22 November - 28 November 2022

€41.4 million health investment

The draft budget for the Valencian Community for 2023 includes a potential multi million-euro investment in health infrastructure for the Vega Baja region, it was revealed this week.

This means that of the €157 million budgeted for Vega Baja by the Consell, 26% will go to Health. By health department, €30.4 million will

be invested in Orihuela and €11m in Torrevieja.

In terms of overall health investment in the Alicante province, of the €173 million that the Ministry of Health plans to allocate to investments in health infrastructure in the province of Alicante, 41.4 million will go to Vega Baja. Of the entire provincial

health investment planned for 2023 for the Alicante province, 24% will go exclusively to the region.

In Orihuela health department, with an investment of €30.4 million, the expansion of Vega Baja Hospital stands out among the projects planned. In August, the Minister for Health, Miguel Mínguez, presented the project at the hospital and at the end of October the works were awarded for €62.5 million. Work is expected to begin in early 2023. The hospital expansion is a multiannual investment, so for the 2023 budget, an item of €29.34 million is included for this. These works will increase the hospital by 40% with two new buildings attached to the current one and with an increase in capacity with 52 new beds.

Investments in Orihuela and Torrevieja Health Departments

In Orihuela health department, an investment of €400,000 euros is earmarked for a new auxiliary clinic

in Redován, €200,000 euros for a new health centre in Algorfa, and the reform and expansion of the Albatera health centre (€500,000 euros).

For Torrevieja health department, the budget for 2023 amounts to 11 million euro. Of this, €8 million corresponds to the University Hospital, of which €5 million will be allocated to the expansion of the hospital itself and €3 million to the incorporation of new equipment.

It also includes the expansion of Guardamar del Segura and Orihuela Costa health centres, both with an investment of one million euro each. In the latter, it is expected that the tender for the drafting of the project and construction management will be done before the end of this year. The budget includes a nal million euro for the incorporation of new equipment distributed throughout the health department.

Budget breakdown

The Vega Baja is the only region in the Valencian Community that has speci c itemised accounts within the framework of the Generalitat’s budgets. Of the 157 million budgeted for the region in 2023, health infrastructures are the second area with the highest investment (€41.4 million), very close to investments to reduce the risk of ooding (€42.9 million). The rest is distributed with €38.6 million for educational infrastructure, €17.4 for road infrastructure, €10.8 million for water treatment, €5.7 million for agricultural infrastructure and water use and €987,000 for other investments.

Lack of delivery staff jeopardises Black Friday and Christmas sales

Lack of Correos sta is threatening to collapse distribution on Black Friday and pre Christmas, workers unions warned this week.

The CSIF workers union expressed its concern about the deterioration of the postal service in the province of Alicante where, currently, sta shortages are preventing an adequate provision of service. CSIF says that thousands of delivery noti cations are accumulating in Correos o ces across the province and it fears the system will collapse before Black Friday and the Christmas holidays. CSIF also claims the post o ce only plans to reinforce sta ng by o ering extra hours to current workers - a move that CSIF has branded totally insu cient.

Workers warn that they are the ones who are going to have to extend their working day with extra hours and take on a greater workload, despite

the fact that they are already overwhelmed by the current workload. The union also remarked that many of the current workers present serious health deterioration with anxiety and depression and even accidents at work.

The forecast was that in November there would be reinforcement contracts to solve these problems, but the only action that has so far been taken is minimal parttime reinforcements in the sorting o ce where mail is distributed for the province and in the o ces for Customer Support.

In terms of actual delivery, except for the planned overtime and two one-week contracts that have already nished in Elche, there has been no more support to try to deal with

Healthcare Team to join Torrevieja North Meeting

The Healthcare Team from the British Embassy will be joining the Torrevieja North Residents Neighbourhood Watch meeting on the 28th November.

Starting at 4.30 at Oasis San Luis, the Healthcare team will be telling the group what services and support the healthcare team provide to UK Nationals, covering services such as the S1 system, GHICs, what to do when visiting the UK and need treatment or prescriptions etc. There will follow a question and answer session. People will be able to ask personal questions of the team after the meeting or make an appointment to talk to the team in private. Because of the wider scope of having the healthcare team at this meeting, non-residents will be welcome to attend.

Torrevieja North residents are advised that at this meeting the chairman will be standing down and unless a new chairman volunteers there will be no future meetings.

the enormous volume of pending noti cations and to face the di cult weeks that lie ahead with a huge surge in the amount of packages expected with people ordering Black Friday deals and Christmas shopping.

