little
difference to emissions.
Friends of the Earth said
if governments were serious about fighting climate
change, they should scrap
airport expansion plans
and tax breaks for the air
industry.
How you can help
• Choose a car that is highly fuel-efficient. For every
gallon of petrol burned, 20 pounds of carbon dioxide goes into the atmosphere.
• Join a carpool, take public transport, walk, or ride
a bike - anything that reduces the amount of fuel
you burn.
• Lower your thermostat, switch off lights when you
are not using them and recycle. A tonne of paper
made from recycled fibres conserves 17-31 trees,
4,000 kwh of electricity, 60 pounds of air pollutants, and 7,000 gallons of water
• Urge your local library, businesses, and shopping
centres to install bike racks.
• Encourage electric utilities to promote energy efficiency and the use of clean, renewable energy
sources.
• Adopt a wild animal with an environmental organisation such as WWF. In this way, you will work towards ensuring a safe future for animals and their
habitats.
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Van hire arranged if required.
· Professional packaging materials available.
· Car transportation.
· Self pack or professional packing service
available on request.
· All local removals undertaken.
· Full and part loads.
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February 9 - February 15 2007
Page 16
Pets
Caring for your kitten
Kittens are born with
everything they need
from their mother.
Provided the mother
has been vaccinated, or
has natural immunity,
kittens will receive this
same immunity for the first
24-48 hours through her
colostrum, and it will last
until they are old enough to
get their “kitten shots.”
Newborn kittens will weigh
an average of 3.5 ounces at
birth and are small enough
to fit into the palm of your
hand. They may double
their weight by the end of
the first week. Their only
activities are nursing,
sleeping and passing
waste for the first couple
of weeks.
There is little social
interaction at this
stage as they are too
busy suckling.
They cannot fully
hear, have not fully
developed
limb
support and will
have to be kept
warm, as their
body temperature
is still very low.
The first six weeks of
a cat’s life determines
its
personality
and
character. It will grow
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during this time; its eyes
(still blue) will be starting
to fully open, and its sense
of smell will be developing.
Its teeth will start to appear
at five weeks and it will be
learning to walk without
stumbling. They will also
start to interact with the
rest of the litter.
At about week five it will
be ready for canned kitten
food and will be able to use
its own litter tray with only
an inch or two of litter.
During the first six weeks
Boarding Kennels and Cattery
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the difference in the
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how to nurse, how to use
its litter tray and how to
socialise.
At nine to ten weeks a
kitten should have its first
vaccinations which are a
three-way injection for feline
calcivirus, herpes virus and
feline panleukopia, and will
need to have a booster three
months later.
Vets
recommend
that
neutering and spaying is
done as earlier as possible,
as early as 6-12 weeks as
opposed to the traditional
time of six months.
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kittens need to be handled
by humans as it will be
a long slow process to
socialise them later. Like
humans the first few
weeks are important to its
development and a kitten
should not really be taken
away from its mother less
than the absolute minimum
for eight weeks. It will still
have an occasional need
for its mothers milk. It
is preferable to untie the
apron strings at 12 weeks.
It needs to learn vital skills
from its mother including
BOARDING
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My name is Aitana. I have been here at the sanctuary for some time and so want a home of my
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If you could give me lots of love and fuss, or would
like to adopt one of my friends here, please call
Lynda on 628 498 813.
Aldea Felina, Dénia Cat Protection League, cares
for and re-homes abandoned cats/kittens in the
Dénia area.
Why not visit our charity shop in Els Poblets, next
to the vets, open daily 10 ‘til 2.
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690 071 333 or 96 573 34 96
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Centre
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VETERINARY CLINIC
Internal Medicine and Surgery • Traumatology
Radiology and Ultrasound • Odontology
Oftalmology • Homoeopathy and Analysis Clinic
Hospitalisation • Hairdresser
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Dog Training
Benissa
HOSPITAL VETERINARIO
Avda. Pais Valencià,
28 esq. Ausiàs March
Tel. 96 573 19 55
09.30-13.30 & 17.00-21.00hrs
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CLÍNICA
La Virgen, 74
Tel. 96 648 04 94
10.00-13.30 &
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Tel. 96 655 77 60 for more details
Pet grooming
L a G ra n j a
Large variety of accessories for your pet:
dogs, cats, fish, birds, rodents and reptiles
Tel/fax 96 255 50 96
Carrer dels Fornillers, s/n
Industrial estate. Ctra. Monserrat-Montroy
46192 MONSERRAT (Valencia)
Costa de Benissa
CLÍNICA
Ctra. Moraira-Calpe
C.C. Cap Blanc
(opposite Pepe la Sal)
Tel. 96 574 84 58
Mon to Fri 10.00-13.30 hrs
MONSERRAT
TOWN CENTRE
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Client must be on same flight.
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For further information contact Karen
Tel. 00 44191 456 51 84 Fax 00 44191 456 58 07
e-mail [email protected]
or visit our web site www.ladyhaye.co.uk
Canisax
Veterinary Practice
Specialising in dogs & cats
Consultations · Emergencies 24h.
Surgery - Hospital · Home visits
Passport & Microchip.
New Surgery: Avda. Rey Don Jaime I, 15 C/ Doctor Fleming, 1 - 03630 SAX (Alicante)
Tel. 96 547 53 42 · Emergencies 636 473 909
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Everything
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Since 1997
Licence: A-167
Residencial “La Plaza”, local 15
Ctra. Cabo la Nao • JÁVEA
Tel/fax 96 579 45 34
February 9 - February 15 2007
Page 17
Children
Feeling
fruity
As part of their awareness for
healthy eating the children at
The Firs Nursery and Primary School, Jávea, have introduced Fruity Friday.
Every Friday children and
staff leave their cakes and
chocolate bars behind and replace them with healthy fruit
snacks for breaks and lunchtime.
Sharpening skills
Getting a job is increasingly difficult
in today’s competitive world. Young
people need all the help they can get
to be successful in the future.
Al Castle, head of careers and Maria
Wickman, head of sixth form at The
Lady Elizabeth School, have arranged
a series of workshops designed to give
pupils an extra edge over their rivals.
‘The Edge’ will focus on the additional
skills that prospective employers may
be looking for, such as, communication, team work, leadership, numeracy, literacy, languages, responsibility,
reliability, flexibility, organisation,
being good with people, public speaking and time management.
The seminars are designed to build
confidence in the students and to
broaden and develop their characters
to their fullest potential.
Educational
Rainbow Nursery
LOCATED IN JÁVEA
Don’t get caught in the web
Advances in internet technology provide both opportunities
and risks for children.
Safer Internet Day, held on
Tuesday February 6 highlighted both the highs and
lows of the worldwide web.
The internet provides children with a great source of information for their homework,
chatrooms where they can find
friends for around the world
and play games.
However it is also very easy for
them to stumble upon illegal or
pornographic sites - or being
ensnared in a paedophile’s net.
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For more information: Tel. 96 647 17 85
[email protected]
www.xabia-international-college.com
THE LADY ELIZABETH SCHOOL
Children and young people are
active and enthusiastic users
of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for
chatting and sharing personal
information.
It also allows communication
between young people across
national, religious and cultural borders. However, with 50
per cent of European parents
declaring that their under 18aged children use the internet,
the potential access to harmful
or illegal content online is a
serious problem.
Nearly 20 per cent of European
parents say that their child
has come across such content
online. We, as parents, have to
stay vigilant.
The European Commission
has been at the forefront of
making the internet safer for
children already for a number
of years.
It has set up a European network of 21 national hotlines,
which allows users to anonymously report illegal content
to be passed to the appropriate
body for action.
According to the International Association of Internet
‘THE FIRS’
PRIMARY SCHOOL
JÁVEA
Offering:
National Curriculum
(Nursery to Y6)
Small Classes
High Standards
Structured Teaching
est.1987
Attention to Individual
Needs
SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING
WEDNESDAY 28th FEBRUARY 2007: 16.15 - 18.00
Good Discipline
An opportunity to visit all departments and discuss AS and A2 options for
students entering the Sixth Form in September 2007.
21 AS/A level subjects available plus Spanish Studies.
Further information available from Mrs Maria Wickman, Head of Sixth Form.
Preparatory School, Jávea · Tel/fax 96 579 02 52
Senior School, Llíber · Tel. 96 573 19 60 - Fax 96 573 25 77
www.theladyelizabethschool.com
Hotlines, about 65,000 reports
were referred to national and
international law enforcement
agencies during 2005 for further action and investigation.
Every year the Commission
dedicates one day to raise
awareness of this initiative.
The highlight was the worldwide blogathon, involving 40
countries around the world.
It is important to keep an eye
on your children’s computer
activities and warn them about
potential dangers, while ensuring they continue to take advantage of IT developments.
Excellent Facilities
96 647 29 29
La Guardia 125 · Costa Nova, Jávea
www.firsprimary.com
mail@firsprimary.com
can now be found at
Stage Door Performing Arts
Calle José Antonio, 18 - Benitachell.
Chocolate fountain hire.
18” & super-shape helium balloons.
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Celebration cakes and cards.
Party tableware and decorations.
Now in stock - St Patrick’s Day decor
For more information call Ann on
666 969 948 / 680 673 871 www.kraftyparties.com
Stage Door also has a perfect venue for your child’s next birthday
www.stagedoorspain.com
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Page 18
February 9 - February 15 2007
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FOOD AND DRINK
February 9 - February 15 2007
Cooking at home can be a relaxed and enjoyable activity. So what if the kitchen gets a little
messy or dishes are not quite ready on time?
Things are very different for pupils taking their mock GCSE food science practical
exams.
After many theory lessons and practice sessions, the final exams are a real test of skill,
organisation and concentration.
The exam paper sets very specific tasks. It is
designed to test knowledge of nutrition and
different cooking methods.
Could you ‘Prepare, cook and serve a twocourse main meal, with full accompaniments
and a drink, for your aunt and her two children, including good sources of calcium and
Vitamin D’?
You would have to choose appropriate dishes,
make a strict time plan, cook it in silence, in
front of an examiner in two-and-a-half hours,
clean up your workstation, put everything
away and serve it all up, using appropriate
table settings and dishes.
As the photographs show, this year’s Lady
Elizabeth students produced some excellent
and varied food. They are now looking forward to the ‘real thing’ next month.
Department head Gail Thomas is confident
they will continue to work hard and perfect
their talents even more.
Page 19
Making
a meal
of it
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Page 20
Valentine's menu
€ 28.90
7% IVA not included
Menu
37 € + V.A.T.
(7 courses)
February 9 - February 15 2007
Restaurant
El Asador de Rozalén
VALENTINE’S DINNER
Saturday, February 10
Live music and dance
À la Carte or Special Menú optional
Special Menu
Restaurante
Opening Hours
1.30 - 3.30 p.m.
and 7.30 -11 p.m.
Carrer la Mar 7 - DÉNIA
Tel. 96 578 16 29
· Salmon mousse
· Rape kebab (monkfish)
with prawns and pepper
· Veal sirloin with foie
· Dessert
Price: 30 euros
Drinks and coffee not included
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 19.00 h.
Sunday from 13.00 to 16.00 h.
Plaza San Antonio, 3 · Tel. 96 643 18 51
03700 Dénia (ALICANTE)
Ctra. Venta Cabrera a Turís km. 2 · Tel.
96 299 80 28 · Monserrat
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Tel. 96 642 31 58 for RESERVATIONS or info. Find us just below Dénia Castle in Hostal Cristina
Avda. del Cid, 5 - 03700 DÉNIA ∙ [email protected] www.hostal-cristina.com
Encantados de Conocerle...
...Pleased to meet you
★ HOTEL ★ RICE DISHES ★ SWIMMING POOL ★ JACUZZI
★ RESTAURANT ★ CAFETERÍA ★ TURKISH BATH
★ GYM
Urbanización Marisol Park, 1-A, 03710 Calpe (Alicante) - ESPAÑA
Tel. 96 587 57 00 - Fax: 96 583 85 44 - [email protected]
www.marisolpark.com
HOTEL
FOOD AND DRINK
February 9 - February 15 2007
Page 21
GURKHA PALACE
HOSTAL CHESTE
NEPALI-INDIAN RESTAURANT
Air-conditioned bedrooms with en-suite and TV.
Cafeteria and restaurant
C/Godelleta, 19 · Tel. 687 417 215 · Fax: 96 251 29 74
The world of beers
DAIL
Daily menu from € 7.00
20 different ‘tapas’ to choose from.
