Petrol thieves strike during transport strike

Petrol thieves strike during transport strike

    Two men have been accused of theft and criminal damage in court number two in Vera.

    The men were seen in the small hours of the morning in one of the side streets of the town by local police in Cuevas de Almanzora, one day during the transport strike which closed most local petrol stations. The men, when they realised they had been spotted, tried to hide between the parked cars whilst at the same time hiding containers beneath the cars. Whilst checking the men's identification the police officers noticed a strong smell of petrol and discovered five containers with different quantities if petrol in each of them. When questioned about where the petrol came from the men were evasive and behaved nervously. As the men could not demonstrate their ownership of the fuel the police confiscated what was later measured as 34 litres of petrol.    

    Later the same morning three residents of Cuevas reported to the Guardia Civil the theft of petrol from their cars while parked in streets close to where the men had been stopped. As a result the two men were arrested as the presumed authors of the three counts of theft as well as for the damage occasioned to the vehicles in order to extract the fuel. A date has been set for their trial.

Fined more than 5,000 euros for illegal beach bar

    A resident of Mojacar, identified only by their initials J.C.D.A., has been given one of the biggest fines ever given by the Servicio Provincial de Costas de Almeria, the body responsible for policing the beaches of Almeria regarding construction and use.

    The fine, which came to more than 5,000 euros was given for building a chiringuito or beach bar on public land on the Las Ventanitas beach in Mojacar. The construction was no bamboo and palm leaf affair. The illegal construction included a stone wall almost thirty feet long and nearly four feet high and another wall, this time made of concrete breeze blocks, about twenty feet long and three high. There was also a fifteen foot wooden stair and a 67 foot long wooden fence. All of this invading what is known as maritime-terrestrial public domain, i.e. the beach, an area protected by law.

Study predicts savings from new motorways

The Almerian chamber of Commerce and Unicaja bank have presented in Almeria a report, 'The Velez-Rubio - Tabernas Motorway as a factor in economic development', drawn up by Economic Analysts of Andalucia (part of the Unicaja bank group) and promoted by the chamber of commerce. The report is an exhaustive analysis of the economic impact the construction of a motorway joining Velez-Rubio and Tabernas would have and includes an analysis of the effects of the new motorway currently being built between Purchena and the A7 motorway Albox junction. The report includes cost-benefit analysis of both motorways and also input-output analysis which deals with the short term effects of the construction works on employment and production.

    The projected Velez-Rubio motorway would act as a backbone to the province, providing a new North-South connection, joining the marble industry, the port of Almeria and the planned Renewable Energies Technological Centre. The marble industry is the third most important industry in Almeria after agriculture and tourism. In 2005 it was worth 750 million euros and employed 5,520 workers. Presently 35% of Almeria's marble is exported from the Port of Valencia in containers and only 10% from Almeria's port, although the port of Almeria cannot presently handle container freight, plans for enlarging the port are in the pipeline. The Renewable Energies Technological Centre has 62.2 million euros earmarked for it in the near future and is Spain's bet for research and development of solar, biomass and wind derived energy. Almeria is already a world leader in solar concentration technology. The cost of this motorway is estimated at 472.5 million euros but the saving in time, congestion and accidents is estimated at 746 million euros, an overall saving of nearly 275 million.

The Purchena- A7 motorway (known as the 'Marble Motorway') under construction at the moment has a cost of 320 million euros but will save local businesses and government 480 million, a benefit of 160 million euros.

    The report does not take into account environmental impact.

Municipal greenhouse for Huercal Overa

    The first preparative work for the construction of a municipal greenhouse in Huercal Overa has been completed the town's councillor for the environment, Miguel Perez, has announced. The land has been levelled and foundations have been laid in the Rambla Grande and the initial work on the anchor points has been completed. The building of the greenhouse is being paid for by the ayuntamiento, the Andalucian employment service and the Almeria provincial government. It will be used as a nursery destined to the cultivation of plants which will be used in different parts of the town.

    Miguel Perez also said that apart from helping with the aesthetic improvement of the town the new greenhouse would mean a saving for the ayuntamiento as now the plants used in the town's gardens, parks, fountains and roundabouts have to be bought from external suppliers. The new nursery will also provide employment in the town as all the workers needed to run it will be directly contracted by the ayuntamiento. The project is part of a national scheme for fomenting stable employment.

Works start on Murcia International Airport

    Ramon Luis Valcarcel, president of the Community of Murcia last week officiated the ceremonial laying of the first stone of the new Murcia International Airport. In his speech he aisd that those present were making history as the airport was the most important tool for progress in the region for the future and for maintaining the Area's economic growth. He went to add that the airport is to be one of the largest airport infrastructures in the country, with a projected traffic of more than three million passengers in the year after its opening in 2010, which could reach 12 million per year after the finishing of the final phase projected for 2030. The capacity of the airport after opening will be eleven flights every hour resulting in up to 3,200 passenger movements an hour.