Dozens of people participated in a series of talks organised by local town halls in collaboration with the Alicante Provincial Council which took place recently in Orihuela Costa, Rojales and Torrevieja. The seminars aimed at informing international residents about their right to vote in the next municipal elections, scheduled for 28th May next year.

All talks were led by the British Vice Consul, Sara Munsterhjelm and Brahim El-Habib from the Diputación de Aliante. In Torrevieja, they were accompanied by Councillor for International Residents Gitte Lund Thomsen at the Virgen del Carmen Cultural Centre.

The Assembly Hall of the Town Hall in Orihuela Costa hosted the information session there, which was attended by the Councillor for Immigration and Citizen Participation, Ángel Luis Muñoz.

The talks were mainly designed to address who can vote and how they can register to do so, since in the forthcoming elections, in addition to Spanish citizens of legal age, citizens of the European Union and several countries which have signed a reciprocal agreement with Spain for that purpose are able to vote. This is of special interest to Britons Since, at the end of the transition period for Brexit on 31st December 2020, citizens who were eligible to vote previously now may, or may not be eligible depending on whether they meet certain conditions.

The UK now enters in the list of countries with a reciprocal voting

agreement. There are some di erences to note. Registering to vote is not automatic and the electoral role is renewed at each election (therefore, after registering for the 2023 election, UK nationals will have to go through the same registration process again in advance of the next municipal or European election). Other criteria include that the individual:

• Be on the padrón in the town where they want to vote

Has lived legally in Spain for at least three years (not necessarily in the same town)

Be over 18

Has con rmed your intent to vote and enrols on the electoral roll before

the deadline (before 30th January for EU citizens, between 1 December 2022 and 15 January 2023 for citizens of countries with an agreement).

While there is no minimum residency period required for EU citizens to be eligible to vote, Non-EU citizens must have had legal residence for between 3 and 5 years (3 years for the UK/Norway, 5 years for other countries on the list).

All citizens not currently on the electoral role and who are eligible to vote should receive a letter at the end of November asking them if they wish to exercise their right to vote. The letter can be signed and returned, or it will have a link for online registration. It is expected that due to errors, postal

di culties and so on, some people will not receive this letter. It’s important, if you don’t get a letter by the rst week in December, to go to your local town hall to ask to be put on the electoral register. In Torrevieja, you can do so at Censo y Estadistica but as it can be di cult to get an appointment, you can contact the International Residents Department who can help - email pangea@torrevieja.eu

In Orihuela Costa, procedures are carried out at the municipal census o ce, although it is necessary to make an appointment in advance through the municipal website: www.orihuela. es/alcaldia-y-atencion-al-ciudadano/ concejalia-de-estadistica /patron-

municipal-de-habitantes/ where other details of the procedure are also available.

Wherever you currently live, if you are a UK citizen and don’t receive a letter inviting you to register to vote by early December, you are urged to contact your town hall.

For anyone who missed the talks so far, there is another talk in San Fulgencio which takes place at Cardenal Bellugal Theatre on Calle Rojales 16, San Fulgencio on Friday November 25 beginning at 10am.

Those interested in nding out more and registering for the next talk can also obtain more information on the website: www.votoresidentesalicante.com

Falling electricity bills

Residents in Spain can breathe a huge sigh of relief as electricity costs dropped from Saturday to their lowest since June 2021. At a wholesale price of €56 per megawatt per hour (mWh), this is around a quarter of the costs seen in recent months, where gures of over €200 were becoming commonplace.

Whilst Spain’s government has worked to cap bills for households and industry – through tax cuts and windfall taxes on energy companies – the cost of electricity generated in the country has never yet fallen to the €53 per mWh seen on 20th June, 2021.

Back then, utility bills had been relatively stable for some years, with only minor rises or falls according to the wholesale cost at bi-monthly auctions. It was just under a year and a half ago, that the retail price of electricity at source began to soar.

The price for Saturday, the result of the latest wholesale ‘energy auction’, is the lowest it has been since then.

In Spain’s case, although the con ict in Ukraine has had an impact on fuel prices worldwide, mains electricity and gas are far less dependent upon the Russian pipeline, meaning the e orts requested by the European Union of member States to cut their consumption by at least 15 percent this winter are somewhat more relaxed

here.

Part of the reason for this is that Spain’s gas ports supply 35 percent of Portugal’s electricity and between 4 percent and 5 percent of that of France, meaning the country generates more than enough of its own not to have to worry about a potential shortage if the Russian supply is a ected.