Order rice dishes, our speciality
C
LUN H M
U
EN
Y
C/Acequia, 26 B · 46380 CHESTE (Valencia)
€8.50
TANDOORI AND THALIES SPECIALITIES
DISCOVER THE REAL NEPAL
IN THE VERY HEART OF JÁVEA PORT
Also take away !
Free bottle of wine with every takeaway meal over 30 €
Baixada del Carme, 10
Tel. 96 227 40 69
46800 XÀTIVA (Valencia)
OPEN 7 DAYS!
Opening hours: from 07.00 h. to 24.00 h.
Sundays closed
Tuesday at lunchtime closed
Avda. Rey Jaime I, nº 8 - Jávea Port
For reservations call 96 579 33 31
Y SPECIAL VALENTINE NIGHT Y
Y DINNER DANCE PARTY Y
with Jim Douglas - Stewart
keyboard - guitar - vocalist
€ 35 + IVA
TEL. 96 574 71 34
Reserve your table now
HOTEL L’ESTACIÓ
BOCAIRENT
Comfort
and
Gastronomy
Parc de L’Estació, s/n • 46880 Bocairent • Valencia - Spain
Tel. +34 96 235 00 00 • Fax +34 96 235 00 30
www.hotelestacio.com • e-mail [email protected]
Restaurante
This wine is made of two
prestigious varieties: Tempranillo and Syrah.
These varieties have adapted themselves perfectly
to our vineyard’s soil in Fontanars dels Alforins
and Enguera.
Intense, cherry-red colour, clean,
bright and beautiful.
On the nose it smells like fresh fruit,
on a scale that goes from notes of fresh flowers,
forest fruits and berries. Its four-month ageing
in a Caucasian oak barrel makes it a very
unique wine.
Full-bodied and persistent in the
mouth, this young wine presents mature tannins.
Long finish in which the aromas of fruit and
wood prevail.
www.bodegasenguera.com
· Type of wine: Red, PREMIUM,
4 months in a new oak barrel
Tempranillo shearing
50%, Syrah 50%
· Year: 2005
· Alcohol: 14 % Vol
· Presentation: Bordeaux bottle.
Box: 6 bottles x 75 cl.
· Best served at: 16 to 18 ºC
· Varieties:
Viva España
O L I VA
Where History meets Nature
VALENTINE’S DINNER DANCE
SATURDAY 10TH AND 17TH OF FEBRUARY
Enjoy a romantic candle-lit dinner with an excellent menu for the occasion, whilst swept away by our
authentic flamenco floor show. Live band till the early hours of the morning. All ladies will be given
something special. We guarantee it’s going to be a night to remember.
Tel. 96 222 43 18 - Enguera
SPECIAL ANDALUSIAN HORSE
EXHIBITION, DINNER DANCE &
FLAMENCO FLOOR SHOW
MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE
ISO 9001:2000 Certificate
Member of Eurotoques
European Cuisine Association
FRIDAY 27TH & SATURDAY 28TH OF APRIL
A spectacular evening exclusive in the Valencian Community with exhibition of Andalusian horses
in the skillful hand of Víctor Robles, famous throughout Spain.
FLAMENCO SHOW EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY LUNCH TIME
Our stage has been renovated and is now one metre higher so all our clients
can experience our excellent live show.
ART EXHIBITION
EASY PARKING
For more information and reservations contact us.
Tel. 96 285 61 52
(Next to Yacht Marina)
OLIVA BEACH
Ctra. Valencia-Alicante, km 216 · 46780 OLIVA (Valencia)
Tel. 96 285 00 18 · Tel/fax 96 285 19 31 · 610 774 890
www.viva-espana.net · [email protected]
FOOD AND DRINK
Page 22
February 9 - February 15 2007
Look to enjoy the best snacks and tapas (picaditas) in the area in the tranquil setting of
La Pedrera.
The Got i Picà also has bocadillos and sandwiches (bocatas) as well as menus offering
Mediterranean cooking.
All this plus very good service awaits you at
the restaurant Got i Picà, Plaza Mossén Espassa, La Pedrera, Dénia. Phone 670 770 646
Keeping to traditions
More than 300 pintxos
at your fingertips
Kitchen open from 9 to 24 h.
Open from 9 h. to 24 h.
RESTAURANTE
Our specialities: beef entrecôte and
cod with prawns and garlic
Extensive wine list, wines from Valencia and Rioja.
Lunch at very good prices, terrace,
horchatería, parking.
BUÑOL
YÁTOVA
CONSUM
ALBORACHE
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 8.30 to 19 h. Saturdays from 8.30 to 01 h.
Closed on Mondays. Staff holidays in September.
Avda. de Valencia, 35 · 46369 ALBORACHE (Valencia)
Tel. 96 250 83 78
Valentine’s Menu 2007
on Saturday 10th and 17th February
Pea soup with mussels in curry
Canneloni with Norwegian lobster in a saffron sauce
Foie roll in Pedro Ximénez wine sauce
Hake filet with tomato petals, onion cream and squid
Sorbet
Veal sirloin in red wine and pink pepper
Chocolate brownies with maracuya sorbet and coconut foam.
DINNER ONLY €85 per couple. (I.V.A. included)
Drinks: Wine, beer, soft drinks, mineral water and coffee
DOUBLE BEDROOM + DINNER + SPA €180 per couple (I.V.A. included)
DOUBLE BEDROOM + SPA €98 per couple (I.V.A. included)
Live music
we are just starting
FOOD AND DRINK
February 9 - February 15 2007
Page 23
Sweet Treats for Valentine’s Day
FROM THE HEART
Valentine’s Day
Sweet Candy Hearts
Chocolate
Profiteroles
These sensual delights are a must
for a Valentine treat
INGREDIENTS
For the choux pastry:
200ml/7fl oz cold water
½ tsp caster sugar
85g/3oz unsalted butter
pinch salt
115g/4oz plain flour
4 medium eggs, beaten
This recipe is so easy that it can
be made with children.
You need the following items and
ingredients.
For the cream filling:
600ml/1pint double cream
1 tbsp/15g icing sugar
For the chocolate sauce:
15g/½oz butter
4tbsp/60ml water
175g/6oz good quality plain chocolate, broken into
pieces
Method
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas 6.
To make the pastry, place the butter, water and sugar into
a large saucepan.
Plastic heart-shaped candy mould
Red, white and chocolate coloured sweet candy
Sandwich bags
Scissors
Spoon
Wax paper
Plate
Wooden skewer or clean craft paint brush
Method
Put a handful of candy into an open sandwich bag.
Microwave candy in bag for 30-40 seconds or until
melted.
Cut one corner of the bag with scissors to squeeze melted
candy through.
Gently squeeze melted candy out of bag and into the
moulds.
Place in refrigerator until set.
Pop out of moulds ready to decorate.
Decorating
Here are some decorating suggestions.
Polka dots- Use the flat end of a wooden skewer or a
clean craft paint brush to dip into melted chocolate.
Dot onto moulds, then refrigerate. Remove mould from
refrigerator when solid, then add contrasting colour
according to directions above.
Drizzles- Use a spoon to drizzle melted chocolate across
the moulds by sweeping a spoon back and forth and
allowing chocolate to fall in streams. Refrigerate until
solid. Add contrasting colour according to directions
above.
3D Drizzles- Use the spoon method above, however this
time drizzle the chocolate over solid candy that you have
already made and let set, rather than drizzling into the
moulds.
Place over a low heat to melt the butter. Increase the heat
and shoot in the flour and salt all in one go.
Remove from the heat and quickly beat the mixture
vigorously until a smooth paste is formed, stirring
continuously to dry out the paste.
Strawberry and kiwi
cheesecake
A delicious take on the traditional
Valentine fruit, strawberries.
Once the paste curls away from the side of the pan,
transfer the mixture into a large bowl and leave to cool
for 10-15 minutes.
Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, stirring vigorously
until the paste is smooth and glossy. Continue adding the
eggs until you have a soft dropping consistency. It may
not be necessary to add all the eggs. The mixture will be
shiny and smooth and will fall reluctantly from a spoon
if it is given a sharp jerk.
Lightly oil a large baking tray. Dip a teaspoon into some
warm water and spoon out a teaspoon of the profiterole
mixture. Rub the top of the mixture with a wet finger
and spoon on to the baking tray. This ensures a crisper
topping.
INGREDIENTS
digestive biscuits (400g)
cream cheese (600g)
butter (3tbs)
sugar (2tbs)
3 eggs
strawberries
1 kiwi
Preheat oven to 350º F or gas mark 6
METHOD
For the crust
Stir together digestive biscuits crumbs and butter. Mix
in sugar thoroughly and press into a pan. Bake for 10
minutes. Cool. Reduce oven temperature to gas mark 5
Filling
Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl. Gradually add
sugar, beating until fluffy.
Beat in eggs one at a time. Pour into pan bake for one
hour until centre is firm.
Cool to room temp, then add the strawberries and kiwi on
top. Chill for 3 hours. Serve.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown,
if too pale they will become soggy when cool.
Remove from the oven and prick the base of each
profiterole. Place onto the baking tray with the hole
facing upwards and return to the oven for 5 minutes. The
warm air from the oven helps to dry the middle of the
profiteroles.
Prepare the filling: lightly whip the cream and icing
sugar until soft peaks form. Do not overwhip. When the
profiteroles are cold, using a piping bag with a plain
nozzle, pipe the cream into the holes of the profiteroles.
If a piping bag is not available cut the profiteroles in half
and spoon in the cream with a teaspoon.
Prepare the chocolate sauce: melt the chocolate
with the water and butter over a pan of boiling
water. Stir without boiling until smooth and shiny.
Arrange the buns on a serving dish and pour over the hot
sauce. Eat hot or cold.
Did you know?
Did you know?
In Spain it is customary
for a man to send his
partner roses on
Valentine’s Day.
The woman in
return sends him
a small gift.
Did you know?
In the United States,
February 14th is the
second most celebrated
day after December 25th.
Every year around 118
million Valentine’s cards
are exchanged.
Did you know?
The custom of exchanging Valentine’s cards
took a particular slant in 19th Century Britain. A
new kind of Valentine card emerged, called the
‘Penny Dreadfuls’, that were insulting and cruel
rather than loving and romantic. They were
usually sent anonymously.
Did you know?
The Catholic church
recognises at least three
Saint Valentine’s. It is
believed that our Saint
Valentine, patron saint
of love, was a Roman
priest who defied the
orders of Emperor
Claudius II’s decree that
all soldiers should remain
unmarried, by secretly
performing marriages
for young lovers. When
discovered he was put to
death and
became
a martyr.
D’alexandre
Offering a warm inviting atmosphere
with good quality food & drink
ENGLISH TV & SKY AVAILABLE
Live music
“Memories in music”
EVERY WEEK EVERY WEEK
Ladies & Men keep fit.
Salsa Dancing-karate for kids
See what’s on for dates & times.
Sat 3-5pm- kids club with Daniell
FREE (parents must remain on premises)
Valentine’s Night
The night for lovers,
be serenaded while
you eat a 3 course
meal - Oysters, Steak
& all the trimmings.
Chocolate mousse hearts.
Red roses for the ladies. €19.95
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK - 10 TILL LATE
Call 628 232 426
C/ Pintor Sorolla, C/ Parque Municipal 6
Page 24
TRAVEL
February 9 - February 15 2007
Halcón Viajes
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TRAVEL
February 9 - February 15 2007
Page 25
Pego’s
hidden
pearl
Party capital and a
nature-lover’s paradise
TEXT AND PHOTOS: SAMANTHA KETT
I
t is 725 years since Pego’s Carta Pobla was
signed by King Pere
III of Aragón and now,
this lively, fast-growing
market town boasts a variety of leisure activities
including restaurants, a
municipal sports centre,
and unusual tourist attractions.
This hidden gem of the
northern Alicante province, sandwiched between
orange groves, marshes
and nine mountain ranges, is just 20 minutes from
the hustle and bustle of
Dénia and yet feels like
another world.
Originally a Christian colony surrounded by walls
to protect itself from Catalunya, Pego has much to
offer the discerning tourist.
Between Oliva’s coastline
and Pego town lies the
marjal, a natural park
which is home to numerous endangered species
and is truly an ornithologist’s paradise with herons, linnet, kope and kingfishers - even ospreys and
eagles - seen circling the
airspace above.
The marjal’s natural irrigation, created by the rivers Bullent-Vedat, Racons,
Molinell and Gallinera,
provide perfect conditions
for the rice cultivation
which takes place there.
The rice fields, extending
over 1,250 hectares, lie on
the border of the Valencia
and Alicante provinces
and date to the Arab occupation of Spain. As far
back as the fourteenth century, rice workers could be
found in these fields.
From June to August visitors can take a free boat
trip across the marjal or
go on foot or by bicycle.
