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YOUR FREE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER WWW.SOLTIMES.COM ISSUE 359 COSTA ALMERIA 17-23 OCTOBER EST. 7 YRS SOL TIMES ECHINACEA PAGE 27 WINDOWS PLAS-TECH Tel. 600 320 761 UK Window, Doors, Conservatories, Patio Doors and Guttering Enclosures Specialist Phone for a FREE no obligation quote SEE OUR MAIN ADVERT ON PAGE 7 All Areas Covered - Speedy Response Call Now for Your No-Obligation Quote Tel: 600 049 515 Tel: 600 049 515 GET THE BEST FOR LESS BUGS BUGS Mosquito Screens & Blinds R eplacement W indows & D oors Aluminuim & UPVC F itted & M ade to M easure Pull-down / Sliding Blinds & Screens, Windows & Patios Vertical Blinds Security Grills Awnings Supplying & Fitting Windows & Doors For 25 Years BIG BUFFET BIG BUFFET Eat as much as you want! Choose from: Evenings Only. From 7pm until close. 7 days a week. • 8 types of salad • 8 types of starter • 8 main courses • 3 choices of desserts All Rice and Naan Bread FREE with buffet only 12,90€ For Reservations Call: 950 615 231 or 600 483 614 Paseo Mediterraneo 187, MOJACAR Tel: 950 121 943 [email protected] GLENN & JAYNE Formerly of Knight Insurance, C / Malaga, Albox ... ARE NOW EXCLUSIVE AGENTS FOR LIBERTY SEGUROS SAME PEOPLE - SAME GREAT SERVICE - DIFFEREENT NAME Covered Beer Garden Now Open / Takeaways Available Humbugs Caf é Open: Monday - Thursday: 9.30am-5.30pm / Friday 9:30am-9pm Saturday 10am-3pm / Sunday Closed Find us in Arboleas 200m from Coviran Tel 958 003 391 / 676 604 008 CAFETERIA & PASTELERIA STARTERS Mushroom, Sherry & Garlic soup, served with Crusty Bread; Traditional Prawn Cocktail, served with malted brown bread Or Chicken Liver Pate, served with French bread MAINS Roast Turkey and all the trimmings Salmon en Croute with white wine & lemon sauce Or Roasted N ut L oaf served with Cranberry Sauce DESSERTS Raspberry Trifle Christmas Pudding with Brandy Sauce Or Tipsy Baileys Cheesecake Coffee or Tea with a petit four Christmas Lunches from 1 st - 23 rd December JUST €12.95 3 courses with Coffee & petit four with FREE bottle of wine to take home per couple BOOKINGS ONLY Book now to avoid disappointment as already filling up fast! Opening Hours 12:30-9pm Tues-Sat Opposite Iceland Car Park,Vera Tel: 663 440 329 www.thechippyvera.com Traditional Takeaway Fish & Chips 2 x Cod or Haddock & Chips Only 102 x Pie & Chips Only 7 More offers Available: Please Come In & See Us for Details 2 x Sausage or Savaloy or Chicken Nuggets or Fish Cakes & Chips - only 5€ Saturday Night Meal Deals Camping Los Gallardos 500m from exit 525 off A utovia THE LARGEST MOBILE HOME PARK IN SOUTHERN SPAIN CAR BOOT SALE EVERY SUNDAY MORNING THURSDAY 18TH OCTOBER BRIAN DEE WITH GREAT MUSIC Buffet & Show 7.50€ SATURDAY 27TH OCTOBER TRIBUTE TO SHIRLEY BASSEY Buffet & Show 7.50€ Tel: 679 970 399 for bookings and details COME AND VIEW OUR FANTASTIC VALUE RESALE HOMES Appointment only - ring Shirley 679 970 399 Entertainment in our REFURBISHED MIRAFLORES BALLROOM Best Shows in the Area!!! ALLERGIC REACTIONS PAGE 12 FLOOD CLEAN-UP CONTINUES PAGE 5

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  • your free weekly newspaper www.soltimes.com

    i s s u e 3 5 9 costa almeria 17-23 octoBerest. 7 yrs

    soltimes

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    page 12

    flood clean-up

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  • Sport

    2 SOLTIMES OCTOBER 2012 ...remember to say you saw it in the SoL timeS

  • www.soltimes.com SOLTIMES OCTOBER 2012 3

    ...LoCaL nEws upDatECabo DE GataSince October 2 the Consejera de Agricultura, Pesca y Medio Ambiente has been working

    to clean the beaches of the Parque Natural Cabo de Gata-Njar of organic waste washed down from the ramblas and ros of the Levante almeriense.

    The Municipalities are prioritising the cleaning of urban beaches, with special attention to those that are accessible by land and have greater public use.

    The cleaning of more inaccessible coves will be undertaken later.

    Besides this Municipal action there has been action by diving companies, who mobilised many volunteers to collaborate with the Administraciones to clean beaches, focusing primarily on the removal of non-biodegradables such as plastic.

    This activity also involved groups linked to environmental protection.

    Meanwhile the Ministry has allocated three crews to remove non-biodegradable waste, which undertaking is now almost completed. Meanwhile the removal of vegetation is ongoing. Most of the Authoritys resources are focused on the Levante areas.

    The Parque Natural has been assisted by the Michelin company, which provided articulated bulldozers, transporters and personnel to assist in the cleanup.

    The Delegado Territorial de la Consejera de Agricultura, Pesca y Medio Ambiente, Jos Manuel Ortiz, expressed his gratitude to these groups, as well as many anonymous citizens who have spontaneously worked and continue to work on the beach clean-up. He especially expressed his thanks to Michelin and enterprises and entities of the Parque Natural Cabo de Gata-Njar who organized the cleanup day by volunteers.

    aLmERaThe recent data on almond sales abroad made by the Almeran companies specialized in

    nuts show an increase in the value per kilo.

    According to data provided by the Delegacin Territorial de la Consejera de Agricultura, Pesca y Medio Ambiente, records obtained from the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade, show that in the first seven months of this year the provincial companies conducted business with 63 foreign clients for sales of almost 2 million kilos of almonds, a volume that represents an increase of 20.4% over the same period last year.

    Much of the product was destined for Italy, which remains the country that dominates almond exports from Almera. Germany was the second greatest importer, with 38.8% of sales, France third with almost 14%, and Lebanon the fourth, with 3.2%.

    Almond purchases from abroad declined. In the first seven months of the year, almonds to the value of 2 million euros were imported, an amount representing a decrease of 31.8% over the reference period of last year.

    The main source of imports is the United States, with 1.5 million euros worth being imported to Almera. Portugal is the second largest supplier, with 16% of the total

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    saucepan-Banging protests from madrid to new york

    Another massive protest in cities throughout Spain although this time mimicked by similar ones in other European countries saw thousands of people take to the streets on Saturday banging saucepans. Under the slogan global noise, they chanted, we do not owe, so we will not pay.

    According to a report by thinkspain.com, they were clamouring against tax hikes and cutbacks designed to mop up government deficits caused by politicians overspending and high wages, and mismanagement on the part of banks, as well as European Union-imposed austerity measures which look set to worsen the already dire unemployment situation in the country.

    Sevilla, Valencia, Murcia, Vigo (Galicia), Santander (Cantabria), Zaragoza (Aragn), Barcelona and Gijn (Asturias) Asturias saw the largest demonstrations after that of Madrid, which started at the EU headquarters before heading to the Puerta del Sol and finally to the Plaza Neptuno.

    At least 12 people stripped off naked whilst others took off all bar their underwear and stood in a huge circle, wrapping themselves in cellophane.

    They say the State debt was not caused by the general public, but by those in power, and yet it is the general public rather than those in power who are having to pay for it out of their own pockets.

    They chanted the usual messages of people united will never be beaten; hands in the air, this is a hold-up; and this is not a recession, its a scam and a fraud.

    Protesters are calling for an immediate halt to cutbacks, tax increases and privatisation of public services, for the labour reform which will make

    it easier and cheaper for companies to sack staff, even hard-working ones and even where the firm is financially sound as well as a moratorium on the repayment of the State deficit at least until an audit of the general publics economic situation is carried out, the creation of a public-sector bank and for toughening up of criminal and civil penalties for politicians and bank managers who have created the State debt through fraud, corruption or general bad handling of finances and the economy.

    In Valencia, outside the city hall, demonstrators carried banners and chanted slogans to the effect of being unable to afford saucepans and frying pans which they banged loudly; being fed up of forming part of the so-called neither-nor generation, known in Spanish as la generacin ni-ni (ni trabaja, ni estudia, or neither works nor studies) and calling for an immediate audit of the public debt.

