Euro Weekly News - Costa Blanca North 21 - 27 December 2017 Issue 1694

ISSUE NO. 1694

21 - 27 December 2017

COSTA BLANCA NORTH

YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION

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CATALONIANS vote in hotly anticipated regional elections today (Thursday). Some hope it will resolve the crisis which has engulfed Spain for the last two months but others fear it will further complicate the situation. Here, we provide a handy timeline to the confusing saga. September 2015 Pro-independence parties win a majority in regional elections. November 2015 Catalonian MPs vote to support independence. January 2016 Carles Puigdemont takes over as Catalan president. June 2017 The Catalan government calls an independence referendum for October 2017. September 7 The Spanish constitutional declares the referendum illegal. September 15 Spanish police seize ballot boxes hidden by the regional government. September 20 Spanish police storm and occupy Catalan government buildings. There are protests in response. October 1 Catalans vote overwhelmingly for independence in the referendum, which is overshadowed by

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CONTROVERSIAL: Thousands have participated in protests over the poll which sees deposed leader Carles Puigdemont (inset left) take on Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (inset right).

Timeline: Catalan independence crisis police violence, 92 per cent vote in favour, turnout is only 43 per cent. October 3 King Felipe VI condemns the Catalan government in a stronglyworded television address. There is a general strike and huge protests. October 11 Prime Minister Mario Rajoy sets the Catalan government a five-day deadline to clarify whether they have declared independence or not. This is extended to October 19. October 21 Spanish government suspends Cataluña’s autonomy and says it will impose direct rule on October 28. October 26 Catalan president Carles Puigdemont delays declaring in-

dependence, saying he will leave the decision to MPs. October 27 Catalan parliament meets and unilaterally declares independence. The opposition boycott the

vote. The Spanish senate responds by approving new powers for Madrid to impose direct rule on Cataluña. October 28 Spain dissolves Catalan Parliament - deposing president Puigdemont - and call fresh elections. October 29 Thousands march through Barcelona calling for unity. October 30 Puigdemont flees to Belgium with five ministers, shortly before a prosecutor files charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds. November 3 Spain issues a European arrest warrant for Puigdemont. November 5 Puigdemont turns himself in to

Belgian authorities. December 4 Spain’s Supreme Court denies two former ministers - including the vice-president - bail, leaving them to contest the election from prison. December 5 A Spanish judge withdraws Puigdemont’s arrest warrant. Theresa May meets her Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy and gives him her support. December 11 Scuffles break out as artwork is removed from a Catalonian museum. December 13 The homes of Catalan officials are seized to pay for the costs of October’s referendum. December 21 Catalans go to the polls.

NEWS

Polls predict deadlock THE final poll ahead of the Catalan regional elections suggests that pro and antiindependence parties are neck and neck, with a hung parliament likely. Such an outcome could trigger weeks of uncertainty, as parties negotiate in an attempt to form a coalition. Turnout is widely expected to be a record high. Ciudadanos, Ines Arrimadas’ pro-Spanish party, are expected to win most seats but be outnumbered by rival pro-independence parties working together. Ousted president Carles Puigdemont’s Junts per Cataluña party is expected to finish third, with imprisoned vice-president Oroil Junqueras’ ERC party likely to place second. Last Friday’s poll is the final official forecast. But unofficial polls suggest that the pro-independence parties could yet take an unexpected majority.

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Destructive nature VANDALS have taken to the Vall de Gallinera, hacking down trees and leaving them strewn across footpaths to prevent access. Mayor Toni Pardo has urged residents to be vigilant and contact the police if they notice any suspicious activity.

Cause for concern DENIA residents are concerned that the dimensions of the new bus station will not allow enough space for large buses to safely manoeuvre in and out of it. Councillor for the Citizens group Sergio Benito has urged the council to carry out tests now before costing the town more money.

Adios, Antonio THE Chief Inspector of the National Police in Denia retired last week but not before highlighting recent progress. Sixty-five-yearold Antonio Cabeza explained that t h e n u m b e r o f b u rg l a r i e s i n t h e town has decreased by 37 per cent since last year, with the number of thefts dropping by 10 per cent.

Tipping point THE Las Cañadas rubbish treatment plant, closed by the Generalitat in 2012 after Elda Town Hall refused its operating licence is legal, Valencia’s Upper Court of Justice declared. It meets all legal requirements and there are no motives for withholding the licence, the court ruled.

New park CAMPELLO Town Hall will use its €900,000 income from the Les Canyades landfill site to build a new park on municipal land adjoining Calle Orihuela in the north of the town. All councillors backed the proposal put forward by the Partido Popular

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What’s happening near you this Christmas?

IS IT TIME FOR SPAIN TO LEAVE HUNTING TRAIL?

SPANISH FACTS OF LIFE...42 With the festive season upon us, Spain’s traditional celebrations - from grapes, to kings and jokers - are not what you might expect, writes Harrison Jones.

‘Tis the season! ON Christmas Eve, while British children are getting overly excited, Spanish children have Christmas carols and midnight mass to look forward to. Families eat their main Christmas meal on the 24th often a varied spread including all sorts of fish, meat and cheese, depending on the region and family preference. Tempting Christmas snacks also include turron, mantecados, churros and marzipan. After the eating and religious services, some Spaniards walk through the streets with music and lights. Christmas Day is not roundly celebrated and, traditionally,

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THE MASSES: Spaniards go to mass on Christmas Eve.

opposition party.

Fox freed FIREMEN used a special humane noose to rescue a fox trapped in an

PLUS THE REGULARS News 1 - 40

Finance

there are not even presents - those come later in the festive season. On the 28th, the country celebrates El Dia de los Santos (Innocents’ Day). Friends, family, and occasionally the media are in on this Spanish answer to April Fool’s Day, with the unsuspecting being labelled ‘Innocent, Innocent!’ when caught out. In Malaga, they also celebrate the Fiesta de Verdiales on the same day. This cultural celebration involves groups of musicians playing songs and dancing.

3 kings, 12 grapes WITH Christmas antics complete, the real fun begins. In Spain, perhaps the biggest festive celebrations take place on January 6, on the Dia De Los Reyes (Three Kings’ Day). First, though, Spaniards celebrate New Year in style. With the wine flowing, attention turns - oddly enough back to grapes. Twelve ‘lucky’ grapes, in fact, with one for each striking of the midnight clock. As the New Year comes in, Spaniards eat grapes one by one in time with the chimes, broadcast live on television. If you can manage to eat the grapes in time, it is considered a sign for a year of prosperity and good luck. The rest of the fiesta, which is often a family affair, is spent eating and drinking until the very early hours. Five days later, on Three Kings’ Day, ‘Christmas’ presents are given out. Similarly to a Christmas stocking, children in Spain leave shoes by their door in the hope that the Three Kings will leave their gifts there. The day is also celebrated by eating Roscon de los

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Leapy 47

Tech 53

Time out 66 - 67

Health & Beauty 69 - 73

Pets 83

Services 84 - 87

Classifieds 88 - 90

NEW YEAR’S EVE: Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, above, is a popular place for Spaniards to eat 12 grapes, right.

Motoring 91 - 93

Reyes (ring-cake of kings), which is made to look like a king’s crown. It is decorated with icing and sprinkles, often including glazed fruit. A toy is also buried inside, with Spaniards being superstitious that the finder will have a year of good luck.

Aspe irrigation deposit to ensure that the animal was not hurt during the operation. It was first taken to the local animal protection shelter and later released into its natural habitat.

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Sports 94 - 96

The total number of news and features which appeared in Issue 1693 of the Euro Weekly News Costa Blanca North edition, including 87 local stories.

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Work of art Festive sand sculpture is world’s biggest

NEWS

POLL OF THE WEEK Are there too many repeats on TV during Christmas? LAST WEEK’S POLL:

Do you send online Christmas cards? Yes 35%

No 65%

EWN online this week

115,011 Page views Top 5 stories

Storm Ana lashed most of the country.

6,648 4,503 4,367 3,861 2,362 views

CHRISTMAS CRACKER: The giant scene from above and (inset) visitors admire the sculptures. SPANIARDS are famous for inventing new twists on the traditional nativity scene. And arguably the most spectacular of all is found on Las Canteras beach in Palma de Gran Canaria, the Canary Islands. Every December, some of the world’s premier international sand sculptors descend on the sandy strip to painstakingly carve a giant homage to the birth of Christ. The tradition was started by Canarian artist

Etual Ojeda in the early 1980’s, but has grown in scale since. Said to be the world’s largest open-air sand sculpture, more than 2,000 tonnes are now used to construct the incredible scene. Entry is free, but visitors can leave a donation at the entrance with the proceeds given to local food banks. In 2016 more than 200,000 people visited the nativity, raising €17,000.

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Weather alerts issued for the whole of Spain as storm Ana set to hit Lorry driver dies after crashing onto Costa del Sol beach

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December strike call by Ryanair ground staff in Spain

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Flights diverted and red alerts issued as storm Ana lashes Spain

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Raiders pillage wrecked lorry in southern Spain

*For week 11 – 18 December

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FOR COMMENTS FROM EWN ONLINE TURN TO LETTERS PAGE CORRECTIONS At the EWN, we pride ourselves that reports are accurate and fair. If we do slip up, we promise to set the record straight in a clear, nononsense manner. To ask for an inaccuracy to be corrected. Email: editorial@euroweeklynews.com

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NEWS EXTRA

Parkers now appy VILLAJOYOSA introduced an app for paid parking in Blue Zones which eliminates the need for loose change and allows users to pay only for the exact amount of time required.

Getting older BETWEEN January and the end of June this year, there were 8,134 deaths in Alicante Province compared with 7,062 births, the widest margin since the National Statistics Office began keeping records in 1941.

Doggone it ALCOY citizens have until June to register their pets’ DNA so that they can be located and fined if they consistently fail to clean up after them in public places.

Long wait THE Generalitat created 170 places in regional centres for mental health patients with 638 more scheduled for next year, none are available in Alicante Province where there is a waiting list of 1,000.

Night out ends in key situation sources said afterwards. A MAN of 36 impaled his The San Vicente fire arm while trying to climb brigade and medics from the railings outside his San Juan hospital who were Campello house. called to the scene decided Returning after a compato cut away part of the ny dinner with his girlfence without atfriend at around tempting to re7.30am he dismove the metal covered he had from the ingone out without jured man’s his keys and dearm to avoid cided to climb Latest news haemorrhaging the locked metal and and infection. fence to get in. more as it Freeing him Failing to happens was a complex make it, he fell operation, the onto one of the arProvincial Fire Consortium row-headed palings which said later. entirely pierced his arm. Once he inside the operIt was fortunate that the ating theatre surgeons gradinjured man was able to ually removed the remains reach the ground on tiptoe of the railing, stitching the or the wound would have wound as they went. been even more severe,

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AN Alicante Province man received a 15-month sentence for sending his expartner 469 WhatsApp messages in less than a month. The couple, who had three children, were together for 12 years but after they split up the accused messaged his ex-partner continually between November and December 2015. He demanded to know where she was, when she

City defends Kings and their pages ALCOY’S Three Kings’ Parade has been accused of rascism. Online magazine Afrofeminas criticised the ‘blacked-up’ pages who have been delivering presents to the city’s children on the night of January 5 since the parade was first held in 1885. The pages are offensive because they ‘stereotype, ridicule, exclude and falsify our image,’ the article claimed. Blacking-up, a theatrical tradition, has been banned in the US since 1960 when it was declared racist. The authors of the article Un BlackFace masivo en Alcoy questioned city hall’s hopes of obtaining Intangible World Heritage status for the parade. They are writing to Unesco via international bodies requesting that the Parade is not grant-

Obsessive ex jailed was going home, and insisting that she returned without delay. “He exercised an incessant control over the life of the aggrieved party, serious ly ups e tting he r a nd preventing her from leading a norma l life ,” the

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court heard. Finding the man guilty of harassment linked to gender violence, the Alicante High Court acquitted him of four counts of sexual aggression, as well as threatening behaviour, ill-treatment and a minor charge of defamation.

ed Heritage status while it features BlackFace, the writers said: “If the pages aren’t blacked-up, nobody will be offended.” Rita Bosaho, MP for Compromis-Podemos who represents Alicante in the national parliament, backs the Afrofeminas writers. “Discrimination and institutional racism should not be confused with cultural acts. Take notice Alcoy City Hall, this is racism,” Bosaho warned. Alcoy reacted quickly and an online petition defending the cavalcade and its pages received 9,000 signatures in its first day. The organisers now hope to collect at least 10,000 and will send the petition to Unesco, requesting Intangible World Heritage status for the Kings and their pages.

Had he been f ound guilty the accused would have faced a 53-year sentence recommended by the Public Prosecution Department. As well as the prison term, he has also been barred from approaching the victims for three years and must also pay her €1,000 compensation for ‘moral damages.’

Photo by Aramultimedia

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NEWS

ALCOY PAGES: Condemned as racist.

Mum-to-be is all heart

LOVEBIRDS: Cesc and Daniella and (inset) the engagement ring shot.

Fab-ulous result!

A SPANISH model has revealed her heart-shaped baby bump to send her social media followers into a flap. Gala Caldirola, 24, is married to oto by Ga la Ca Ph ldiro Chilean international footla/I ns ta ball star Mauricio Isla, 29, who currently plys his trade at Turkish club Fenerbahçe. She is wellknown for her regular appearances on reality TV in Spain, BABY ON BOARD: and shared a saucy snap Gala’s bump. of her bump on Insta-

am gr

HE’S the Chelsea midfielder who has won everything with his native Spain. And now Cesc Fabregas, 30, has won the best prize of all after his long-term girlfriend Daniella Semaan, 42, agreed to marry him. The pair have been together for six years and already have three children together, and they took to Instagram to share a picture of Daniella’s jewel-encrusted engagement ring.

gram, where she has 1.5 million followers. She added the caption: “This is beautiful and strange. It’s probably not the only one in the world, but it is the first time that I’ve seen one. I would love to know if someone else has seen it. “In the ultrasound the doctor had already told me that my uterus had a heart shape, and today I could see it with clarity for the first time. “My little light is without doubt the fruit of love.”

BEST OF FRIENDS: Kayleigh, right, and Holly.

Racy pair back on the beach SHE’S the Welsh firecracker famed for being kicked off Big Brother after issuing violent threats to a housemate. But former Ex On The Beach (EOTB) star Kayleigh Morris, 29, appeared carefree after slipping into a skimpy orange bikini for a beach day during a winter break in Tenerife. And she was joined by former rival Holly Rickwood, 25, who donned a matching - and equally revealing - swimsuit as the pair put on

an eye popping display while frolicking in the shallows. The pair returned to EOTB as ‘all-star’ guests in last year’s fifth season following appearances in earlier series, although they were initially at loggerheads after Kayleigh made a foulmouthed remark as Holly emerged from the sea. But they later became the best of friends, and Holly proved what good pals they are after helping Kayleigh to adjust her bikini top in full view of the cameras.

Demi Rose/Instagram

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Holly Rickwood/Twitter

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Celeb focus Rose exposed

CURVY: Demi Rose.

SHE is best-known for flaunting her famous curves on the internet. But British model Demi Rose, 22, made headlines with her clothes on after candid snaps of her locking lips with a mystery man at Madrid airport emerged. The steamy moment came after the buxom beauty shared photos from her latest swimsuit campaign - shot in Mallorca - with her 5.9 million Instagram followers.

Fit of Pique COLOMBIAN pop superstar Shakira and footballer boyfriend Gerard Pique have once again set tongues wagging. After scotching recent rumours of their break-up, the pair filmed a group of paparazzi photographers outside their Barcelona home on their phones before calling the police. But the snappers were doing nothing illegal under Spanish law so were not moved on.

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Photo by RosaRodaNews/Twitter

NEWS

ON THE MARCH: The protesters in Murcia.

Water woe goes on 20,000 farmers call for action THOUSANDS of farmers and irrigators from the provinces of Murcia, Alicante and Almeria have demonstrated in Murcia City to demand solutions to water shortages. They have said they will not stop protesting, ‘even if it rains cauldrons’ until there is a ‘definitive and long-term solution.’ The PP, PSOE, Podemos and Ciudadanos political parties also joined the mass protest to demand the dismissal of water authority officials.

Organisers claimed 20,000 people joined the demonstration. They have demanded that the production of the desalination plants is maximised, all the irrigation systems are modernised and fair tariffs are applied, not only for irrigators but also for domestic and industrial consumption. The protest concluded with the distribution of citrus fruits and vegetables to raise the awareness of the water shortage problem amongst the public.

Golfing gold! THE Costa Blanca region has been selected as the European Golf Destination of the year for 2018. Awarded by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO), the honour is considered one of the most prestigious accolades in the world of golf travel. The prize cements the Costa Blanca’s reputation as one of the world’s leading golf destinations and recognises the exceptional quality of the region’s golf facilities and service. Winners were announced at

the 20th International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) in front of 1,300 international golf tourism delegates at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres in Cannes, France. Among the list of winners, the Finca Cortesin course, located in the Costa del Sol, was awarded the Sustainable Golf Course of the year award for resource efficiency. Established in 1997, the IAGTO now has over 2,500 members in 97 countries and the awards are voted for by 680 specialist golf tour operator members from 66 different countries.

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Farm fraudsters held

ON THE CASE: Equipo Roca. www.facebook.com/euroweeklynews

A COMPLAINT from a Cocentaina farmer triggered a Guardia Civil operation that uncovered a €20,000 Malaga-based scam. The Cocentaina grower had paid €900 for two olivepicking machines which were never delivered. He had ordered them from an internet website and on making payment received an official-looking receipt with apparently valid fiscal details. Investigators from the Ibibased ROCA unit, which specialises in agricultural and rural crime, traced his money to a bank account that in the space of three weeks had received €6,000 in transfers. After analysing similar reports of machinery that was ordered online but failed to arrive, the Guardia Civil uncovered another account at the same bank that received

Photo by Guardia Civil

Internet scam netted thousands

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another €14,500 in a fortnight. Further investigations led them to a 47-year-old woman and man of 34, both of them Spanish and living in Malaga. They duped 17 victims from all over Spain and the Guardia Civil believe more cases could still emerge.

Getting the needle ASPE’S Health department vaccinated 4,500 people against the flu in 2016. This year it set itself the goal of vaccinating 5,000 but instead of waiting for residents to attend the local health centre for the jab, nurses have been out amongst the public They have visited busy areas like the municipal food market where they have been in attendance on Tuesdays and Thursdays when it is at its busiest, together with the Pensioners’ Centre and the Adult Learning Centre. The Health department also set up a stall at the weekly open-air market. The vaccination campaign began on October 23 and continues until January 31, said Aspe’s Health councillor, Yolanda Moreno: “We have already vaccinated 2,500 but hope to double that by reaching as many people as we can.”

NEWS

OUR VIEW

Christmas cheer needed CHRISTMAS is suddenly upon us. Amid the festive rush and preparations for family events, it is easy to forget that many people are in need at this time of year. From the homeless, to the lonely, to migrants being held in an unopened prison, many people will not enjoy the happiest Christmas. With the seasonal pay squeeze, helping those outside of your immediate circle also becomes more challenging. But across the region various charities and volunteer groups are doing worthy work to make sure the less fortunate can enjoy - or at least be comfortable - at this time of year. There are countless important causes - too many to name that are worth your spare change and more, if you can afford it. And as we gear up for Christmas, New Year and even Three Kings, we could do worse than to just offer our time to local charities. Spain has plenty to offer over the festive period. Christmas lights, traditional winter snacks and Innocents’ Day on December 28 are particular highlights. Christmas is a time for family and friends - so enjoy the festivities but spare a thought for those who are less lucky. We know it often isn’t easy to part with your time or money - but it can be very rewarding if you do. From everyone at Euro Weekly News: have a very Merry Christmas.

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Sala family settles differences THE latest twist in the Maria del Carmen Martinez murder case has no connection to the investigation. Instead it centres on a decision on the part of Maria del Carmen’s son to buy his three sisters out of Samur International, the plastics firm, that is the principal source of the family’s wealth. Maria del Carmen Martinez was shot dead just over a year ago in an Alicante City car showroom run by her son-in-law, Miguel Lopez. To date, and as far as the police are concerned, Lopez, who is currently

bailed, is the only suspect. The dead woman’s children were at loggerheads months before she was killed because their mother favoured her son, Vicente, named after their late father who was president of the CAM bank between 1988 and 2009. As his widow, Maria del Carmen Martinez inherited the so-called ‘golden share,’ entitling her to the final word in all the family’s business. Shortly before she was killed she had announced her intention of transferring the share to her son. This, the police believe, was what

prompted her murder. Family relations, already strained before the murder, deteriorated still further afterwards, as the sisters, Mar, Antonia and Fuensanta, took legal steps to prevent their brother from taking over the ‘golden share.’ Vicente Sala, in turn, started proceedings against his sisters, but following this latest development all the pending court cases have been called off. The company had a €260 million turnover last year and insiders put its value at around €100 million.

Pensioner turned on drunk A 71-YEAR-OLD Elda man admitted killing a neighbour who annoyed him when he turned up drunk. “He started kicking my door and - don’t let’s beat around the bush - that’s when things got complicated,” the pensioner told the Public Prosecutor during an Alicante High Court hearing. The two men argued earlier and after he opened the door to the 56-year-old, they started arguing again. The accused went back into the house, took a knife, returned and stabbed the victim eight times,

leaving him in the street where his body was found two hours later. Informed about the quarrel by a neighbour, the police interviewed the elderly man who admitted killing the victim and handed over the knife. The two men had argued in the past and he was afraid that the victim, who was frequently drunk, would hit him. The Public Prosecutor, who originally recommended a 10-year sentence, is likely to reduce this owing to the man’s immediate confession.

NEWS

NEWS EXTRA

Mansion razed THE Generalitat authorised the demolition of Jijona’s 19th century Casa Geralda to make way for a paddletennis court but rebuked the town hall for lacking a Catalogue of Listed buildings as required by law.

Fire drill MUNICIPAL operatives recently completed 30 per cent of the requirements stipulated in Altea’s official fire prevention plan by creating firebreaks and clearing vegetation in Altea Hills, Camino Costera Blanca and Galera de las Palmeras.

Stay away ALCOY’S attempts to withdraw former Defence minister Federico Trillo’s Adoptive Son status were foiled by a legal loophole but the city mayor, Antonio Frances said that Trillo ‘knows he is no longer welcome.’

Cat carers VILLENA Council this year sterilised 112 stray cats living in the town’s 42 colonies and with the help of the local Animal Protection Society organised a course for volunteers who feed and care for them.

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Fire-ready IBI Town Hall will purchase land for the Diputacion Provincial Council to build a fire brigade substation with a helipad that can provide better coverage for the town’s growing industrial zone and surrounding areas.

Built-up ONE-FIFTH of new jobs in Alicante Province are in, or connected to, construction, announced Servef. The region’s official employment office also said that employers could not always find sufficiently qualified workers.

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No water problems for next year

One way to stretch the budget

Photo credit: Marina Sanz Biendicho

THE Marina Baja Water Consortium has guaranteed domestic and irrigation water throughout 2018 for the towns it serves. This year has been ‘anomalous,’ maintained a report from the Consortium’s Engineering Director, as the Marina Baja’s average rainfall was slightly higher than normal, but most of it fell between January and March. This totally replenished the area’s four aquifers in Algar, Beniarda, Polop and Aitana and 2018’s water is guaranteed for Alfaz, Altea, Benidorm, Finestrat, Polop, La Nucia and Villajoyosa even if rainfall is lower than usual, the report continued. The Consortium also announced during the last General Meeting that it will be spending €5 million on five projects next year. The most expensive of these,

WATER GUARANTEED: Amadorio reservoir in Villajoyosa. renovating the general pipeline from the Guadalest reservoir, will cost almost €4.2 million. Two sections of pipeline between La Nucia, Altea, Alfaz and Benidorm will be overhauled and the connecting pipe

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at the entrance to Alfaz renewed. Trees beneath the medium-tension line in Beniarda are due to be pruned and undergrowth cleared to reduce fire risk, the Consortium announced.

FINESTRAT hopes to persuade investors to provide services and resources that the town hall cannot provide. The town hall intends to offer land earmarked for public use so that the private sector can construct and run leisure and sporting facilities that are beyond the possibilities of the local Budget,

explained Finestrat’s mayor Juan Francisco Perez. Projects would include a BTT Centre for mountain bike enthusiasts on a plot of land near the Font del Moli leisure area which would incorporate a tourist complex with accommodation, bicycle circuits and hiking routes.

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HUNDREDS of agricultural growers protested in Guadalest against the Generalitat’s Xylella fastidiosa eradication programme. The demonstration organised by the Asaja agricultural union and the growers called on the regional government to relax obligatory procedures that must be followed once the deadly tree plague’s presence has been confirmed. This involves destroying all other trees within a 100-metre radius of an infected tree and growers are now pleading for healthy specimens to be saved. Asaja also hoped that the regional Administration will adapt EU directives ‘to the reality of Alicante Province’ and not economic interests. The existing process does not benefit growers or the environment, Asaja argued. “Laying waste to all the trees, healthy and infected alike, is no solution,” said Asaja Alicante’s president, Eladio Aniorte. “We are not facing isolated cases because the plague has spread to the Marina Baja, the Marina Alta and El Comtat,” he continued. “There is every

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‘No solution’ Calls for new strategy against lethal bug Photo credit: Fernando

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THREATENED: Healthy trees lost in Xylella fight and (inset) Eladio Anorte. likelihood that new focuses could soon be found.” The union found it hard to understand why the regional government was not working to provide the Ministry of Agriculture and Brussels with plans

to contain the plague instead of eradicating it, Aniorte said. Adolfo Ribes, spokesman for the AXFA association, which represents growers affected by Xylella fastidiosa, said that ripping out healthy

trees was an attack on the environment and the landscape, which he described as an aberration. “This is the beginning of the end for our woodland, towns and way of life.” Ribes warned.

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THREE new witnesses will be called to testify in the court case against former Benidorm mayor, Agustin Navarro in the New Year. Navarro will go on trial on January 23, accused of irregular hiring whilst he governed the city from 2009 - 2015. Former councillor Juan Ramon Martinez, the former Chief of Staff and the former Human Resources coordinator will also face the jury. Navarro, Martinez and the former Chief of Staff are charged with alleged ongoing crimes of ad-

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ON TRIAL: Navarro when he was in office. ministrative corruption in the form of irregular hiring, influencing and misappropriation of public funds. The former Human Resources coordinator is charged with alleged ad-

ministrative prevarication. Just last year the former mayor announced he had been made an honorary Member of the British Empire (MBE). The award was given in recognition of services to the British community between 2009 and 2015. During his six years in office, Navarro ensured that all town hall departments combined their efforts to improve the situation of Benidorm’s British residents and tourists, said British Ambassador to Spain, Simon Manley.

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A time for giving GIVING4GIVING hosted their Christmas Fayre at the Flash Hotel in Benidorm and raised €1,000 for Aspanion (a babies and children’s cancer charity). It was a great day and they would like to thank the organiser, Amanda Sanchez who did a fantastic job and gave so much of her time to help Giving4Giving. They are also pledging €1,500 worth of toys to the Red Cross this month, €2,000 of gift vouchers for the children in the Emaus homes, €500 to Caritas (a Spanish charity for less fortunate people) and €2,000 worth of medical equipment for Help international Benidorm.

Going global

Edificio Benidorm 7, Moraira: Tel: 966 265 072.

MAYOR TONI PEREZ travelled to Gran Canaria last week to participate in the Foro Internacional de Turismo (International Tourism Forum). Perez was invited to take part in the forum - in its fifth year - by King of Spain Felipe VI, president of the event since its inception. Hundreds of tourism professionals gather at the forum every year to exchange experiences and opinions on the main problems of the industry and study trends.

Looks ARE everything COUNCILLORS from Benidorm’s Department of Commerce have visited the shops participating in the Christmas Window Dressing Contest to choose this year’s winner. The contest was organised with the collaboration of business associations, students and teachers from the Tecnico de Actividades Comerciales (Technical Business Activities) at the IES Pere Maria Orts i Bosch. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony tonight.

F O R B E S T R AT E S I N M OTO R I N S U R A N C E CALL: 951 277 455

Contact us today 965 480 737

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THE following statement on Brexit and UK nationals liv i ng o ut si de o f th e UK has been released by Prime Minister May. Road to Brexit From the very beginning of the UK’s negotiations to leave the European Union I have been consistently clear that protecting the rights of both EU citizens living in the UK and UK nationals living i n t h e E U wa s my first priority. I know that the referen d u m r e su l t h as caused considerable anxiety for many of you and your families. That is why, at the beginning o f t h e n e g o t i a tin g process, I made it clear that any deal guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens living in the UK would be dependent on such an offer being reciprocated for our UK na-

tio n a ls in th e rema in i ng Member States. So I am delighted to announce that in concluding the first phase of the negotiations that is exactly what we have achieved. F ro m s p e a k in g to my counterparts across Europe, I know that they hugely value the UK nationals living in their communities. We h av e w o rk ed h a rd to a ddress the very complex and technical issues that needed working through before a formal agreement could be reached. The details are set o u t in th e J o in t R eport agreed by the UK governme n t an d th e E u ro p ea n Commission, as published Friday December 8. This agreement guarantees that your rights as residents in the EU will be prote c te d in th e With d ra w a l

Agreement, so you can have certainty that you will be able to receive healthcare rights , pe ns ion a nd othe r benefit provisions as you do today. You can also benefit from existing rules for past and future social security contributions. Furthermore, we have agreed that close family members will be able to join you in the Member State where you live, after the UK has left. This includes existing spouses and civil partners, unmarried partners, children, dependent parents and grandparents, as well as children born or adopted outside of the UK after March 29, 2019. While I hope this agreement will bring you some reassurance, I know there are a few important issues that have yet to be conclud-

No10 flickr

Prime Minister Theresa May’s message to UK nationals living in Europe

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PRIME MINISTER: A message of reassurance. e d. We ra is e d the s e c oncerns, including the ability of UK nationals living in the EU to re ta in c e rta in rights if they move within the EU, but the EU was not ready to discuss them in this phase of the negotiations. We will continue to raise these issues with the EU in

the New Year. I will continue to push for the best possible deal for our nationals across the EU, but in the meantime, please do sign up for the latest updates on gov.uk. The constructive way in which these talks have been conducted gives me confi-

dence that we will achieve a final deal that reflects the strong partnership between the UK and our European partners, and is in the mutual interest of citizens living across the continent. I wish you and your families a great Christmas and a very happy New Year.

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A HUGE unfenced irrigation pond in Vallonga Cueva Santana near Fontcalent is a death trap, two hunters claimed. Both almost came to grief in the past but managed to escape, unlike Jose, a 63-year-

old who drowned there last November. Like him they had gone into the water to rescue a hunting dog but one of them, Manuel, was accompanied by his wife who went for help. The other, Andoni, who is

1m 90cms tall (more than 6ft 2ins) was able to reach one corner and after 15 minutes managed to get out of the water thanks to overhanging reeds. Jose, who went out alone, was less fortunate and is believed to have drowned the day before he was found, having gone into the deposit to save his dog while losing his own life. The pond belonged to an old nursery but although only partially filled it holds enough water to drown in. It is also very difficult to get out of the deposit as it is lined with thick, strong plastic and has steep sides that make it impossible to get a purchase, said Andoni. The deposit had a chain link fence in the past but most of it has disappeared and was probably sold as scrap, he said. The danger still exists and both he and Manuel warned that there would be more drownings unless emergency action is taken.