    The total budget for the construction comes to just under 266 million euros, the first phase costing 219 million, with the rest destined for the second and third phases. The airport is predicted to create 20,000 jobs, both directly and indirectly. It is also predicted that the new airport will triple the number of tourists visiting the area.

Psychological help for Red Cross Volunteers

The 25 Red Cross volunteers who received the survivors of the immigration tragedy that took place last week are to be offered counselling and psychological help to overcome what was a highly traumatic experience for many of them. The help will be given in the form of workshops which will help them recover from the enormous emotional impact of being the front line of aid to those rescued.

    The first to come off the boat was a baby, the only child of the ten who set out to survive the crossing, followed by her mother who collapsed into the arms of the waiting helpers. Both mother and child needed urgent medical attention for exposure and dehydration as did many of the other would be immigrants. One of the women came off the boat in a state of shock, begging the Red Cross to search for her children, both of whom had died on the crossing and been put overboard into the open sea.

    Many of the survivors could not walk and some had to be carried in the arms of the volunteers as there were not enough stretchers for all of them. The Port dining hall had to be used as a makeshift medical centre until those that needed hospital treatment could be taken by ambulance.    

   The Red Cross ERIE (Immediate Emergency Response Team), which was formed to provide aid for immigrants arriving in boats, has been called to 300 incidents since its formation; it has attended to 2,420 immigrants, 465 of whom were under 18 and 12 pregnant women.

Public prosecutors publish road crime figures

    The Red de Fiscales de Seguridad Vial De Andalucia (Andalucian Road Safety Public Prosecutor's Network) has published its breakdown of the road crime figures for Andalucia in 2007. According to the report, which gathers Guardia Civil data from the region, last year in Andalucia there were 3,501 arrests for traffic offences, 481 deaths in road accidents, 2,855 people seriously injured and 434,125 fines were handed out.In Almeria 237 people were arrested in 2007 for traffic offences.

There is also information about the impact of the new traffic laws. Since December 2 last year driving under the influence of alcohol and exceeding the speed limit depending on the severity of the offence can be classified as serious crimes with prison sentences from 3 to 6 months as well as fines and thirty to ninety days community service and the loss of a driving licence from one to four years. Since these changes in the law there have been 149 arrests in the province of Almeria for driving under the effects of alcohol, of which 60 were caught in random spot checks, 48 were tested positive after being involved in road accidents and 41 were caught after being stopped for committing a driving infraction. So far in Almeria no one has been arrested under the new legislation which makes driving at more than 60 kmph in urban areas or exceeding the speed limit on any road by more than 80 kmph a crime punishable with a prison sentence.

Circulation of 500 euro notes falls

The number of 500 euro notes in circulation in Spain has fallen to 110 million, a third of the total cash in the hands of the public. This figures is a drop to a level not seen since October 2006. According to figures published by the Bank of Spain there are 82,814 million euros in circulation of which 79,477 million are in banknotes and 3,337 million in coins.

    In part this fall has been a result of the crackdown by Hacienda (the Spanish tax office) on fraudulent activities using these banknotes. They automatically investigate anyone who has carried out transactions involving more than one thousand 500 euro notes.

    The number of banknotes put into circulation depends on the demand by financial institutions who need to supply their customers' demands. Apart form the Bank of Spain there are fifteen other banks which emit money, each one 'specialising' in notes of a particular denomination. The number of banknotes to be emitted each year is decided by the Central European Bank based on the previsions made by the national regulatory organisms.

Garrucha man jailed for dealing cocaine

    A 32 year old man was imprisoned for three years by the Almeria Provincial High Court for cocaine dealing. The man, a resident of Garrucha, was arrested in 2004.

    The man was observed by the Guardia Civil on November 7, 2004 at about one in the morning, meeting various different people briefly next to a public telephone on the Paseo del Malecon in Garrucha. After observing him some time and recognising the man as being a known drug dealer in the locality the Guardia Civil stopped him and searched him when the man left the scene and drove away. He was found to be in possession of a substance which after analysis was confirmed to be 3.2 grams of cocaine with a street value estimated by the Guardia Civil to be around 300 euros. The man also had 1,489 euros in cash on him at the time.

Immigrant tragedy in Almeria

    Nine children between one and four years old were among the fourteen who lost their lives in the latest immigration tragedy to affect Spain. The story unfolded when a 6 metre semi-inflatable with 33 people on board was spotted in the sea some 25 miles off the coast and a rescue operation was initiated involving boats and a helicopter from the Guardia Civil and Salvamento Maritmo. The survivors were taken to Almeria capital where they were received by Red Cross Volunteers and told their rescuers of the others who started the trip with them and whose bodies they had thrown over the side of the boat.

    The boat, with 47 passengers on board from Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria and Cameroon, left the Moroccan coast powered by a 25 horsepower off board motor but before sighting land the motor broke down leaving them adrift without food or water. In the seven days before they were rescued the children were the first to die, although one baby did survive.

