Weekender Issue 042

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ISSUE 042

Friday 27th April 2018

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SPOTTED DEADLY Man o’ War jelly fish have been seen this week along the Costa Blancas shoreline and beaches.

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FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

Finance Feature provided by...

Chorus Financial is a trading style of Tourbillon Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Commission (Gibraltar), Licence Number FSC1118B and registered with the UK FCA as an EEA Authorised firm, reference 539348.

Some important dates for your diary

By Tracy Storer

Senior Partner Chorus Financial

With “The Finance Tour’ returning to Spain this May, I wanted to encourage any of my regular readers who are considering pension or investment advice here in Spain, to do their best to attend.

The Finance Tour is a unique event here in Spain, as it brings 3 heavy-weights of the investment and pension world, to venues local to us here on the Costa Blanca.

It seems every week there is some finance related event

to attend here in Spain, but these tend to involve local companies or offshore fund-houses, who are often tied to a financial advisory.

The Finance Tour, however, brings 2 FTSE listed investment companies – The Prudential and Rathbones, along with a well-known UK based pension trustee London & Colonial, to your doorstep. You will have all heard of The Prudential, a company with over 25 million clients Worldwide and a track record that dates back over 170 years. Rathbones are also a house-hold name in investing, established in 1742, and recognised as one of the World’s leading investment management companies.

Both these companies offer solutions that can be used by those of us living here in Spain. Whether that be a simple tax efficient plan to help your savings beat inflation, or a sophisticated personalised investment portfolio, managed by your own discretionary fundmanager.

Anyone considering any kind of new investment or looking to improve the returns on an existing plan, could benefit from hearing from these two companies.

For those considering pension transfers, this is a great opportunity to sort the myths from the facts and hear from a UK based, FCA regulated pension trustee. Should you be considering moving your pension overseas, or perhaps you could benefit from all the same pension freedoms whilst keeping your pensions in the UK? How is your pension lump sum taxed in Spain? Is a transfer really the best option for me?

The tour also offers answers to more complex questions, including those looking to reduce inheritance tax, for example through trust planning.

Due to the success of the last tour, extra dates have been added for 2018, and the tour will be visiting: 9th May, 11:30am – La Zenia Hotel, Orihuela Costa 9th May, 4:00pm – La Laguna Hotel, Quesada 10th May, 11:30am – Akinon Resort, La Nucia 10th May, 4:00pm – Restaurant La Cultural, Benissa 11th May, 11:30am – Viva Espana, Oliva/Ganida 11th May, 4:00pm – Carrasco, Javea As before, Chorus are very honoured to have been invited to attend. One thing to emphasise, is that The Finance Tour is NOT a financial sales seminar. Chorus will be there purely to explain how the financial advice process works in conjunction with product providers and fund managers, and how this helps to create a tailored financial solution for you. We are very much behind the ethos of The Finance Tour – and that is to educate and inform, rather than take a sales based approach to these events.

You’ll leave these events armed with knowledge that will help you make informed decisions should you ultimately decide to seek financial advice here in Spain.

The events are free to attend but places are limited.

For information and bookings please visit www. thefinancetour.com or call 693 107 044.

Chorus Financial are a trading style of Tourbillon Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Commission (Gibraltar), licence Number FSC1118B & registered with the UK FCA, ref. 539348.

FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

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As the month heads towards its end it seems we are also seeing the end to a run of unsettled weather.

April in Spain often resembles the type of weather theme of the U.K. In fact the warmer weather this past week or so was found in parts of the UK, not so exciting for those seeking the sun in a Spain only to find a mix of grey, overcast, showery and windy weather whilst the family and friends left behind are lapping up the sunshine back home.

However it’s always news for the bar owners as the seats fill all through the day and night rather than heading off to the beach.

To compliment the run of bar owners luck the football finals are on the horizon after a week of thrills and spills seeing Tottenham fall by the wayside yet again and the Reds head toward ending their season on a high facing Chelsea for the FA cup. Reds being the favourite whilst the other red team of Liverpool head onto an even bigger state by possibly reaching the Champions league final against Real Madrid, a real humdinger for the bars peaking trade figures with this number one England/Spanish affair. This year the football doesn’t end there with the World Cup in Russia keeping us glued to our seats although, the hot and sticky weather during the summer will have us searching for a way to watch it poolside..... have a great Weekender!

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FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

Two Brits charged for child neglect TWO British holidaymakers have been arrested in Mallorca for abandoning their children in a hotel room while they went on a 48 hour booze bender.