Photo credit Shutterstock/You Tube

Abandoned pond warning

LIVING DEAD: If zombies run amok Carles Mulet (inset) wants answers.

Million dollar question, million dollar answer THE Association of Parliamentary Correspondents (APP) recently announced their yearly awards during their gala dinner. The million dollar question prize went to Carles Mulet, a senator from the Compromis party who represents the Valencian Community. “What procedures have the government adopted to deal with a zombie apocalypse?” Mulet wanted to know last February. Mulet, who is well-known for asking awkward questions in the Senate, admitted afterwards that he knew this was absurd but he was tired of being fobbed off with non-committal answers or excuses that there was no record of his query. He was curious to see if he would get an answer, he said, and eventually this came. The written reply pointed out that if apocalypse were taken to mean a catastrophe, Spain has a system of concrete procedures for dealing with emergencies.

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NEWS EXTRA

No Xmas cheer THREE months after they were evacuated over safety fears, residents of the Grupo Catala building in Denia have been told it is not likely they will be able to return to their homes before Christmas.

Store raided THE Apple store in central Valencia was raided by thieves last week - police said mostly iPhones were stolen, though it’s not been confirmed how much the haul was worth.

A sad day SENIJA residents voted to keep the municipality’s annual ‘toro embolado’ event, in which balls of flammable material are attached to a bull’s horns before it is set free in the streets where participants try to dodge it.

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Photo credit: La Nucia town hall

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Sports back on track CALPE’S Department of Sports reopened the Pista Azul last Sunday - the track has been closed for months whilst €190,000 worth of improvement works have been undertaken to weatherproof the facilities.

15 years A MAN who beat his 84year-old father to death in Gandia has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. The murderer had been drinking all day and tried to blame alcohol for his actions.

New funds CALPE Council has announced it will increase its staffing spend by 275 per cent to €220,825 in 2018 to deal with the influx of building permits and state transfers.

OMIC OFFICE: Mayor Bernabe Cano shows where it’s at.

Somewhere to have a good moan LA NUCIA’S Municipal Consumer Information Office (OMIC) opens on January 3 in the town’s Edicio de Urbanismo. Cecilio Nieto, president of Alicante’s Union de Consumidores which will provide this service, recently signed a collaboration agreement with La Nucia’s mayor, Bernabe Cano. “We are providing this new service in response to local demand and to safeguard our residents’ interests,” Cano said. The office will open each Wednesday between 10am and 2pm in Edificio de Urbanismo

(next to the Health Centre) where a consultant from the Union de Consumidores will advise and assess local residents on consumer issues. Wherever possible, the OMIC experts will inform, orientate and help local consumers resolve problems with businesses as well as utilities and service providers on an amicable and voluntary basis. There is no charge for the service which is available to residents who are registered on the municipal padron and it will not be necessary to make an appointment.

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Crematorium controversy goes on TOWN HALL’S air pollution readings taken near the San Juan crematorium have been invalidated by a Valencia court. The region’s Upper Court of Justice (TSJ) ruled in favour of the crematorium’s owners and said taking of the samples was the sole responsibility of the regional government’s Environment department. Municipal sources said the town hall will appeal against the TSJ verdict as the decision to shut down the crematorium as a precautionary measure in

January 2015 was prompted by these readings. The Plataforma Anticrematorio pressure group maintained the closure of the crematorium, which is also challenged in the courts by the owners, will not be affected by the TSJ decision. The installation was closed not on the strength of the town hall’s 2014 readings but because it lacked a favourable report on its health impact, the Plataforma said. As a result the installation functioned illegally for 18 months, it claimed.

Doctors can go on working DOCTORS employed by the Valencian Community’s state Health system will not be obliged to retire when they are 65. The predecessors to the present regional government brought in new regulations to pension off doctors once they reached retirement age. This stance was accepted by the present PSOE-Compromis coalition that now governs in the Valencian Community although a Generalitat official pointed out that requests from doctors of pensionable age who wanted to continue have usually been granted,

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NEWS

BERNIA FORT: In ruins since 1612.

Big plans for ruined Fort CALLOSA Town Hall presented its plans for restoring the ruined 16th century Bernia Fort. Residents were invited to the presentation, which was introduced by archaeologists Eduardo Lopez Segui and Josse Amoros Gonzalve z , s o the y c ould c ontribute comments and proposals to the €2.394 million project. “We want Callosa’s popu-

3,500

lation to feel included in this ambitious conservation plan featuring the Fort,” said Callosa’s Culture councillor Francesc Guardiola beforehand. Once local proposals have been added to the project, the town hall will seek Administration help for the rehabilitation which will be carried out in 14 phases. His department will approach the regional govern-

Guardia Civil officers will be deployed to Cataluña for security reasons during the regional snap election.

ment for EU funds to finance 50 per cent of the €121,000 cost of the first two stages, the councillor said. Work will start by consolidating and restoring where necessary the Fort’s visible remains and to expose others so that visitors can appreciate its outer perimeter, Guardiola explained. The Fort was built on the orders of Felipe II in 1562 to defend the coast from attack but was demolished in 1612 to prevent it from falling into the hands of Moors rebelling against expulsion.

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21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

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Call for longer A & E hours

BARRANCO: Longstanding problem finally solved.

A year for solutions FINESTRAT mayor Juan Francisco Perez said 2017 brought solutions for several longstanding problems. Work has now begun on channelling the Barranco de La Cala, thanks to the town hall’s agreement with the water utility, Hidraqua, Perez said. Edificio Anfora, the site of an unfinished and unauthorised 70’s building that was demolished in 2010, is now being turned into a public area above

the La Cala beach, he added. “Soon we shall have a plaza with a lookout and access ramps at La Cala’s highest point,” the mayor said. Work on channelling the upper section watercourse began at the end of October and the second phase will commence at the beginning of next year and should be finished by Easter. The third and final phase at the lower end where the Bar-

ranco reaches La Cala beach will start once the high season is over, Perez explained. This year also saw an improvement to the town hall’s internet connection, the mayor continued. “We have had fibre optic installed at zero cost thanks to an agreement with a young start-up company which has already taken fibre optic internet to La Cala, the Bulevar, the old town and, before long, to outlying rural areas.”

VILLAJOYOSA Council voted unanimously to request an extension to the l ’ A l m a s s e r a d e To n d a Health Centre’s Accident and Emergency opening hours. At present the Permanent Attention Point (PAC) t h a t d e a l s w i t h e m e rg e n cies only functions between 9pm and 8am, a schedule imposed by the previous regional government. All parties on the council agreed to ask the Marina Baja Health Department, which sets Health Centre opening hours, to a l l o w t h e PA C t o o p e n a t 3pm. T h e l ’ A l m a s s e r a PA C serves a total of 39,000 people from Finestrat, Relleu, Orxeta and Sella as well as Villajoyosa. To t h i s c a n b e a d d e d 9,000 potential patients generated by tourism, the town hall pointed out. Emergencies are currently treated at La Vila’s

Integrated Health Centre (CSI), (CSI) which attended to 93,000 people between January and September. The existing situation, with frequent delays, has been criticised by both

users and professionals a n d e x t e n d i n g t h e PA C hours from 3pm to 8am would bring noticeable improvements to the quality of health care, said Villajoyosa mayor Andreu Verdu.

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THE Spanish government will press ahead with controversial plans to relax drone regulations in the country. New laws will require security checks and authorisation to let the small, unmanned crafts be flown at night and in particular areas, but current restrictions will be relaxed. Previously, enthusiasts were not allowed to fly drones in the evenings or around buildings, towns and crowds. But after presenting a safety study and gaining approval from the State Aviation Safety Agency (AESA), professionals will now be allowed to use the ma-

Attack of the drones!

CONTROVERSIAL: Current laws to be relaxed. chines in the previously restricted areas. Operations, in controlled airspace, will require additional authorisation. The new law,

approved on Friday, also requires minimum design requirements and pilot training. According to AESA, almost 4,500 drones are registered in Spain. This summer, the government announced plans to use drones to combat wildfires, according to The Local. Drones have a number of other functions, including photography, surveillance and leisure, but some fear they could be used for more sinister purposes.

Strike off

IRELAND–BASED pilots for low-cost airline, Ryanair have suspended their one-day preChristmas strike action on Wednesday. It comes after Impact, the union representing the 117 directly employed pilots, has agreed to meet the airline’s management. Ryanair said it would recognise unions for the first time as it also faces challenges from staff in Spain, Germany, Portugal, Britain and Italy. The firm’s chief operations officer, Peter Bellew, said: “Let’s keep talking and get people home quietly for Christmas.” Impact said it hoped the suspension of industrial action would remove any uncertainty for passengers intending to travel on Wednesday.

Unions in other countries had already halted action, but Impact said Irish pilots wanted more clarification. The union said: “Impact has suspended a planned oneday strike of Ryanair pilots on Wednesday after company management agreed to recognise the union as the representative of Irelandbased pilots. “The union has agreed to meet management on Tuesday evening, but says it is available to meet sooner. We look forward to establishing a positive relationship with Ryanair company management.” Impact says the dispute is about winning independent representation for pilots in the company. The union said it would make no further comment until after Tuesday’s meeting.

Ryanair pilots suspend pre-Christmas strike

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A life well lived EUROPE’S oldest person has died in Spain weeks after celebrating her 116th birthday. Ana Vela, who moved to Barcelona from Puente Genil in Cordoba during the 1940’s, passed away in her sleep at a retirement home in the Catalan city. The great grandmother outlasted two of her four children and was living with her 90-year-old daughter at the La Verneda residence. She became the oldest woman in Europe, when 117-year-old Italian, Emma Morano died in April this year, and turned 116 on October 29. Despite being wheelchairbound and suffering from dementia, staff at the home described her as being ‘strong as ever’ prior to her death. Her daughter last year told Spanish media: “She likes a

1.46%

Photo by Antonio Herrera/Twitter

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REST IN PEACE: Ana pictured earlier this year. glass of semi-sweet wine with her meal but doesn’t drink a lot. “When it comes to food, she eats everything, meat, fish, vegetables. She has a very normal diet.” It comes as the world’s old-

Rise in the average electricity bill in Spain in November compared to October, as prices went up for the third consecutive month.

est man, Francisco Nuñez Oliveira from Extremadura, last week celebrated his 113th birthday. Ana is succeeded as Europe’s oldest woman by 114year-old Italian, Maria Guiseppa Robucci, while Japanese ladies, Nabi Tajima, 117, and Chiyo Miyako, 116, remain the two oldest people on the planet.

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NATIONAL

A SERBIAN ex-soldier has pleaded guilty to killing two police officers and a farmer in Teruel. It comes after Norbert Feher, 36, appeared in a regional court in local capital Alcañiz.

The shooter - who has 18 known identities - also agreed to be extradited to Italy in a video conference with a National Court judge in Madrid. The testimony was necessary due to a European arrest

warrant issued in his name by Italian authorities, who want to quiz him over a spate of robberies and three brutal murders earlier this year. But the man also known as Igor the Russian must first face a Spanish court after shooting dead Guardia Civil officers Víctor Romero Pérez, 30, Víctor Jesús Caballero, 38, and civilian Jose Luis Iranzo, 39, near the village of Andorra. Feher has been remanded in custody without bail, although he can stand trial in Italy before serving a sentence in Spain. The three men killed last Thursday were shot as they investigated an earlier incident which saw two others seriously injured. It came after a 73-year-old was unable to open the door to his country house, leading him to return with a locksmith, 42. When they managed to unlock it, they were shot at close range from inside the property. A manhunt was launched in which Iranzo participated as a

Photo credit Policia Nacional/Twitter/Facebook

Killer confesses

THE STORY THAT SHOCKED SPAIN: The scene after the shootings with Norbert Feher (bottom left) and three of his many identities (bottom right). volunteer alongside Perez, Caballero and other officers who formed part of a special unit dedicated to investigating rural crime. But when he returned to a farm owned by his family he was shot dead, with neighbours raising the alarm after hearing gunfire. Six Guardia Civil officers swooped on the property, with four heading to the fields while

Perez and Caballero inspected a green Mitsubishi pickup which was parked outside. And when the quartet returned empty-handed, they found their colleagues lying in the road while the vehicle, which belonged to Iranzo, had disappeared along with the wounded officers’ weapons. A backup patrol discovered Iranzo’s body shortly after. Feher was eventually arrest-

ed eight hours later and 75 kilometres away after crashing the pickup between the hamlets of Cantavieja and Mirambel. The funeral of the two dead officers took place on Saturday at the Church of Santa Maria in Alcañiz, with hundreds of citizens joining a host of officials - including the government’s delegate in Aragon to pay their respects.

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No white Christmas A MILD Christmas is forecast for the majority of Spain. An official from national weather office, AEMET said that while temperatures will be cool at night, there is almost no chance of heavy rainfall before the festive period. Scattered showers are expected in central and northern Spain plus the Canary Islands, but Mediterranean parts of the country - including Alicante, Malaga and Almeria - will bask in daytime highs of 1721°C. The dry conditions are being driven by the return of an anticyclonic weather system off Portugal, which is blocking the entry of Atlantic fronts.

25 Photo credit Policia Local de Murcia

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WILD FIRES: Flames rip through Leon in Spain.

EU gifts €50,000 to Portugal and Spain By John Smith IN October of this year, Spain chose the European Union to receive €50,000 and the Princess of Asturias Award in the Concord category. Previous award winners have been charities and religious orders around the world. However, prior to a European Council dinner with Theresa May to discuss

Brexit, the President of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, and the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani announced that they would donate this money to Spain and Portugal. The move is intended as a gesture to recognise the suffering that residents in both countries had experienced following the outbreak of

catastrophic forest fires this summer. The respective leaders, Mariano Rajoy and Antonio Costam, expressed their pleasure at this simple gesture which showed the strength and unity of the European Union. Spain will present the funds to the General Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergencies whilst Portugal will manage them through the Revita Foundation.

BURNED ALIVE: The scene in the wake of the blaze.

Pig farm fire sparks panic AROUND 2,000 pigs have died after a fire engulfed a Murcia farm. The bl aze dest r oyed a large building housing the animals. The owner of the facility near the remote vill age of Val l adol i ses was hospitalised after suffering

a panic attack. A total of 16 firefighters in five vehicles were sent to extinguish the flames, but when t hey ar r i ved at t he scene most of the animals had been burned to death. No other buildings were affected.

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FEATURE

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Separations and divorces in the New Year and expatriates with assets in Spain Carlos Baos We can help you.

STATISTICALLY during the summer months, and at the beginning of the year, maybe after the Christmas period with the family, is the period when consultations on divorces and separations, together with the number of family court claims presented, increase the most. It is a time when the children do not usually go to school and the whole family, parents and offspring spend more time together. In some cases in unusual circumstances, different from the rest of the year, with different people, etc.

At this time of year there is also an extra burden of financial and economic stress on the family, Christmas presents, more costs and expenses than normal. The fact is that this situation arises regularly every year, especially after holiday periods, including summer and Easter, and these are the times when more family breakdowns than normal occur. If, unfortunately, this happens, it is essential to prepare thoroughly for the divorce or separation and to make sure that those involved have in place all the necessary and important documentation and information. Also, if you are an expatriate living in Spain or living in your own country such as United Kingdom, France, Ger-

many, etc, there are legal and practical issues that must be considered. If you live in Spain, there are aspects of international law that may be of vital importance and could determine the law applicable for the divorce. The applicable law governing the matrimonial property division, leading to the application of the rules of one country or another, that could be very relevant. If you do not live in Spain, and your intention is to initiate the divorce or separation process in your country, with some of your assets held in Spain, it is essential that an expert Spanish law firm in this field helps you and your solicitors. For example, in divorces by mutual consent, drafting the

agreements one way or another may involve higher costs or taxes to be paid, the possibility to register the court order directly and also the direct change of ownership of properties in Spain at the Land Registry, etc. If you find yourself in this situation and are keen to solve your family situation, if you are a foreigner with properties or assets in Spain, whether resident or not, you should seek legal advice about the proper steps to be taken. The consequences of making the wrong decision can be very serious. Contact us and we will help you. The information provided in this article is not intended to be legal advice, but merely conveys information related to legal issues.

Carlos Baos (Lawyer) White & Baos Tel: +34 966 426 185 - E-mail: info@white-baos.com White & Baos 2017- All Rights Reserved.

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21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

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Spanish drug ‘cook’ in hot water POLICE have arrested a man in Cataluña who allegedly ran a chemical company as a ‘screen’ to hide his drug business. Two drug laboratories were busted in Torrefarrera (Cataluña) and Monzon (Aragon) during the investigation, and police also detained two more men believed to be involved in the operation. As well as 700 grams of cocaine and 33 kilos of speed, officers also confiscated notebooks that contained instructions on how to make the drugs and €2,350 in cash. According to a police spokesperson, the drug traffickers intended to produce about 40 kilograms of narcotics a week. The main suspect allegedly owned a chemical company which he used as a front to buy

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DRUGS LAB: The site of the raid. the products he needed to manufacture the drugs such as amphetamine sulfate, 33 kilos of which was seized during the raids. The man, who reportedly produced the drugs single-handedly, was known to be a member of a Catalan crime ring and had regis-

People died in road traffic accidents during the two Spanish national holidays this month.

tered his chemical company in the social security register in Lleida. Another man who was arrested is believed to have helped with the money laundering side of the business and transported the narcotics to be sold across Spain. Police also seized various tools used to manufacture the substances, including scales, fans, butane gas cylinders and stoves.

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21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

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ARSENAL: Some of the weapons seized by police (inset).

Mystery death Police find dead body and weapons stash INVESTIGATORS in Jaen, Andalucia, were forced to call in the bomb squad after unearthing a weapons arsenal at a dead man’s home. Two armed bombs, one of which was designed to be dropped from an aircraft and weighed more than 50 kilos, more than 70 guns and a cross-

bow were among the items recovered. The surprise find came after concerned residents in the town of Linares reported that a neighbour had not been seen for several days. After forcing entry into the property, with the help of fire fighters, detectives found the

man’s body, with initial reports suggesting that he died from natural causes days earlier. The discovery of the bombs led police to evacuate the surrounding area. They erected a security perimeter while the items were removed and detonated at an undisclosed rural location.

Innocents’ Day: Spain’s guilty Christmas pleasure bell tower. IN most cultures, DecemOne of the day’s most ber 28 is a rather meanfamous events takes place ingless day, perhaps spent in Malaga. Thousands dehungover in the postscend on the city for the Christmas lull, or at work Fiesta de Verdiales, which contemplating New Year involves groups of musicelebrations. cians competing to play But, in Spain, locals the longest and loudest enjoy a rather bizarre trasongs. dition instead. The festival has been El Dia de los Santos or held on the December 28 Innocents’ Day, is the country’s answer to April WATCH OUT: Practical jokes are on. for over 50 years, according to Tourism Malaga, Fools’ Day. who say the musical event is try, the festive day includes Also celebrated in parts of one of the city’s strongest culbuilding bonfires and a Latin America, mischievous tural expressions. strange ritual of children actparticipants play a host of Thought to have peasant ing as ‘mayors’ by ordering practical jokes on each other. origins, the festival is in the residents to do community Friends, family, and occaprocess of being culturally chores. Refusal is greeted sionally the media are in on protected. with fines to pay for the celethe act, with the unsuspecting The city’s mayor takes brations. being labelled ‘innocent, innopart in proceedings, branDifferent regions of the cent!’ when caught out. dishing his staff and deciding country celebrate the event in The event has Catholic when pieces of music begin distinct ways. In Alicante, routes, with a vague connecand end. there is a flour fight, while lotion to a New Testament story Residents wear traditional cals in Frega throw eggs at about King Herod massacring dress and exuberant floral hats, each other and in Tremp a giinnocent children. while taking part in Flamenco ant paper doll is hung from the In some parts of the coundancing, in celebration of Of young people in Spain are the local traditions. unemployed according to government figures.

38.2%

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New Year plan

Sports awards

ALFAZ’S 2018 Budget, whose allocations include a water filtering plant, renewal of street lighting and the third phase of converting the old Coastguards headquarters into a recognised Blue Centre, will amount to €4 million. These and other projects will make the town a sustainable model, the town hall said.

MORE than 3,000 adults and children who practise sports on a regular basis at Alfaz’s municipal installations attended the Annual Sports Gala held recently at the Pau Gasol stadium. A total of 220 sportspeople in eight different categories received awards for their exceptional results over the past year.

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William Helsen

No cloudiness in sight

SIZZLE: The alternative to the turkey dinner.

Wishing you a Sizzling and Happy New Year IF you haven’t decided where to spend New Year, then Sizzle, the innovative new hot stone restaurant in Albir could be the ideal choice. Open from 6.30pm for dinner on December 24, 25 and 26, it is an ideal alternative to a turkey experience. On the Christmas menu there is an option of onion soup or baked camembert, followed by aged and hung beef on a stone or salmon, served with side dishes and then Christmas pudding or chocolate mousse. New Year’s Eve is always

special and Sizzle’s owners, Rene and Fiona and their efficient staff promise a great evening combining their hot stone specialities together with some exceptional deserts as they and their customers celebrate the journey into 2018. Meat is still the favourite at Sizzle but there is a wide range of different food guaranteed to

suit most tastes and with highest standards of service, delightful surroundings and some of the best ingredients possible, there is no doubt that Sizzle promises a great night out. Reservations for groups are necessary as the restaurant has been very busy and on other nights the superb menu includes a whole range of

grilled meats and seafood as well as some German favourites which really offers diners a different choice from the norm. This is an exciting alternative to the traditional festive fare, so a visit to Sizzle at Oscar Espla 7 in Albir is recommended. You can also have a glance at the Sizzle Facebook page to see the range of delicious food and special drinks that are on offer or make your reservation by calling 657 262 790 or email siz zlerestaurante@gmail.com.

Trees get a haircut THE town’s 600 plane trees, most of which are in Albir, are undergoing their winter pruning. This is carried out every two years, alternating with the many palms on Albir and Alfaz streets. “It’s usual to prune trees at this time of the year to keep them healthy,” explained Technical Services councillor Oscar Perez. Pruning the trees now will also ensure that falling leaves do not litter roads and pavements or clog storm drains in the event of heavy rain, Perez said. The pruned branches will later be shredded for reuse as natural fertiliser and mulch.

GUADALEST RESERVOIR: At its lowest ever last year. ALFAZ is to have its own €1.186 million water filtering plant. A year ago both Alfaz and Albir were without domestic water for several days owing to excessive cloudiness following torrential rain. The health authorities advised against using the water for drinking, cooking or personal hygiene owing to excessive cloudiness in Alfaz’s domestic supply from the Guadalest reservoir. Gale force winds and a sudden inrush of water stirred up the sediment at the bottom of the reservoir where levels were historically low following three years of drought. The water cuts drew attention to Alfaz’s need for a filtering plan to prevent a repetition of the problem, explained Alfaz’s mayor, Vicente Arques. Authorisation to go ahead with the project has been received from the national government and the future plant will be located beside the town’s Tossal Roig water deposit. Work is due to commence shortly. “We waited until now so that we could provide the installation with the best possible resources,” the mayor told the provincial media. “Nor have we allowed ourselves to be influenced by criticism from the opposition which at the time made disproportionate use of the effects of the winter storms,” he added.

Associations’ vital role tury irrigation ALFAZ will resystem, the Reg ceive European Maj or. Thi s Regional Develwill be at the opment Fund heart of a new (FEDER) cash, cultural route via the Generalbased on the itat, for two key LOOKING AHEAD: town’s natural projects. Reviewing plans for next and material The lion’s year. assets and a share of the alheritage that is linked to waterlocation, approximately €1 milmills and aqueducts. lion, will be used to install a footThis includes restoring the bridge over the busy N-332 Manec watermill, the only one main road and give continuity to of six in the town that belongs to the network of pedestrian and the municipality. Catalogued as cycle paths that link the centre of an Asset of Local Relevance, it Alfaz with the Albir seafront. is very dilapidated and needs urThe project will incorporate gent repairs to prevent the colimprovements to the paths as lapse of its remaining walls. well, explained Alfaz’s mayor, “Both projects are coherent Vicente Arques. with Alfaz’s sustainable model The second FEDER allocathat we intend to consolidate in tion, totalling €200,000, will be 2018,” Arques continued. used to recover Alfaz’s 17th cen-

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New kids on the block NEWS

MORAIRA’S Central Board of Moors and Christians announced its new president, Victor Oller Julia, of the Almogavers fila. The 2018 captains were also announced. On the Christian side, representing the fila Huestes del Cid, Gonzalo Perez and Pilar Valles and on the Moorish side and representing the fila Marsa Mudhayra, Claudia Damiano and Jaume Corbalan.

Encouraging sustainable development TEULADA-MORAIRA and Vall de Laguar came together to celebrate this year’s International Mountain Day recently. International Mountain Day is observed on December 11 each year and was established by the UN General Assembly in 2003. On Saturday December 9, mountaineer, Carlos Soria gave a presentation at the Espai la Senieta in Moraira. Soria participated in the first Spanish Himalayan expedition in 1973. His goal is to climb the

ALTOGETHER NOW: The group of hikers together with mountaineer, Carlos Soria. world’s 14 highest mountains, only two are yet to be conquered: Dhaulagiri

and Shisha Pangma. The presentation was followed by a photo exhi-

Stacey STACEY is a lovely girl who came into the Shelter about two months ago. She was found in Benissa and nobody has come to claim her. We are surprised that she has not been fostered or adopted as she is very sweet and and would make a lovely best friend. She is about a year old and quite small so wouldn’t take up much room on your sofa. It is getting cold at night in the shelter and she would love a home for Christmas even if it just a foster one. For more information please phone Akira Shelter 657 689 567 or email aki rashelter@gmail.com.

STACEY: Can you give her a home for Christmas?

VALENCIAN regional authorities have started work on drafting a refurbishment and renewal project for Line 9 of the Benidorm-Denia tram service. Among the stretches earmarked for the improvements are those connecting Teulada to Gata de Gorgos and Calpe. Around €15 million will be spent on the work, which is expected to take a year and includes new signals, reconditioned stations, bridges and tunnels and a series of six new trams. The scheme aims to improve security, communications and energy consumption.

On the rails

bition, Mountains Under Pressure by PelutiPelat The next day, a group of around 70 people hiked up the Cavall Verd together with Soria, who gave a speech at the top of the mountain, expressing his greatest thanks to both councils for inviting him to the celebration. He highlighted the importance of International Mountain Day in encouraging sustainable development in mountains, bringing awareness to all of the things we rely on mountains for.

Ballet lovers rejoice LOVERS of ballet will be thrilled to learn that the famous Moscow Ballet will be performing Don Quixote at the Teulada-Moraira Auditorium on Saturday December 30 at 7.00pm. Don Quixote is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. The story follows the adventures of a noble (hidalgo) named Alonso Quixano who reads so many chivalric romances that he loses his

sanity and decides to set out to revive chivalry, undo wrongs and bring justice to the world, under the name Don Quixote de la Mancha. Published in two volumes, in 1605 and 1615, Don Quixote is considered the most influential work of literature from the Spanish Golden Age and the entire Spanish literary canon. Tickets cost €26 and are available via http://auditori teuladamoraira.es.

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Don’t miss out

NEWS

Angry builder let off the hook A BUILDER who attacked two brothers with an iron bar in Javea has been handed a two-year suspended sentence by Alicante Provincial Court. The events occurred in August 2014 when two brothers who run a mechanic’s workshop on Javea’s Avenida Colomer suspected a builder working on a nearby site had damaged one of their vehicles. The court heard how the brothers caught up with the builder, one holding him whilst the other hit him across the face with a steel toe capped boot. The two brothers did not cause any

serious injury to the builder but incensed him to seek revenge. He returned to the site he was working on, assembled a two-metre long iron bar with scaffolding materials and headed to the mechanic’s workshop. There, he attacked one of the brothers with the iron bar, leaving him with several fractures. The builder has been ordered to pay €24,302 in damages to the brother who he attacked. If he does not pay the compensation or commits another crime within two years, he will go straight to prison.

TONIGHT (Thursday) at 6.00pm, the Casa de Cultura will play host to the ‘Bressolant’ recital, with traditional Valencian lullabies performed by Cristina Blasco, who will be accompanied by Abraham Rivas (piano and flute), Joansa Maravilla (percussion, tambourine, and mandolin) and Josep Maravilla (guitar). Entry is free.

Pulling out all the stops JAVEA U3A members were in for a treat at their last monthly meeting of the year at the Parador hotel. The usual general meeting business was replaced by a spectacular Christmas show: the annual ‘Extravaganza.’ The fun began with a performance by the Costa Blanca Male Voice Choir. It was followed by a series of sketches and musical groups by U3A members. The committee was unrecognisable in the shortened version of Hungarian Cinderella. And members Lyndsey and Gary Johnson got laughs all round with their respective sketches as an aerobics

instructor and ‘father of the bride.’ There were then performances by the U3A Guitar Group, led by Phil Shepherd, and the Out of the Blue band, which got the audience into the Christmas spirit with some carolling. Linda Coughlin and Val Dromgoole then finished the show as ‘stripping cleaners.’ The show was masterminded and compeered by the U3A’s Events Co-ordinator Shirley King. After the finale there was the usual tradition of sherry and mince pies consumed by the 300 or so members who attended.

FESTIVE FUN: Committee member member Mallory Glover in Hunga

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21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

Not too late

Continued support

APPLICATIONS remain open for the seven plots currently vacant within the Municipal Mercat. The Department of Economic Development offers the plots to businesses for a term of 10 years, with prices ranging from €1,855.96 to €5,567.88. More information can also be found on the municipal website http://xabia.sedelectronica.es.

JAVEA Council continues to renew its collaboration agreements with associations and clubs across the municipality. Earlier this week, the Club de Gimnasia Rítmica Montgo received a grant of €7,297 to support its promotion of gymnastics amongst children, organise competitions and participate in tournaments.

rs, from left, Roy Brown, Eric Atkins, Karen White, Guy Marriott and U3A arian Cinderella.

The saga continues CURRENTLY showing in English at Cine Jayan in Javea is Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The Skywalker saga continues as t h e h e r o e s o f T h e F o r c e Aw a k e n s join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past. The film shows at 8.00pm each night - for more information get in touch with the cinema on 965 790 147.

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Not to be sniffed at THE contract for the operation and maintenance of Javea’s wastewater treatment plant will go out to tender for €6.7 million. The current contract ends in June 2018 and the council is taking steps to ensure a smooth handover process. The plant serves 24,000 people in the municipality.

NEWS

Spaniards in exile

Hog war goes on A COMPANY was seen placing cages in the Saladar earlier this week to try to catch the plague of Vietnamese pigs. The council has asked the people of Javea to collaborate and refrain from feeding the animals. Fencing has also been placed around the area where the 50-something pigs are, to prevent access. This is the third lot of pigs. The first arrived almost a year ago and grew exponentially as many people were feeding them. Some of the pigs were even deformed, caused by interbreeding. Rachael Macdonald and her daughter Hannah worked tirelessly to rehome the

Photo credit You Tube

Company called in to round up pigs

COME BY, PIG: Fencing has been placed around the area. first lot of 24 pigs, which proved no mean feat. Fourteen were rehomed by Dusty’s Home Stead Animal Rescue in Benidorm.

Dusty’s relies on donations to help care for its animals - check out ‘Dusty’s Home Stead, farm Animal Rescue’ on Facebook.

THIRTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD film director and producer Ruben Hornillo returned to his hometown of Javea recently to promote his documentary ‘Espanoles en el exilio’ (Spaniards in exile). The documentary focuses on how young Spaniards are ‘exiled’ from their country - forced to find work abroad after college/university. “When I studied audio-visual communication, I did not think I would have to leave Spain. We believed that once we graduated, everyone would have a job. But the crisis of 2008 came and everything went to hell.” Hornillo explained to the Spanish press. Hornillo was a star-pupil. He went to Istanbul on Erasmus and then, in his final year at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, was awarded a scholarship in South Korea. In 2010, he was accepted to study his master’s degree in Film and Television Producing in Los Angeles and he has not returned. The documentary has taken Hornillo five years to produce. Backed by three crowdfunding campaigns, it includes testimonies and opinions from experts in economy, emigration and politics. ‘Spaniards in exile’ was shown at the film and human rights festival in Madrid earlier this month and has also captured audiences in Gandia and Sevilla. To check out the film, visit http://www.spanishexile.eu/en/.

COMMUNITY

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Big cats roar into town FESTIVE: The Costa Blanca Male Voice Choir at Teulada church.

Choir Christmas cheer THE Costa Blanca Male Voice Choir filled every pew in Benitachell church recently for their popular Christmas carol concert. In addition to a varied programme of festive songs from the choir, the audience were treated to songs by the Acafellas, an acapella group comprising three members of the choir, a beautiful duet of Pie Jesu from the choir’s musical director, Claire Harkness-Post and

her daughter, Rosanna and a duet from the Dolce Divas. The audience joined the choir in singing a number of traditional carols and the concert was brought to a close with a rousing version of the Hallelujah chorus. “Once again the choir were absolutely superb and I felt fortunate and privileged to see and hear them perform so magnificently,” said a member of the audience. He expressed his

“sincere thanks and congratulations to all of the members of the choir for sustaining the highest of standards that we mere mortals have come to expect from you all.” The choir also took part in the Christmas carol service at Teulada church, organised by the Costa Blanca Anglican Chaplaincy and the Teulada and Moraira Ajuntament. The service was conducted in both English and Spanish and

choir members gave readings in both languages. The choir is now taking a well-earned rest for Christmas but from January 9 will once again be rehearsing every Tuesday evening at 5.45pm in Bar Mediterraneo, Teulada, ready for a new programme of concerts in the spring. New members are always welcome and more details can be found at: www.costablanca malevoicechoir.wikidot.com.

THE Hotel La Laguna in Guardamar was the venue chosen to hold the Christmas meeting of the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club in the Costa Blanca. Most members only stayed one night as the party went on well into the early hours. However, a few decided to make a weekend of it at the spa and golf hotel. After all the members had arrived and the muchloved Jags were safely lined up in the hotel car park, it was time for their owners to prepare themselves for a night to remember. At 7pm they all met up for pre-dinner drinks in the bar lounge before lining up for a photo shoot in the foyer with all the members dressed in their finery. New club director, Mike Brook said a few words concerning the formation of the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club where he explained that Dennis Wilson and Brenda Pike will be working alongside him. After the meal, the night went on as members returned to the bar lounge where Brenda Pike and her husband Mike were thanked by appreciative fellow members for all of their time spent on organising this special event. If you would like to join them on future events email: mikebikejec@gmail.com.

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T H E U 3 A Va l l d e l P o p G e n e r a l Meeting for December was largely given over to Christmas festivities and songs. Once the general meeting issues were cleared in quick order, the members were entertained whilst enjoying snacks and cava. The entertainment was led by the Midlanders, a singing duo, who took them through a range of numbers from the 1960’s. The Vall del P o p S i n g e r s g a v e t w o p e r f o rmances and Bill White entertained members on his keyboard whilst they had a go at solving the quiz. The evening concluded with a show song from Philip Ashley. During the festivities the members were encouraged to buy raffle tickets and the proceeds were given to SCAN, the animal charity in the Jalon Valley. A few days after the meeting, their President, Bob Welham, met the President of SCAN, Barry Caulfield, to present him with the cheque for €238. No Christmas Party is complete without a visit from Father Christmas and his elves, and Vall del Pop was not missed from his schedule. After dispensing customary gifts Father Christmas drew the tickets for the raffle. For further information on U3A Va l l d e l P o p c h e c k t h e w e b s i t e :

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Jolly good fun

XMAS COMES EARLY: Bob Welham presents a cheque to Barry Caulfield and SCAN volunteers. www.u3avalldelpop.com. T h e U 3 A Va l l d e l P o p i s a l l about enjoyment and learning. The

U3A Vall del Pop hold their General Meeting on the first Thursday of each month at the Centre Polivalent

in Murla, and have a diverse range of groups for the interest of the members.

A helping hand

CANCER CARE in Javea was delighted to welcome Adela Canete to the charity shop recently. Adela is the Senior Paediatric Oncologist at La Fe Hospital in Valencia and heads up the wonderful unit that researches cancers that affect children. Today, Cancer Care continued their support for this research facility by donating €30,000 to help Adela and her team with their

COMMUNITY

Raising spirits THE Alfaz Spiritual Foundation would like to extend a very big thank you to all that supported their Christmas fair. Although the weather worked against them, they were still able to raise sufficient funds to donate a cheque to the ‘Asociacion de Enfermos de Alzheimer de la Marina Baixa’ through the hard work of everyone involved and the people that supported this event. They presented the cheque for €500 during their carol service, when they had the great pleasure of meeting Senora Garbiñe, the president of the association, and her companion, Noelia who gave a short talk on how the organisation helps local people who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and their family members. Visit: www.alfazspiritual foundation.com or alfazspiri tualfoundation on Facebook for more information.

ongoing work to make the lives of the children, who are suffering from cancer, more liveable. Cancer Care would like to thank all their volunteers, customers and everyone who helps fundraise or chooses to donate to Cancer Care. Their support enables Cancer Care to make these wonderful donations to such worthy causes.

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NORWAY Credit: NorgesFotballforbund/Twitter

NETHERLANDS

SCORE: Norway’s national football team captains sign historic equal pay agreement.

Radio gaga NORWAY has completed its total transition to digital radio, making it the first country in the world to shut down national broadcasts through

an FM radio network.

Royal visit THE Norwegian Royal Family has confirmed that Prince William and Kate will visit Norway at the begin-

ning of February, just two months before the Duchess of Cambridge is expected to give birth.

Equal footing THE captains of Norway’s men’s and women’s football teams have signed an equal pay agreement at the Norwegian Embassy in London, thought to be a significant move towards equal pay in sport.

What a dump AN estimated 35,000 tonnes of waste are dumped into Norwegian seas annually, according to national media reports, with the Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature claiming more should be done to tackle the problem.

GERMANY

Furry fiend A 72-YEAR-OLD artist in Thuringen

Toll tackled TH E Net her l ands has j oi ned A us tr i a i n f i l i ng a l awsui t against Germany’s plans to introduce a toll for passenger cars, which allegedly discriminates against foreign drivers and conflicts with EU legislation

Racist rental A DUTCH-Moroccan couple, who are both Dutch citizens and hold Dutch passports, were allegedly prevented from renting a flat in the village of Rijnsaterwoude because the owner only “ w a nt ed t o r ent t o peopl e of Dutch descent.”

Sand plan IN order to protect the Netherlands’ coast from rises in sea levels and erosion, the Dutch gover nm ent has bui l t a ‘ sand motor,’ consisting of tonnes of dredged sand that simulates the natural formation of dunes.

Knife attack AT least two people have been killed and three others wounded after two stabbing incidents in Maastricht, but police said they do not suspect a terrorist motive.

SWEDEN

Pension pains MEN in Germany receive double the amount of pension that women get, according to a study by the Economic and Social Sciences Institute, as elderly men receive an average of €1,154 per month whereas women receive €634.

EUROPEAN PRESS

was horrified to discover that his workshop had been vandalised by a raccoon, which destroyed 40 works of art and caused €3,000 worth of damage.

Round trip A MAN from Afghanistan who was deported from Germany has returned to Frankfurt after it was revealed his ex-

FRANCE

Train tragedy AT least four children were killed when a school bus accidently collided with a train near the small town of Millas in southern France, with seven more reported seriously injured and another 12 slightly hurt.

Wifi win THE French government has announced plans to make high-speed internet available to the country’s most isolated households by 2022 following a €100 million investment, as 7.5 million people are allegedly unable to get a high-speed connection.

Social limits FRANCE has drafted new legislation which will mean all children under the age of 16 will have to get their parents’ permission to open an account on Facebook.

Food friends A REPORT published the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition revealed France is the most sustainable country in the world in terms of how they deal with food-related issues such as nutrition and food waste.

pulsion to Bulgaria, where he was put on a plane to Afghanistan, was illegal.

Festive flight AN AIRBUS A380 owned by Emirates - which is the world’s biggest aircraft - performed a seasonal stunt over Germany flying in a deliberate pattern to sketch out a Christmas tree in the skies.

BELGIUM

Prince penalty THE Belgian government wants to cut Prince Laurent’s allowance by 15 per cent as punishment for being controversially photographed at a ceremony marking the anniversary of the Chinese army, according to a spokesman of the prime minister.

Case closed JUDICIAL proceedings have officially ended against ousted Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and four former members of his cabinet who fled to Belgian after illegally declaring the region’s independence from Spain.

Big money BRUSSELS could earn up to €123 million if it hosts the Euro 2020 football tournament, according to calculations made by a student of the Solvay Brussels School, who earned a distinction for his work.

Lights on BELGIUM is reportedly the only European country to keep almost all of its 2.2 million streetlights on during the night, while only 7.8 per cent of the country’s energy is generated from renewable sources; half the EU average.

Pension push SWEDEN plans to raise the minimum pension age from 61 to 64 by 2026 as citizens are living roughly 2.5 years longer on average, meaning that pensions have to last longer.

Student stabbing A17-YEAR-OLD student in Stockholm, who came to the country as an unaccompanied refugee, has died after being stabbed at school by a 16-year-old during a fight.

Not so good SWEDEN is no longer the world’s

‘goodest’ country, according to the Good Country Index, having dropped from first to sixth place, reportedly due to Swedish troops’ involvement in international violent conflicts and the country’s arms exports.

Hate crime A JEWISH cemetery in Malmö was attacked when two flammable bottles were thrown into the grounds, making it the second suspected anti-Semitic attack in a week following Donald Trump’s announcement to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

DENMARK

Shoot out A CEASEFIRE between organis e d gangs i n Copenhagen, w hich was cal l ed af t er a m an was shot dead in November, has been extended by a month while more than 50 people have been detained in relation to the shootings.

Cosy cells TH E wor l d’s m ost ‘ hum ane’ maximum security prison, which allegedly creates a ‘vibrant communi t y f or t he i nm at es,’ has be e n bui l t on t he Dani sh island of Falster, and was designed by Danish architects C F Moller.

Paws and order POLICE in East Jutland have decided to drop charges against two men charged with stealing military sniffer dog Pablo and dying his fur black as they lack sufficient evidence to prosecute them.

Youth seized A 22- YEAR- OLD Dani sh ci t i zen had hi s passpor t sei zed by aut hor i t i es and was sent enced t o f i ve year s in prison after travelling to Syria to fight for Daesh when he was 18.

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RUSSIAN PRESS

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CURIOUS: CIA want info on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

High treason A RUSSIAN citizen was charged with high treason. A Moscow court described the case as ‘top secret’ but revealed he is accused of passing on information about the Russian Navy to the CIA. Recently two other men were charged with supplying intel on the Black Sea Fleet to the Ukrainians.

Grave fight FIVE men who took part in a huge brawl at a Moscow cemetery were jailed for three years each. They were among 500 people who used shovels and stones during a turf battle between Tajik gravediggers. At least three people were killed and another 17 are being investigated.

Terror thwarted A TERRORIST attack planned for New Year ’s Eve in Moscow was thwarted by Russia’s FSB security agency. FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov said terrorists from Central Asia connected to Daesh were planning suicide attacks on the capital and kept gre na de s a nd ha ndma de bom bs i n t hei r Moscow apartment.

Moon mining RUSSIA has tabled a motion at the United Nations for a ban on the commercial mining of asteroids and the Moon. The Kremlin wants to amend the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and will present its case in Vienna in April. Currently the US permits companies to explore mining of extraterrestrial objects.

Art attack A NEW branch of the Museum of Moscow has opened on plush shopping street Stoleshnikov Pereulok. The Gilyarovsky Centre will hold temporary exhibits, theatrical performances and film festivals right in the city. It is named after journalist Vladimir Gilyarovsky who wrote about working class Muscovites in the 1920s.

Hit list A NEW report reveals the most searched for terms on the Yandex web giant, Russia’s answer to Google. In 2017 Russians were most interested in TV show Game of Thrones, cryptocurrency, the iPhone X, the terrorist attack on the St Petersburg metro and controversial new film Matilda.

Victory speech VLADIMIR PUTIN made a surprise visit to a Russian air base in Syria and met with President Assad. The two leaders declared victory in the fight against Daesh. Putin told forces at the air base “the Motherland is waiting for you” and they would return home heroes from a great victory.

BRAKE: Russia wants to stop asteroid mining.

FINANCE Rolls Royce approved takeover

THE owner of Westfield shopping centres is to earn €21 billion in a deal that will see the brand extend throughout Europe. The Westfield Corporation, an Australian group is to sell its portfolio to French property group Unibail-Rodamco which operates shopping centres in 13 locations around Spain. There are currently 35 Westfield shopping centres in the UK and the US, while the French group owns 71 sites in Europe but wants to create more operations under the recognis-

By John Smith able Westfield brand name in major cities within the EU including Barcelona, Paris and Vienna. As well as giving the new owners access to lucrative markets in America and Britain it estimates that it will be able to make savings of at least €100 million in the first year following completion thanks to a consolidation of advertising and marketing expenses. In order to help fund the acquisition, Unibail-Rodamco expects to

Photo by Eric Salard flickr

BUSINESS EXTRA

Google aid PROJECTS from 26 European countries will receive in excess of €20 million as part of Google’s Digital News Initiative. The Spanish share of this fund which is to be used to develop news platforms will be €1.5 million.

Mango sale

Barcelona airport Christmas strike terms of agreements entered into. The decision to introduce partial stoppages in the week leading up to Christmas Day is to protest at the lack of staff needed to undertake necessary work at the airport and to highlight that staff there are owed 7,000 hours of leave. The expansion of the Vueling presence has increased the workload for the staff.

AFTER suffering losses in 2016, privately owned Catalan fashion company Mango has reached an agreement to sell the facilities it has in PalauSolità i Plegamans (Barcelona) for €100 million. It will then lease the property back and continue to trade there.

Helping Rafa THE company that has developed radiotherapy machines used by Rafael Nadal and the Spanish Basketball team has been sold for €65 million. Indiba which has been improving its range of specialist equipment for 40 years is now owned by Spanish investors Magnum Capital.

Careful when using wifi BEWARE the use of public wifi as it has been revealed that a Starbucks in Buenos Aires had its service hijacked by scammers. In this case, the hackers obtained access to customer ’s computers in order to use

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A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 6 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION | WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM/3.0.15/FINANCE

Seat is the only Spanish brand in the automotive sector, which is rooted in Barcelona and I see no reason to change this,” Francisco García Sanz, Chairman of the Board of Management of Seat on the company’s future.

Iberia A320 aircraft at El Prat airport.

EWN

is the value of new bonds each valued at €100,000 to be offered to investors by El Corte Inglés.

Shopping centre take over

THE Spanish government has sanctioned the purchase of ITP (Industry Turbo Propulsions) by Rolls Royce for a reported €720 million. ITP which has headquarters in Bilbao and employs 3,000 workers across the world is the ninth largest manufacturer of aero engine components used in both civil and defence aircraft. Rolls Royce already held a 46.9 per cent stake in the company and will purchase the balance of shares from SENER Grupo de Ingeniería SA

THE UGT union has announced that following a poll of its 2,000 Iberia Airline workers that there will be a strike at El Prat Barcelona airport from December 21 to 24. According to the union, the decision to call the strike was forced upon the staff at the airport as employers IAG (who also own Aer Lingus, BA and Vueling) had not complied with the

€500 million

STAT OF WEEK

business & legal

Quote of the Week

Costa Blanca North

21 - 27 December 2017

their power to link with other computers to ‘mine’ for digital cash. In this case no harm other than a slowdown of service occurred, but the dangers are clear.

sell some of its smaller developments and hopes to raise some €3 billion to boost liquidity. The takeover is the second major deal involving shopping centre owners to emerge in just over two weeks. A proposed €3.88 billion merger between shopping centre operators Hammerson and Intu is set to create one of the UK’s biggest property companies which will create a €24 billion giant provided that Intu shareholders vote in favour of the merger next year.

Chinese company finds success HUAWEI SPAIN, the Spanish arm of the Chinese tech manufacturer which employs 180,000 people worldwide sold two million smartphones in 2017. According to CEO Tony Jin Yong it has seen growth in its three Spanish branches, infrastructures and networks, enterprise and private consumers. So successful has it been that it claims to now own 20.6 per cent of the entire high street market for phones, tablets and wearables (such as smart watches). With 1,200 employees in Spain it is now developing fibre-optic networks especially in rural areas as well as developing 5G networks and has opened service centres in Barcelona and Madrid.

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C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 18

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY Anglo American 1,405.00 -5.00 Associated British Foods 3,135.00 292.00 Admiral Group 1,872.50 -34.50 Ashtead Group 1,899.00 5.00 Antofagasta 914.50 -16.00 Aviva 506.50 4.00 AstraZeneca 4,865.00 -16.00 BAE Systems 570.00 7.00 Babcock International Group 684.00 -8.93 Barclays 201.50 -0.75 British American Tobacco 4,910.00 -57.00 Barratt Developments 626.00 0.06 Berkeley Group Holdings 3,705.00 -455.00 British Land Co 644.00 -27.00 BHP Billiton 1,382.50 -37.00 Bunzl 2,014.50 0.20 BP 504.13 -1.07 Burberry Group 1,750.00 27.00 BT Group 272.50 -5.05 Coca-Cola HBC 2,387.00 62.00 Carnival 5,000.00 170.00 Centrica 145.50 7.50 Compass Group 1,541.00 7.00 Croda International 4,340.00 9.00 CRH 2,680.50 148.50 ConvaTec Group 205.85 0.00 DCC 7,250.00 20.00 Diageo 2,620.00 -35.00 Direct Line Insurance Group 402.80 37.00 Experian 1,546.50 -54.50 easyJet 1,430.00 13.00 Ferguson 4,800.00 -470.00 Fresnillo 1,399.00 63.00 G4S 290.00 38.00 GKN 310.00 12.00 Glencore 357.50 -5.25 GlaxoSmithKline 1,300.00 5.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,704.50 -7.17 Hammerson 528.00 -6.00 HSBC Holdings 740.00 -11.50 International Consldtd Airls Grp 646.50 13.00 InterContinental Hotels Grp 3,860.00 -721.00 3i Group 900.50 9.00 Imperial Brands 3,110.00 25.00 Informa 693.25 -46.75 Intertek Group 5,222.50 177.50 ITV 164.00 -1.70 Johnson Matthey 3,130.00 91.00 Kingfisher 332.50 0.80 Land Securities Group 960.00 -24.00

% CHG. NET VOL -0.35 19,503.05 10.27 22,641.88 -1.81 5,500.15 0.26 9,595.12 -1.72 9,020.59 0.80 20,076.43 -0.33 61,836.87 1.24 17,920.89 -1.30 3,412.78 -0.37 34,572.72 -1.15 112,949.40 0.01 6,378.29 -10.94 5,553.38 -4.02 6,707.28 -2.61 29,315.56 0.01 6,782.43 -0.21 99,648.50 1.57 7,364.37 -1.82 27,159.85 2.67 8,507.38 3.52 10,052.51 5.43 7,733.52 0.46 24,126.39 0.21 5,638.07 5.86 21,223.45 0.00 3,966.16 0.28 6,310.96 -1.32 65,584.12 10.11 5,009.13 -3.40 14,587.79 0.92 5,664.19 -8.92 12,982.93 4.72 9,616.46 15.08 3,906.92 4.03 5,102.63 -1.45 51,439.61 0.39 63,475.74 -0.42 8,106.11 -1.12 4,216.00 -1.53 151,259.72 2.05 12,964.02 -15.74 8,559.06 1.01 8,668.28 0.81 29,088.98 -6.32 6,081.16 3.52 8,101.81 -1.03 6,694.26 2.99 5,840.84 0.24 7,219.24 -2.44 7,255.01

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

Legal & General Group 271.00 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 66.33 London Stock Exchange Grp 3,839.50 Micro Focus International 2,409.00 Mediclinic International 716.50 Merlin Entertainments 360.85 Marks & Spencer Group 323.55 Mondi 1,869.00 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 215.45 National Grid 880.00 NMC Health 2,900.00 Next 4,168.50 Old Mutual Group 204.00 Paddy Power Betfair 7,767.50 Prudential 1,835.00 Persimmon 2,480.00 Pearson 709.25 Reckitt Benckiser Group 6,695.00 Royal Bank of Scotland Group 270.80 Royal Dutch Shell 2,375.00 Royal Dutch Shell 2,442.50 RELX 1,640.00 Rio Tinto 3,548.25 Rolls-Royce Group 851.00 Randgold Resources 6,495.00 RSA Insurance Group 638.75 Rentokil Initial 285.50 Sainsbury (J) 237.00 Schroders 3,542.50 Sage Group (The) 777.50 Segro 575.25 Shire 3,765.00 Smurfit Kappa Group 2,392.50 Sky 1,065.00 Standard Life Aberdeen 410.25 Smiths Group 1,490.00 Scottish Mortgage Invstmnt Trst 433.50 Smith & Nephew 1,297.50 SSE 1,322.50 Standard Chartered 731.00 St James's Place 1,166.00 Severn Trent 2,090.50 Tesco 205.75 TUI AG 1,531.50 Taylor Wimpey 203.35 Unilever 4,105.00 United Utilities Group 804.00 Vodafone Group 231.25 Worldpay Group 463.70 WPP Group 1,285.50 Whitbread 4,206.00

CHANGE(P) 2.80 -0.08 59.50 -109.00 107.50 0.04 19.75 51.00 -1.35 11.40 100.00 -77.50 0.60 -817.50 -12.50 -146.00 -15.75 -36.00 -5.50 -53.50 -10.00 -89.00 -76.25 20.00 -460.00 31.25 -23.90 0.90 70.50 -4.00 0.00 2.50 -13.50 47.00 -7.75 46.00 -3.50 15.50 7.50 -26.10 -18.00 -10.38 -1.55 69.50 1.45 -91.00 -12.00 1.25 28.30 -103.50 342.00

% CHG. 1.04 -0.12 1.57 -4.33 17.65 0.01 6.50 2.81 -0.63 1.31 3.57 -1.83 0.29 -9.52 -0.68 -5.56 -2.17 -0.53 -1.99 -2.20 -0.41 -5.15 -2.10 2.41 -6.61 5.14 -7.72 0.38 2.03 -0.51 0.00 0.07 -0.56 4.62 -1.85 3.19 -0.80 1.21 0.57 -3.45 -1.52 -0.50 -0.75 4.75 0.72 -2.17 -1.47 0.54 6.50 -7.45 8.85

NET VOL 15,849.29 47,721.56 13,172.53 10,834.67 4,581.97 3,695.95 5,025.33 8,618.58 5,026.32 29,132.67 5,862.88 6,344.22 9,943.94 7,211.60 47,682.97 8,184.86 5,938.05 47,145.19 33,243.22 110,101.41 90,996.60 18,367.91 48,183.24 15,148.10 6,509.87 6,157.37 5,671.85 5,182.03 7,845.24 8,472.00 5,696.62 33,518.11 5,636.93 17,018.27 12,326.56 5,718.30 6,130.54 11,266.13 13,278.01 25,032.27 6,200.75 4,876.53 16,951.57 8,417.25 6,592.75 51,004.59 5,455.11 61,270.40 8,584.00 17,194.89 7,025.25

0.88159

1.13346 Units per €

US dollar..................................................................1.1768 Japan yen .............................................................132.613 Switzerland franc ..............................................1.16497 Denmark kroner...............................................7.44392 Norway kroner ...................................................9.85151 currenciesdirect.com/moraira • Tel: +34 966 265 072 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 18

COMPANY 3M AMERICAN EXPRESS APPLE BOEING CO CATERPILLAR CHEVRON CISCO SYSTEMS COCA-COLA DOWDUPONT EXXON MOBIL GENERAL ELECTRIC GOLDMAN SACHS HOME DEPOT IBM INTEL CORP J.P.MORGAN CHASE JOHNSON & JOHNSON MC DONALD'S CORP MERCK AND CO. NEW MICROSOFT NIKE PFIZER PROCTER AND GAMBLE TRAVELERS CIES UNITED TECHNOLOGIE UNITEDHEALTH GROUP VERIZON COMMS VISA WAL-MART STORES WALT DISNEY CO

PRICE 238,000 98,5200 173,970 293,940 146,690 119,73 38,190 46,19 70,00 83,03 17,8200 257,17 182,5800 152,50 44,5600 106,1400 142,4600 174,0600 56,24 86,850 64,79 37,2000 91,890 134,89 126,17 221,82 52,67 113,82 97,1100 111,2700

CHANGE% CHANGE VOLUME(M) -0,03% -0,080 142.201,44 +1,41% 1,3700 85.593,11 +1,02% 1,750 891.544,01 +0,02% 0,060 175.340,64 +0,28% 0,410 87.252,96 +0,17% 0,20 227.734,93 +0,77% 0,290 190.852,06 +0,35% 0,16 196.544,58 -1,03% -0,73 164.185,42 +0,16% 0,13 352.400,11 +1,02% 0,1800 154.102,95 +0,66% 1,69 97.329,30 +0,25% 0,4500 213.581,11 -0,97% -1,50 141.312,80 +3,01% 1,3000 209.457,93 +1,41% 1,4800 368.693,04 +0,57% 0,8100 381.647,04 +0,53% 0,9200 138.989,31 +1,21% 0,67 152.718,31 +2,55% 2,160 666.321,13 +0,40% 0,26 84.530,52 +2,03% 0,7400 221.380,67 +0,98% 0,890 232.537,58 +1,74% 2,31 36.979,05 +1,95% 2,41 100.755,57 +0,26% 0,57 214.784,11 +0,63% 0,33 214.945,74 +0,80% 0,90 206.333,91 -0,02% -0,0200 291.782,39 +0,63% 0,7000 168.203,47 M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 18

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced Educational Development Corporation TiGenix Crocs, Inc. Surgery Partners, Inc. Forterra, Inc. Roku, Inc. Compugen Ltd. Presbia PLC Diana Containerships Inc. FormFactor, Inc. Overstock.com, Inc.

$ 16.75 $ 24.92 $ 12.55 $ 11.15 $ 10.83 $ 52.31 $ 2.80 $ 2.16 $ 5.44 $ 16.60 $ 68.35

2.70 ▲ 19.22% 3.25 ▲ 15.00% 1.61 ▲ 14.72% 1.40 ▲ 14.36% 1.35 ▲ 14.24% 6.16 ▲ 13.35% 0.30 ▲ 12% 0.23 ▲ 11.92% 0.57 ▲ 11.70% 1.70 ▲ 11.41% 6.85 ▲ 11.14%

Most Declined Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $ 7.89 Allena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $ 10.50 Verastem, Inc. $ 3.14 Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $ 8.03 Frontier Communications Corporation $ 11.86 China Internet Nationwide Financial Services Inc.$ 42.95 Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. $ 2.45 Restoration Robotics, Inc. $ 4.86 ACM Research, Inc. $5 Xunlei Limited $ 15.77 Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $ 9.30

1.44 ▼ 15.43% 1.88 ▼ 15.19% 0.51 ▼ 13.97% 0.97 ▼ 10.78% 1.39 ▼ 10.49% 4.87 ▼ 10.18% 0.275 ▼ 10.09% 0.54 ▼ 10% 0.54 ▼ 9.75% 1.68 ▼ 9.63% 0.94 ▼ 9.18%

44

E W N 21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

www.euroweeklynews.com

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

Qatar works with Spain THE Qatari government has been isolated as other Middle Eastern countries accuse it of supporting terrorism which has meant that it has expanded its economic relationships with Europe. Having been awarded the FIFA World Cup Final for 2022 it has to ensure that it has a markedly improved infrastructure in order to guarantee that air conditioned stadiums are built, as well as accommodation and training camps which will be sufficiently cool for the huge number of visitors expected. It has been steadily investing in Europe over a period of years and through a subsidiary in Luxembourg, Qatar Airways is the largest shareholder (with 20 per cent) in IAG which operates airlines Aer Lingus, BA, Iberia and Vueling. Now, an alliance of Spanish agribusiness companies AgroQatar has signed a memorandum of understanding with Gulf Petroleum for the development of a system of high-tech greenhouse production of fresh fruit and vegetables. According to a statement from the Spanish embassy in Qatar, this project intends to improve the self-sufficiency of Qatar in fresh food supply. Gulf Petroleum president Abdul Aziz Hamad al-Dulaimi and AgroQatar general manager and chief operating officer Juan Carlos Santiago signed the memorandum in the presence of Spanish ambassador Ignacio Escobar. According to the embassy, Gulf Petroleum was recently awarded the right to develop 100 hectares of greenhouse facilities by the Qatari government and AgroQatar is supported the Spanish Export Promotion Authority (ICEX) which includes the financing of its projects in Qatar.

Photo Credit: The Peninsula Qatar Twitter

Needs assistance to produce more food

Signing the memorandum of understanding.

“The objective is trifold: to contribute to the growth of the agricultural economy in the state of Qatar and guaranteeing its self-sufficiency, to increase the participation of the non-hydrocarbon sector in the national economy and, finally, to develop the private sector” its spokesman said. The organisation was created specifically to facilitate the development of agribusiness adapted to the climatic conditions of Qatar.

INDITEX GROUP CONTINUES TO SEE PROFIT GROWTH

Third quarter figures up THE world’s largest fashion retail group Inditex has reported continued growth and profits of €11.15 billion by the end of the third quarter of 2017. Its turnover for the same period of €18 billion would rank it number 100 in the world alongside Latvia and Paraguay if it was a country. The company which owns Zara, Bers hk a a n d a n u m b er o f o th er brands just keeps expanding and during 2017 has opened 212 new stores across the world giving it a total of 7,504 in 94 countries with 162,000 employees. Interestingly however it has been reported in foreign financial media that it is looking to sell 16 of its stores (14 in Spain and two in Portugal) in a sale and leaseback venture with an asking price of €400 million. The reason for this decision is that the bulk of its stores around the world are operated on a leased basis and it has also seen a growth

AMANCIO ORTEGA: Founder of Inditex.

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in inte rne t s a le s w ithin Spa in which has been notoriously slow in embracing online shopping. The group has invested a great deal of time and money in upgrading its internet presence and believes that the Spanish market is ready to see a definite move away from store purchases to online s hopping w hic h me a ns tha t its stores may start to become redundant to some extent.

One of the properties that it is believed to be looking to dispose of is the Zara store in the upmarket Calle Preciados in Madrid, said to be the m ost expensi ve Spani sh street in terms of retail rents. O ne i ndependent anal yst has been quoted as saying that whilst pan-European internet purchase is expected to rise by 12 per cent per a nnum, Spai n i s l i kel y t o see a grow th of 18 per cent up by 2021. Profit margins for the company are in excess of 50 per cent over cost and this has been achieved by a policy of entering into arrangements with suppliers who will produce additional stock at very short notic e, ensur i ng t hat t he gr oup does get left with an excess of previous season’s clothing. Still privately owned by Amancio Ortega who is currently listed as the world’s fourth richest man, the Inditex Group has weathered all financial storms to become a true Spanish success story.

