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20 - 26 December 2018

A XARQUÍA - C OSTA T ROPICAL YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION Main credit: Wikimedia

ISSUE NO. 1746

Newspaper in Spain 2017 & 2018

SEPRONA OFFICERS: Found two dead horses amongst other animals, dead on a farm in Motril.

Shocking animal abuse By Sally Underwood POLICE have arrested a man in Motril after six animals were allegedly found dead on his farm. Officers from Seprona - the environmental protection arm of the Guardia Civil - have charged the suspect with animal cruelty after two horses and four sheep reportedly died from neglect.

The man, who is said to have a criminal record, had allegedly been warned about the condition of his animals at a previous inspection on November 28. They said on the first visit by a Seprona patrol and a veterinarian, they discovered the bodies of four sheep which had starved to death after becoming trapped in their own waste. Investigating further, the patrol

A FIRE in Nerja has taken six hours to put out. The massive blaze, which allegedly began in a garden filled with rubbish and other items, took place on a plot on Avenida Pescia, near the Oasis de Capistrano urbanisation. One firefighter was injured while battling to put out the flames, and was treat-

allegedly found four horses and three donkeys showing signs of neglect. Police say they warned the man he must feed his animals, bring in a vet to look after the ill ones, and clean his farm. They also ordered the suspect to remove animal waste, which in some places was around half a metre deep. When they returned on December 3 to ensure their orders

Massive blaze ed at the Nerja health centre for damage to one of his legs. Members of the fire services from Nerja and Velez-Malaga, as well as the Local Police and Guardia Civil, also worked to extinguish the fire. An investigation into the cause of the inferno is now underway but residents

had been carried out, police said they found the conditions had become even worse and two further horses had died. Officers allege the farm was still covered in dung and no animals had been given veterinary attention. The surviving animals - one horse and three donkeys - were confiscated and taken to an animal protection shelter following the suspect’s arrest.

say they had complained about the accumulation of rubbish on the plot for years. The say the site’s owner suffers from Diogenes Syndrome, a disorder which compels sufferers to compulsively hoard possessions. Workers did not have to evacuate any houses as those neighbouring the plot were already empty.

Gas station hold-up POLICE are searching for a man who robbed a petrol station in Torre del Mar. The suspect, who had his head covered, threatened a female staff member who was alone in the building, before taking all the money in the cash register. According to sources, the suspect did not use a weapon and fled on foot. It is not yet known how much money he took. The incident occurred at around 8am last Friday and sources say police may already know his identity.

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20 - 26 December 2018

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NEWS EXTRA Final hike of year A GROUP of almost 30 hikers took part in a tour of the Collado Volaores in the southern Sierra Nevada to mark the end of the season for 2018 with a toast and well wishes for the holidays.

Old file MEMBERS of one school in Nerja have taken part in a tour of the town’s archives with Mayor Rosa Arrabal to see a book dating to 1705 which included privileges granted by King Felipe V.

Re-modelling POLITICIANS in VelezMalaga are spending €223,186 in reforming Calle Padre Raimundo Codesal, following ‘much demand’ by residents.

DANGEROUS: One club manager claims artificial turf is injuring children.

Contact sport by Sally Underwood A SPORTS manager has complained the AstroTurf at a pitch in Nerja is injuring children. Juanjo Figueroa, general coordinator of the Nerja Municipal School of Soccer, said the condition of the artificial turf at the town’s Jose Luis Bobadilla stadium was so bad it was hurting players.

He said: “The children do not want to come to train because they get hurt every time they fall, the parents are very angry and the monitors are the ones who have to put up with all the complaints.” Figueroa said the turf was installed in 2013 and has a useful life of around 10 years, “so it has already been five since it should have been changed.”

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Hunters find missing man POLICE have rescued a German resident of Nerja who went missing after suffering a traffic accident in the Sierra Nevada. Officers from the Guardia Civil and fire services say the 75-yearold is suffering from hypothermia but is otherwise, ‘conscious and aware.’ The victim remains in the Granada Health Technology Park but has now left Intensive Care. Police said they began searching for the man after receiving a call at around 1pm last Friday from a group of hunters who had discovered a vehicle in Camino de la Peña de Los Perrosin Guerjar Sierra. Members of the Guardia Civil went to investigate and found a car which had fallen 40 or 50

metres down from the road. They also found the missing man trapped inside, suffering from ‘a serious case of hypothermia.’ Firefighters managed to get the man out of the car and moved him to a Guardia Civil vehicle the only one which could make it through the snow - and then to an ambulance. Police say they are not yet certain what caused the accident, and explained, “it could have happened between 6.30pm last Wednesday and the time he was found,” although due to the state of hypothermia, “it must have been several hours since the accident.” The man’s family had reported him missing from Nerja on December 12.

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20 - 26 December 2018

Good read in Rincon

THE BIG PICTURE Nº 45

MEMBERS of Rincon de la Victoria’s libraries are in luck after the council bought €8,017 worth of new books. The text books will be distributed throughout the municipality’s four libraries. This is the second time the council has bought books for the town’s libraries this year, bringing the total investment to €20,000.

Nerja promoted REPRESENTATIVES from Nerja and Frigiliana have attended the third annual meeting of the Business Network International (BNI) business group, Lidera Nerja. Rosa Arrabal, mayor of Nerja, attended the event alongside Akejandro Herrero, mayor of Frigilaina, to ‘promote Nerja as an international brand.’

€3.63m boost A PUBLIC company supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Saeca, has confirmed it will invest almost four million Euros into modernising the irrigation system in the area near the Rio Guaro, northwest of mountain town Periana. The news comes following drought fears for much of last year.

Big turnout MORE than 40,000 people have attended Torrox’s annual Migas feria. The festival celebrates Migas, a traditional dish containing semolina and oil, and is used to kick-off the celebrations for Christmas. The dish was served alongside arriera salad, containing onions, olives and fish, and wine tastings.

In honour RINCON DE LA VICTORIA has paid homage to the 37 victims of the Republican submarine C-3 attack in 1936. Members of the local council commemorated the anniversary of the sinking of the submarine which was torpedoed by the Nazis 82 years earlier while it was guarding the Bay of Malaga.

Making history THE Nerja Caves have become the first in Spain to obtain a prized tourism award. The attraction also achieved international recognitions for the quality of its management and environmental commitments. Maria Gamez, president of the Nerja Caves Foundation, presided over the awards ceremony.

MODEL FAMILY: The scenes depict the nativity story.

Making a scene MODELS of the nativity have popped up all over Spain as the co u n try p re p are s to c e le bra te Christmas this Tuesday. This photograph captures a depiction of the holy family in miniature from the Plaza Mayor in Valladolid City in Castilla y Leon. These scenes, known as Belens after the Spanish name for Bethlehem, are part and parcel of Spain’s Christmas celebrations. Towns and cities typically install them in their main squares, town

halls or churches. They are usually made by artists who craft models tha t te ll the na tivity s tory w ith elaborate decoration. They tell the nativity story from the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary, the journey to Bethlehem, Jesus Christ’s birth and the visit from the Thre e Wis e M e n a nd the s he pherds. Each town puts its own twist on the scene, with some displaying miniature models while others opt for life-size depictions of figures

Tram trust P O L I T I C I A N S i n Ve l e z - M a l a g a said they are relying on the new Andalucian government to respect previous agreements to reopen the town’s tram line. Mayor Antonio Moreno Ferrer said although he had not had time to start works to reopen the line before the Junta de Andalucia elections earlier this month, he hoped newly elected politicians would honour existing commitments. The line has been closed for six-

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and-a-half years since June 2012, when former head of the Partido Popular, Francisco Delgado, closed the tram for financial reasons. Velez-Malaga’s current council only recently announced plans to put out a tender to begin works to the tram’s infrastructure with a view to reopening it. Before the recent elections, the Junta de Andalucia had committed to subsidising 40 per cent of the tram’s service deficit.

Email: newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com or call 951 38 61 61 and ask for the EWN news team.

from Jesus Christ’s birth. Some areas go even further, with s a nd scul pt ur es of t he nat i vi t y crafted in Gran Canaria and one made of chocolate installed in Cordoba City. The Li vi ng Cr i b of Beas, i n Huelva Province, Andalucia, a lifesize scene installed inside a cave, is so famous that it has become a tourist attraction. The t r adi t i on of m aki ng t he s c e nes i s bel i eved t o be ar ound seven centuries old.

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REGULARS INSIDE News 1-13 Finance 14 Leapy 20 Time Out 22-23 Health & Beauty 29 Letters 30 Social 32 Pets 34 Services 36 Classifieds 37 Motoring 38 Sport 39-40

Strike now off A PROPOSED strike by cleaning staff in Torrox last weekend did not take place. Sixty-five members of cleaning companies had planned to go on strike during the town’s annual Migas festival but agreed to call off industrial action after negotiating changes to their work conditions. The agreement means Torrox Council will increase wages by 6 per cent with

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retroactive effect from January in compensation for pay freezes which have been in place since 2015. The workers will also receive a pay increase of 2.5 per cent in 2019 and two days off per week. The changes will be implemented in January 2019 at the latest. Three unions had come out in support of the cleaners, who had taken part in a large rally outside Torrox Town Hall several weeks earlier.

The total number of news and features which appeared in Issue 1745 of the Euro Weekly News Axarquía - Costa Tropical edition, including 66 local stories.

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20 - 26 December 2018

Housing support FAMILIES in Torre del Mar and Velez-Malaga will benefit from help with their housing under a new scheme. The council has agreed to contribute housing payments to young people, elderly or the vulnerable under a new scheme named, ‘Aquila.’ The town’s Councillor for Welfare and Equality, Zoila Martin, said applicants had until January 9 to submit their request, and ‘some of the main requirements are that it is their usual home, the rent does not exceed €600 and the person has a limited annual income or is under 35.’ She added applicants could ask the council to subsidise up to 40 per cent of their rent, as well as 50 per cent off if they are over 65 or under 35, or 75 per cent if they are vulnerable. To qualify, they must have a tenancy agreement at their permanent residence in Andalucia.

Free internet

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YOUR LOCAL WRITER

CONTACT HER: FRIGILIANA: Is offering free internet to residents. FRIGILIANA is set to become the first municipality to offer free WiFi to its residents. The small mountain town will be the only one in Malaga Province to offer the service, and one of only 40 in Andalucia. Following a grant of €15,000, the council announced it would install 12 free connection points in public buildings ove r 18 months. The councillor for New Technologies, Antonio M a nue l Lope z s a id the initia tive

by Sally Underwood THE manager of the Nerja Caves Foundation has said next year will be the 60th anniversary of the discovery of the natural wonder. Chema Dominguez told one publication, next year will be the anniversary of the discovery of the caves and she has planned a series of events to mark the occasion. Ms Dominguez, who took over the position in August, explained events to celebrate the milestone birthday will begin on

would, ‘offer a new free, quality internet connection for both residents and visitors.’ He added: ‘With the amount granted, we will install as many points of access as possible, starting with the tourist office.’ The scheme is part of a European Union project to install 8,000 free internet connections around Europe, offering a minimum of 30 megabytes speed for users. So far, 223 Spanish towns have benefitted from the initiative.

Cave of wonders January 12, 2019 with a tribute to its discoverers. The Nerja Caves were uncovered in 1959 by five young people from Maro. She also explained she would like to see more people flow from the caves to

the museum to learn more about the site, and there is also the, ‘very important work of investigation, of conservation of the grotto.’ She added: “Our objective is to reconcile these tourist crowds with the preservation of the caves.”

Sally Underwood

605 182 811 sally@ewnmediagroup.com

Fundraisers VOLUNTEERS at the Royal British Legion Nerja have celebrated Christmas with a fundraising event. The group raised €388 for the Poppy Appeal at an event at the Caves restaurant in Nerja. Stephanie Adam, the group’s press officer, explained: “In the run up to Christmas we enjoyed a wonderful evening of Christmas music and carols with the Coro de Competa choir at the Caves restaurant.” She added the evening got the fundraising group i nt o t he f est i ve spi r i t with live music, ‘after a light and very tasty supper and wine, we were entertained by the choir with some of the traditional carols and some lesser known music.’ Ms Adam paid tribute t o , ‘ To m R o b i n s o n , ’ who, ‘made it a very special occasion by giving us a beautiful rend e r i n g o f A l b i n o n i ’s Adagio on the clarinet, and soloists Jo Robinson and Carol Starr added to the choir ’s memorable singing.’ She concluded: “A little bit of audience participation completed what was a great evening and a most impressive start to the Festive season.”

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FEATURE

THE SISTERS: Now have a successful business in Chilches.

Sisters doing it for themselves by Sally Underwood TWO sisters in Malaga have created a range of surgical caps bearing colourful, childfriendly designs. Inmaculada and Africa Benitez, who own design company Pata de Koala, based in Chilches, added the caps to their collection inspired by Inmaculada’s work as a nurse. The caps are now used by teams from the Ceram Hospital in Marbella and the Dr Jesus Torres Corpas Clinic. The Pata de Koala

brand uses very resistant 100 per cent cotton fabrics, featuring original prints with bright colours. Their range includes breastfeeding pillows, suitcases, and baby buggies, as well as men and women’s clothing. The sisters s a y th ey ne xt pla n to de s ign c hildre n’s clothing after beginning the business two years ago when Inmaculada was unemployed with two small children and found starting her own business was the best way forwards.

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Expats Guide to

Spanish Life

Organ donation Living in Spain can bring with it an array of issues which may not have been encountered when living in the UK. There are lots of things to consider, and we are here to help try to make the transition and life in Spain a little easier by compiling a series of helpful facts and figures relating to a variety of topics.

AS of 2010, Spain has operated an ‘opt-out’ (or presumed consent) system for deceased organ donation. This addresses the rate or refusal of potential donors or their families in giving permission for the use of organs. The rate of family refusal in Spain is 13 per cent, compared to 37 per cent in England (according to the National Transplant Organisation figures - ONT). According to the ONT, Brits living in Spain are more likely to donate their organs than their countrymen back home. It’s not necessary to have a donor card. What is important is to let family members and loved ones know your wishes in terms of organ donation. Figures published by the Spanish ONT in 2017 put the country as world leader in donation and transplants, reaching a new record with 46.9 donors per million people and 5,261 transplants. Spain has been a global leader in organ donation and transplantation for the past 26 years. Broken down by organ, there were 3,269 kidney surgeries (up 9 per cent on 2016), 1,247 liver transplants (up 8 per cent), 304 heart procedures (8 per cent rise), 363 lung surgeries (up 18 per cent), 70 pancreas transplants (down 4 per cent) and eight bowel surgical procedures (up 100 per cent). According to the National Transplant Organisation (ONT), these surgeries are equivalent to six donors and 14 surgical procedures a day. In addition, Spain saw a new record in bone marrow donation last year, with 78,291 new donors and an increase of 196 per cent over the previous year. At this rate, the country could reach its target of 400,000 bone marrow donors well before the mid-2020 goal. In Spain the number of those on the waiting list was reduced to 4,896 in 2017, from 5,480, although the number of children waiting for organs increased to 74, from 48 a year earlier. Lung and heart are viable for four to six hours after death, liver and pancreas 24 hours, kidney 72 hours, corneas 14 days, bone and skin five years, and heart valves up to 10 years. Small intestines, veins, tendons and ligaments can also be donated. A single organ donor can save up to eight people and a single tissue donor may enhance the lives of up to 50 people.

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20 - 26 December 2018

Silver art-iversary AN art association in Nerja has celebrated its 25th anniversary. The Arts Society Nerja, formerly NADFAS, com-

memorated the day with a visit by the CEO of the Arts Society in the UK, Florian Schweizer. The chief, who leads the

THE SCULPTURE: Was gifted to Nerja.

global charity network of 385 branches, took the opportunity of being in Nerja to carry out a 10-kilometre run from the Balcon de Europa to the Nerja Caves. The funds raised are being used for the Society’s 2019 Charitable Project, SOS Aldeas Infantiles in El Palo a UNESCO project - in conjunction with the philanthropic Jorge Rando Museum, Malaga. Later, the mayor of Nerja, Rosa Arrabal, and other civic dignitaries unveiled a new sculpture, ‘Nerja kisses the sea, the sea kisses Nerja,’ which had won its sculptress, Competa’s Lieuwke Loth, first place at the Nerja Society’s 2017 Art Exhibition. The piece was submitted to The Arts Society in London for its 50th anniversary exhibition and was gifted to Nerja in gratitude for its many years of collaboration with the organisation.