Some of the reason for the reduction in prices, which will re ect in householders’ and business owners’ bills, is due to the increasing generation of renewable energy for the mains supply. Wind power is now a particularly strong element, with over 50 percent of national electricity production coming from wind farms as at this week.

Additionally, the so-called ‘Iberian exception’ – which means Spain and Portugal’s natural gas prices, used for electricity generation, are capped and has allowed for more leniency within the European Union’s requirement, as yet non-binding, to reduce consumption – has kept electricity wholesale prices down.

According to the Iberian Electricity Market Operator (OMIE) and the Iberian Gas Market, without this ‘exception’ being permitted, the cost per mWh would be €91.40, rather than €56.

Spain’s population grows, thanks to foreign residents

Spain’s population has increased for the rst time since the beginning of 2019, which followed several years of decline, and is now comfortably above the 47 million milestone, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE). For many years leading up to the start of the 2020s, the headcount was in freefall and sat at around 46 to 46.5 million, but by 2019 it was returning to levels considered ‘normal’ – closer to numbers seen in the rst ve or 10 years of the 21st century.

In total, 47,615,034 people live permanently in Spain, as at 1st July, 2022, but the increase is due to inward migration rather than more children being born – in fact, the national birth rate, which continues to fall, was at its lowest ever in 2021.

At any one time, more deaths than births have been recorded in Spain, and 2022 has been no exception –a negative balance of 75,409 was reported. This means 75,409 babies would need to have been born in the rst half of the year to ‘ ll the place’ of people who died.

As is usually the case, therefore, Spain’s population increase is the result of inward migration, with a positive balance of 258,547. This means that once the number of residents leaving the country has been deducted from the number of new arrivals, the total headcount rise is 258,547.

The net population increase from January to June 2022 was 182,141, the INE says.

It predicts Spain’s population will rise by around ve million in the next 50 years through immigration.

Based upon the rst six months of 2021, immigration in the same period of 2022 is 137.9 percent - back then, a total of 478,990 people moved to Spain, whilst 220,443 left.

Foreign resident numbers in 2021 reduced in Spain, but not entirely due to them moving away – a total of 105,639 inhabitants who were born abroad acquired Spanish citizenship that year, meaning they count as a reduction in ‘migrant’ statistics and are now recorded as being Spaniards.

The second-largest increase by national group is Ukraine, due to the con ict in the eastern European country and other nations welcoming

refugees.

Incoming residents from other countries went up by 172,456 in the rst half of this year, reaching a total foreigner population of just under 5.58 million – the greatest rise since 2019.

Colombian nationals were the most numerous among the incomers, with 60,142 arriving, followed by Ukrainians, with 48,396 so far being resettled in the country.

Spain has never closed the door to Ukrainian nationals, meaning the evolution of the con ict may see more refugees; additionally, all Ukrainians already living in Spain, even if they were settled there before the Russian invasion, are automatically entitled to legal residency irrespective of their work status, income and other factors.

New purchase conditions for Torrevieja’s consumer vouchers

The Councilor for Commerce of Torrevieja town hall, Rosario Martínez, announced that in the forthcoming 6th edition of the town’s “Bono Consumo” shopping vouchers, there will be an important change for online purchases. The user, when entering the online purchase page, will be asked to verify their identity electronically. Therefore, it will be necessary for the buyer to have a digital certi cate or Cl@ve pin.

Rosario Martínez also revealed that to facilitate obtaining the electronic signature or digital certi cate to those who do not yet have it, Torrevieja City Council will provide a service point in the PROP o ce (next to the City Council), from now until December 2. Starting this week, the schedule will be from Monday to Thursday in the morning and afternoon (9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) and on Fridays in the morning (9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.).

The Councillor of Commerce was keen to remind shoppers that on December 3, at 10:00 a.m., the online sale of the new consumer voucher campaign will open. The vouchers can be exchanged in participating businesses until December 31, the date on which this sixth Bono Consumo campaign ends.

The Bono Consumo, an initiative created by Torrevieja City Council in collaboration with APYMECO, the town’s small and medium business association, has become the most important campaign for the

reactivation of commerce and hostelry sectors that any public administration has launched. Shoppers are able to buy vouchers for, as an example, €10 but they are worth €20. It is anticipated

that once again, the limited amount of shopping vouchers will sell out, especially as many local consumers will be using these vouchers to buy Christmas gifts at half price.

Campoverde remembered them

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month is the time we set aside to remember all those who have fought and died for us to defend our freedom and democracy.