They had asked another couple, who they had never met prior to the holiday, to keep an eye on the children. However they had also been drinking and the hotel staff became involved after the mother of the children and the other woman got into a

by Matthew Richards

fight in the hotel lobby.

When the police came to the hotel in Palma they arrested the parents and took the children into care. Witnesses say that the pair had been in an extreme state of intoxication and had been drinking day and night for two days. The children were looked after by the Police Family Unit.

Jellyfish Alert From Front Page...

The potentially lethal Portuguese Man o’ War jellyfish were first spotted off the coast of Gibraltar by a local diver last Wednesday (18th April). It was later reported last Friday that the jellyfish had been washed up on one of Guadamar’s beaches, as well as San Juan beach on Monday (23rd April) Considered the most dangerous of all the jellyfish found regularly off Spain, their arrival has prompted warning signs to be posted at some of Alicante City’s beaches.

Bathers along the coast are asked to be vigilant and, if you think you have been stung by a Portuguese Man o’ War, you should seek immediate medical attention. Despite their reputation stings from the creature are only fatal in very rare cases, almost always caused by shock rather than the venom and generally on people with pre-existing medical conditions. However anyone stung by one would agree that the effects are extremely painful and quite long lasting.

Juan Guillén, biologist at the

Institute of Coastal Ecology, said that the Portuguese man o’ war is characterized by its phosphorescent colour, with an abundence of stinging tentacles of between 10 metres and 30 meters long (33 feet to 98 feet).

He urged caution to bathers or people who surf or swim in the open water. “The only good thing about these jellyfish is that they can be easily seen, but bathers who go out into the sea alone should take extra care, as the stings can cause paralysis of a limb resulting in drowning”.

Hanging on by her fingertips FIRE-FIGHTERS in Valencia were called out after an elderly woman was seen dangling from a ledge on the top floor of an apartment building in the city.

The incident happened last Saturday and on arrival at the scene they saw that the woman

by Matthew Richards

was half on and half off the ledge and in danger of falling to an almost certain death.

The victim was semiconscious with nasty hand injuries but the rescuers managed to get a harness on her.

They then used an extendable ladder in the middle courtyard of the building and lowered her down. She was then taken to hospital after receiving some treatment at the scene; the circumstances behind how she got on the ledge are unknown at this stage.

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FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

Stolen baby reunited with mum

A 77-year-old woman from Valencia is set to be reunited with a son who she was told died at birth. The now 54-year-old was born in Valencia’s General Hospital in 1964 and his mother was told by a nun and doctor that her child had died. As was common in those days the veracity of this was never questioned and it is only recently that a DNA test has proved the woman is the biological mother.

A lawyer was hired by the man after medical archives for the hospital indicated all may not be as it seemed. This investigation led to the woman in question who has said that when she finally meets her son she “just wants to give him his first hug after more than fifty years.” He also has four brand new brothers and sisters to meet.

The man’s lawyer has said that he is looking into criminal actions against parties involved although it

Fast track evictions

by Simon Russell

is not clear who is still alive after this time. In the 1950’ and 60’s nuns often worked as assistants in hospitals and it is now becoming clear that the “baby stealing practice” was relatively common. People’s trust in the church and

medical profession at the time was almost unconditional according to recent reports on the scandal, and many victims were poor and uneducated.

Often the stolen babies were sold for adoption to wealthy childless couples and it is believed thousands of families may have been affected.

THE Spanish Congress has approved a Justice Commission proposal to speed up the eviction process for illegally occupied dwellings. The current process can take up to two years and under the new guidelines this should now be done in less than 20 days, providing the Senate passes the final draft.

The only party to oppose

by Matthew Richards

the change was the PSOE who expressed concerns about forced homelessness and the lack of alternatives for many squatters.

However all other major parties supported the change, agreeing that the current guidelines are too skewed in favour of illegal occupants.

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FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

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US military HQ off to Spain THE port of Rota, in Andalucia, is to take over from the current base at Northwood in the UK as one of the US militaries five operational headquarters (OHQ’s) in Europe.

The move out of the UK has been prompted by Brexit and the new OHQ will move to Rota after the UK officially leaves the EU in March next year.