    Those who took part in the demonstrations throughout the country were of all ages, from young children to the elderly the so-called iaioflautas elderly protesters, literally translated as granny/granddad flautists carried banners calling for the government to stop destroying the future for their children and grandchildren.

    The Global Noise gathering was organised by Spains 15-M movement so-named because it started with on-street camps and sit-ins on May 15 last year, a week before the local elections across the nation and by the USA-based Occupy Wall Street movement, who carried out a similar demonstration by banging saucepans and frying pans in New York.

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  • Sport

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    Ryanair Boss Denies Low Fuel Risks

    Ryanairs Chief Executive Michael OLeary has dismissed claims that his airline is risking more emergency landings because pilots are not being allowed to carry sufficient fuel.

    Three Ryanair planes had to make emergency landings in Valencia in July when fuel was low but in an interview with HARDTalk, Mr OLeary said that his airline complied fully with EU rules on fuel and that claims made by an anonymously quoted pilot that there could be more emergency landings were lies.

    OLeary claimed that his airline had only had to make three emergency landings in the past 18 months out of a total of over a million flights, adding that although such landings are not commonplace, they are not unheard of either. He also blamed very difficult weather conditions in Madrid on the day in question for the emergency landings in Valencia.

    He went on to say that Ryanairs fuel policy had been assessed by an independent body, which had confirmed that it complies with all European fuel regulations.

    When pressed about the airlines continual and incessant cost-cutting exercise, OLeary denied that was the case, saying that he would not have invested over nine billion euros in putting together Europes youngest and most up-to-date fleet or in establishing six maintenance facilities around Europe, if his only intention was to shave costs.

    Ryanairs safety record, he concluded, is on a par with the safest airlines in Europe. Not the average, but the safest.

    consumer price index up 1% in september The Consumer Price Index (CPI) went up by 1% in

    September primarily because of the VAT rise, to give a year-on-year rise of 3.4%, seven points above the August rate and one point below what was expected according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

    The 3.4% year-on-year inflation rate for September is the highest rate this year, and the highest since May

    2011, when inflation stood at 3.5%.

    The sharp price rises in September has made it even more complicated to re-evaluate state pensions, which use the year-on-year CPI in November as their point of reference.

    The Government has not yet confirmed whether or not it will compensate pensioners for the deviation in inflation (pensions only rose by 1% and the CPI will be much higher than this) and have gone no further than to say they are looking at the matter.

    Compared with August, the CPI rose a full point because of the increased prices of clothing, footwear, fuel, cars and medicines.

    Leisure and culture were two other areas that saw their CPI increase by 1.4 points, to 1.2%, because of price rises in cultural services, and, to a lesser extent, in toys, games, newspapers, magazines and communications (due to a rise in the cost of telephone services).

    toddler dies after Being run over By school Bus

    An 18-month-old girl died today after being run over by a school bus at the entrance to a school car park in the Chapinera district of Madrid.

    The accident occurred at 13.48 hours today at the entrance to the Colegio e Instituto Santo ngel de la Guardia in Chapinera (pictured).

    Sources within the emergency services confirmed that the toddler had died as the result of a massive brain trauma.

    Paramedics were quickly on the scene, but could do no more than confirm the little girls death and provide support to her family.

    Initial investigations have shown that the bus was reversing when it ran the toddler over. Witnesses said that at the moment the accident occurred, the little girl had run away from the relatives who were with her at the school gate.

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  • 5SOLTIMES OCTOBER 2012www.soltimes.com

    74% oF CataLans in FavouR oF inDepenDenCe ReFeRenDum

    According to an opinion poll carried out by the Generalitats Centre of Opinion Studies (CEO), 74.1% of Catalans are in favour of holding a referendum to decide wether Catalonia should become an independent European State.

    The opinion poll, based on 800 telephone interviews carried out by the public opinion research company Grupo MDK Universal, was carried out between September 28th and October 3rd, just after the general political debate held in Parliament, during which the President of the Generalitat, Artur Mas, announced he was bringing the election date forward to November 25th and revealed his intention to seek self-determination during the next legislature.

    According to the data collected by the CEO, 74.1% of those interviewed were in favour of holding a referendum on independence for Catalonia, whilst 19.9% said they were against the idea.

    A vote held in the Congress of Deputies yesterday, however ruled out any possibility of this referendum being held legally.

    The PP, PSOE and UPyD all voted against a motion to allow the Generalitat de Catalua to call a referendum. The motion, that would have allowed autuonomous communities the same right to hold a referendum as is currently enjoyed by central government, was quashed by 276 votes to 42, with no-one abstaining.

    Rajoy promises High-speed Rail Link between barcelona

    and France by april 2013 Spains Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, has announced

    today that the Barcelona-Figueres-Perpignan high-speed rail link (AVE) will be open for business in April 2013.

    The Spanish premier made the announcement in a press conference held jointly with French president, Franois Hollande, after the hispanofrench summmit held in Paris this morning.

    Rajoys announcement comes the day after the Minister for Public Works made it clear that his objective for next year was to have a high-speed connection with France, referring to the AVE running from Barcelona to the French border.

    According to the chief executive of Adif, Enrique Verdeguer, this is just one of the new high-speed links that will be opened during 2013, together with the Albacete-Alicante link, part of the Madrid-Levante line.

    The opening of the AVE link to the French border will mark the conclusion of the Madrid-Zaragoza-Lleida-Barcelona-French frontier line, which has been under construction for the past decade, connecting numerous provincial capitals.

    poLiCE iDEntiFy boDy oF GERman woman wasHED away in muRCia FLooDs

    Using dental records police have been able to identify the body found in the Rambla de Bjar, in Lorca, on October 6th as that of a German woman, Helmtrud Gill, who disappeared on 28the September when torrential rain hit the area.

    According to the local authorities, 27-year-old Gill, who lived in the Los Jarales area of Lorca, disappeared whilst driving her car towards Puerto Lumbreras. Her car was swept away in a flash flood, and deposited several kilometres away in the riverbed.

    The victims car was found on September 30th and police with sniffer dogs, firefighters and volunteers have been searching for the missing drivers ever since, but the huge amount of mud and debris swept into the river bed by the torrential rain made the work of rescuers extremely difficult.

    The womans body was eventually found on Saturday by some walkers in

    PHO

    TO: W

    WW

    .TIMESU

    NIO

    N.CO

    M

    the area, and taken away for

    forensic tests, during which

    her identity was finally

    confirmed.

    The flash floods at the

    end of September claimed five lives in Andalusia and another five in Murcia, and forced hundreds of people to flee their homes as the waters rose and wrecked

    their property. Three people

    went missing in Mlaga,

    Almera and Murcia, one

    of whom was this German

    woman.

    spanish BasketBaLL pLayeRs DamageD oLympiC viLLage apaRtmentSpains basketball players have been

    slammed for trashing their apartments following their gold-medal loss in the London Olympics to the U.S.

    Manager Sergio Scariolos team racked up more than 11,000 Euros in damages to their two London 2012 rooms after the 107-100 loss, it was revealed Thursday.

    The exact nature of the damage has not yet been confirmed, but the Spanish media has condemned the actions as despicable and disrespectful.

    And a source within the Spanish Basketball Federation, which has officially denied any knowledge of the vandalism, said: The leaving parties are usually a regular thing when players finish a tournament. After living together for six weeks, preparing and competing, they have it. But it has never led to this.

    Newspaper El Pais said Spains Chef de Mission, Cayetano Cornet, confirmed the damage the day after the Aug. 12 game and that the Spanish Olympic Committee

    paid for the destruction immediately.

    Dennis Hone, interim chief executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, who is in charge of developing the Olympic Park in east London, told British newspaper The Guardian it was the only incident of hooliganism he had encountered during the sporting event.

    But he did also say that a Moroccan athlete took out a sprinkler system that crashed through several floors by playing with a remote control aircraft.

    It is not the first time the Spanish basketball team has sparked outrage.

    In 2008 it was in

    trouble over an advertisement showing the players from both the mens and the womens team using their fingers to make their eyes look more Chinese.

    The pictures showed both sets of players making the gesture on a basketball court adorned with a Chinese dragon. They were part of a publicity campaign for team sponsor Seur.

