Weekender Issue 041

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ISSUE 041

Friday 20th April 2018

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MURDER SUSPECT CAUGHT

Metropolitan Police confirmed Simon Corner, 35, was arrested on a European Arrest Warrant for alleged “conspiracy to murder”.

He was arrested on a flight from South America on Monday this week and appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The Metropolitan Police has said the arrest was at the request of Spanish authorities.

Mr Corner is now set to be sent to Spain within ten days of the court hearing.

The arrest comes after the family of Lisa launched a

£100,000 reward for information on Corner’s whereabouts at a press conference in Algeciras last month.

Mum-of-one Lisa was last seen in November, 2015 at her home in Guadiaro (Costa del Sol) near Gibraltar and is presumed dead by her family and Spanish police. Her body has never been found.

Her sister Helen said: “We are as happy as we can be. We expect extradition to run its course now. We don’t think there’s any chance he will be let out again by the Spanish courts before his trial.”

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FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

Finance Feature

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.

provided by...

Do you really know the difference?

Rathbone Brothers PLC, The Prudential and London & Colonial. Having met many of you during the tour, what was most revealing was the extent of financial mismanagement that sadly many Expats here in Spain have faced.

So, what’s the different with Chorus, and what are the warning signs of poor financial advice?

Regulation.

By Tracy Storer

Senior Partner Chorus Financial

Back in November last year Chorus Financial were very honoured to have been the invited Financial Advisory for ‘The Finance Tour’, Europe’s leading financial seminar.

The Finance Tour was the first opportunity for Expats on the Costa Blanca to hear direct from the UK institutions who ultimately manage their pensions and investments. These includes

This is so important. Chorus have the highest level of regulation available to anyone here in Spain, with the full investment and insurance licenses. Via our website you can see our full list of permissions on the UK FCA’s website and the local regulators here in Spain. Many financial advisors in Spain have incredibly limited regulation, or even worse, do not display any details of their regulation on any of their paperwork, websites, newspaper articles etc. Without proper regulation you are entirely unprotected throughout the entire advice process.

Transparency. For me this is the second most critical element to receiving appropriate financial advice here in Spain.

In the UK, it is illegal for a financial advisor to receive hidden commissions when recommending an investment fund for your portfolio. Sadly, in Spain, that is not the case. If your financial advisor is choosing funds because they pay them commissions, then they are clearly not designing a portfolio with your long-term financial goals in mind. Clues that your financial advisor is taken hidden fees, and potentially recommending inappropriate investments are: 1) A fund entry charge.

This is often as high as 5%, and 100% of this goes to your advisor for recommending that fund.

2) Unusually high annual fund fee.

UK based FCA regulated funds generally charge between 0.2% and 0.95% per annum. Funds that pay hidden commissions

will have much higher charges than this, often as much as 2-3% per annum.

3) A tie in.

Liquidity in a portfolio is essential, but funds that pay a commission to the financial advisor may have a tie in of up to 5 years. This is detrimental to the client’s long term financial health.

commissions for recommending your investment funds. Unless you specify otherwise, your funds will always be invested

by UK based, FCA regulated fund managers, in a diverse portfolio of trusted household names like HSBC, Investec, Rathbone Brothers PLC, and The Prudential.

Is it illegal for UK based funds to pay commissions to financial advisors, so often advisors will make unnecessary use of offshore funds. Offshore funds can easily be identified because the fund code (ISIN) will not start with the letters GB. You can see this on the dealing instruction your financial advisor will have asked you to sign to buy your investments. An example of a UK ISIN is GB00B41YBW71.

Our reputation and commitment to our clients means that Chorus have yet again been selected to talk at The Finance Tour (www. thefinancetour.com).

Some of the worlds most respected financial companies are returning for a second time to the Costa Blanca to answer your questions. So if you considering a new investment or pension transfer, or have concerns about an existing investment speak directly to the experts book your place today at www. thefinancetour.com

Chorus make a simple promise, and that is that our recommendations will always be 100% tailored to our client’s needs, and we will never take

If you’d prefer to book a consultation or speak to me direct you can call me on 693 107 044 or email t.storer@ chorusfinancial.es.

4) Offshore funds.

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 20TH APRIL 2018

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The sun has got it hat on hip hip horary!

Well now I can say it is finally here because I have seen red faces and even burnt noses.. so be careful and add the protection as it’s not nice when you get burnt.

In the mean time whilst we all rave on about the warmer weather arriving I can make my own little statement about April in Spain, it’s a month of mixed weather sun rain and plenty of wind!!

I am happy to say that once we pass my birthday 21st April a date I have shared with the queen since 1968 yes do the maths that’s 50 years on Saturday my big 50 and I’m saying right now I’m looking forward to it a night to celebrate at the best venue in Benidorm and the whole Costa Blanca a night of music, dancing, food and plenty of drinking it has to be the Benidorm Palace.

So until next weekend have a great time with whatever you plans are and enjoy the Spanish sunshine hasta luego

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FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

Spanish links Dozens stopped on to air strikes the way to Spain against Syria

by Simon Russell

AS Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy made his first official statement about the recent air strikes on Syria, it has emerged that Spain also played an indirect part in the operation. A US destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, which was one of the warships taking part in the strikes, has been based in Cadiz.