The port, near Cadiz, is already home to the Spain’s main naval base and also the largest US naval base in the south of Europe. The move is expected to be formally announced this week and Spain’s Defence Minister, Maria Dolores de Cospedal, will also be in Rota this week along with a US delegation. by Simon Russell

Drug mule daughter

A 59-year-old man in Elche has been arrested and accused of mistreatment of his daughter (a minor) and drug trafficking. The matter came to the police’s attention after receiving a complaint from the mother of the girl’s friends. She

by Simon Russell

had told her friend that her father had been physically abusing her, kept her in awful condition with little food and used her to transport drugs for him. He also regularly took cocaine

in front of his two children.

Police went to the residence and spoke to the girl who collaborated with this version of events, confirming she had also been used as a drugs courier.

The girl and her 13-year-old brother have been transferred

to the Alicante Children’s Centre while they investigate the allegations against their father, the legal guardian of both children. Apparently the boy had not been treated badly, with all the various abuses aimed solely at the accused’s daughter.

FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

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Costa towns clampdown on overnight campervan stays As the warmer weather heralds the beginning of the busy summer season, Marina Baixa coastal resorts are taking measures to restrict the surge of motorhome and campervan tourists looking for free overnight stays.

Late spring and early summer invariably sees an influx of motorhome users arriving in the area, filling spaces in the numerous camping and caravan sites along the coast.

However, an increasing number of campervan tourists prefer to pitch up for overnight stays on patches of rough ground, beaches and car parks, causing tension and conflict with residents and other holidaymakers.

The coastal towns of Benidorm, Alfas del Pi/ Albir, Altea, Finestrat and Villajoyosa have dealt with the problem by invoking a ley de costas law restricting overnight camping on beaches, beachfronts and surrounding areas, drawing complaints of discrimination from campervan owners.

Benidorm’s levante and poniente beaches zones are a restricted parking area, so are inaccesible to overnight campers, but in zones on the edge of the city such as Foietes, the problem has become a year round issue.

Over the past winter, police have patrolled the area, issuing warnings to unlawfully parked campervan owners, threatening fines and legal action.

In Villajoyosa the local police have also initiated patrols in the Rio Amador area warning overnight campers that they are parking illegally if they stay overnight.

In addition the town hall have erected signs on beachside car parks specifically warning motorhome owners that should they stay overnight, they are liable for hefty fines.

In the Playa Albir area of Alfas del Pi, on a large car park, just off Avenida del Albir, behind the Consum supermarket,

height restriction barriers have been erected to prevent campervans entering.

Whilst in Altea, in an rough car park adjacent to Cap Negret beach, an area formerly packed with campervan owners, who often stayed for weeks at a time for free, large rocks have been placed to restrict access to vehicles.

Many of the campervan owners are long term seasonal travellers from Northern Europe and are unaware of the law, which was introduced in 2015, which technically allows motorhomes to use car parks, like any other vehicle, but not overnight.

They believe they are being victimised, as they

are more responsible than other users of the car parks and many of them have been travelling down to the region for years without experiencing any problems.

However on the flip side, local camping and caravan associations point out that with over 11,000 places available on their sites throughout the area,

they cannot understand why anyone would want to camp wild.

Social media pages, where motorhome users can exchange information on free camping areas and associated problems have exacerbated the issue for local town halls, who face an ongoing problem as summer approaches.

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FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

Six new hiking routes THE Sports Department of the Alicante Diputacion has announced six new hiking routes as part of its “Hiking with the Diputacion” programme.

People interested in taking part can catch a bus from Plaza de Los Luceros in Alicante City from 8 am on the day of each scheduled hike, which

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by Matthew Richards

is always a Sunday apart from the night hike which is on a Saturday. The walks are aimed at people of 16 years and upwards and hikers are asked to wear appropriate footwear and clothing as well astake a pack with water, food and sun-cream.

The timetable starts

this Sunday (29 April) with a nine kilometre hike through the Sierra de Orihuela, graded as medium to low difficulty.

Up-coming walks are theSierra de Bernia (2 May), Sierra de Onil (13 May), Sierra de Mariola (23 September), Les Caves de Mariola (21 October) and Hondon de las Nieves (4 November).

The one off night hike is on 2 June and starts at 6 pm, then goes through the Sierra de Bernia, includingBernia Fort. To register for any of the walks go to www.femecv. com. The programme has been subsidised with a payment of €12,000 from the Provincial Council and is part of their promotion of nature through exercise.

WhatsApp raises age for users INSTANT messaging service WhatsApp has announced it is raising the age of users within the European Union from the current 13 to 16. Hugely popular in Spain, the move is likely to cause controversy if it can be enforced as thousands of youngsters currently

by Simon Russell

use the service. Many parents here also use it as a way of keeping in contact with their kids outside of the house in what is a free service.

However WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, feel they have no choice in the

matter and are making the move to comply with upcoming data protection laws in the EU. How it will be enforced in practice is unclear, especially for existing underage users.

For customers outside of the European Union the minimum age will remain at 13.

Polluting our pupils

A survey of pollution levels in Valencia City found that 19 out of 21 schools tested exceeded the recommended levels for particulates and other pollutants. Carried out by the group Valencia per l’aire, they found that across the city pollution levels increased in 2017 compared to 2016. However in areas such as Lonja, which has been addressing traffic congestion levels,

by Simon Russell

the levels have dropped indicating that the situation is reversible.

Alongside traffic, the other two main polluting factors are the port and the cities heavy industries.

The WHO level of safe nitrogen dioxide in the air is 40 micrograms per cubic metre, while the Lopez Rosat School had the highest reading at 60 micrograms. The two

schools that passed are both located near large green areas.

Valencia per l’aire is a not for profit organisation made up of a number of different smaller groups ranging from parents associations to urban planners and environmental scientists.

They aim to put pressure on the city to address the problem of poor air quality without harming industry where possible.

12 years for arson revenge A court in Alicante heard how a woman, Patricia F, carried out a threat to burn her girlfriend’s house to the ground after their relationship ended.

The incident occurred in Sant Joan d’Alacant last May when the pair had an argument which ended in the defendant striking and verbally abusing her girlfriend. The victim then

said that there two year relationship was over and asked her to leave; she was going out and if the defendant was still there later she would call the police.

Patricia said she would burn the house down, something her partner thought was an empty threat. However the court heard how she then set fire to a pile of clothing and

retired to a local bar. She was arrested the next day after her partner’s statement and those of people in the bar and neighbours. The defendant had said she was so intoxicated on drink and drugs she was unaware of her actions but the court dismissed this and sentenced her to 12 years for the arson attack and seven months for the assault.

FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

902 123 461

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FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

Mega marijuana factory shutdown ALICANTE’S National Police have raided a large marijuana factory in the city after a three month operation. They had reasons to be suspicious about the goings on in an isolated warehouse and last week arrested three people after gaining court permission to enter the building. Inside they discovered 1,400 mature marijuana plants being grown under special heat lamps. The factory had 81 halogen lamps, 52 transformers, four air conditioning units, 69 fans and 11 dehumidifiers.

They confiscated 37 kilos of processed marijuana, two kilos of resin, 3 kilos

by Matthew Richards

of marijuana pollen, 150 grams of marijuana seeds and a small quantity of speed and MDA. Two men aged 33 and 41 and a woman of 26

have been charged with drug trafficking. They have also been charged with electricity theft relating to the illegal piping in of the huge amount of power that would have been needed to run the plant.

THE Provincial Fire Consortium for Alicante has announced further expansion of its helicopter bases and landing surfaces after confirming the location of four new helipads.

These are in inland Alicante at Alfafara, Benifallim, Fageca and Planes while there are still discussions about a

Fascists blamed for vandalism A plaque put up to commemorate a young Valencian killed by extreme right wing thugs 25 years ago was vandalised within a day, almost certainly by fascist groups according to police sources. The plaque was installed

by a paseo named after Guillem Agullo, a left wing and antifascist campaigner from Burjasot.

He was murdered in April 1993 by a group of self-confessed Nazis when just 19 years old.

The plaque in his

More new chopper pads

honour was damaged and sprayed with red paint, a common fascist symbolism, less than 24 hours after the opening ceremony.

The Valencian City Council has promised that the plaque will be fully restored this week.

possible fifth pad near Alcoy at La Montana.

Jeremy Lloret, deputy minister for the area, said that these places were particularly vulnerable to fire as well as rain and snow due to their altitude, dense forestation and remote locations. This latest announcement continues with the

Unchristian act A couple in their thirties have been arrested and charged with a number of thefts during last weekend’s Moors and Christians Festival at Alcoy. They took advantage of the influx of tourists to the town plus the

by Matthew Richards

crowds and noise to pick the pockets of mainly unsuspecting people over the weekend.

However there was a larger police presence than usual for the

overall aim of generating a provincial network of rapid response units for any emergency. There are 140 municipalities that come under the responsibility of the Fire Consortium and their goal is to be able to reach and assist each and every one of them in emergencies, however small or remote they are.