Here they can enjoy an immense tranquility and feel
totally at one with nature
while exploring the green
valleys, mountains and
Moorish ruins via the network of walkers’ routes to
be found in the area.
Pego rice is said to be famous the world over. Anyone who has eaten arroz a
banda (a rice dish in fish
stock) or arroz con costra
(oven-baked egg rice) anywhere in the Marina Alta,
will find it was probably
made from Pego’s local
produce.
Pego’s most famous annual fiesta is the carnaval,
which takes place on a Saturday in the week before
Lent and attracts tourists by the busload from
as far away as Valencia.
Live bands and DJs fill the
streets with outdoor bars
open until the early hours
of the morning.
For those who enjoy rock
and current chart music,
the revelry doesn’t stop
until the sun comes up.
Residents turn up in fancy dress and dance until
dawn. The carnaval ends
the following Saturday
with the ‘Burying of the
Sardine’, which begins
with a slightly more sombre, black-clad parade, in
which participants carry
outsized papier mâché
models of fish. It ends
with a huge firework display and the Correfocs
(where the residents run
through the streets carrying lighted torches).
A warm-up for carnival
is held the previous week
on the Bullent river in the
marjal where residents
turn out in fancy dress on
hand-made - and not entirely safe - rafts for a boat
race with a difference.
Zany costumes, original ideas and plenty of
casualties are par for the
course. The rules are simple - there are none. Participants’ only objective is
to reach the mouth of the
river at some point on the
same day, and preferably
with their craft and crew
intact, although this is
not always guaranteed.
No visit to Pego is com-
plete without seeing the
Ambra castle, which allows a spectacular view
of the town, the orange
groves and the rice fields.
This is on the Vall d’Ebo
road and was built in
around 1220, its turret
Heretat de Sant Joan being a former refuge for
farm workers when danger approached. After the
Moorish conquest, houses
were built inside the castle, although these were
pulled down when construction of Pego began
in 1280.
Spend some time taking in the breathtaking
architecture of the 17thCentury Church of the
Assumption, in Plaça de
·
Tel. 678 351 323
From the AP-7, take exit
62 (Ondara, N-332). Continue through Ondara and
El Verger (in the direction
of Valencia). Turn left
onto the CV-700 and continue straight on for about
10 km.
In the heart of
Monumental Xàtiva.
Restaurant
All rooms with en-suite bathroom,
air conditioning, Satellite T.V
C/ Académico Maravall, 1 - 46800 Xàtiva
Tel. 96 227 10 11 - Fax 96 228 13 65
e-mail [email protected]
Visit our website
www. hotelvernisa.com
·
[email protected]
Getting there:
Hotel
Vernisa
·
levels.
Courses for all ages and
l’Ajuntament, where you
will find an eclectic mix
of artwork dating from
pre-Columbus times to the
Valencian Rafael Cardells’
1950s’ frescos.
·
SPORT’S CLASSES
mini-tennis
tennis
paddle
ACTIVE TOURISM
hiking
barranquismo
canyoning
rock climbing
SPORT’S PROGRAMS FOR URBANISATIONS
paddle
tennis
TRAVEL
Page 26
February 9 - February 15 2007
Music to your ears
Mineral baths, mountains and motorbikes
TEXT AND PHOTOS: SAMANTHA KETT
Little more than a strange-sounding name on a motorway
exit sign and virtually ignored in tourism brochures,
Minglanilla is not the first place that springs to mind when
planning a weekend in the country.
However, its numerous attractions, including breathtaking
countryside, picturesque buildings and a natural spa
concealed by majestic mountain summits, make it an
enchanted island among the flame-red plains of central
Spain.
T
he
strange-sounding, musical name is
thought to have been
taken from the minglano
(local lingo for pomegranate tree) next to a natural
spring in the area.
Romantics prefer the legend of a pretty young girl
named Minga, nicknamed
Galanilla (which roughly
translates as ‘handsome
young lass’) who was al-
ways courted by opulent
locals and had the locality
named after her.
Although Minglanilla officially became a town
in 1505, people were setting up camp there long
before. Cave paintings in
the Hoz de Vicente near
the Cabriel river, discovered 20 years ago, show
the Paleolithics were alive
and kicking thousands of
years before Minglanilla
was put on the map.
Throughout the centuries,
it was always a calm and
pleasant place to settle,
with even the Moorish invasion and the Civil War
practically passing it by.
However, life in Minglanilla has not been all
peace and quiet. To compensate for missing out on
the bloodshed the rest of
Las Hoces de Cabriel
Spain suffered throughout history, anti-Franco
pro-Republican armies,
known as maquis, grew
in force in the town at the
end of the 1940s and beginning of the 1950s, using the caves for refuge.
The most notorious of
Minglanilla’s
warriors
was known as Manco de
la Pesquera, who was so
named after losing two
fingers of his left hand
while planting a bomb
which exploded in front
of him.
Thankfully, Minglanilla’s
harmonious nature was
not disturbed for long and
it is now an ideal location
to escape for a weekend
and blow away the cobwebs. Admittedly, it has
more nightclubs than casas rurales and is within
easy distance of Valencia
city, but the dramatic surrounding countryside is a
walker’s or rider’s paradise.
TRUE OASIS
It may be difficult to
believe that anywhere
in Castilla La-Mancha
– known for its flat, arid,
red landscape and generally scorched look, could
boast greenery and hills.
Yet Minglanilla’s nature
reserve, Las Hoces de
Cabriel, is a true oasis in
the dry, dusty plains.
Located on the banks of
the river Cabriel and covering 95 per cent of the
municipality, this part of
Spain used to be under the
sea 170 million years ago.
Its impressive rock formations developed as a result
of the Europe-Africa collision around that time.
Ravines of more than 100
metres deep, vast canyons
and waterways make Las
Hoces de Cabriel a green
paradise with a spectacular landscape. Not like the
rolling pastures of the far
north but towering mountains with raging white
water far below.
Among the dense shrubland and pine forest flanking the river are numerous wild herbs, esparto
grass (used for weaving
baskets, particularly in
Alicante province) and
the so-called strawberry
tree, whose bright red berries resemble strawberries from a distance.
This part of the countryside is a natural habitat
for wild animals including foxes, jennets, squirrels, mountain cats and
goats and wild boar with
Bonelli’s eagles, golden
eagles and peregrine falcons soaring overhead.
TRAVEL
February 9 - February 15 2007
Page 27
Hoces río Pena
IT ROCKS
ral tourism complex, the
Venta de Contreras and
its grounds have not lost
their quaint, picturesque
allure but retain the olde
worlde feel characteristic
of a remote country village.
WHAT’S
COOKING?
Reservoir
TREASURE
TROVE
Deep within Minglanilla’s
breathtaking countryside
are, literally, hidden gems.
The huge saline lakes
in the pine forest, are a
treasure chest of aragonite and quartz. Known
for its revitalising and
therapeutic
properties,
natural mineral salt water
eases aches and pains and
softens the skin have been
taking a rejuvenating dip
in the Baños de Sal since
the Roman times.
The nearby salt mines,
which were exploited as
far back as the Iberian
era, are also a major tourist attraction and a small
hotel has been built next
to both for the hundreds
of visitors who come every year seeking a relaxing
break.
old cavalry inn and now
partly a hotel with one
wing due to be turned
into a museum. Inside, a
collection of major works
of art, ancient maps and
engravings, antique furniture and mineral stones
adorn the premises.
Built in the 16th century by the distinguished
Contreras family, part of
Minglanilla’s aristocracy,
it now has a campsite attached to it and several casas rurales around it with
a bar, a shop selling natural mineral products using ingredients from the
Baños de Sal, and a riding
centre close by. Despite
being turned into a ru-
CELEBRITY
PLAYGROUND
Minglanilla’s charm has,
in the past, been a magnet
for the rich and famous.
The town’s celebrity cast
includes Ava Gardner
who, on numerous occasions, stayed in the Venta
de Contreras, a lovely
Sculptures Park
Typical cuisine from Minglanilla is not difficult to
conjure up in the kitchen
even if you are a culinary
cretin.
Given its inland location,
Minglanilla’s traditional
dishes are mainly based
on pulses, meat and vegetables, although there are
a few vegetarian options
on the menu, too.
For example, pisto con
huevos is made by frying puréed tomatoes in a
bit of oil, adding salt and
eggs and stirring well.
Minglanilla-style garlic
soup involves frying three
or four garlic cloves in oil,
then frying some bread in
it, adding salt and then
water until you achieve
the right consistency.
A more filling dish, typical of the area and mainly
eaten during Easter week,
as the name suggests, is
potaje de Semana Santa,
a tasty and warming
meal made of chickpeas,
cod, breadcrumbs, eggs,
garlic, parsley, onion, oil
and flour, seasoned with
salt and paprika. The
breadcrumbs, egg, garlic and parsley are made
into dumplings that are
deep-fried along with all
the other ingredients and
then left to simmer.
An ideal time to visit Minglanilla is on August 15,
when the fiesta in honour
of La Virgen de la Piedad
takes place. A marathon
around the town is held
for those mad enough to
take part while the streets
are roaring with the
sound of motorbike engines as they hold a race
around the municipality.
For those who like to take
things a little easier, the
colourful parades are fun
to watch and there is a
cake-baking competition
where examples of Minglanilla’s domestic gods’
and goddesses’ wares can
be tried and tested.
On September 14 during
the festival in homage to
the patron saint, Santísimo Cristo de la Salud, a
market is held to raise
funds for missionaries
followed by a photography competition and then
open-air concerts and
dancing until the early
hours of the morning.
Perfect for a relaxing
weekend away or well
worth the detour en route
to the capital, far enough
away from life as we know
it but easily reached by
motorway,
Minglanilla
is an undiscovered paradise. You won’t see it advertised in travel agents’
windows and it tends not
to appear in the guidebooks – yet once you see
it, you’ll wonder why not.
If it’s good enough for Ava
Gardner, it must be worth
a visit.
MOTOR
Page 28
February 9 - February 15 2007
GLOBAL-CARS
NOW ON LINE AT http://www.globalcarcentre.com e-mail [email protected]
MORAIRA
DÉNIA
98 DESIGNO MERCEDES SL 500 DESIGNO, blue,
vanilla cream hide, panoramic roof..........€29,999
03/05 LANDROVER DISCOVERY 7 SEATER,
one owner, 23,000kms = 13,000 miles, in met.
blue automatic, 1/2 grey hide, 2x sunroofs, CD,
alloys, FSH, towbar, fab unit 4.0V8.......€24,999
03 JEEP CHEROKEE 3.7 LTD AUTO, met
coffee bean, hide, E/S/R, 6xCD, A/C, alloys,
FSH, never used......................................€22,999
July 04 FORD GALAXY 1.9 TDDI 115 BHP TREND
7 seater, met. cava, Front & rear A/C.......€18,999
04 FORD MONDEO TDCI GHIA AUTO, 4 dr, climate, alloys, CD, hide, ice blue...............€18,999
April 04 FORD MONDEO 2.0 TDCi 130 BHP GHIA X
AUTOMATIC, 5 door, silver, hide...........€18,999
9/03 VW PASSAT TDI 130 BHP EST, met.