Migrants housed THE existing immigrant camp at Motril Port is to be upgraded. The current layout of multiple tents will be replaced by modular-style temporary buildings to house up to 200 people. The move will improve conditions for migrants who are detained at the centre. Current facilities had seen water leak into tents during recent heavy rains. Jesus Redondo, Chief of Police for eastern Andalucia, said the work would begin as soon as an agreement was signed between the Ministry for the Interior and the Regional Port Authorities.

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NEWS EXTRA

Three kings CHILDREN at schools around Almuñecar were delighted to receive a visit from the Three Kings, ahead of Christmas at the La Carrera Pavilion where 180 children celebrated the event along with their families.

€1m deal PO LITICIANS in Vel ez- Mal aga have si gned a €1 m i l l i on deal, to rent out a plot at t he m uni ci pal i t y’s Parque Tecnoalimentario, an industrial estate designed to house local food businesses.

Licence fee A MOBILE driving centre has visited Colmenar, offering locals the opportunity to renew their driving, weapons, dangerous dogs, and private security licences.

Play time WORK has now started, to create the first Playmobil themed playground in Rincon de la Victoria, on 200 square metres of land on Plaza de la Constitucion, and will replace the old playground structures, which were said to be ‘worn and did not comply with regulations.’

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20 - 26 December 2018

The naked truth POLICE have arrested a naked man after he fell overboard while allegedly attempting to bring drugs into La Herradura. Officers from the Guardia Civil are still searching for two other men who managed to flee the scene after attempting to bring 2.5 tonnes of hashish into Spain. Police began investigating after using infrared technology to spot a slowmoving, small boat around three nautical miles off Almuñecar. A patrol boat located the suspects and police say they saw three people and a series of waterproof packages on board. After the suspects realised they had been spotted, they reportedly accelerated off, heading for the coast and throwing the packages overboard. During the chase, one man

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NEWS EXTRA Name change POLITICIANS in Ve l e z - M a l a g a have caused controversy by applying to change the names of two local schools under the Law o f H i s t o r i c a l M e m o r y, claiming that the Reñidero and Zona Norte schools are named after Franco supporters.

Vote open PACKAGES: Were thrown overboard.

ARRESTED: The naked man tried to smuggle drugs.

Case dismissed

fell into the sea before the RIB made it to land on Playa Calaiza in La Herradura. The two remaining suspects allegedly then ran off into the undergrowth. The Guardia Civil began searching for the two fugitives, while the coastguard looked for the man who had fallen overboard. Members of the Motril, Malaga and Almeria coast-

A CASE against a leading Axarquia politician has been dismissed. Gregorio Campos, President of the Axarquia Association of Municipalities, had been brought to court over supposed ‘irregularities’ in his hiring procedures. Mr Campos was investigated for allegedly handing out public work contracts, ‘without following the principles of advertising, merit and competence.’ A court in Velez-Malaga has now provisionally

guard used specialist cameras to locate the man, who reached the shore and began climbing a steep hill above the beach. Completely naked, the man did not travel far before members of the Guardia Civil captured him. They also confiscated an 11-metre RIB with three outboard engines, and 83 large packages of drugs.

said the facts do not, ‘constitute a crime.’ The Prosecutor’s Office began investigating in January 2017 after discovering Campos could be responsible for a crime in relation to hiring workers for public water company, Axaraua. Campos strenuously denied any wrongdoing, telling one publication he had, ‘blind trust in justice.’ He said the temporary employment contracts he handed out were, ‘legal,’ and he had followed the same procedure as previous councils.

UNTIL Sunday, anyone over the age of 16 in Nerja will be able to vote on which one of three proposed projects will be carried out under the council’s 2019 budget.

Road rage A GROUP of campaigne r s i n A x a rq u i a i s d e manding to meet with the Junta de Andalucia over the condition of the A402 road, which travels through Velez-Malaga, La Viñuela, Alcaucin and Periana.

Bit harsh POLICE are searching for a man who allegedly bit a 22-year-old Norwegian tourist in Malaga, in the middle of the street, ‘without saying a word,’ before leaving the scene.

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20 - 26 December 2018

BREXIT BRIEF SPAIN and Britain are reportedly close to reaching a deal which would protect voting rights for citizens who live in the other’s country after Brexit. The deal would ensure that the roughly 280,000 British expatriates officially registered in Spain and the 115,000 Spaniards residing in Britain can still vote in local elections. Citizens from any EU country who have moved to another member state have the right to vote in that state’s local elections under the rules of the bloc. The deal between Madrid and London is being negotiated separately to the one between Britain and the EU on wider withdrawal arrangements. It comes as Spain’s Foreign Minister Josep Borrell called on the British Embassy to encourage expatriates to register so they can continue to access Spanish state support after Brexit.

BREXIT EXTRA Immigration plans

Uncertainty goes on CREDIT: Mark Rutte, via Twitter

Expat vote deal

By Joe Gerrard YESTERDAY (Wednesday) marked the 100th day until Britain is set to formally leave the EU, but what will happen on that date remains far from certain. The 100-day mark came as both London and Brussels revealed they were drawing up back-up plans to cover a no deal scenario. Concerns over no agreement being in place on March 29 have continued to grow after British Prime Theresa May weathered one of her toughest times in office last week. May fended off a leadership challenge from MPs in her own party at home before returning to Brussels in a bid to extract further concessions from Brussels. She was aiming to secure changes to the Northern Irish backstop mechanism in particular which has proven to be one of the main sticking points for opponents of her deal. The measure is designed to avoid a hard border between Ulster and the Republic in the event that post-Brexit trade talks break down. May was unable to secure changes on

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BRITISH Home Secretary Sajid Javid is said to be drawing up plans which would cut net immigration from the EU by 80 per cent to around 10,000 a year through stricter entry requirements.

PM on vote

UNDER PRESSURE: May is running out of options. the backstop at a summit with EU leaders last weekend. After the meeting, which featured tense exchanges between her and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Junker, EU Council President Donald Tusk declared deal discussions closed. “I have no mandate to organise any further negotiations. We have to exclude any further opening of the withdrawal agreement,” Tusk said. The only assurance EU leaders could

give May is that talks on post-Brexit trade would open right after Britain leaves the bloc. That would avoid the backstop having to be activated at all, EU officials said. May now faces having to return to Parliament to seek approval for her deal after putting off Monday December 11’s vote. With little to show from her trip to Brussels, she must find a way to win over sceptical MPs or face the possibility of a no-deal withdrawal.

PRIME MINISTER Theresa May told the House of Commons on Tuesday, that a second referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU would do ‘irreparable damage’ to British democracy after several including Tony Blair, called for another ballot.

Brexit funds CHANCELLOR Phillip Hammond announced extra funds of around €2.2bn for Brexit preparations, including planning for a no-deal as sources say contingency plans for leaving the EU without an agreement were being stepped up.

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20 - 26 December 2018

A very royal Christmas

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NEWS EXTRA Tree tragedy kills two TWO men, aged 65 and 22, died when a tree fell on their house in Tolosa while they were sleeping. While the older man died at the scene, his son was taken to hospital but also died.

Corpse found MOVED IN: Guardia Civil rounded up alleged gang members. ROYAL FAMILY: Have released their annual SPAIN’S royal family has released a picture of its annual Christmas card. The festive photograph shows King Felipe and Queen Letizia posing with their daughters Princess Leonor and Princess Sofia during a trip to Asturias. The trip was Princess Leonor’s first official visit as heir to the throne, leaving royal commentators to speculate if the choice of photograph is a significant step in establishing the girl as Spain’s next monarch Although still only 13, Princess Leonor has already begun taking on official royal engagements, making her first public appearance in October at an event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Spain’s constitution. In January, her father also presented her with ‘The Order of the Golden Fleece,’ an honour awarded to Roman Catholic nobles.

Fake Red Cross gang caught THE Guardia Civil has detained 23 people who allegedly posed as Red Cross workers as they committed a string of burglaries. The arrests took place in Ciudad Real, Toledo, Cuenca, Badajoz and Zaragoza in homes inhabited by elderly people. In a Guardia Civil report, police say 23 individuals have been arrested and six more are being investigated. Police have identified 59 crimes which took place across the five provinces connected to the burglars. Operation Vadaco began when police officers noticed an increase in robberies, violence and thefts from

homes around Ciudad Real. In the scam, women were used to distract the elderly by impersonating members of the Red Cross. Meanwhile, the male members of the gang were able to steal different valuables, ranging from jewellery and money to electronics. Other members kept watch for police whilst the actions were taking place. Once evidence against the gang was collected, a series of raids took place and numerous stolen items were recovered including jewels, a fake gun, €3,000, four vehicles, and electronics. The majority of these items were returned to their owners.

THE body of a woman was found near a roundabout in Sestao, in the province of Vizcaya, at 8.45am on Monday morning by a passer-by, who contacted emergency services and Basque police department The Ertzaintza.

Driver killed A BMW carrying seven young people crashed on the way back from a party in Madrid, killing the driver, who later tested positive for drink and drugs, and injuring the six passengers and a taxi driver who was hit.

BANNED: Violent couple can no longer fly with Jet2.

Flew off the handle A COUPLE whose violent argument caused a Jet2 flight to Spain to divert to Portugal has been fined and banned from the airline for life. Flight LS1507 from London Stansted to Gran Canaria, Canary Islands on July 6, 2017 was forced to land in Faro,

Portugal after a British couple had a fight on board. Ronald St Ville, 55, and 65year-old Pauline Gordon allegedly began arguing using foul language on the Spainbound flight. The couple then reportedly started hitting one another, forcing the cabin crew

to intervene. Pilots made the decision to divert the plane to Faro, taking into consideration the rest of the journey was over water. The crew were reportedly unable to perform their duties and keep the couple from fighting at the same time. The couple have been

charged for ‘recklessly or negligently acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft’. Jet2 has issued a lifetime flying ban to the couple and have taken legal steps to fine the pair to recuperate the costs incurred after diverting the plane.

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NEWS EXTRA Flight delay study ALMOST a quarter of Spanish flights were delayed by more than 15 minutes or cancelled, between January and October, according to a study, which placed Spain third behind Britain and Germany.

4G coverage A TOTAL of 11 Spanish provinces have 4G mobile coverage below the European average of 91 per cent, according to a study which found the highest coverage in Madrid, Pontevedra, Barcelona and Vizcaya.

Flag rally NATIONAL POLICE told a protester to move on, after he stood outside the Supreme Court in Madrid with a Spanish flag calling demonstrators rallying against the ongoing detention of pro-Catalan independence figures ‘traitors.’

20 - 26 December 2018

Vote victory for Down family SPANISH laws now guarantee the right to vote for people with disabilities. An amendment to the existing 2005 law announced in Spain’s Official State Bulletin, will allow between 80,000 and 100,000 people throughout Spain to vote in the next elections. The Spanish Committee of Representation for People with Disabilities (Cermi) has been calling for change in the law for some time, but the process speeded up in 2014. The family of Mara Garcia Caamaño, who belong to the Down Compostela association in Santiago (Galicia), went to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg to obtain the right to vote. “We are happy because we have achieved one of our collective’s greatest objects, the right to vote,” said Juan Martinez, president of Down Compostela, while lamenting that it shouldn’t have taken so long. Although voting rights are

STEP FORWARD: Rights won for disabled. included in the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

recognised by Spain in 2008, a Santiago judge rejected Mara Garcia Caamaño’s claim,

prompting her family to fight through the courts until the case reached Strasbourg.

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Dog balcony death A WOMAN has been arrested by the National Police for hurling a dog from her fifthfloor apartment in Spain. The incident occurred on Marina Street in Huelva, Andalucia. Spanish media reported the dog died instantly after plummeting five storeys. Although police officers are currently still investigating the facts, the incident allegedly happened after the detainee had an argument with her ex-partner, the reported reason why she committed the crime of animal abuse. Local pedestrians were caught off guard when the dog landed on the commercial street during peak shopping hours. Several calls were made to emergency services after many witnesses reported the incident.

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STAT OF WEEK

Last orders THE number of bars in Spain fell for the seventh year in a row to 184,430 in 2017, according to the Spanish Hospitality Federation. Since 2010, Spain has lost 18,269 bars and the trend is set to continue with the industry blaming not just economic difficulties, but demographic shifts like the rural exodus and an ageing population. Despite this, the hospitality industry as a whole - which also includes restaurants and hotels - continues to grow, with 5,000 new openings in 2017.

20 - 26 December 2018

is the total value of investment funds that Indexa Capital is managing €134 million This in only its third year.

FINANCE

business & legal

Minimum wage rise SPAIN’S minimum wage will rocket by 22 per cent in 2019, making it the largest annual increase in more than 40 years. It means that millions of low-paid workers could see a pay rise from €736 to €900, effective from January. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the increase and said: “a rich country cannot have poor workers.” The announcement comes days after France’s president Emmanuel Macron announced a €100 increase for minimum wage earners from 2019.

But while Spain’s increase is part of an annual review, it is far higher than any adjustment in recent years. Spain’s minimum wage is lower than that of the UK, Germany and France but higher than in other EU members including Portugal, Greece and Poland. Many workers in Spain are paid for 14 months of work, with extra payments in July and December, making the effective annual minimum salary €12,600. Ministers will approve the measure

at their meeting on December 21, Sánchez revealed. It will then be authorised by royal decree, without the need for approval by parliament. Spain sets the minimum wage annually, but recent increases have been much smaller, set at just 4 per cent a year ago. If all goes to plan, the increase will be the biggest since 1977, the year of Spain’s first free elections following the death of dictator Francisco Franco.

Canal costs THE International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has ruled that the consortium Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC), of which Spanish construction company Sacyr is a majority shareholder, wi l l have t o r et ur n a t ot al of €482 million to Panama. Sacyr received an advance paym ent f r om t he Panam a Canal Authority (ACP) in early 2009 to begin work on the const r uct i on of t he t hi r d set of canal locks. Sacyr will have to pay back €225 million and the expansion of the canal has been dogged by unforeseen construction and financial problems.

Banks boost business

» BUSINESS EXTRA

Tools down WORKER’S unions for Renfe and Adif have announced several days of strikes during the Christmas holidays, including December 21 and January 7, dates that mark the beginning and end of the festivities.

Toddler tax LEANING IN: Many businesses will benefit from the loans. THE European Investment Bank (EIB) will provide financing for SME and midcap projects with a €300 million loan to Bankia. Under the agreement signed in Madrid, Bankia will match the loan with the same amount, meaning that a total of €600 million will be made available for financing Spanish businesses. The EIB-Bankia credit line to be put in place will provide loans enabling companies to finance their investments on

favourable conditions, in terms of both interest rates and maturities. The goal is to help Spanish SMEs and mid-caps (up to 3,000 employees) access long-term funds, with the aim of making them more competitive and creating jobs. Another agreement between the EIB and Bankia has been reached to provide €200 million to small businesses operating in the agricultural, agri-food, fisheries and livestock sector.

FINANCE Minister Maria Jesus Montero has announced that parents who received paternity payments over the last four years from the Spanish Social Security system will be able to reclaim the income tax they paid on those benefits.

Deep water SOME 80 Galician exsailors who served the Norwegian merchant fleet between 1948 and 1994 have demonstrated in Madrid to demand that the Spanish government help them receive their pensions from Norway.

Merger talks begin SPAIN’S Liberbank and Unicaja banks have confirmed that they have held talks about a potential merger, driving shares of both higher on expectations of a deal. A merger would result in the creation of Spain’s sixth largest lender, valued at almost €96 billion. The banks confirmed in separate statements to the Spanish market regulator that they had been in contact as part of their regular analy-

sis of potential transactions. Unicaja said no decision had been taken, while Liberbank said no specific proposal had been submitted to its management. Shares in both banks rose by 15 per cent on the news and Mediobanca is advising Unicaja while Deutsche Bank is working with Liberbank. Both Mediobanca and Deutsche Bank declined to comment on the plans.