Alicante town’s fiesta, one of the biggest on the Costa Blanca, and they were quickly mobilised after a tip off from a witness. They tracked down the suspects from the description given and found two mobile phones, €400 in cash and a large amount of US dollars. They were arrested and further enquiries linked them to at least 18 crimes.

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FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

PRINCE HARRY ASKS PRINCE WILLIAM TO BE BEST MAN Prince Harry has officially asked Prince William to be his best man at his May 19 Royal Wedding to Meghan Markle.

“The Duke of Cambridge is honored to have been asked, and is very much looking forward to supporting his brother at St. George’s Chapel,” the statement from Kensington Palace on Thursday reads.

Prince Harry, of course, served as his brother’s best man in his 2011 headline-making wedding to Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey.

The news comes just days after Prince William welcomed

his third child with Kate. The baby boy’s name has not officially been announced yet.

William and Harry both attended the Anzac Day Service and Commemoration of Thanksgiving on Wednesday, alongside Markle. William was photographed sweetly greeting his future sister-in-law outside of Westminster Abbey with a kiss on the cheek.

William also was overheard saying the new baby was doing “very well” and added, “Sleeping’s going reasonably well so far, so he’s behaving himself, which is good.”

Back In DONE SAM! WELL COSTA BLANCA BASED

SAM FROM FINANCE COMPANY CHORUS FINANCIAL

RAISES £6,000 RUNNING LONDON MARATHON the Kelly, Sam Managing Partner of Costa Blanca based Chorus Financial, ran the London Marathon this weekend alongside his friend Andrew Wakely.

Andrew is a serving police offer, father of Harry and Summer, and suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. The condition causes foot drop and severe numbness in his right leg and foot, meaning Andrew can only run short distances, and with the support of a leg brace.

Sam said after the race, “When I discovered

that Andy had signed up to this challenge alone, I contacted the MS Society to see if they could get me a last minute charity place.

Completing 26.2 miles on the hottest day of the London Marathon’s history was an immense challenge, and I couldn’t be more proud of him. He’s a seriously determined guy and it was great to get over that finish line together.”

Friends since they first met in school aged 5, Sam and Andrew have raised a combined £6000 for the MS Society.

Britain

RANGE ROVER SLICED IN HALF BY BRIDGE

A number of cars suffered extreme damage on the M61 near Farnworth yesterday after the truck transporting them collided with a bridge.

Police were called out yesterday afternoon to the incident and have since posted pictures of the damage on Twitter.

The cars - mainly Range Rovers - suffered extensive damage. One had its roof completely ripped off.

Debris from the crash also damaged a GreenFlag vehicle that was travelling behind. Luckily no-one was hurt but the driver of the car transporter was reported for driving without due care and attention.

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FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

DONALD TRUMP SET TO VISIT THE UK ‘THIS JULY’ U.S. President Donald Trump will visit the U.K. in July, Sky News reported Wednesday.

The media group said there will be confirmation of the trip made public in the next day or so. visit Trump A to Britain has been controversial. In January, Downing Street said it would likely be a working visit, not a state visit. That means Trump would hold meetings with government ministers but would not meet Queen Elizabeth II. The prospect of the U.S. president spending time with the monarch had been a major source of opposition to a Trump visit. A petition calling on Britain to withdraw an invitation to Trump because the visit “would cause embarrassment” to the queen gained more

than 1.8 million signatures.

Theresa May and Trump held talks in Davos, Switzerland in January, with the president saying they have “a really great Downing relationship.”

Street said the chemistry between the two leaders was “good.”

Trump said “it’s an honor to be with Prime Minister May, and we’ve had a great discussion.

We’re on the same wavelength, I think on every respect.

“The prime minister and myself have had a really great relationship, although some people don’t necessarily believe that, but I can tell you, I have a tremendous respect for the prime minister and the job she’s doing. And I think the feeling is mutual from the standpoint of liking each other a lot.”

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FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

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Lidl’s plagiarism row A Valencian court has started hearing a case filed against German supermarket chain by a local firm who have accused the retailer of plagiarising one of their products.

Chufamix developed a tool, aimed at vegans and vegetarians, that developed a new way to crush, blend or press seeds and nuts to make them into drinks.

Called the Vegan Milker it has had full patent

by Simon Russell

granted and is on sale in 35 countries.

However Anxon Monforte, founder of Chufamix, was surprised when he started getting calls from people who had seen his product for sales in Lidl’s, not one of their trading partners. Mr Monforte investigated and found that Lidl’s were selling a product he alleges is nearly identical

to the one he developed – but for sale at €4.99 instead of his €42.90. The Lidl’s product is mass manufactured in China whereas the Chufamix tool is made locally, accounting for much of the price difference.