Jupiter red/cream hide, climate, alloys, CD,
a stunning looking car......................€17,999
May 05 FORD FOCUS C/MAX 1.6 TDi 110 BHP,
A/C, CD, silver, good saving....................€14,999
05 CITROËN C4 1.6 PREMIER AUTOMATIC,
climate, cruise, CD, champagne...........€14,999
05 FORD FOCUS AUTO EST, CD, PAS,
claret, ice blue, grey silver, climate......€14,795
April 05 FORD FOCUS 1.6 TDCi EST, A/C,
CD, met. aquarius, silver, navy...............€13,999
05 FORD FOCUS 1.6 TREND, AUTO, A/C,
CD met. grey, silver, blue..............€13,999
03 MERCEDES S55 AMG 500 BHP, kompressor,
champagne, cream hide ........................... €69,999
05/07 MERCEDES E320 CDI AVANTGARDE, auto
est, met. black, host of extras...............€39,999
04 mod. 06 plates MERCEDES CLK 270 CDI
COUPE, auto, grey hide, command. nav, CDx6,
tel, S/roof, alloys, E/seats, parktronic, Xenons,
in special order met. ice blue..............€32,999
02 BMW 735i AUTO, “new shape”, blue met/
cream hide, climate, alloys, CD, computer, every
extra inc. nav, phone, FSH...............€29,999
8/02 LEXUS RX300 AUTO, luxury, nav, CD,
roof, tel, alloys, hide, met cava...............€27,999
03 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 2.7 CRD
LAREDO, met. sage. Host of extras diesel
auto,
6xCD,
alloys...............€24,999
03
CHRYSLER
VOYAGER
2.4
SE
MANUAL, A/C, met. blue...............€19,999
01 HONDA S2000 SPORTS, met. silver, red
hide, A/C, low kms............................€19,999
02 MERCEDES C SPORTS COUPE C220 CDi,
climate + CD, silver & new alloys..............€19,999
April 04 FORD MONDEO 2.0 TDCi 130 BHP GHIA
X AUTOMATIC, 5 door, met. silver, hide.....€18,999
01/06 MERCEDES C320 V6 ELEGANCE AUTO,
met. blue black, pale silver grey hide, climate,
CD, alloys, FSH. Compare price...............€16,999
98/06
MERCEDES 230K AUTO SLK
SPORTS, electric blue, high spec, incl.
hide, CD, alloys.............................€16,999
Nov. 01 BMW 530 SE AUTO, climate, CD,
alloys, met. green/cream hide..............€16,999
May 05 FORD FOCUS C/MAX 1.6 TDi 110
BHP, A/C, CD, silver, blue or claret.........€14,999
02 AUDI A6 2.4 MULTITRONIC auto, 86km,
FSH, met. grey, alloys + CD, as new.......€14,999
05 FORD FOCUS AUTO EST, CLIMATE, CD,
PAS, claret, ice blue, grey silver.................€14,795
05 New Shape FORD FOCUS TDCi EST,
CD, A/C, met. silver............................€13,999
03
PEUGEOT
307
EST
HDi, silver,
climate, CD..........................................€13,999
April 05 FORD FOCUS 1.6 TDCI EST, A/C, CD,
met, aquarius, grey and navy...............€13,999
04 FORD FOCUS, 5 dr AUTOS, CD, various...................................................€11,999
CAVA DREAM
04 FORD MONDEO
TDCI 130BHP
GHIA AUTO S-TRONIC
Climate, CD, PAS, alloys, 1/2
hide, 1/2 suede, 37,000 kms =
23,700 miles as new.
DÉNIA
European
Centre
Junction
62 off
the
Motorway
Jávea
G
C
a
96 649 03 56/9
O N TENIENTE
JÁVEA
Molí
Blanc
Disco
Solmar
Rent-a-car
CHEAPEST C5 HDI in
EUROLAND
Check all ads and
internet, you won’t find
another 02 A/C, PAS,
white, first class diesel.
Driveaway at
KM3
Ctra. Valencia
TORREVIEJA
9 YEARS
GLOBAL
GROUP
Cabo Roig
Torrevieja
96 578 62 56
Villa Martín
Golf Club
CABO LA NAO
DÉNIA
Hospital
€ 8,499
02 RENAULT MEGANE 1.6 CLASSIC, A/C,
PAS, alloys, ice green........................€7,999
04 HYUNDAI ATOS PRIME, A/C, PAS,
5 door, silver.................................€6,999
01 HYUNDAI ACCENT 1.3 LS, A/C, PAS,
met. blue, exceptional...........................€5,999
95/06 plates CITROËN XANTIA 1.8 SX, A/C,
PAS, met. blue, very clean..................€3,999
90 SPANISH RHD VAUXHALL CAVALIER
LS, A/C, PAS, S/R, met. green..............€1,699
DÉNIA
ONDARA
GLOBAL CARS
DÉNIA
lad
Te
u
G
13 YEARS
DIESEL GIFT
May 05 FORD FOCUS C/MAX 1.6TDi 110BHP,
A/C, CD, met. grey, silver or blue................€14,999
05 CITROËN C4 1.6 PREMIER AUTOMATIC, climate, cruise, CD, ice blue...........................€14,999
05 FORD FOCUS AUTO EST, A/C, CD, PAS,
claret, ice blue, grey silver...................€14,795
05 FORD FOCUS TDCi EST, A/C, PAS,
CD, met. grey or blue...................€13,999
05 FORD FOCUS 1.6 TREND, AUTO, A/C,
CD, jeans blue, new shape..............€13,999
05 FORD FOCUS 1.6 TREND, AUTO, A/C, CD,
met. grey pearl, new shape..............€13,999
04 FORD FOCUS AUTOMATIC, 5 door, A/C, PAS,
CD, met. silver, ice blue. Compare...........€11,999
04 FORD FOCUS AUTO, A/C, PAS,
CD,
silver...................................€11,999
27/10/04 FORD FOCUS 5dr AUTOS, CD....€11,999
03 CHRYSLER SEBRING 2.7 LX AUTO,
silver, 1/2 hide, 1/2 suede, auto, climate, CD,
alloys, low kms, compare price..........€11,999
05 FORD FUSION 1.4 TDCi TREND, A/C, CD,
met. grey, low kms..........................€10,999
05 FORD FUSION 1.4 TDCI TREND, A/C, CD,
silver. Low kms....................................€10,999
02 FORD FOCUS AUTO EST, silver, very low
kms, A/C, PAS, charcoal..............€8,999
06 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 4.0 LITRE,
Auto, A/C, hide, black, alloys..............€7,999
01 FORD FOCUS TDDI EST, A/C, PAS,
silver.............................................€7,999
FORD
FOCUS
TDDI
EST,
A/C,
PAS,
silver,
low
kms..............€7,999
00 CITROËN XSARA AUTO EXCLUSIVE,
A/C,
PAS,
silver............................€6,999
11/03 PEUGEOT 206 HDI EST X LINE,
A/C
PAS,
CD,
silver..............€10,999
01 RENAULT CLIO ALIZE, 5 dr, A/C, PAS,
m. silver.............................................€6,999
98 FORD MONDEO 2.0i GHIA AUTO, A/C,
PAS, silver, low kms, exceptional.............€4,999
97/06 “RHD/SPANISH” MAZDA MX6, 2.5 V6
coupe, stunning, including leather...............€2,999
19 YEARS
Moraira
Barclays
Bank Petrol Station
€ 29,999
JUST TELL YOUR FRIENDS,
THAT’S ALL WE ASK!
MORAIRA
CE GL
NT OB
RE AL
M CA
OR R
AI S
RA
In silver, black nappier hide,
comfort seats, command
nav, CD, tel, xenons, comfort
seats, parktronic, alloys,
sheer luxury, fab value at
has run now for 15 years, when
you buy a Global car, simply
leave it at the airport when
you’re off home and we will have
it back on your next trip as many
times a year as you wish, for as
long as you own the car,
over 7,000 clients use our totally
free service.
04 CITROËN PICASSO HDI, silver, climate, 6xCD, totally as new...............€12,999
97 BMW Z3 CABRIO, A/C, PAS, CD, alloys,
hide, met blue........................................€12,999
05
FORD FUSION TDCi S, choice, A/C,
PAS, CD, met....................................€10,999
04 FORD FOCUS AUTO, CD, A/C, silver,
PAS....................................................€11,999
02 NISSAN PRIMERA 1.8 TECHNICA, A/C, PAS,
alloys, 39,000 kms, FSH, silver...............€11,999
03 VOLVO V40 ESTATE 1.8 PREMIUM, silver, alloys, CD, climate control, dual, A/bags,
53,000 km, FSH, as new...............€11,999
01 FORD MONDEO 2.0i GHIA AUTO, climate,
p/tronic, silver...........................................€9,999
July 03 SUZUKI JIMNY 1.3, soft top
4x4,
met
blue.................................€8,999
02 HYUNDAI ACCENT 1.3, A/C, PAS, 5 door,
low
km,
silver................................€6,999
01 DAEWOO NUBIRA GLS EST, A/C,
PAS, alloys, silver............................€6,999
02 HYUNDAI ATOS PRIME, A/C, PAS,
red...................................................€5,999
93/07 ISUZU TD AUTO TROOPER, 5 dr, 7 seater, met. green, RHD on Spanish plates, ideal
boat puller, forget the RHD...............€5,999
02 RENAULT TWINGO, A/C, PAS, m.
blue
special....................................€4,999
03 HONDA CRV 2.0 ESi AUTO, 5 dr, climate control, alloys, CD, in unmarked silver,
“Dreams are made with Honda”..............€19,999
July 04 FORD GALAXY 1.9 TDDi 115 BHP
TREND, 7 seater, met. silver, front + rear,
A/C.....................................................€18,999
April 04 FORD MONDEO 2.0 TDCi 130 BHP
GHIA X AUTO, 5 door, silver, hide.....€18,999
Nov 01 CHRYSLER VOYAGER 3.8 LE,
7 seater, silver/silver hide............€16,999
May 05 FORD FOCUS C/MAX 1.6TDi 110
BHP, A/C, CD, silver, grey and blue....€14,999
02 CHEVROLET 3.4 TRANSPORTER AUTO,
7 seater, in met. black over gold, silver grey
hide, climate & alloys, nav TV, CD.....€14,999
02 VW PASSAT 1.8 T ESTATE AUTOMATIC,
trendline, climate, alloys, CD, ABS, PAS, FSH,
84 kms, finished in met emerald..............€14,999
05 FORD FOCUS AUTO EST, A/C, CD, PAS,
claret, ice blue, grey silver................€14,795
00/06 RENAULT GRAND ESPACE 3.0 V6 AUTO,
7 seater, met, grey, 2x s/roof..............€12,999
05 FORD MONDEO 2.0 16V GHIA, blue...€12,999
05/05 FORD FUSION 1.4 TDCi TREND, A/C,
CD, silver or met. blue, low kms...........€10,999
02 RENAULT SCENIC DCI FAIRWAY, 1/2 hide,
A/C, met. blue or met. sage, only........€9,999
99 VOLVO V70 2.4 OPTIMA EXCLUSIVE AUTO
EST, climate, blue, FSH, 1 owner..............€9,999
04 FORD FOCUS AUTOMATIC, 5 dr, A/C, PAS,
CD, compare price, diamond white.............€9,999
01 FORD MONDEO 2.5 GHIA AUTO, climate,alloys,
gold or silver, gift at only.......................€8,999
03 FIAT STILO 120 BHP TDi, silver, A/C....€8,999
July 03 SUZUKI JIMNY 1.3, soft top 4x4,
met. blue, now only...............................€8,999
02
CITROËN
C5
HDI,
A/C,
PAS,
white........................................................€8,499
01 RENAULT MEGANE CLASSIC RXE AUTO,
A/C, PAS, alloys, met. claret..............€7,999
01 MERCEDES S400 CDI
TIPTRONIC AUTOMATIC
OUR TOTALLY FREE
AIRPORT SERVICE
€18,999
TORREVIEJA
JÁVEA
03 VOLVO XC90 T6 3.0, geartronic AUTO, climate, E/roof, met. silver, black hide, FSH,
outstanding at only............................€37,999
01 MERCEDES S400 CDI AUTO, command nav,
tel, roof, alloys, nappier trim, comfort memory
seats, xenons, silver/black..............€29,999
05 JEEP CHEROKEE RENEGADE CRD, silver, host of extras, high spec...................€28,999
02 CHRYSLER VOYAGER 3.3 LX AUTO, 7 seater
in silver, grey hide, CD, DVD with roof TV screen,
alloys, electric rear doors......................€19,999
April 04 FORD MONDEO 2.0 TDCi 130 BHP GHIA
X AUTO, 5 door, silver, hide, very special...€18,999
July 04 FORD GALAXY 1.9 TDDi 115 BHP
TREND, 7 seater, met. cava, F+R, A/C.....€18,999
By-Pass
N-332
Restaurant
Don Sandy
Car wash
96 579 53 05
SALES HOTLINE
96 291 16 30 & 96 291 54 41
Restaurant
McDonald’s
Onteniente
96 532 21 69
Sprinter
Caprabo
Supermarket
REMEMBER OVER 29,000 CLIENTS CAN NOT BE WRONG!
15 YEARS
Sea front
ONTENIENTE
GLOBAL CARS
TORREVIEJA
Urb. La Regia
GLOBAL
70 CAR
SHOWROOM
20 CAR
FORECOURT
MOTOR
February 9 - February 15 2007
Page 29
Makers told to
cut out gases
has divided the commission, were unveiled on
Wednesday after a twoweek delay.
Environment
Commissioner Stavros Dimas had
wanted to force carmakers
to achieve the full 25 per
cent emissions cut alone,
but ran into strong opposition from the German
car industry and Industry
Commissioner
Guenter
Verheugen.
Industry sources say Mr
Dimas’s proposal would
have pushed up the cost
of a new car by 2,500 euros
though other studies sug-
gested the increase would
be as low as 600 euros.