    PHO

    TO: Ex

    AM

    INER.CO

    M

  • Sport

    6 SOLTIMES OCTOBER 2012 ...remember to say you saw it in the SoL timeS

    QR CoDE sCanninG RisEs 218% in spain

    ACROSS EUROPE, AS SMARTPHONE ADOPTION INCREASES, MORE CONSUMERS THAN EVER ARE USING THEIR MOBILE DEVICES TO

    INTERACT WITH QR CODES, ACCORDING TO RECENT FIGURES FROM COMSCORE. REPORT BY HELEN LEGGATT

    QR codes are becoming more commonplace in magazines and outdoor advertising across Europe. Within the EU5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom), more than 17 million smartphone users scanned a QR code in the second quarter of 2012, according to comScore. Thats a healthy year-on-year growth of 96%.

    The growth in some countries is huge.In Spain, 16% of the population scanned a QR code in Q2 2012, up a whopping 218%

    in twelve months. In the same period, the number of smartphone owners scanning QR codes in Germany rose 128% and, in Italy, 75%.

    The country with the highest percentage of smartphone users scanning QR codes is Germany with 18.6%, higher than the EU5 average of 14.1%.

    QR codes represent a new and exciting opportunity for marketers, said Hesham Al-Jehani, European mobile product manager at comScore.

    By offering more detailed product information or related content, QR codes bring consumer vital information in their consideration of a particular product or service, added Al-Jehani. With smartphones now in the majority of consumers pockets, access to the sort of information they might get on their computer when researching a product online can help retailers improve their conversion in-store.

    Check out our QR code thatll take you to our website!

    HomELEss FamiLiEs in spain aRE sQuattinG aFtER EviCtionProtest groups in Spain have helped families

    that were kicked out of their homes by banks find shelter in repossessed, empty apartment buildings. Police moved in quickly in most cases, but in Seville about 30 families are going on six months of illegal occupation.

    Fifty-four-year old Mercedes Lladanosa is living in a two-bedroom apartment with her daughter and granddaughter. It has hardwood floors and a fancy faucet in the bathroom. But bare light bulbs hang uselessly from the ceiling; the electricity was shut off months ago.

    And the washing machine is only for show, as the city cut off the buildings access to running water last week.

    They cook with a gas camping stove. What little furniture Lladanosa has was donated or found in the trash. It is not much - a couch, a bed and a crib.

    She and more than 100 others have been living like this since May, in this five-story building that was completed three years ago and left empty when the developer went bankrupt.

    Nearly 40 families moved in with help of members from the 15M activist group, like Antonio Moreno Rosana.

    Right now in Spain we have something like 517 evictions a day. The thing is, just in Andaluca I think, there are 116,000 empty houses. It is outrageous that you have got empty houses when people are getting thrown out into the street, said Rosana.

    Hundreds of thousands of Spaniards have been evicted from their homes since the housing bubble burst in 2008.

    Once a house is repossessed by the banks, the owner is still liable for the mortgage,

    meaning several generations are being saddled with debt.

    Rosana said it makes no sense.

    We think that, you know, if a bank has an empty house for a year or two years, that should be expropriated immediately. It is like you have it empty? No, you can not have it empty. We are going to put some people in there, if you are going to have it empty, said Rosana.

    15M group protests

    The 15M movement has tried a few times in Madrid, Barcelona and the Catalonian city of Sabadell to house evicted families in buildings now belonging to banks, but efforts were swiftly defeated by police. Lladanosa and her fellow squatters risk being thrown out any day.

    Not everyone lives in the building out of absolute necessity, and for some, making a statement is worth the risk.

    Social worker Montserrat Sanchez lost her job in an immigrant center two months ago and could not pay her rent anymore, so she went back to live with her mother and father, but then left.

    I think I have the right, like everyone living in this world, to have my own house and my own place where to stay. And I do not think it is right to go back with my parents. So that is why I came here, said Sanchez.

    Lladanosa and others have to haul water from the water fountain installed outside the building by the city (next to garbage bins).

    The unemployed cook turned housekeeper said she wants to regain her dignity. She wants a roof over her head & not for free.

    Report by Caroline Arbour: www.voanews.com

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    Five doctors have confirmed today before the magistrate investigating the alleged theft of a baby girl from Madrids Clnica Santa Cristina in 1982, that the nun Mara Gmez Valbuena, known as sor Mara, had almost exclusive responsibility for handling adoptions and had absolute power, according to a report from ThinkSpain.

    All the doctors - Ana Elisa Lpez Delgado, Mara Rosa Acero de Pablo, Mara Teresa del Olmo Mombiedro, Carmen Snchez Calvo and Olga Fadn Prez - acknowledged that the hospital had a private area where mothers who supposedly wanted to give their babies up for adoption were taken.

    They stated that Sor Mara was responsible almost exclusively for handling the administration involved in all the adoption cases and was free to come and go in the private area, amongst the cribs and incubators, without anyone challenging her presence.

    Three of the five witnesses confirmed that the nun was almost totally autonomous within the clinic, but that the department heads and administrative directors must have known what was going on within the heirarchical chain of command in a public maternity hospital.

    Sor Mara is facing charges of illegal detention and forging public documents after Mara Luisa Torres

    made a formal accusation against her for taking away her newborn baby girl at the Clnica Santa Cristina in 1982.

    After giving evidence today, Olga Fadn, who worked as a doctor in the neonatal department at the Clnica Santa Cristina for 30 years, told members of the press that she had never noticed anything strange, nor seen any mother cry, nor did she see any couple come in without a baby and leave with a baby in their arms.

    Sor Mara was powerful, stressed Olga Fadn, before going on to explain that whatever she did was considered the right thing to do, and that she, and she alone, was the one who looked after all the adoptions, adding adoptions have always been a tricky area.

    The doctor also recognised that it was a totally different Spain to the one we know today, and women didnt know much about their rights, but added that she didnt believe that any mother was coerced into handing over their child for adoption.

    When asked about the possibility of babies being stolen from their mothers at the Clnica Santa Cristina, she said she thought it unlikely, because there were good bosses and everything worked very well.

    baby tHEFt: mara Gmez valbuena Had absolute power

    with Regard to adoptions

  • 7SOLTIMES OCTOBER 2012www.soltimes.com

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    The cost of dying has got a lot more expensive Or has it??From 1st September the rate of IVA (vat) charged by Funeral

    Directors rose from 8% to 21% so an average funeral cost here in Spain will be in the region of 4840 .

    With an Iberian Funeral Plan you fix the cost of the funeral at todays price and it is fixed forever, irrespective of how much

    funeral expenses rise in the future.With guaranteed Plan prices starting from just 2995 . Do

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    just look at the facts: Iberian have the best plans and plan benefits at the best price Iberian plans are the only genuine interest free plans if you wish to pay by instalments Iberian do not charge you an additional administration fee Iberian do not have any deferred or final settlement payments at the end of the instalment term Iberian Funeral Plans are fully transferrable to the UK Iberian Funeral Plans cover you throughout the EU and can assist worldwide.

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    Visit www.iberianfuneralplans.com or simply contact our offices on 952595691 (Malaga) or 965993498 (Benijpfar-Alicante)

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    Red Cross Urges Spanish To Donate Money For Food Parcels Spaniards are being called on to supply

    food parcels to their poverty-stricken counterparts as the nations economic crisis continues to bite, according to a report on the Daily Mail news website

    Spains Red Cross launched a drastic appeal for 30 million Euros - a move which in recent years has been reserved for helping famine-hit African nations and earthquake-ravaged Haiti. It is the first time the agencys annual campaign has focused solely on aiding people in its own country and will see essential food supplies handed out to 2.3 million extremely vulnerable citizens over the next two years. The figure of those in need has already risen from 1.5 million in 2010 to 2 million in 2011.

    Families are being called on to donate money for the food parcels, as part of the Red Crosss annual Dia de la Banderita (Little Flag Day) fundraising event which took place on 10th October.

    Most required are pasta, rice, olive oil, vegetables and canned fish which will be delivered to children living below the poverty-line, as well as the homeless, long-term unemployed and pensioners.

    Tied into this appeal will be a TV marketing campaign; an advert will show a family - a father, son and daughter - sharing an omelette made from a single egg; a Red Cross

    food parcel arrives and their mood lifts.

    Red Cross director Jos Javier Snchez Espinosa echoed the appeals slogan by saying the money was needed Now More Than Ever: We have observed that there has been a serious deterioration in the social situation. Because of that, for the first time, we ask for support in helping the Spanish population.

    He went on to add that of the two million helped by the agencys social programme last year, a disturbing 1.7 million remained living below the poverty line, earning less than 627,78 Euros per month.

    A staggering 864,000 could not afford to heat their homes in the winter, and 524,000 did not eat a meal with protein in it more than three times per week.