16 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

20 - 26 December 2018

LONDON - FTSE 100

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US See our advert on previous page

C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 17

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY Anglo American 1,717.70 23.30 Associated British Foods 2,114.00 -66.00 Admiral Group 1,979.00 -1.50 Ashtead Group 1,719.50 -0.50 Antofagasta 784.00 6.00 Aviva 375.25 -1.75 AstraZeneca 6,140.00 10.00 BAE Systems 456.20 0.10 Barclays 156.03 -2.41 British American Tobacco 2,645.50 -14.50 Barratt Developments 434.60 -5.90 BHP GROUP PLC ORD $0.50 1,659.80 43.20 Berkeley Group Holdings 3,366.00 -66.00 British Land Co 557.80 -0.40 Bunzl 2,409.00 -16.00 BP 511.15 -1.55 Burberry Group 1,731.00 -20.00 BT Group 249.38 -2.17 Coca-Cola HBC 2,443.00 -19.00 Carnival 4,367.50 -3.50 Centrica 137.53 -0.47 Compass Group 1,676.50 -6.50 Croda International 4,668.00 -23.00 CRH 2,029.50 -7.50 DCC 6,005.00 45.00 Diageo 2,825.00 -0.50 Direct Line Insurance Group 306.15 -1.35 Evraz 463.20 -1.20 Experian 1,895.25 -0.25 easyJet 1,085.75 -16.25 Ferguson 4,922.00 -21.50 Fresnillo 838.90 5.30 Glencore 294.10 4.45 GlaxoSmithKline 1,480.60 0.60 GVC Holdings 715.50 -6.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,820.00 -11.50 Halma 1,297.00 -4.00 HSBC Holdings 651.85 -1.65 International Consldtd Airs Grp 611.70 -6.90 InterContinental Hotels Grp 4,173.00 -28.00 3i Group 772.90 -6.70 Imperial Brands 2,362.50 -9.00 Informa 643.50 -6.30 Intertek Group 4,599.50 -35.50 ITV 128.28 -1.57 Just Eat 577.40 0.40 Johnson Matthey 2,700.50 -17.50 Kingfisher 220.35 -5.05 Land Securities Group 834.30 -6.30 Legal & General Group 227.35 -1.85

% CHG. NET VOL 1.38 24,051.94 -3.03 17,187.25 -0.08 5,718.55 -0.03 8,308.08 0.77 7,833.62 -0.46 14,864.68 0.16 77,300.85 0.02 14,641.53 -1.52 27,242.13 -0.55 61,966.18 -1.34 4,591.36 2.67 34,455.13 -1.92 4,517.75 -0.07 5,380.02 -0.66 8,198.33 -0.30 103,157.09 -1.14 7,314.23 -0.86 24,948.64 -0.77 9,088.15 -0.08 7,358.82 -0.34 7,872.39 -0.39 26,714.48 -0.49 6,234.61 -0.37 16,733.64 0.76 5,914.62 -0.02 68,926.30 -0.44 4,237.75 -0.26 6,921.11 -0.01 17,288.85 -1.47 4,365.32 -0.43 11,618.11 0.64 6,197.28 1.54 41,439.97 0.04 73,534.84 -0.83 3,849.07 -0.63 8,713.23 -0.31 4,980.95 -0.25 131,404.20 -1.12 12,106.13 -0.67 7,970.00 -0.86 7,618.28 -0.38 23,099.51 -0.97 8,203.16 -0.77 7,585.48 -1.21 5,233.03 0.07 3,949.74 -0.64 5,360.88 -2.24 4,871.33 -0.75 6,168.96 -0.81 13,721.33

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

Lloyds Banking Group ORD 52.28 London Stock Exchange Grp 4,029.00 Micro Focus International 1,442.25 Marks & Spencer Group 252.40 Mondi 1,627.00 Melrose 158.85 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 224.38 National Grid 843.60 NMC Health 3,060.00 Next 4,115.00 Ocado Group 800.60 Paddy Power Betfair 6,565.00 Prudential 1,401.50 Persimmon 1,860.25 Pearson 940.50 Reckitt Benckiser Group 6,194.00 Royal Bank of Scotland Group 211.50 Royal Dutch Shell 2,327.25 Royal Dutch Shell 2,342.75 RELX 1,634.50 Rio Tinto 3,733.00 Royal Mail 291.70 Rightmove 438.28 Rolls-Royce Group 807.40 Randgold Resources 6,758.00 RSA Insurance Group 503.70 Rentokil Initial 332.05 Sainsbury (J) 273.10 Schroders 2,370.50 Sage Group (The) 592.70 Segro 605.60 Shire 4,581.00 Smurfit Kappa Group 2,010.00 Standard Life Aberdeen 244.58 Smith (DS) 310.45 Smiths Group 1,376.25 Scottish Mortgage Invstmnt Trst 483.63 Smith & Nephew 1,481.50 SSE 1,070.50 Standard Chartered 597.15 St James's Place 933.30 Severn Trent 1,879.50 Tesco 190.70 TUI AG 1,149.50 Taylor Wimpey 130.60 Unilever 4,294.25 United Utilities Group 759.10 Vodafone Group 161.00 John Wood Group 550.30 WPP Group 872.00 Whitbread 4,462.50

CHANGE(P) -0.42 -11.00 -20.25 -11.00 -5.00 -0.55 -1.47 0.10 -2.00 -223.00 -14.40 -40.00 -14.00 -36.75 -5.30 -70.00 -0.10 -15.25 -15.25 5.50 57.50 -4.60 -1.62 -1.20 -184.00 -2.90 0.05 -2.40 -18.50 -3.50 2.00 -92.00 2.00 -1.57 -0.85 4.25 -4.72 -4.00 -19.00 -7.55 -2.90 0.00 -2.20 -20.00 -1.70 -25.75 2.90 0.32 -17.50 2.60 -35.50

% CHG.

NET VOL

-0.80 -0.27 -1.38 -4.18 -0.31 -0.35 -0.65 0.01 -0.07 -5.14 -1.77 -0.61 -0.99 -1.94 -0.56 -1.12 -0.05 -0.65 -0.65 0.34 1.56 -1.55 -0.37 -0.15 -2.65 -0.57 0.02 -0.87 -0.77 -0.59 0.33 -1.97 0.10 -0.64 -0.27 0.31 -0.97 -0.27 -1.74 -1.25 -0.31 0.00 -1.14 -1.71 -1.28 -0.60 0.38 0.20 -3.08 0.30 -0.79

37,790.55 14,030.77 6,277.89 4,322.28 5,995.21 7,688.19 5,399.06 28,919.50 6,433.71 6,179.68 5,616.90 5,133.10 36,974.86 6,159.87 7,299.90 44,563.72 25,410.30 105,167.58 88,468.40 31,895.56 48,178.60 3,019.00 3,928.95 15,423.41 6,586.54 5,194.22 6,092.22 6,162.55 5,390.63 6,535.46 6,115.48 42,657.49 4,767.98 6,192.34 4,310.95 5,553.03 7,137.09 13,118.05 11,271.38 20,086.27 4,982.01 4,494.23 19,449.88 6,996.03 4,430.06 50,685.02 5,249.18 42,879.59 3,952.93 10,987.94 8,316.93

0.89891

1.11313 Units per €

US dollar.................................................................1.13251 Japan yen ..............................................................128.411 Switzerland franc ..............................................1,12892 Denmark kroner................................................7,46591 Norway kroner.................................................9,76200 currenciesdirect.com/marbella • Tel: +34 952 906 581 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 17

COMPANY AMERICAN EXPRESS APPLE BOEING CATERPILLAR CHEVRON TEXACO CISCO SYSTEMS COCA-COLA EXXON MOBIL GOLDMAN SACH HOME DEPOT IBM INTEL JOHNSON & JOHNSON JP MORGAN CHASE MCDONALDS MERCK MICROSOFT NIKE PFIZER PROCTER & GAMBLE ST. PAUL TRV UNITED TECHNOLOGIES UNITEDHEALTH VERIZON VISA CLASS A WALGREENS BOOTS WAL-MART WALT DISNEY 3M

PRICE 105,700 165,480 318,750 126,770 113,830 45,820 49,340 75,580 172,770 172,290 119,900 47,860 133,000 100,290 183,290 76,480 106,030 72,530 43,800 96,640 120,550 118,800 265,020 57,080 135,090 78,740 91,850 112,200 196,100

CHANGE% CHANGE -0,94 -1,00 -3,20 -5,47 -2,06 -6,72 0,69 0,87 -1,82 -2,11 0,00 0,00 -0,26 -0,13 -1,82 -1,40 -1,79 -3,15 -0,91 -1,58 -0,69 -0,83 0,00 0,00 -10,04 -14,84 -0,82 -0,83 -1,68 -3,14 -3,20 -2,53 0,00 0,00 -0,55 -0,40 -1,73 -0,77 0,16 0,15 -0,78 -0,95 -0,38 -0,45 -2,62 -7,13 -0,02 -0,01 -1,78 -2,45 0,00 0,00 -1,19 -1,11 -1,05 -1,19 -2,98 -6,03

VOLUME(M) 1.351.980 11.574.372 864.028 1.101.032 2.226.195 10.171.247 4.550.637 4.564.396 1.052.575 1.480.743 1.256.271 9.470.305 8.887.015 5.408.357 1.226.830 3.684.277 15.466.434 2.046.804 10.271.221 3.835.050 603.129 1.359.655 1.145.580 4.655.237 2.337.613 3.317.951 3.273.369 1.927.508 644.222

M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 17

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced Marin Software Incorporated PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. iKang Healthcare Group, Inc. Motorcar Parts of America, Inc. Evelo Biosciences, Inc. Materialise NV Liquidity Services, Inc. SMTC Corporation Dogness (International) Corporation SIGA Technologies Inc. Credit Suisse AG

$ 3.04 $ 4.12 $ 20.33 $ 18.62 $ 11.39 $ 15.67 $ 7.16 $ 3.95 $ 3.98 $ 6.95 $ 53.57

0.47 ▲ 18.29% 0.47 ▲ 12.88% 2.01 ▲ 10.97% 1.75 ▲ 10.37% 1.07 ▲ 10.37% 1.35 ▲ 9.43% 0.61 ▲ 9.31% 0.30 ▲ 8.22% 0.30 ▲ 8.15% 0.51 ▲ 7.92% 3.93 ▲ 7.92%

$ 3.17 $ 29.26 $ 3.48 $ 3.4944 $ 7.63 $ 14.20 $ 2.15 $ 10.40 $ 12.515 $ 8.58 $ 17.11

1.26 ▼ 28.44% 6.56 ▼ 18.31% 0.63 ▼ 15.33% 0.4956 ▼ 12.42% 1.06 ▼ 12.20% 1.79 ▼ 11.19% 0.26 ▼ 10.79% 1.25 ▼ 10.73% 1.475 ▼ 10.54% 1 ▼ 10.44% 1.98 ▼ 10.37%

Most Declined YRC Worldwide, Inc. Health Insurance Innovations, Inc. Sienna Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. PHI, Inc. Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. Arvinas, Inc. Altimmune, Inc. CSP Inc. Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc. Gulfport Energy Corporation nLIGHT, Inc.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

20 - 26 December 2018

EWN 17

20 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

20 - 26 December 2018

FEATURE

May deserves all she gets

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT AS far as I am concerned, whatever Mrs May gets she thoroughly deserves. As a remainer at heart, she has tried to con the British public into believing that everything she has tried to negotiate has been ‘in their best interest.’ In reality she has tried to hold on to as many of the EU membership advantages as she can, a devious red herring that has utterly wasted two years of everyone’s time. Instead of going all out to open new trading avenues on the world markets and working to investigate, discuss and ultimately cover any shortfalls and disruption we may experience from disgruntled EU members, she has simpered and slunk around the EU leaders like a beggar pleading for handouts on the streets of their cities. Quick to realise that the leader of the UK could quite possibly have ulterior motives and is basically one of them, the EU has gleefully taken on the role of superior benefactors, hell bent on making the whole exercise as difficult as possible; no doubt hoping deep down that they could do May a favour and possibly make the British government reverse the decision all together. The British public voted out. There was no mention of any deals and having their cake and eating it. If a true Brexiteer had been negotiating our exit the EU would by now be endeavouring to do the

best deals with us, not the other way around. It should have been an ‘out with a no deal’ policy from the start. A clean slate, that should have led to the past two years negotiating our new trade deals and border problems from a position of power and confidence. What has basically happened here is that the losing remainers have bickered and bleated on with their disgruntled attitude and fear factor threats. With May turning a blind eye, they have managed to muddy the waters and befuddle the issues to a point that it has totally misfired and we are now looking at coming out in a few months, not only without a ‘deal’ but having completely thrown away two years of constructive fu-

ture building and opportunity. Leaving us looking at an utterly chaotic scenario that could have, and should have been completely avoided and should by now have been all but sorted. Mrs May has done what many socalled leaders have done in the past. Totally underestimate the intelligence of the British public. She and her arrogant pathetic flock could of course still win. If you call winning blackmailing the UK into a deal that, in exchange for a mere pittance, forces us to comply with a whole host of future EU decisions and leaves us

without even a say in the matter. Not only is the EU laughing at us, they are also rubbing their hands. Frankly I’m utterly fed up with the whole fiasco and, quite frankly don’t really give a damn what happens. But then I am utterly convinced that’s what the conniving remainers, including May were aiming for in the first place! Keep the faith. Love, Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com.

BREXIT GAMBLE: Should have started with a no deal.

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

TECH FOR THE TIMID FOR my long-suffering partner it can’t come too soon; the day I ask our kitchen console what’s for dinner rather than her. It’s getting close. Fancy fridges can already warn that we’re low on carrots and order more. Next will be one of those sci-fi space-station scenarios where the computer dishes up the evening’s tasty Soylent Green. The burden of shopping is shifting from humans to machines. But among the melee of Christmas shopping this year, it’s sobering to consider just how many traditional retailers are going, or gone, under the online onslaught. From Poundland and Sears, to Toys ‘R’ Us, Zara in Spain and most recently the UK’s Debenhams. Part of the problem is ‘showrooming’ ; a recent word for how we use a bricks-and-mortar store to examine the goods, then go home to order them online more cheaply. My conscience is not clear. As this publication pointed out a while back, Amazon is now far and away Spain’s biggest retailer, an astonishing achievement after just seven

What’s for dinner Hal? Terence Kennedy considers how we’ll shop in years to come

ORDER CAREFULLY: ‘Bargain deckchairs’ bought online. Oops. years. In 2017 it sold €4.2 billionworth of stuff, far ahead of its trailing rivals AliExpress and the more traditional El Corte Ingles. Eight out of 10 of us now shop online, a four-fold increase since the turn of the century, with sales growing more than 15 per cent a year.

We’re in a brave new world of ecommerce, with ever-more connected devices. By 2025 says one pundit, ‘wrist commerce’ will be all the rage; talking to our smartwatches to order stuff as the whim or need takes us. Not sure when considering a new car, if 19 cup-holders are sufficient?

(That’s how many there are in the 2019 Subaru Ascent. Seriously?) No need to head to the dealer, just put on your Virtual Reality headset and take a tour. No more schlepping stuff home from the shop. Just wait for the drone to drop and deliver, then hope the neighbour doesn’t nick it. Again. No more running out of cheese; your fridge tells the warehouse, whose driver (or robot) stocks up your supply. Perhaps even loading it into the fridge before you get home, if a new proposal to give retailers special access to our homes takes off. In fact no need even for your fridge to run regular stocktaking; every time you take a bottle of water the retailer replenishes it. The best we can hope, is that technology can cope. Witness the parents who ordered a birthday cake for their daughter online, ‘with a little blonde figure on the top.’ Auto-correct changed it to ‘blind’.

Cutting edge tech YOUR connected razor knows when its blades have gone rusty. Your smartwatch, with heart rate, platelet level and location data, knows you’ve cut yourself shaving. Your wrist vibrates. You look at your smartwatch. Your Smart Assistant says ‘Swipe left to order bandages. Swipe right to ignore.’ You swipe left. It thanks you. Your bandages arrive within the hour, with a new razor. Not in our lifetimes? A decade ago, talking to a gadget in your lounge to play music, order pizza or playthings or dim the lights was fruitcake-talk. Buy an Amazon Echo, a Google Home or an Apple HomePod and it’s reality for millions today. The saddest aspect of it all; the day we accept our Smart Assistants are way smarter than we are.