The commission proposed
a package of measures designed to bring emissions
from the average new car
down to 120g of CO2 per
kilometre by 2012 - 25 per
cent below the 2005 level
of 162g/km.
Carmakers will be responsible for getting emissions
down to 130g/km through
the use of better car technology.
Increased use of biofuels,
better tyres and measures
to ensure drivers change
gear at the right time
would help to save the extra 10g/km.
European
carmakers
agreed in 1998 to aim for
average emissions of
140g/km by 2008/9, but are
no longer expected to meet
this target.
The EU originally wanted
to get emissions under
120g/km by 2005, but the
deadline slipped to 2012.
ra
g
y in
The commission last week
announced proposals designed to increase the use
of biofuels, and to reduce
the amount of CO2 emitted in the production of
fuels.
The European car industry says consumers have
so far shown little interest in cars with smaller
engines and lower emissions.
It also says there are more
cost-efficient ways of reducing transport emissions than introducing
costly new technology,
such as reducing traffic
congestion and changing
driver behaviour.
Aat Peterse of the environmental group, Transport and Environment,
said there was no justification for abandoning the
120g/km target, which car
manufacturers had known
about for 10 years.
He said: “Now they have
failed to do the job they
and body
agreed to do, it makes no
sense to let them off the
hook,” he added.
Transport is the only sector in Europe that has
shown dramatic increases
in CO2 emissions over the
last 15 years.
The car industry has
made huge improvements
in engine efficiency, but
the power, size and weight
that cars have also increased rapidly.
As a result, CO2 emissions
have only fallen by 23g/
km from the 1995 level of
185g/km.
Legislation on the basis of
Wednesday’s proposal is
unlikely to be drafted until 2008.
wo
rk
Sp
T
he European Commission is proposing to force carmakers to make an 18 per cent
cut in CO2 emissions from
new cars by 2012.
A spokesman said the
commission was aiming for a 25 per cent cut
in car emissions overall,
with the bulk of the effort
coming from better motor
technology.
The rest of the cut is expected to be achieved by
measures such as greater
use of biofuels and better
tyres.
Details of the plan, which
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Page 30
“Huerto de Yvancos” is a large mansion built at the beginning of the
19th century. It is located in one of the oldest fincas in Énova, in Valencia province, only 50 km to Valencia and 8 km to Xàtiva, Alzira or
Carcaixent.
Énova’s valley is full of orange groves. In 2006, an art and leisure resort
was opened there with more than 100,000 m2 landscaped gardens and
a children’s play area. At the moment, a relaxation area is under construction with spa, jacuzzi, hydromassage bathtubs, sauna, Turkish bath
and UVA rays; it will be open very soon. Other services available are:
Where your dreams come true
· Organisation of outdoors events
· Golf green
· Chapel for weddings, christenings and
February 9 - February 15 2007
AUTO SWEDEN GANDIA
Would
you like to
advertise
here?
FEBRUARY OFFERS
VOLVO C70 COUPE 240hp
12/98 – Met., radio CD, central locking, E/W, Bluetooth
€ 12,460
€11,999
RENAULT LAGUNA 1.9 DCI
12/03 – Met., climate control, radio CD, alloys, 5 doors.
other celebrations
· Stable and horse riding school
· 2 function rooms with a capacity of
400 and 50 seats respectively
€12,999
· Restaurant specialised in high-quality
Valencian cuisine
· 7 wooden huts for accommodation
Creative Mediterranean signature cuisine
Private function rooms
Call our offices on
€12,500
96 648 08 14
VOLVO S40 1.9D
12/02 – Aluminium alloys, climate control, radio CD, Met., service book
€12,299
€ 11,999
or email:
[email protected]
VOLVO S40 1.9 TD
03-98 – Alloys, climate control, radio CD, Met., E/W, C/L
Camino de Frans s/n
Tel. 96 226 83 35 · 96 228 13 91. 46669 ÉNOVA (Valencia)
www.huertodeyvancos.es
Valencia - Albacete free motorway, Exit 861
(Alzira - La Pobla Llarga)
€ 4,650
€4,199
AUTO SWEDEN GANDIA, S.L
Avda. República Argentina, 117 · Tel. 96 287 05 00 · 46701 Gandia
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www.citrusred.com
FINANCE
February 9 - February 15 2007
Page 31
Sleeping on
the job
Taking
chances on
stock market
F
ootball is not only
being played on the
pitch these days
– professional clubs are
also taking their chances
on the stock market.
More than just a game – or,
for some people, almost a
religion – football is big
business for those with
cash to invest.
Olympique de Lyon CF is
due to enter the stock market today, but it is not the
first club to do so. The first
was Tottenham Hotspur,
which floated shares back
in 1984, and many more
have followed their example.
In fact, shares can be
bought in about 27 European clubs although, to
date, no Spanish football
club has jumped on the
bandwagon.
They are all included in
the Dow Jones Stoxx Football, the main Index in the
sector that is dedicated to
the sport, shares in which
have increased overall
by 16 per cent in the past
year.
Yet the number of clubs
on the stock market has
actually fallen since the
Dow Jones Stoxx Football
was created in 2002. Then,
it had 33 members, but
since then big clubs like
Manchester United – the
one which had the greatest capital – was excluded
in 2005 after control of the
club was taken over by a
United States millionaire.
The nationality of the
clubs is very diverse – with
Tottenham, Southampton,
and Newcastle, the English
presence is significant. Although there is also Ajax
from Amsterdam, Turkish clubs Besiktas and
Galatasaray, Italian teams
Juventus,
Roma
and
Lazio, Portuguese Oporto
and Sporting, and Danish
team FC Københaven.
Despite the fact that a law
passed in 2002 allows Spanish teams to float on the
stockmarket, to date none
of them have done so.
The legislation states that
they have to be Sociedades
Anónimas, the equivalent
of a plc, and the only clubs
with sufficient capital to
do so – Real Madrid and
FC Barcelona – are not.
This said, the dean of the
economics
department
at Madrid’s Complutense
University says there have,
WHITE & BAOS
A S O C I A D O S
ABOGADOS & ENGLISH SOLICITORS
in the past, been plans on
the table to float Atlético
de Madrid, Valladolid and
Espanyol. Yet these have
never come to fruition.
Clearly, some teams – even
the larger, internationallyrenowned ones – are put
off floating on the stock
market because the risk
factor is directly-linked to
players’ performance. If a
club loses a major game,
its shares will fall in value
and so will the club’s capital.
This said, many teams recognise the value of doing
so when they are strapped
for funds to build new stadia, or buy new players.
This is one of the motives
for Olympique de Lyon’s
decision to sell shares.
Its future plans include
constructing the huge leisure park, OL Land, which
includes a 60,000-seater
stadium, various hotels,
an office-block complex
and shopping centre with
a hypermarket.
The club hopes it will open
its doors in July 2010 but
will need up to 270 million
euros to be able to reach
this goal.
Independent
lawyers
F
rench workers might be allowed
to take a kip at work, if the
health minister has his way.
Xavier Bertrand announced at the end
of last month that, to combat chronic
tiredness problems in the country,
time sleep should be made a priority
health issue.
A survey has revealed that 10-million
French people do not get enough sleep,
for one reason or another.
Despite the serious impact that tiredness has on French society, Bertrand
considers that most workers worldwide, including those employed in the
health sector, have no idea what constitutes good or bad sleeping habits.
In December, a group of experts on
the subject sent a report to the government proclaiming that getting the
right amount of shut-eye was crucial
to the health of the people of France.
About six million euros will be invested over the next two years in training
on and research into the subject.
Although this is a widespread problem, Bertrand insists that lack of
sleep affects performance at work and
that it should not be considered normal to suffer from it.
“Why not have a kip at work?” Bertrand suggested, referring to scientific studies which seem to confirm that
a short nap, or siesta, can help concentration and, in the case of workers who drive or operate machinery,
increases safety.
“It should not be a taboo subject,”
said the minister, who wants to put in
place an experiment using volunteers
from various companies.
Bertrand said some large firms have
already made provisions for employees to take a 15-minute nap during
their working day.
“If the results are positive, I won’t
hesitate to promote the practice,” he
said.
Take advice on how
to handle card debts
IF you racked up bills
over Christmas, then you
may have had to work all
through January for nothing.
Recent research suggests
that Britons have to work
for 31 days to earn enough
to pay the interest on their
credit card and loan debt.
The average figure for interest on credit card and
loan debt is £2,012.
Based on the average UK
salary of £23,556, Unbiased.
co.uk suggests that it would
take 31 days to earn enough
Conveyancing
Tax Advice and Representation
Wills and Probate / Inheritance
Company Formations
Tenancy Agreements
Legal Translations
Divorce
to pay this amount.
That does not include any
money that would be needed for actual debt repayment.
Britons are still reluctant
to put a brake on their
spending and take control
of their finances.
Although personal debt
levels have fallen by seven
per cent in the last three
years, and average interest payable has fallen by 59
per cent in the same period,
the proportion of income
still needed to service the
average debt is still high,
with people having large
amounts of debt to their
name.
Research shows that Brits
are still relying on borrowed money, borrowing
49 pence for every pound
saved.
The advice is to call in an
independent financial adviser to assess your financial situation and work out
a way to build up a nest egg
for the future by careful
budgeting and saving.
C/ Díana, 16, 1º - 03700 Dénia
(Alicante) Spain
Tel (+34) 96 642 61 85
Mob (+34) 677 204 355
Fax (+34) 96 578 44 71
E-mail: [email protected]
www.white-baos.com
Page 32
BUSINESS AND FINANCE
February 9 - February 15 2007
LEGAL AND FINANCE
February 9 - February 15 2007
Page 33
ASK THE EXPERT...
If you have a problem concerning a legal matter, pensions, investments or general finance then write to one of our experts here at [email protected]
Mark
Davies
investment expert
Q
. I have a large
sum of money on
deposit offshore
and want to legitimately avoid taxation but
wish to leave the money
in cash. Can you advise
me?
A
. You are not alone
and since the introduction of the
European savings directive this has become a hot
topic for many expatriates
requiring cash investments while seeking to
avoid both taxation and/
or disclosure of information to the tax authorities.
While there are a potential range of solutions a
number of them require
capital to be invested
through a medium other
than cash. However provided you have sufficient
capital available there is a
cost effect solution.
Since January 1, 2007,
income from deposits in
Spain are assessed as savings income and taxed at
a flat rate of 18 per cent,
which is only three per
cent above the current EU
withholding tax rate. The
new flat tax on deposits,
and other types of savings,
linked with the new 99 per
cent inter-spouse Inheritance Tax (IHT) exemption
within the Comunidad Valenciana means that, for
many, creative planning
may no longer be required
or sensible when costs are
taken into consideration.
In the right circumstances however one solution
is to place capital into an
offshore insurance policy,
as insurance policies are
outside the scope of the
EU savings directive.
This has been available
since before the implementation of the directive, however many insurance polices carry high
charges and commissions
meaning they are not a viable option for cash-only
investors.
While it is true to say
that most policies do not
fit the bill because they
have high fixed costs and/
or set-up costs this is not
always the case. Investors consulting the right
adviser may be surprised
how cost effective these
investments can be. For
example, an investor with
£500,000 currently earning five per cent interest
is receiving gross interest of £25,000 less £3,750
in withholding tax giving
a net income of £21,250
pa. In addition a further
three per cent (£750) will
be due in Spain, leaving a
net interest of £20,500.
The £500,000 can be placed
into an insurance policy
with a major international insurance company and
invested 100 per cent on
deposit with a major bank
or building society for the
same five per cent or possibly more. As the cash
RAYMUNDO - HOPMAN - VILLAMOR
ENGLISH-SPANISH SOLICITORS
is inside the policy falls
outside of the scope of
the EU savings directive
therefore no tax is taken
at source and there are
no tax reporting requirements allowing interest to
roll-up gross. This interest will become taxable if
subsequently remitted to
Spain at the fixed saving
rate of 18 per cent. However where partial withdraws from such polices
are taken they are treated
in part as capital, hence
the effective tax rate will
be lower.
What may surprise investors is that the cost of the
insurance policy is 0.2 per
cent pa of the value of the
capital invested; there are
no establishment charges
and there are no exit penalties associated with the
policy. Clearly the adviser
arranging the policy will
need to be remunerated so
assuming an arrangement
fee of 0.5 per cent we have
the following position.
Tax deferral in year one
£3,750 less arrangement
fee and fixed policy charge,
net gain to the investor of
£1,000 in year one. In the
second and subsequent
years the saving rises to
£3,500. Practically speaking the savings will rise
above those given year
on year as a result of the
compounding of the gross
roll-up on interest inside
the insurance policy.