    This appeal comes in the same week the IMF said Spain would miss its deficit targets in 2012 and 2013 because of a much bigger economic contraction than had been forecast. The IMF said Spains economy would contract by 1.3% next year, compared to a government forecast of 0.5%.

    This would see th% per cent of GDP in 2012 and 5.7 % in 2013 - significantly higher than the EU-agreed targets of 6.3% and 4.5%.

  • 8 SOLTIMES OCTOBER 2012 ...remember to say you saw it in the SoL timeS

    FoR onLy

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    C/. montilla 1a, 04600 Huercal overa (almeria)teL/FaX: 950 471 357

    CAM. Concepts, S.L.

    ouR LegaL SeRviceS incLuDeconveyancing - purchase or SaleSpanish Wills & inheritancenies & Residents certificatesForming of companiesSetting up BusinessesRegistering With Social Security officeTranslation Workcar Registration & importation

    please note our new email is now [email protected]

    offering a wide range

    of legal services in english to the expat

    community since 1994

    now aVailaBle start saVing for money off your neXt purchase eVery time you shop

    tel: 687 907 573 Find us behind the post office in Huercal Overa

    stockist of all your faVourite Brands including

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    KidsBikes

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    years oldall of your faVourite Board games, puzzles and helicopters too!!

    in & aroundhuercal oVera

    this week sees the one of the biggest ferias in the region come to Huercal Overa from 18th 22nd October. There are huge tents for dancing and live shows, rides, stalls, food and bars. Here is the programme of acts on:Thursday 18th, from

    11.30pm Second (free entry)Friday 19th, from

    11.30pm Festival of Latin Passion (8 entry) including Danny romera, andres Hunnbis and josepoSaturday 20th, from

    11.30pm Fira Mucho and Facil (entry 15)Sunday 21st, from 11pm

    Andy and Lucas (entry 10)Monday 22nd, from

    10.30pm Maria Carrasco (free entry)there will be something

    for everyone!I-CafeBar.com opposite the bus station

    and just down from Lidl in Huercal Overa is so much more than an internet cafe! It is a hub of daily life where you can go in for a paper, a cuppa and a cake with a friend, buy and send a card, top-up your mobile phone, order some goodies from the UK, check your email and have a Spanish class! Having been recently renovated and now under new management, i-cafebar.com offers a great location for a business meeting or just a catch up with friends. This Feria, they are also going to be open on the Friday and Saturday nights until 1am to offer you an alternative to fiesta food, so when you get really hungry after dancing the night away, call in for a pie, pasty, sausage roll or cake, a beer or just a good old fashioned cup of tea! For more information pop in or call 950 135 039.

    Voss Homes Estate Agency wishes everyone a great Feria 2012! If you are looking to buy, sell or rent a property in the Huercal-Overa area then contact Voss Homes who have an office, 100m from Lidl supermarket on Carreterra Estation, only 1km off junction 553 of the A7 motorway. Andy Voss has specialised in selling properties here for over 7 years and, because of his in depth knowledge of the area, he offers a more comprehensive, professional, and friendly service to both Home Owners and Buyers. Voss Homes provide extensive newspaper and internet advertising AND they also work with a number of other reputable agents thereby attracting clients from all over the world for your property! They are also now looking for long term rental properties in the Huercal-Overa area and have many clients of all nationalities. Call 0034 678 002 006 or 950 616 827 or visit www.vosshomesspain.com

    Cam Concepts SL is a family business with more than 18 years assisting expats in Alicante and Almera with all aspects of living in Spain. They pride themselves on their reputation and for having many satisfied customers. They can, as native British speakers who speak fluent Spanish, offer you assurance that your questions and concerns will not be misinterpreted, and a that you can be assured that you will be offered the best advice, without having to ask! Cam Concepts is located on the opposite side of the road to the

    Post Office in Huercal-Overa, take the side road opposite the metal statue with the bakery on the corner. Mandy & Chris look forward to seeing you at their office, where they will be happy to help you, no matter how small your enquiry may be or call 950 471 357.

    Huercal-Overa Veterinary Centre is run by Husband and wife team Angel and Elena who both speak an excellent level of English. Since May 2011, they have offered an invaluable service to the pets in the area. They can help and advice you on any concerns you may have about your pets welfare and they also have a dog and cat grooming service too. They have a great range of pet food and other accessories in the centre. For more information or to book and appointment call 950 61 67 81.

    Jugetes Fantasia, just behind the Post Office in Huercal Overa is a treasure trove of toys, games, bikes and puzzles. They have lots of well known brands including Fisher Price and Playskool for the little ones, Hello Kitty, Sponge Bob Squarepants, Spiderman and Disney top name a few. They also stock bikes for young children and have puzzles and board games and popular mini helicopters for the adults. They have recently introduced a superb loyalty card scheme, similar to a Boots points card, where, whenever you spend any amount of money in store, you accumulate points to spend whenever you wish. If you have birthdays to buy for before now, why not get a loyalty card and you may get a half price or even free Christmas present! Why not pop in and have a look for yourself.

    Casa de Tesoros, or The House of Treasure, is located in the old Chimineas Acar premises on Avda, Guillermo in Huercal Overa, just down from the Post Office and it is a cavern of goodies to search through. They have a large variety of furniture, kids toys, kitchen equipment, books and much more! It is full of second hand items and you can even sell your unwanted items here. Take anything you need to sell into Gerry and Lorna and they will display it for you for a small fee. So save yourself time and hassle selling things yourself at the bootfairs or online, have someone else do it for you and reap the benefits! For more information call 664 409 898.

  • 9SOLTIMES OCTOBER 2012www.soltimes.com

    the House of treasureCasa de tesoros

    Av. Guillermo Reina 70Heurcal-Overa 04600, Almeria

    Tel: 664 409 898Email: [email protected]

    Open Mon-Fri 10am-2pm, 5pm-9pmSat 10am-2pm

    Second Hand ShopSell your unwanted items

    Furniture Kitchen items Electrical Childrens toys

    property oF tHe montHvH413 Sea view apartment 139,9503 Bed, 2 Bath Front line ground Floor apartment with sea views in San Juan de Los terreros

    Office: 155a Carretera Estacion, Hurcal-Overa. 100m from LIDL.Call: 0034 950616 827 / 0034 678 002 006

    email: [email protected] www.vosshomesspain.com

    urgently wanted properties for sale or rent Between Taberno, hurcal overa and san juan De los Terreros.

    Ctra. Nac. 340, 208 Hurcal Overa (Almeria)tel: 950 61 67 81 www.cvhuercalovera.es

    opening HourS:monday - Friday 10am - 1.30pm, 5pm - 8pm

    Saturday 10am - 1.30pm

    eMergencies 663 524 003

    ice creamsgreetings cards from 99cSnack, pies & cakestop-ups on all networksuK ordering ServiceSpanish Computer Classes

    easypost postal service

    Coffee & teas

    photocopying and faxing

    english newspapersand magazines

    cafebar.comi-cafebar.comHuercal Overaunder new ownershipnow new and improvedFormerly Choice entertainment

    Internet Cafe Bareasypost postal service

    Coffee & teas

    photocopying and faxing

    english newspapersand magazines

    ice creamsgreetings cards from 99cSnack, pies & cakestop-ups on all networksuK ordering ServiceSpanish Conversation Classes

    MoreThanJust

    Internet

    MoreThanJust

    Internet

    Ctra estacion 143, Huercal overa 04600.(opposite the bus station, near Lidl)

    open mon to Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-2pmtel: 950 135 039www.i-cafebar.com

    Open till late

    Fri/Sat Fiesta Nights

  • 10 SOLTIMES OCTOBER 2012 ...remember to say you saw it in the SoL timeS

    Many British expatriates living in Spain do not understand where they have to pay tax. They either believe they have a choice or decide not to declare themselves for tax in Spain.

    You are tax resident in Spain if any of the following apply:

    1) You spend more than 183 in Spain in a calendar year.

    2) Your centre of economic interests is in Spain.3) Spain is your centre of vital interests. As a resident in Spain, you are liable to Spanish tax on

    all your income and gains wherever in the world they arise. You currently also need to declare your worldwide assets for wealth tax purposes.

    Anyone not applying the rules correctly is likely to be caught out. The government desperately needs to

    increase revenue and is intensifying its crackdown on tax fraud. It is targeting residents who have not declared all their overseas income and resident foreign nationals who have not declared themselves for tax.

    We are hearing reports about the authorities contacting resident expatriates who it believes have not correctly declared their offshore bank accounts and investments. They are believed to be using information supplied by offshore jurisdictions.