Furthermore, two US refuelling planes taking part in the operation are based on a military airfield in Zaragoza.

PM Rajoy seemed to back the strikes, both in his words, describing them as legitimate and his actions by authorising the use of Spanish facilities and airspace. Along with the US, the French and British played a more direct part in the raids.

While some have supported the moves others were strongly against it. In the UK Prime Minister Theresa May took flak from politicians on all sides for proceeding in a warlike act without consulting Parliament.

MOROCCAN authorities say that they have stopped 80 people that were about to try and attempt an illegal sea crossing to Spain this week. There were two separate groups involved, both in the city of Nador.

55 people were stopped before they even left the beach in their craft while the other 25 were intercepted just off the Moroccan coast. Those detained were said to be from sub-Saharan regions; people from all over Africa are using Morocco as a starting point for their dangerous and sometimes fatal crossing to nearby Spain.

Elch milk bank campaign THE Vinalopo Hospital in Elche is running a campaign to encourage lactating mothers to donate breast milk. Many mothers are unable to breast feed their children for various reasons and these babies are then missing out on the proven benefits of the food. Sick or premature babies

by Simon Russell

in particular are known to benefit from breast milk and feeding them on this can make a huge difference in the first few days of their lives.

Any mum who is having no problems feeding their own baby and has no health issues can be a

milk donor. Those interested can speak to their midwife or visit their local medical centre. It is planned to make a maternal “Milk Bank� to serve the Valencian Community and, as with blood donations, this system is wholly dependent on people’s goodwill in order to succeed.

FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

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Bells sounding Brit in selfie across Europe fall horror THE four week period of the run up to Easter and the holiday itself saw a rise in the number of fires across Alicante province compared to the same period in 2017. There were 409 fires officially recorded and requiring call outs, an increase of

THIS Saturday (21 April) at midday a thousand bell towers will be ringing out across Europe as part of the campaign to get manual bell-ringing recognised as a Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which covers intangible things such as speech and music. The Valencian town of Albaida

by Matthew Richards

will be joining in, which has had a bell rung by hand in the town every day for over 800 years.

Bells will ring out in some of Europe’s great cathedrals including Tarragona and Salamanca but also in towns that have been abandoned due to

depopulation and that once heard the sound of church bells every-day, such as Otero de Sariegos in the Zamora province.

This is the European year of Cultural Heritage and this is one of many such events that will be occurring across Spain and the rest of Europe in recognition of that throughout 2018.

by Simon Russell

nearly 50%. A quarter of these were in the main cities and the totals include residential as well as forest fires.

Easter is usually a busy period for the fire brigades with rising visitor numbers

and issues such as an increase in consumption of alcohol making people more careless. The busy brigades would also have expected to see an increase in the numbers of call outs for road accidents which nearly always rise at Easter.

Locals Protests restaurant closure THE closing down of a restaurant for health and safety reasons has outraged many local residents in Elche. Local Police closed the building last week but the Cultural, Sporting and Gastronomic Association of Camino de Castilla have said that they were using the premises as a social

by Simon Russell

club and meeting point for sports and other activities.

They believe that the order was only for the production of food to cease but that the building should have been allowed to stay open.

However the police have said that they were only

carrying out the decree as instructed and did not even realise that it was being used by the group in question.

The association, a non-profit group, have referred the matter to their lawyers while the councillor responsible, Carlos Sanchez, has admitted that the situation is “very complex”.

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FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

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Richard Gere to wed Spanish fiancée ACTOR and activist Richard Gere is set to marry his Spanish girlfriend Alejandra Silva next month.

The couple announced they will be tying the knot in Washington DC on 5 May in what will be Gere’s third marriage and her second.

Both have one child from their last marriage although Gere’s most famous union was probably his first with supermodel Cindy Crawford which did not produce children.

Ms Silva is 33 years younger than 68 year old Gere, an old friend of her

by Simon Russell

family she has known most of her life. She works with a homeless charity and it was this that brought the pair together three years ago.

Gere has become increasingly involved in activism and charitable work in later life with causes ranging from Tibet to HIV/Aids.

Last year the couple opened a project aimed at improving the day to day life of children with cancer, based at a university hospital in Madrid.

Post Office repurposed

TWENTY firefighters were called out to a fire aboard a luxury yacht in Alicante port on Monday.

Smoke was detected coming from the catamaran

by Simon Russell

as it was moored on one of the marina jetties.

The boat had to be moved to Pier 14 before

the crews could start dealing with the fire itself, with boat fires always bringing the added danger of fuel explosions. The fibreglass structure also

made the job risky due to its toxicity but the firecrews managed to get the flames under control after a few hours. No-one was reported hurt in the blaze.

FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

Missing teen search THE National Police have asked the public for help in their search for a missing 14-year-old boy.

Sergio Calderon Bordes from Torrent disappeared last Sunday, 15 April. The boy is described as 1.53 meters tall, and weighs around 53 kilos. He has brown hair with blonde highlights; light brown eyes and usually

by Simon Russell

wore a black earring on his left ear. When he was last seen he was wearing a military T-shirt, jeans and a green tracksuit jacket. If you have any information at all either call the 112 emergency number, the police on 091 or the Guardia Civil on 062.