E W N 20 - 26 December 2018

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TIME

Quick

Cryptic Across 1 One posted in Picardy? (4) 3 Rustic friend welcoming roast being served (8) 9 Domestic employees’ goats (7) 10 Join the French, become confused! (5) 11 One is entertained by flower girl (5) 12 A nice evening view sent us wild? (6) 14 Great fear triggered initially by mistake (6) 16 Detector of drunken snores (6) 19 Unhappy daughter has extremely large burden (6) 21 Endlessly evaluate fools (5) 24 Side with gal in trouble (5) 25 Rescue 50 in the wild (7) 26 Steel men work out basics (8) 27 Previously held in detention centre (4) Down 1 Building material for start of construction on Greek island (8) 2 Manages to acquire first of gold bars (5) 4 Help in class is trainee (6) 5 Shower after time of coach (5) 6 Right, put your clothes on again (7) 7 A German song was not true (4) 8 Roman consul in company accepting cooked rice (6) 13 Rare gems scattered in lake (8)

15 Understand how to convert into cash (7) 17 Make possible a reconciliation of Len and Abe (6) 18 Transfer debits for temporary accommodation (6)

Code Breaker

20 Bonehead taken up by Aztec nude dancers (5) 22 Rustic lover was in a turmoil (5) 23 Dull fashion direction (4)

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 8 represents B and 19 represents W, so fill in B every time the figure 8 appears and W every time the figure 19 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.

Across 1 Step by step (9) 7 Depart (5) 8 Venomous snake (5) 9/15 Knapsack (3,3) 10 Delight (6) 14 Panther cat (6) 15 See 9 18 Vagrant (5) 20 One sixteenth of a pound (5) 21 Take to bits (9) Down 1 Impertinence (4)

English - Spanish

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION FACING PAGE

Across 1 Sierras (herramientas) (4) 3 Ceniceros (8) 9 Boiled (7) 10 Oats (5) 11 Thimble (5) 12 Shine (6) 14 To struggle (6) 16 Eighth (6) 19 Reparar (6) 21 Mind (intelligence) (5) 24 Onza (5) 25 Plum (7) 26 Lirón (8) 27 Vein (in body, leaf) (4)

2 Extreme greed for material wealth (7) 3 Second-hand (4) 4 Full of zest or vigour (6) 5 Bark in a high-pitched tone (3) 6 Hairdresser (6) 11 Opposed to (7) 12 Straw hat (6) 13 Changes shape as via computer animation (6) 16 Tiny or scarcely detectable amount (4) 17 Give over (4) 19 Put on (3)

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

Down 1 Horario (8) 2 Mundo (5) 4 Lentamente (6) 5 Lágrimas (5) 6 Happiness (cheerfulness) (7) 7 Chasquido (de dedos) (4) 8 Bible (6) 13 Slap (in the face) (8) 15 Limpiadora (persona) (7) 17 Summit (6) 18 Ladrillos (6) 20 Steel (metal) (5) 22 Sobrina (5) 23 Fuerte (ruido) (4)

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.

Nonagram

LOTTERY

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 R) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

BONUS BALL

IRISH LOTTO

Average: 11

Saturday December 15

Good: 15

BONUS BALL

Very good: 22

Excellent: 28

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION Tuesday December 11

BONUS BALL

1 3

Sudoku

2 10

LA PRIMITIVA

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.

Thursday December 13

BONUS BALL

33 3

JOKER: 3 661 223

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Saturday December 15

BONUS BALL

Sunday December 16

BONUS BALL

7 Ageless, 9 Adage, 10 Theatre, 11 Apple, 12 Scant, 14 Spirits, 16 Sceptic, 18 Spied, 20 Rouse, 22 Subside, 24 Poise, 25 Startle.

Down: 1 Pulgar, 2 Right, 3 Earache, 5 Easel, 6 Trainee, 7 Orphan, 8 Sorprendido, 14 Laundry, 15 Orchard, 16 Atraco, 17 Sandía, 19 Torre, 21 Apodo.

Down: 1 Tastes, 2 Serenade, 3 Newt, 4 Canaries, 5 Wasp, 6 Deters, 8 Stews, 13 Tattered, 15 Initiate, 16 Scraps, 17 Cases, 19 Diesel, 21 Unit, 23 Beak.

QUICK

KAKURO

Across: 1 Giggle, 4 Scum, 8 Among, 9 Quits, 10 Reassemble, 13 Underskirt, 17 Irate, 18 Jammy, 19 Even, 20 Strain.

Down:

CODE BREAKER 14

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.

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.

After the 2nd 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.

LEO (July 24 - August 23)

1 Gnaw, 2 Glove, 5 Climb, 6 Musket, 7 Squeak, 11 Shriek, 12 Futile, 14 Drake, 15 Rumba, 16 Hymn, 18/3 Jet lag.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21)

CANCER (June 22 - July 23)

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS Across:

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.

W Y

D P

your conscience. You may have to upset someone by telling the truth, which may affect your longer-term finances.

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 someone has taken you for a fool as 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.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21)

JOKER: 3 459 017

ARIES (March 21 - April 20)

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

1 Parcel, 4 Next to, 9 Lagarto, 10 Stamp, 11 Attic, 12 Palanca, 13 Alrededores, 18 Trusted, 20 Clara, 22 Andar, 23 Diamond, 24 Oxygen, 25 Idioma.

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.

BONUS BALL

EL MILLON: LNH36834

Across:

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.

Friday December 14

CRYPTIC

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19)

PISCES (February 20 - March 20)

EURO MILLIONS

ante arty atom etna mart mate meat moat mont mort mote neat note rant rate rent rota rote tame tare tarn taro team tear term tern tome tone tony tore torn tram tray trey troy tyre tyro ament amort antre atomy atone atony entry mater matey meant meaty metro monte noter oaten orate tamer tammy teary tenor toner yenta etymon marmot marten matron mentor moment notary ornate metonym momenta monetary MOMENTARY

YOUR STARS FOR NEXT 7 DAYS

Saturday December 15

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EWN

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

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. Pushing ahead does not guarantee results.

QUIZ: LAST LINES From which 10 films are these the closing lines? The character speaking the words and the year of release (in brackets) are given as clues. 1. “And no matter what they did to build this city back up again ... for the rest of time ... it would be like nobody even knew we was ever here.” Amsterdam Vallon (2002) 2. “Hang on a minute, lads; I've got a great idea.” Charlie Croker (1969) 3. “Kevin, what did you do to my room?” Buzz McCallister (1990) 4. “Ladies and Gentlemen. Stop that girl. That girl running up the aisle - stop her. That's the girl whose voice you heard and loved tonight. She's the real star of the picture. Kathy Selden.” Don Lockwood (1952) 5. “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” Rick Blaine (1942)

6. “Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads!” Dr Emmett Brown (1985) 7. “That's right… That's right. Attaboy, Clarence.” George Bailey (1946) 8. “The horror, the horror…” Colonel Walter E Kurtz (1979) 9. “This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off.” Ripley (1979) 10. “Well, nobody's perfect.” Osgood Fielding III (1959) Not a lot of people know that… the famous line that became shorthand for the perceived attitude of City traders in the '80s is not simply: “Greed is good”, it is: “The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works.” (Wall Street - 1987)

Answers: 1. GANGS OF NEW YORK, 2. THE ITALIAN JOB, 3. HOME ALONE, 4. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN. 5. CASABLANCA, 6. BACK TO THE FUTURE, 7. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, 8. APOCALYPSE NOW, 9. ALIEN, 10. SOME LIKE IT HOT

OUT

20 - 26 December 2018

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24 EWN

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20 - 26 December 2018

THURSDAY - 20 DECEMBER

7:00am Breakfast 10:15am Island Medics 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Matron, Medicine and Me 12:45pm A1: Britain's Longest Road 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News at One 2:30pm BBC London News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm Father Brown 4:10pm Escape to the Country 4:45pm Toy Story 2 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm This is My Song 10:00pm The Long Song 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:30pm BBC London News 11:45pm Mary Berry's Christmas Party 12:45am This Week 1:30am Weather for the Week Ahead 1:35am BBC News

7:00am MasterChef: The Professionals 8:00am This Farming Life 9:00am Top of the Shop with Tom Kerridge 10:00am BBC News at 9 11:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 1:15pm Politics Live 2:00pm The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 2:45pm Operation Snow Tiger 3:45pm Who Do You Think You Are? 4:45pm Life in Polar Bear Town with Gordon Buchanan 5:45pm Nadiya's Party Feasts 6:50pm Nativity! 8:30pm Only Connect 9:00pm MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00pm The 'Christmas' Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan 11:00pm Live at the Apollo 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am I'll Get This

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 Judge Rinder's Crime Stories 9:00pm Emmerdale 9:30pm Gino's Italian Coastal Escape 10:00pm Bear's Mission with Gareth Southgate 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:30pm ITV News London 11:45pm Happy Hour with Olly Murs

9:00am Emmerdale 9:25am Coronation Street 9:55am Coronation Street 10:25am The Ellen DeGeneres Show 11:10am Jack Frost 12:10pm FYI Daily 12:15pm Jack Frost 1:15pm Emmerdale 1:45pm Coronation Street 2:15pm Coronation Street 2:45pm The Ellen DeGeneres Show 3:40pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 4:45pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:50pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 7:00pm Celebrity Catchphrase 8:00pm You've Been Framed Gold at Christmas 9:00pm Two and a Half Men 9:30pm Two and a Half Men 10:00pm Through the Keyhole

TV LISTING

FRIDAY - 21 DECEMBER

4:30am This is BBC Four 7:58pm This is BBC Four 8:00pm Christmas University Challenge 2017 8:30pm Top of the Pops 9:00pm Secret Life of Farm Animals Series looking at the secret science of farm animals. 10:00pm Mark Kermode's Christmas Cinema Secrets 11:00pm The Bishop's Wife 12:45am Living with Lockerbie 1:50am Top of the Pops Gary Davies presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 27 November 1986. 2:20am Mark Kermode's Christmas Cinema Secrets 3:20am Handmade in Japan 3:50am Explorers: Conquest and Calamity - A Timewatch Guide

9:10am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:40am Frasier 10:10am Frasier 10:40am Frasier 11:05am Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:00pm The Simpsons 12:30pm The Simpsons 1:00pm Channel 4 News 1:05pm Jamie's Christmas with Bells On 2:05pm My Family Secrets Revealed 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm Fifteen to One 5:00pm A Place in the Sun 6:00pm Kirstie's Handmade Christmas 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm The Secret Life of the Zoo at Christmas 10:00pm The World's Most Luxurious Airline 11:00pm The First 12:00am Micky Flanagan: Back in the Game

8:20am 8:35am 8:45am 8:55am

Shane the Chef Peppa Pig Peppa Pig Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom Paw Patrol Floogals Digby Dragon Shimmer and Shine The Secret Life of Puppies Jeremy Vine Love You Like Christmas Neighbours Christmas Makeover The Christmas Cure 5 News Tonight Friends Friends Neighbours 5 News Tonight World's Strongest Man: Giants Live 2018 Shop Smart, Save Money Oxford Street 24/7 at Christmas Greatest Ever Christmas Adverts

10:15am Island Medics 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Matron, Medicine and Me 12:45pm A1: Britain's Longest Road 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News at One 2:30pm BBC London News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm Father Brown 4:00pm Still Open All Hours 4:30pm First Flight 4:35pm Toy Story 3 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 Celebrity Mastermind 10:00pm Not Going Out Live 10:30pm Mrs. Brown's Boys 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News

7:00am Dynasties 8:00am This Farming Life 9:00am Top of the Shop with Tom Kerridge 10:00am BBC News at 9 11:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live Stay up to date on the day's top stories, with the latest breaking news as it happens. 1:00pm All Creatures Great and Small 2:30pm The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 3:15pm Operation Snow Tiger 4:15pm Who Do You Think You Are? 5:15pm The Sweet Makers at Christmas 6:15pm Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! 8:00pm 100 Years of King's Carols 9:00pm Mastermind 9:30pm Victoria and Albert 11:00pm Mock the Week

7:58pm This is BBC Four 8:00pm Christmas University Challenge 2017 8:30pm Top of the Pops 9:00pm Fleetwood Mac: A Musical History 10:00pm The Sound of Movie Musicals with Neil Brand Documentary. 11:00pm Sinatra: All or Nothing at All An up-close and personal examination of the life, music and career of the legendary entertainer. 12:55am Je t'aime: The Story of French Song with Petula Clark 1:55am Top of the Pops 2:25am Fleetwood Mac: A Musical History 3:25am The Sound of Movie Musicals with Neil Brand 4:25am This is BBC Four

8:45am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:10am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:40am Frasier 10:10am Frasier 10:40am Frasier 11:05am Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:00pm The Simpsons 12:30pm The Simpsons 1:00pm Channel 4 News 1:05pm Jamie's Festive Feast 2:05pm My Family Secrets Revealed 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm Fifteen to One 5:00pm A Place in the Sun 6:00pm Kirstie's Handmade Christmas 7:00pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:30pm Liam Bakes 9:00pm Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast 10:00pm The Last Leg Christmas Special 11:00pm Big Narstie's Big Christmas

8:20am 8:35am 8:40am 8:55am

8:55am The Royal 9:55am Judge Judy 10:25am Judge Judy 10:50am Judge Judy 11:20am Agatha Christie's Poirot 1:35pm The Royal 2:40pm Heartbeat 3:40pm Classic Coronation Street 4:15pm Classic Coronation Street 4:45pm Agatha Christie's Poirot 6:55pm Heartbeat Nostalgic drama series. 8:00pm Murder, She Wrote Murder mystery series. 9:00pm Agatha Christie's Poirot Detective drama featuring Agatha Christie's celebrated sleuth Hercule Poirot. 11:00pmBancroft 12:00am Bancroft 1:05am Death Becomes Her

7:00am 7:50am 8:10am 8:35am 9:30am 10:35am 11:35am 12:40pm

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 Match Centre 12:00pm Match Centre 1:00pm Sky Sports News 1:30pm Live World Championship Darts 5:30pm Sky Sports News 6:00pm Sky Sports News at 5 7:00pm Sky Sports News at 6 8:00pm Live World Championship Darts 12:00am Jd Ringside: Fight Week 12:30am Boxing 1:00am Sky Sports News 2:00am Live NBA: Houston @ Miami 4:30am Jd Ringside: Fight Week 5:00am Sky Sports News

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 Countrywise 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm The Big Soap Quiz 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:30pm ITV News London 11:45pm The Holiday 2:10am Jackpot247 4:00am Cold Feet

12:30pm FYI Daily 12:35pm Beethoven's Christmas Adventure 1:15pm Emmerdale 1:45pm Emmerdale 2:15pm You've Been Framed! 2:45pm The Ellen DeGeneres Show 3:40pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 4:45pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:50pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 7:00pm Celebrity Catchphrase 8:00pm You've Been Framed Gold at Christmas 8:30pm You've Been Framed Gold at Christmas 9:00pm Two and a Half Men 9:30pm Two and a Half Men 10:05pm Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows 12:35am Family Guy 1:05am Family Guy

6:30am ITV3 Nightscreen 7:00am Classic Coronation Street 7:25am Classic Coronation Street 7:55am Heartbeat 8:55am The Royal 10:00am Judge Judy 10:25am Judge Judy 10:55am Judge Judy 11:25am Agatha Christie's Poirot 1:35pm The Royal 2:40pm Heartbeat 3:40pm Classic Coronation Street 4:15pm Classic Coronation Street 4:45pm Agatha Christie's Poirot 6:55pm Heartbeat 8:00pm Murder, She Wrote 9:00pm Agatha Christie's Poirot 11:00pm Hattie 1:00am A Touch of Frost 3:00am A Touch of Frost 4:45am Road to Avonlea 5:40am Road to Avonlea

7:00am The Chase 7:50am Pawn Stars Christmas Special 8:30am Kojak 9:25am Quincy, M.E. 10:35am Minder 11:35am The Sweeney 12:40pm The Professionals 1:45pm Kojak 2:50pm Quincy, M.E. 3:50pm Minder 4:50pm The Sweeney 5:55pm The Professionals 7:00pm Ironside 8:05pm Pawn Stars 8:30pm Pawn Stars 9:00pm Monster Carp 10:00pm Under Siege 11:00pm FYI Daily 11:05pm Under Siege 12:10am The Mechanic A hitman teaches his trade to an apprentice who is connected to one of his victims. 1:10am FYI Daily Latest news from the world of entertainment.