    Six of the survivors were taken to local hospitals where they were treated and the others were accommodated in the special facilities built for holding illegal immigrants in the Port of Almeria. The repatriation process has been started for the survivors

    Only four days earlier another fourteen immigrants died when the boat they were attempting to reach Spain in overturned in waters off Motril in Granada.

    According to the Pro Derechos Humanos human rights organisation 230 immigrants have lost their lives this year attempting to reach Spanish coasts.

Ikea studies possibility of opening in Almeria

The Swedish multinational, Ikea, has held talks with the ayuntamiento of Vicar about the possibility of opening a store in the Viapark Bahia de Almeria commercial park in their municipality.

    The Bahia de Almeria shopping centre is destined to be the biggest in the province with a total area of 10 hectares, 30,000 square metres of which is to be dedicated to shops. As well as a Carrefour supermarket the main focus of the centre will be home furnishings and sports, as well as additional automobile services. It is located off the Aguadulce exit of the A7 motorway about fifteen minutes outside Almeria. Originally projected to be open this summer the opening has been delayed until September or October.

    Ikea has set conditions on its opening of a store; it wants to be part of the second phase of development with an exclusive site on the other side of the motorway accessed through an underground tunnel. If all goes according to plan the new shop could be open by 2010. The second phase of the Viapark project involves another 50 hectares of construction.

Junta buys land in natural parks

    The Junta de Andalucia has destined 14 million euros in the last year on the purchase of private land within Andalucia's natural parks in order to ensure their conservation.

This is the continuation of a project which started in 2001 with the purchase of the 564 hectare 'El Cortijico' in the Sierra Maria-Los Velez natural park for 534 thousand euros. This year the Junta has made nearly 3,000 hectares public, with some of the most important being in the Cabo de Gata-Nijar natural park where two properties with a total of 23 hectares were bought for more than a million euros. One of these was at the Playa de Monsul, a place made famous by Steven Spielberg who filmed scenes for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade there.

Merger to form new low cost Spanish Airline

Vueling and Clickair have merged after three months of talks to form Spain's third largest airline. The new airline will adopt the name Vueling although it is a merger with equal shares and the new company formed will be independent of its predecessors. The main shareholder in the new company will be Iberia Airlines with about 40 per cent of the shares. The merger has come about due to the strong competition and excessive offer in the sector and the recent rise in fuel prices. In the first quarter of 2008 Vueling made a loss of 32.4 million euros despite a 32 per cent increase in passengers.

    The new airline will have 45 planes and around 300 flights on 112 routes and will be based in Barcelona. The closest airport they currently fly from is Alicante, but they say they have plans to extend operations in the future.

Cabo de Gata Natural Park gets sustainable tourism charter

Almeria's main natural park, the Parque Natural Cabo de Gata-Nijar, has been given the European Sustainable Tourism Charter. This means that the park has been included in the EUROPARC Federation list of 58 protected areas in seven European countries. The Charter commits signatories to implementing a local strategy for 'sustainable tourism' defined as: 'any form of development, management or tourist activity which ensures the long-term protection and preservation of natural, cultural and social resources and contributes in a positive and equitable manner to the economic development and well-being of individuals living, working or staying in protected areas.'

The EUROPARC Federation is a pan-European body formed by organisations dedicated to nature conservation in 38 countries that believes that the biological diversity of European cultural landscapes can only be permanently secured through a sustainable use.

One of the first tasks carried out in order to obtain the charter was the formation of a working group which will serve as a platform for debate on the management and development of the park. The group includes representatives of; the Junta de Andalucia, the respective ayuntamientos, the Almerian Levante Rural Development Group, the Andanatura Foundation and the Natural Park Tourist Services Businesspeople's Association.

    The awarding of the charter will take place at the Europarc general meeting to be held next September in Romania.

Author presents book on the Indalo in Mojacar

Javier Muñoz, popularly known in art circles as Xaverio, is primarily a painter and sculptor, but he was recently in Mojacar to present the book he started writing five years ago and is now in the bookshops. His book, "Indalo Codex", is more than just another history of the symbol but rather a guide on how to live a better life with the philosophy contained in it reflected in what Xaverio feels is the transcendent meaning of the cave painting code symbol that is the Indalo.

    The Indalo is seen in this book as a universal code found in different ages and civilisations, one of the best known representations of which is Leonardo de Vinci's Vitruvian Man drawn in 1490. The Indalo represents the being in plenitude and harmony with the universe, the ancestral symbol of the universal woman and man.

    The book, whilst not a 'self help' book, offers a guide on how to live a better life following a philosophy based on human rights, respect for the environment, a desire for peace, health of mind and body and that which is good for the planet. This is complemented with a manual of physical and mental exercises which combine the powerful Indalo posture with the "Indalo messages", short statements to be recited like mantras resulting in positive vibrations within and outside us.

    The book, Indalo Codex, is published by Editorial Sirio and costs 36 euros.