Virtual teacher

by Simon Russell

Port fire extinguished

TWENTY firefighters were called out to a fire aboard a luxury yacht in Alicante port on Monday.

Smoke was detected coming from the catamaran as it was moored on one of the marina jetties.

by Simon Russell

The boat had to be moved to Pier 14 before the crews could start dealing with the fire itself, with boat fires always bringing the added danger of

NEWS BITES

fuel explosions. The fibreglass structure also made the job risky due to its toxicity but the fire-crews managed to get the flames under control after a few hours. No-one was reported hurt in the blaze.

ROBOTIC teachers may seem like something out of a sci-fi movie, but that is just what is being planned for around 50 Alicante schools from this year.

“Virex” is the new brainchild of “Robotikids”, a firm founded three years ago in Alicante that specialises in introducing new technologies and innovations for teaching both adults and children.

Virex follows on from that ethos, using virtual reality (VR) technology related to both education and leisure. The use of VR in schools can create ideal training environments by, for example, replicating laboratory conditions from a school desk said the firm’s spokesman. Things such as chemistry experiments can also now be carried out in a safe environment at a fraction of the price, he continued.

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Found Guilty Woman charged for attacking business partner for "stealing husband" A guilty verdict against a woman who attacked her exbusiness partner for “stealing her husband” has been upheld. At the time the accused approached the other woman in an Alicante school and, after an argument, hit her twice.

This caused concussion

and temporary hearing problems for the victim.

The accused had been found guilty of assault although cleared of the threats she was supposed to have made due to lack of evidence.

The same court upheld the original verdict this week and the assailant was fined.

Twelve year old found hanged A small Murcian town is said to be in shock after a 12 year old boy was found hanging and died shortly after.

The tragedy happened in the Santa Barbara area of La Union; the child was discovered by family members in the residence where they lived. Medical staff that were quickly on the scene were able to find

some signs of life but could not resuscitate the boy and he was declared dead in hospital.

An autopsy will take place and police have opened an investigation into the incident. The boy was part of a family of North African immigrants who the mayor said are part of a close knit immigrant community in the area.

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FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

Giant of the sea washed up A four metre pilot whale (Globicephala melas) was washed ashore last Sunday on Elche’s Arenales del Sol beach.

It is thought that this is the same creature that was spotted close to shore in the area the Friday beforehand. The Local Police were informed, although it is thought that the whale was dead when it washed up and probably perished out at sea before drifting in on the tide. As is usual with such incidents marine experts

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by Matthew Richards

from the Valencia University have been informed and will examine the corpse to try and determine the cause of death.

Pilot whales are relatively common in the Mediterranean and throughout the Atlantic. Despite their name they are not actually whales but cetaceans, or oceanic dolphins. They are the second largest cetaceans with only killer whales (orcas) growing larger.

Mayor murder trial

COURT proceedings have started for seven men accused of involvement in the contract killing of a Costa Blanca mayor in 2007. In May of that year Alejandro Ponsoda was shot three times outside his home and died from a head wound shortly after. It is alleged that one of the accused, Juan Cano, held a grudge against

by Matthew Richards

Mr Ponsoda, a colleague.

This revolved around a perceived snub about Cano’s place on the candidates list for the municipal elections and led to the hire of hitmen.

Also on trial are three Czech nationals accused of the killing itself and three

businessmen who were also involved in the planning of the killing. At this stage the court needs to determine that there is sufficient evidence for the trial to proceed against some or all of the accused. Joint bail has been set at €335,000, sufficient to meet potential compensation payments due to the deceased man’s family.

Toddlers at school THE province of Alicante is extending its scheme of offering school places to children as young as two in the next school year. Partly this is to keep child numbers at the schools steady as the number of children in the area continues to fall.

However the

by Matthew Richards

education department has said there is also plenty of evidence that children who start school earlier benefit educationally and socially.

About half of the schools that will now be offering places for

two year olds have lost a class for older children, generally where there is more than one class in a single year. The final benefit for parents of course is the possibility of an extra year of free child care, allowing many to return to the workplace on a full or part time basis.

Matador collapses in the ring VALENCIAN bullfighter Vicente Ruiz – or “el Soro” collapsed with a suspected heart attack in a bullring in Almeria last weekend.

55-year-old Ruiz wasn’t fighting at the time but was practicing prior to a tribute

by Matthew Richards

show that was being staged for him. He was treated in the emergency section of the local hospital and was later moved to a hospital in Valencia to be closer to his

home and family.

In 1994 Ruiz suffered an injury serious enough to keep him out of the ring for nearly 20 years; he famously made a comeback in 2013 after over 30 operations on his legs. If he recovers from this latest setback it seems unlikely he will return to the ring.

Two years for pub sex attacker A court in Denia has upheld a sentence of two years for a man who attacked a woman outside a bar in Denia.

The incident, dating back to 2014, started after he put his hand up the skirt of a woman inside the bar.

He was thrown out by the landlord but waited outside the establishment.

When the same woman left he hit her in the face with a glass, causing a wound that needed stitches.

The assailant had counter claimed for

injuries he sustained from the woman’s friends but the judge dismissed these as being acceptable on the grounds of selfdefence. The defendant was sentenced to one year for sexual assault and one year for common assault.

FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

902 123 461

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FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

Fatal road race arrests Multiple SIX people have been arrested as part of a yearlong investigation into an illegal road race in which one person died and seven more were injured. The motorcycle race was held last year in Rafelguaraf near Valencia on the same day as a legal bike rally in the town. Around

by Simon Russell

200 people from the rally went to the rural spot where a number of motorbikes, some modified, went along to race.

Due to the illegality of the event and close knit nature of the biking community, police had difficulty determining

exactly what had happened.

They managed to acquire some filmed footage and this showed that one motorcycle hit a pedestrian and another bike hit the driver of the first one. The vehicles then went into the crowd causing further injury as well as the fatality.

Five of the injuries at the time were described as very serious.

The six youths arrested are aged between 18 and 29, all Spanish nationals.

They have been charged with nine separate counts of road safety breaches as well as falsifying documentation, the latter with regards to registration plate tampering.

Monolingual row PARTIES on all sides of the political divide have declared themselves happy with the recent restoration work on Denia’s historic castle.

However the Partido Popular

opposition have queried why the new signs put up for visitors about the newly restored areas are only in Valenciano.

Spokesman Maria Mut said “In the Valencian Community

and Denia we have two official languages so the signs should be in Valenciano and Castilian as a minimum requirement.”

She goes on to say that ideally they should also be in English

quakes hit Granada within 3 hours At least a dozen earthquakes hit the Andalucian province of Granada last Monday in a period of less than three hours. They were registered between

7.30am and 10.10am with the highest intensity being 2.8 on the Richter scale.

The emergency services received several calls from worried householders but there were no reported

injuries or serious damage.

The area is a known earthquake zone and although they are usually minor a 5.1 scale quake hit the town of Lorca in 2011 killing ten people.

Number one in English SILVIA Cerdan, from Torre Pacheco in Murcia, has been named as the best young English speaker in the country. She won a national public speaking competition in Valencia last Saturday and the judges decided her improvised talk, about

by Matthew Richards

while having signs in French and German as well would be even better. The work on the castle, completed last week, saw the restoration of the imperial staircase and the Palau Vell.

using mathematics to display emotions, was the most impressive. She will go on to represent Spain in the international finals to be held in London next month.

Silvia attends the CCE Virgen del Paisco School in her hometown which also produced last year’s winner and

three of this year’s four contestants from Murcia.

Of the three runners-up in this year’s contest two were from the Balearic Islands and one from the Valencian Community.

The event was held in the Valencian HQ of the Edem Business School.

by Simon Russell

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FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

TV PRESENTER DALE WINTON HAS DIED AGED 62 TV presenter Dale Winton has died at the age of 62, it has been confirmed.

The Supermarket Sweep star, who has strong connections to Nottingham, died at his home earlier on Wednesday.

He was a regular on Trent FM, Nottingham’s first commercial radio station which launched in 1975.

He left the Nottingham radio station in 1985 and moved onto a number of other local radio stations.

His long-term agent Jan

Kennedy said in a statement to the Press Association: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm the passing of Dale Winton who died at home earlier today.

“While we know many will share this terrible loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this time of grief.”

He hosted a number of other programmes throughout his career including Supermarket Sweep, National Lottery, In it to Win it and Hole in the Wall.

Back In MEAN BEANS

A driver who left her car parked by a “blocking gate” returned to find her motor had been attacked with baked beans A woman, who wants to be known only as Emma, said her car was vandalised while left in a car park at submarine makers BAE in Barrow, Cumbria. The single mother also found a note attached to her windscreen which said: “Wake up earlier.”

Emma, 30, took pictures of the bean attack and note and posted them to social media.

The angry message warned: “This is not a parking space. People need regular access to these back gates and you’re stopping them!

“There is clearly signs on both gates indicating that access is needed and not to park there.

“Do this again and we will contact BAE Systems HR Department and we will also go to the council. If you want a proper parking space wake up earlier.”

Emma wrote on social media: “So I got back to my car today to this – I wouldn’t mind but I asked someone if it was ok to park where I was they said it would be fine and I was by no means blocking any gate!

“I also noticed when I returned to my car, a resident was able to park their car through Her post was shared over various Facebook pages,

prompting plenty of comments in response to the beans on her car bonnet.

The vehicle is understood to have been parked in an offsite shipyard car park. The car’s owner states she asked someone if it was ok to park there and she was told it was.It is not clear from the picture where the car was parked. The post has been made public and shared by shocked Facebook users.

People have been commenting to express their shock at what they claim is an act of vandalism.

One was surprised the seagulls hadn’t eaten the beans while another said “please park there again and put a plate and knife and fork on your roof”.

Britain

ANT MCPARTLIN BANNED FROM DRIVING FOR 20 MONTHS AND FINED £86,000 FOR DRINK DRIVING The 42 year old television presenter had admitted to driving while more than twice the legal alcohol limit in West London on March 18th

this year In his statement to police the court heard McPartlin said “I am very sorry I did this. I am ashamed and mortified

that this happened...I accept full culpability for this and wish to apologise to all those concerned.”

The 42 year old pleaded guilty to drink-driving

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FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

after his black Mini collided with two other cars in Richmond, west London. Nobody was seriously injured however a child passenger from one of the other cars was taken to hospital to be checked as a precaution.