Jaime Botín accepts that he is tax evader THE former Bankinter president Jaime Botín has accepted a sentence of nine months in prison and a fine of €506,134 for allegedly defrauding €1 million. He has now accepted a ‘plea bargain’ with the prosecution agreeing that he pretended that a private plane which was actually based at Madrid Torrejon airport was actually located in Portugal where no taxes would have been paid. As part of the agreement, he has accepted full responsibility for this matt e r m e a n i n g t h a t c h a rg e s against three of his former colleagues will be dropped. There is however another charge pending against the millionaire member of the family which controls Santander Bank regarding the attempted sale of a painting by Picasso outside of Spain.

ECB confident for the future AS the European Central Bank (ECB) has increased its growth forecast for members of the eurozone, the Bank of Spain has blamed Cataluña for an expected reduction. Spain has been something of an economic powerhouse over the past few years so by dropping its forecast for 2018 to 2.4 per cent, it aligns itself with the increased expectation of the ECB for 2.4 per cent by the end of 2017. Whilst the ECB president Mario Draghi has indicated that the bank is much more confident than it was a few months ago, the Spanish Bank is also dropping the 2019 forecast to 2.1 per cent.

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Photo by AngMoKio Wikimedia

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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NIKI LAUDA: Original founder of the stricken airline.

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Niki airline goes bankrupt AFTER Lufthansa pulled out of a rescue attempt due to EU Commission opposition, Niki Airlines filed for bankruptcy. All flights were suspended leaving an estimated 5,000 passengers stranded without flights, although the airline website told passengers who had booked with tour operators to contact them for assistance whilst listing five ‘friendly’ aircraft who may assist in returning passengers to Austria, Germany and Switzerland until the end of 2017.

The airline which was part of the Air Berlin group (also in liquidation) has 20 airlines and flew across much of Europe with seven destinations in Spain including Malaga and Palma de Mallorca. The original founder of the low cost Austrian airline - which he sold in 2011 - former F1 racing driver Niki Lauda has reportedly shown an interest in making a bid for it. This is the third European airline to fall into the hands of liquidators this year.

Bid to take over toll operator still dragging on IT was in May of this year that Italian company Atlantia bid €16.3 billion to take over Spanish toll road operator Abertis. A few months later, that offer was topped by Hochtief the German subsidiary of Spanish construction group ACS who have indicated that they would pay €18.6 billion. The matter is now being considered, but two Spanish minsters have joined in the discussions suggesting that the bid from the Italian group was not ideal as Abertis also owns Hispasat, which controls Spain’s national satellite communications system. The suggestion is that they would rather see ACS, whose chief executive Florentino Pérez is also President of Real Madrid

football club, take control of the company which relies upon the goodwill of the government which grants the rights to manage toll roads across Spain. There is however a problem with the Hochtief bid as ACS is half the size of the Italian group which is controlled by the Benetton family and has less access to cheap funds which could cause shareholders in the Spanish operator to prefer a sale to Italy. It has been suggested that the ACS/ Hochtief bid will have to be supported in part by the issue of new shares and main shareholder in Abertis, CriteriaCaixa may not want to take stock in a construction company when it can take cash from the other party.

21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

EWN

45

FEATURE

21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

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47

What are they thinking? LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT DELIGHTED to have been invited to attend the Westminster Parliamentary Carol Service last week. Not quite so impressed with the almost unbelievable lack of security which surrounded the event. Don’t they ever learn anything? Just two minutes from the terrorist attack on Westminster Bridge, and with half the cabinet, including Jeremy Corbyn expected to be in attendance, we walked from our traffic-jammed Uber to the church, without observing even one member of the security forces - let alone an armed officer. Our tickets could have been run up on anyone’s PC and, although asked to bring our passports, they were not requested and we were allowed to pass unchallenged into the building, with no search, no metal detection and the briefest of ticket scrutiny. We took our seats among the MPs and peers of the realm, clutching an unchecked bag and umbrella, with yours truly wearing a long raincoat, which could have concealed a bomb or an AK47. Frankly, I don’t care if we were closely examined by a whole truck load of CCTV cameras, had I been a terrorist, I could have taken out half of those in attendance before any security force could

TICKETS: The only thing that was checked.

PEW FOR PEERS: Leapy takes a seat.

STEEPED IN HISTORY: Winston Churchill married here.

even have raised a small Glock. It was actually quite disturbing, and I truly did feel vulnerable in a situation which should have been sewed up tighter than the duck’s proverbial. What are these people thinking? I was actually surprised to see Corbyn in attendance at all (May sent a representative, obviously Brexit negotiations more important than her catching a glimpse of Leapy!) I didn’t think the Labour leader ‘did’ religion; I was therefore not surprised to see him leave before the prayer segment of the service. Speaker John Bercow smiled as he passed

my pew, he obviously doesn’t read the column! All in all, apart from the feelings of vulnerability, a wholly interesting and enjoyable event in a church which is steeped in historical occurrences, including the marriage of Winston Churchill and Lord Louis Mountbatten. The same building in 1555 AD, witnessed a priest attacked at the altar, after which the perpetrator, a William Flower was burnt at the stake outside the church. (Perhaps it is a good thing they haven’t actually read Leapy’s blurb!) The Westminster choir were of course superb and fair caused many a

droplet and lump. A truly unforgettable and wholly unique experience. This was the lesson read by the Speaker of the House, which made quite a pleasant change from ‘Order Order.’ BC-AD This was the moment when before turned into after, and the future’s un-invented time keepers presented arms. This was the moment when nothing happened. Only dull peace sprawled boringly over the earth. This was the moment when even energetic Romans could find nothing better to do than counting heads in remote provinces. And this was the moment when a few farm workers and three members of an obscure Persian sect walked haphazard by starlight, straight into the Kingdom of heaven. Keep the faith columnists@euroweeklynews.com

Love Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com

Leapy Lee’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors. Advertising feature

VIVA ESPAÑA: A chance to enjoy the real Andalucia.

Enjoy the sounds and flavours of Spain in Oliva THIS former Moorish town is popular with visitors for its beautiful beaches and fabulous Viva España restaurant. Set up in an attractive building with plenty of parking, a large stage and an open area for equestrian shows, this family run business which opened in 1977 offers a range of different options for every type of event. It is the perfect setting for a romantic meal or a fun outing with friends and family and when creating Viva España the aim was to give customers the best in quality food and entertainment in a relaxed and comfortable environment. The owners succeeded, so much so that now, some 40 years later, the restaurant is more popular than ever. It is almost too late to take advantage of what is tradition-

ally a summer event as there will be a special Andalucian Horse Show on Saturday with a wonderful exhibition of horses in the skilful hands of excellent horse riders. After the exhibition customers will be served with a typical Andalucian dinner and later they can enjoy the famous flamenco floor show but you will need to contact the restaurant immediately to see if there are any places left. New Year’s Eve is equally exciting when the restaurant offers a spectacular evening which includes a range of starters, two further courses followed by dessert and coffee and a selection of drinks. Add to this the Viva España flamenco dance troupe, balloons and grapes at midnight and an open bar for just €90 per person.

Both these great events will be popular and reservations are essential, so call 962 850 018 or 695 161 207 to arrange everything with Jacqueline. If you can’t make one of the celebration nights, then don’t forget that there is a menu of the day which costs just €9.50 plus tax on Monday to Friday at lunchtime and every Saturday they have a dinner and dance night with a Spanish band and a three course menu for just €16. Viva España Ctra. Valencia-Alicante N-332 km 216, Oliva Tel: 962 850 018, 962 851 931 or 695 161 207 Visit: www.viva-espana.net.

21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

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Courtesy of: Hunt Trip Spain/ Facebook

48

FAMILY AFFAIR: Hunting is often marketed as a family holiday. PROUD father kneels beside his three sons, each broadly smiling while squinting as the sun lights up the picturesque Spanish countryside. Beneath the smiles lies a Southeastern Ibex, slain so that it can play its part in this uncomfortably joyous photograph. In truth, it is a portrait that most families won’t have in their photo albums. However, when trawling through the ‘Trophy Album’ on one of Spain’s most popular hunting tourism websites (Hunt Trip Spain) it is an image repeated time and again. Be it fathers proudly standing between their kill and smiling sons or husbands embracing grinning wives while their guns rest against a defeated Red Stag, the frequency of the family kill portrait says a lot about the nation’s obsession with hunting. A favoured Spanish hobby (or sport,

A

85,000 signatories called for King Juan Carlos to be removed from WWF position after hunting scandal

if that is the appropriate term), hunting has long been a tradition from the north to the south of the country. After France, Spain has the largest number of hunters in Europe, according to a recent report published by the Círculo Fortuny. In total, there are an estimated 850,000 official hunting licences in Spain. That represents a slight drop since 2010, when the number exceeded one million. However, the fact that 2 per cent of the population still retains a hunting licence, proves its lasting popularity. To put that into context, those figures equate to one in every 54 Spanish residents owning a hunting licence. Outside of the Nordic countries that is the highest percentage in Europe. And it is a nationwide fascination. Andalucia, Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León register the highest number of licences, with Cataluña and Navarra also generating plenty of interest. But why, with another New Year about to be rung in, does hunting still garner so much interest? On hunting tourism website, the Stalker Group, Spain’s geographical beauty combined with its colourful history is used as a ROYAL SHAME: King Juan Carlos on hunting trip

SPECIALNEW

The two sides of Spain

One man’s tr is another’s t

With animal rights groups and hunters c Noon takes a deeper look into Spai 2% of Spaniards have a hunting licence, the biggest percentage in Europe way of portraying hunting as part of the nation’s culture, drawing on its architecture and artists as parallels. The website says: ‘Geographically, Spain’s diversity is immense. There are endless tracts of wild and crinkled sierra to explore, as well as some spectacularly rugged stretches of coast between the beaches. Culturally, the country is littered with superb old buildings, from Roman aqueducts and Islamic palaces to Gothic cathedrals. Almost every second village has a medieval castle. Spain has been the home of some of the world’s great artists: El Greco, Velazquez, Goya, Dali, Picasso, and has

museums and galleries to match. The country vibrates with music of every kind, from the drama of Flamenco to the melancholy lyricism of the Celtic music and gaitas (bagpipes) of the northwest.” It continues: “This is great chance to bring your family with you and enjoy both hunting and Spanish culture. Come and bag your magnificent Red Deer, Fallow Deer, Roe Deer, Mouflon, four species of Ibex and Chamois here. Traditional ‘Monteria,’ the royal hunting, is also available in Spain.” Again, hunting is dressed up as a family day out. Coupled with immersing yourself in the country’s culture and

5% of the world’s trophy kills are imported to Spain

Trophy obsession SPAIN is Europe’s biggest importer of trophy kills, accounting for 5 per cent of all global imports. Here are the ‘trophies’ making their way to Spanish homes from overseas.

HUNTING TROPHIES: The groups that are threatened.

Source International Fund for Animal Welfare

breathtaking landscape, it all sounds pretty idyllic. But for everyone who supports or partakes in hunting, there is an equal number against it. One British expat who has seen the negative impact of hunting first hand is the president of dog rescue centre Adana. Based on the Costa del Sol, Mary Page has had to tend countless hunting dogs beaten and then abandoned by their owners. “Some of the hunters who use dogs are 100 per cent hijos de -----,” Page told the EWN. “They can be extremely aggressive. I have called the police about it several times. “We have experienced countless injured dogs, dogs cruelly disposed of be it hanging, drowning or clubbing to death - or left to starve to death.

WS FEATURE

21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

www.euroweeklynews.com

n’s hunting story

rophy tragedy

constantly at loggerheads, David in’s controversial pastime “We have even had hunters on our land firing at rabbits or boars.” She added: “Personally I detest anyone who kills animals for sport, but what these hunters do to their own dogs is especially repulsive.” And the numbers speak for themselves. According to a National Geographic report, around 10,000 hunting dogs - galgos - are massacred each year. Deemed unfit to hunt, the dogs are either destroyed en masse or abandoned and left to starve to death. And yet, despite the tremendous number of hunts that take place, the animals on offer in Spain are seemingly not always exotic enough to satisfy all hunters. Spain is the highest European importer of ‘trophy kills,’ accounting for 5 per cent of all imports around the world, according to the International Fund for

Animal Welfare report Killing for Trophies: An Analysis of Global Trophy Hunting Trade. Of that number some 10,334 imports between 2004 and 2014 were from threatened species. Only the US accounts for more imports of trophy kills, with a staggering 71 per cent of all overseas kills being shipped to the US. The most popular imports into Spain were blackbuck (Sasin), African elephant, hippopotamus, lion, and chacma baboon (see graph). Some 87 polar bears were also imported into Spain during the decade-long study. Equally worrying is the number of trophy kills going the other way. The Aoudad (or Barbary sheep), a North African species that also inhabits the Iberian Peninsula, is the most exported threatened species heading out of Spain. And it is not just the trophy kills that get the Spanish reaching for their shotguns. Game and migratory Mediterranean birds face an unpleasant welcome when they choose to touch down. Yet much like bullfighting, hunting has found itself in the spotlight as animal activists mount pressure on the government to put an end to what

KILL OR BE KILLED: Hunting dogs

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When a disagreement goes too far WHETHER for or against hunting, the tragic death of Melania Capitan earlier this year was a horrendous result of bitter quibbling between hunters and animal activists. A female hunter aged just 27, Capitan took her own life in July after she was reportedly threatened by animal rights activists on social media. Capitan, from Cataluña, regularly posted detailed personal hunting methods on her blog, with these attracting thousands of followers. These posts attracted much controversy and she had been subjected to threats online. And while several animal rights spokespeople condemned the online bullying of Capitan, the bullies couldn’t resist one last dig. As the news of her death spread, many took to her

10,334 endangered trophy kills were nationally imported from 2004 to 2014

many consider a family pastime. It is true that in recent years the process (and cost) of obtaining a hunting licence has become less appealing. To obtain and maintain a hunting license in Spain, it is mandatory to have a gun permit, which costs around €20 a year, a hunting permit for about €80 a year, plus civil liability insurance which is around €40 per year. In addition there is the €150 fee that the psycho-technical exam costs. However, Spain’s government has done little to appease the protests. In fact, it has seemingly done everything in its power to irritate them further. In 2014, the ruling PP government angered animal rights groups after the Senate steamrollered through an amendment to Spain’s National Parks Law to extend a moratorium on a ban on hunting in these specially protected areas. The law as it stood said that hunt-

€140 annual cost of hunting licence

TRAGEDY: Melania Capitan. Facebook page, which has more than 32,000 likes, to leave comments apparently welcoming the news. “You have done a favour to humanity! Bye bye,” one comment read. “She was so bitter that she had to pay for her hate killing innocent animals, thank God she killed herself, the only good thing she did lately,” another comment said. Whatever you think of hunting or thought of Capitan, celebrating somebody’s suicide is a low that cannot be allowed to happen again.

ing on private estates which fall within one of Spain’s 15 national parks must end by 2017. However, they have since extended that to 2020 to the frustration and bewilderment of environmentalists. Slammed by the likes of the WWF, Ecologists in Action and BirdLife, the PP was accused of taking backhanders and wilting to the monetary powers of the hunting communities. And it is not just the government that has had its fair share of hunting critics. The former King Juan Carlos was no stranger to hunting scandals himself. In 2006, it was alleged that he had shot a Russian bear that had been given honey laced with vodka. Six years later, he was again facing a backlash when news broke that he needed hip replacement surgery after falling during a 2012 elephant trophy hunting trip in Botswana. Photos then emerged of the monarch posing with dead elephants and African buffaloes, as the media turned on the

74-year-old monarch, who - by the way - had the audacity to be an associated member of Spain’s branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). This was a double-blow for the King, who was slammed for his expansive lifestyle during the economic crisis. More damning however, was the backlash from WWF. Around 85,000 signatures called for Juan Carlos’ resignation as honorary president of WWF Spain. A public apology followed, but failed to persuade those at WWF as 94 per cent of general meeting members voted to remove him from his honorary position. With a government that refuses to stamp it out and a former recent monarch who actively revelled in it, the popularity of hunting is unlikely to diminish anytime soon. Those against it can - and will - continue to make noise, in the hope that someone will hear their calls one day.

‘They hunt anything’ HUNTERS are making life hell for expatriates in the Jalon Valley, Alicante. “We are terrified here,” said a 70-year-old grandmother formerly from Leicestershire in the UK who did not wish to be named. “I had a cat killed, lead shot come through the window and if you don’t like it you just have to shut up.” Having moved to the scenic area five years ago after 15 years near the coast, she says that hunting dogs often jump the fence and run amok in her garden. “My neighbour has built a huge fence to keep them out. “The noise from July to February is ridiculous… they begin at dawn and we can’t sleep! “They hunt anything and the dogs are destroying the environment. “Once I shouted at them from the roof, but one just put his finger up, then they spent hours parked at the end of my drive trying to intimidate me.”

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E W N 21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

7:00am Breakfast 10:15am Let's Get a Good Thing Going 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Street Auction 12:45pm Fake Britain 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News at One 2:30pm BBC London News 2:45pm Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 4:35pm Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit 5:50pm Merry Madagascar 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm DIY SOS The Big Build 10:00pm Love, Lies and Records 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:30pm BBC London News 11:45pm Darcey Bussell

7:30am Flog it! Trade Secrets 8:00am MasterChef: The Professionals 9:00am David Suchet: In the Footsteps of St Peter 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 1:00pm The Daily Politics 2:00pm Snow Babies 3:00pm Natural World 4:00pm Victorian Bakers at Christmas 5:00pm Back in Time for Christmas 6:00pm The Lake District: A Wild Year 7:00pm Sacred Rivers with Simon Reeve 8:00pm Inside the Christmas Factory 9:00pm MasterChef 10:00pm Joanna and Jennifer: Absolutely Champers 11:00pm Absolutely Fabulous 11:35pm Insert Name Here 12:05am QI 12:35am Dara and Ed's Road to Mandalay

8:00pm Beyond 100 Days 8:30pm Christmas University Challenge 2016 9:00pm BBC Proms 2017 The BBC Proms celebrates the 85th birthday of the world's favourite film composer, John Williams. 11:00pm The Galaxy Britain Built 12:00am Hollywood's Master of Myth: Joseph Campbell - The Force Behind Star Wars 12:40am Alexander Armstrong's Real Ripping Yarns 1:40am Bought with Love: The Secret History of British Art Collections 2:40am The Story Of... 3:40am Peaky Blinders Period crime drama set in Birmingham. 4:40am This is BBC Four

7:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News Lucrezia Millarini presents the latest headlines from around the world. 2:55pm ITV News London 3:00pm Judge Rinder 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Tonight 9:00pm Emmerdale 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Gordon, Gino and Fred's Great Christmas Roast 11:15pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:45pm ITV News London 11:55pm The Royal Variety Performance 2017 2:20am Jackpot247

7:00am 7:45am 8:35am 9:00am 9:30am 10:00am

7:00am Classic Coronation Street 7:25am Classic Coronation Street 7:55am Heartbeat 8:55am The Royal 9:55am Judge Judy 10:25am Judge Judy 10:50am Judge Judy 11:20am A Touch of Frost 1:30pm The Royal Nostalgic medical drama spin-off from Heartbeat. 2:35pm Heartbeat 3:40pm Classic Coronation Street Alan is surprised to find it is Rita's birthday as she had not told him. 4:15pm Classic Coronation Street 4:50pm A Touch of Frost 6:55pm Heartbeat 7:55pm Murder, She Wrote 9:00pm Midsomer Murders 11:00pm The Suspicions of Mr Whicher 1:05am Agatha Christie's Marple 3:00am The Knock

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The Cube Britain's Got Talent Emmerdale Coronation Street Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Mr. Bean Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records Planet 51 FYI Daily Planet 51 Emmerdale Coronation Street Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Jeremy Kyle Show The Jeremy Kyle Show The Jeremy Kyle Show Take Me Out You've Been Framed! Two and a Half Men Two and a Half Men The Great Xmas Rant Celebrity Juice Family Guy

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10:05am 10:35am 11:05am 11:35am 12:00pm 1:00pm 1:05pm 1:15pm 1:25pm 3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:05am

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Frasier Frasier The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA Channel 4 News Jamie's Cracking Christmas Jamie's Comfort Food Bites Carry on Constable Countdown Lost and Found A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun Kirstie's Handmade Christmas The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Supervet at Christmas The Undateables at Christmas The World's Most Expensive Toys Father Ted

Hat-Trick Heroes The Chase The Chase Storage Wars Texas Storage Wars Texas Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Ironside Quincy, M.E. The Sweeney The Professionals Ironside Quincy, M.E. Minder The Professionals Storage Wars Texas Storage Wars Texas Pawn Stars Pawn Stars River Monsters Lethal Weapon 3 FYI Daily Lethal Weapon 3 Jaws FYI Daily Jaws River Monsters Bear Grylls: Mission Survive 4:50am ITV4 Nightscreen 4:55am It's Not Rocket Science

THURSDAY TV

Paw Patrol Rusty Rivets Peppa Pig Peppa Pig Floogals Digby Dragon Noddy: Toyland Detective Shimmer and Shine Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom Mofy Snow Queen Open Season 3 Loch Ness Christmas with the Andersons Mrs Miracle 2: Miracle in Manhattan A Royal Christmas World's Strongest Man 2017 Britain's Craziest Christmas Lights Donny Osmond's Easy Listening Christmas

11:00am Rules of Engagement 11:30am Rules of Engagement 12:00pm How I Met Your Mother 12:30pm How I Met Your Mother 1:00pm New Girl 1:30pm New Girl 2:00pm The Big Bang Theory 2:30pm The Big Bang Theory 3:00pm Kevin Can Wait 3:30pm Kevin Can Wait 4:00pm How I Met Your Mother 4:30pm How I Met Your Mother 5:00pm New Girl 5:30pm New Girl 6:00pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 6:30pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 7:00pm The Big Bang Theory 7:30pm The Big Bang Theory 8:00pm Hollyoaks 9:00pm The Big Bang Theory 9:30pm The Big Bang Theory 10:00pm 2 Broke Girls 10:30pm The Big Bang Theory 11:00pm The Inbetweeners

7:00am Good Morning Sports Fans Bitesize 7:30am Good Morning Sports Fans Bitesize 8:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 9:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 10:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 11:00am Premier League Daily 12:00pm Sky Sports Daily 1:00pm SKY Sports News 2:00pm SKY Sports News 3:00pm SKY Sports News 4:00pm SKY Sports News 5:00pm SKY Sports News 6:00pm SKY Sports News 7:00pm SKY Sports News 8:00pm Live World Championship Darts 12:00am SKY Sports News 1:00am SKY Sports News 2:00am SKY Sports News 3:00am SKY Sports News 4:00am SKY Sports News 5:00am SKY Sports News

Rocky III In the Heart of the Sea 11:15am Behind Enemy Lines 1:05pm The Great Wall 2:55pm The Goonies 4:55pm Twister 6:55pm In the Heart of the Sea 9:00pm The Great Wall 11:00pm The 13th Warrior 12:50am Kill Zone 2

7:00am Don't Think Twice Turmoil strikes a New York improv troupe when one member leaves to star in a SNL-like TV show. Smart comedy. 8:45am Justice League: Special 9:15am Smurfs: The Lost Village 10:50am Sharing Christmas 12:25pm Don't Think Twice 2:10pm Come and Find Me 4:10pm Fist Fight 5:45pm Smurfs: The Lost Village 7:20pm Final Recall 9:00pm Come and Find Me 11:00pm Fist Fight 12:35am How to be a Latin Lover 2:35am Battle for Moscow 4:40am Final Recall Sci-fi actioner about a no-nonsense survivalist who tools up and takes the fight to invading extra-terrestrial hordes.

7:00am EFL Greatest Games 7:15am EFL Greatest Games 7:30am SPFL Greatest Games 7:45am SPFL Greatest Games 8:00am Carabao Cup Highlights 8:30am Football Countdowns 9:00am Football's Greatest 9:30am Football's Greatest Teams 10:00am Football 1:00pm Eredivisie 2:00pm Carabao Cup Highlights 2:30pm La Liga Icons 2:45pm La Liga Icons 3:00pm Football 6:00pm The Dark Side of Football 6:55pm EFL Matters 7:25pm Football 9:25pm Football 11:30pm La Liga Files 12:15am La Liga Files 1:00am La Liga Show 1:30am EFL Matters 2:00am Carabao Cup Highlights 2:30am Carabao Cup Highlights 3:00am La Liga Show

8:05am 8:20am 8:30am 8:40am 8:50am 9:05am 9:20am 9:35am 9:50am 10:10am 10:15am 11:50am 1:15pm 3:15pm 4:55pm

6:40pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

7:25am 9:10am

8:15am 10:10am 11:45am 1:30pm 3:25pm 3:45pm 5:25pm 5:55pm 7:30pm 9:30pm 11:30pm 1:10am

Our Brand is Crisis Liar Liar Mean Girls Miss Congeniality The Top Ten Show 2017 Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie Justice League: Special Liar Liar Sisters Miss Congeniality Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie Beverly Hills Cop

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E W N 21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

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10:15am Let's Get a Good Thing Going 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Street Auction 12:45pm Fake Britain 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News at One 2:30pm BBC London News 2:45pm Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 4:40pm Puss in Boots 6:00pm Puss in Boots: The Three Diablos 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm A Question of Sport 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Miranda 10:00pm Have I Got 2017 News for You 10:30pm Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas Special 2014 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:30pm BBC London News 11:40pm The Graham Norton Show 12:30am Would I Lie to You?

7:05am MasterChef: The Professionals 8:05am An Island Parish 8:35am Holiday Affair 10:00am The Big Family Cooking Showdown 11:00am Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines 1:05pm Tom Kerridge Cooks Christmas 1:35pm Best Christmas Bakes Ever 2:20pm An Ideal Husband 3:50pm The Toys That Made Christmas 5:15pm Back in Time for Christmas 6:15pm Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! 8:00pm Inside the Christmas Factory 9:00pm Mastermind 9:30pm Only Connect 10:00pm Saturday Night Fever - The Ultimate Disco Movie 11:10pm The Joy of the Bee Gees 12:10am Boogie Fever: A TOTP2 Disco Special

8:00pm World News Today 8:30pm TOTP2 Xmas 2017 10:00pm Frank Skinner on George Formby 11:00pm Tom Jones's 1950s: The Decade That Made Me 12:00am West Side Stories The Making of a Classic 1:00am Michael Grade's Stars of the Musical Theatre 2:00am Rock 'N' Roll America 3:00am Frank Skinner on George Formby George Formby was a huge star of stage and film. 4:00am West Side Stories The Making of a Classic Documentary about West Side Story, one of the best-loved musicals of all time. 5:00am This is BBC Four BBC Four is the BBC channel for people who want more.

8:40am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:05am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:35am Frasier 10:05am Frasier 10:35am Frasier 11:05am The Big Bang Theory 11:35am The Big Bang Theory 12:00pm Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA 1:00pm Channel 4 News 1:05pm Jamie's Cracking Christmas 1:15pm Jamie's Comfort Food 1:25pm Carry on Spying 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm Lost and Found 5:00pm A Place in the Sun 5:30pm Kirstie's Handmade Christmas 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast 10:00pm The Last Leg Christmas Special 11:00pm The Inbetweeners 2 1:00am Kick-Ass 2

7:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News 2:55pm ITV News London 3:00pm Judge Rinder 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm You've Been Framed! 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Al Murray's Make Christmas Great Again 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:30pm ITV News London 11:40pm Bridget Jones's Diary 1:30am Gordon, Gino and Fred's Great Christmas Roast

9:30am Coronation Street 10:00am The Ellen DeGeneres Show 10:50am Mr. Bean 11:25am Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 11:35am Space Chimps 12:35pm FYI Daily 12:40pm Space Chimps 1:20pm Emmerdale 1:50pm Emmerdale 2:20pm Coronation Street 2:50pm All Star Family Fortunes 3:40pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 4:50pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:55pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 7:00pm Catchphrase 8:00pm You've Been Framed! 8:30pm You've Been Framed! 9:00pm The Amazing SpiderMan 2 11:40pm Family Guy 12:10am Family Guy 12:35am Family Guy 1:05am Family Guy

7:00am Judge Judy 7:20am Classic Coronation Street 7:45am Classic Coronation Street 8:10am Heartbeat 9:15am The Royal 10:15am Judge Judy 10:40am Judge Judy 11:05am Judge Judy 11:35am A Touch of Frost 1:35pm The Royal 2:40pm Heartbeat 3:40pm Classic Coronation Street 4:15pm Classic Coronation Street 4:50pm Sparkling Cyanide 6:55pm Heartbeat 7:55pm Murder, She Wrote 9:00pm Tonight at the London Palladium 10:00pm Undeniable 11:00pm Undeniable 12:00am The Suspicions of Mr Whicher 2:00am Agatha Christie's Marple 3:45am The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes

7:00am Judge Judy 7:20am Classic Coronation Street 7:45am Classic Coronation Street 8:10am Heartbeat 9:15am The Royal 10:15am Judge Judy 10:40am Judge Judy 11:05am Judge Judy 11:35am A Touch of Frost 1:35pm The Royal 2:40pm Heartbeat 3:40pm Classic Coronation Street 4:15pm Classic Coronation Street 4:50pm Sparkling Cyanide 6:55pm Heartbeat 7:55pm Murder, She Wrote 9:00pm Tonight at the London Palladium 10:00pm Undeniable 11:00pm Undeniable 12:00am The Suspicions of Mr Whicher 2:00am Agatha Christie's Marple 3:45am The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes

8:05am 8:20am 8:30am 8:40am 8:50am 9:05am 9:20am

FRIDAY TV

Paw Patrol Thomas and Friends Peppa Pig Peppa Pig Floogals Digby Dragon Noddy: Toyland Detective Shimmer and Shine Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom Abominable Christmas Saving Santa Cats and Dogs A Puppy for Christmas Mariah Carey's a Christmas Melody 5 News Mariah Carey's a Christmas Melody Mrs. Miracle The Gadget Show Christmas with the Dog Rescuers Celebrity 5 Go in Search of Santa In His Own Words Super Casino Gone

9:10am 12 Wishes of Christmas 11:00am Rules of Engagement 11:30am Rules of Engagement 12:00pm How I Met Your Mother 12:30pm How I Met Your Mother 1:00pm New Girl 1:30pm New Girl 2:00pm The Big Bang Theory 2:30pm The Big Bang Theory 3:00pm Kevin Can Wait 3:30pm Kevin Can Wait 4:00pm How I Met Your Mother 4:30pm How I Met Your Mother 5:00pm New Girl 5:30pm New Girl 6:00pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 6:30pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 7:00pm The Big Bang Theory 7:30pm The Big Bang Theory 8:00pm Hollyoaks 8:30pm The Goldbergs 9:00pm The Hunger Games 11:50pm The Big Bang Theory 12:20am The Big Bang Theory 12:45am Gogglebox 1:50am Gogglebox

7:00am Good Morning Sports Fans Bitesize 7:30am Good Morning Sports Fans Bitesize 8:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 9:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 10:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 11:00am Premier League Daily 12:00pm Sky Sports Daily 1:00pm SKY Sports News 1:30pm Live World Championship Darts 5:30pm SKY Sports News 6:00pm SKY Sports News 7:00pm SKY Sports News 7:30pm Carling in Off the Bar Pre-Match 8:00pm Football 11:30pm SPFL Matters: Old Firm Special 12:00am Cricket

7:00am Rocky IV 8:40am Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher 10:10am The A-Team 12:10pm Robin Hood 2:35pm Rocky Balboa 4:45pm Batman 7:00pm Tarzan 9:00pm Robin Hood 11:25pm The A-Team 1:30am Uncommon Valor

7:00am Sharing Christmas 8:35am Fist Fight 10:10am How to be a Latin Lover 12:10pm Smurfs: The Lost Village 1:45pm John Wick: Chapter Two 3:50pm Come and Find Me 5:45pm Fist Fight 7:20pm Smurfs: The Lost Village 9:00pm John Wick: Chapter Two 11:10pm Come and Find Me 1:10am Final Recall 2:45am Don't Think Twice Turmoil strikes a New York improv troupe when one member leaves to star in a SNL-like TV show. 4:20am Battle for Moscow

1:30pm La Liga Highlights: Real Madrid 1:45pm La Liga Highlights: Barcelona 2:00pm La Liga Highlights: Real Madrid 2:15pm La Liga Highlights: Barcelona 2:30pm La Liga Highlights: Real Madrid 2:45pm La Liga Highlights: Barcelona 3:00pm La Liga Icons 3:45pm La Liga Icons 4:00pm 20 Years of El Clasico 4:45pm La Liga Icons 5:00pm La Liga Show 5:30pm EFL Matters 6:00pm La Liga Preview 2017/18 6:55pm SPFL Matters: Old Firm Special 7:25pm Football 9:25pm Football 11:30pm SPFL Matters: Old Firm Special 12:00am The Story of Las Palmas

9:35am 9:50am 10:05am 10:55am 12:30pm 2:10pm 3:55pm 4:55pm 5:00pm 5:45pm 7:30pm 8:30pm 9:30pm 11:00pm 1:00am 4:10am

8:00am Fred Claus 10:00am My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 11:45am Splash 1:45pm Bad Neighbours 2 3:25pm Ride Along 2 5:15pm My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 7:00pm Splash 9:00pm Bad Neighbours 2 10:40pm Ride Along 2 12:30am Central Intelligence 2:25am Airplane!