While this approach is
not right in ever case for
investors who do not require access to their capital the legitimate gross
roll-up of income within
an insurance policy has a
lot to commend it.
Mark Davies can be contacted at Brooks MacDonald Asset Management. See advert in this
section for details.
Premier
Financial Solutions
- Property Conveyancing.
Today’s advice
- Land Laws and Zoning
Problems.
Are you thinking of buying a home in Spain? This can be easy and
involve low risk as long as you remember that not all charges are
shown in the Property Registries. Please beware about the
implications of actual/future Development Plans, penalties
for building infringements or development charges. Ask your
independent Lawyer to include these aspects in the pre-purchase
“legal checking”.
- Wills, Inheritance, Probate.
- State/Local Government
Litigation.
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Litigation.
- NIE, Residencia, Fiscal
Insurance, etc.
If any doubt please, fax your query and we will reply at no cost.
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Solicitor
Alicante – C/ Navas, 19, 4th floor - 03001
Tel. (00 34) 96 520 77 19 – Fax (00 34) 96 521 87 94. e-mail [email protected]
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LEGAL AND FINANCE
Page 34
Stephen
Ward
pensions expert
Q
. I was a member
of a non-contributory final salary
company pension scheme
in the UK from the age of
20 until 25. After being
made redundant I kept
meaning to invest in a
personal pension fund but
never did. This means I
haven’t invested in a pension for more than three
years. I worked in the UK
full-time from age 16 for
10 years so I am almost
certainly not entitled to
a UK state pension. However I have been working
in Spain and paying into
the social security system
since July 2003 so will
probably be entitled to a
Spanish state pension,
Should I be worrying
about the possibility of
an impoverished retirement at this point in my
life having just passed
my 30th birthday. Is it
fairly vital that I invest
in a private pension now
and what sort of monthly contribution should
I be making?
Will my
five years’ worth of a
final salary pension be
worth anything (I was
paid £17,500 a year when
I left) by the time I come
to retire?
A
.Let’s look at the
last bit first. On the
assumption the final salary scheme you were
a member of in the UK
was a 1/60ths scheme you
will have accrued pension
rights of 5/60ths of your
salary at the date of leaving so 5/60ths of £17,500 is
£1,458 a year. This figure
will increase broadly in
line with UK inflation until
you are due to take it, I will
assume, at 60. Inevitably
this scheme will have been
contracting out of the State
Earnings Related Pension
Scheme, so any UK pension
entitlement earned from
the State will just be in respect of the basic State pension.
You have satisfied the minimum requirement for a UK
basic state pension based
upon the rules as they currently stand. With 10 years
worth of national insurance contributions you will
be entitled to just 25 per cent
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AVD. JUAN CHABAS, 2 ESC. 2B - 3º PTA. 12
DÉNIA. TEL. 649 462 223 / FAX 96 643 15 08
cbs@iurismeDía.com
of the basic State pension
at which, in today’s money,
would be £1,095 a year.
My Spanish is not good
enough to thoroughly research your likely entitlement to a Spanish state
pension but from what I
have managed to glean (at
www.seg-social.es - which
has information in English) after 15 years of national insurance contributions you have a 50 per cent
entitlement to the basic
level which progressively
increases over time and
becomes a 100 per cent entitlement after 35 years of
contributions. The Spanish State pension is payable from age 65. Although
I have read elsewhere that
the benefit is generous in
general terms, you will
need to take separate advice about how much this
might be.
The relative generosity of
the Spanish state pension
system has constrained
the development of private
pensions. My understanding is that the maximum
permitted contribution to a
Spanish private pension is
8,000 euros a year.
You remain eligible to pay
into a UK private pension
up to £3,600 a year (paid net
of basic rate income tax relief -so £2,808) but only in
respect of the current tax
year which ends on April 5
and the next, This may be
worth considering while
you take separate advice on
a Spanish private pension
to supplement your other
possible sources of retirement income.
There remains plenty of
time to accumulate other
savings of course.
Stephen Ward can be contacted personally at Premier Financial Solutions
(UK) Ltd. See advert in
this section for details.
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Marc
White
legal expert
Q
. Please can you
explain the Valencian Community’s new Inheritance
Tax laws?
Law Firm
Commercial
Law
Crime
Personal
Injury
Family Law
Debts
Recovery
C/ Sertorio, 2 - Esc. A - Pta. 3
Edificio Adumar 2
03730 Jávea (Alicante)
remains the case that it
is the beneficiary who is
taxed (as opposed to the
UK system where it is the
value of the deceased’s estate which determines the
amount of tax payable, if
any).
As mentioned above, the
beneficiary will need to be
habitually resident in the
Comunidad
Valenciana
and an immediate family
member (such as husband,
wife, son or daughter).
Using the example of a
married couple who are
resident and leave their
entire Spanish estate to
each other, a reduction of
99 per cent of the Spanish inheritance tax pay-
able will be applied. Many
people have named their
children as equal beneficiaries together with their
spouse in their Spanish
wills in order to take advantage of a tax-free allowance for each beneficiary. Using the example
of the married residents
there is no longer likely
to be a tax benefit in doing
so. There are of course
many factors to consider before deciding
to get married but
from an inheritance tax perspective it is likely to
be very attractive.
Spanish gift tax has
also been significantly
changed in very similar
ways.
The two-tier test of residency and kinship also
applies, and any gift must
be formally recorded as
having taken place by
means of an Escritura
(Deed) signed before
a Notary Public.
It goes without saying that each person’s situation will
need to be considered
in detail, and there may
be reasons other than tax
mitigation to take into
account when reviewing
someone’s affairs. It remains to be seen whether
the UK will follow suit
and give consideration to
making direct descendants exempt from UK inheritance tax in the way
that currently applies to
spouses. I, for one, will not
be holding my breath.
I hope the above is useful
and please feel free to give
either myself or Carlos
Baos, Spanish abogado a
call on 966-426-185, or send
an email to [email protected] if you wish to
discuss the above or any
other issue.
Marc White LL.B. (English Solicitor) C/Diana
16, 1º, 03700 Dénia.
© White & Baos 2007
– All rights reserved.
Nothing in this or any previous edition of the publication known as ‘thinkSPAIN/ today’ constitutes
financial, investment, legal or other form of advice. All of Think Press SL, that is company’s owners
and employees together with any third parties contracted by Think Press SL assume no responsibility
whatsoever for any information contained in this publication and disclaim all liability in respect of
such information. Think Press SL is not responsible for the content of any article, text or advertisement published in this edition, or content which a reader may be able to access from reading any such
article, text or advertisement.
Pla Carretero
Wills, Trust &
Probate
Re g a rd i n g
Spanish inheritance
tax
generally,
it
A
. As expected, the
new inheritance
tax laws which
came into force with effect from January 1 have
resulted in a great deal
of confusion among
the ex-pat community.
This has nothing to do
with the drafting of the
legislation but simply the
absence of a clear and objective explanation of the
changes in English.
The two most important
points to remember are
that the new provisions
only apply to a beneficiary
who is both (i) habitually
resident in the Comunidad
Valenciana (and therefore
tax resident) and (ii) a direct family member.
The changes are significant and many people will
need to review their Wills
as well as their inheritance tax planning generally. For example, it was
commonly the case that
married couples would
keep most of their liquid
assets in the UK seeking
to take advantage of the
spouse exemption which
exists there. The need to
do so has now disappeared
for the majority of British
people living here as a result of the new law, as has
any perceived benefits of
entering into one of the
inheritance tax mitigation schemes currently
being marketed.
Call Ronnie now for free
consultation on:
96 260 30 51 or 657 269 322
Property Law
Conveyancing
February 9 - February 15 2007
Litigation
Tel. 96 579 68 02
Fax 96 579 67 96
Mobile 620 261 314
www.Jávea-solicitors.com
[email protected]
February 9 - February 15 2007
LEGAL AND FINANCE
Page 35
February 9 - February 15 2007
Page 36
SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT
El Cid
win at
Jávea
Onyx
EL CID Sabres started off
with a very good win over
Calpe Flamingos bringing
home all 10 points.
The Scimitars team managed three points at Calpe
Egrets and Swords won 8 - 2
against Jávea Onyx.
The Winter League team
only managed two points
at Benitachell BC.
The quarter finals of the
club championships have
been played.
Margaret Slade spent time
in hospital with pneumonia but she is now back at
home. Get well soon Margaret and Danny McGlaughlin is back at the club after
a trip to hospital, but all
seems to be under control
now.
Molly Rundle, a member
for many years, has developed a heart arrhythmia
and serious kidney problems and would love to
hear from members who
remember her.
There are still some places for Valentine’s Dinner
Dance on Wednesday.
Tonight’s film is Brokeback
Mountain at 20.30 hrs and
at 19.30 hrs the supporting
feature is the second episode of the first series of
24.
Memberships are available
with no waiting list and
you can visit the website at
www.elcidbowlsclub.com
for information about the
club. We are next to the famous caves in Benidoleig.
SPORT FOR ALL: A game for all ages
Reserves do Jávea
proud at La Marina
JÁVEA Green’s Winter
League team were back in
action at La Marina.
A number of the reserves
had to be brought into the
main team.
Joan
Moss,
Barbara
Pilling, Ken Marshall and
captain Jim contributed to
the result – an excellent 8
- 2 victory, with the Jávea
friendly team also winning,
24 - 7.
Quartz were away to Albir
Pandas and Mike Morffew
and David Mobsby’s teams
won sufficiently well to
ensure the points for shot
difference. Trevor Neale’s
team lost by just 1 shot. Ken
Davey’s team did well and
Quartz came home with
another win under their
belt, although six points
may not be enough with the
El Cid Swords also continuing their winning ways.
El Cid Swords faced the
Onyx team at Jávea this
week and Onyx were unable
to stave off the Swords with
only Ken Tebbenham’s team
able to take any points.
Opal were also at home this
week facing Benitachell
BC Tigers. The Tigers put
out a very strong team and
for some time it looked as
though Opal would be lucky
to secure two points.
Derek Marshall’s team had
a very close match with the
score line neck and neck
throughout and finally a 11
- 10 victory.
Martin Hughes team came
back at the Tigers to win
their match 18 - 16 but the
rest struggled.
So four points was not a bad
result in the end but will
do little to help Opal or our
Quartz team progress in the
league.
Greenlands storm
to semi-finals of
20/20 competition
GREENLANDS’S Super 20
team played La Marina in
the 20/20 competition.
It is a match between teams
of 10 players, 10 at home
and 10 away.
The 10 away won the single,
the pairs and the triples but
lost the rinks, by one shot.
At home Greenlands lost the
single and drew the pairs
but won the triples and the
rinks giving Greenlands a
11 - 5 win.
Greenlands semi-final opponents will be either Albir or
Calpe.
The SABA Trippers went
to La Marina this week and
were beaten on all rinks
with an overall shot difference of 42 - 86, La Marina
10, Greenlands 0.
The Winter Leaguers lost to
leaders, Emerald Isle.
The Green and Yellow
Southern League teams
took on Country Bowls and
had very comfortable wins.
Yellows maintain their top
position in the B Division.
Ken’s Oranges were away
to San Luis Lions who were
the better side.
England reach final Capello’s broadside
ENGLAND reached the Tri Series
one-day final in Australia after a 14run victory over New Zealand in Brisbane.
Paul Collingwood hit his third oneday international century as the tourists batted first and ran up 270 for 7,
and then took two wickets as New
Zealand made 256 for 8 in reply.
Collingwood’s 106 came off 121 balls
before his stumps were removed by
Shane Bond.
Andrew Strauss, batting at four,
scored 55 off 63 deliveries, and spinner Jamie Dalrymple made 29 not out
off 26 balls as England set a good total.
The bowling response was appalling
with Liam Plunkett proving expensive as New Zealand reached 81 before
the loss of their first wicket. Stephen
Fleming led the way with 106 off 149
balls before being removed by Andrew Flintoff.
Plunkett took three for 60, and
Collingwood’s two for 46 included
the wickets of Scott Styris and Daniel Vettori.
The first match against Australia is
today at Melbourne and the second in
Sydney on Sunday. If a third is necessary it will be at Adelaide on Tuesday.
BACK TO FORM: Andrew Strauss
REAL Madrid coach Fabio
Capello has severely criticised former England skipper David Beckham.
Capello, who has presided
over Real’s worst run of
form for years, said: “Beckham doesn´t do anything
for me.
“In his three years here, the
results were not too good.
“Now we are looking for a
new way, another direction
and we are waiting for important players to recover.”
Beckham played no part in
the embarrassing 1 - 0 defeat
to Levante and Capello refused to comment on whether Beckham could help solve
his team’s problems.