The charge stated he had 75 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, meaning he was twice over the limit.

After he was charged, ITV announced the Saturday Night Takeaway host would step back from his TV commitments, with co-presenter of almost 30 years Declan Donnelley hosting the final two episodes of the show on his own.

ALBANIAN WOMAN GOT £72,000 NHS OPERATION USING FAKE ID n illegal immigrant who got a life-saving kidney transplant that cost the NHS £72,000 has been jailed for 14 months.

Fatmira Tafa, from Albania, came to the UK in the back of a lorry after meeting a fellow illegal migrant online – she then used a fake ID to say she was Greek.

This fooled NHS staff who performed the life-saving operation, but she later admitted what she’d done after her partner was deported

and she was left in Wales on her own.

Jeremy Judge Jenkins said: “The cost to the NHS was in excess of £72,000. That is a most serious matter and a matter this court can not overlook.

“I pass this sentence with a heavy heart and it gives me no pleasure to do so but it is the appropriate sentence for your offending.”

She was jailed for 14 months after admitting fraud and possession of an identity card with improper intentions.

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FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

Business & Finance

Weekender Forgers foiled

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The

Talks

Sponsored By The UK’s record on immigration is under fire at home and in Brussels after a scandal involving the Windrush generation which was invited to Britain to plug labour shortfalls in the postwar decades.

Some of their descendants have been caught up in a tightening of immigration rules.

Facing a grilling from the UK parliament Theresa May said: “I want to be absolutely clear, that we have no intention of asking anyone to leave who has the right to remain.

And for those who have mistakenly received letters challenging them, I want to apologize to them.”

Despite May’s charm offensive – the issue has stoked fears amongst EU citizens in the UK that they will suffer a similar fate.

European Parliament Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt was categorical in his condemnation. And said he would address the issue next week.

A spokesperson for May went on to reject fears EU citizens would experience similar difficulties telling reporters “Very strong guarantees have been given to EU citizens via the joint report and reconfirmed by the agreement in March.”

However, the issue of citizens rights in a post-Brexit Britain still remains up in the air.

Fix the Irish Border Issue or No Deal Tusk Tells UK The UK’s decision on Brexit has caused the problem, and the UK will have to help solve it. It’s the most recent message by European Council (EC) President Donald Tusk to Britain, while he also called for long-awaited solution to the hard border issue between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

In his April 18 report to the European Parliament, Tusk addressed the thorn in the flesh of Brexit negotiations — the unsettled issue of a hard customs border between Belfast and Dublin. Tusk’s main message was plain — “without a

TWO people from Alicante were among three arrests made this week in connection with a money forging ring.

The detentions were the result of an operation that began in June 2017 when a number of counterfeit 50 and 100 euro notes were found in the cities of Zaragoza and Tudela.

Initial investigations found that the money was originating in the Italian city of Naples, being smuggled in by an

by Matthew Richards

Italian national, much of it by post. The gang then had a number of people laundering the money by spending it in establishments that do not have the technical means to detect forged notes; any change or goods purchased would then be “clean”.

The arrest came after one of the gang was caught red handed picking up a parcel sent

from Naples which was found to contain €4,600 in forged fifties.

As well as the two arrests in Alicante a third person was detained in Barcelona while a fourth member was thought to have been directing operations from his jail cell in Tarragona. The gang are also believed to have been involved in other criminal activity including forging documents and small scale drug trafficking.

Tel: 671 935 072

solution, there will be no withdrawal agreement and no transition.”

With the looming deadline of June 2018 for the assessment of negotiations, Britain and its government have to establish a resolution that would appease political players in Northern Ireland and the Republic.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) led by Arlene Foster, have expressed their concern over losing integral connection with London, if they were to stay in the customs union, single market and the VAT area, as opposed to the rest of the UK. While the Irish PM Leo Varadkar keeps insisting there should be no hard border “because that’s what farms and business people and citizens on both sides of the border want and need.”

The Irish Revenue Commissioners estimate that 177,000 heavy goods vehicles and 208,000 light vans cross the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland every month. In 2016, the total value of export sales from Northern Ireland to Ireland was £3.4 billion.

Establishment of hard border would mean tariffs on the movement of goods and services, which would inevitably harm businesses on both sides.

Currently, there are a few ways in which the return of customs checks can be avoided. One of them is outlined in the European Commission Draft Withdrawal Agreement as a special arrangement for Northern Ireland. Second is a united Ireland, which would raise political unrest and would potentially threaten the Good Friday agreement.

Third, it could be an agreement covering the whole of Britain, providing for some sort of customs union and commitment to regulatory alignment.

Whatever the solution to the current stand-off, the UK needs to come up with one fast, as Donald Tusk stressed EU’s desire to “use the positive momentum in these negotiations to finally settle outstanding issues.”

Skills shortage addressed A Valencian company is having to take steps to ensure that it can hire key staff rather than have them go abroad where the money is often better then in Spain.

Supermarket giant Mercadona is offering engineers and architects starting salaries of at least €45,000pa, around €3,700 per month; this can climb to just over €68,000pa after a period

by Simon Russell

of employment.