    Until 30th November 2012, anyone with undeclared income and gains can take advantage of a tax amnesty. The government has promised to then get much tougher on tax evasion.

    HIgHer TAxeS for loNger? The scale rates of income tax increased across the

    board this year, ranging from an additional 0.75% for income below 17,007 to an extra 7% on income over

    YOU R TA x Obl IGAT IONS I N SPA I N. . .IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO GET IT RIGHT

    By Bill Blevins, Financial correspondent, Blevins Franks

    300,000. This takes the top rate of tax up to 52%. Tax on savings income was hiked to 21% for income up to 6,000, then 25% on the next 18,000 and 27% on the excess over 24,000.

    These higher taxes were only meant to apply for 2012 and 2013 income, but since the government now needs an extra year to reduce the deficit to 3%, it seems likely the higher tax rates will need to apply for longer. Wealth tax has already been extended.

    Contact an international tax and wealth management firm like Blevins franks for clarification on your tax situation in Spain, and for guidance on the tax saving opportunities available here.

    Summarised tax information is based upon our understanding of current laws and practices which may change. Individuals should take personalised advice.

    To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on

    our website www.blevinsfranks.com

    Bp garage

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    Furnished aprtm 62m2 beds, 2 baths

    large terrace 25mexellent rental potential

    Com. pool & parking

    Mojacar Playa ref MeAP 4012

    Price 89.000

    Apartment priced to sell2 bedroom, first floorgood views, terrace

    walking distance to centre

    Antas ref MeAP5212

    Price 59.950

    South fac townhouse 154mgarden / terrace

    area of 51m3 beds, 3 baths

    FurnishedCom. pool & parking

    Mojacar Playa Meth1312

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  • 12 SOLTIMES OCTOBER 2012 ...remember to say you saw it in the SoL timeS

    new test determines your risk of a deadly allergic reaction

    oSteopatH naturopatH

    enrique arias, n.d, d.otel. 629 289 385

    for info and appointments

    Health Care Foradults and Children

    emergency Home visits english Spanish French german 20 years Serving the

    community

    uK registered - treatingSciatica - Back pain - Sports injuries

    digestive and Cardiovascular disordersHeadaches - arthritis - Skin Conditions

    CeNtro CUeVA Del lobo Paseo Mediterraneo 10, Mojacar beachCeNtro MeDICo INDAlo C/ Manuel Azaa, Almeria

    a u t u m n O F F E R s

    HAIR & BEAUTy

    located opposite PricebustersMon: 9.30am-3pm Tue-Fri: 9.30am-5pm Sat: 10am-2pm

    950 930 167 or 628 669 456

    full head foilsincluding cut and finish

    from 44.50wet or Dry cuts 9.50

    full set ofacrylic nails 37Body piercing

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    kim clark Benefits consultancy

    For advice or to book a consultationCall 950 169 729 or 663 297 568

    www.ukbenefitsinspain.com [email protected]

    rule changes mean that you could now be entitled to extra income by claiming

    UK Sickness/Disability Benefits while living in Spain

    if you suffer froM... or you neeD... mobility problems pain/breathlessness Falls/stumbles

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    A new test to indicate which people are most at risk from life-threatening allergic reactions has been developed by British scientists.

    The procedure measures levels of an enzyme in the blood which is involved in allergic reactions that can cause potentially fatal anaphylactic shock.

    Medics hope the test could become the definitive,

    gold standard test for the diagnosis of severe allergic reactions across the world.

    One in three Britons suffers from an allergy and the number of cases is rising by five per cent every year.

    It was developed by the University of Southamptons Dr Andrew Walls working with doctors at Southampton General Hospital to help combat a rise in serious allergic reactions to such

    things as peanuts.Allergic reactions to drugs

    are increasingly common and reactions to food such as peanuts, tree nuts and fruit are also a concern, particularly in children and adolescents, said Dr Walls, a reader in immunopharmacology.

    But reliable tests for establishing the risk of a reaction have not been available, leaving patients vulnerable to serious

    reactions in the future.Levels of an enzyme called

    CPA3 are considerably higher in the blood of people who are prone to life-threatening allergic reactions compared with those who are not.

    The level of enzyme can increase rapidly within minutes of the onset of serious allergic reactions, known as anaphylactic shock, and remain elevated for more than a day afterwards.

    Using materials developed over a period of years in his research lab, Dr Walls has created a technique to measure these levels in patients and find out who is most at risk.

    He said: The development of this test should help to determine the proportion of people with a specific allergy who may be at risk of a life-threatening reaction.

    This advance allows clinicians to be able to understand the vulnerability of these patients, and either ensure they avoid the problem trigger, or provide them with an injection device so that they can self-administer a drug to fight the onset of a shock, vastly reducing their chances of continued serious attacks.

    Dr Mich Lajeunesse, a consultant paediatric immunologist and a member of the clinical research team, said the test will drastically alter the way doctors diagnose.

    Severe allergic reactions are frequently overlooked by doctors who call it severe asthma instead, he said.

    This test will help doctors recognise these reactions and provide patients with better aftercare and prevention of future allergic reactions.

    He added: If it proves to be as useful as the early trials suggest, it is likely to become the gold standard for diagnosis of severe allergic reactions around the world.

    for More inforMaTion call sophias on 950 449 451

    eMail: [email protected] call in To see us in arBoleas

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  • 13SOLTIMES OCTOBER 2012www.soltimes.com

    JAXHair&BeautyFormerly J.d. Hair designjax hair & beauty

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    Bad hair day?Blame it on your medicine!Going thin on top? Or is your

    hair losing its colour? Your medication could be to blame.

    Drugs for blood pressure, acne, depression even common painkillers can lead to hair loss, according to a report by scientists at the University of Melbourne. And other drugs can turn a brunette into a redhead, or make straight hair curly.

    Hair loss or thinning can occur up to a year after taking medication but, thankfully, in most cases, hair loss or any other changes are reversible.

    Doctors say it is important that patients see their GP if they notice any unusual hair loss (do not stop taking any medication without seeing your doctor).

    They can be switched to other drugs, if appropriate, or the dose can be reduced. In other cases, patients can be reassured the effects are unlikely to be permanent.

    The cause of hair loss or change is often unknown, but you must always consider the effects of drugs, says Professor Sam Shuster, emeritus professor of dermatology at Newcastle University.

    When drugs do affect the hair, the change is usually mild and reverses when the drug is stopped. So you may want to tolerate the change, because of the important effect the drug is having in restoring your health.

    Its well known, for instance, that chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells, but also attack other fast-growing cells in the body, such as hair roots.

    This is why patients can start to lose their hair within two to three weeks of starting treatment.

    The drugs can also affect texture and shade, research shows, but hair should re-grow three to ten months after treatment has ended.

    In many cases, medications are thought to affect hair by interfering with its growth cycle, which has three distinct stages. In the growing period, which lasts between three and five years on the scalp, hair grows by around 1cm a month.

    Thats followed by a shorter, two-week stage, known as the intermediate phase, where the hair follicle is prepared for releasing the hair.

    In the final, three-month phase the telogen phase or resting phase the hair stops growing and eventually falls out.

    After three months, the follicle starts to grow a new hair. Fortunately, this happens randomly all over the scalp. If it didnt, the hair would be shed in clumps.

    If you are taking medication for any of the following conditions, you may be experiencing hair change. . .

    EPILEPSY, ANTIDEPRESSANTSPSORIASISCONTRACEPTIVE PILLBETA BLOCKERSACNE PILLS , IBUPROFENBLOOD THINNERS

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    rates negotiaBle call michelle on 644 496 198

    CompLete dentaL

    CareEnglish Spoken

    RehAbiliTATiNg deNTisTRY

    Specialising in: implants Cosmetic dentistry

    prosthetics orthodonticsC/alfarero S. Hernndez 10, vera. opposite Health Centre

    tel: 950 390 655 monday to Friday: 10am - 2pm & 5pm - 8.30pm

    A rehabilitating dentist is one who restores both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the mouth, either by reconstructing or substituting teeth. Its not just a question of fixing

    whats broken. Its about curing each component of the mouth (teeth, gums, joints muscles, mucous membranes, etc) to its optimal state.An integral dental surgery

    consists of various different specialists working together to achieve a healthy mouth and beautiful smile: A general dentist tends to

    routine dentistry (check-ups, fillings, etc).

    An odontopaediatrician is a general dentist who specialises in treatments for children 0 14 years.