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 Football Centre 12:00pm Football Centre 1:00pm Football Centre 1:30pm Live World Championship Darts 5:30pm Football Centre 6:00pm Sky Sports News at 5 7:00pm Sky Sports News at 6 8:00pm Football 11:15pm Jd Ringside: The Weigh in 11:45pm Boxing 12:15am Jd Ringside: Fight Week 12:45am Boxing 1:45am Boxing Gold 2:00am Live NBA 4:30am Jd Ringside: The Weigh in 5:00am Sky Sports News

1:45pm 2:50pm 3:55pm 4:55pm 6:05pm 7:05pm

8:05pm

9:00pm 10:00pm 11:05pm 11:10pm 12:40am 1:40am

1:45am 2:35am 3:35am

The Chase Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Kojak Quincy, M.E. Minder The Sweeney The Professionals Kojak Quincy, M.E. Minder The Sweeney The Professionals Storage Wars Christmas Special Pawn Stars Christmas Special Made in Britain at Christmas Jaws FYI Daily Jaws Tremors FYI Daily Latest news from the world of entertainment. Tremors The Americans Take the Tower

9:05am 9:25am 9:40am 9:55am 10:15am 10:25am 12:05pm 1:45pm 2:15pm 4:00pm 5:45pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm

9:00pm 10:00pm

11:00pm

9:05am 9:25am 9:40am 9:55am 10:05am 10:20am 10:25am 12:05pm 1:45pm 2:15pm 4:00pm

5:45pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

12:05am

Shane the Chef Peppa Pig Peppa Pig Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom Paw Patrol Floogals Digby Dragon Shimmer and Shine Pirata and Capitano The Secret Life of Puppies Jeremy Vine Christmas in the Air Neighbours Welcome to Christmas Mrs Miracle 2: Miracle in Manhattan 5 News Tonight Friends Friends Neighbours New Puppy, New Home Celebrity Help the Animals at Christmas When TV Animals Go Horribly Wrong

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

www.euroweeklynews.com

20 - 26 December 2018

Ant McPartlin set to return to TV hosting in January for BGT Richard Shanley ANT MCPARTLIN is expected to return to his TV work next month after taking time off to go into rehab. The host is preparing to film Britain’s Got Talent auditions in January - 10 months after he crashed a car while more than twice the drink drive limit. He has not worked since, and was replaced by Holly Wi l l o u g h b y f o r t h e l a t e s t s e r i e s o f I ’ m A C e l e b r i t y. . . G e t Me Out Of Here!, which ended

last Sunday. Declan Donnelly hosted this year’s Britain’s Got Talent live shows alone. Next year ’s Saturday Night Takeaway was also cancelled. Announcing that decision in August, Ant said his recovery was “going very well” and said he would “take the rest of the year off.” Last week the Mirror reported that he would be reunited with Dec when filming begins for Britain’s Got Talent 2019. Ant first entered rehab in June 2017 after becoming addicted to alcohol and prescription painkillers. He went back into treatment after the crash in March.

He was later fined £86,000 and given a 20-month driving ban after pleading guilty to drink driving. A B r i t a i n ’s G o t Ta l e n t spokesman declined to comment on his return. The first episode will follow the festive edition of Doctor Who, which is being shown on January1, 2019 instead of Christmas Day.

ANT MCPARTLIN: Will co-host Britain’s Got Talent in 2019.

EWN 25

26 EWN

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20 - 26 December 2018

SATURDAY - 22 DECEMBER

7:00am Breakfast 11:00am Saturday Kitchen Live 12:30pm Nigel Slater's Christmas Suppers 1:00pm Football Focus 2:00pm BBC News 2:15pm Merry Madagascar 2:40pm The Penguins of Madagascar 4:00pm Kung Fu Panda 5:25pm Final Score 6:20pm Celebrity Mastermind 6:50pm BBC News 7:00pm BBC London News 7:10pm Pointless Celebrities Christmas Special 8:00pm Watership Down 9:40pm Casualty 10:30pm The Vicar of Dibley 11:15pm BBC News 11:30pm Match of the Day 1:05am The NFL Show 1:35am Old School 3:05am Weather for the Week Ahead 3:10am BBC News

9:30am Zoe Ball on Christmas Saturday 10:25am James Martin's Saturday Morning at Christmas 12:30pm Gino's Italian Coastal Escape 1:00pm ITV Lunchtime News 1:15pm How to Spend it Well at Christmas with Phillip Schofield 2:15pm Catchphrase 3:00pm Tipping Point: Lucky Stars 4:00pm Tenable 5:00pm The Chase: Celebrity Special 6:00pm Big Star's Bigger Star 7:00pm ITV Evening News 7:15pm ITV News London 7:30pm Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi 10:00pm The Jonathan Ross Christmas Show 11:00pm 20 Years of the Black Eyed Peas

4:40am This is BBC Two Highlights of programmes on BBC Two. 7:00am Top Class 7:30am This Farming Life An insight into modern farming life. 8:30am Top of the Shop with Tom Kerridge 9:30am The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 10:15am The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 11:00am The Muppets Comedy. 12:35pm Cars 2 Animated sequel. 2:15pm Equestrian 5:25pm Finding Neverland 7:00pm The Good Life 7:30pm Porridge 8:15pm The Lone Ranger 10:30pm Live at the Apollo 11:15pm Goodness Gracious Me - 20 Years Innit! 11:55pm Goodness Gracious Me

7:25am Emmerdale Omnibus 9:50am Coronation Street Omnibus 12:50pm The Big Soap Quiz 1:50pm The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol 2:15pm You've Been Framed Gold at Christmas 3:20pm You've Been Framed Gold at Christmas 3:50pm Peter Pan 4:50pm FYI Daily 4:55pm Peter Pan 6:00pm Johnny English Reborn 7:00pm FYI Daily 7:05pm Johnny English Reborn 8:05pm Uncle Buck 9:05pm FYI Daily 9:10pm Uncle Buck 10:00pm Iron Man 11:05pm FYI Daily 11:10pm Iron Man 12:30am Family Guy 1:00am Family Guy 1:30am Family Guy 1:55am Family Guy 2:25am American Dad!

4:25am This is BBC Four 7:58pm This is BBC Four 8:00pm James May: The Christmas Reassembler 8:30pm The Toys That Made Christmas 9:55pm Pop Go the Sixties 10:00pm The Sinner 10:40pm The Sinner 11:20pm Tina Turner 12:05am Aretha Franklin: Respect 12:35am Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas 1:30am Top of the Pops 3:00am Top of the Pops 3:30am Top of the Pops Janice Long and Steve Wright present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 11 December 1986. 4:05am The Toys That Made Christmas 5:30am This is BBC Four

6:30am 7:00am 7:20am 7:40am 9:50am 11:55am 2:00pm 4:00pm

5:45pm 8:00pm 10:00pm

12:00am 1:20am 3:20am 5:00am 5:50am

ITV3 Nightscreen Judge Judy Judge Judy Agatha Christie's Poirot Peter and Wendy Santa Claus The Wizard of Oz Carry on Up the Khyber The Burpas are revolting! The Carry On team take on the Raj. Agatha Christie's Poirot Midsomer Murders Midsomer Murders An international cycling competition comes to the Midsomer village of Burwood Mantle. An Audience with Ken Dodd Lewis A Touch of Frost Road to Avonlea Road to Avonlea

8:50am The Big Bang Theory 9:20am The Big Bang Theory 9:45am Bridge to Terabithia 11:35am The Simpsons 12:05pmThe Simpsons 12:35pmIce Age: A Mammoth Christmas 1:00pm Hachi: A Dog's Tale 2:45pm Father of the Bride 4:50pm Jamie's Quick and Easy Christmas 5:55pm Extreme Cake Makers' Christmas 6:55pm Channel 4 News 7:10pm Crocodile Dundee 9:00pm The World's Most Extraordinary Christmas Dinners 10:00pmPitch Perfect 2 12:10am East is East

7:00am 7:05am 7:30am 8:25am 9:25am 10:30am 11:30am 11:40am 12:05pm 12:35pm 1:00pm 1:30pm 1:55pm 2:30pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:05pm 7:55pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:05pm 12:05am 1:05am 1:10am 2:55am 4:00am

World of Sport The Protectors Ironside Ironside Ironside ITV Racing: The Opening Show World of Sport Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars ITV Racing: Live From Ascot The Green Berets FYI Daily The Green Berets Hornblower Rambo III FYI Daily Rambo III Terminator 2: Judgment Day FYI Daily Terminator 2: Judgment Day The Americans Take the Tower

TV LISTING

SUNDAY - 23 DECEMBER

9:15am Paw Patrol 9:35am Nella the Princess Knight 9:50am Shimmer and Shine 10:05am Pirata and Capitano 10:15am Rusty Rivets 10:40am Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 11:05am Oxford Street 24/7 at Christmas 11:50am 12 Days of Giving 1:45pm Wedding Wonderland 3:45pm Live Premiership Rugby 6:20pm Mariah Carey's a Christmas Melody 8:00pm Blind Date 9:00pm Gino's Win Your Christmas Wish List 9:55pm 5 News Weekend 10:00pm Jane McDonald and Friends at Christmas 11:00pm Jane: 12 Cruises of Christmas

9:40am Match of the Day 11:15am Mr Peabody and Sherman 12:40pm My Faith and Me: June Sarpong 1:40pm BBC News 1:55pm Songs of Praise 2:30pm A Christmas Carol 4:00pm Room on the Broom 4:25pm Up 5:55pm BBC News 6:10pm BBC London News 6:20pm Countryfile 7:20pm Hold the Sunset Christmas Special: If I Were a Wise Man 7:50pm Still Open All Hours 8:20pm Watership Down 10:00pm Have I Got 2018 News for You 10:30pm King Gary 11:00pm BBC News 11:20pm BBC London News 11:30pm Match of the Day 2 12:15am The Young Offenders Christmas Special

8:00am This Farming Life 9:00am Countryfile 9:55am Monty Don's Paradise Gardens 10:55am Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:25pm Simply Nigella 1:25pm The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 2:10pm Twelfth Night 4:20pm Back in Time for Christmas 5:20pm Amazing Hotels Christmas Special 6:20pm Alice in Wonderland 8:00pm Top Gear 9:00pm Dragons' Den 10:00pm Chris and Michaela: Under the Christmas Sky 11:00pm Far From the Madding Crowd 12:55am Insert Name Here 1:25am TOTP2 2:55am Countryfile 3:50am Holby City 4:50am This is BBC Two Highlights of programmes on BBC Two.

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 Live - Soccer Am 12:30pm Football 4:15pm Live Championship Rugby Richmond take on Bedford at the Athletic Ground in the Greene King IPA Championship. 6:15pm Football Hull City entertain Swansea City at the KCOM Stadium in the Sky Bet Championship. 8:30pm Live World Championship Darts 12:00am Live NFL A match from the NFL. 2:00am Live NFL

9:25am ITV News 9:30am Zoe Ball on Christmas Sunday 10:25am Ninja Warrior UK 11:20am Doc Martin 12:20pm Long Lost Family 1:50pm ITV Lunchtime News 2:00pm Paul O'Grady for the Love of Dogs 2:30pm The Big Soap Quiz 3:30pm Celebrity Catchphrase 4:30pm Tipping Point: Lucky Stars 5:30pm Tenable 6:30pm ITV Evening News 6:55pm ITV News London 7:00pm The Chase: Celebrity Special 8:00pm What Would Your Kid Do? 9:00pm The Chase Bloopers 10:00pm Casino Royale 12:50am ITV News 1:05am Bear's Mission with Gareth Southgate 1:55am Football Genius

8:00am Emmerdale Omnibus 10:25am Coronation Street Omnibus 1:20pm Celebrity Catchphrase 2:20pm You've Been Framed Gold at Christmas 2:50pm You've Been Framed Gold at Christmas 3:50pm The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor 4:50pm FYI Daily 4:55pm The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor 5:55pm Elf 6:55pm FYI Daily 7:00pm Elf 8:00pm How the Grinch Stole Christmas 9:00pm FYI Daily 9:05pm How the Grinch Stole Christmas 10:00pm The Holiday 11:00pm FYI Daily 11:05pm The Holiday 12:40am Family Guy 1:10am Family Guy 1:45am Family Guy

5:30am This is BBC Four 7:58pm This is BBC Four 8:00pm TOTP2 Mark Radcliffe digs deep into the archives to deliver some familiar and unfamiliar festive treats. 9:30pm What We Were Watching: Christmas 1988 10:30pm The Secret Story of the BBC Christmas Tapes 11:00pm Bros: After the Screaming Stops 12:25am TOTP2 1:25am Fleetwood Mac: A Musical History 2:25am Stuffed: The Great British Christmas Dinner 3:25am What We Were Watching: Christmas 1988

6:35am ITV3 Nightscreen 7:00am Columbo 8:40am Housewife 49 10:40am The Sound of Music Live 1:20pm The Making of the Sound of Music Live 1:45pm Bugsy Malone 3:45pm Brief Encounter 5:25pm Agatha Christie's Poirot 7:45pm Agatha Christie's Poirot 10:00pm Agatha Christie's Poirot 12:00am Joanna Lumley's Trans-Siberian Adventure 1:05am Sunday Night at the Palladium 2:05am A Touch of Frost 3:55am Murder, She Wrote 4:45am Road to Avonlea Drama about a young girl sent to live with her eccentric family on Prince Edward Island. 5:35am Road to Avonlea

6:55am Kirstie's Handmade Christmas 7:05am Frasier 7:30am Frasier 7:55am Rugrats the Movie 9:10am The Big Bang Theory 9:35am The Big Bang Theory 10:00am The Big Bang Theory 10:30am The Big Bang Theory 11:00am Christmas Brunch 2:00pm Extreme Cake Makers' Christmas 3:05pm The Simpsons 3:30pm The Simpsons 4:00pm The Simpsons 4:30pm Father Christmas 5:05pm Channel 4 News 5:30pm Men in Black 7:20pm Men in Black II 9:00pm Escape to the Chateau at Christmas 10:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 11:00pm Father Ted 12:05am Tin Star 1:10am Father Ted 1:40am Father Ted

6:10am The Sweeney 7:00am World of Sport 7:10am Goodwood Members' Meeting Highlights 8:00am The Protectors 8:25am The Sweeney 9:20am Minder 10:20am Pawn Stars 10:50am Pawn Stars 11:15am Pawn Stars Christmas Special 12:10pm Storage Wars Christmas Special 1:10pm Made in Britain at Christmas 2:15pm Merry Christmas Mr Bean 2:50pm The Horse Soldiers 3:50pm FYI Daily 3:55pm The Horse Soldiers 5:15pm Red River 6:20pm FYI Daily 6:25pm Red River 7:55pm Hornblower 10:00pm The Mechanic 11:00pm FYI Daily 11:05pm The Mechanic 11:50pm Saw 12:50am FYI Daily

8:15am 8:30am 8:50am 9:00am 9:05am 9:20am 9:45am 10:00am 10:15am 10:30am

10:40am

10:55am 11:00am 3:30pm 4:00pm 5:45pm 5:50pm

7:40pm 8:40pm 8:45pm 10:00pm

12:00am

Bob the Builder Digby Dragon Peppa Pig Peppa Pig Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom Paw Patrol Shimmer and Shine Pirata and Capitano Rusty Rivets Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Access Friends Friends Snow White Christmas 5 News Weekend A Shoe Addict's Christmas Scrooge 5 News Scrooge Agatha and the Truth of Murder Krampus

7:00am Sky Sports News 8:00am Total Goals 9:00am Total Goals 10:00am Total Goals 10:30am Sunday Supplement 12:00pm Goals on Sunday 1:30pm EFL Greatest Games 1:45pm EFL Greatest Games 2:00pm Football 4:30pm Live Renault Super Sunday 8:00pm Live World Championship Darts Day 11 of the William Hill World Darts Championship from the Alexandra Palace. 12:00am Live NFL: Sunday A match from the NFL. 1:45am My Icon 2:00am My Icon 2:10am Live NFL: Sunday

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

www.euroweeklynews.com

Nora Johnson

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

YOU can tell Christmas isn’t far off when the annual ‘UK families ripped off by unscrupulous and entirely predictable seasonal Winter Wonderland theme-park extravaganzas’ are upon us. This is like Groundhog Day, yet another year, yet another traditional Christmas fiasco. You know, events which advertise snow, forests, elves, herds of reindeer and scores of marquees offering the ‘finest seasonal foods’, but turn out to be families forking out to stand in long queues in ‘boggy fields’ with bad-tempered Santas in tacky outfits, smoking elves in dodgy costumes, donkeys sporting cardboard antlers and stalls selling Cadbury chocolates well past their sell-by date. This year a Christmas parade was branded a ‘shambles’ after parents said it had just three floats and was ‘all over in five minutes.’ Swansea’s annual festive event promised ‘dynamic dance-troupes’ as well as ‘spectacular shows and stages.’ But roadworks in the city centre saw the parade hugely scaled down, leading to a barrage of complaints from ‘outraged’ parents on social media. Plans for a female Santa Claus at a town’s Christmas parade led to accusations that councillors were letting political correctness ruin

20 - 26 December 2018

How to survive a PC Christmas this year

EWN 27

LEGALLY SPEAKING

Can president spend the money? Can a president spend community money if it’s not in the agreed budget or if the budget has not yet been agreed by the owners at an AGM? RP (Costa del Sol)

FATHER CHRISTMAS: Male or female this year? tradition. Father Christmas tours the streets of Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham every Christmas Eve, handing out sweets to crowds of excited kids from a float. The festivities have taken place since the 1960’s. However, this year things will be different after a sub-committee at Great Aycliffe Town Council voted unanimously to let a female take over the role. I wonder what the job ad possibly stipulated? Equality position. No experience necessary. Previous work with large animals desirable as float propelled by reindeer and donkeys. Deep voice and ability to say ho! ho! ho! an advantage but otherwise voice training will be given. Must be willing to travel (essential user sleigh allowance provided). As rein-

deer will fly, driving licence not essential but private pilot licence desirable with night piloting certification. I think I’ll put my poodle in for the job next year… animals have rights as well you know! Ho ho ho or woof woof woof? Happy Christmas! Nora Johnson’s psychological crime thrillers ‘The Girl in the Woods,’ ‘The Girl in the Red Dress,’ ‘No Way Back,’ ‘Landscape of Lies,’ ‘Retribution,’ ‘Soul Stealer,’ ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.net) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.99; £0.99) and iBookstore. All profits go to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.