In order to mark this very important time of Remembrance, Campoverde Church in the Community held two events for the people of Campoverde to come together as a community to remember and give thanks for these sacri ces.

On Saturday November 12 a concert was held in Campoverde Church, entitled “O Soldier. Soldier”. Mike and Pip Shail put together a programme of readings and songs about the sacri ces made by all those who fought and for their loved ones who su ered the grief of loss. Around 20 people came to the church to share in this very moving tribute. The donations made at the end of the concert will all be donated to the Royal British Legion.

Sunday November 13 was Remembrance Sunday. Campoverde Church in the Community considers this to be one of the most important dates in our Calendar and has always made a special e ort to make our Act of Remembrance special. So, at 6pm Campoverdians came together in the Church Garden to remember and give thanks.

We started with an introduction by James McAllister who reminded us that we were there to remember real people - sons, brothers, fathers, uncles - who were prepared to ght

and die to preserve the freedom and democracy that were under imminent threat of being taken away. This ght involved unimaginable pain, su ering and often certain death, but these brave people were prepared to su er all that so that their families, their country and us today could be free. James likened this sacri ce to that made by Jesus Christ on the cross, not because of any wrong-doing He had committed but to free us from sin and ensure us of eternal life through His death. The Act of Remembrance

included the playing of the Last Post and the Reveille and the laying of the wreath under the cross in the Church Garden. We were pleased that one of the younger members of our community, Josh Sharp, recited the Exhortation and Mike Shail, exservices, recited the Kohima Epitaph. Some of those present wrote the names of their loved ones on special little crosses and placed them under the cross. Everyone present felt they had remembered and honoured all those who had given their lives for us in the best way they could.

Free World Cup Planner

The countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2022 is over with the rst-ever winter edition of the tournament now underway.

Host nation Qatar got the tournament underway as they took on Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday. The Costa Blanca People has printed a full-size, full-colour wall chart so you can plot your

favourite team’s path to the nal. Kick-o times and full details for all 64 xtures are provided so you can map out the tournament as it unfolds. This is your essential at-aglance guide to the biggest festival of football in the world. Available for free at selected outlets across the southern Costa Blanca.

Flight to Alicante diverted as flight attendant sexually assaulted

A Jet2 ight due to land in Alicante last Saturday morning was forced to undertake an emergency landing in France when a member of the cabin crew was sexually assaulted by a passenger. The pilot changed trajectory and was forced to land the plane in Nantes airport.

A French court will now try a 66-year-old Briton accused of sexually assaulting the ight attendant during the plane journey, forcing the Jet2 airline to change ight path and land in France instead of Spain, according to police and prosecutors.

French border police told news agencies, that on Saturday morning, “after the commander’s request, the plane changed trajectory and was forced to land at Nantes airport, in western France).”

The ight had taken o from

Leeds, in the north of England, and was destined for Alicante. The passenger, who acknowledged the sexual assault committed against the ight attendant, was held at a local police station where the victim also made a statement to French police, the same source said.

The suspect, a retired Briton, “is under judicial control pending his appearance before the correctional court on December 13,” the Nantes prosecutor’s o ce reported.

When the defendant was detained by the security forces, “he was very drunk,” with levels of 2.2 grams of alcohol per litre of blood, the same source explained.

A ight between Manchester and Faro (Portugal) had to change trajectory in May after ve drunk English men disturbed other passengers.

Police dismantle laboratory with 450 marijuana plants in Catral

Agents of the Local Police have dismantled a marijuana cultivation laboratory with 450 plants that was installed inside a house. In addition to growing marihuana plants, police detected a fraudulent electricity connection and seized a large amount of equipment used by the criminals to simulate the arti cial conditions necessary for the growth of the cannabis plants.

The anti-drug operation was carried out in collaboration with Agents of the Local Police of Catral and the Guardia Civil of Dolores. The entire plantation has been seized and the judicial

Brit arrested for Benidorm murder

A 62-year-old British man has been arrested for stabbing a 68-year-old Irish man to death in Benidorm as around 45,000 people descended on the

resort for the 25th anniversary of the annual Fancy Dress Party. The men are believed to have lived together in Rincon de Loiz where a

violent argument led to both being stabbed. Paramedics managed to revive the older man, but he later died in hospital.

Spanish police to investigate war crimes in Ukraine

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Monday at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Madrid that Spanish police will be sent to Ukraine over the coming weeks to assist in the investigation of alleged war crimes.