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FEATURE

21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

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TECH FOR THE TIMID

BROADBAND: Spain the world’s 22nd-fastest.

Strike up the broadband With Spain now 22nd in global connectivity speed, Terence Kennedy is in a fever about his new fibre. provider decided to give us fibre whether we wanted it or not. As indeed did Mr Kellogg all those breakfasts ago. For the less fortunate, there are things you can do to improve your connectivity, other than lob-

THURSDAY THOUGHTS By Graham Braben, Almería

Chocolate treats MY daughter Alice and I were wandering through a local shopping centre a few weeks ago and came across a new chocolate shop. We ventured in with visions of leaving laden with scrumptious chocolate treats. That was until we saw the price. I paid less for my first ever car! But nevertheless, I have a weak spot for chocolate, and ‘I’ll save it for later,’ isn’t a phrase that springs immediately to mind! This makes the story of a man in Pwllheli, North Wales even odder. I know Pwllheli very well and although you risk damage to your tongue trying to pronounce it properly - though not a patch on Llanfairpwwllgwyngllgogerychwyrndrobwlllantysilliogogogoch - it’s somewhere I have spent a great deal of time in for many years, so I can say quite categorically, that apart from Funland and a few nice cafes, there’s not a lot to do in the town. Perhaps this explains it. For the last 25 years this particular chap has been collecting chocolate bars hoping they’ll become worth more money than he paid for them. I think there’s a flaw in that premise don’t you? Would anyone really pay over the odds for a bar of chocolate that cruised by the sell by date decades ago? No, I don’t think so either! Apart from taking over huge swathes of this Pwllheli resident’s home, chocolate, as The Beach Boys may have said, does get around. Apparently, in China, for Valentine’s Day, a VW Beetle was smothered in chocolate and displayed at a Volkswagen dealer. I’m not tempted to horde my chocolate or smother my car in it, I’m going to be boring and just eat the stuff. While I eat it I’ll feel sorry for poor old Will Shakespeare, they didn’t have chocolate in England until the 1650’s, over 30 years after he died. No wonder he wrote so many tragedies! columnists@euroweeklynews.com Readers interested in submitting articles for this guest column should send articles of around 250 words on topics felt to be of interest to the cosmopolitan EWN readership to editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

bying your service provider and local authorities. Or moving. Or indeed stealing the copper cable. If you’re still on prehistoric ADSL as we were (1.5 Mbps on a really good day, courtesy of that excellent site for testing your broadband

Selling cellular ACCESSING mobile data is not j ust t he preserve of phones and tablets. You can buy a MiFi gadget for home and mobile use f or €100 or l ess. Insert a dat a- enabl ed SIM card, plug it in or use its battery, and you’ ve got a 3G / 4G WiFi ‘router.’ The cheaper sol ut i on i s firing up your smartphone’s WiFi hotspot, activated in your phone’s settings. Do be aware though that leaving it on continuously will hammer your phone’s battery, so keep it on charge. You can cont i nue usi ng your phone throughout. But perhaps you have an ol d sm art phone l urki ng i n a drawer whi ch you coul d dedicate to hotspotting? O r j ust bi t e t he bul l et , buy an €80 second smartphone and away you go. Because you’re worth it.

Opening the door to advent calendars with a festive difference Nora Johnson

Photo by The Church Sofa /Twitter

UNTIL last month, where I live it was quicker to send out a messenger with a cleft stick than to use e-mail. Then despite the hesitance of the town’s largely-elderly inhabitants who still think the Interweb is the devil’s spawn, we received a wonderful early Christmas present: fibre-optic broadband. I wouldn’t want to spoil the festive season for the rest of you living in seriously inferior settlements, but what a joy it is to send an e-mail and not have to brew up a cuppa while waiting for the progress bar to complete. How ecstatic it is to click a news-site video and not be treated to stopmotion puppetry. It almost didn’t happen, after the town fathers questioned the need for such new-fangled jiggery-pokery. That it would cost each and every one of us a whole €3 more a month almost sank the deal. Fortunately thieves came to our rescue (not a sentence I ever thought I would write). They stole the town’s copper feeder cable, twice, and the service

speed, www.speedtest.net), you may have two other options: mobile, or satellite. Satellite is the ultimate and perhaps only choice for those far out ‘en medio de la nada’; but it’s expensive and prone to crippling traffic jams, especially when the kids get home for a happy evening of slaughtering people online. If you’re lucky enough to be in ra nge of a cel l ul ar t ower, you c ould ‘g o m obi l e,’ especi al l y now that mobile data packages are dropping in price. Unless you’re contemplating watching Game of Thrones online instead of on telly like the rest of us, 10 or 20 GB of data a month shoul d do ni cel y t hank you, at an affordable price. You don’t even have to buy a special modem to do it; just turn on your smartphone’s hotspot and bingo, you’ve got your own new WiFi source in the house, driven from your SIMcard. So go on: if you’re still limping along on snail-paced broadband but you’ve got a reasonable 4G or even 3G signal within reach, why not? All you need is a smartphone with data and Roberto’s your tio.

53

Breaking Views Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/nora-johnson

IT must be Christmas - with the advent of all the usual political correctness! First off, there’s Father Desmond O’Donnell, an Irish Catholic priest, urging Christians to abandon the word ‘Christmas’ because, for him, the words ‘Christmas’ and ‘Easter’ have lost all sacred meaning. Then there’s the vicar who banned ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ from Christmas services. Speaking of ‘advent,’ what about all the advent calendars around now? For starters, the erotic calendars from Selfridges. Next Asda’s cheese-filled ones, while the Master of Malt website had a small bottle of rare whisky behind each window - provided you were happy with the £1,000 price tag. Then, Greggs the bak-

ROLL IN THE HAY: Greggs’ sausage roll nativity scene caused uproar in some religious circles. ery chain was, er, roasted for replacing Jesus with a sausage roll in its nativity scene advert for its calendar. Which reminds me of the latest Christmas cracker joke: “Why don’t Southern Rail train guards share advent calendars?” Because they want to open the doors themselves... But please can we stop calling these things ‘Advent’ calendars? (There were just pictures behind doors in the ones of my childhood.) They have nothing to do

with Advent - ‘Countdown’ calendars possibly, although ‘Ripoff’ (in every sense of the word) might be more accurate. Christmas seems to be not only more and more politically correct, but more commercial each year. Starting way before Halloween, punctuated by ghastly, sentimental, elaborate advertisements and topped by Black Friday. Ah, with all this talk of political correctness, it’s already beginning to feel like Christmas. And a

sure sign Santa’s sleigh’s already having its annual checkup at Kwik Fit. As for me, not exactly a hard ‘BrXmas’ here, but again no free movement of loads of relatives - I’m too busy writing my latest thriller! And another year comes to a close - eight years of this column every single week and over 400 articles later! Many thanks to all you readers out there for all the great comments here and to my website. Great to be appreciated and pleased the odd (yes!) joke cheers you up in these troubled times. HAPPY CHRISTMAS! Nora Johnson’s psychological crime thrillers ‘The Girl in the Red Dress,’ ‘No Way Back,’ ‘Landscape of Lies,’ ‘Retribution,’ ‘Soul Stealer,’ ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.norajohnson.net) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.99;£0.99) and iBookstore. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity. columnists@euroweeklynews.com

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www.euroweeklynews.com

7:00am Breakfast 10:30am Saturday Kitchen 12:00pm Mary Berry's Christmas Party 1:00pm Football Focus 2:00pm BBC News 2:15pm Cool Runnings 3:50pm Frozen 5:20pm Final Score 6:30pm Len Goodman's Partners in Rhyme Christmas Special 7:00pm BBC News 7:10pm BBC London News 7:15pm Pointless Celebrities Christmas Special 8:10pm Even Better Than the Real Thing Christmas Special 9:05pm Casualty 9:55pm Miranda 10:30pm Our Friend Victoria at Christmas 11:10pm BBC News 11:30pm Match of the Day 1:10am The NFL Show 1:40am Disconnect 3:30am Weather for the Week Ahead 3:35am BBC News

7:15am An Island Parish 7:45am The Bishop's Wife 9:30am The Big Family Cooking Showdown 10:30am The Muppets 12:10pm Natural World 1:10pm Mary Berry's Absolute Christmas Favourites 1:40pm Nigella's Christmas Table 2:40pm The Millionaire's Gift Guide 3:40pm Talking Pictures 4:10pm Mildred Pierce 6:00pm Natural World 7:00pm Bill 8:30pm Lenny Henry: A Life on Screen 9:30pm Dad's Army 10:00pm Feud: Bette and Joan 10:50pm Feud: Bette and Joan 11:35pm What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? 1:45am Absolutely Fashion 2:45am Mary Berry's Christmas Party 3:45am This is BBC Two Highlights of programmes on BBC Two.

8:00pm Stuffed: The Great British Christmas Dinner 9:00pm James May's Toy Stories 10:00pm James May: My Sisters' Top Toys 11:00pm Top of the Pops Welcome to this celebration of big hits performed at Top of the Pops on or close to the Christmas show on suitably seasonal sets. 12:00am Prince: A Purple Reign 1:00am TOTP2 Xmas 2017 2:00am Sacred Music at Christmas 3:00am Stuffed: The Great British Christmas Dinner 4:00am James May: My Sisters' Top Toys 4:55am This is BBC Four BBC Four is the BBC channel for people who want more.

7:15am Frasier 7:40am Olive, the Other Reindeer 8:30am Rugrats the Movie 10:00am The Boxtrolls 11:55am Toy Story That Time Forgot 12:20pm Toy Story Toons 12:55pm Toy Story of Terror 1:20pm Father Christmas 1:50pm Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas 2:20pm The Simpsons 2:55pm The Simpsons 3:25pm The Simpsons 4:00pm The World's Most Expensive Christmas 5:00pm Kirstie's Handmade Christmas 6:00pm Channel 4 News 6:10pm Gogglesprogs Christmas Special 7:10pm Crocodile Dundee 9:00pm The World's Best Christmas Lights: From Liverpool to Bethlehem 10:00pm The Wolverine 12:20am Gladiator 3:10am Hollyoaks Omnibus

9:10am Horrid Henry 9:25am The Aquabats! Super Show! 9:55am Scrambled! Sketch Show 10:25am ITV News 10:30am Saturday Morning with James Martin at Christmas 12:25pm Gino's Italian Coastal Escape 12:55pm Countrywise 1:25pm ITV News 1:35pm Tipping Point 2:35pm Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 5:30pm Despicable Me 7:30pm ITV News London 7:40pm ITV News 8:00pm You've Been Framed! 8:30pm Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway 9:00pm The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies 11:35pm ITV News 11:55pm Miranda: Morecambe and Wise and Me

10:35am Coronation Street Omnibus 2:00pm Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule 2:25pm Mr. Bean 3:00pm Mr. Bean 3:35pm You've Been Framed! 4:35pm Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium 5:35pm Fyi Daily 2017 5:40pm Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium 6:30pm Liar Liar 7:30pm Fyi Daily 2017 7:35pm Liar Liar 8:10pm Gravity 9:15pm Fyi Daily 2017 9:20pm Gravity 10:00pm The Holiday 11:00pm FYI Daily 11:05pm The Holiday 12:40am Family Guy 1:15am Family Guy 1:40am American Dad! 2:10am American Dad! 2:40am The Great Xmas Rant 3:55am The Keith Lemon Sketch Show 4:20am Through the Keyhole

7:00am Judge Judy 7:20am Judge Judy 7:40am You're Only Young Twice 8:05am You're Only Young Twice 8:35am Sparkling Cyanide 10:30am Columbo 12:05pm Columbo 2:05pm Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory 3:05pm Fyi Daily 2017 3:10pm Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory 4:10pm Carry on Up the Khyber 5:15pm Fyi Daily 2017 5:20pm Carry on Up the Khyber 6:00pm Midsomer Murders 8:00pm Midsomer Murders 10:00pm Grantchester 11:00pm Grantchester 12:00am Agatha Christie's Marple 2:05am The Darling Buds of May 3:10am Wycliffe

7:20am 8:05am 8:35am 9:05am 9:35am 10:00am 10:30am 11:30am 11:35am 12:05pm 12:35pm 1:45pm 1:50pm 2:30pm 5:00pm 6:10pm 6:15pm 7:45pm 8:45pm 8:50pm 10:00pm 11:05pm 11:10pm 12:40am

Isle of Man TT Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars ITV Racing: The Opening Show Nijinsky's Triple Crown Storage Wars Texas Storage Wars Texas Bend of the River Fyi Daily 2017 Bend of the River ITV Racing: Live From Ascot Red River Fyi Daily 2017 Red River Every Which Way But Loose Fyi Daily 2017 Every Which Way But Loose The Fugitive FYI Daily The Fugitive Rambo: First Blood Part II

10:05am 10:15am 10:30am 10:40am 10:50am 11:05am 11:15am 12:05pm 1:55pm 3:40pm 4:40pm 4:45pm 6:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:50pm 12:45am 1:45am 2:15am 4:10am 5:00am 5:50am 5:55am

Shimmer and Shine Digby Dragon Peppa Pig Peppa Pig Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom Olly the Little White Van The Gadget Show A Christmas Story A Heavenly Christmas Scrooge 5 News Scrooge Elf: The Musical Blind Date Christmas Cruising with Jane McDonald Jane and Friends at Christmas Chas and Dave's Christmas Knees-Up Football on 5 Football on 5 Super Casino Our Dream Hotel GPs: Behind Closed Doors Access House Doctor

7:00am Rocky V 8:45am Rocky II 10:50am Independence Day: Resurgence 1:00pm Suicide Squad 3:05pm Underworld: Blood Wars 4:40pm Batman Returns 6:50pm Independence Day: Resurgence 9:00pm Suicide Squad

8:30am My Best Friend's Wedding 10:20am Brewster's Millions 12:10pm A Street Cat Named Bob 2:00pm The Boss 3:45pm The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 5:40pm Sausage Party 7:15pm A Street Cat Named Bob 9:00pm The Boss 10:45pm How to be Single 12:40am Sausage Party

7:00am 7:30am 7:55am 10:50am 11:55am 1:00pm 2:50pm 3:50pm 4:00pm 4:30pm 5:00pm 5:30pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 12:45am 1:20am

1:55am 2:30am 3:00am 3:30am 4:00am 4:55am 5:15am 5:40am

Black-Ish Black-Ish Hollyoaks Omnibus Made in Chelsea Don't Tell the Bride Catch That Kid Frozen at Christmas Rude(Ish) Tube Shorts The Goldbergs The Goldbergs The Goldbergs The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Hunger Games: Catching Fire The Inbetweeners The Inbetweeners Will, Simon, Jay and Neil bunk off school. The Inbetweeners The Inbetweeners The Inbetweeners The Inbetweeners The Inbetweeners Top Ten Moments Kevin Can Wait Kevin Can Wait Kevin Can Wait

7:00am The Top Ten Show 2017 7:15am Don't Think Twice 8:55am The Greatest Showman: Special 9:25am Smurfs: The Lost Village 11:00am Come and Find Me 1:00pm Hidden Figures 3:10pm John Wick: Chapter Two 5:15pm Smurfs: The Lost Village 6:50pm Hidden Figures 9:00pm John Wick: Chapter Two 11:10pm Fist Fight 12:45am Come and Find Me 2:50am Final Recall 4:30am How to be a Latin Lover

SATURDAY TV

7:00am SKY Sports News 8:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 9:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 10:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 11:00am Soccer Saturday PreMatch 12:00pm Soccer Saturday PreMatch 12:30pm Football 3:30pm Live World Championship Darts 6:00pm My Icon 6:15pm Football 8:30pm Football 11:00pm Live World Championship Darts 12:00am Live NFL Indianapolis @ Baltimore 2:00am Live NFL: Minnesota @ Green Bay 5:30am My Icon 5:45am My Icon

7:00am The Story of Las Palmas 8:15am The Dark Side of Football 9:15am Ronaldo 9:45am La Liga Icons 10:00am La Liga Icons 10:15am 20 Years of El Clasico 11:00am Soccer A.M. 12:30pm Football 3:30pm Gillette Soccer Saturday 4:15pm Gillette Soccer Saturday 6:15pm Football 9:00pm Football 12:00am 20 Years of El Clasico 12:45am La Liga Files 1:30am La Liga Files 2:15am Magical Messi 3:15am Magical Messi 4:15am La Liga Icons 4:30am Football Years 5:00am Football Countdowns 5:30am SPFL Greatest Games 5:45am SPFL Greatest Games

The schedules for the television programme pages are provided by an external company: we regret that any changes or errors are not the responsibility of Euro Weekly News.

FEATURE

21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

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TV Couch Critic THE CROWN (Netflix) has returned with all the drama, excitement, and Royal insight we were drawn to in Season One. Claire Foy continues to play a wonderful Elizabeth II, knocking the socks off a couple of Dames who have gone before her, but what has happened to her accent? I was reaching for the subtitles at one point. Surely if anyone should speak the Queen’s English, its Claire playing The Monarch? Stick with the accent though, Season Two doesn’t disappoint. If you enjoyed The Real Marigold Hotel series, check out The Real Marigold on Tour (BBC1 and 2 and Catchup). The original gang are split into two groups of four this time around, exploring what it is like to grow older in countries around the world. The series started in China, followed by Cuba, Iceland (where it was cold, who knew...) and will conclude in Thailand. Don’t be put off that the BBC didn’t venture to Spain, Marigold is just as good in Global Tour format. I’m not sure that any of the celebrities will be persuaded to uproot and move home though. It’s a good job

Mince pies, Crowns and the odd disaster

GREAT WATCH: The Real Marigold on Tour. too, where would the lovely Miriam Margolyes get her clothes and I’m not sure anyone but the Brits would understand Wayne Sleep, but it is an interesting way to sample life, albeit with a walking stick. I just hope our celebrities were able to fly First Class between filming. With no spoilers over the mince pies, what is happening in Soap Land as we head for Christmas?

WONDERFUL: Claire Foy in The Crown.

For the EastEnders (BBC1, nightly) we know there is trouble when Sharon Mitchell (still played by Letitia Dean) announces ‘Good knees up at The Vic, that’s what Christmas is all about.’ Well, not in my house Sharon, not even if Peggy was serving the drinks around the pool. We already know that Max Branning (Jake Wood) is consumed by revenge and wants to get back at every-

one who has wronged him. There is also a catastrophic event coming up for the Branning family. Feliz Navidad Albert Square. It looks as though life risks turning into a wild west show for the residents of Coronation Street (ITV1, nightly). Billy Mayhew is set to ride down the street guns blazing as Peter Barlow drives Todd Grimshaw and Summer out of Wakefield before taking revenge on

55

the vicar for being part of Susan’s death. All that’s needed are saloon doors on The Rovers and a stage coach rattling down the cobbles. Ken Barlow in a stetson anyone? Meanwhile on the farm, the cast of Emmerdale (ITV1, nightly) aren’t going to be fooled by Charity Dingle’s personal life apparently settling down. She deserves it given recent story lines, but has an explosive New Year coming up, rocking the all too short Christmas calm. I hope she has a Merry, but quiet Christmas. To finish this week, my Christmas Eve and Christmas Day recommendations include Dad’s Army (BBC2, Christmas Eve) is pure genius for those of us old enough; The Queen’s Speech (BBC & ITV, Christmas Day) isn’t Jungle winner Toff eating bugs, but the annual message from Her Majesty and finally the Christmas episode of Victoria (ITV1, Christmas Day). This episode of Victoria has been in development for over a year now. Expect snow, Prince Albert enjoying too much Christmas spirit and watch out for the number of Christmas trees, the Royal children had one each apparently. Happy viewing and Merry Christmas everyone.

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E W N 21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

7:00am 8:25am 10:05am 11:30am 1:00pm 2:00pm 2:15pm 2:45pm 3:15pm

3:20pm 4:55pm 5:10pm 6:35pm 6:50pm 7:00pm 8:00pm

9:00pm 9:30pm 10:35pm 11:15pm 11:30pm 12:15am 12:45am 2:00am

8:45am 9:00am 9:10am 9:25am 9:55am 10:25am 10:55am 12:50pm 1:45pm 1:55pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 6:35pm 6:50pm 7:40pm 9:30pm 11:25pm 11:45pm 12:45am 1:45am

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Breakfast Match of the Day Planes The Santa Clause Life in the Snow BBC News Songs of Praise The Farmer's Llamas Hammy's Boomerang Adventure Monsters University Doodlebugs Home BBC News BBC London News Countryfile Mary, Mel and Sue's Big Christmas Thank You EastEnders Michael Mcintyre's Big Christmas Show Not Going Out BBC News The Vicar of Dibley The Two Ronnies Sketchbook Midnight Mass From Leeds Cathedral Great Expectations

7:15am Nature's Weirdest Events 8:00am An Island Parish 8:30am The Prince and Me 10:15am The Big Family Cooking Showdown 11:15am Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:45pm Mary Berry's Absolute Christmas Favourites 1:20pm The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 2:20pm Alex Polizzi's Christmas Fix 3:20pm Natural World 4:20pm Guys and Dolls 6:45pm Carols from King's 8:00pm Dad's Army 9:00pm Christmas University Challenge 2017 9:30pm Winter's Weirdest Events 10:30pm The Great Gatsby 12:55am Christmas TOTP2 Special 2:25am Whitney: Can I Be Me 4:05am Holby City 5:05am This is BBC Two

8:00pm James May: The Christmas Reassembler 8:30pm Top of the Pops 9:15pm Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? 10:00pm MR James: Ghost Writer 11:00pm The Tractate Middoth 11:40pm No.13: A Ghost Story 12:20am The Signalman 1:00am Christopher Lee's Ghost Stories for Christmas 1:30am Christopher Lee's Ghost Stories for Christmas 2:00am A View From a Hill 2:40am Top of the Pops 3:25am James May: The Christmas Reassembler 3:55am No.13: A Ghost Story 4:35am This is BBC Four BBC Four is the BBC channel for people who want more.

8:00am Rugrats in Paris: The Movie 9:15am The Big Bang Theory 9:40am The Big Bang Theory 10:05am Jamie's Quick and Easy Food 10:40am Christmas Brunch 1:40pm Paul Hollywood 2:10pm Jamie's Italian Christmas 3:10pm The Simpsons 3:40pm The Simpsons 4:05pm The Simpsons 4:35pm The Borrowers 6:20pm The Snowman 6:55pm The Snowman and the Snowdog 7:20pm Channel 4 News 7:30pm The Muppet Christmas Carol 9:00pm Child Genius v Celebrities Christmas Special 10:00pm Gogglebox 2017 12:05am The Inbetweeners 12:35am The Inbetweeners 1:10am The Inbetweeners 1:40am The Inbetweeners 2:05am The Inbetweeners 2:35am Man Down

7:40am Milkshake Monkey 7:45am Milkshake! Bopping About 7:50am Simon 7:55am Peppa Pig 8:00am Peppa Pig 8:10am Bob the Builder 8:25am Blaze and the Monster Machines 8:55am Fireman Sam 9:00am Paw Patrol 9:20am Noddy: Toyland Detective 9:35am Nella the Princess Knight 9:55am Digby Dragon 10:05am Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:20am Gone with the Wind 2:35pm Oklahoma! 5:15pm Scrooge 7:00pm Agatha Christie's Crooked House 8:00pm 5 News 8:05pm Agatha Christie's Crooked House 9:00pm The Yorkshire Vet 10:00pm Andre Rieu: My Life in Music 11:20pm Andre Rieu: Christmas in London

Mr. Bean Mr. Bean Horrid Henry Make it Pop Scrambled! Save Money: Good Food Jack Frost Catchphrase ITV News Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Cannonball Christmas Special You've Been Framed! ITV News London ITV News A Christmas Chase: Celebrity Special All Star Musicals Maigret in Montmartre ITV News A Night for the Emergency Services Christmas Carols on ITV Casino Royale

7:00am Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 7:25am Emmerdale Omnibus 9:55am Coronation Street Omnibus 1:15pm Mr. Bean 1:50pm Merry Christmas Mr Bean 2:25pm The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol 2:50pm Beethoven's Christmas Adventure 3:50pm FYI Daily 3:55pm Beethoven's Christmas Adventure 4:40pm You've Been Framed! 5:10pm You've Been Framed! 5:40pm Happy Feet 6:40pm FYI Daily 6:45pm Happy Feet 7:50pm Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 8:50pm FYI Daily 8:55pm Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 10:00pm Casino Royale 11:00pm FYI Daily 11:05pm Casino Royale 12:55am Family Guy

7:00am On the Buses 7:25am Agatha Christie's Marple 9:00am Agatha Christie's Marple 11:05am Housewife 49 1:05pm Bugsy Malone 2:05pm FYI Daily 2:10pm Bugsy Malone 3:05pm Carry on Matron 4:10pm FYI Daily 4:15pm Carry on Matron 4:55pm Paul O'Grady: For The Love of Dogs 5:55pm Midsomer Murders 7:55pm Midsomer Murders 10:00pm It'll be Alright on the Night 11:00pm It'll be Alright on the Night 12:00am Christmas Epic Fails 1:00am The Knock 2:40am The Knock 4:10am Carry on Behind 5:15am FYI Daily 5:20am Carry on Behind 5:40am You're Only Young Twice

8:15am British Superbike Championship Review 2017 10:15am Silverstone Classic 11:20am Goodwood Festival of Speed First Glance 12:20pm Pawn Stars 12:45pm Pawn Stars 1:15pm Pawn Stars 1:40pm Pawn Stars 2:35pm Tobruk 3:35pm FYI Daily 3:40pm Tobruk 4:50pm Dunkirk 5:50pm FYI Daily 5:55pm Dunkirk 7:40pm Escape to Victory 8:40pm FYI Daily 8:45pm Escape to Victory 10:00pm Rambo III 11:00pm FYI Daily 11:05pm Rambo III 12:10am Demolition Man 1:10am FYI Daily 1:15am Demolition Man 2:30am When Football Changed Forever 3:30am The Professionals 4:20am ITV4 Nightscreen

9:35am 11:35am 1:50pm 4:00pm 6:40pm

9:00pm 11:10pm 1:00am

Deadpool Jason Bourne Rocky Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Jason Bourne Deadpool Face/Off

8:15am Robin Hood: Men in Tights 10:10am Liar Liar 11:40am Bridget Jones's Baby 1:50pm Ghostbusters 3:40pm Ghostbusters II 5:50pm Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie 7:30pm Liar Liar 9:00pm Bridget Jones's Baby 11:10pm Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie 12:50am Paul 2:40am Little Man

7:00am 7:25am 7:50am 8:50am 9:55am 11:40am 1:45pm 3:30pm 4:00pm 4:30pm 5:00pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm

9:00pm 11:20pm 11:50pm 12:20am 12:50am 1:20am 1:50am 2:50am

Prep and Landing Prep and Landing Made in Chelsea Don't Tell the Bride All About Christmas Eve Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules Doctor Dolittle The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Secret Life of Children at Christmas Miracle on 34th Street The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Gogglebox Tattoo Fixers at Christmas

7:00am Fist Fight 8:35am Smurfs: The Lost Village 10:10am Hidden Figures 12:20pm John Wick: Chapter Two 2:25pm The LEGO Batman Movie 4:15pm Smurfs: The Lost Village 5:50pm Hidden Figures 8:00pm The LEGO Batman Movie 10:00pm John Wick: Chapter Two When a scheming Italian crime lord holds him to a blood oath reluctant hitman John Wick is back to doing what he does best. 12:10am Fist Fight 1:45am Come and Find Me 3:45am Final Recall 5:25am Sharing Christmas

SUNDAY TV

7:00am SKY Sports News 8:00am Christmas Eve Total Goals 9:00am Christmas Eve Total Goals 10:00am Christmas Eve Total Goals 11:00am SKY Sports News All the news from the Premier League and beyond. Plus, a comprehensive round-up of the day's other sports news. 12:00pm SKY Sports News 1:00pm SKY Sports News 2:00pm SKY Sports News 2:30pm Cricket 6:00pm SKY Sports News 6:30pm Live NFL 10:00pm Live NFL 2:00am SKY Sports News 3:00am SKY Sports News 4:00am SKY Sports News 5:00am SKY Sports News

10:30am 12:00pm 12:30pm 12:45pm 1:00pm 1:30pm 2:00pm 2:10pm 2:20pm 4:30pm 4:35pm 6:45pm 7:15pm 8:30pm 9:15pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:00am 12:30am

Sunday Supplement Revista de la Liga La Liga Icons La Liga Icons EFL Goals: Championship EFL Goals: League 1 and 2 La Liga Greatest Games La Liga Greatest Games Football MLS Greatest Games Football Revista de la Liga The Story of Las Palmas La Liga Files La Liga Files The Dark Side of Football Revista de la Liga EFL Goals: Championship EFL Goals: League 1 and 2 La Liga Icons

The schedules for the television programme pages are provided by an external company: we regret that any changes or errors are not the responsibility of Euro Weekly News.