The short answer is, yes. Standardly, David Searl the president has access to You and the Law the community funds. He can in Spain write cheques and make transfers. The professional administrator usually has power over the funds also. Sometimes the expenditures require two signatures. If the president is also the administrator and has sole access to the funds, he needs no further authorisation to spend community money. He is of course, obligated to inform the community in a timely manner of any expense paid out which is not included in the budget voted by the community. If the added expense is for a superior quality of paint on the building because the cheaper paint was not available, there should be no problem. If, however, the president undertakes new projects not voted by the members, he can be called to account and even taken to court to reimburse the community.

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

28 EWN

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TV LISTING

TUESDAY - 25 DECEMBER

MONDAY - 24 DECEMBER 12:30pm The Farmer's Llamas 1:00pm Snow Babies 2:00pm BBC News at One 2:15pm BBC London News 2:20pm Monsters University 3:55pm Zootropolis 5:35pm BBC News 5:50pm BBC London News 6:00pm Mary Poppins 8:15pm All Together Now Celebrities 9:30pm EastEnders 10:00pm Click and Collect

2:00pm Romeo and Juliet 3:50pm Back in Time for Christmas 4:50pm Reindeer Family and Me 5:50pm Chris and Michaela: Under the Christmas Sky 6:50pm Carols from King's 8:05pm Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings 9:00pm Only Connect 9:30pm University Challenge Christmas 2018 10:00pmChristmas at St Paul'S 11:00pmThe Lady in the Van

7:58pm This is BBC Four 8:00pm Christmas University Challenge 2017 8:30pm Turtle, Eagle, Cheetah - A Slow Odyssey 9:00pm Tudor Monastery Farm 10:00pmEric, Ernie and Me 11:00pmSteptoe and Son Classic comedy. 11:45pmRichard Pryor Omit the Logic 1:05am Mark Lawson Talks to... 2:05am Lisbon: An Art Lovers' Guide

11:00am Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World 12:45pmA Christmas Carol 2:45pm We Bought a Zoo 5:10pm We're Going on a Bear Hunt 5:40pm The Snowman 6:10pm The Snowman and the Snowdog 6:45pm Channel 4 News 7:00pm Miracle on 34th Street 9:00pm Child Genius v Celebrities Christmas Special 10:00pmPanorama 12:05am Courtney Act's Christmas Extravaganza

10:00am Christmas Makes You Laugh Out Loud 10:20am Friends 10:50am Friends 11:20am Neighbours 11:45am Oklahoma! 2:30pm The King and I 5:20pm Scrooge 7:10pm Neighbours 7:35pm Billionaire Babies at Christmas 8:30pm More Things We Love About Christmas 9:30pm The Yorkshire Vet at Christmas 10:30pmMichael BublÃ©: Back for Christmas

1:20pm BBC News 1:30pm Top of the Pops 2:30pm The Good Dinosaur 4:00pm The Queen's Christmas Broadcast 4:10pm The Jungle Book 5:50pm Zog 6:15pm BBC News 6:30pm Strictly Come Dancing 7:45pm Michael Mcintyre's Big Christmas Show 8:45pm Call the Midwife 10:15pm EastEnders 11:15pm Mrs. Brown's Boys 11:50pm Outnumbered

4:10pm An American in Paris: The Musical 6:25pm The Queen's Christmas Broadcast 6:35pm Only Connect 7:05pm University Challenge Christmas 2018 7:35pm Mary Berry's Country House at Christmas 8:35pm Dad's Army 9:35pm Upstart Crow: A Crow Christmas Carol 10:15pmMerry Christmas Baby with Gregory Porter and Friends

4:35am This is BBC Four 7:58pm This is BBC Four 8:00pm The Royal Ballet: Swan Lake 10:15pmThe Two Ronnies: Christmas Comedy Cracker 11:10pmTop of the Pops 2 12:10am The Story of Bohemian Rhapsody 1:05am Queen: The Legendary 1975 Concert 2:10am The Two Ronnies: Christmas Comedy Cracker 3:00am Top of the Pops 2 4:00am This is BBC Four

1:05pm Father Christmas 1:40pm The Snowman 2:15pm The Snowman and the Snowdog 2:45pm Arthur Christmas 4:45pm Channel 4 News 4:50pm The Alternative Christmas Message 5:00pm The Muppet Christmas Carol 6:40pm Home Alone 2: Lost in New York 9:00pm The Great Christmas Bake Off 10:15pmFirst Dates at Christmas 11:15pmAlan Carr's Christmas Cracker

11:15am Neighbours 11:45am Scrooge 2:05pm Seven Brides for Seven Brothers 4:10pm Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 7:05pm Neighbours 7:35pm Britain's Favourite Christmas Hits 10:15pmTommy Cooper: In His Own Words 12:15am Greatest Christmas TV Moments of All Time 2:55am Super Casino Live interactive gaming featuring roulette and autowheel.

3:55pm Shrek the Halls 4:25pm Santa Claus 6:30pm Judge Rinder's Christmas Kids Court 7:30pm ITV News London 7:45pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:30pm Bad Move 10:00pm The Keith and Paddy Picture Show 10:30pm Gremlins

3:50pm You've Been Framed Gold at Christmas 4:55pm Celebrity Catchphrase 5:55pm Despicable Me 2 6:55pm FYI Daily 7:00pm Despicable Me 2 8:00pm A Lego Christmas Party 8:05pm The Lego Movie 9:05pm FYI Daily 9:10pm The Lego Movie 10:00pmFurious 7 11:10pmFYI Daily 11:15pmFurious 7 12:45am Family Guy

9:20am The Royal 10:25am Columbo: By Dawn's Early Light 12:30pmHoliday on the Buses 2:15pm Mutiny on the Buses 4:00pm Agatha Christie's Poirot 5:00pm Agatha Christie's Poirot 7:00pm Agatha Christie's Poirot 9:00pm Vera 11:00pmMaigret 1:00am Christmas Epic Fails

12:35pmThe Professionals 1:35pm Kojak 2:45pm Tobruk 3:45pm FYI Daily 3:50pm Tobruk 4:55pm Escape to Victory 5:55pm FYI Daily 6:00pm Escape to Victory 7:10pm Kelly's Heroes 8:10pm FYI Daily 8:15pm Kelly's Heroes 10:00pmUnder Siege 11:05pmFYI Daily 11:10pmUnder Siege 12:10am Rush Hour

9:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 10:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 11:00am Football Centre 1:00pm Football Centre 2:00pm Sky Sports News 5:00pm Sky Sports News 6:00pm Sky Sports News at 5 7:00pm Sky Sports News at 6 8:00pm Sky Sports Tonight 9:00pm Sky Sports Tonight 10:00pmSky Sports Tonight 11:00pmSky Sports News at Ten

11:20am Jack Frost 1:15pm Countrywise 2:00pm Doc Martin 4:00pm HM the Queen 4:10pm A Christmas Chase: Celebrity Special 5:10pm Monsters, Inc. 6:55pm Paul O'Grady for the Love of Dogs 7:55pm ITV Evening News 8:15pm Emmerdale 9:15pm Coronation Street 10:15pmTorvill and Dean

2:30pm Emmerdale 3:00pm Coronation Street 4:10pm You've Been Framed Gold at Christmas 4:35pm Johnny English Reborn 5:35pm FYI Daily 5:40pm Johnny English Reborn 6:40pm Elf 7:40pm FYI Daily 7:45pm Elf 8:45pm Jurassic World 9:50pm FYI Daily 9:55pm Jurassic World 11:05pmCelebrity Juice

11:25am Carry on Abroad 1:10pm Carry on Up the Jungle 2:50pm Carry on Follow That Camel 4:50pm Carry on Screaming! 6:45pm Carry on Matron 8:30pm Carry on Camping Sid Boggle and Bernie Lugg decide to take their girlfriends on a camping holiday. 10:15pmCarry on Up the Khyber

11:50am Merry Christmas Mr Bean 12:20pmKojak 1:25pm The Sweeney 2:30pm Khartoum 3:35pm FYI Daily 3:40pm Khartoum 5:10pm The Horse Soldiers 6:10pm FYI Daily 6:15pm The Horse Soldiers 7:30pm Apollo 13 8:30pm FYI Daily 8:35pm Apollo 13 10:15pmRush Hour 11:15pmFYI Daily

9:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 10:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 11:00am Sky Sports News 4:00pm Sky Sports News 5:00pm Sky Sports News 6:00pm Live NBA: Milwaukee @ New York 8:30pm Sky Sports Tonight 9:00pm Live NBA: Oklahoma @ Houston 11:30pmLive NBA: Philadelphia @ Boston

6:30am Royal Stories 6:55am ITV3 Nightscreen 7:00am Paul O'Grady for the Love of Dogs 7:25am Carry on Follow That Camel 9:10am Carry on Up the Jungle 10:50am Carry on Matron 12:35pmCarry on Girls 2:20pm Carry on Abroad 4:00pm Carry on Cruising 5:45pm Agatha Christie's Poirot 6:55pm Agatha Christie's Poirot 9:00pm Vera 11:00pmMaigret 1:00am Vera 3:00am A Touch of Frost 4:55am Road to Avonlea Drama series about a girl who is sent to live with her eccentric family. 5:45am Road to Avonlea

7:00am Isle of Man TT 7:50am Isle of Man TT 8:35am British Superbike Championship Review 10:25am The Sweeney 11:30am The Sweeney 12:40pmThe Professionals 1:40pm Minder 2:45pm The Chase: Celebrity Special 3:45pm Ben Hur 4:50pm FYI Daily 4:55pm Ben Hur 7:55pm Where Eagles Dare 8:55pm FYI Daily 9:00pm Where Eagles Dare 11:00pmJaws 12:05am FYI Daily 12:10am Jaws 1:40am Quincy, M.E. 2:40am The Professionals 3:45am The Protectors 4:15am World of Sport 4:25am Silverstone Classic

6:30am Great Sporting Moments 6:45am Great Sporting Moments 7:00am Good Morning Sports Fans Bitesize 7:30am Good Morning Sports Fans Bitesize 8:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 9:00am Cricket 1:00pm Live Premier League 4:00pm Football 6:00pm Live Premier League 8:15pm Live Premier League 11:00pmCricket Day two of the second Test as New Zealand host Sri Lanka in Christchurch. 2:30am Live NBA: Denver @ San Antonio

WEDNESDAY - 26 DECEMBER 11:30am The Princess and the Frog 1:00pm Snow Chick: A Penguin's Tale 2:00pm BBC News at One 2:15pm BBC London News 2:25pm Raiders of the Lost Ark 4:15pm The Highway Rat 4:40pm The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper 4:50pm Trolls 6:15pm BBC News 6:30pm BBC London News 6:40pm The BFG 8:30pm The Midnight Gang 9:30pm EastEnders 10:00pmThe ABC Murders 11:00pmBBC News at Ten 11:20pmMatch of the Day

10:20am Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby 11:20am The Young Victoria 1:00pm Victoria and Albert 2:30pm A Culture Show Special 3:30pm Saving Mr. Banks 5:30pm Final Score 6:15pm Porridge 6:55pm University Challenge Christmas 2018 7:25pm Dad's Army 8:05pm Morecambe and Wise - Christmas Show 1971 8:50pm The Morecambe and Wise Show: The Lost Tapes 9:30pm The Morecambe and Wise Show: The Lost Tapes 10:00pm Ken Dodd: How Tickled We Were 11:15pm Torvill and Dean: The Perfect Day 12:15am Dragons' Den 1:15am Starter for 10

8:00pm The Fairytale Castles of King Ludwig II with Dan Cruickshank 9:00pm Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2018: Who Am I? Where Do I Come From? 10:00pmDarcey's Ballet Heroes 11:00pmDetectorists Christmas Special Special seasonal episode of the award-winning comedy about metal detectorists Andy and Lance. 11:30pmSome Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em 12:20am Carole King and Friends at Christmas 1:20am Merry Christmas Baby with Gregory Porter and Friends 2:20am The Joy of ABBA

8:20am Celebrity Lego Masters at Christmas 9:15am The Simpsons 9:50am The Simpsons 10:20am Short Circuit 12:20pmSmall Soldiers 2:25pm Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom 4:15pm The Great Christmas Bake Off 5:35pm Gogglesprogs Christmas Special 6:40pm Channel 4 News 6:45pm Mrs. Doubtfire 9:00pm The Crystal Maze 10:00pmBig Fat Quiz of the Year 2018 12:00am The Green Mile 3:20am Alan Carr's Christmas Cracker Alan Carr hosts an A-List Christmas extravaganza from his very own Alpine lodge.

7:40am Noddy: Toyland Detective 7:55am Thomas and Friends: Big World! Big Adventures! 8:05am Fireman Sam 8:15am Shane the Chef 8:35am Peppa Pig 8:45am Peppa Pig 8:55am Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 9:05am Info not available 10:00am Gallagher Premiership Rugby Highlights 10:50am Friends 11:20am Info not available 11:45am Neighbours 12:10pmThe Dirty Dozen 3:10pm A Bridge Too Far 6:40pm Neighbours 7:10pm Agatha and the Truth of Murder 9:00pm The Dog Rescuers at Christmas 10:00pmRich House, Poor House at Christmas

8:35am The Tom and Jerry Show 8:50am Ben 10 9:10am The Bagel and Becky Show 9:30am Ultimate SpiderMan v the Sinister Six 10:05am Mighty Magiswords 10:25am Free Willy 3: The Rescue 12:05pmThe Witches 1:50pm ITV Lunchtime News 2:00pm ITV Racing: Live from Kempton 4:30pm Tenable 5:35pm Tipping Point: Lucky Stars 6:35pm The Chase: Celebrity Special 7:35pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Quantum of Solace 11:05pmITV News 11:20pmLove Actually

7:15am Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 7:35am Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 8:00am Ultimate You've Been Framed! Gold 8:50am Emmerdale 9:45am Coronation Street 10:45am You've Been Framed! 11:45am Happy Feet Two 12:45pmFYI Daily 12:50pmHappy Feet Two 1:50pm Emmerdale 2:50pm Coronation Street 3:50pm Nanny McPhee 4:50pm FYI Daily 4:55pm Nanny McPhee 5:55pm The Lego Movie 6:55pm FYI Daily 7:00pm The Lego Movie 8:00pm Uncle Buck 9:05pm FYI Daily 9:10pm Uncle Buck 10:00pmBridesmaids 11:00pmFYI Daily

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.