According to the Spanish Interior Ministry, a delegation

of Spanish police o cers has already arrived in Kyiv to meet with o cials from the Ukrainian public prosecutor’s o ce.

The two nations de ned the parameters of their collaboration and the deployment zones during their initial meeting, according to the ministry.

In order to gather data that

could be used in trials looking into possible transgressions of international law following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, Spanish o cers will collaborate with Ukrainian investigators and prosecutors.

The opening of a new training facility for Ukrainian forces was also announced by Sanchez.

authority has been informed. The investigation is ongoing by

detectives of the Guardia Civil of Dolores.

Final Salary Pension –How safe is yours?

The on-going turmoil in the UK continues to play havoc with the nancial markets with stocks and shares plummeting and the pound losing ground against the major currencies.

The volatility in the gilts market caused a real scare amongst pension companies recently with many companies facing the prospect of not being able to meet their commitments. This could have resulted in certain pension providers becoming insolvent and the scheme being absorbed into the UK Government Pension Protection Fund.

However, pension fund managers breathed a sigh of relief at the Bank of England’s £65bn emergency intervention to stabilise UK Government Bonds (known as gilts).

Once a pension provider enters the Pension Protection Fund, members lose their right to transfer to a Personal Invested Pension. Also, depending on your age, you could see a reduction in your pension payments.

To avoid this happening to your “ nal salary scheme” you can request a cash equivalent transfer value in order to secure your pension pot. Moreover, you won’t have to worry anymore about the fund’s ability to pay your pension throughout your retirement.

If you are daunted by the bureaucracy and would like help and advice as to whether going down this route is right for you, then help is on hand. Our team of advisers here at Seagate have a wealth of knowledge and would be only

too happy to assist you.

There are a number of nancial advisers on the Costa Blanca so the question is “why choose Seagate?” I believe that we o er a unique service to our clients. We have a fully sta ed local o ce in Benijofar with a back-up admin team, Client Account Managers and a Pension Specialist. This means that we have a team that will support you with six monthly reviews of your investment or pension and we provide full administration for withdrawals, encashments and tax guidance. Do not delay making a decision, call us today.

For a free no-obligation chat with a UK quali ed adviser, call 965 704 338 or email: contact@seagatewealth.es

€5.1 million budget modification for Torrevieja

An extraordinary plenary session of Torrevieja’s government this week approved a modi cation of credit in the local budget to the value of €5,186,661. The session approved supplementary credit, extraordinary credit and the modi cation of the town hall’s personnel budget.

The Councillor of Economy and Finance, Domingo Paredes, indicated that with this budget modi cation, with a value of 5,186,661 euros, many ongoing issues can be solved.

With amendments to the personnel budget (of €3,400,000) contracts can be regulated and a payrise of 1.5%, in arrears since January 2022, can be brought up to date.

The modi cation of the municipal budget was voted against by PSOE, Los Verdes, Sueña Torrevieja and three independent councillors. However, the report of the Comptroller indicated that the modi cation was declared sound by the General Secretariat and the court, meaning it is perfectly t for purpose.

Domingo Paredes condemned the opposition for once again trying to paralyse the management of the budget by the PP government team, leaving uncertainty for budgeted items such as improvement works to Las Torretas, San Roque, Los

Balcones and other areas of the town. Paredes said that through this modi cation, many of these projects can now progress. In addition, the Councillor said that, as has been happening throughout the entire term so far, the opposition will try to delay the execution of projects that are very necessary for all the citizens of Torrevieja, although so far, none of their attempts have been successful.

Paredes explained that with this modi cation to the budget, many plans have been accounted for including:

Execution of the Pedestrian Path that will join the University Hospital of Torrevieja and the cemetery bridge, with the paving of a path through the back of the wasteground up to the bridge over the N-332. For this, an investment of 275,000 euros

will be made to facilitate pedestrian access for all citizens.

Drafting of the remodelling project for the Torretas, which goes up from 91,000 euros to 517,095 euros, thus increasing the budget by 426,095 euros.

-Drafting of the project for the new Bus Station, which will be located on a municipal plot in the area where the Civil Protection headquarters are currently located, next to the CV-905. The budget for drafting this project amounts to 433,951 euros.

Drafting of the project for the San Roque Multipurpose Centre. The investment for the drafting of the project is 106,142 euros.

The drafting of a project for the construction of a Business Technology Centre, which has an investment of 360,000 euros.