58

E W N 21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

7:00am Breakfast 10:00am Cbeebies' the Snow Queen 10:45am Go Jetters 11:00am Christmas Morning From All Saints Fulham 12:00pm The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper 12:10pm Snow Chick: A Penguin's Tale 1:10pm BBC News 1:20pm Top of the Pops 2:20pm Toy Story 3 4:00pm The Queen's Christmas Broadcast 4:10pm Cinderella 5:45pm The Highway Rat 6:15pm BBC News 6:30pm Doctor Who 7:30pm Strictly Come Dancing 8:40pm Call the Midwife 10:00pm EastEnders 11:00pm Mrs. Brown's Boys 11:35pm 300 Years of French and Saunders 12:25am BBC News 12:40am On Christmas Night 1:30am Darcey Bussell

7:10am The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 8:10am An Island Parish 8:40am Bee Movie 10:00am The Big Family Cooking Showdown 11:00am Harry Potter: A History of Magic 12:00pm Carols from King's 1:15pm The Importance of Being Earnest 2:40pm BBC Proms 2017 5:30pm Dame Vera Lynn: Happy 100th Birthday 6:30pm The Queen's Christmas Broadcast 6:35pm The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show 1977 7:45pm Winter's Weirdest Events 8:45pm Dad's Army 9:25pm Upstart Crow 10:00pm Tom Jones and Beverley Knight's Gospel Christmas 11:00pm Judi Dench: All the World's Her Stage 12:05am Mrs. Henderson Presents

8:00pm The Royal Opera: Puccini's La Boheme 10:00pm Christmas Night with the Stars 1972 Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker host a seasonal variety programme, first broadcast on 25 December 1972. With stars including Lulu and Cilla Black, comedy sketches from The Goodies, The Liver Birds, Mike Yarwood and Dad's Army. 11:15pm Christmas with Val Doonican 12:00am Swingin' Christmas 1:10am The Christmas No.1 Story 2:05am Christmas Night with the Stars 1972 3:20am Christmas with Val Doonican 4:10am This is BBC Four

7:15am Om Nom Stories 7:20am Share a Story 7:25am Almost Naked Animals 7:35am Horrid Henry 8:30am Scrambled! 8:35am The Tom and Jerry Show 8:50am The Bagel and Becky Show 9:10am Teen Titans Go! 9:30am Be Cool, ScoobyDoo! Scary Christmas 10:05am Wishfart 10:25am National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 12:10pm Mr Bean's Holiday 1:50pm Santa Claus 4:00pm HM the Queen 4:10pm Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 6:50pm Emmerdale 7:50pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Paul O'Grady: For The Love of Dogs 9:00pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Victoria 12:00am ITV News 12:15am The Holiday

7:50am Emmerdale 8:10am Coronation Street 9:05am The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol 9:30am Beethoven's Christmas Adventure 10:30am FYI Daily 10:35am Beethoven's Christmas Adventure 11:20am You've Been Framed! 12:25pm Peter Pan 1:25pm FYI Daily 1:30pm Peter Pan 2:35pm Catchphrase 3:35pm You've Been Framed! 4:10pm Merry Christmas Mr Bean 4:45pm Clash of the Titans 5:45pm FYI Daily 5:50pm Clash of the Titans 6:50pm Happy Feet Two 7:50pm FYI Daily 7:55pm Happy Feet Two 8:45pm Skyfall 9:45pm FYI Daily 9:50pm Skyfall 11:30pm Family Guy 12:00am Family Guy 12:30am Family Guy 1:00am Family Guy

11:10am Carry on Don't Lose Your Head 11:45am Carry on Follow That Camel 12:45pm FYI Daily 12:50pm Carry on Follow That Camel 1:40pm Carry on Doctor 2:45pm FYI Daily 2:50pm Carry on Doctor 3:40pm Carry on Up the Khyber 4:40pm FYI Daily 4:45pm Carry on Up the Khyber 5:30pm Carry on Camping 6:30pm FYI Daily 6:35pm Carry on Camping 7:20pm Carry on Again, Doctor 8:25pm FYI Daily 8:30pm Carry on Again, Doctor 9:05pm Carry on Up the Jungle 10:15pm FYI Daily 10:20pm Carry on Up the Jungle 11:00pm Carry on Loving 12:00am FYI Daily

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7:00am 8:20am 8:45am 9:10am 9:40am 10:05am 12:05pm 1:45pm 2:20pm 2:55pm 3:25pm 3:30pm 3:35pm 5:30pm 6:50pm 8:40pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

1:00am 2:40am 3:45am 4:40am 5:35am

Rugrats Go Wild The Bear Prep and Landing Prep and Landing Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas The Simpsons Dr. Seuss' the Lorax The Snowman The Snowman and the Snowdog Father Christmas Channel 4 News The Alternative Christmas Message Scrooged Dumbo Home Alone The Great Christmas Bake Off First Dates at Christmas Alan Carr's Christmas Chatty Man George Michael George Michael The Crystal Maze Location, Location, Location Four in a Bed

7:00am Football's Greatest: George Best 7:15am The Chase 8:00am The Chase 9:00am Goodwood Revival 10:05am Pawn Stars 11:00am Storage Wars Christmas Special 11:55am River Monsters 1:00pm Minder 2:05pm Jeremiah Johnson 3:10pm FYI Daily 3:15pm Jeremiah Johnson 4:25pm The Green Berets 5:25pm FYI Daily 5:30pm The Green Berets 7:15pm Dunkirk 8:15pm FYI Daily 8:20pm Dunkirk 10:00pm The Dirty Dozen 11:00pm FYI Daily 11:05pm The Dirty Dozen 1:05am Everything or Nothing: The Untold Stories of 007 2:10am FYI Daily 2:15am Everything or Nothing: The Untold Stories of 007 3:00am The Big Fish Off

7:00am 7:05am 7:20am 7:25am 7:35am 7:50am 8:00am 8:05am 8:20am 8:30am 8:40am 8:45am 9:00am 9:15am 9:30am 9:50am 9:55am 12:05pm 2:05pm 4:10pm 7:00pm 10:00pm

11:55pm 12:55am 2:45am

9:30am 12:15pm 2:30pm 4:20pm 6:30pm 9:00pm 11:15pm 1:10am 3:10am 5:00am

7:40am 9:25am 11:20am 1:20pm 3:10pm 5:00pm 6:50pm 9:00pm 11:00pm 12:50am 3:00am 5:00am

MONDAY TV

Puffin Rock Poppy Cat Simon Bob the Builder Fireman Sam Thomas and Friends Milkshake Monkey Paw Patrol Noddy: Toyland Detective Peppa Pig Peppa Pig Floogals Digby Dragon Shimmer and Shine Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom Mofy Scrooge Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Singin' in the Rain Oliver! Elf: The Musical The Morecambe and Wise Story: Look Back in Laughter Britain's Best Loved Double Acts Steptoe and Son Super Casino

7:00am Father Christmas 7:30am Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas 7:55am The Secret Life of Children at Christmas 8:55am Rude(Ish) Tube Shorts 9:10am 12 Dates of Christmas 11:00am The Big Bang Theory 1:30pm Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas 2:00pm Toy Story Toons 2:15pm Doctor Dolittle 2 4:00pm The Big Bang Theory 4:30pm The Big Bang Theory 5:00pm The Big Bang Theory 5:30pm The Big Bang Theory 5:55pm Gogglesprogs Christmas Special 7:00pm We're Going on a Bear Hunt 7:30pm The Snowman 8:00pm The Snowman and the Snowdog 8:30pm Snow White and the Huntsman 11:00pm Made in Chelsea's Christmas Ding Dong 12:05am The Inbetweeners

7:00am SKY Sports News 10:30am Goals Express Xmas Special 11:00am Best Pl Goals: Season So Far 11:30am Best of Nissan Match Zone 12:00pm Katie Taylor: The Story So Far 12:30pm Rory: A Decade on Tour 1:00pm Harry Kane's 2017 1:30pm Jimmy Anderson: 500 Wickets 2:30pm To be Announced 3:00pm Hamilton: My 4th World Title 3:30pm Best of Moeen Ali 4:00pm Phil Taylor the Greatest 5:00pm Sky F1 Christmas Special 6:00pm Info not available 7:30pm AJ - The Knockouts 8:00pm Boxing's Best of 2017 10:00pm Live NFL: Pittsburgh @ Houston 2:00am Live NFL: Oakland @ Philadelphia 5:45am My Icon

Independence Day Jurassic Park The Great Wall The Magnificent Seven Robin Hood Jurassic Park The Great Wall 300 The Terminator The Magnificent Seven

7:00am Olaf's Frozen Adventure 7:30am Smurfs: The Lost Village 9:05am Olaf's Frozen Adventure 9:35am Beauty and the Beast 11:45am The LEGO Batman Movie 1:30pm Olaf's Frozen Adventure 2:00pm Hidden Figures 4:10pm Beauty and the Beast 6:30pm The LEGO Batman Movie 8:30pm Olaf's Frozen Adventure 9:00pm Beauty and the Beast 11:15pm John Wick: Chapter Two 1:20am Come and Find Me 3:20am John Wick: Chapter Two 5:25am Smurfs: The Lost Village

8:45am Revista de la Liga 9:15am La Liga Icons 9:30am SPFL Matters: Old Firm Special 10:00am The Next Jamie Vardy 11:00am The Next Jamie Vardy 12:00pm The Next Jamie Vardy 1:00pm The Next Jamie Vardy 2:00pm The Next Jamie Vardy 3:00pm The Next Jamie Vardy 4:00pm EFL Rivalries 4:30pm EFL Greatest Games 4:45pm EFL Greatest Games 5:00pm EFL Rivalries 5:30pm EFL Greatest Games 5:45pm EFL Greatest Games 6:00pm EFL Rivalries 6:30pm SPFL Matters: Old Firm Special 7:00pm Celtics Invincibles 8:00pm Soccer A.M. 8:30pm Ronaldo 9:00pm Magical Messi 10:00pm 20 Years of El Clasico 10:45pm Revista de la Liga 11:15pm SPFL Round Up 2017/18 11:30pm Soccer A.M. 12:00am La Liga Files

Big Meet the Parents Runaway Bride Central Intelligence Keeping up with the Joneses Big Bridesmaids Central Intelligence Keeping up with the Joneses Bridesmaids Superbad Special

The schedules for the television programme pages are provided by an external company: we regret that any changes or errors are not the responsibility of Euro Weekly News.

60

E W N 21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

7:00am Breakfast 10:00am Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast 11:10am Planes: Fire and Rescue 12:25pm Mary, Mel and Sue's Big Christmas Thank You 1:25pm BBC News 1:35pm BBC London News 1:45pm Judi Dench: My Passion for Trees 2:45pm Stick Man 3:10pm Shaun the Sheep Movie 4:30pm Doodlebugs 4:45pm Mary Poppins 7:00pm BBC News 7:20pm BBC London News 7:30pm Snow Bears 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Little Women 10:00pm The Miniaturist 11:30pm BBC News 11:45pm Match of the Day 1:15am Stacey Dooley in the USA

7:15am Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 8:15am An Island Parish 8:45am Chimpanzee 9:55am The Big Family Cooking Showdown 10:55am Nadiya's British Food Adventure 11:25am Nadiya's British Food Adventure 11:55am The Sweet Makers: A Tudor Treat 12:55pm A Hard Day's Night 2:20pm The Eagle Has Landed 4:30pm The Repair Shop at Christmas 5:30pm Final Score 6:35pm Matthew Bourne's Cinderella 8:30pm Christmas University Challenge 2017 9:00pm Reindeer Family and Me 10:00pm Dragons' Den 11:00pm QI 11:30pm Two Doors Down Christmas Special

8:00pm Sound of Musicals with Neil Brand 9:00pm Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2017: The Language of Life 10:00pm Tim Rice - A Life in Song 11:30pm Norman Wisdom: His Story 12:30am British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves 1:30am Some Santas with Jokes 2:00am Sound of Musicals with Neil Brand 3:00am Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2017: The Language of Life 4:00am Norman Wisdom: His Story 5:00am This is BBC Four BBC Four is the BBC channel for people who want more.

7:20am Share a Story 7:25am Almost Naked Animals 7:35am Nerds and Monsters. Molting Day 7:50am Nerds and Monsters 8:05am Horrid Henry 8:20am Wishfart 8:30am Scrambled! 8:35am The Tom and Jerry Show 8:50am The Bagel and Becky Show 9:10am The Powerpuff Girls 9:30am Scooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays 10:05am Horrid Henry 10:25am Ferris Bueller's Day Off 12:25pm Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore 2:00pm ITV Racing: Live from Kempton 4:30pm E.T. The ExtraTerrestrial 6:50pm ITV Evening News 7:10pm Emmerdale 7:40pm Jurassic World 10:00pm Coronation Street 11:00pm ITV News 11:15pm Birds of a Feather

7:00am Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 7:15am Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 7:40am Emmerdale 8:30am Coronation Street 9:20am Mr. Bean 9:55am Mr. Bean 10:25am You've Been Framed! Gold 11:25am Emmerdale 12:30pm Coronation Street 1:30pm Nanny McPhee 2:30pm FYI Daily 2:35pm Nanny McPhee 3:35pm A Bug's Life 4:35pm FYI Daily 4:40pm A Bug's Life 5:40pm Despicable Me 6:40pm FYI Daily 6:45pm Despicable Me 7:30pm Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway 8:00pm Uncle Buck 9:05pm FYI Daily 9:10pm Uncle Buck 10:00pm Sherlock Holmes 11:00pm FYI Daily 11:05pm Sherlock Holmes 12:35am Family Guy

7:00am On the Buses 7:25am The Darling Buds of May 8:25am Agatha Christie's Marple 10:30am Carry on at Your Convenience 11:40am FYI Daily 11:45am Carry on at Your Convenience 12:25pm Carry on Matron 1:30pm FYI Daily 1:35pm Carry on Matron 2:15pm Carry on Abroad 3:20pm FYI Daily 3:25pm Carry on Abroad 4:05pm Carry on Girls 5:10pm FYI Daily 5:15pm Carry on Girls 5:55pm Carry On Forever 6:55pm Carry On Forever 8:00pm Carry On Forever 9:00pm Endeavour 11:00pm Lewis 1:00am The Booze Cruise 2 3:00am Housewife 49 4:40am The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes A feature-length case for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's celebrated cerebral sleuth.

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7:40am 9:25am 11:25am 11:50am 12:15pm 12:40pm 1:10pm 2:55pm 3:00pm

4:05pm 5:20pm 7:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 12:10am 2:20am 2:50am 3:15am 3:45am 4:10am 5:00am

Song of the Sea Short Circuit The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons Alvin and the Chipmunks Channel 4 News Child Genius v Celebrities Christmas Special The Great Christmas Bake Off The Little Mermaid Back to the Future Travel Man Big Fat Quiz of the Year Four Weddings and a Funeral The Inbetweeners The Inbetweeners The Inbetweeners The Inbetweeners Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA Location, Location, Location

7:00am Snooker v Darts Sports short film. 7:05am The Chase 7:55am The Chase 8:45am Cash Cowboys 9:50am British Touring Car Championship Season Review 11:45am The Professionals 12:45pm Minder 1:50pm The Protectors 2:25pm Tobruk 3:30pm FYI Daily 3:35pm Tobruk 4:35pm Escape to Victory 5:35pm FYI Daily 5:40pm Escape to Victory 6:55pm 633 Squadron 7:55pm FYI Daily 8:00pm 633 Squadron 9:00pm A Christmas Chase: Celebrity Special 10:00pm Lethal Weapon 3 11:00pm FYI Daily 11:05pm Lethal Weapon 3 12:20am Swordfish 1:20am FYI Daily 1:25am Swordfish 2:25am The Professionals 3:20am Bear Grylls: Mission Survive 4:10am The Big Fish Off 5:00am Fishing Allstars

TUESDAY TV

8:05am Paw Patrol 8:20am Noddy: Toyland Detective 8:30am Peppa Pig 8:40am Peppa Pig 8:50am Floogals 9:05am Digby Dragon 9:20am Rusty Rivets 9:35am Shimmer and Shine 9:50am Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:10am Mofy 10:15am Access 10:25am Pets Make You Laugh Out Loud 11:00am Titanic 12:50pm Matinee:chariots of Fire 3:10pm Balmoral: A Hidden History 5:10pm Sandringham: The Queen at Christmas 6:15pm A Royal Night Out 8:00pm The Strictly Story: Fake Tan, Tangos and a Ten From Len 9:30pm Dirty Dancing: Making Movie Magic 11:00pm Dirty Dancing

7:00am Olive, the Other Reindeer 7:55am The Goldbergs 8:30am New Girl 8:55am Rude(Ish) Tube Shorts 9:10am Holiday in Handcuffs 11:00am Doctor Dolittle 3 12:50pm Toy Story Toons 1:00pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 1:30pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine 2:00pm The Big Bang Theory 2:30pm The Big Bang Theory 2:55pm The Snowman 3:30pm The Snowman and the Snowdog 4:00pm The Big Bang Theory 4:30pm The Big Bang Theory 5:00pm The Big Bang Theory 5:30pm The Big Bang Theory 6:00pm Toy Story Toons 6:10pm Miracle on 34th Street 8:30pm The Snowman and the Snowdog 9:00pm The Big Bang Theory 9:30pm The Big Bang Theory 10:00pm Tattoo Fixers 11:00pm Naked Attraction

7:00am SKY Sports News 8:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 9:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 10:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 11:00am Soccer Special PreMatch 12:00pm Soccer Special PreMatch 1:00pm Football 4:00pm Football 6:15pm Football 8:30pm Football 10:45pm My Icon 11:00pm Sky Sports News at Ten 12:00am SKY Sports News 1:00am SKY Sports News 2:00am Live WWE Late Night Smackdown 4:00am SKY Sports News 5:00am SKY Sports News

9:20am

7:00am Olaf's Frozen Adventure 7:30am The LEGO Batman Movie 9:20am Olaf's Frozen Adventure 9:50am John Wick: Chapter Two 11:55am Beauty and the Beast 2:10pm Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 4:30pm Olaf's Frozen Adventure 5:00pm The LEGO Batman Movie 6:50pm Beauty and the Beast 9:00pm Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 11:20pm John Wick: Chapter Two 1:25am Hidden Figures 3:35am Olaf's Frozen Adventure 4:05am Come and Find Me

10:00am 10:30am 10:45am 11:00am 11:15am 11:30am

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol 11:20am Jack Reacher 1:40pm Jack Reacher: Never Go Back 3:40pm Independence Day: Resurgence 5:45pm The Bourne Identity 7:45pm Jack Reacher 10:00pm Jack Reacher: Never Go Back 12:00am The Dark Knight

7:45am 8:15am 10:00am 12:00pm 1:55pm 3:55pm 5:35pm 7:20pm 9:00pm 10:40pm 12:30am 2:45am 4:30am

Special Groundhog Day Trading Places Dumb and Dumber Almost Christmas Bad Neighbours 2 Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story Bad Neighbours 2 Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates Knocked Up Planes, Trains and Automobiles Miss Congeniality

11:45am 12:00pm 12:15pm 12:30pm 12:45pm 1:00pm 3:45pm 6:15pm 8:00pm 10:45pm 11:15pm 11:45pm 12:15am 12:45am 1:00am 3:45am

Revista de la Liga La Liga Icons La Liga Icons La Liga Icons La Liga Icons La Liga Highlights: Real Madrid La Liga Highlights: Barcelona La Liga Highlights: Real Madrid La Liga Highlights: Barcelona La Liga Highlights: Real Madrid La Liga Highlights: Barcelona Live Gillette Soccer Special Football Live Gillette Soccer Special Football EFL Goals: Championship Revista de la Liga La Liga World EFL Goals: Championship La Liga Icons Football EFL Goals: Championship

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OPINION & COMMENT

21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

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EWN

61

YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION Letters should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com

Views expressed and opinions given are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements.

A word of warning for expat drivers SIR, Two weeks into December I received a renewal notice from my car insurance company. The cost had gone up by €45. After experiencing yearly price increases, I decided to change to a cheaper firm. The call centre said: “You should have done this before December 1: we shall renew your annual insurance on December 31 and we deny your request to cancel.” I said they had only informed me of the hike in a letter dated December 1, received on December 14! The operative cut across me and said loudly: “That is not our problem: you are wrong because you didn’t give a month’s notice.” I decided to explore this issue and quickly discovered my legal rights, as explained on the CAB Spain website (citizensadvice.org.es), where the wording of a 2015 law change states that a price rise should have been communicated two months before renewal! I called back and told them what I had found, and they instantly said they would send me a form to sign and my insurance would be cancelled.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Eating in the fifties PASTA had not been invented. It was macaroni or spaghetti. Curry was a surname. Taco? Never saw one till I was 15. Pizza? Sounds like a leaning tower somewhere. Bananas and oranges only appeared at Christmas time. All chips were plain. Oil was for lubricating, fat was for cooking. Tea was made in a teapot using tea leaves and never green. Cubed sugar was regarded as posh. Chickens didn’t have fingers in those days. None of us had ever heard of yo-

THE 1950’S: Tea was made in a teapot. ghurt. Healthy food consisted of anything edible! Cooking outside was called camping. Seaweed was not a recognised food. Kebab was not even a word, never mind a food.

All letters by email or post should carry the writer’s address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published.

Sugar enjoyed a good press in those days, and was regarded as being white gold. Prunes were medicinal and stewed. Surprisingly muesli was readily available. It was called cattle feed. Pineapples came in chunks or were round with a hole in the middle, in a tin; we had only seen a picture of a real one. Water came out of the tap. If someone had suggested bottling it and charging more than petrol for it, they would have become a laughing stock. There were three things that we never ever had on the table in the fifties - elbows, hats and mobile phones! ... and there were always two choices for each meal... ‘Take it!’ or ‘Leave it!’ Anne Edwards, Mallorca

Readers who have missed correspondence can see all letters - which can be edited before publication - posted on: www.euroweeklynews.com.

Pet goat mutilated in ‘savage attack’ I hate the evil that permeates through the human race. Absolutely gutted for the poor goat and his owners. Jim McClure Omg why would anyone do such a horrendous thing I hope they serve a long time when they catch them .Tricia Hawkins How absolutely cruel poor little thing. Pat Ward

Ryanair and Vueling rated worst short haul airlines If I leave Malaga and arrive in one piece in Glasgow three hours later and it costs me between 25 and 50 quid, I really don’t care how they are rated. John Grieve Fly with them both every three weeks, from Malaga to Manchester and back the day after, cheap fares, so no complaints as they make it possible for us to live in Spain. Chris O’Hare I have flown Ryanair many times to Jerez (my nearest airport) from Stansted as they are the only direct route from the UK, but so much uncertainty over the last flight (which didn’t get cancelled) that now I fly to Sevilla with easyJet more of a drive in Spain but a bit more reliable... Rob James

Comments from EWN online Well that’s not much of a surprise as they both cancel flights whenever they feel like and with no bloody notice. Will never ever fly with any of them again especially Ryanair. They cancelled my flight from Malaga to Edinburgh in October and I only found out through text message in the afternoon and my flight was early the next morning and it cost me hundreds of pounds and an overnight in Prague before eventually getting to Edinburgh later the next day. Absolute shocking experience considering my flight had been booked months in advance. Beverley Walker Once checked a flight starting at 24.99 with Ryanair that ended up almost 100 quid and that didn’t include bags, just a carry on. Need to book seats as I am a nervous flyer. Extras were for carry on bag, seat selection and paying with credit card. It's the extras that always put me off. Have a friend who used Vueling and was treated very well indeed. Good and bad in all really. Moira Armitage

Costa Blanca parade accused of racism Why can they not leave children’s traditions alone. First in Holland. Zwarte Piet. Translated is Black Piet. He helps Sinterklaas to bring the presents for the children December 5 and throws sweets for them. The troubles every year recently because he is black is unbelievable. It is Dutch tradition through the generations and suddenly some people try to stop it. Very sad! Edith Farminer

Clearly, they had been aware but tried to force me into renewing. This is disgraceful and I am making a complaint to the insurance industry regulator in Spain. Gareth Thomas, Finestrat

Way to save I HAVE lived in Spain for the last 12 years, and each Christmas have bought tickets to the El Gordo Lottery. Normally I have bought these while shopping in Malaga City, or from street vendors in various locations nearby. Each ticket has cost me around €23, which I thought was the official price, but this week I bought a ticket from my local tobacco shop in La Cala de Mijas, and was charged €20. I do not begrudge individuals providing a service making a profit, but I wonder how many others might be like me... paying more in ignorance without realising that by calling at the local tobacco shop a saving of more than 14 per cent is possible. M Gormley, El Faro

Could be worse I WAS interested to read on your website that Ryanair has been voted the worst short-haul airline. What short memories people have! Thirty years ago these no-frills carriers didn’t exist meaning flights to Spain were way more expensive. Cheap flights are surely one of the backbones of expatriates’ lives here! Margaret Robins, Alfas del Pi

Festive cheer

I think I’m right in saying that the reason he’s black is because he came down the chimney and got covered in soot isn’t it?? Nothing racist about that, people need to just leave things be, totally agree with you on this Edith Farminer. Sarah Aldeguer

WHAT a wonderful place Spain is at this time of year. A heady mix of sun, sea and family values that we would never see the likes of in the UK! I for one cannot wait to tuck into my turkey on the terrace while friends and family shiver back home! T Maidland, Torrevieja

Raiders loot death crash lorry

Festive tear

I do not see anything even remotely disrespectful in taking the tomatoes out of the truck. They would be disposed of anyway. As long as people take them for their own use I find it totally acceptable. Peter Sauer This is just so disrespectful to the poor man who lost his life… Are people really hard up for a couple of tomatoes in La Cala? Stéphanie Maire Disgusting! The driver died in that lorry! Not much surprises me any more. Tessa Green

THE way Spain has embraced Christmas over the last few years is truly depressing. This over-commercialised spendfest appears to have overtaken traditional celebrations like the Three Kings in many ways, and how confusing and expensive it must be for some Spanish families to buy two lots of presents, although presumably the kids love it! Grumpy, Albox

62

E W N 21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

7:00am 8:45am 10:15am 11:45am 1:15pm 2:15pm 2:25pm 2:35pm 3:20pm 4:45pm 5:10pm 6:45pm 7:30pm 7:50pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:20pm 11:30pm 12:00am 12:40am

1:40am 1:45am

Breakfast Match of the Day Turbo The Princess and the Frog Snow Bears BBC News BBC London News Father Brown Shrek 2 The Gruffalo Big Hero 6 Pointless BBC News BBC London News Celebrity Mastermind A Question of Sport Little Women The Miniaturist BBC News BBC London News Mrs. Brown's Boys Not Going Out Comic Relief 2017: A look at some of the projects helped by Comic Relief 2017. Weather for the Week Ahead BBC News

7:25am Mary Berry's Country House Secrets 8:25am An Island Parish 8:55am Bears 10:10am The Big Family Cooking Showdown 11:10am Nadiya's British Food Adventure 11:40am Nadiya's British Food Adventure 12:10pm The Sweet Makers: A Georgian Treat 1:10pm The Red Shoes 3:20pm World's Most Extraordinary Homes 4:20pm Inside the Factory 5:20pm The Man Who Never Was 7:00pm Thailand: Earth's Tropical Paradise 8:00pm Dad's Army 8:30pm Christmas University Challenge 2017 9:00pm Six Robots and Us 10:00pm Alan Partridge 11:00pm Oasis 12:55am NFL 1:45am Britpop at the BBC 2:45am Blur at Glastonbury

8:00pm Sound of Musicals with Neil Brand 9:00pm Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2017: The Language of Life 10:00pm Turtle, Eagle, Cheetah: A Slow Odyssey 11:30pm Concorde 12:30am Bridging the Gap 1:30am Engineering Giants 2:30am Turtle, Eagle, Cheetah: A Slow Odyssey 4:00am Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2017: The Language of Life 5:00am This is BBC Four BBC Four is the BBC channel for people who want more.

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7:40am 9:40am 10:40am 11:10am 11:35am 12:05pm 2:15pm 4:10pm 5:15pm 5:30pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:05am 1:50am 2:45am 3:35am 5:00am 5:55am

Short Circuit 2 Lego Masters The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons Small Soldiers Sunshine on Leith Four Rooms with Sarah Beeny Channel 4 News Back to the Future Part II Hollyoaks The Supervet at Christmas Supershoppers Sales Special Miranda Does Christmas First Dates at Christmas East is East Very British Problems at Christmas That's So Last Century Britain's Favourite Superhero Location, Location, Location Four in a Bed

7:00am 7:10am 7:20am 7:25am 7:35am 7:50am 8:00am 8:05am 8:20am 8:30am 8:40am 8:50am 9:05am 9:20am 9:35am 9:50am 10:10am 10:15am 10:30am 11:30am 1:25pm 3:40pm 5:55pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 1:00am

7:00am 7:10am 7:15am 7:20am 7:35am 7:45am 8:00am 8:10am 8:25am 10:25am 12:25pm 1:25pm 1:55pm 2:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 7:45pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 11:50pm 12:05am 1:05am 1:55am 4:00am 4:50am

Sooty Oddbods Om Nom Stories Super 4 Super 4 Mr. Bean Mr. Bean Horrid Henry K-9 Twins Cannonball Christmas Special You've Been Framed! ITV Lunchtime News Midsomer Murders Tenable Tipping Point The Chase Paul O'Grady: For The Love of Dogs ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ITV News Tina and Bobby Get Shirty Jackpot247 May the Best House Win ITV Nightscreen

7:50am 8:15am 8:45am 9:35am 10:05am 10:35am 11:45am 12:45pm 12:50pm 1:30pm 2:35pm 3:00pm 4:05pm 5:10pm 5:15pm 5:50pm 6:55pm 7:00pm 7:45pm 8:50pm 8:55pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:05pm 12:40am 1:10am 1:35am 2:00am 2:30am

Mr. Bean Mr. Bean Britain's Got Talent Planet's Got Talent Emmerdale Coronation Street Planet 51 FYI Daily Planet 51 Catchphrase Emmerdale Coronation Street Beethovens 2nd FYI Daily Beethovens 2nd Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium FYI Daily Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium Charlie and the Chocolate Factory FYI Daily Charlie and the Chocolate Factory White House Down FYI Daily White House Down Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy American Dad!