Germany is the big pull in recent years for graduate Spanish engineers and architects, where the average starting salary is €40,000 - €5,000 less than Mercadona is offering.

Germany also requires engineers to pass further exams to work in the country as qualified

professionals. For the retailer these sectors of the workforce are critical to their ambitious store expansion plans, important enough that they feel the need to pay what is a high salary for Spain with its lower cost of living.

There may even be movement against the current tide as some young German engineers opt to come to Spain to work.

15

FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

Business & Finance

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I Don’t Mean to Bore You!!

By Andrew Gibson

BLACKTOWER Financial Management

I won’t bore you with the fact that Blacktower Financial Management have been around advising expats for over 30 years, indeed in the Costa Blanca for over 10. Nor will I bore you with the fact we have been advertising on local radio and press for many, many years. I guess by now you’ve heard of us and you realise we must be getting financial planning advice right! Boring yes?

OK, so now hopefully I won’t bore you and you will find the following very useful!

What I would like to discuss

with you is the importance of getting the right financial advice.

So what do I mean by that?

Clearly it is very important you understand that if you are going to receive financial advice, that you not only receive advice and recommendations on the area that you wish to talk about, but also that all of your financial circumstances are taken into consideration. What is he going on about I hear you say! I will give you an example; suppose you have some money to invest, you consider you are getting a low interest deal from the bank and you think it’s time to look at investing because you are concerned about the money being eroded by inflation? Let’s suppose that this is the only area that gets discussed because after all that’s all you wanted to discuss. What happens then to that investment when you die or your partner dies?

Was it set up to take account of your Will/Wills, and what about UK Inheritance tax or Spanish

Succession tax? Where are the Beneficiaries and what might they have to pay when you die?

Also what about income tax? In addition what about your income needs now and is there an easier way to meet these? What if you are taking high levels of income from your savings, when will your money run out or can it be set up to last longer? How much could you afford to lose (even if just temporarily) if another financial crisis hits in the future? What about Spanish Overseas Asset reporting requirements, will this be taken into account for existing and potentially new investments?

Do you know the answer to all of these questions?

At Blacktower Financial Management we don´t expect you to know and understand how all of these areas may impact upon your investments, savings and wealth, especially if not enough thought has been given to any or all of these potentially tax

penal areas and other potentially painful consequences. That is why I make sure and feel it very important to ask my clients lots of questions about their financial circumstances and requirements.

Not just their attitude to investment risk, but their thoughts on investing and where they want the money eventually to go, be it to a partner or children etc? I will also want to discuss your income needs both now and in the future taking into account the potential impacts of inflation along the way.

I will want to discuss what taxes may impact you in the future and not just the obvious ones now. I want to ensure you have a good grasp of what tax implications may lie ahead and how these can potentially be dealt with or possibly mitigated altogether.

For this reason Blacktower provide a service called Holistic Financial Planning. So, if you want a thorough review of your

Blacktower Financial Management Ltd is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV. Blacktower

finances please contact me and I will be sure to ask you the right questions to provide the most appropriate advice for your circumstances.

I am here to help YOU. To arrange an independent, professional and impartial consultation please contact me by email andrew. gibson@blacktowerfm.com or call me on 603 612 464. Website: www.blacktowerfm.com Blacktower Financial Management has been established for over 32 years and have worked with clients through the good and the bad times, offering sound independent advice, we will be by your side both now and in the future.

The above information was correct at the time of preparation and does not constitute investment advice and you should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity.

Financial Management (Int) Ltd is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial services Commission (FSC) and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV in Spain.

Safe and secure – it’s a great feeling Our advice, your advantage We’re here to help you sleep well at night. And it’s not about the firmness of your mattress, it’s about the strength of your financial protection. When you ask a Blacktower adviser “what-if”, we have the confidence in our expertise to provide an answer, so you can feel confident that you and the people you love, are protected.

Health Insurance

•

General Protection Policies

Get in touch today at: info@blacktowerfm.com +34 965 058 212 Avinguda d’Ausiàs March 9, Local 7 (Esq. Joan Fuster), 03730 Javea, Alicante

www.blacktowerfm.com Blacktower Financial Management (International) Limited is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission Licence 00805B and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV in Spain. Blacktower Financial Management Limited in the UK is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

•

Critical Illness

16

FRIDAY 13TH APRIL 2018

FRIDAY 13TH APRIL 2018

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18

FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

Motoring

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Maserati Levante 2016

It’s a sign of how the the car market has changed in recent years that Maserati - one of the most exotic car manufacturers around - now has a diesel SUV in its line up. We kind of expected it from Porsche with the Cayenne, but Maserati...

So this is the way forward it appears.

After all, everyone wants SUVs these days. You only have to drive into any town centre car park to see that. How many actually go off road? Zero. But do people still buy them? Yes. They’ll say it’s for

practicality and the like, but much of it is for status.

An SUV is seen as that bit posher than a saloon or hatchback.

And when it comes to status, few brands carry as much weight as Maserati.

Drive a Levante and you’ll attract plenty of attention, much more so than a similarly expensive BMW or even a Porsche. It’s this exclusivity and brand image that is a big part of the appeal for the Levante. If you want something different from the crowd, the Levante is it.

This does come at a price, though.