HEALTH BEAUTY

EWN

20 - 26 December 2018

TO READ MORE

Fake it ‘til you make it AS the temperatures plunge and Spain’s usually clear blue skies become cloudier, most of us notice our summer glow starting to fade. While it is always advisable to reach for the fake tan rather than spending hours in the sun, winter is a particularly good time to take advantage of the wide variety of products promising a safe and natural-looking colour. The perfect fake tan begins by exfoliating to ensure the surface of your skin is smooth. Whether you will be tanning your face or body, use a gentle exfoliator, massaging the product in small circles before rinsing it off. Take some extra time on your knees and elbows, which are normally drier. Now you can wax or shave if you are planning to do so, as doing this after applying your tan may cause an uneven finish. Next you can moisturise, which will prevent the fake tan sticking to dry patches. It is important to remember not to remove hair or moisturise within 24 hours of applying fake tan. Finally, you can apply the product itself, starting at your ankles and using long, sweeping motions to evenly distribute the fake tan onto your body. The technique differs slightly for the face, where you should mix fake tan with a moisturiser before gently applying it, while taking care to avoid your eyebrows and hairline. If you’re stuck for time however, try a tinted moisturiser in a shade darker than your normal skin tone for a quick boost of colour. Alternatively, sweep a bronzing powder over the parts of your face which naturally attract the most sun, like your nose, forehead, and cheekbones.

Wine not? A STUDY has shown people who drink alcohol in moderation are 11 per cent less likely to go to hospital. A study by Harvard University, and published in journal Addiction, found those who enjoyed a small glass of wine a day were healthier than those who avoided alcohol altogether. The research project studied 21,000 men and women in Italy over six years and found that overall 13,000 people ended up in hospital. The average age of those hospitalised was 56, and those who avoided alcohol were 11 per cent more likely to become ill than those who drank in moderation and followed a Mediterranean-style diet. Dr Ken Mukamal, from the Harvard Medical School, said: “We are absolutely not saying that any teetotaller should start drinking to improve his / her health.” However, red wine in particular in moderation has been shown to have a wide range of health benefits. One of these benefits is caused by the high anti-oxidant rate of red wines. The drink contains polyphenols, which can help to prevent cellular damage by cancer-causing chemicals, such as tobacco smoke. These in turn can improve the function of blood vessels, and help prevent blood clots, as well as potentially helping to protect the body against cancers. White wine lovers need not fear, however, as although red wine is touted as the healthiest of its competitors, white varieties also offer benefits and contains fewer calories than red wine.

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

The big beauty cover-up By Sally Underwood BETWEEN family reunions, glamorous parties, and festive events, this time of year can be one of the best. But late nights catching up with friends and family can take its toll, leaving us feeling less than sprightly. Luckily, the humble concealer is there at hand if you prefer to cover up any evidence of missing your beauty sleep. But while this product can help disguise everything from undereye bags to pigmentation and scarring, how you apply concealer can make a huge difference to its effectiveness. One of the biggest problems with using concealer under the eyes can be creasing, when the product settles into any fine lines. Similarly, flaking can also ruin the overall effect you are trying to achieve.

Clay may pay

CONCEALER: Can help camouflage pesky under eye circles. Prevent this by using a thin layer of eye cream before applying any make-up, allowing around 20 minutes to let it settle in before putting anything on top. This will moisturise the skin and help plump out any lines. Next, if you don’t mind using multiple products, apply a primer under your eyes which will help your make-up last longer and preventing it creasing or moving around. Finally, put a small amount of your preferred shade of concealer on the tips of your index fingers and allow it to warm up to skin temperature. This will help it spread better and prevent you pulling the delicate skin around

your eye as you apply the make-up. Now, pat a small amount into the inner corner of your orbital bone and then dab a small amount of concealer in a triangle shape reaching down to your cheek bone rather than in a half-moon shape under your eye. This trick will visually draw the eye away from any under eye bags and shadows, and

SCIENTISTS have found that ingesting a certain type of clay, may limit the amount of fat absorbed by the body. Researchers from the University of South Australia found that rats fed a high fat diet gained the least weight if they also ate an unnamed clay supplement, compared to a placebo or the current most popular fat-binding drug, orlistat. PHD student Tahnee Dening, discovered the unexpected benefit by coincidence during another experi-

help to counteract the look of tiredness. If you do not suffer from dry skin you can now finish by gently pressing a small amount of powder onto your concealer, which will help to set it. If you have very dry skin, skip this step and instead make sure your make-up is pressed into the skin to prevent it moving.

ment. She found the clay was, ‘attracting fat droplets and literally soaking them up. Not only were the clay materials trapping the fats within their particle structure, but they were also preventing them from being absorbed by the body, ensuring fat simply passed through the digestive system’ The finding may offer promising progress in the hunt for a safe weight loss pill, with scientists suggesting clay supplements could soon move to the human testing phase.

30 EWN

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20 - 26 December 2018

YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION Letters should be emailed to oursay@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.

Sign of the times or a minority? I AM an avid reader of the Euro Weekly News. I’m not naive enough to believe there has never been any crime, of course there has. But is it a sign of the times that every week there is a fatal shooting or stabbing, either gang related or domestic? While everything should be done to put a stop to these type of offences, we must try to remember that it is a minority of people who are involved in drug related activity. Domestic violence, however, is a classless and far reaching crime and often goes unreported with fatal consequences. As such, it is commendable and encouraging to see the national drive that has been embarked upon to raise awareness about gender violence, and the measures that are being taken to try to tackle the issue. Lisa Shannon

Walking with ABAD THE reason I’m writing to you is no other than to record by letter my gratitude and enormous appreciation to all your colleagues. Our ABAD Asociation exists and continues to grow, addressing disability in all its forms, both in those affected, as well as the people looking after them. With your help and support, and with this kind attitude, for us, carrying on is a motivation, and walking is more bearable. It is great to be able to count on the solidarity of those who voluntarily wish to walk with us. Thank you for your solidarity and selfless work. Thank you for being by our side and for making our work easier every day. From the ABAD Association therapy centre which deals with the disabled, myself, the director, and my entire collective would like to send you a strong and affectionate thank you. Cristóbal Martínez Reyes Many thanks JUST to say a BIG THANK YOU for putting in your paper an article regarding the ABAD calendars. They loved it, and I will let you know once their new website in Spanish and English is up and running to then promote the building of a new disability/therapy centre in Benalmadena. Once again thank you. Best wishes for Christmas Jon Leighton Editor’s note: ABAD is an association on the Costa del Sol which cares for disabled children. Their calendars are available from the EWN head office in Fuengirola (Malaga) for €5.

Definitely May-be I JUST want to state my adCOURAGE: miration for Theresa May May should who I think has shown such get more courage and persistence backing. throughout the Brexit blizzard so far. She has managed to negotiate a workable deal with the EU in incredibly testing circumstances and everyone should be rallying round in the national interest, not trying to get rid of her for their own selfish political ends. Changing the leader now would be so disruptive and would take weeks so install someone new: time that we simply don’t have. Crashing out of the EU without a deal is becoming frighteningly real and politicians should know that almost no one voted for that. It’s time for common sense to prevail on all sides and hopefully one last effort from Mrs May can get the deal over the line.

OUR VIEW

Merry Christmas IT is once again time to wrap the presents, deck the halls, roast the turkey and get set for Christmas Day. This time of year is always one for getting together with the people we love. It is also one for looking around and taking stock. Much has happened over the past year in Spain and across the world. Many of those events have filled the pages of this newspaper. We saw a changing of the guard politically with a new Prime Minister in Spain. And it was only last week that British Prime Minister Theresa May’s fate hung in the balance due to ongoing concerns over her Brexit deal. Away from politics, we saw crooks getting justice, people helping others and campaigners trying to make the world better. But there were also stories of needless suffering, personal tragedy and of people struggling to make their lives better. Christmas is a time where we can look around and give thanks for what we have, whether it be loving family and friends, success, or simply our health. It should also be a time to think about those less fortunate and how we could do our bit to make their lives better. We at EWN hope you will do both and we wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas.

Now we want to hear your views. YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION www.euroweeklynews.com

Susan Braithwaite

HAVE YOUR SAY

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.

OPINION & COMMENT

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

FOUND: Donald Wright safe after 3 weeks Great news! So pleased he is safe and well xx

Mary

TAKING THE URINE: Residents on the Costa del Sol forced to clean after dogs in new council policy Good job. Too many dog owners think that every piece of grass/sand/lampost is a toilet for their dogs. I, also a smoker, would like there to be some control on the beaches to stop people putting their cigarette out in the sand. It is so easy to take an empty can or some receptacle to use. I must say in my experience (15 years) at Carvajal beach, it is more likely the locals who seem to have no respect for their environment. I go to Portugal often, where there are signs asking people to keep the beaches clean, they provide paper (burn proof) cups to put out and keep their dog ends. The beaches are pristine! Leapy Lee should be our prime minister, or home secretary at least. Bill

Muggles behaving badly: Harry Potter fans vandalised 4,000-yearold tomb in Spain How did the Moors do that if they started the invasion of the peninsula in 711 and never held a true control over Galicia. Did they time travel thousands of years back with a time machine? Enric

COMMENTS FROM EWN ONLINE Spain greenlights €7.3 billion weaponry programme All this to protect Spain from... Drake? Raleigh? Surly better to put some fast patrol boats between Spain and North Africa to turn the immigrant smugglers’ boats round PM All the left do is spend and rob… get these idiots out of power now!!! Sean

A very royal Christmas - Spain’s monarchy releases annual Christmas card Please….the monarchy couldn’t give a stuff about anyone / time they went… Sean

Demonstrators rally outside Spanish Supreme Court after police raids on Mallorcan news outlets About time Spain had some huge protests, just like

in France…

Sean

Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez likens Catalan independence push to ‘invented grievances’ of Brexit Goodby Mr Sanchez, you talk more nonsense than the last idiot. Sean

Couple fined and banned for life from Jet2 after violent fight forced plane to Spain to divert You do have to wonder whether it was really necessary to divert the flight, causing incredible inconvenience to every other passenger as well as the airline itself, because it was not possible to separate a 65year-old woman and a 55- year-old man and they ‘could not risk flying over water.’ Were this couple superhuman and likely to bring the plane down in the ocean? Just ask for some help from passengers to move one of them to the back of the plane or something, then deal with them on arrival. I’m sure it was not pleasant but surely there is a less extreme solution that does not punish every passenger for the actions of just one couple. Are the airline seeking compensation on behalf of all the passengers too? I doubt it. Angus

FEATURE

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20 - 26 December 2018

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Is your home ready for the cold spell? ON the occasion of the Christmas period and beyond, maybe you have planned to travel to your country to visit family and friends. A home insurance, therefore, is essential during this time of the year, because you will leave your home empty, and also in winter, extreme weather conditions are capable of wreaking havoc on your home, even more if you are far away! In view of this, you should bear in mind some things before you go away for your holiday to keep your home safe and secure. Talking about your home insurance, it is important to make sure you have the cover you need and that it remains valid whilst you are away. You should know that if you are away from home for more than a certain number of days, in the event of a loss, the claim coverage could be rejected if the home has been vacant for a period longer than stipulated in your policy. Ensuring that your home insurance provider is aware that the property will be vacant for a long period of time and checking the period in your policy, can make all the difference should the worst happen in your absence. On the other hand, there are many insurance companies which don’t cover wind perils. Liberty Seguros does, but even if yours also covers it,

HEAVY RAIN: Keep your home safe. you should talk to your insurance agent to determine if personal property, such as a swimming pool or your garden furniture, will be covered. With Liberty you can have the peace of mind that your garden furniture will be covered even if it has been damaged by adverse weather conditions. But not all insurers are alike. Another threat to your home arising during the winter season is cold snaps which can cause pipes to burst. Liberty Seguros, for example, will compensate you for the additional water consumption due to a broken pipe, and they will

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Behind THE MUSIC What’s in a vote? V L James | vljcomms@gmail.com | Facebook: @vljamesinfo

Mike Senker In my opinion

It’s Christmas time TO people of a certain age, the annual battle for a Christmas No 1 slot was a pleasing end to the musical year. The 70’s and 80’s saw the creative pinnacle of original Christmas songs. Class i c s b y S l a d e , Wi z z a r d , Wham, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Shakin’ Stevens and Band Aid to name but a few, fill the radio airwaves at this time of year. Not only do these songs provide a musical backdrop to our festivities, they also provide the writers of these songs with a tidy pension, long after they have stopped bothering the charts. Jona Lewie was a talent-

ed musical maverick, but hardly a massive c h a r t s t a r. B u t h i s classically poignant Stop T h e C a v a l r y i s n ’t o n l y a fantastic yearly earworm, it also gives old Jona a handsome yearly financial boost. The ultimate Christmas standard is arguably Merry Christmas Everybody by Slade. Writers Jim Lea and Noddy Holder could pretty much put their feet up if they wanted and look for-

Views of a Grumpy Old Man

JONA LEWIE: Annual Xmas cheque. ward to the royalty cheque every year. The Christmas No 1 battle was pretty much destroyed by Simon Cowell and his soulless annual XFactor fodder for the masses. Thank goodness for Slade et al!

SO Theresa won her vote of confidence, whatever that means. Then, all the experts come on the TV to tell us that although she won, she didn’t really win. Well, did she or didn’t she? So, according to the ‘experts’ although she did get a majority, that majority was made up of all the people on the payroll who were obviously going to vote for her. Then the prince of darkness appears; Jacob Rees Mogg. He is some piece of work saying the percentages were terrible. Here is a short guide to percentages from Jacob Rees Mogg: 63 per cent ‘a terrible result for the prime minister, she must resign,’ but 52 per cent (the referendum result) is ‘a resounding victory.’ The truth is, nobody has a clue what is really going to happen. You have Alan Sugar saying on TV, that everything will grind to a halt on the day we leave Europe. Then someone else instantly says it

won’t. Hard Brexit, soft Brexit, blah, blah, blah. There is nothing we can do. All I do know for sure is the referendum mucked my pension up because the pound crashed. When I mentioned this on the radio, I got the pseudo intellectuals calling in and telling me I’m being selfish because I’m not looking at the ‘bigger picture.’ Well, let me tell you, I don’t give a monkey’s about the ‘bigger picture’ because I have no control over it in any way, shape or form. That’s because it’s all controlled by lying, thieving politicians like Mogg who, by the way, has absolutely no idea what happens in the real world. Then there’s that buffoon Johnson who lied and lied about Brexit in the first place, then ran a mile. So here’s the truth about Brexit and this is 100 per cent correct. There are only two types of experts on this subject: Those who guess right and those who guess wrong. It’s just that at the moment, we don’t know who’s who! Merry Christmas, bah humbug and seasons greetings. mikesenker@gmail.com.

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20 - 26 December 2018

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

OCIAL

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Monica’s brunette tresses were styled into a sleek ponytail, ensuring her enviable bone structure was on display. The star’s flawless skin was enhanced with blusher and her stunning eyes were highlighted with a dramatic smokey eye. The beauty was all smiles and oozed confidence as she posed for photos at the glamorous event in Madrid. Monica was enjoying a night off from parenting duties to her five year-old daughter Antonella.

RED HOT: Monica Cruz

Irina sizzles in Spain Shimmering pearls adorned the gorgeous garment, with the star accessorising with a crystalstudded clutch. Her brunette tresses were pulled back into a sleek ponytail while her pretty features were enhanced with smoky shadow and rose lipstick. She welcomed daughter Lea de Seine Shayk Cooper into the world on March 21, 2017, with her partner Bradley Cooper.

AN EXHIBIT: Will take place at the Centre of Contemporary Art.