    An endodontist performs root canals on broken or caried teeth which require pulp tissue removal.

    A periodontist surgically cures the gums and bone which serve as a foundation to teeth.

    An orthodontist corrects the alignment and occlusion of teeth with braces and/or retainers.

    An implantologist replaces missing teeth by surgically implanting titanium screws into the jawbone, to later cement on crowns which appear as natural as ones own original teeth.

    An oral surgeon specialises in both periodontics and implants.

    A reconstructive surgeon (maxillofacial) operates on all parts of the face, ears, nose, and throat.

    When should i visit an integral dental surgery?Bleeding gums, broken or missing teeth, pain, discolouring are all warning signs requiring the attention of a rehabilitating specialist.

    By Dr. Juan Cremades, Oral Surgeon

    vivadentcentro dental

  • 14 SOLTIMES OCTOBER 2012 ...remember to say you saw it in the SoL timeS

    Prices are subject to change without notification. Please confirm on booking. We reserve the right to withdraw offers at any time.

    Calle malaga - albox (100m from mercadona)monday - Friday 9.30am - 5pm

    Saturday 9.30am - 3pm. no siesta 950 633 086Call for an appointment

    full head of foilscut & Blow dry

    only 50gelish nailsonly 15 a set or havefingers + toes for only 25 his anD herscuT + Blow Dry

    only 25

    chiropractor monicaWitH over 40 yearS

    eXperienCeCaLL Cutting edge For detaiLS

    ocToBer offers: 1sT - 20Th

    conditioning treatment + Blowdry or set only 15

    sandraafter the long hot

    summer, why not treat yourself or someone else to a tailor made facial to

    suit your skin typeonly 20

    eviveejuvenateelax

    retreat

    if you are a fully-qualified therapist and want to know more about us or to book a room, email

    [email protected] or call 950 634 562become a friend on facebook & see our monthly special offers!

    Beauty TherapySandra 661 858 949Melissa 626 144 680 Our UK fully-qualified therapists are available on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 9am to 1.30pm to pamper you we offer a full range of Facials plus Waxing, Tinting, Manicure, Pedicure or a set of Gel Nails from 15!

    Holistic MassageMelissa 626 144 680 Melissa, who is UK fully-qualified with over 10 years experience, offers a range of relaxing massage treatments: from a simple back, Neck & Shoulder Massage to Hot Stone treatments. A course of Reflexology is also available.

    Shiatsu Therapy Wendy 671 851 135 Do you suffer with: back/Neck problems, Stress/Insomnia, Headache/Migraine? Shiatsu will help. Shiatsu therapy is very much hands-on, which promotes normal healing for general wellbeing. The recipient is treated fully-clothed. Wendy, fully-qualified in the UK, is available from 3pm.

    Almeria AngelsSandra 902 026 468 A Well-being Clinic is held once a month with Sandra a fully-qualified nurse. Book yourself in for a health MOT, this includes blood Pressure, Mole Check, breast Check, Urine Analysis as well as general health & medical advice, at only 12.50 pp.

    Laser Lipo Paula 638 343 729Help to shift those inches in a pain-free way with the laser lipo.

    Ice White TeethSam & Mel 657 379 878 Sam & Mel use the latest revolutionary lED technology, with no bleach or peroxide,

    Relaxation Class Liz 667 979 445Join liz Hill, our Yoga therapist, on Tuesday afternoons for her new relaxation class.

    We are a self-contained private suite of rooms on the right hand side of La Vida Cucador, with its own entrance, plus disabled access and good parking

    elax

    Bad news stories alter womens stress responseBad news stories, such as those about murder, seem

    to alter the way women respond to stressful situations, according to a small study.

    Women produced more stress hormones in tests if they had read negative newspaper stories.

    The study on 60 people, published in the journal PLoS One, showed there was no equivalent effect in men.

    Experts said the findings showed fascinating differences between the sexes.

    Researchers in Canada compiled newspaper clippings of negative stories, including accidents and murders, as well as neutral stories such as film premieres.

    Men and women read either negative or neutral stories and then did a scientific stress test. Levels of the stress

    hormone, cortisol, were measured throughout the study.

    One of the researchers, Marie-France Marin, from the University of Montreal, said: Although the news stories alone did not increase stress levels, they did make the women more reactive, affecting their physiological responses to later stressful situations.

    Mens cortisol levels were not affected.

    She added: Its difficult to avoid the news, considering the multitude of news sources out there.

    And what if all that news was bad for us? It certainly looks like that could be the case.

    The scientists suggested that women may be naturally better at identifying threats to their children, which affects the way they respond to stress.

    Professor Terrie Moffitt, from the institute of psychiatry

    at Kings College London, said: According to self-report studies, women say they are more stress reactive on average than men.

    This study adds fascinating new evidence of change in a stress hormone after an experimental... challenge.

    Stress researchers confront a real gender puzzle: As a group, women seem more reactive to stressors, but then they go on to outlive men by quite a few years.

    How do women manage to neutralise the effects of stress on their cardiovascular systems? An answer to that question would improve health for all of us.

    Other experts warned that the study was small so the reported effect would need further testing.

  • 15SOLTIMES OCTOBER 2012www.soltimes.com

    so piGs Cant FLy. . . but miCE REaLLy Can sinG: sCiEntists DisCovER RoDEnts Can mimiC anD LEaRn CompLEx sounDsIt seems that Bagpuss was ahead of his time!

    Decades after the pink and white cat and six singing mice first appeared on our TV screens, scientists have shown that mice really can learn songs.

    Male mice, who use high-pitched love songs to woo females, also change their tune when there is competition around.

    The findings suggest mice can mimic and learn complex calls and sounds.

    This ability, known as local learning, had been thought to be limited to people, as well as some birds, dolphins, whales, bats, elephants, sea lions and seals.

    With mice widely used in medical research, the finding could help shed light on autism and other conditions in characterised by problems in communication.

    It may also be of interest to generations of Bagpuss fans who, as children,

    were fascinated by the mice that lived on the mouse organ and their high-pitched songs.

    It was already known that male mice whistle or sing when trying to court females but it was assumed that their ultrasonic cries are produced instinctively, with little thought going into the process.

    However, when the US scientists put males of two different strains were put in a cage together, one gradually adjusted its song so that it sounded more like the others.

    This, the research team from Duke University in North Carolina said, is a hallmark of vocal learning.

    The discovery that if the animals lost their hearing, they began to sing out of tune,

    also fitted the definition.Other evidence came from a

    series of tests which showed similarities between the way the human and mouse brain

    produces songs.In all, the creatures satisfied the

    five key tests of vocal learning, the journal PLoS ONE reports.

    Kurt Hammerschmidt, a German expert, said: This is a very important

    study with great findings. Researcher Erich Jarvis said: Our results

    show that mice have the five features that scientists associate with vocal learning.

    In mice, they dont exist at the advanced levels found in humans and song-learning

    birds but they are also not completely absent as commonly assumed.

    If we are not wrong, these findings will be a big boost to scientists studying diseases such as autism and anxiety

    disorders.

    spooF tubE stiCkERs bRiGHtEn jouRnEysGuerilla Transport for London stickers with spoof notices for

    passengers are being plastered on Tube trains and stations.The notices, in the same colour and font as genuine TfL signs,

    include No eye contact. Penalty 200 and We apologise for any incontinence caused during these engineering works.

    Others suggest commuters should offer their seats to drunks less able to stand and advise: Peak hours may necessitate you let other people sit on your lap.

    A spokesman told the BBC: Its a form of rebellion, whether it be due to the current climate of doom and gloom or people wanting to brighten their day.

    The stickers, apparently designed to brighten commuters daily journeys on the London Underground, are bring celebrated on a Facebook page.

    However, a spokesman for the British Transport Police branded the stickers unwanted vandalism that causes criminal damage.

    GEoRDiE aCCEnts HELp pLants tHRivEA gardening expert claims that talking to plants in a Geordie accent helps

    them thrive more than any other regional pronunciation.Chris Bonnett had staff at his nursery in Essex speak to plants in different

    accents every day as an experiment. The plants were also played DVDs and CDs of regional soaps and pop stars to help reinforce the different dialects.

    Each group was placed in a different area of the nursery, near Colchester, and staff took great pains to ensure the accents were never mixed up.

    Mr Bonnett says the Geordie plants, which were subjected to Geordie Shore, Cheryl Cole and Ant and Dec, grew almost 10% more than those in some other groups.

    He said: We kept all other variables as constant as possible. So the plants all had the same amount of sunlight, water and nutrients.