The Levante starts at more than £55k new, although in context that’s actually not bad at all. It’s close in price to a Cayenne diesel and similar to a high-spec Audi Q7.

From launch, only a diesel Levante was available. The same big 3.0-litre twinturbo V6 that’s used in the Quattroporte

and the Ghibli. With 275PS, it’s not short of power - but it’s the 600Nm of torque that makes this SUV so driveable. In mid2017, the Levante S was added which has a 430PS 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine. Built

by Ferrari no less.

The standard gearbox is an eight-speed automatic and the Levante comes well equipped with air suspension as standard, a torque vectoring system, adaptive cruise control and of course navigation. That’s not to say you won’t find it easy to add on £10k worth of options without even trying.

It’s described by its maker as ‘the Maserati of SUVs’ and it certainly follows the same path as the Ghibli and Quattroporte. That means the Levante is powerful, incredibly comfortable on the move and has a top quality interior. Yes the gear selector is clunky, the brakes could do with more bite and the steering lacks feel through corners, but that doesn’t detract from what is one of the most appealing and desirable SUVs around.

Auto Mart Benissa Ctra Nacional N-332, Partida Bonaire 60 Opposite Benissa Motorway Entrance info@automartbenissa.com Mon to Fri 9.30 –19.00 Saturday 10.00–14.00

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21

FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

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22

FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

Sport

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Daniel Ricciardo considering ‘other options’ DANIEL Ricciardo has warned his sensational Chinese GP win will not in isolation be enough for him to sign a new contract at Red Bull.

The Australian, out of contract at the end of the season, did his negotiating position no harm by claiming Red Bull’s first win of the season after taking advantage of their change of strategy under the Safety Car to overtake five drivers in the space of nine laps.

Red Bull chief Christian Horner said after his driver’s victory: “If we can give him a car like we did today, why would he want to be anywhere else?”

But Ricciardo, who turns 29 in July and has

said on several occasions he feels ready to win a world championship, said he needs the Shanghai result to be the rule rather than the exception.

“I want to be with the best car because I think the weekend proved that if I got the opportunity I can pull it off, I can handle that pressure and that intensity,” Ricciardo told Channel 10.

“If we can win a few more now with Red Bull, then that looks very attractive. If not, then I guess there’s probably other options.

“Obviously the win helps but if we were finishing sixth every race this year, then that’s not the most attractive option to me.”

Ricciardo is the only

driver in history to win the first six grands prix of his career when starting outside the top three on the grid, but has only once claimed more than one win in a single season (2014) in his five years at Red Bull.

However, Red Bull’s previous opening victories in the current hybrid turbo engine era have never before been achieved before the fifth round.

With teammate Max Verstappen last year extending his Red Bull contract to 2020, Red Bull already have one racewinning driver on their books for next season but have made clear their determination to hold on to Ricciardo too.

David Haye: I thought there was no way I could lose to Bellew David Haye says that he went into his first fight with Tony Bellew with the wrong mindset, and that he’s going into their May 5 rematch thinking completely differently.

Writing for the Mirror, the 37-yearold former cruiserweight and heavyweight titleholder says that he had no fear of Bellew’s power the first time, and this time will give Bellew’s power respect (even if Bellew didn’t hurt him the first fight): “In my mind, I was just going to go in there and knock Tony out. It sounds simple and primitive but that’s what it was, I had no fear of his power. Normally when I go into a fight I make sure I don’t get hit but

I thought it didn’t matter for this one. I thought that even if he hit me, it would make no difference; I thought there was no way I could lose.

“He hit me on the button with some of his best shots but I didn’t feel them. I could go into this fight with the same mentality but I’m not going to. Once you step in the ring with a fighter you naturally realise a level of respect for that person, regardless of whether you like them or not.

“On May 5, I’m going to go into it believing he can hurt me; having that awareness wakes you up, makes you sharper and heightens your senses.”

23

FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

Sport

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Five Spanish rugby players banned up to 43 weeks for referee abuse Spanish player touches Romanian referee Vlad Iordachescu after protesting at Spain’s Rugby World Cup qualification defeat to Belgium in Brussels in March.

Five Spain rugby internationals have been banned for between 14 and 43 weeks for abusing a match official at the end of a controversial Rugby Europe Championship match against Belgium last month.

The Spanish team was incensed by the performance of referee Vlad Iordachescu in their 18-10 loss in Brussels that meant Spain missed out on automatic qualification for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Members of Spain’s coaching team were forced to restrain their players and Iordachescu had to be escorted from the field.

A Rugby Europe Independent judicial committee sanctioned five of Spain’s team, with Sebastien Rouet receiving a 43-week ban for physical and verbal abuse of a match

official. Guillaume Rouet received a 36-week ban, while Pierre Barthere, Lucas Guillaume and Mathieu Belie got 14-week suspensions.

A misconduct complaint against the Spanish Rugby Union was suspended and a hearing date will be set.

Romania qualified for the World Cup because of Spain’s loss to Belgium. Iordachescu is from Romania, as are his assistants for the game.

World Rugby said it was ``deeply concerned’’ about the choice of Romanian officials for the match because they were ``not neutral in the context of qualification,’’ and that Rugby Europe failed to heed Spain’s request to change the officials.