GBP / EUR UPDATE

GBP

The much-anticipated Autumn budget statement, announced by UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt yesterday (Thursday), delivered a substantial package of tax rises combined with spending cuts, that at £55bn, seek to reverse the shambolic ‘mini’ budget tax cuts and unfunded spending plans, orchestrated by his predecessor Kwasi Kwarteng just eight weeks ago. The package has also been designed with the aim to tax those who can a ord it more, with an increased tax on energy companies, with their windfall taxes on pro ts rising from 25 to 35%, and the point at which higher income earners get taxed has been lowered from £150k to £125,140.

Energy bills set to rise

As expected, the help with energy bills scheme will now be scrapped for all from next April, which is set to see a typical energy bill rise from around £2,500 to £3,000 per year, although in reality, many typical consumers will have been paying far more for their energy supplies, even before the government changes come into consideration. However, extra payments will be coming for those on bene ts, pensioners and disability bene ts.

A shorter recession

Interestingly enough, many of the increases in taxes will not kick-in until after the next election, although that may just have been a complete coincidence. The o ce of Budget Responsibility (OBR) also suggested that the planned tax rises and spending cuts should ensure that the UK recession is far shorter. Given the fact that the UK is currently paying more in interest charges on existing debt, than on any public service bar the NHS, the need for a re-think, albeit at a time when the cost-of-living increases is already making it tough for so many, has been clearly evident. This

is especially so, given that surging in ation, at over 11%, will ensure that the BoE will need to consider further rate hikes, even if the UK is now already in a recession, according to the good people at the OBR.

Sterling slips

The pound slipped on the session, but the market reaction has been fairly positive, when balanced against the apocalyptic reaction from the last version delivered by the previous chancellor Kwarteng. GBP/USD slipped from a high of around 1.1958 to under 1.1765, however, much of that move can be attributed to a broader risk-o session across the board, with the dollar nding some intra-day strength. Indeed, by Friday morning, GBP/USD was back over 1.1900 again. GBP/EUR drifted from around 1.1460, to 1.1400, before bouncing too.

EURO Mixed signals

Having bounced from around 0.9750 to just under 1.0400 from the beginning of November to the end of last week, this week has been fairly at for EUR/USD, with the single currency maintaining those gains, without pressing forward. Mixed messages have played their part, with rumours of a split amongst the ECB as to whether they should continue raising Euro area rates at 75bps going forward, or adopt a smaller pace of hikes. Economic data has also plated its part, on the one hand, slightly softer regional headline (Harmonized) yearly in ation of 10.6%, versus an expectation of 10.7% could be considered a positive, however, weaker regional employment gains, soft growth, and tepid manufacturing data, also suggest that the economic slowdown is accelerating. Weaker PMIs to come?

Christmas Fair in the Port of Jávea

Every Sunday morning you can nd a small group of original craft stalls on the sea side boulevard at the end of the Avenida Jaime I in the Port of Jávea. But on 3 and 4 December they will be there the whole day. The shopkeepers’ association of the Port, who is behind these craft fairs, has asked the artisans to come those two days in full force to start the Christmas season.

Some twenty or so stalls are expected, each one o ering something di erent, but all of them decorated in Christmas style and focused on the coming fesitive days. The public has an opportunity to buy original (and even personalized!) presents for Christmas and the Three Kings, the artisans have an extra chance to sell their work and the fair will attract more people to the Port, and can see for themsleves how much this part of Jávea has to o er.

The Fair is organised by craft association Amata, guarantee that everything on sale is hand-made by the participants themselves! There will be stalls with leatherwork, ceramics, wooden and soft toys and jewellery in all sorts of material. A painter specialised in portraits of people and pets, another artist who makes water colours

and another paper maché gure. And as all participants are real artisans, they can make something special for you if you can’t nd what you are looking for.

The Christmas market opens on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4

December from 11 am till 8 pm and stays open at midday. You can nd them in Google Maps at https://goo.gl/maps/ rx5uWDjHiYs and last minute changes are announced at https://www.facebook.com/ feriaartesaniajavea/.

Immigrant exploitation gang arrested in Albatera

National Police have dismantled, in Albatera, a network dedicated to the exploitation of immigrants as day labourers in the fruit picking industry in the provinces of Alicante, Murcia and Almería.

The network used a temporary work agency in Albatera as a front to give the appearance of legality to the exploitation of foreign workers in an undocumented situation. The workers were charged between 6,000 and 8,000 euros to provide them with contracts with which to regularise their stay in Spain.

24 people of di erent nationalities in Albatera and Murcia have been arrested, among which are those responsible for the scheme, which took advantage of the vulnerability of immigrants in an undocumented situation, who were then subjected to long, labour intensive working days for very little pay.