Axarquia art AN exhibition of works by an Axarquia artist will take place in Velez-Malaga’s Centre of Contemporary Art. A collection of 69 works by Aurelio Diaz Trillo, known as ‘Buly’, will be on display until

February 10. The exhibition will provide an overview of the last 40 years of works by the artist from Huelva who came to live in Axarquia. The director of museum, Mariluz Reguero, said ‘Buly’, is a figurative painter, and the exhibit represents a journey through his life and his relationship with Axarquia, ‘including some works from private collections.’ The Velez-Malaga Centre of Contemporary Art, from Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm on Calle Felix Lomas, 27, Velez-Malaga, 29700.

Theatre in New York City - which beMARIAH CAREY put on yet another came her first ever residency - as she amazing show on Sunday as she celeplayed a number of nights every Debrated the final gig of her ‘All I cember. want for Christmas is You’ tour In 2017 she started it off in The in Madrid. Beacon, took the show to London The diva looked sensational and France for a few nights and in a figure-hugging plunging then finished at The Colosseum black mini-dress, which at Caesars Palace in showcased her ample Las Vegas. cleavage. But this year’s The 49-year-old leg saw the mumrocked knee-high boots of-two take her and skin-tight black Christmas show all leggings to complete around Europe, hitting the sexy ensemble. Norway, Sweden, DenThis marked the mark, Germany, France, first year that Mariah England, The Netherlands didn’t have a homebase and Belgium; before finset for the festive conishing in Spain. cert series. She first kicked it off in 2014 at the Beacon BEAUTY: Mariah Carey.

New acts announced by Sally Underwood THOSE eagerly-awaiting next year ’s annual Weekend Beach Festival will be pleased to hear organisers have released the names of more acts scheduled to appear. One of the biggest bands will be indie-rock group, Vetusta Morla, who will be performing hits from their fourth studio album, ‘Mismo sitio, distinto lugar.’ Also in the lineup will be Bad Gyal, Medina Azahara, Extrawelt, Talco, Aslandticos, Gioria Angiuli, Nikone, Tebletom, Mr Kilombo, Memo, Blake and Dante.

The popular event, held annually for the last five years in Torre del Mar, has grown in size each year, attracting tens of thousands of festival goers and plenty of big name bands. This summer, 90’s band The Prodigy played, while well-known DJ David Guetta also performed. When 12,000 tickets for the 2019 event went on sale in October, they sold out within hours of launch. The festival, which will take place from July 3 to 6, last year attracted 140,000 fans over four days. For tickets or more information, visit www.weekend beach.es. Credit: www.weekendbeach.es

Credit: www.cacvelezmalaga.es

IRINA SHAYK put on a smouldering display as she attended the opening of the new Porcelanosa store in Castellon de la Plana, Spain. The Vogue coverstar, 32, showcased her stunning figure in a plunging black gown as she posed up a storm for photographers. The daring neckline led into a tucked in waist and flowed into an elegant skirt.

Mesmerising Maria in Madrid

Credit: Mariah Carey/Instagram

BEARING a striking resemblance to her sister Penelope, Monica Cruz caused a stir all of her own as she attended the ELLE Christmas party in Madrid. The 41-year-old Spanish actress ensured all eyes were on her in a sizzling red mini-dress with feathered detailing and glittering embellished lace. She boosted her height with a pair of glamorous silver heels and accessorised with some jazzy triangle-shaped drop earrings.

Credit: monicacruzoficial/instagram

Monica is lady in red

THE FESTIVAL: Has become a fixture in Torre del Mar.

20 - 26 December 2018

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TOSH: Receives extra help over the holidays.

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

THE Mossos de Esquadra, Cataluña’s police force, charged against CDR demonstrators on Constitution Day. Everybody else had a day off and was revving up for Christmas, but the Committees for the Defence of the Republic were out doing their defence job. So Cataluña’s Mossos did their job too, and broke up the demonstrations. Cataluña’s regional president Quim Torra, decided they had violated the CDR members’ de-

Job description mocratic right to demonstrate and ordered purges amongst the highest-ranking Mossos officers. Meanwhile, the CDR continued demonstrating, whereupon the Madrid government called Torra to order. Unless the Mossos can guarantee public safety, Pedro Sanchez will send in reinforcements from the National Police, he warned. Sanchez is just doing his job too, so it would be uncharitable and cynical to link this to the results of the Andalucia elections, and the perception that the government’s conciliatory stance lost the PSOE too many votes.

Ignoring the elephant

CDR: Demonstrators on Constitution Day.

EVERYBODY is pussy-footing around the main reason for Vox’s success in Andalucia. The PSOE government’s handling of the Cataluña crisis is supposed to be a principal reason, and it is likely that the people who vote for Vox, are probably Spanish nationalists. The real problem isn’t even immigration. It’s immigrants. Not the Latin Americans who share a language and, however loosely, the Spanish culture.

Not the expats who love the climate and the Spanish, however little they understand of what goes on in Spain. Vox voters and others, fear a large swathe of immigrants who have left their homelands for better lives in Spain, but bring alien concepts with them. The solution is not Vox’s ‘Spain for the Spanish’ but until a better one comes along, that’s what they’re buying.

Health warning CATALAN-BORN Manuel Valls, the former French prime minister, will run for Barcelona mayor in next year’s municipal elections. There’s a fair chance that he could win, but

there was a warning embedded in Valls’ reference to the cordon sanitaire devised by the French to keep out Le Pen and the populists. This, the former French prime minister said, should apply in Andalucia, but will Ciudadanos and the Partido Popular take heed? Or will they let their ambitions get the better of them by courting Vox, whose 12 seats in Andalucia’s regional parliament are necessary if they are to form a government? Cs should think twice, because although Valls is running as an independent, it’s under the aegis of Rivera’s party. Come May 2019, will he want even a tenuous association with a party which makes concessions to another, and which opposes practically everything it apparently believed in until now?

Borderline issue WHEN Quim Torra talks about a Slovenia-type solution - with 74 deaths - for Cataluña, he could ponder on May and the Northern Ireland backstop. If the unthinkable happened and a Slovenia solution were forced on the 50 per cent of Catalans who do not want independence, how would Quim Torra, Carles Puigdement, the CDR, Omnium, the ANC and die-hard separatists negotiate their border with Spain? Brexit would have nothing on it.

E W N 20 - 26 December 2018

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The record for the most cannon rolls of a car in a film was set during filming for the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale, when an Aston Martin DBS was rolled seven times.

Cars for a safe journey EUROPEAN car safety organisation Euro NCAP has revealed its annual ‘best in class’ winners for 2019, following a year of crash testing. The three cars which have achieved particularly high scores within their segments are the premium MercedesBenz A-Class in the ‘small family cars’ category, the smart Lexus ES in the ‘large family car’ category, and the hydrogen fuel cell Hyundai Nexo in the ‘large off-road’ category. Each of these vehicles represents the best of their body styles within the context of 2018’s testing, which has been a little more stringent in certain areas than in previous years. “In 2018 we introduced tough new tests, with a particular focus on Vulnerable Road User protection,” said Euro NCAP Secretary General, Michiel van Ratingen.

ROAD TEST by Nick Fletcher AUDI’S new Q8 is an attention-grabbing luxury SUV competing against the likes of the Range Rover Sport, BMW X6 and Porsche Cayenne, but the Q8 is such a formidab l e c o n t e n d e r, t h e r e should be no worries back at Audi HQ. Wi t h a b o l d a n d s t r i k ing frontal design, elegant coupe-styling and a sumptuous cabin, the Q8 comes laden with sheer presence and charisma which rivals will find hard to match. Q8 prices start at €72,054 (£65,040) for the S-Line model which has all the essential equipment, but there is an extensive list of options to further individualise the car including sports seats, larger alloy wheels, upgraded sound system, and all-wheel steering. My test model was the S-Line version with a 3.0-litre 282hp V6 diesel engine, mated to an eight-

“The three Best in Class award winners this year all clearly demonstrate that car-makers are striving for the highest levels of protection and that Euro NCAP’s assessments are a catalyst for these crucial safety improvements.” Euro NCAP put automated driving technology to the test in 2018 for the first time, and its findings helped clarify some of the confusion motoring consumers are currently experiencing. Assisted driving systems can bring safety and convenience benefits but full automation is a long way off. “We will follow and assess these developments closely and ensure that

consumers have all the information they need when considering these new driver technologies,” added van Ratingen. Euro NCAP is a Europe-wide organisation which forms the basis of car safety testing, especially crash tests, across the continent. Established over 20 years ago, its ‘star ratings’ give a quick indication as to how safe a car is (or isn’t), while in-

SAFE DRIVE: The Lexus ES combines both style and security. depth reports are available for free on the organisation’s website. In contrast to the ever increasing levels of safety available to car buyers, 2018 has also seen some disappointing Euro NCAP crash test results. The Fiat Panda scored a shocking

zero stars, joining its stablemate the Punto, which scored zero in 2017. The ultra-masculine Jeep Wrangler scored just one star, while the muchanticipated Suzuki Jimny scored a distinctly average three stars. Everything else earned four or more stars this year, with at least an 85 per cent adult occupant protection rating.

Audi Q8 S Line

s p e e d tiptronic automatic gearbox. For a large vehicle, the 0-100kph time of 6.3 seconds is most impressive. To p s p e e d i s 2 4 4 k p h (152mph), average fuel economy of 14.6kpl (41.5mpg) and emissions 178g/km. Despite its coupe looks,

STATS PANEL Model: Audi Q8 50 S-Line Engine: 3.0-litre V6 diesel Transmission: 8-speed automatic Performance: 0-100kph 6.3 seconds, top speed 244kph (152mph) Economy: 14.6kpl (41.5mpg) Emissions: 178g/km

Model tested is UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.

the Q8 is a spacious five-door model offering plenty of leg and headroom in the rear, and a generous 605-litre boot. The seating is very comfortable and the cabin has classy upmarket ambience. Also impressive is A u d i ’s Vi r t u a l C o c k p i t which minimises switches or buttons by locating the

controls on twin screens for maximum ease of use. The V6 diesel engine is smooth and quiet with its power delivery, and eagerly responsive aided by the well-spaced auto gearbox. It has all-wheel-drive and sports-tuned adaptive air suspension as standard and these combine to give the car rail-like cornering poise even in Comfort mode. The speed-dependent power steering gives good road feedback and the dual-circuit brakes with booster and hyd r a u l i c a s s i s t a n c e o ff e r reassuring stopping powe r. A l l t h e s e f e a t u r e s combine to make driving the Q8 an absolute delight. The competition in the luxury SUV sector is int e n s e b u t A u d i ’s l o n g sporting heritage and unrivalled cool image give it a distinct edge. I think whoever test drives the Q8 will find it hard to walk away without placing an order. It’s that good!

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20 - 26 December 2018

EWN 39

Premier League Preview

Credit: @LFC/Twitter

By Tom Woods

SHAQ’S BACK: Xherdan Shaqiri proved the difference in the match. drought as Manchester City claimed a 3-1 win over Everton. Jesus gave City the lead at the Etihad with a low finish following Leroy Sane’s assist, and he made it 2-0 on 50 minutes by heading home from close range from another weighted Sane cross. Everton halved the deficit through Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s header, but

Raheem Sterling restored the two-goal cushion with a header of his own. Man City next travel to Leicester, while Everton will host Tottenham. Charlie Austin struck late in a 3-2 win for Southampton as new manager Ralph Hasenhuttl made an instant impact at St Mary’s to end Arsenal’s 22 game unbeaten run.

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION: Wada chief Olivier Niggli is overseeing a robust investigation.

Wada eyes Moscow laboratory THE World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has said it is ‘another step closer’ to gaining full access to the former Moscow anti-doping laboratory. A team of five experts has been sent to Russia to retrieve the data. Wada lifted a three-year ban on Russia’s anti-doping agency, Rusada, in September, which followed a major scandal over state-spon-

sored doping. Access to the Moscow laboratory data and samples before the end of 2018 was a condition of Russia’s reinstatement. “The raw data is the missing piece of the puzzle,” said Wada director-general Olivier Niggli. He added the data would ‘complement’ the duplicate Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) database that Wada acquired last

year, and ‘help conclude’ its investigations into alleged state-backed doping by Russia. After the data has been reviewed, Russian authorities must retest any samples required by Wada before June 30, 2019. Wada said the data would then be used alongside any reanalysed samples to ‘build cases against athletes who cheated.’

TOP TABLE: Jurgen Klopp. Danny Ings had twice put the Saints ahead with a smartly taken first-half brace on his return to injury, but they were pegged back by two Henrik Mkhitaryan strikes. With the game locked at 2-2, both teams had chances to win it, but substitute Austin headed home in the 85th minute for his fifth goal against the

Gunners after Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno misjudged a high cross. Southampton next travel to Huddersfield, while Arsenal will host Burnley. Other fixtures this weekend will see Chelsea entertain Bournemouth, Watford travel to West Ham, and Newcastle host Fulham.

La Liga Preview

Messi masterclass dismantles Levante LIONEL MESSI scored a hat-trick and created another two goals as Barcelona thrashed 10-man Levante 5-0 to regain a three-point lead at the top of La Liga. The Argentine stole the show, and began the exhibition with a cross for Luis Suarez’s opener. He was then played in on goal by Sergio Busquet’s pass and tucked it into the far corner, before stroking home from the edge of the box for his second. Mess completed his hat-trick with an easy finish from close range for his 50th goal for club and country in 2018, and there was still time for Pique to get in on the act to round off a comprehensive victory. B a r c e l o n a w i l l n e x t h o s t C e l t a Vi g o while Levante will travel to Rayo Vallecano. The champions were joined at the top of La Liga by both Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, who claimed victories over Real Valladolid and Girona respectively. Thibaut Courtois made two injury-time saves as Real Madrid earned a narrow 1-0 home win over Rayo Vallecano.

Credit: FCBarcelona/Twitter

XHERDAN SHAQIRI came off the bench to inspire Liverpool to 3-1 victory over a woeful Manchester United that saw the Reds return to the top of the league. Jurgen Klopp’s side took a deserved lead through Sadio Mane’s neat control and finish from a fine chipped Fabinho pass over the defence. But keeper Alisson was at fault for United’s equaliser as he dropped a cross into the path of Jesse Lingard, who reacted first to scramble the ball home. Liverpool were not to be denied at Anfield though and regained the lead with Shaqiri’s deflected shot from 12 yards that went in off the crossbar. The Swiss maverick secured the points for his team seven minutes later with another deflected effort from 20 yards, securing Liverpool’s return to the summit of the table, one point ahead of Man City. Liverpool next face Wolves while Manchester United will take on Cardiff. Gabriel Jesus ended his goal

Credit: @LFC/Twitter

Liverpool despatch Man U with ease

LIONEL KING: Messi was on fire even for his standards. Karim Benzema got the winner with a confident 13th minute finish for just his second goal in 13 La Liga games. Lucas Vazquez had a shot cleared off the l i n e b e f o r e To n i K r o o s h i t t h e p o s t a n d Emiliano Velazquez went close for Rayo. Sergio Ramos had a goal disallowed for offside, before Courtois’ late heroics. R e a l w i l l n e x t f a c e Vi l l a r r e a l , w h i l e Rayo Vallecano will host Levante.

20 - 26 December 2018 SAUL ‘CANELO’ ALVAREZ knocked Rocky Fielding down four times in an emphatic third-round stoppage win in New York, to claim a version of the WBA world supermiddleweight title and become a champion in three weight divisions.

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Sports Personality award TOUR DE FRANCE winner Geraint Thomas has been voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2018. The Team Sky rider, 32, became only the third Briton to win the race, after Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome.

“I take great pride in representing Britain and Wales,” he said. “It has been a great year for British sport and long may it continue.” In the public vote, Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton

finished second while footballer Harry Kane was third. Thomas was presented with his award by 2017 winner Sir Mo Farah and is the first Welshman to win Sports Personality since footballer Ryan Giggs in 2009. “As a bike rider, I always focus on myself,” added Thomas. “Obviously people want me to win, but hearing stories like Tyson Fury’s and Billy Monger’s, you realise that what we do does inspire people back home.” Thomas’ victory is a just re-

RIDING HIGH: Geraint Thomas deserved the SPOTY award. ward for a stellar career which has seen him win two Olympic and three world team pursuit titles on the track. His Tour de France victory came in his ninth appearance,

one fewer than the record for most appearances before winning. He won two stages of the Tour, including the infamous Alpe d’Huez climb, and wore

the yellow jersey for the final 11 stages. Thomas is the first Welshman to win the Tour, but it is the sixth time in seven years that a Brit has won.