    By the end of the summer it was clear that the accents had a huge effect. There was, more or less, average growth across the Australian, Liverpudlian, Yorkshire and American groups.

    The Geordie and Welsh groups visibly thrived and displayed enhanced growth while the Scottish, Chelsea and Mancunian plants were stunted.

  • 16 SOLTIMES OCTOBER 2012 ...remember to say you saw it in the SoL timeS

    draft Bill amending coastal act approVed

    Q: SELLING EXPENSES:WE ARE GOING TO SELL; WILL WE HAVE TO PAY TAX?

    A. The situation varies depending if you are a resident or non-resident of Spain. (having a certificate of residencia comunitaria is not sufficient proof of this/to find out if you qualify as a Spanish resident consult the tax office or your solicitor)

    NON RESIDENTS: The capital gains tax rate since 1st of January of 2012 is 21 % of your net profit. The rate is applied to the difference between the acquisition price by purchase (or inheritance) and the sales price. (the prices used are the ones shown on the deeds of acquisition/inheritance and sale). Youre allowed to apply a reduction to the taxable base: For every year after the second of ownership up to 1996, you are allowed to reduce the taxable base by 11.11%. For every year you have owned the property after 1996, you are only allowed to reduce the taxable base by the annual official inflation which is published each year with the national budget.

    When you have calculated the net taxable base the rate is 21%. To add to the complication also be aware that the purchaser will retain 3% of the sales price on account of the capital gains tax of the seller and will pay it into the tax office within 30 days. It is then up to the seller to calculate what the real capital gains tax using the calculation above is and then , either claim some back , or pay the difference to the tax office .

    RESIDENTS: If you are a resident the first thing to look into is (a) The possible total or partial exemption from capital gains tax due to reinvestment (roll-over) and (b) The possible claim of total exemption if you are over 65 years old. In both cases there are certain conditions that have to be met to qualify for these exemptions. Consult a solicitor to find out how to qualify. If you do not qualify for any of the above exemptions the rate of tax applied to your profit is 21% for profit up to 6000 euros, 24% for profit between 6001 euros and 24000 euros and 27% ot profit above 24001 euros.

    Plusvala tax: this is a local tax on the increase in value of the land , which depends on the valuation established by the rates department. The town hall will happily calculate this for you on presenting title deed and last rates bill. Remember you will not have to pay plusvala if you have paid plusvala on the acquisition (by any title ) within the last year. (if a transaction within the last year has been in respect to part of the property you do not pay again in respect to that part)

    Solicitors fee: This varies depending on the circumstances of the transaction, if their is a tax claim to be made etc. . The best advice is to ask for a budget in writing. Normally about 1%.

    LEGAL CORNERWITH MICHAEL DAVIES, ABOGADO/SOLICITORIf you wish us to print an article about a particular topic,

    please e-mail [email protected]

    Michael Davies is a Spanish Abogado and has been practicing law in Almera since 1993. He is member of the Law societies of Almera and Madrid and has offices in Mojacar and Almeria High Street.

    The Spanish Governments Council of Ministers has approved the Draft Bill on the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Coastline, amending the Coastal Act 1988, to be submitted to Parliament, according to a report on www.kyero.com

    The new legislation will protect the coastline from urban over-development and will generate confidence, increase economic activity and provide legal security to the public and to companies.

    The Vice-President of the Government, Soraya Senz de Santamara, stated that the amendment protects our environmental wealth, reconciles environmental protection with sustainable economic activities, will liberate us from urban atrocities and provide us with tools to guarantee and improve the legal security of homeowners on the coast, as well as of those carrying on economic activities such as the beach bars.

    In this respect, the Vice-President of the Government indicated that in Spain there are more than 3,000 beach bars which are a singular feature of our tourist attractions and which provide more than 40,000 jobs in Andalusia alone.

    The legislation empowers the Government to suspend unlawful urban activities, increase the protection of the beaches, particularly natural ones, and better defines the area of land-sea public domain, explained the Vice-President.

    The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, Miguel Arias Caete, underlined that the new legislation has three objectives: to reinforce protection of the coastline, increase legal security and generate confidence and certainty for homeowners on the coast and for economic activity.

    Among the measures to protect the coastline, the minister highlighted that the new law reinforces the ban on new buildings. This law is not laxer or more tolerant, but rather it is a law that will help reinforce the ban on new

    construction.

    The Draft Bill bans improvement works on existing buildings, both in the land-sea public domain and in service areas, resulting in any increase in volume, height or surface area.

    In this respect, Miguel Arias Caete clarified that there is no amnesty on illegal constructions, but rather a clearer and more transparent regulatory framework is established.

    The minister explained that the new law introduces the so-called anti-Algarrobico clause that regulates the possibility for the Government to suspend illegal urban activities on the coast to avoid irreversible situations, always leaving the last word to the courts.

    Furthermore, urban beaches are distinguished from natural beaches, increasing the protection for the latter.

    La Moncloa reported that with regard to the measures to generate legal security, the minister stressed that the scope of the Land-Sea Public Domain is clarified and citizens are guaranteed access to updated information on their properties and other rights. To that end, assets in the land-sea public domain must be registered in the Property Registry.

    Citizens may consult whether their land is affected by limitations in the public domain on the Internet. This measure will contribute, argued the minister, to improving the confidence of foreign investors and help reduce the stock of unsold properties.

    Among the measures that aim to facilitate the viability and sustainability of economic activities, the ministers cited the extension of the maximum term of concessions to 75 years.

    Miguel Arias Caete stressed that all buildings constructed on the coast illegally will be demolished, such as the El Algarrobico hotel. 1,100 concessions on properties expire in the year 2018, which will result in their demolition.

    For the latest property news: www.kyero.com

    Why Are NeAter heAters so sPeCIAl?NeAter heAter freeZe theIr PrICes so yoU DoNt hAVe to!They are obviously stylish and elegant, but

    in times of crisis people need to know what is under the bonnet. To understand why you should use Neater Heaters, you need to understand the Watt and the Kilowatt/Hour (Kw/H), the unit of measurement you are charged for.Ten 100 watt light bulbs consume 1Kw of electricity. If they all stay on for an hour you will be charged for 1Kw/H, which is 18.6 cents including IVA.Therefore a 1Kw heater (without a thermostat) costs 18.6 cents an hour to run. Some heaters are inefficient and will give off a paltry amount of heat and some heaters will give off more heat. In the case of Neater Heaters it is a lot more

    heat! This is due to the use of computer-age technology in the form of an extruded aluminium heating element. Furthermore, this element is designed in such a way that it has a huge surface area for heat transfer. This means simply that more air can be heated for less cost. This is EFFICIENCy. A thermostat ensures that when a heater reaches the required temperature it either turns off for a while, or reduces power. Some heaters have inefficient thermostats causing power-sapping fluctuations of temperature. Some heaters, like many of the flat panel types, dont even have thermostats. Neater Heater thermostats are sensitive to 0.2 C of the set temperature, therefore our heaters reduce the cost considerably by being off for a large part of the hour. This is ECONOMy, the price makes them VALUE FOR MONEy

    Neater Heaters are available freestanding or wall mounted

    NeAter heAter DIstrUbUtors: cosTa Blanca souThBeniJoFar: Vincent Real Estate, (Hazel). Tel. 966 712 440QueSada: For home inspections call Colin Tel: 636 537 338torrevieJa: S J & A. Digital Tel. 966 319 253pLaya FLamenCa: Busters Bar Tel: 672 128 945BLue Lagoon: The Electrical Shop (Euronics) Tel: 966 188 169

    NeAter heAter DIstrUbUtors: cosTa caliDaLoS aLCaZareS: For home inspections call Edmund. Tel. 966 765 552BaLSiCaS/ San Javier Sierra Golf Tel 968 018 257San Javier DFS Spain Tel: 968 334 194maZarron Camposol B. La Red Solutions (Mapfre) Tel. 968 199 025

    NeAter heAter DIstrUbUtors: alMeriaantaS. Iron Art Factory Outlet. Tel: 637 259 033moJaCar pLaya. D Match Digital Services. Tel: 950 472 947

    [email protected] www.neaTerheaTer.es

    Tel: 634 312 171

  • 17SOLTIMES OCTOBER 2012www.soltimes.com

    ...CaLL 902 750 190 oR 950 121 936 ~ EmaiL: [email protected]

    ...youR pRopERty GuiDE

    Property Sales Property Management Long & short term rentals Insurance We Urgently Need Quality Properties

    Both For Sale & Rent We Have Clients Waiting...