Monforte alleges that Lidl has destroyed their European distribution network due to the price difference and that the budgets chains product is a blatant copy.

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Fearing Brexit, Irish cheesemakers mull a switch to mozzarella THE herd of water buffalo ambling over rolling hills may look like a scene from southern Italy. In fact the beasts roam in southern Ireland.

Johnny Lynch, who owns a 150-acre farm in County Cork, makes plump balls of mozzarella from their milk, and bids customers a cheerful, Irishaccented “Buongiorno!” in online advertisements for his produce.

Of the 200,000 tonnes of cheese made each year in Ireland, 90% is cheddar. That could soon become a problem.

Apart from America, which has plenty of cheesemakers of its own, the only country with a big appetite for cheddar is Britain. It buys more than half of Ireland’s cheddar exports, for upwards of €250m ($300m) a year.

But its impending exit from the European Union could cause the dairy trade to turn sour.

If Britain leaves the EU’s single market and customs union, as it intends to, Irish exporters can expect to face regulatory hurdles and perhaps tariffs. Conor Mulvihill of Dairy Industry Ireland, a lobby group, estimates that these barriers could add as much as €0.21 to the cost of cheddar made with each litre of milk; its farm-gate price is only about €0.30. In that worst-case scenario, “there wouldn’t be a gram of Irish cheddar exported,” he says.

So cheesemakers are following Mr Lynch’s example and exploring varieties with wider export potential. One of the largest producers, Dairygold, has announced a “Brexit-

proofing” plan to open a factory in Cork to make up to 20,000 tonnes a year of Jarlsberg, a Norwegian speciality, in partnership with Norway’s Tine. Glanbia, a big dairy which already makes mozzarella in Wales and Northern Ireland, plans to invest €250m-300m by 2020 to increase production capacity in Ireland for a range of goods, including cheese.

All the large dairies in Ireland are investigating alternative varieties, including Edam and Gouda, says one big cheese in the industry.

One snag is that Ireland’s grass-fed cows produce far more milk in summer than winter. Cheddar, which can be left to mature for years, allows cheesemakers to smooth their output throughout the year.

Switching to softer cheeses could mean summer gluts and winter scarcity. Some farmers have also found that the grass that gives Irish butter its prized golden colour also gives mozzarella an unappealing yellowish tint.

But that may not matter much when it comes to sales to the food-service business—that is, for ready meals or pizza toppings—which make up the biggest slice of Ireland’s cheese exports.

Continental competitors are not alarmed for the time being. “Everyone is free to produce it where they want.

I’m for the free market,” says a magnanimous Pier Maria Saccani, the head of Italy’s Consortium for the Protection of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana. But, he cautions, “everyone should do what they know how to do. I would never buy whisky from Amalfi.”

Disappearing banks A survey by the Valencian Institute of Economic Research has found that nearly half of the municipalities in the region have no bank.

A total of 231 towns and villages have never had or no longer have a bank, meaning around 120,000 people have to find alternative means to using their local branch.

Many of those affected are places that have suffered from

by Matthew Richards

falling population numbers in the last decade, prompting banks to close what was often the only branch in these places. Deputy Director of the Economic Institute Joaquin Maudos refers to this in terms of “financial exclusion”, a side effect of the financial downturn of the last decade which hit banks so badly.

As well as online

banking, which not all customers want to use, some banks have provided other alternatives where possible. These include cashpoints, a bank bus that visits regularly or even just a bank employee in a car. However Maudos points out that those worse hit are the elderly, poor and badly educated who are all less likely to have access to online alternatives to face to face banking.

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Business & Finance

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FRIDAY 13TH APRIL 2018

FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

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Motoring

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Hyundai i30 N 2018 Since the mid 2000s, Hyundai has undergone a huge transformation, with the brand producing ever improved and better quality cars. It’s a remarkable success story for a manufacturer that not that long ago was knocking out the best-left-forgotten Sonata...

And now Hyundai is turning its hand to performance cars. Well, a hot hatch to be precise. It’s taken the worthy if rather drab i30 hatchback and made it the first N car. The Hyundai equivalent of GTI or ST. Not that this is Hyundai’s first foray into ‘sporty’ cars. It launched the much underrated Veloster in 2012, but it only lasted three years on sale in the UK. However, the i30 N is more focussed on the performance element.