7:00am Jane Eyre 8:55am Agatha Christie's Marple 11:00am Goodnight Mister Tom 1:05pm Agatha Christie's Marple 3:15pm Carry on Up the Jungle Bawdy British comedy. 4:20pm FYI Daily The latest entertainment news. 4:25pm Carry on Up the Jungle Bawdy British comedy. T 5:10pm Carry on Dick 6:10pm FYI Daily The latest entertainment news. 6:15pm Carry on Dick 7:00pm Agatha Christie's Marple 9:00pm Endeavour 11:00pm Lewis 1:00am The Booze Cruise III 3:00am Goodnight Mister Tom 4:40am Jane Eyre

7:00am 7:15am 8:00am 8:25am 9:30am 10:35am 11:35am 12:40pm 1:45pm 4:30pm 5:30pm 5:35pm 6:45pm 7:10pm 8:05pm 8:35pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

11:05pm 12:10am 12:15am 1:35am 2:45am 2:50am 4:00am 4:40am 4:55am 5:40am

Football's Greatest The Chase The Protectors The Saint The Professionals Ironside Quincy, M.E. Minder ITV Racing: Live from Kempton Aces High FYI Daily Aces High Storage Wars Texas Cash Cowboys Pawn Stars Pawn Stars The Chase: The Bloopers Al Murray's Make Christmas Great Again Jaws FYI Daily Jaws Jaws 2 FYI Daily Jaws 2 Bear Grylls: Mission Survive ITV4 Nightscreen Ax Men The Professionals

Puffin Rock Poppy Cat Simon Bob the Builder Fireman Sam Thomas and Friends The Secret Life of Puppies Paw Patrol Noddy: Toyland Detective Peppa Pig Peppa Pig Floogals Digby Dragon Rusty Rivets Shimmer and Shine Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom Mofy Cruising with Jane McDonald World's Strongest Man 2017 North Sea Hijack Operation Crossbow Operation Daybreak The Guns of Navarone World's Strongest Man 2017 Most Shocking Blind Date

11:40am Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 2:00pm The Dark Knight 4:40pm The Bourne Supremacy 6:30pm Captain America: Civil War 9:00pm Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 11:20pm Warcraft 1:30am The Bourne Supremacy

7:00am 9:00am 10:35am 12:25pm 2:35pm 4:50pm 6:35pm 9:00pm 11:10pm 12:50am 3:05am 5:00am

How to be Single Zoolander Zoolander 2 Bridget Jones's Baby Bridesmaids Fist Fight Jerry Maguire Bridget Jones's Baby Fist Fight Bridesmaids Our Brand is Crisis Dragnet

7:00am 8:00am 8:30am 9:00am 9:10am 11:00am 12:35pm 1:00pm 1:30pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 4:00pm 4:30pm 5:00pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 10:40pm 11:30pm 12:35am 1:10am

WEDNESDAY TV

Hollyoaks New Girl New Girl Rude(Ish) Tube Shorts A Monster in Paris Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas Toy Story of Terror Toy Story That Time Forgot The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Goldbergs The Goldbergs The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Hollyoaks I, Robot 8 Out of 10 Cats Naked Attraction The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory

4:05am Come and Find Me 6:10am The Top Ten Show 2017 6:30am Olaf's Frozen Adventure 7:00am John Wick: Chapter Two 9:05am Olaf's Frozen Adventure 9:35am The LEGO Batman Movie 11:30am Beauty and the Beast 1:45pm Olaf's Frozen Adventure 2:15pm Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 4:35pm Olaf's Frozen Adventure 5:05pm The Ottoman Lieutenant 7:10pm The LEGO Batman Movie 9:00pm Beauty and the Beast 11:15pm Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 1:35am John Wick: Chapter Two 3:50am Olaf's Frozen Adventure 4:20am The Ottoman Lieutenant

7:00am 8:00am 9:00am 10:00am 11:00am 12:00pm 12:30pm 1:00pm 1:30pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 11:00pm 12:00am 1:00am 2:00am 3:00am 4:00am 5:00am

Total Goals Total Goals Total Goals Good Morning Sports Fans Premier League Daily Christmas Transfer Centre Sky Sports Daily SKY Sports News Live World Championship Darts SKY Sports News SKY Sports News SKY Sports News Sky Sports Tonight Football Live World Championship Darts SKY Sports News SKY Sports News SKY Sports News SKY Sports News SKY Sports News SKY Sports News

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FEATURE

21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

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LEGALLY SPEAKING Staying safe this festive season – part one WE answer some common driving questions, kindly provided by members of the Guardia Civil based in Torrevieja, Costa Blanca, who set up the N332 website and Facebook page to help break down barriers. ALTHOUGH no specific threats have been received and the threat level in Spain remains the same as it has done for some time, it is inevitable that security measures will be increased to ensure that the festive period passes as safely as possible. Guardia Civil and police checkpoints will be in place in various locations. Although many of these will be traffic related, there will also be many others which are checking FESTIVE SAFETY: Take care out there. vehicles for security reasons. Once noticeable in key areas, as more officers are beagain we remind everyone of the importance of ing deployed, not only on foot, but on horseback not sharing the locations of these checkpoints and supported by their canine colleagues as well. should you see them, such as through social meA guide book was previously produced, and is dia, as this often gives those who may be intent still available, warning of the dangers, and curon criminal activity the opportunity to avoid derent information can always be obtained through tection. the three Twitter accounts, @policia, @interior If you are stopped at a checkpoint the advice gob and @polprvalencia, which are the National remains the same too. Stay calm and act on the Police, Interior Ministry and Valencia Police reinstructions of the officers involved. If you have spectively. nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear and you One of the most frequent incidents the police will be on your way in a very short space of time. have to deal with is lost children. It’s not only on the roads where danger lurks at The police recommend the obvious, keeping a Christmas time, which is why the police also ofclose eye on children at all times, but also the less fer a wealth of advice on how to stay safe, with obvious, such as ensuring the child knows their the hope of making shoppers and traders aware name and a telephone number to contact in emerof potential risks, thus hoping to reduce the numgencies. They also recommend a wrist band or ber of scams, thefts and robberies that often occur bracelet with the name and contact number of the in areas where large crowds gather. parents printed or engraved on it. A greater presence of police officers will be For more news and articles visit www.n332.es or search N332 on Facebook.

Has he got an unpaid traffic fine? You once wrote that traffic and parking fine violations expire if the authorities do not notify you within three months. I hired a car in Malaga and four months later the car hire company took 40 euros from my account. It took them a month to tell me that this was for ‘administration’ then two further emails to get them to tell me that this related to a parking violation. Six months later, I have had no notification from Trafico, and searching the Internet with my NIE number and the car registration number reveals no outstanding fines. Does the three-month rule apply to me? Will there be a big fine accumulating somewhere? A S (Costa del Sol) R e l a x . H e re i s w h a t p ro b a b l y h a p p e n e d . Yo u g o t a parking ticket. The ticket w a s c h a rg e d t o t h e c a r h i re c o m p a n y a n d t h e y paid it. Standardly, park-

David Searl You and the Law in Spain

i n g t i c k e t s a re € 6 0 o r half that if paid in 20

days. So the company charged you €30 for the ticket plus a €10 fee for administration. No further action required and no big unpaid fine is accumulating.

Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.

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So at last a merry Xmas! Mike Senker

In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man ‘TIS the season to be merry! I don’t think so! Certainly not if you are trying to deal with multi-nationals. I’m going to the UK in January. I found a flight with Ryanair for €39 return which is a great price. Then I go to hire a car. I might have mentioned this before but I have dealt with Hertz since the mid ‘90s. The best they could offer was £160. I thought that seemed a bit expensive. I then recalled that Ryanair did car rental so I had a look at their prices and lo and behold they were offering the same car, from the same Hertz location for £55 so I booked it. Everything was the same - insurance, mileage etc. Done deal you might think. Nah, not Mr Grumpy. I got to thinking that’s not right so I tweeted Hertz and asked them how this could be. That’s when the fun started. They replied that third parties are cheaper but they often sell cars Hertz don’t have in stock. ‘Not a good answer,’ I replied, and simply said that you should never be able to get

something cheaper from a third party than going direct. I pointed out that most hotels have a price match policy otherwise what’s the point joining their loyalty programmes. Anyway, we to-and-froed for two days and they just kept sprouting some company policy BS saying that I wouldn’t get loyalty points and gold member service. I replied, ‘stuff your points and I’ll wait in line for 10 minutes to save a £100.’ I gave up with them and found a live chat option in their contact details so I went there. Even less joy! They said, ‘if you don’t like the price, book it somewhere else! It’s supply and demand.’ They finished with, ‘have a nice day and a Merry Christmas.’ Now I was steaming! I’m pretty relentless so I found a number in Oklahoma, called it and spoke to a lady called Terri. I explained the situation and two minutes later she says, ‘I can match that - sorry for the inconvenience.’ What? It’s as simple as that? ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘I don’t know why nobody told you to call us in the first place.’ I asked to speak to her supervisor and told her how Terri had kept Hertz a customer so for once there was a happy ending. Oh and Ryanair cancelled my booking no problem so at last a Merry Xmas! columnists@euroweeklynews.com

Email mikesenker@gmail.com

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21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

Cassandra Nash A weekly look - and not entirely impartial reaction to the Spanish political scene

TODAY’s the big day! Roll up! Roll up to the greatest show on earth: politics in action! The Catalan elections! According to some sources Carles Puigdemont, the exiled self-styled ‘legitimate president of Cataluña,’ nearly called elections instead of proclaiming the republic at the end of October. Would Puigdemont and the separatists have had a victory if he hadn’t chickened out and allowed himself to be bullied into action by his sidekicks Esquerra Republicana (ERC) and CUP? According to some polls, pro-independence Catalans still prefer Carles Puigdemont as president even though most polls tend to be wise after the event, not before it. What’s more his Junts per Catalunya is unlikely to be the most-voted party when the ballot papers are counted up tonight. So good luck with that one, Carles. Whose faces will wear smiles late tonight and early tomorrow morning? Who knows? But what we shall know by late tonight, Thursday December 21, is whether Catalans want independence as much as some of their politicians do.

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Crunch time

BIG DAY: Will it be boom or bust for Catalan independence supporters and deposed leader Carles Puigdemont (inset).

Tomorrow’s brainteaser UNLESS one party manages to secure an overall majority, Ada Colau, mayor of Barcelona, could have the last say in today’s Catalan elections. The Cataluña en Comun coalition, with Podemos hanging onto its shirttails, is nominally headed by Xavier Domenech and coordinated by

Colau but she has the last word as a rule. She has been accused by separatists and constitutionalists of ambiguity and ambivalence regarding independence, waiting to see how best to use her influence to her own advantage. She is likely to do this tonight, tomorrow and in the foreseeable future until a government can be formed. It’s all going to be much easier for her than the independence parties, for the PSOE socialists, the Partido Popular and above all for Ines Arrimadas and Cs who are likely to give ERC a run for their money. Owing to inter-party vetoes and vendettas the post-election argy-bargying will resemble those brainteasers where A will sit with D but not beside B who likes C and detests E. It might be complex, but not for Colau because she has the crib.

A contagious ailment PSYCHOLOGISTS who collaborated following the August 17 terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils that killed 16 people have offered assistance for those affected by the Catalan crisis. Experts and doctors in Cataluña have noticed an increase in patients with acute stress, depression, anxiety and dejection.

FEATURE

Vote-catcher THAT Miguel Iceta, socialist leader in Cataluña, is homosexual came as news to many, the majority of whom shrugged and got on with their own lives. This emerged following Twitter insults from pro-independence academic Jordi Borrell, director of the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, who apparently objects to Iceta’s sexual preferences as well as his politics. Not that the attack will harm Iceta who can now expect not opprobrium but, almost certainly, a few more votes. Thoughtful of the experts, but they could spare a thought for those of us outside the region with the same symptoms.

Easy come, easy go IN a pre-election debate the Partido Popular leader Xavier Garcia Albiol pointed out that more than 1,000 companies had left Cataluña as a result of the process towards independence. Roger Torrent from ERC retorted that this happened because the national government had made it so easy for companies to change their fiscal residence. That’s undeniable, but it doesn’t explain why they wanted to go in the first place. columnists@euroweeklynews.com

Advertising feature

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STARSAT: Visit their hi-tech showroom.

equipment as well as internet. Customers can expect an impeccable service from the first consultation to final installation. For internet, they offer Aeromax with a download speed up to 100mb. Michael has worked in this ever developing area of business for more than 14 years and is pleased to be able to pass on his experience and expert knowledge to his customers. I f you ar e l ooki ng f or l ow priced SAT-equipment which is easy to install and has an English operation manual come in and visit Starsat. Michael can also offer SAT hotel or community equipment and every SAT-system is individually adjusted to the customer’s requirements. Customers are invited to visit Starsat, located on Calle Llanterner 2, 03725, Teulada from Monday to Friday between 9.30am to 6pm. You can phone 966 480 556, email: michael@starsatonline.com or check the company products on www.starsatonline.com/en.

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Quick

Across 1 Performs on stage, appearing after John (4) 3 Accepts devious beer scam (8) 9 Around lake there’s poor cover (7) 10 Girl from German-Italian background (5) 11 Boy gets the French serving spoon (5) 12 Point to prime kind of silly smile (6) 14 Dehydration results from a scruffy T-shirt (6) 16 A predicament caused by disorderly capers (6) 19 Engineers model for peace of mind (6) 21 Jolly pirate emblem (5) 24 Old Testament character, New Testament incident (5) 25 Repeat some of the composite rates (7) 26 Late drink that goes to your head? (8) 27 Early historian’s sleeping place on boat (4)

Greek (7) 7 Hit one’s friends back (4) 8 The rest from the Isley Brothers (6) 13 Dog with no tail - get back! (8) 15 Some nice Bergen sandwiches contain lettuce (7) 17 Floor covering from Oscar

Code Breaker

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION FACING PAGE

Peterson’s house (6) 18 About end product in a lightsensitive area (6) 20 A group of eight musicians etc to reform (5) 22 Amazing girl? (5) 23 An average sort of name (4)

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 13 represents J and 26 represents G, so fill in J every time the figure 13 appears and G every time the figure 26 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.

CROSSWORD PAGE

Cryptic

Down 1 A sailor, Spanish sun, midJanuary, end of August and June, it’s perfect (8) 2 Dainty daughter making cloth (5) 4 Gloomy doctor got up (6) 5 Kingdom in actual miles (5) 6 Throw me a rich fire-breathing

TIME

SPONSORED BY

Across 1 Neat and tidy (4) 3 Overdue (4) 7 Allured or enticed (9) 8 Mother of your father or mother (7) 11 Kept from happening or arising (9) 12 Digits of the foot (4) 13 Boundary of a surface (4)

Down 1 Snare (4) 2 Intervene (9) 4 Tried (9) 5 Finishes (4) 6 Frequented by a ghost (7) 9 Dot (4) 10 Not in action or at work (4)

English - Spanish

Across 1 Simpático (4) 3 Té de especias (5,3) 9 Pavos (7) 10 Mary (5) 11 Visita (5) 12 Uno de los renos de Santa (6) 14 Caramelo (6) 16 Hug (6) 19 Ivy (6) 21 Cometa (5)

The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.

24 Reindeer (5) 25 Happiness (cheerfulness) (7) 26 Shepherds (8) 27 Himno (4) Down 1 Natividad (8) 2 Corchos (5) 4 Inn (6) 5 Beds (5) 6 Card (greetings) (7)

7 To roast (4) 8 Sofá (6) 13 Tren de juguete (3,5) 15 Amigos (7) 17 Reñir (6) 18 Desfile (6) 20 Wish (5) 22 Alegre (5) 23 Envolver (con papel) (4)

LOTTERY UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

22

25

35

45

46

57

IRISH LOTTO Saturday December 16

‘ IT’S SO BRIGHT THAT STAR COULD BE ANOTHER WORLD! ’ How many English words of four letters or more can you make from the nine letters in our Nonagram puzzle? Each letter may be used only once (unless the letter appears twice). Each word MUST CONTAIN THE CENTRE LETTER (in this case M) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.

Nonagram

Fill all the empty squares using the numbers 1 to 9, so that the sum of each horizontal block equals the ‘clue’ on its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the clue on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once.

1

21

33

37

38

40

BONUS BALL

8

Tuesday December 12

BONUS BALL

37

39

4

TARGET: • Average: 15 • Good: 20

• Very good: 29 • Excellent: 38

8

50

44

Friday December 15

BONUS BALL

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

25

able ably alee ally bald bale ball bell belt blat bled dale deal dele dell eely lade lady late lead leal tael tale tall teal tell yell alley badly baldy baled bally belay belle belly betel blade bleat bleed dally dealt delay delta elate label ladle lated table tally telly baldly ballet beadle belled belted elated lately tabled yelled belated belayed bleated eyeball labeled elatedly BELATEDLY

30

31

11

EL MILLON: TVX66431 LA PRIMITIVA

Sudoku

Thursday November 14

Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3X3 box contains the digits 1-9. There’s no maths involved. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic.

25

28

31

35

44

48

BONUS BALL

47 6

JOKER: 8 001 577 Saturday December 16

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

16

19

28

45

48

49

BONUS BALL

17 8

JOKER: 6 940 439 EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA 8 28

20 48

BONUS BALL

4

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

CRYPTIC

Across:

Across:

1 Taste, 4 Screw, 10 Enter, 11 Miracle, 12 Opciones, 13 Cups, 15 Driest, 17 Museum, 19 Crew, 20 Patinaje, 23 Charlar, 24 Event, 25 Odiar, 26 Estar.

Down: 2 Attic, 3 Tortoise, 5 Caro, 6 Enchufe, 7 Reloj de cuco, 8 Amber, 9 Pensamiento, 14 Business, 16 Iceland, 18 Carry, 21 Arena, 22 Alba.

1 Steward, 5 Topic, 8 Reach, 9 Arizona, 10 Pale ale, 11 Upset, 12 Retire, 14 Tender, 17 Valet, 19 Ironing, 21 Scourge, 22 Hedge, 23 Doses, 24 Solvent.

Down: 1 Strip, 2 Epaulet, 3 Ash, 4 Drapes, 5 Tribune, 6 Plots, 7 Chatter, 12 Revised, 13 Retorts, 15 Dwindle, 16 Misers, 18 Lions, 20 Guest, 22 Hal.

QUICK Across: 1 Spud, 4 Ache, 7 Miss, 8 Taps, 9 Sue, 10 Wish, 11 Roam, 12 Ohm, 13 Peru, 14 Ajar, 15/6 Set off, 16 Cede, 17 Hide.

Down: 2 Privilege, 3 Dosshouse, 4 Aftermath, 5 Haphazard.

CODE BREAKER

Who is trying to push you into a corner? Maybe it is being done so subtly that you have not even noticed. Who wants a decision from you? Appear to take pressure lightly and not give in to an irritation. There is some jealousy this week but refuse to be drawn into petty matters..

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) A rather slow start to the week leads you to feel bored but be assured that the weekend will be far from dull. A recent conversation or correspondence with an old friend leads to unexpected contact.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Everything on the home front is emphasised and there will be a flurry of activity. Get others involved in any changes. Work in the garden or painting is much more enjoyable and half the work if you enlist the help of someone you get on well with.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21)

Sunday December 17

2

It is difficult to avoid repeating mistakes made in the past. Your approach to certain situations has not changed and therein lies the problem. Someone who blames you for a mistake shows ignorance but that does not make it less upsetting.

2

50

42

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19)

PISCES (February 20 - March 20)

EURO MILLIONS

20

YOUR STARS

BONUS BALL

14

ENGLISH-SPANISH

67

FOR NEXT 7 DAYS

Saturday December 16

Kakuro

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VIEW ON LIFE

MADDOCKS’

OUT

21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

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KAKURO

When discussing a holiday with others, be aware that agreement is not always easily met. Although you are not inclined to compromise, it is necessary to go with the majority decision.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) After the 22nd it is much easier to see the path ahead. This is particularly true of a financial situation, so there's no sense in fussing until you understand what needs to be done. Someone who has in the past been unco-operative is more flexible. You wonder at this and try to see an ulterior motive, but it is most likely that they have seen the error of their past actions. Is it possible for you to take them on trust?

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Your attention is needed on more than one front, and some decisions are at odds with your personal thoughts and attitudes. Being reminded that 'business is business' does nothing to relieve your conscience.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Are you willing to take a risk on someone who has let you down before? Looking into their recent past is likely to tip the balance. What you find shows clearly if there has been a change of heart on their part or if they are trying to pull the wool over your eyes.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) A disagreement with a friend upsets you but is short-lived. To avoid such a situation in the future, look at how you should have dealt with it. There is always something to know that guides us to a better position. It will make you smile that someone has taken you for a fool because you have the last laugh.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) A great feeling of joy comes over you more than once in the week ahead. Your inner child has been set free, and this is likely to be because of recent restrictions, which are now lifted. Do not feel guilty about this because it is a choice that will serve you well in the future. Right now, things may seem like a bit of an effort for small reward.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Travel arrangements may have to be changed at the last minute. Do not fret, however, because success is more likely later in the month. During a dream, or when reading a book, an idea comes to you. Can this really make a difference to your future? You may need to act quickly to start a new project but progress will require patience.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) The need to plan ahead is frustrating when you know exactly what ought to be going on. Patience is something that you need to cultivate, or you risk upsetting someone close. Spending time with a colleague makes you realise how good things could be, but a lot of effort is involved.

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FEATURE

Special Feature

PILOT SCHEME: British emergency travel document/passport.

Emergency passports: A statement from the Foreign Office MUCH has been made in the British press about the possibility of those who lose their UK passport running the risk of missing return flights due to a new trial. It has been suggested that because applications have to be vetted at British consulates in Malaga or Warsaw, delays could occur which might result in flights being missed and additional costs incurred. In order to obtain more information, Euro Weekly News contacted both the British Consulate in Malaga and the British Embassy in Madrid asking for comments and it was confirmed that such information would need to be supplied by the Foreign Office in London. They were kindly asked for formal statements to be supplied for this newspaper and then forwarded quite detailed and lengthy observations about the situation. We questioned whether the extra workload would be too heavy for the Malaga consulate and if they would need to take on additional staff, but the response was quite illuminating. A spokesperson said: “We are running the pilot in Warsaw and Malaga. In the pilot, both Warsaw and Malaga are managing all the data entry, processing and approval of an emergency travel document on behalf of the consulates involved in the pilots. “ The c ons ula te s invol ved ar e t hen printing and issuing the emergency travel document locally to the customer. In a la te r pha s e of the pilo t we wi l l t est couriering the emergency travel document directly to the customer so most

will no longer have to travel to a consulate. “The Malaga hub processes on behalf of our consulates in Tenerife and Las Palmas (who also cover Fuerteventura and Lanzarote). “The Warsaw hub currently processes the emergency travel document on behalf of our embassies and consulates in Berne, Vienna, Tallinn, Munich, Dusseldorf and Helsinki. Bratislava and Luxembourg will join the pilot in a few weeks’ time and Berlin, Vilnius, Riga in early 2018. “We currently have no plans in place to roll this out globally. We will undertake a full evaluation of the pilots before deciding on next steps. If the pilot is successful we will consider whether we can implement similar models more widely in the network, with the impact on customers being an important consideration.” A separate statement explained “These trials, in a small number of countries are not designed to cut costs, but to ensure we can continue to provide British Nationals with efficient and helpful consular support, prioritising those who are most vulnerable. “They will also mean that we will be able to make decisions about a person’s eligibility for an emergency travel document in fewer places, safeguarding a secure UK border. We have continued to meet our public commitments during these trials, and will be monitoring these closely as they continue.” The British Consul in Malaga added that there had been little additional work for her staff so far during the trial period.

HEALTH BEAUTY

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V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E W W W. E U R O W E E K LY N E W S . C O M

Advertising feature

Medcare - total health, dental and beauty solutions FOR 12 years, over 10,000 expats on the Costa Blanca have trusted Medcare for its GP services - but what many people do not realise is that Medcare is much more than just a GP clinic. Medcare brings together the best medical professionals to offer GP care, dentistry, complementary therapies, aesthetic treatments and cosmetic surgery. With clinics in Benijofar and Alfaz del Pi, Medcare caters for all the Costa Blanca. The majority of patients are British, but also Dutch and Scandinavian patrons benefit from Medcare’s services. Run on NHS and Department of Health Guidelines, all the services you would find at a GP practice in the UK are available - including nursing and health screening.

Medcare’s dental clinic, at its Benijofar centre, is run by experienced British dentist, Tim Holt. Everything from general dentistry to implants, teeth whitening and invisible teeth alignment is offered. Knowing they are getting experience, first-class treatments and affordable price, dental patients come from all over Europe. Another major positive for Medcare’s dentistry service is that dental implants are offered from just €995 per implant! This is one of the best prices in the area. Complementary services at Medcare include psychotherapy and osteopathy. All the therapists are either British or speak English fluently, making a visit to one of Medcare’s therapists an easy and comfortable experience. Free initial appointments are available for complementary

FACIAL TREATMENT: You will be in safe hands. services - just call the clinic’s friendly Englishspeaking receptionists to find out more. With a dedicated aesthetics suite at its Benijofar clinic, Medcare offers the most up-to-date procedures and the best professionals to provide safe and effective treatments. Medcare leads the way on the Costa Blanca in non-surgical face-lifting, Botox, fillers, radiofrequency (Exilis) and much more. It is reassuring to know that the doctor at Medcare is fully licensed, insured and registered, as is required by Spanish law to administer injectables such as Botox and dermal fillers. You will be in safe hands. Book a free consultation to find out what Medcare aesthetics can do for you.

OLIVIA is the Aesthetics Products Coordinator. Medcare also work closely with top cosmetic surgeons and once again offers free consultations so you can discuss in detail your surgical requirements and discuss what procedure might be suitable for you. With Medcare, you know you are choosing a reputable surgeon and Medcare’s medical and support staff will be there to help you every step of the way, including aftercare. To find out more about any of Medcare’s services call 966 860 258, email doctors@med carespain.com, or visit medcarespain.com to sign up for Medcare’s free newsletter.

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Sunscreen still matters KEEP SAFE: It’s still important to wear suscreen in winter months.

AS the Baz Lurhmann song goes, we all know we should wear sunscreen. And even though it’s not nearly as sunny in Spain as in the summer months, harmful UV rays still pierce clouds, reaching our skin with potentially harmful consequences. But it’s not just enough to remember to wear sun lotion, it also matters how you apply it according to dermatologist Dr Natasha Cook. Speaking to one publication, Dr Cook explained there are several cardinal sins most of us are guilty of when apply sunscreen, beginning with not applying enough. She explained, “There is an exponential doseprotection level relation, which means if you under-apply by half, you are effectively getting only a quarter of the correct SPF protection,” clarifying, “If it’s a teaspoon per face and one for each limb - let alone your back - a 100ml bottle will only last you a couple of applications.” She also explains we should wait at least 20 minutes after applying before going in the sun. Next, the dermatologist says we should be applying lotion more frequently, aiming for twice every two hours as these creams are not sweat and waterproof even if they are resistant. Dr Cook also warns we should not make the mistake of believing a tan will give us any sun protection, explaining this skin colouration is instead a sign of damage. She explained, “it’s a warning your DNA is being damaged and not the signs of a healthy glow.” Lastly, she explains using aerosol sprays or covering up with a t-shirt will probably not give us enough protection, explaining UV rays get through white fabrics while aerosols leave us with a too-thin layer of sunscreen.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Ask The Doctor

Brought to you by

Appendicitis symptoms vary

SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte. What is the appendix for? The appendix is an elongated structure found in the large intestine. Although not a vital structure, it has functions that relate to the immune system and defensive capacity of the body. What is appendicitis? Appendicitis is an inflammation of the structure which causes it to increase significantly in size and cause a potentially dangerous infection. When does it usually happen? This is variable and there is no fixed rule. In general, appendicitis occurs when the appendix is obstructed by faecal debris, which is the main reason it becomes inflamed and infected. How do you know if someone has appendicitis? Appendicitis normally causes acute abdominal pain below the navel on the right-hand side of the

body, alongside discomfort, fever and diarrhoea, although this can vary with symptoms emerging slowly over time. It can sometimes cause an infection that is transmitted to other parts of the abdomen - known as peritonitis - or even pass to the rest of the body via the blood. The latter scenario is potentially deadly. Surgery to remove the infected appendix and a course of intravenous antibiotics may then be necessary. When should I get medical help? If you have pain in the lower right abdomen coupled with some of the above symptoms you should go to the hospital urgently. If appendicitis is suspected they will run a series of blood tests, ultrasound, or even x-rays. Is there any way to prevent appendicitis? No, there is no clear evidence of any measure which stops appendicitis.

If you have any questions for Dr Perez Belmonte, please send them to: jefemedico@helicopterossanitarios.com

21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

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the palate or the WE’VE all been tongue.’ Next he there. You’re at a suggests avoiding party and someone anything too hot, offers you a too cold or too canapé. It doesn’t spicy for several seem too hot so days, explaining, you put the whole “Anything cold, thing in our mouth hot or spicy will only for it to turn aggravate the out to be roughly burn, you want to the temperature of make sure everymolten lava. thing is room temAs you wince perature.” back tears you take For the two days a sip of a cold after burning your drink which unformouth, Dr Euntunately does very jung Jo recomlittle to calm the mends avoiding inferno raging on acidic drinks, inthe roof of your CHILL OUT: Soft food helps soothe the cluding coffee mouth and tongue. mouth after eating food that is too hot. with milk. He exHandily, a New plained, “soda, York-based dentist wine and coffee are incredibly acidic, has shared his tips for how to treat such meaning they will irritate skin as it’s an affliction just in time for canapé seahealing, potentially delaying the entire son. process.” It is also important to keep your Dr Eunjung Jo from Astor Smile Dental mouth clean to prevent infection. The explains while we may joke about burning dentist advises using mouthwash and our mouths he often treats people suffering brushing teeth thoroughly to prevent bacfrom first degree burns inflicted by hot teria building up. food, mostly involving melted cheese. Lastly, if you are struggling to heal, try He recommends sticking to a ‘soft a medicated mouthwash which will help food’ diet for the days after the burn, inspeed up your healing time. cluding rice dishes which ‘won’t irritate

Hot hot!

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Squeaky clean WE all know we’re meant to wash our hands regularly throughout the day. But even the most fastidious of us can fall down when it comes to ensuring we have washed them thoroughly. L u c k i l y, a m i c r o b i o l o gist from the University of Oregon has given one publication tips on making sure you get rid of as many germs as possible. Michelle Sconce explained there are two approaches we can take. She says the first is to help bacteria slip off our hands as we wash them by using enough soap and working up a good amount of lather. The second is to actually kill the bacteria with antibacterial soaps. There may be a problem with the second approach, however, with long-term use of certain anti-bacterial agents possibly harmful to your health. There is also a risk the soap will not kill resistant bacteria, allowing them free reign

to spread when all the other bacteria has been killed. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention instead suggests using familiar song Happy Birthday to ensure we wash out hands for long enough. The body recommends singing the

21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

GERM FREE: Make sure you scrub your hands thoroughly when you wash them. song twice, totally around 20 or 30 seconds, while applying soap lather to every parts of your hands before rinsing them well with clean running water. It is then important to dry hands with a ‘clean paper towel’ or allow them to

air dry. The authority also explains an alcohol-based hand sanitiser will make an appropriate substitute if soap and water are not available. Look for a make that contains at least 60 per cent ethanol.

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PAPA NOEL will be visiting Callosa this coming Sunday, Christmas Eve. Parents and relatives who would like him to hand over presents in person have until tomorrow, Friday to leave them at the Casa de Cultura between 9am and 2pm and 5.30pm to 7pm. He will be accompanied by Mama Noel on his sleigh ride through Callosa’s streets, followed by a spectacular retinue, the town hall’s Fiestas department announced. The parade will begin at Calle de Germanias at 6pm, continuing along the Alicante road, Quatre Carreteres, Calle San Jaime I, Sant Francesc to Calle Mayor Plaza de España where Papa Noel will hand out the presents. A day earlier, on Saturday, and to ensure that all children will have presents at Christmas, the El Pinyol Pipe and Drum Band, together with the charity, Caritas are asking for used toys that are still in good condition. These can be left at the Puerta de la Patrona in Plaza del Convent between 12 noon and 1.30pm.

Update on food, drink, entertainments, what’s on and weekly happenings

Raffle raises €2,500 for neglected cats and dogs APROP Animal Rescue (APROP) in Pego is certain to have a happy Christmas due to the generosity of the public who purchased 2,500 raffle tickets printed and sold at €1 each. Last Saturday saw the official draw to determine the winners of the four superb prizes on offer. Winners’ details as follows: First prize: Stephen Levy (ticket number 0846) Second prize: Lisa Fox (ticket number 0066) Third Prize: Moira Levy (ticket number 0871) Fourth prize: Tahnee Wright (ticket number 0289) Raffle organisers Nigel Webb and Peter Emmett expressed their greatest thanks to those sponsors who made the raffle possible: SMC-Spain - Telitec Casa del Vino - Restaurante Vall De

LEFT TO RIGHT: Sue Lundgren - APROP, Santa Claus (aka Nigel Webb) and 11-year-old Chloe Broad who drew the winning tickets. Cavall - Restaurante Masena - S R Print. APROP was previously LAPS and

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SPITTING IMAGE: The band on stage in Barcelona.

was taken over last March by a group of multi-national volunteers committed to the welfare of impoverished and

abandoned animals. At the shelter neglected cats and dogs are taken in, provided with any veterinary care they might need and given hope for a better day. APROP was devastated by the storms that spread across the Marina Alta earlier this year and volunteers have worked day-in, day-out to erect stronger structures that can withstand the elements and keep the animals safe. But there is still more to be done. The shelter is appealing to residents across the Marina Alta to help in any way they can, be it donating funds, time (with the animals or labouring on site) or resources such as unwanted building supplies. If you can help, please get in touch with Sue Lundgren - 606 910 308 / suederek@live.co.uk.