    309 Paseo del Mediterraneo, Mojacar Playa (50m from Ferreteria Lopez)Tel: 950 478 834

    [email protected] www.mojacarhomes.net

    aparTMenT for sale49,995

    1 bed/1 bathroom, new kitchen white goods, parking,

    nice views of cortijo grande golfmojacar approx 7 mins.

    t: 664 291 793 [email protected]

    plot of land of 800m2 & villa 125m2brick built up to & including roof

    Wonderful location & exceptional views yet 5 mins to town with all amenities.

    Fully legal with escritora must be viewed!

    Bargain Price - only 65,000 To view or for more details 609 199 394

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    Vera apartment for rentLONG/SHORT-TERM/HOLIDAY RENTAL

    cALL 663 977 230 or EMAIL: [email protected]

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    BALCONY & ROOF TERRACE OFFERING FANTASTIC VIEWS

    URGENTLy REqUIREDFarmhouses & Equestrian Properties For Sale

    CLIENTS WAITING TO [email protected]

    OOliveContact: 607 705 085 or 687 938 466

    C/Llanos, Bedar(Next to the Miramar Restaurant)

    Open: Monday-Friday 10.00am-3.30pmwww.olivehouse-es.com

    LubrinThis unique collection of properties comprises of a house, separate guest house and large garage . Set in 17,000m2 of land walking distance from Lubrin town this would make an ideal business venture. Also, included is a water bolsa and water rights.

    onLy 157,000

    olv188

    luBrin

    spanish property prices have fallen By over 50%A survey conducted by the University of Pompeu Fabra in

    Barcelona and property firm Tecnocasa has revealed that the average price of a property in Spain has fallen by 53% since 2006.

    By analysing transactions in cities including Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Seville and Valencia, the university report concludes that Spanish property prices have fallen from an average of 3,500 euros per sqm in 2006 to 1,633 Euros per sqm in June this year, with 20% of that decline being recorded in the last year alone. Between June 2011 and June 2012, property prices in Malaga have fallen by 1,352 euros per sqm to 1,140 while the price of a property in Valencia has decreased from 1,118 euros per sqm to just 881 euros per sqm.

    Reports from the countrys notaries have stated that the decline in property prices has been around 26.8%, a figure that is hotly contested by Jos Garca-Montalvo, the professor in charge of the study, who points out that the research is based on real transaction prices, not valuations or estimates like other data. They are prices from the front line, real prices based on actual sales made, he said.

    Read more at www.aplaceinthesun.com

    Tel: 950 064 584 | Mob: 677 667 722Email: [email protected] | Web: www.solymarspain.com

    contact us now on:

    we also offer all major mobile top ups from our office

    The Post Shop - Professional & Reliable Service for all your Postal Needs

    Rental & sales Properties Urgently Required

    reference mar852, 350 PCM Villa in Partaloa,

    la Canada

    2 bedroom 1 bathrooms Pool Nice Garden

    reference sol 038 , 184,950 A large villa in Arboleas is a

    must see!! 3 bedrooms

    2bedrooms

    8 x 4 pool

    Mature gardens

    reference sol 036 , 159,995 Almanzora

    4 bedrooms

    2 bathrooms

    Double garage

    and a pretty

    courtyard

    reference sol 016 , 165,000 Partaloa, la Canada 3/4 bedrooms 2 bathrooms

    9 x 6 pool with a

    fly screen covered

    terrace

    reference mar 981, 400 PCM large style Dutch barn in Partaloa,

    la Canada

    3 bedrooms

    2 bathrooms

    Pets Welcome

    reference mar972, 400 PCM Charming Cortijo in Almanzora

    3 bedrooms

    2 bathrooms

    Pool

    Communal Pool 25 paces from front doorSuit Professional coupleReference required500 euros pcm - plus billsHolding deposit required

    Apartment to Rent

    Shower room. Lounge/Diner Own Garden

    Ground Floor Apartment 3 Double Bedrooms Bathroom

    Los Almendros Valle Del Este-Vera

    Tel: 44(0)1256 880048Ask for Karen Winters

  • 18 SOLTIMES OCTOBER 2012 ...remember to say you saw it in the SoL timeS

    established 2004 - fully legal - peace of mind is not far away

    shot blasting and powder coating service available for new & old metalworkcut out the middle man and buy direct from the manufacturer

    security grills garden gates & railings

    spiral staircases Motorised sliding gates

    garage Doors ornate gazebos

    situated between Amigos bowling & Mora Oil

    poligono industrial, Arboleasmobile: 638 900 949 office: 950 930 520

    www.themetalworksspain.cominfo@ themetalworksspain.com

    aWningS - BLindS - FLySCreenS - pooL CoverS - gaZeBoSp.o Box 133, Cortijo Cabrera, turre almeria, Spain

    tel: 627 907 207 / 634 319 882 email: [email protected] Web: www.solshaders.com

    The no.1 in your area for awnings,internal Blinds & pool covers

    for price & Qualityenclose your Terrace with

    Drop-down awnings

    commercial & Domestic, Supplied & Ffitted

    Many colours & stylessignwriting service - all areas covered

    all proDucTs are of The highesT QualiTy

    all work is fully insureD & carrieD ouT By highly skilleD TraDesMen

    call us for astounding octoBer offers!!

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    esTaBlisheD 5 years wiTh 100% cusToMer saTisfacTionawnings DirecT froM ManufacTurers

    pawS a while pet hotelpawS a while pet hotel A home-from-home friendly atmosphere

    A full menu to suit all requirements Pet suites. 24/7 Veterinary care

    Pets play area Very secure surroundings with ample space & shade

    Yours or your pets portrait available

    OPeN eVeRYdAY: 10am - 12pm & 5pm - 6.30pm

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    Fines, Nr Alboxwww.pawsawhilefines.com

    Telephone for prices & details of vaccinations required for stay.

    deAN: 696 562 662

    eleganthomesreaLiSe tHe dream

    PROPERTY DAMAGEDBY THE RECENT FLOODS?THEN, LET OUR PROFESSIONAL CONSTRUCTION TEAM HELP YOU!

    * FREE DAMAGE INSPECTION & ASSESSMENT

    * FREE NO OBLIGATION qUOTATION FOR REPAIRS

    * FREE ASSISTANCE WITH INSURANCE ASSESSORS

    CALL MIKE ON 687 629 777OR EMAIL: [email protected]

    For more info or free no-obligation quote, call, email or pop in & see us! open mon-Fri 10am-3pm. Cortijo pipa, avenida de Limaria, 1, Limaria, arboleas

    (next to the Welcome Stranger)

    ZAfrA eNerGy & heAtING APPoINteD INstAller of reNeWAble eNerGy systeMs www.zafra-energy.com

    w w w . c a r l o s s a l i e n t e . c o m c a r l o s . s a l i e n t e @ g m a i l . c o m

    special offer!Wood Burning Central Heating SystemAll Concealed Pipework 12.5kw woodburner, 6 radiators (12 sections) based on a 3 bed, 2 bath 120m2 villa

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    Ariston 200l Compact Solar Hot Water Systemroof mounted

    special offer!

    anDanD

    tel: 950 930 900 / 968 969 962

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  • 19SOLTIMES OCTOBER 2012www.soltimes.com

    Please visit our office or refer to our website for more bargains. Vendors: If you are seriously considering selling your property please visit our office to discuss effective ways of achieving your goal.

    As per decree 218/2005 the Documento de Informacin Abreviada (D.I.A) for any property sold by Veritas Homes is available at our office.

    properTy group

    MojAcAr PlAyA 79,995

    1 bed / 1 bath fully furnished Apartment with amazing sea views. Terrace & underground parking place. Lift & pool. Ref. 1017

    Paseo del Mediterraneo 197 - Mojacar - Almeria

    Tel: 950 472 430 / 610 053 563www.veritashomes.co.uk [email protected]

    you can find us on

    3 bed / 2 bath Apartment near the new school. Build 99 m + terraces. Communal pool & underground private parking. Ref. 1095

    TUrrE 59,000

    MojAcAr 120,000

    3 bed / 2 bath charming renovated village House. Roof terrace with sea views. 3 floors. Build 145 m. Ref. 1073

    VErA 440,000

    3 bed / 2 bath stunning Villa with pool & horse stable. Build 221 m. Plot 10.000 m. Beautiful views. Central heating. Ref 1121

    2 bed / 1 bath Apartment close to the promenade. Sea views. Terrace. Underground parking & store room. Lift. Ref. 1139

    MojAcAr PlAyA 80,000

    2 bed / 1 bath sea views Ap