Biff, Bash, Pow!
INTO THE DEPTHS
Brit pens graphic novel inspired by grandparents’ involvement in the Spanish Civil War
Discover the secrets of Spain’s first underwater winery
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Vol. 8 Issue 198
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Beaten by Belarus NATIVES of President Putin’s puppet state of Belarus speak better English than the Spanish. And Argentinians, Romanians and Hondurans also trump them when it comes to mastering the important language. The news comes during a study of over two million global citizens by teaching firm Education First. Within the country, Galicia and Madrid have the best English levels, while Extremadura and La Rioja have the worst. Vigo, in Galicia was Spain’s top English-speaking city with a score of 585, while the region clocked in at 564.
Double Dutch
The results are calculated using three separate English tests from 2.1 million people worldwide. In Spain, the top age group for English speakers were 26-30 year olds. Meanwhile, the Spanish capital got 551 points, followed by Catalunya, the Basque Country, Navarra and Aragon. In comparison, the lowest scoring region was Extremadura with 501 points. In terms of nations, the Dutch come top with 636 points, followed by Norway with 610 points and Singapore with 609 points. Yemen comes bottom.
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Why weren’t we told?
JUST TELL US: Jeroen Reiddel (right) is concerned for his elderly stepmother and wife
After hundreds of migrants are housed at fourstar Costa hotel, worried residents admit they are less of a problem than drunk tourists A ROW has broken out between expats after hundreds of migrants were moved into a quiet Costa del Sol town ‘overnight’. It came after residents told of their shock that neither the Junta, nor Benahavis town hall, were warned of the arrival of 360 Africans migrants. The group, who have been put up in the four star Hotel Oh Nice Cale-
and wife, saying: “This is a residential neighbourhood, it’s no place to drop almost 400 people. donia, in Bel Air, are staying ‘tem- “There are always a few bad apporarily’ while they get assigned ples so I don’t want my loved ones walking alone at night. In the other places to live. While stressing there have been same way, I wouldn’t advise my no incidents - nor a rise in crime, wife to walk through Puerto Banus as some local media have suggest- at 4am,” he added. ed - residents are angry nobody “It’s nothing to do with race, it’s pack mentality. People act differwas consulted. Dutch immi- ently in groups no matter what.” grant Jeroen His views were backed up by comReiddel, 52, munity president Macarena Perez, told the Olive who explained that residents are Press he was ‘not worried because they are racMigrant Amadou Alssane Dia, 30, conconcerned for ist, but because no one told them firmed the locals are treating them ‘well’. his elderly anything’. “The conditions are great, I eat well, sleep s t e p m o t h e r She added: “When you suddenly see strangwell, it’s all good,” he said. ers walking “I left my wife and two young chilthrough your dren behind in Senegal to come here. quiet urbaniI had family problems and somesation it raisone was out to kill me and take my Resident Raquel Sanchez told the es fears and farm.” Olive Press there have been ‘no doubts. Dia said he spent weeks travelling to problems’ and all the migrants “There isn’t Spain, having studied the language do is ‘play basketball and wander much light for two years at university before around’. Most residents we conhere and the making the journey. sulted agreed. roads are By Yzabelle Bostyn & Tom Ewart Smith
We’ve been well treated
bad…we’re just not ready to absorb that many people.” However, former Bel Air resident Mary Page, 81, who now lives in nearby Estepona, disagreed, labelling complaints as ‘ignorant’. “If the migrants were white there would be no issues whatsoever,” she said. “They didn’t come here on flimsy boats to attack rich white women. In fact, when I lived there the white holidaymakers were a huge nuisance, getting drunk and causing chaos.” The migrants, from Mali, Senegal and Gambia among other countries, arrived during the night on January 12. They had been transported from the Canary Islands after making the perilous journey to Spain. “We don’t even know which NGO is responsible for them. If we did we would be delighted to help,” Perez added. A Junta spokesperson told the Olive Press: “We need transparency and coordination from the government. We want to help but it’s impossible without communication.” The hotel is a temporary stop and locals have been told they will be moved to other areas of Spain by swanky rooms and April. suites, ready to serve Benahavis Town up some seriously hot dishes. Hall declined to There are already Hell’s Kitchen comment. restaurants in Las Vegas, Washington DC and Miami. Opinion Page 6
‘NO PROBLEM’
TIME TO LEARN
Devil for dinner
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GORDON Ramsay is set to unleash culinary chaos on Ibiza with Europe’s first Hell's Kitchen restaurant. The fiery chef will bring his trademark sizzle to the brand new Unexpected Hotel in Platja d'en Bossa, promising to turn up the heat on Ibiza's dining scene. Ramsay couldn't contain his excitement, declaring: “Ibiza is the perfect destination to offer the unique Hell's Kitchen experience. I’ll take the island to a whole new gastronomic level!” The restaurant will be part of a mega luxury hotel boasting 181
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