Beckham watched the game
from the Bernabéu’s VIP
seats and the dilemma for
Capello is how can his team
improve on a sorry scoring
record which has seen only
two leagues goals scored
since the start of the year.
The Italian said: “We had
six or seven chances to
score and three penalties
were not given.
DAVID BECKHAM: Capello nonsense
“They had one shot on goal,
the result was unfair.”
He had to face the wrath
of the near-capacity 75,000
crowd calling for his head
at the end of the game but
said he was not considering
resigning.
He did little to enamour himself to many Real supporters
by singling out the Ultras,
Real’s notorious group of
followers which contains a
significant element of members of the extreme right,
for special praise.
After the match Real held a
crisis meeting and followed
up with a vote confidence
for Capello.
February 9 - February 15 2007
Page 37
SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT
Brave
Elche
battle
Fight to
avoid
wooden
spoon
Elche CRU 3
UE Santboiana B 58
ELCHE, again suffering
with injuries, were forced
to start the game with only
14 players and this made the
prospect of victory against
a strong Barcelona side,
very unlikely.
As usual Elche started
strongly, holding the opposition for the first 15 minutes, and occasionally pinning them back on their
own line.
But Santboiana started to
take advantage of their
extra man and the breakthrough came in the 18th
minute, when the visiting
side’s winger went over, finishing off a well worked set
piece.
The conversion was missed
and Elche’s Raúl García
scored a penalty straight
from the restart.
This is how it stayed, until,
with 15 minutes of the first
half remaining, the puff
seemed to go from Elche’s
legs, allowing the opposition to score two quick
tries, one converted, leaving the half time score at
3 - 17.
To make matters worse for
Elche Garry Holland had to
leave the field at half time
with a shoulder injury, as
the match doctor refused to
let him continue.
Despite a steady stream of
tries, Santboiana did not
take full advantage of their
greater numbers, with some
poor ball handling and
some good defensive work
by Elche’s backs, the home
team managed to maintain
the points to a satisfactory
score line, considering the
circumstances.
Elche’s spirit did not waver,
but with fewer players and
the opposition able to call
upon subs, victory game
was never an option.
The juniors fared better
with the Infantil’s drawing
with Moncada 30 - 30 away,
and Elche Cadetes beating Akra Alicante 35 - 5 at
home.
Elche’s next game is away to
RC Hospitalet in Barcelona
on Sunday 11 February.
Training is on Tuesdays
and Thursdays between
9-11 for the Seniors and
Juveniles, and 8-10 for the
Cadetes, Infantiles and
the Alevines at the Cuidad
Deportiva Municipal in
the north part of Elche on
Avenida de la Libertad, or
you can contact the club by
phoning Garry on 618 048
532 or Stuart on 647 618 463.
If you are missing the fun
and social life of playing
rugby, why not dig out your
old boots and come along
to Elche Rugby Club, or
visit us at the This is Spain
Exhibition on April 13 - 15
at Los Montesinos.
JUMPING HIGH: La Vila challenge in a line-out
Another scalp for
a rampaging Vila
LA Vila continue to sweep all before
them as they travelled to Barcelona
San Cugat and came away with a 37 - 14
victory.
It was not one of La Vila’s better performances but the result means that
they stay top of the league and look a
good bet to reach the play offs to play
next year in Honour Division B, the second level of the Spanish Rugby.
A try by Matt Cook and two from
Agustín Gómez gave La Vila a 17 - 3 half
time lead and there was an improvement in the second half and they ran
in further tries from Daniel Barker (2),
Alberto Jiménez and Pablo Pereira.
The home side had a well organised
defence and visitors often lacked concentration, arriving late at rucks and
losing the ball frequently.
On Sunday La Vila are at home against
third-placed Santboi Barcelona.
This club’s first team are the Spanish champions and La Vila will face
a tough test as the Barcelona side are
likely to include a number of the first
team squad.
The under 14s are at home on Saturday
at 12.00 hrs and the under 18s at 16.30
hrs against Valencia.
The ground is at Carretera Pantano,
Villajoyosa.
Take AP-7 exit no 66.
At the first roundabout head for the
mountain. It is about 1 km from exit no
66 or take the Villajoyosa by-pass, and
take the middle exit, at the first roundabout, bear right towards the motorway
entrance and at the second roundabout
bear left towards the mountain.
For more information phone Jason on
659 674 768 or Ignacio 608 068 208.
DÉNIA Rugby club needs
to win three of its last four
games to make sure it does
not finish bottom of the Valencia First Division.
On recent form, writes Eddie D’Arcy, this is possible and two games may be
enough but La Safor beating Ciencias 8 - 7 last week
did not help.
Tavernes top the league
with 12 points from five
wins and two draws, followed by Ciencias with
nine.
Dénia have four points, one
less than Tatami who have
played the same number of
games.
With Dénia travelling to
Ciencias next weekend and
Tatami at home to thirdplaced La Safor, who are
one point in front of them,
all should become clearer.
There is no relegation but
one team will come down
from the National League,
probably Elche.
Two teams are being offered
promotion from the Second
Division Play-Off League
which starts next week.
The teams involved are
UPV, Technidex B, Cullera,
Alzira, Torrevieja and Orihuela but there are doubts
as to whether any of them
would take the opportunity.
Cartagena won their division and were unbeaten but
cannot go into the play-offs
as they are a guest side.
In any event few, if any, Valencia teams would want to
travel there.
Referee denies Dénia morale-boosting victory
DÉNIA, bottom of the
league hosted top of the table and unbeaten Tavernes
on Sunday.
Recent results would suggest a comfortable victory
for the visitors who dominated possession and territory throughout the first
half.
An early drop goal saw Tavernes take the lead but Dénia looked sharper in the
backs and Lee broke from
his own half to score under
the posts, converted by Joe.
Dénia repeatedly failed to
break out of their own half
and gave away far too many
penalties. Solid defence
kept Tavernes at bay but the
continued ill-discipline saw
a succesful penalty kick and
then a quickly taken penalty
result in a converted try for
a 13 - 7 lead to Tavernes.
From the restart, a loose
kick fell to Yovanny near
the half way line and his
mazy run resulted in another seven pointer for Dénia.
14 - 13 up at half time
against the run of play,
Dénia, with good control,
performed much better in
the second half and, after a
couple of wayward passes
with the line beckoning, Lee
finally punched through the
Tavernes defence to touch
down, again converted by
Joe for a 21 - 13 lead.
Dénia then perhaps lacked
the self belief to be in such
a position with only 10 minutes remaining.
Further indiscipline allowed Tavernes to cross
for an unconverted try and
then a score levelling penalty kick to make it 21 -21.
Then the referee, who had
spent most of gave a controversial match winning try.
Tavernes knew they were
lucky and Dénia knew they
were robbed. Yet another
weekend off for Dénia before a hard but winnable
game in Valencia against
Ciencias.
Dénia RC: Pescata, Nico,
Adam, Dale, Juan, Julian,
Dirk, Andy, Josh, Lee, Ian,
Nigel, Yovanny, José, Joe,
Leo, Sorin, Adrian and
Shaun.
DÉNIA entertained UPV
from Valencia and the Infantiles (under 15s) ran out
FORWARD STRUGGLE: Action from the Dénia junior tourney
comfortable 35 - 7 winners to
stay second in the league.
The Cadetes (under 17s),
keen to take the final playoff place fielded their best
side but UPV, bottom of the
league, had won their previous game and did not play
like a team in such a position.
Dénia started strongly with
early tries from Juan and
Bruce.
UPV fought back from the
restart and a converted try
reduced the arrears to 10 - 7.
Dénia fadded two more tries
from Lee and Bebo, to make
the score 22 - 7 at half time.
From the restart Juan to
score a try but a sloppy restart let UPV get back.
In the last 20 minutes UPV
scored three tries but Dénia
were able to outpower and
outscore the visitors and
four more tries saw the Cadetes win 51 - 29. Dénia now
face unbeaten CAU in Valencia tomorrow.
February 9 - February 15 2007
Page 38
SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT
AROUND THE GOLF SOCIETIES
Demand high
so book early
AFTER the recent drenching weather Pego Golf Society members were amazed that La Sella was open and available for play.
Given the weather the course was in good condition with the
greens running very true and quite fast.
Division One: 1 John Lamont 37 off 6, 2 Ian Robertson 35 off 12.5,
3 Jim Gillies 34 off 18. Diivision Two: 1 Gordon Weston 37 off 21,
2 Trinny Sutherland 33 off 23.43, Dave Cocker 29 off 26.1.
Guest: Len Smith 33 off 18. Peter Stretch and Ian Robertson won
the nearest the pins, there were no twos and no-one came close
to the balls in the water so both are rollovers next week at El
Bosque.
In the matchplay competition Jim Gillies beat Stephen Halstead
7 and 5, John Evans beat John Drewery 6 and 4, Carl Walker beat
Ron Webb 4 and 3 and Ian Robertson beat Rene Olliffe 7 and 5.
The next meeting is at El Bosque on Monday, first tee 10.30 hrs.
Be at the clubhouse no later than 09.40 hrs.
Numbers for all our Golf Days have been excellent so if you want
to play you have to call early in the week to secure a place.
All guests will be confirmed on Friday morning by calling Mick
Tomkins on 680 39 38 31.
Information on Pego Golf Society from Mick Tomkins on 680 39
38 31 or www.pegogolfsociety.com
A LOTTA BOTTLE: The La Sella winners
Mystery delay
meant golfers
missed round
THE Eurogolf Society
played
its
monthly
Stableford but for unknown
reasons the society was subject to a two hours delay by
the golf club which meant
that 22 of the original start
list were unable to play, leaving us with only 91 players.
Now, with the course being
extremely short and the
weather near on perfect
you would have thought we
would see some very good
scores.
Only five players broke
par, the best was George
Burgoyne with 40 points.
Gold: 1 George Burgoyne 40,
2 Terry Lewis 39 points, 3
Roger Richings 38, 4 Nigel
Wood 35. Silver: 1 Ray
Porter 37, 2 Tony Hitt 35 on
handicap, 3 Julian Frutos
35, 4 Mike Gillett 34.
Bronze: 1 Alan Kentesber 39,
2 Lammy Nyhuis 33, 3 Tom
Hull 33, 4 Franco Gentili 32.
Keith Southgate won the
best front nine and Rachel
Leckey the best back nine.
Best guest: Ian Pegg 35.
Nearest the pin winners:
Julian Frutos, Dennis
Cole, Dave King and John
Holland. Dave Nicholls won
the best second shot at 12.
Football
sweep:
Dave
Curtis, George Burgoyne
and Morag Turner.
The match secretary is
under pressure looking
after Rene slipped and
broke her foot. We wish her
a speedy recovery.
The website has a new
address. You can now find us
on www.eurogolf-quesada.
co.uk.
Mixture of the
slick and slow
MARINA Alta Golf Society stableford competition
was at Real De Faula and
the greens were the most
unpredictable we have seen
in a few weeks.
Some were remarkably slick
while others were remarkably slow and this contributed to the low scoring.
No players managed a two
and the nearest the pin winners were Noel Eastwell and
Allan McManus.
The best score of the day
was returned by two players
in Division B, Donna Green
and Bob Perry both scoring
36 points. Donna took first
prize on the lower handicap
rule. Third place in Division
B went to Dianne Fraser
with 34 points.
Division A saw Phil Gardner return 32 points to take
first place from Trevor Warrillow on the lower handicap rule. Third place went
to David Kitson who scored
30 points.
On Monday we travel to Alenda Golf for a start time
of 9.28 am, all players are
asked to arrive and pay their
green fees by 9.00 am.
Oliva Nova is on February
19 for a 10.32 hrs start time.
Any player who wishes to
join us on either day should
contact Noel Eastwell on 96
587 40 17 or 639 730 891.
The draw for playing partners is at 13.00 hrs on Saturday at Bar Terracotta in
Calpe, all are welcome.
Young golfers
brave the rains
at Oliva Nova
CHARLIE Parkin, 6, playing his first event won the
beginners title in the Jávea
Escuela de Golf competition at Oliva Nova.
Jonathon Webb, 15, another newcomer also playing his first event won
the Intermediate title and
George Pay, 14, took the
advanced title.
George also won the nearest
the pin prize on the short
second and Lewis Watson
won the personal achievement award.
The competitions were
played in appalling conditions but the golfers braved
them and achieved good
scores.
Las Ramblas edge to victory over Torrevieja
LAS Ramblas played a
four ball Texas Scramble
which was won with 63.9 by
Tom Hardie, Mike Mahony,
Phil Harrington and Peter
Jenkinson.