In a separate investigation, World Rugby has ordered an independent review into Romania, Spain and Belgium possibly using ineligible players for Rugby Europe Championship games. If the breaches are found to be correct, Russia could end up qualifying.

Peter Wright beats Michael van Gerwen Peter Wright claimed his first Premier League victory over Michael van Gerwen as he defeated the world number one 7-5 in a thrilling clash in Cardiff on Thursday night.

It was also the first time Snakebite has got the better of MVG on the televised stage in the UK and helps repair some of the head-to-head mental wounds inflicted by missing six match darts against him in last year’s Premier League final.

Wright, who only managed a disappointing draw with Gerwyn Price last week, headed into the clash as a big 6/1 underdog but a shock was on the cards as early as the fourth leg when he moved into a 3-1 lead with both players below their best.

MVG upped his levels to level the match but Wright punished him for three missed darts at a double by taking out 116 to edge ahead once more.

Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso banned Marcos Alonso will miss Chelsea’s next three matches, including the FA Cup semi-final, after being found guilty of violent conduct in the 3-2 win over Southampton.

The Spain international appeared to stand on Shane Long’s calf during the Premier League clash at St. Mary’s Stadium last Saturday, in which the visitors came from 2-0 down to claim the win.

He will miss Thursday’s league game with Burnley at Turf Moor and the trip to Swansea City on April 28, as well as the cup meeting with

Southampton at Wembley on Sunday.

“Marcos Alonso will miss Chelsea’s next three matches after an Independent Regulatory Commission ruled he had committed an act of violent conduct against Southampton’s Shane Long,” an FA statement confirmed.

“Alonso denied the charge and further submitted that if found proven the suspension would be excessive, however, this was rejected following Wednesday’s hearing.

“The incident, which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video, occurred in the 43rd minute of

Snakebite moved to within one leg of guaranteeing himself a point and looked set to seal it when leaving 41 after a timely 180 - only for MVG to land a stunning 170 checkout.

Unfazed, Wright started the next leg with his third maximum of the match en route to a 12-darter and although van Gerwen pulled one back, the Scotsman finished it off when nailing tops for a 13-darter.

FIFA dismiss Rhian Brewster’s claim of racism

Saturday’s game.”

Saints boss Mark Hughes described Alonso’s challenge as “poor” and was frustrated that referee Mike Dean and his assistants failed to see it.

The 27-year-old has been one of Chelsea’s more consistent performers this season and was named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year on Wednesday.

Emerson Palmieri, who has made just three appearances since signing from Roma for an initial €20million fee in January, is expected to replace Alonso.

FIFA has dismissed a claim by Rhian Brewster that England team-mate Morgan Gibbs-White was racially abused by a Spanish player during the Under-17 World Cup final.

Brewster alleged in an interview with the Guardian in December that Wolves midfielder Gibbs-White was called a “monkey” during the match in October, which England went on to win 5-2.

FIFA launched an investigation into the incident in January but have concluded there is a lack of evidence with which to impose any sanctions.

A statement from FIFA said: “The Disciplinary Committee had opened proceedings following a complaint lodged by The FA after a Spanish player had allegedly used discriminatory language towards an English player

during the final match of the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017.

“Following a thorough investigation, the Disciplinary Committee has decided to dismiss all charges in view of the lack of sufficient evidence that could corroborate the English player’s claim.

“Despite the absence of a sanction, which can only be imposed on the basis of clear evidence, the Disciplinary Committee would like to restate FIFA’s unequivocal, zero-tolerance stance against all forms of discrimination, as enshrined in the FIFA Statutes.”

Last month, European football’s governing body UEFA dismissed an allegation that Brewster was racially abused by Spartak Moscow player Leonid Mironov during a UEFA Youth League tie in December 2017.

24

FRIDAY 20TH APRIL 2018

Your Weekend Starts Here!

Sport Mo Farah Targets Marathon Podium

Whether months of 120 miles-a-week altitude training will be enough to transform Mo Farah into a world-class marathon runner will be revealed on the streets of London on Sunday but the switch already seems to have transformed his state of mind.

Farah has endured a prickly relationship with the media, suing one British journalist this year for repeating IAAF concerns over his blood passport values, but he seemed a changed man as he looked ahead to Sunday’s London Marathon.

“I’m more relaxed, the change from track has given me a massive boost and I’m enjoying it more than ever,” he told a news conference on Tuesday two hours after arriving from Ethiopia.

“On the track I’ve won most of the medals I could win so each year to motivate yourself gets more difficult.

You have to find a new challenge, something that gets you out of bed.” Having spent close to a decade

lining up as the favorite to bag multiple world, Olympic and European titles over 5,000 and 10,000 meters, Farah goes into Sunday’s race not even ranked in the top 10.

His only previous marathon, at London in 2014, produced an eighth-

placed finish in just over two hours eight minutes, not even good enough to challenge Steve Jones’s 33-year-old British record of 2:07:13.

Twelve men in Sunday’s field have run faster than Farah, with Kenenisa Bekele and Eliud Kipchoge, the

second and third-fastest men in history, among those a full three minutes quicker and defending champion Daniel Wanjiru one of four with a 2:04-something to their names.

Farah and the elite men’s field start at 11am (Spanish Time) on Sunday.