Hence why it’s powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine - the standard version has 250PS but the Performance version with 275PS is the one to go for. Both have the same peak torque of 353Nm, however the Performance Package means it keeps on producing it 500rpm further up the rev range, from 1450 to 4500rpm.

Picking the Performance Package also adds larger 19-inch wheels wrapped with Pirelli P-Zero tyres, in place of the standard

18-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sports. that’s still not bad value compared to a Focus There’s also an electronic differential ST-3 which is priced around the same. designed to improve control in corners. The Hyundai may never have designed a hot downside? It costs an extra £3000 but at £28k hatch, but it’s got everything right with the

i30 N. This thing is an absolute revelation.

It’s hugely enjoyable to drive, has all the performance you need and handles superbly.

It even rides well.

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FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

Motoring

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Hands free driver facing jail time A young man who lost his licence after being filmed steering a car with his feet could be looking at a prison sentence after being caught driving while his licence was suspended.

The unnamed 19-yearold from La Union (Murcia) performed the dangerous routine while driving through a busy street in his home town.

Friends with him in the car filmed the stunt, which made its way to social media and, unsurprisingly, came to the attention of

the authorities.

They tracked the driver, not a difficult job as he had been tagged on Instagram.

He confessed it was him and in January received a 20 month suspension of his driving licence and a two year suspended prison sentence. He was spotted again behind the wheel of a car last week and the suspended sentence may now be enforced, meaning the man could spend up to two years behind bars for his dangerous prank.

FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

Motoring

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FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

Sport

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Fulham and Jaguars NFL owner Shahid Khan offers £600 million for Wembley FUlham and Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan has made an offer to buy Wembley Stadium from the English Football Association, increasing the prospect of an NFL franchise in London.

Wembley has staged regular-season NFL games since 2007 and the Jaguars started playing at the stadium in 2013 - the year Khan bought London football club Fulham.

Khan offered about £600 million for the national football stadium, which would continue to host England national team games.

The governing body would retain the rights to hospitality packages for games, which are

valued at £300 million. ”The games the Jaguars play at Wembley are essential to the financial stability of the Jaguars in Jacksonville, which is one of the smallest markets in the NFL,” Khan said. “If my ownership interests were to include Wembley Stadium, it would protect the Jaguars’ position in London at a time when other NFL teams are understandably becoming more interested in this great city. And the stronger the Jaguars are in London, the more stable and promising the Jaguars’ future will be in Jacksonville.”

Khan said a takeover of Wembley would

“have no impact on Craven Cottage,” which is his football team’s current home in the Fulham district of west London by the River Thames.

Selling off Wembley would give the FA about £500 million to invest in grassroots football, which could increase the chances of the England team winning its first Fifa World Cup title since 1996.

“For the FA,” Khan saids, “it would mean Wembley Stadium returning to private ownership, permitting the FA to direct its full attention to its mandate to develop talent and serve the game with the vast resources it would realise from the sale.”

FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

23

Sport

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Deontay Wilder’s team makes £36 million offer to Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua, the British heavyweight star, has been offered a purse of at least £36m ($50m) to fight his American rival Deontay Wilder later this year.

Between them Joshua and Wilder hold all the heavyweight titles and a unification bout would generate huge interest.

“The purse would be the biggest paid to a heavyweight boxer in history and is more than double any purse that Joshua has been paid before. It would be the first time that all four main world heavyweight titles were on the line in the same fight,” says The Times.

The offer was made on Thursday night, reports Sky Sports. “Joshua, trainer Rob McCracken and promoter Eddie Hearn received emails sent directly from the Bronze Bomber’s personal address, with his promoter Shelly Finkel subsequently confirming an offer had been made.

“Wilder’s offer will also give him and his team control over the show and the venue, but Finkel admitted that if Joshua does agree,

the showdown does not have to take place in America.”

Hearn said he was “definitely interested” in the proposal but added that it felt like a PR stunt.

Both camps will meet on Friday to discuss the deal.

Steve Bunce of the BBC says the proposal is “part bluster and part sense”. He believes the biggest issue is the venue for the fight.

“If the Americans, that’s Deontay Wilder’s people, want any control they’ve got to come up with a big figure to try and wrestle Joshua away from his citadel – the stadiums in Great Britain.

“I think they can find the cash because they’d make the money up in pay-per-view and not at the turnstiles.

“That’s what concerns Eddie Hearn though: how big would a venue be? How many tickets would be available for British fans and, what’s more, when will it be?