On Wednesday the weekly
Stableford was played but
the interest was the Twos
Club kitty of 80 euros,
shared by Geoff Biggerstaff,
Fred Wright, Joe Rothery
and Mick Brentnall. There
were 37s from Liz Robertson
and Mick Brentnall.
Category One: 1 Liz Robertson, 2 Barry Shearman 35, 3
Dave Pulling 30. Category
Two: 1 Mick Brentnall 37, 2
Brian Dent 34, 3 Geoff Biggerstaff 31 (on count back).
On Friday eight members
were at La Roda for the A
Team Vega Baja League
match against Torrevieja
and managed a 9 - 6 win by
claiming bonus points after
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both sides won two matches.
At Las Ramblas there was a
Stableford Joker with double points counting on four
selected holes and Sue Golding amassed 47 points to win.
Second and third were Tony
Whyatt and Joe Rothery with
39 and 36.
Doug Wright
February 9 - February 15 2007
Page 39
SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT
Torry and Army go marching on
FC Torrevieja 3 SP Requena 0
IT was a welcome relief that at
last a target man, Corcoles, was
introduced with a supporting
cast instead of his customary,
stand alone, writes Andrés
Hermida.
This made a significant difference as all three goals were
typical poachers’ goals from
inside the box.
It was also a delight to see
Polanco’s attacking efforts
achieve their reward.
Although Requena are bottom
of the table their away record
is quite impressive.
Everyone knew that it was not
going to be an easy game and
the Torry defence looked a little
uneasy at times and took time
to settle.
Torry’s first attack was in the
fifth minute when Santi Villa
crossed to Domínguez, who volleyed from just outside the box
but it went wide.
Better but
not much
CD Cox 4 FC Jacarilla 1
WHEN Cox went three up
from their third set play in
the 28th minute it looked
like Jacarilla were dead
and buried.
Instead it inspired them out
of the performance slump
of recent weeks.
Led from midfield by
David, who put in a man
of the match performance,
Jacarilla started to move
the ball forward with pace
and purpose, something
sadly lacking in the last
three games.
It was not until the 58th
minute that the hard work
was rewarded.
Centre half Javi took a free
kick on the Cox six-yard
line rolling the ball for
David to slot home.
Jacarilla maintained the
pressure by quick passing
and movement and only
some fine saves by the Cox
keeper kept the ball from
the net.
With so many men committed forward Jacarilla conceded a fourth late in the
second half.
Back in training
VALENCIA’S Asier Del
Horno has started full
training after his Achilles
tendon injury which has
stopped him playing since
he arrived from Chelsea.
He hopes to take part
against Inter in the first leg
of the Champions League
match at the San Siro on
February 21.
HERO: Polanco
Requena’s first attack was in
the 16th minute when a superb
shot by Dávila just outside the
box bought of an equally good
save from the Torry keeper.
From the resulting corner the
ball was cleared to Polanco
on the half-way line who ran
down the field and slotted an
accurate pass to Corcoles in the
box, who made no mistake from
close range.
Corcoles was working hard
and fighting off defenders and
in the 21st minute he laid on
a 20 yard pass to Polanco who
hammered in a shot that was
saved by the keeper at full
stretch.
Torry lost their shape in the
last 15 minutes of the half and
allowed Requena back into the
game.
Torry continued to try to build
up attacks but lacked any kind
of rhythm but in the 55th
minute Corcoles passed to Polanco who put Torry two up.
Iván Nuevo replaced Borja
Pando and within a minute is
involved with the third goal.
Santi Villa crossed to Nuevo
who headed on to Corcoles who
made no mistake to give Torry
an unassailable 3 - 0 lead.
It has always been said that if
Corcoles has players around
him passing him the ball he
can do the business expected
of a centre forward, he scored
two and made one not bad for a
36 year old.
The biggest disappointment
was the sending off of new
signing Ayala for a second yellow card with two minutes left.
Torry cannot afford to collect
too many red and yellow cards
at this stage of the season
and it is a good job they are 11
points clear of fifth-placed Castellón B.
On Sunday Torry are at Dolores.
The kick-off is scheduled for
17.00 hrs.
Check the club’s website for
confirmation: www.fctorrevieja.
com.
SCORER: Corcoles
In deep trouble
Torrellano 3 CD Jávea 1
CD JÁVEA slipped closer
to the abyss with another
shocking performance that
extends their run to 11
games without a win.
The already-depleted squad
lost keeper Ortolà due to
illness and the reserve team
keeper took over.
Álex Cuadrado returned
while Óscar made his first
start of the season in midfield.
Jávea made a promising
start and forced a corner
in the opening minutes but
the home side soon found
the Jávea defence seriously
wanting down.
The opening goal came from
a free-kick 25 yards out.
The ball dropped into the
puddles and mud in front of
the keeper who tried to kick
it away and it slipped under
his legs into the net.
Seven
minutes
later
Torrellano doubled their
advantage when the ball
was bundled over the line
at close range.
The rojiblancos looked dead
and buried before the game
had come alive.
Less than a minute before
half-time Alex had a chance
to pull a goal back but his
header flew just wide of the
right-hand upright.
He collapsed and was taken
to hospital suffering from a
smashed cheekbone.
The second half brought little respite and Torrellano
went further in front from
close range.
That changed when Óscar
scored on full time leaving
Jávea four points above the
relegation zone.
Sunday’s
home
game
against Redován is a sixpointer in every sense of the
phrase in the battle against
relegation and Jávea must
win.
DRIVING home from the
game against Torrellano I
felt physically sick, writes
Mark Catlin.
I cannot fault the attitude
of our players but it is blatantly clear that we lack at
least four quality players
if we are to survive this
season.
Our players always give 100
per cent but when we are
faced with an injury (or
sickness) such as on Sunday
when our keeper Ortolà
was taken ill and then new
signing was Álex stretchered off we are throwing in
untried players who need
time to adjust.
You can get away with one
or two players, but we are
now fielding half a team
who have not played regularly at this level and the
team needs strengthening
when week by week it is
being further depleted.
It is obvious to me that this
is having a serious effect on
the moral and attitude of
our more experienced players, many of whom are playing with injuries to help the
team out.
In honesty the 3-1 scoreline
probably flattered Jávea
more than Torrellano.
We have to turn this situation around and now is the
time to do it.
Four or five games more
and it will be too late.
During this week we have to
identify and sign new players, and with respect not
‘average’ players, but players that not only are good
enough for this division but
also the division above.
We have to remain positive as a club and look to
strengthen the team and not
weaken it anymore.
Above all we have to keep
our heads.
Dénia still leading the way
THERE is no stopping Dénia as the
Marina Alta team continues to chun
out win after win.
The latest was at lowly Alzira, but as
has often been the case this season
they left it late before notching the
winner.
The inevitable Migue had given the
Nou Camp side a first minute lead but
Alzira fought back in from of the 600strong crowd who braved the pouring
rain and equalised in the 67th minute
through Román.
And it was not until the second minute
added on that Gregori scored Dénia’s
second.
Torry are six points and one ahead of
third-placed Villarreal with Ontinyent
further back on 46.
At the bottom Requena look doomed
and Alicante lost against, 2 - 1 at Puzol.
Oliva went down 4 - 0 at Villarreal but
Jove Español eased their situation by
beating Pego 1 - 0.
The situation is so fluid at both the top
and bottom of the table that almost
every club in the top half has a chance
of making the play-offs and everyone
in the bottom half is fighting to avoid
the dreaded drop back to the Preferente.
The few weeks will tell all.
Crisis looms
at Bernabéu
REAL Madrid suffered another embarrassing home
defeat on Sunday as they
were beaten 1 - 0 by relegation-threatened Levante.
Real were playing their
1,000th league match at
the Bernabéu, but Levante
achieved their first-ever
win over the Madrid club.
Salva Ballesta scored the
only goal, a penalty, spot
early on and the defeat
leaves Real in fourth place.
Valencia strengthened their
credentials as potential
winners of La Liga with a 3
- 1 win over Atlético de Madrid at the Mestalla.
Goals from Roberto Ayala
and Fernando Morientes (2)
earned Valencia the points.
Sevilla were held 0 - 0 by
lowly Real Sociedad.
The result meant Barcelona’s goalless draw at Osasuna was enough to keep
them top by a point.
Getafe lost 1 - 0 to Racing
Santander while Espanyol
lost again when they went
down 2 - 1 to Real Zaragoza.
Deportivo La Coruña beat
Real Mallorca with a penalty from Estoyanoff.
Recreativo kept their European qualification hopes
alive on with a 2 - 1 victory
over Villarreal.
Real Betis continued their
revival under Luis Fernández with a 2 - 1 victory at
Athletic Bilbao.
Gimnàstic Tarragona failed
to match the shock 4 - 0 win
against Espanyol but they
snatched a 1 - 1 draw at fellow strugglers Celta Vigo.
www.portzgen-dowen.es
February 9 - February 15 2007
Page 40
SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT [email protected]
SPORTS
SHORTS
Hopeless
England
STAYING PUT: Villa
Villa denial
Spain sweep aside challenge
VALENCIA’S Spain striker
David Villa has denied any
interest in a move to Premiership Chelsea.
Villa has scored 14 goals this
season and is reportedly on
Chelsea’s wanted list.
He said he is content to stay
with Valencia and has distanced himself from a move
to Stamford Bridge.
He said: “People speak of
Chelsea’s interest in me,
but these rumours don’t
bother me at all.
“I don’t have to prove myself to anybody because my
present and future lies with
Valencia.”
Longer race
ENGLAND chief coach Steve McClaren left Old Trafford on Wednesday night with the boos of what remained of the 58,000 crowd ringing in
his ears.
He will not be surprised that such disapproval came from those who stayed
to jeer.
By any criteria this was a shabby
England performance and does not
augur well for the tough trip to Israel for the European Championship
qualifier.
And considering that tiny San Marino
almost grabbed a draw against the Republic of Ireland on the same night
England should not be taking any liberties in preparing for the match in
Barcelona against Andorra.
McClaren pointed to the fact that he
had key players missing, among them
Wayne Rooney, John Terry and Owen
Hargreaves.
So what? Spain also left key players
on the sidelines and still managed a
performance that was technically superior to England’s in every sense.
McClaren gave supporters a ray of
hope when he announced his squad.
He included Joey Barton of Manchester City and many felt he should have
played from the start to send a message to the likes of the lifeless Frank
Lampard.
But Barton, with McClaren acting a la
Sven was given 11 minutes at the end
when whatever cause England had
was well and truly lost.
Although England attacked brightly
from the start how they must have
longed for the educated boot of David
Beckham to plonk a few crosses on the
head of Peter Crouch.
Crouch had one of his least effective
games, being outjumped by Puyol or
else pushing down defenders as he
tried to rise above them.
The German referee was having none
of it and Crouch spent much of the
time moaning about what he claimed
was the injustice of it all.
The two bright spots for England were
the return of Jonathan Woodgate and
the debut of Ben Foster although Valencia’s David Villa turned him dramatically before delivering the cross
from which Iniesta cracked his spectacular goal.
The ball was helped on to him by Rio
Ferdinand but the Barcelona man still
had time to control the ball and pick
his spot as he stood unchallenged at
the corner of the penalty area.
The best chances fell to Spain and
good work by Villa and David Silva
should have produced a goal for their
Valencia teammate Fernando Morientes in the first half but the striker
fired high over the bar from 10 yards
when completely unmarked.
Villa also tested Foster with a rasping shot and all round Spain always
looked more likely to produce a goal.
Incidentally, if England’s midfielders
want to learn how to dictate a game
they should look no further than their
opponents last night, David Albelda,
who hardly put a foot wrong all night
as he dominated the centre of the VICTORY GRINS: Xavi, Albelda and Torres (right) celebrating the
park.
wonder goal by Andrés Iniesta
Issue No: 197
ATHLETIC Bilbao has been
fined for crowd trouble at
last Sunday’s game with
Real Betis and warned that
San Mamés stadium will be
closed if it happens again.
The Spanish Federation did
not reveal the amount of
the fine but regulations prevent it from exceeding 6,000
euros.
Referee Arturo Dauden
Ibáñez reported that one of
his assistants was hit by a
can thrown from the crowd
in the 89th minute of Athletic’s 2-1 defeat.
Bilbao is the third Spanish
club to be threatened with
stadium closure recently.
Real Madrid and Atlético
de Madrid were warned last
month for the misbehaviour
of their fans.
MAC’S MUPPETS
Valid only with a purchased newspaper
Bilbao fined
MASTER STRIKE: Barcelona’s Andrés Iniesta’s magnificent strike for the goal that sank England’s hopes at Old Trafford
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