The Police revealed that those investigated are accused of crimes against the rights of workers, belonging to a criminal organisation, crimes against the rights of foreign citizens, crimes against the Public Treasury and Social Security and document falsi cation.

The investigation began at the beginning of the year by the Unit

against Immigration Networks and Document Falsities (UCRIF) of Elche Police Station.

Investigators became aware of a network that exploited immigrants as day labourers for fruit picking and began to carry out inquiries. It wasn’t long before o cers detected the actions of a criminal organisation behind the exploitation of vulnerable immigrant workers.

Immigrants were subjected to marathon working hours, violating their most fundamental labour rights. The “modus operandi” used by the criminal network ranged from registering workers in an irregular situation, to “hiring workers who did not carry out any type of work activity and were not even in the country, to then change identities between workers in order to hire and avail of Social Security,” according to the Police.

The managers of the organisation charged between 6,000 and 8,000 euros to each immigrant that they fraudulently regularised through a network of companies with which they operated. Thanks to this, each worker bene ted from access to di erent social bene ts, such as unemployment or maternity bene ts.

Those involved also allegedly

defrauded Social Security, since they declared up to 85% less than what was actually worked by the immigrants.

Once all those involved had been identi ed, Elche National Police established sting operations in Albatera and Murcia for the location and interception of vans used to transport irregular foreign workers.

O cers intercepted up to nine vans, from which they were able to identify more than thirty foreigners in an irregular situation in Spain.

The National Police continues to carry out investigative e orts in order to locate more possible victims.

Festive season dates for Spangles

The lead up to Christmas is always a busy time for Spangles and this year is no exception. They’ve chosen The Grinch as their 2022 theme, which should prove popular with the youngsters and adults alike.

“We wanted to have a bit of fun with a new song and The Grinch ts the bill nicely” said Chorus Manager, Lyn Baines. “Everyone loves the idea and you’ll see us singing in various locations, sporting our Grinch t-shirts and Grinch earrings (made by new chorus member, Kate Purdom).”

They’ve already completed their rst singing event this year, at the hugely successful Artisan Fair at La Nueva Taberna on Mazarrón Country Club. aIf you’d like to catch a performance, here’s a list of when and where

they will be singing this year:

30 November - 18.00 (private event)

A Cappella Singing Fun

Escuala O cial de Idiomas de Cartagena

1 December - 20.00

Christmas Lights Switch On Spanglish, Balsicas 4 December - 11.30 & 13.30

Pink Ladies Christmas Fun Run La Zenia Boulevard 8 December - 11.00

Christmas at Unica Garden Centro San Javier

13 December - 20.00 (private event)

Singing at the English Folk Club The Madhouse, Orihuela 14 December - 18.00

Christmas at Zarco’s Cocktail Bar

Avda Rio Nalón, Los Alcázares 15 December - from 14.00

Rio Nalón Christmas Sing! Tipsy Thistle, Boochies & Le Petit Bistrot

So, why not pop along and get in the festive mood at these events?

Spangles is a ladies’ a cappella chorus, singing in four part harmony. They rehearse every Thursday, from 10.30 am to 1.00 pm at Centro Municipal Las Claras, Calle Helena, Los Narejos, Los Alcázares and visitors are always welcome. If you’d like to book the chorus for an event or you are thinking about joining them, you can nd out more on their website: www. spangleschorus.com or email info@spangleschorus.com

My wife and I divorced 7 years ago after I had an affair. I admit it was all my fault, and my wife was very hurt at the time. We have a daughter who is now 10. We both agreed at the time to separate because she could not get over my cheating. It was fairly amicable and I have regular access to my daughter. Since then, my ex has had relationships that have meant nothing to me. But now she has met someone who is older, handsome, very successful and phenomenally

wealthy and I find myself feeling very envious and resentful. I continue to struggle financially, and she falls on her feet. She is now facing a life of no hardship whatsoever, while I will have to continue working. My daughter is also changed; she is being spoiled by her step-father to be, whilst I cannot give her the life she has become accustomed to. I understand how hard this must be for you, however you walked away from the marriage several years ago, so you can’t now be regretting it just

because your ex-wife has found someone whom you envy. You had an affair and you admit it hurt her greatly at the time. You admit you wouldn’t be feeling the same if this man was not rich and successful, or you would be getting on with your life. And, everyone has to work. Put all your energy into your relationship with your daughter; you may not be able to give her the same life but that’s just the way the cookie has crumbled, so I can only suggest making the best of it. Give your daughter your time instead of trying to match the wealth provided by her step-father to be.