“We know they can do 90,000 at Wembley for Deontay Wilder sometime in September.

What can the Americans do?”

Van Gaal hints at return to management Former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has hinted he may make a return to management for the upcoming 2018/19 season.

The ex-Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands, FC Bayern München and United boss has not been in the game since being sacked by the Red Devils in 2016.

Following his exit from Old

Trafford, the Dutchman said he would only consider a return to football should he be offered a deal from a major team in world football.

Nonetheless, it appears he is a candidate for a top job as the 66-year-old said he was offered a position at an unnamed side.

Speaking on television to Ziggo Sport on Wednesday, he said: “I still get a lot of offers. I have now received an offer that I actually can

not refuse.

“But if I do not have a club in July, August, you can assume that I’m retired.”

Speculation has it that Chelsea and Arsenal may be his next destination with Arsene Wenger having stepped down, and Antonio Conte reportedly set to leave.

However, nothing has as yet been confirmed and even a return to troubled Ajax could be possible.

Red Bull set Summer Deadline For Ricciardo Red Bull have issued Daniel Ricciardo an August contract deadline before they start looking elsewhere for a 2019 driver, with Christian Horner admitting Carlos Sainz would be leading the queue.

Ricciardo, out of contract at the end of the season, has yet to commit his future to Red Bull

and, amid links with Ferrari and Mercedes, said his Chinese GP win would not be enough in isolation to convince him to stay.

The Australian wants to keep his options open for as long as possible as he waits to see which car will give him the best titlewinning opportunity, but Red

Bull say they need to know his plans sooner rather than later.

“There should be a decision by the summer break at the latest,” team principal Horner told Auto Motor und Sport. “We do not want to wait forever.”

While the mass talent production from the Red Bull junior programme seems to

have slowed in recent years, the team still have many options to replace Ricciardo - that is, if they wish to stick to their usual internal policy.

Sainz, who impressed next to Ricciardo’s team-mate Max Verstappen at Toro Rosso, is on a one-year loan at Renault while Pierre Gasly has started the

season in impressive form at the junior team.

“Our priority is to continue working with Daniel,” added Horner. “If that does not work, we’ll go for the other options.

“The most obvious is Carlos Sainz. He is under contract with us. And then there are a few young drivers.”

24

FRIDAY 27TH APRIL 2018

Your Weekend Starts Here!

Sport

England to start 2019 World Cup against SA Hosts England will begin their quest for a maiden 50-overs World Cup title against perennial under-achievers South Africa on May 30 next year with Lord’s staging the final on July 14, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Thursday.

One-day cricket’s most coveted trophy has eluded three-times finalists England who staged the first three World Cups between 19751983 and also in 1999.

England could not advance beyond the group stage of the 2015 edition but have since grown into a formidable ODI outfit, rekindling hopes of breaking their World Cup duck on home soil.

They begin against a South Africa side who have never been beyond the semifinals.

Ashes rivals Australia, currently recovering from a ball-tampering scandal, will begin their title defence against plucky qualifiers Afghanistan on June 1 at Bristol.

Cricket Australia is searching for a new oneday captain after slapping 12-month bans on former

skipper Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner following last month’s fiasco in South Africa.

While both will be free to play in the tournament, Smith has also been barred from captaincy for two years, while Warner will not be considered for any leadership role again.

Old Trafford will host the 10-team tournament’s mostanticipated match on June 16 between Asian arch-rivals India and Pakistan.

The collapse of bilateral cricket between the bitter South Asian neighbours means their fans can only

watch them in ICC events.

“Because of the UK’s diverse population, every competing team will also be guaranteed a ‘home crowd’ every time they play at some of the most iconic cricket grounds in the world,” the tournament’s managing director Steve Elworthy said in a statement.

England - looking to win their maiden World Cup title - will also face Pakistan (June 3, Trent Bridge), Bangladesh (June 8, Cardiff), Windies (June 14, The Ageas Bowl), Afghanistan (June 18, Old Trafford), Sri Lanka (June 21, Headingley), India (June

30, Edgbaston) and New Zealand (July 3, Durham).

The Olympic Stadium in London, now home to West Ham United, had been mooted as a possible venue but misses out, with Bristol and Taunton also chosen to host matches across the 48-match, 46-day event.

The top four sides in the 10-team competition will advance to the semi-finals (July 9 at Old Trafford and July 11 at Edgbaston) with the final staged at Lord’s on Sunday, July 14 - all matches in the knockout stage will feature reserve days in case of bad weather.