We WILL rock you at the Benidorm Palace TICKETS are still available to see Queenie perform at the Benidorm Palace on Sunday January 7. Formed in Prague by a

bunch of top-class musicians, Queenie has become the undeniably most successful Queen tribute band in the Czech Republic and one of the best Queen tribute bands worldwide. The band manages to capture both the original sound and the personal style and staging that catapulted Queen to international fame and recreates flawlessly the rock opera, universal anthems and power ballads that placed the group led by Freddie Mercury in the charts for two decades.

Queenie have performed on thousands of stages across several continents. The band members have made appearances on TV shows and take special pride in having been invited by to the Freddie Mercury Memorial Day in Montreux, Switzerland and to Queen Elizabeth II’s official birthday celebration. Tickets are priced from €25 and are available via the Benidorm Palace Box Office on 965 851 660.

21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

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Photo credit: Alcoy city hall

SOCIAL SCENE

SEE ALCOY: Guided tours each Saturday morning.

Discover an inland city EACH Saturday morning, Alcoy Tourism department organises free Descubre Alcoy conducted tours. The two-hour expeditions follow different routes throughout the year with themes that have ranged from Mediaeval Alcoy to the city’s Fountains and its Modernista architectural style. A total of 923 people from outside the city took part in the tours over the last year. Of these, 721 were from other parts of the Valencian Community, 148 from the rest of Spain and 14 from other countries, although the tours are not limited to tourists. “These conducted tours are not only for visi-

tors, it’s also important for Alcoy residents to learn about their city,” said Tourism councillor Lorena Zamorano. Throughout December the conducted tours have centred round Tirisiti a figure from El Belen de Tirisiti, a puppet show that has been put on at Christmas in the city since the 19th century. There will be two more tours scheduled for December - this coming Saturday and on December 30 - which set out from Tourist Info at 11am and last until 1pm. Groups are limited to 60 people and reservations can be made at Tourist Info (965 537 155) or on the www.turismo@alcoy.com website.

RIOJA may be the most famous national wine region, but Ribera del Duero is no slouch. A Spanish Denominacion de Origen (DO) located within Castile and León, Ribera del Duero is one of several wine-producing regions along the Duero river where the mainly flat and RIBERA DEL DUERO: Intense, long-lived wines. rocky terrain undulates between 750 and 911 metres above sea level. The rainfall is moderate tremely long-lived wines. bec and Merlot. with long dry The ageing requirements These wellsummers and for Ribera del Duero are the ageing, full-bodtemperatures of same used in Rioja. Wines ied and deep ruup to 40c, follabelled as Crianza must age by colour wines lowed by harsh two years with 12 months in with aromas of winters. by Lorenzo oak; Reserva for at least strawberries, Viticulture arBarbareschi three years with at least 12 fresh tobacco, rived in the remonths in oak while Gran leather and often gion with BeneReserva must spend five highly oaked are excellent dictine monks in the 12th years ageing prior to release, with grilled vegetables and century although wine was including two in oak. red meats. produced locally 2,000 Famous regional producWhereas Rioja and Ribera years ago. ers are Viña Sastre, Vega Sidel Duero are distinctive as Ribera del Duero DO cilia, Bodegas Arzuaga a result of the different terwine is derived almost exNavarra and Dominio de rains, both regions produce clusively from red grapes, in Pingus, with the British wines selected for long ageparticular Tinto Fino (local Royal family among cusing with complex vinificaname for Tempranillo), and tomers. tion procedures. often complemented with Happy tasting! These lead to intense, exCabernet Sauvignon, Mal-

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Photo credit: Altea town hall

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ALTEA PUPILS: Cooking up a Greek storm.

A menu that’s all Greek A GROUP of Altea high school pupils studying Greek have learnt to cook the country’s food. Altea’s councillor for Education, Vicente Perez, visited them and their teacher Gadea Reis at the municipal cookery centre, the Aula Municipal de Cocina where amongst other dishes they made keftedes (meatballs), tzasiki (cucumber and yoghourt), melitsonasalata (aubergine and cheese salad) and baklava pastries. These activies were positive not only for the cultural and social advantages attached to knowl-

edge of other cultures, Perez said. The cookery classes were doubly valuable because the pupils had researched the dishes and acquired the food themselves. She also expressed satisfaction with the Aula’s popularity and the favourable response to its programme of activities and courses for adults and children. These include the current course on making traditional Christmas sweetmeats where a few places were still available, Perez said.

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PROPERTY www.euroweeklynews.com DRONES are set to transf o r m S p a i n ’s r e a l e s t a t e market. New legislation due to take effect in 2018 will relax tight regulations on their use in urban areas. That will enable real estate agents and property developers to use aerial cameras to show potential buyers detailed video footage of every angle of the home. It will also be able to show the local environment, aspects of neighbouring homes, and drones can even fly inside to film different rooms. With a bit of technological wizardry companies will be able to generate high definition video montages of each property, even throwing in a soundtrack if it suits the mood. Legislation has prevented drones taking off properly until now. They are severely restricted in urban areas, near airports and over crowds. But they are already being used to help sell industrial buildings and rural

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SPY CAM: Drones offer buyers new perspective.

Buy in the sky Drones debut in 2018

ALMOST one in four luxury properties in Spain can be found on the Costa Blanca. A new report from Luxury Estate, which offers 400,000 properties across 120 countries, provides some unique insight into Spain’s luxury market. It notes that Spain has more luxury homes, valued at more than €700,000 and meeting certain aesthetic criteria, than anywhere else in Europe. There are around 60,000 luxury properties on

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Classy cribs on the Costa sale right now across Spain. Twenty two per cent of them can be found on the Costa Blanca. The average price paid for a luxury home in Spain is €3 million. Prices range all the way up to €80 million for the most glamorous estates in Mallorca. The average luxury villa costs €2.1 million.

LUXURY: Plush modern villas are hot stuff.

properties. Once the rules relax in 2018, residential real estate is the next big frontier. Drone footage of properties is set to gel with the growing demand for virtual reality tours of potential homes. Properties which embrace video technology have been proven to outperform homes relying solely on photos when it comes to both sale price and speed of finding a buyer.

Buyers of luxury properties in Spain unsurprisingly have particular tastes. Seven in 10 want a villa, while just one in 10 are looking for a plush apartment. The rest opt for spectacular countryside retreats. Newly built homes are favoured and the most in-demand features are a panoramic view, swimming pool and beach access. For those with a little extra to spend, private beaches are highly sought-after.

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Keeping your poinsettia all year round F R E Q U E N T LY s t a r r i n g i n Christmas displays, poinsettias in red or white are a festive favourite when it comes to decorating your home. But while they may look great for a couple of weeks these pretty p l a n t s c a n o f t e n d i e q u i c k l y, however much attention we give them. Native to Mexico, poinsettias like warm, dry conditions and can thrive in Spain given the right circumstances. Jamie Downes, Nursery Manager at Wyevale Garden Centres, told one publication the first thing to do is to ensure you get your plant home from the store without allowing it to get cold in your car by leaving it for hours in the shade. Once home, he advises putting the poinsettia in a position with good light but not direct sunlight and away from draughts. Downes says it is important to keep its environment constant, explaining, “the biggest mistake

people make is moving them between hot and cold temperatures too quickly.� Place the plant on a pebble tray to increase humidity and allow it to dry out before watering thoroughly alongside using a fertiliser once a week. If the plant does start to wilt though, Downes suggests soaking the root ball in warm water before considering throwing it away as this may revive it. Prune your poinsettia in March and reduce watering, you should then increase watering in May. With care, the plant will reach a total height of around 32 centimetres and will turn from green to red in eight weeks.

POINSETTIA: Cared for correctly can last beyond Christmas.

HOMES & GARDENS

21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

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Celebrating the festive season with your own decorated garden plants IT is always a challenge to prepare for the festive season with all the available decorations in the market place to complement the way you wish to celebrate the Christmas/New Year season. If you have pot plants on your balcony, terrace or indoors, you have the opportunity to infuse the festive spirit into your home simply by adding decorations to the plants and pots that you already have. Just adding some ribbons or decorative paper around the pots gives a new perspective and interest in the plants that you may have been caring for all year. A sprinkle of glitter and some interesting objects to dangle from the plants that suit your preferences can inspire a new admiration for your plants and provide a festive environment for the home. Larger plants can have Christmas lights added in proportion to the size of the tree or plant. There are so many different forms of coloured lights available, both solar

and mains power, to suit the location of the plants. If you have a larger tree in your garden, adding lights really does change the ambience of the long, cold, dark winter nights into a brighter display to add the cheer that the festive season can bring. The traditional Christmas tree is not always suitable for

everyone’s lifestyle. The type of Christmas tree used to celebrate the festive season varies in different countries according to the species of trees that are available in the region. The most popular traditional trees are conifer plants such as fir, spruce and pine but concern for harvesting any of

the trees for only a few weeks use has an environmental impact that is well worth considering. If space in your home is an issue then such large species of Christmas trees can be difficult to accommodate in a flat or apartment. It makes sense to look at local traditions. In the Mediterranean the

nativity scenes with miniature landscapes and figures has a stronger tradition than the Christmas trees which is a tradition that evolved in the more northern regions of Europe. If you have the time and plants it can be an interesting occupation to create your own miniature landscape no matter how small or large.

To make use of the plants that you have and perhaps obtaining a few additional, traditional plants, such as the poinsettia or other favourites for the creation of a decorative zone on the balcony, terrace or in the garden, will not only spruce up your green spaces but also add cheer and goodwill to your neighbourhood.

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Secrets to feeding your dog David THE Dogman LISTEN to David on TRE on Saturdays 10am to 11am Costa del Sol (Gibraltar/Sotogrande) 98.7fm (San Roque to Calahonda) 91.9fm (Calahonda to Motril) 88.9fm, Costa Calida 92.7fm Costa Blanca (Torrevieja to Elche) 105.1fm (Elche to Calpe) 88.2fm, (Calpe to Gandia & Ibiza) 104.6fm, (Denia to Valencia) 95.3fm Mallorca 103.9fm columnists@ewnmediagroup.com

DOG foods do vary in quality. So do the companies that make the foods. To some companies quality is only a word. To others, it’s a way of life. Ultimately, the quality of a dog food is best measured by your dog. How your dog performs on the food, how he looks, feels and acts are the best measures of the quality of any food. At least 80 per cent of my clients that report behavioural problems find that a change of food changes the unwanted behaviour. No matter what a food company claims, unless your dog has bright eyes, silky hair and supple skin, and is not overweight, then the food is not

HUNGRY HOUND: What you feed your dog could impact his behaviour. right for him. Not all dogs do well on a particular brand of food some dogs simply do better than others. Most foods are categorised as economy, regular, premium, super premium and performance. Regular and premi-

um foods are not formulated like a super premium or performance food. Dogs have simple stomachs and short digestive tracts for digesting meat. They also lack the saliva enzyme amylase, which is necessary for pre-digesting starch. Dogs have adapted to

foods with high vegetable protein levels, however they perform better when fed foods high in meat protein and animal fats. Checking the label of a super premium or performance food, an animal protein will be listed as the first or sec-

ond major ingredient. These should include chicken, turkey meat, or poultry. A least two sources of fat or oil should be included for adequate energy, as well as carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates in dog food come from quality sources like rice, oatmeal, corn or wheat. These are easily digested when properly cooked. Fibre, a complex carbohydrate is essential for proper digestion and stool formation. Beetroot and tomatoes are both high in fibre. Vitamin and mineral fortification is an absolute necessity in nutritionally balancing any food for dogs. While the vitamins and minerals generally make up less than 2 per cent of the total food by weight, they provide some of the most crucial nutrients. These include 12 to 16 vitamins and 15 to 25 minerals. Super premium usually features more than one source for each vitamin and mineral. The ingredient list will be longer compared to non-premium foods. It is not recommended that you add anything by way of a food supplement or vitamin to super premium foods.

Festive ideas for furry ones

HOUSESITMATCH: Enjoy the festivities.

Happy holidays from Housesitmatch! FROM all of us at HouseSitMatch to all of you, we wish you a very merry holiday season! At this time of year, we love to reflect on all the wonderful friends we have made through our special relationship with the Euro

Weekly News and David the Dogman (our hero and inspiration!). We especially want to send a huge thank you to all of the readers of this column, and our customers in Spain who have helped to make this a very

special year for us. We look forward to helping you again in 2018! Our very best wishes of the season from Lamia, Wendy, David, Alex and Deborah the HouseSitMatch team.

Register as either house-sitter or homeowner now with a special holiday offer of 50 per cent off introductory offer using coupon code SPECIAL50. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HouseSitMatch.com call Lamia on 00 44 (0) 777 214 2742 or email admin@housesitmatch.com

WHILE your pets may not understand why a big tree appears in the living room every December or why the same cheesy songs play on repeat for days on end, they can still get swept up in the excitement of Christmas nonetheless. There’s no better way to get animals involved than treating them like any other member of the family and spoiling them rotten. The popularity of Christmas presents for pets has increased tenfold in recent years. From dog cologne to advent calendars for animals, the list is seemingly endless. Perhaps the most unusual new offering on the shelves, however, is Pawsecco, prosecco especially for cats and dogs. While the fizz is non-alcoholic, it would certainly add an extra sparkle to festivities. The special bubbly is made with elderflower, linden blossom and ginseng and can be poured over their food, or in a bowl on its own. If your pet isn’t really into wine, Woof and Brew (the company behind Pawsecco) al-

so has a ‘beer’ for dogs on offer called Bottom Sniffer. Some other good gift ideas for pets include special seat harnesses so your dog can travel safely in the car, an animal selfie stick or even an elf costume, which may not be much fun for

your pooch but will provide you with hours of entertainment. Whatever you choose, make sure the toy is suited to the size of your dog or cat and doesn’t contain any parts that could cause harm if swallowed.

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PET TRANSPORT PROPERTY WANTED Hi, we are a dutch family of 5 looking for a holiday home (not appartment) in Albir, Altea or Alfaz (the lower areas below the Autopista.) Prefferred areas are El planet, Jardin d’alfaz and Albir. We are searching for a house with a min of 3 bedrooms. A separate guesthouse and private pool are also on our wishlist. We are not afraid of some work are interested in houses between 200.000 and 350.000€. We are in town for Christmas holidays so we would be able to make appointments very soon. Kind regards, Mathijs, Kim and the boys. Email: vogelstok je@hot mail.com or tlf: 0031-6 53 21 21 38

PROPERTY

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ROLLER/SHUTTERS ROLLER SHUTTER REPAIRS, awnings, motors, mosquito blinds. Calpe + 50 kms. 659 464 992 www.toldosalchemy.com

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FREE accommodation in Spain in return for handyman work. Email oasisparks@yahoo.co.uk. Telephone: 696 090 776 EXPERIENCED COUPLE wanted to run bar/cafeteria near Gandia. Must speak English with knowledge of Spanish. Accommodation, basic pay and commission. Please email oasisparks@yahoo.co.uk DO YOU CARE? If so, why not join our team of carers who work in the UK. Earn from £952 - £1,456 for 2 weeks. Good written/spoken English, British or EU Passport required. Contact Sandra on 658 965 204 or email s.field@consultusca re.com NEED an extra income? Earn 75€ to 400€ per week, flexible hours from home. We are a reputable British home retailer, new to Spain. No selling required or experience needed as full training given. Apply now at www.the-vistagroup.com (260526) FIELD SALES positions available. Must have own transport, English and Spanish preferred, but not essential, must have local knowledge of the area and be smart and presentable. Applications by email with full CV should be sent to recruitment@euroweek lynews.com TELESALES positions available for our Benissa office. English and Spanish preferred, but not essential, must have local knowledge of the area and be smart and presentable. Applications by email with full CV should be sent to recruitment@euroweeklynews.com. (256645) HGV Class 1 Drivers Required. Earnings up to £1000.00 per week. Tramping in the UK. Various shift patterns/ depots. Work for a couple of weeks, months or ongoing. Guaranteed tramping for the duration you are here. You choose your location. We supply the work. Trusted, reliable, professional. Enquire today: 0044 1487 842 165 Text/ WhatsApp - 0044 7846 624 312 info@cambscontractors. co.uk www.cambscontractors.co.uk Find us on Facebook (252187)

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BLANKET Factory Tours; Due to Expansion and our new factory in Alicante we need part time inviters/tour guides for Benidorm. Sales presenter and office assistant Alicante Based. Part time contract provided. Call Martin 629 293 042. EXPERIENCED BAR/WAITING staff required in Moraira. Established business offering full time contracted employment for the right person. Basic English and Spanish required along with enthusiasm and energy. Our business is expanding rapidly and this is a great career opportunity. Call 687 240 402 or 679 790 791

SOFT FURNISHINGS LOOSE COVERS, CURTAINS ETC. Made to Measure. Choose from a wide range of beautiful fabrics in your own home. Tel: 965 771 397 or 686 453 827 (248390)

STRUCTURAL SURVEYS MARK PADDON BSc Hons. Building surveying. MCIOB, CAAT. From 245 EUROS + IVA. Insured and legally registered in Spain. Tel: 653 733 066 / 962 807 247 www.costablan casurveyors.com (247217)

TELECOMS FED UP PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MOBILE PHONE CALLS? THEN CONTACT TELITEC TODAY. CALLS TO SPAIN 7C PER MINUTE INCLUDING MOBILES. CALLS TO UK 5.3C PER MINUTE. NO MONTHLY FEES, NO CONTRACT. WWW.TELITEC.COM TEL: 902 889 070 (0)

TV REPAIRS QUALIFIED BRITISH SATELLITE ENGINEER with over 25 years experience on Costa Blanca. Installing and repairing SAT TV equipment. Same day service, all work guaranteed. Call Steve 617 911 118 (246872)

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WORK FROM HOME! WE ARE LOOKING FOR LADIES AGED 20 TO 65 TO TAKE CALLS FROM AN ADULTHOTLINE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH OR SWEDISH. PLEASE EMAIL YOUR INFO: work@kkhotline.com

For daily news visit www.euroweeklynews.com

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MOTORING www.euroweeklynews.com TWELVE motorcycle legends have been shortlisted for inclusion in the Motor Sport Hall of Fame. Voting is now open to the general public which one among them is next to be immortalised in motoring lore. It is the seventh year the Hall of Fame has been running a public vote on inductees. The 2018 winner will join the likes of Valentino Rossi, John Surtees, and Barry Sheene. The nominees include Casey Stoner, the Australian racer with two world titles to his name with Ducati and Honda. Icon from the 1960’s and 1970’s Mike Hailwood MBE

VOTE: Stoner is most recent racer of Hall of Fame list.

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Hall of Fame Choose your racing icon is in the running. He won nine Grand Prix championships. Fellow Brit Geoff Duke who won six Isle of Man TT races and was famed for his one-piece race suits is up in 2018, as is Honda founder and Japanese icon Soichiro Honda. Americans, 500cc champion Kevin Schwantz, triple winner Wayne Rainey, Kenny

Roberts, and Fast Freddie Spencer who made by history by winning both the 250cc and 500cc races in 1985 are on the list. They are joined by fellow American Eddie Lawson, who has four world championships in the 500cc category to his name. He is bettered by Australian Mick Doohan, who won five consecutive titles in the 1990s. The rest of the list

is made up by British duo Joey Dunlop, who won 26 TT titles in a historic reign, and Jim Redman, who won six world championships in the 1960’s. Those interested in voting for which of their motorcycling heroes should be inducted to the Hall of Fame next year can do so online. Voting is open through the website www.mo torsportmagazine.com.

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MOTORING

ROAD TEST by Nick Fletcher

Honda Jazz SE WHEN Honda created the current Jazz model, it aimed to make it much more appealing to younger buyers while retaining the loyalty of its older customers - and its designers have achieved this. The Jazz now has smoother, more youthful styling, more connectivity features and more personalisation options, all of which should help lower the age profile of its buyers. The Jazz competes in a tough sector which includes Fiesta, Corsa, Polo, and Clio but the micro-MPV character of the Jazz gives it specific appeal its cabin is more spacious than most and its easy-move ‘Magic Seats’ score it top marks for day-to-day practicality. Prices start at €16,009 (£14,115) for an S version but my test model, the betterequipped SE, is the popular choice, featuring cruise control,

auto lights and wipers, alloy wheels, touchscreen infotainment, parking sensors, DAB radio, Bluetooth and connectivity on its kit-list. It costs €17,708 (£15,615). The Jazz uses a 1.3 litre 101 hp petrol engine with standard six-speed manual gearbox (a CVT auto version is available). The 0-100 kph

HONDA JAZZ: Offers a smooth civilised drive.

Model tested was UKspecification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.

time is a modest 11.5 seconds, top speed is 190 kph (118 mph). Fuel economy is very respectable at 19.6 kpl (55.4 mpg). Underway, the Jazz offers a smooth civilised drive, with composed handling and a very comfortable ride thanks to a revised suspension set-up. It is nimble in traffic and when parking, and has good all-round visibility. Inside, the dashboard is logically laid out, with a centre touch-screen which is easy to operate and quick to respond. Seating is supportive and there is good headroom even in the rear. The large boot capacity 354 litres - can be enlarged to a massive 1,314 litres with dropdown rear seats which form a flat load floor. Such space and practicality are ace cards for the Jazz, which also benefits from Honda’s outstanding record for reliability.

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PREMIER LEAGUE run-away leaders Manchester City are looking to pick up another three points against The Cherries of Bournemouth this weekend. “People say the way we played in Barcelona, it is not possible in England,” said City gaffer Pep Guardiola, in charge at Barcelona during 2008-12. “It is possible. Always it is possible to play football, to keep the ball and to have the courage to play in England,” said Guardiola. On Saturday Everton meet Chelsea, Burnley host Spurs, Manchester United travel to Leicester, Brighton host Watford, Southampton host Huddersfield, Stoke host West Brom and Crystal Palace travel to Swansea. Arsenal host Liverpool tomorrow (Friday) at The Emirates Stadium.

Burnley to KO United on Boxing Day BURNLEY are out to KO Manchester United at Old Trafford on Boxing Day with the minnows punching

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Pep’s Cherry pick UKSPORTSCENE sure,” said Hughes. “When you win, the pressure goes away. That’s the reality,“ said ex-Wales, Blackburn, Manchester City, Fulham and QPR boss Hughes , 54, at Stoke since 2013. Cold turkey is on the menu this Christmas for Manchester United players and staff, after boss Jose Mourinho told them of a training session on Christmas Day! With games against Leicester on December 23; Burnley on December 26 and Southampton on December 30, Mourinho doesn’t think the festive schedule is fair. Mourinho points the finger at Arsenal’s fixture list, saying: “I wish them a Happy Christmas they are going to have a Christmas - while others play December 2326.” Arsenal play Liverpool on December 22 and Crystal Palace on

draw last 16: Juventus v Tottenham; Basel v Manchester City; FC Porto v Liverpool; Sevilla v Manchester United; Real Madrid v PSG; Shakhtar Donetsk v Roma; Chelsea v Barcelona; Bayern Munich v Besiktas.

RACING: King George VI Christmas cracker

with Andrew Atkinson above their weight - in the Premier League. “It’s not easy to win games in the Premier League,” said Clarets manager Sean Dyche, who took Burnley into fourth place this month. “We’re written off every year we’re used to that - so when you do have such a strong start people will find surprise in that,” said Dyche. Dyche, 46, who took charge at Turf Moor in 2012, lead Burnley to the Premier League in 2013, and after relegation, returned to the top flight in the 2015-16 season. “I think we’re in a very healthy position, probably more so than I thought,” said Dyche. Underfire Mark Hughes takes his Stoke side to Huddersfield, in what can be described as a ‘sixpointer’: “When teams get beat a manager will come under pres-

SPORT

ON THE MARCH: Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. December 28. Manchester City play Bournemouth on December 23 and Newcastle on December 27. Boxing Day fixtures: Spurs v Southampton, Watford v Leicester, Manchester United v Burnley, Huddersfield v Stoke, West Brom v Everton, Chelsea v Brighton, Bournemouth v West Ham and Liverpool v Swansea. Newcastle v Manchester City (December 27).

hired a private jet for an all-day Christmas booze-filled ‘bender’ in Dublin. Sir Alex Ferguson was left fuming, after his Manchester United players arranged a Christmas party in a hotel, with an alleged plethora of women invited in a 15-hour drinking binge.

Party poopers

IN 1957 a full schedule of 38 matches were played on December 25. The final English league match played on Christmas Day was Blackpool against Blackburn Rovers in 1965.

CHRISTMAS parties have hit the headlines, one being Spurs when managed by Harry Redknapp, who banned players from having a Christmas party in 2009. Spurs players drummed up a Christmas party collection, allegedly paying £2,000 each, and

Football stocking fillers

Champions League CHAMPIONS

LEAGUE

MIGHT BITE, Thistlecrack and Sizing John are set to go head-to-head in the King George VI chase over three miles ½ furlong at Kempton on Boxing Day. “We’ll try and win the King George,” said Might Bite trainer Nicky Henderson. Thistlecrack, winner of the King George in 2016, returned at Newbury this month after suffering a tendon injury. “Before the race at Newbury he did look as though he was burly. He’s a big, heavy horse and needed the run,” said trainer Colin Tizzard. Sizing John’s options remain open, with the March Cheltenham Festival in mind, having been backed down to 4-1 in the King George, with Might Bite best priced at 7-4. “Sizing John has all the qualities for the King George - loads of speed, stays and gears - stamina in abundance,” said jockey Robbie Power.

Turkey, tinsel and top of the table JAVEA GREEN Winter Le a gue pla ye d hos t t o Bonalba Bowls Club for the ir la s t ma tc h of the 2017 c a le nda r know in g that their top of the table position needed to be reinforced by a good win. When the opposing team turne d up w ith re inde er a ntle rs on the ir he a d s everyone knew it was going to be a fun game. Always a pleasure to play against, Bonalba continue to grow in strength and are now a

strong adversary, however Javea after a rousing prematch team talk from their captain Clive English were taking no prisoners and stamped their mark on the game from the first wood. Wi nni ng on al l f i ve rinks with a shot difference of 72 ensured a 12-0 victory to see their place at t he t op of t he l eague table strengthened. The Berleen team skipped by Diane Manser also won comfortably.

Af t er t he m at ch cam e the Christmas lunch with t he annual St and up Si t down bingo organised by Alan Phillips who incident al l y won j oi nt l y wi t h Lynne Eldon. Javea Green’s Northern League teams had mixed fortunes this week with Quartz having an excellent wi n agai nst t op of t he table BBC Lions. Onyx too, by beating the BBC Tigers 8-2. Unfortunately, Opals lost 2-8 against Calpe.

21 - 27 December 2017 / Costa Blanca North

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Photo by CF Real Madrid/Twitter

SPORT

WINNERS: Real Madrid won their third Club World Cup.

Real Madrid secure third Club World Cup A SUPERB free kick from Cristiano Ronaldo saw Real Madrid become the first team to retain the Fifa Club World Cup. The Spanish champions saw off Brazilian challengers Gremio 1-0 in Abu Dhabi to bag their third Club World Cup title and draw level with arch rival Barcelona for most victories in the competition. It is the fifth trophy that Los Meringues have won in 2017, setting a club record after earlier winning La Liga and the Champions League, plus the UEFA and Spanish Supercups. Although Gremio defended doggedly, they showed little attacking intent even after RonalSPANISH Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is confident that Spain will go to the football World Cup. Speaking in Brussels, Belgium, where he has been attending a European Union summit, the leader said: “I am absolutely convinced that Spain will be at the World Cup in Russia, and will also win.” His comments follow a spate of reports suggesting that football’s governing body FIFA has warned the Spanish government over alleged political interference in the upcoming election of the country’s new football federation (RFEF) president. FIFA is able to suspend the membership of national teams if it considers that governments have unduly interfered with their respective football associations. The RFEF has been led by interim chief Juan Luis Larrea since July, after former president Angel Maria Villar was charged with corruption. According to Spanish media reports, the National Sports Council has been in touch with the RFEF to discuss Villar’s succesor. This would contravene FIFA’s rules, which state: “Each member must manage their af-

do put Madrid ahead. The Ballon d’Or winner, 32, broke the deadlock after finding the bottom corner with a sumptuous 25-yard set piece effort which found a gap in the wall. It was his fourth goal in three Club World Cup finals. After the game, the Portugal international said: “The numbers speak for themselves. “I am very happy, I remain very motivated to keep winning things at a collective and individual level. “I still feel strong enough to continue my trajectory as a player and to win trophies, which is what I like most.”

Spain “will go to the World Cup” insists Spanish PM

fairs independently and ensure there is no interference by third parties in their affairs.” Spain is among the favourites for next year’s World Cup in Russia, and has been drawn alongside Portugal, Morocco and Iran in Group B.

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FORMER Real Madrid star Kaka has announced his retirement from football. Over an illustrious career, the Brazilian won the World Cup, Champions League, La Liga, Serie A titles and he is also the last person other than Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, to win the Ballon d’Or in 2007.

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Rafa awaits transfer purse as Newcastle takeover talks continue SPORTSCENESPAIN with Andrew Atkinson MADRID-born Rafa Benitez is facing Christmas as manager of struggling Newcastle United as takeover talks with Magpies’ owner Mike Ashley continue. “I need to know how much money we will have for January as soon as pos-

sible, we have to improve the team,” said Benitez, ahead of the January transfer window. Benitez, the only manager in history to have won the UEFA Europa League, U E FA S u p e r C u p , U E FA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup, was always cautious about results this season. Former Liverpool and Real Madrid manager Benitez, 57, bounced straight back into the Premier League following relegation last season. Newcastle are facing rel-

WAITING GAME: Rafa Benitez. egation again after a woeful season, and Benitez rued: “I said it could be like this.” Ex-Real Valladolid, Os-

asuna, Valencia, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Napoli boss Benítez, who left Napoli to coach Real

Madrid in 2015, joined Newcastle United in 2016. Having failed in his attempt to save Newcastle from relegation, Benítez remained loyal, taking the club back into the Premier League, when winning the Championship last season. Ashley who invested £134.4m in buying Newcastle a decade ago and has since put £129m into the club, reportedly turned down Amanda Staveley and PCP Capital Partners Ltd’s initial formal offer of nearly £300m. PCP Capital Partners has access to around £28bn of Middle Eastern wealth. A facilitator of football takeovers Staveley helped broker the agreement,

which saw Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan take control of Manchester City in 2009. Benitez who has met Newcastle managing director Lee Charnley to discuss the transfer budget, said: “ We ’ r e m o n i t o r i n g a n d talking to players.” Newcastle play West Ham on December 23; Manchester City on December 27; Brighton on December 30 and Stoke on New Year’s Day, fixtures deemed crucial. “I can only concentrate on preparing the team. We know what we need, can we g e t t h a t ? I d o n ’t k n o w, ” said Benítez, linked to signing Liverpool’s Danny Ings a n d M a n c h e s t e r U n i t e d ’s Luke Shaw on loan.