054 467.

WRITE TO SARA IN CONFIDENCE. A PSEUDONYM WILL BE USED IF YOU WISH. SARA READS ALL LETTERS AND CAN GIVE A PERSONAL REPLY. EMAIL YOUR QUESTION TO SARA@ COSTABLANCAPEOPLE.COM OR SARA IS AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS, TELEPHONE 650

Truck drivers call off strike

Truck drivers in Spain have called o their strike over the rising cost of living on, just one day after it started, due to low turnout. Only around 1,000 protesters took part in a demonstration in central Madrid on the rst day of the open-ended strike called by the National Platform in Defence of Transport, which represents self-employed truck drivers and small trucking rms.

The turnout was disappointing, with organisers and supporters hoping the strikes would cause major disruption to the supply and logistics network. Some protests planned for other cities were called o due to a lack of participants and no major disruptions in deliveries were reported.

In a statement, the group blamed the low participation on a “relentless harassment campaign” from rival trucker lobby groups, as well as some o cials and media outlets, which it said sought to

“discredit the movement”.

It had called the strike to demand additional support from Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government, accusing it of “inaction” in the face of soaring in ation.

The truckers obtained a onebillion-euro aid package which included rebates on the price of fuel after staging a 20-day strike in March and April, which led to a sporadic shortage of milk and fresh produce.

That strike had the backing of mainstream haulers lobby groups, but this time major unions such as UGT and CCOO rejected the move, calling it “disproportionate” and “politically motivated”.

The government deployed over 50,000 police to monitor the rst day of the strike and “guarantee that the vast majority of carriers who want to work can do so,” Transport Minister Raquel Sanchez said.

Orihuela homes to be legalised

Twenty houses on an estate in Orihuela are set to be legalised after two-decades of red-tape has nally been cut. The mostly British residents of Los Mazones,

who unwittingly bought houses on undeveloped land in 2000, have presented a plan to the council that would allow the development to become legal and nally put

the risk of demolition behind them. The plan requires each homeowner to pay 16,500 euros each to meet the legal requirements of urbanisation.

If you have a question or problem that needs my help, please email Brian at cbtechnology.help@gmail. com. If you want to join the Technology Help Group search Facebook for “Costa Blanca Technology Help Group”. If you do not use Facebook you can still join by sending an email with your details to cbtechnology. help@gmail.com.

When joining on Facebook please make sure that you scroll all the way through and answer all questions and give your email address. I use your email address as the primary means of communication.

Scan the QR for a reminder of what the Costa Blanca Technology Help Group o ers.

“Please tell me why when I double click on a le in Windows Explorer nothing happens. I have tried several times and I cannot understand why my selection does not open?”

It is probably that you don’t have a program that will open

the les.

Your tech questions answered by Brian Hoile of the Costa Blanca Technology Help Group, helping over 200 members with their PCs, smartphones and more. Find the group on Facebook (Costa Blanca Technology Help Group) or attend the meetings in person or online via Zoom.

The le selected in what you sent me is an odt le.

ODT les are types of documents created with word processing applications that are based on Open Document Text File format. These are created with word processing applications such as the free OpenO ce Writer and can hold content such as text, images, objects and styles

If you double-click on a le in Windows Explorer, then there needs to be an application set to open that le type.

If no match, then the le won’t open.

What do you use for creating documents and spreadsheets?

In Windows, each le type needs to have an associated application to open it.

If you go to Windows settings. Search for Apps/ Default AppsChoose defaults by le type.

Scroll down to .odt. Choose an Application like Word or Open O ce to open the le.

Next time you double-click on the le name in Windows Explorer it will open in the selected App.

“How to remove someone

from WhatsApp who is not in Contacts?”

To delete a chat and delete the sender (not in your Contacts) press and hold on to the contact. At the top of the page click on the bin icon.

Delete contacts who are in your Contacts.

1. A single contact: Tap the contact. At the top right, tap More Delete. Delete.

2. Multiple contacts: Touch and hold contact and then tap the other contacts. Tap Delete. Delete.

3. All contacts: At the top right, tap More Select all Delete. Delete.

“How do I use Copy and Paste?”

When you copy and paste on a computer item or text is copied to the “Paste Bu er”. This is an area of working memory or RAM. This will stay in the Paste Bu er until overwritten (by another Copy) or if the computer is switched o or cleaned.

You can paste the Paste Bu er’s contents to any other location or several locations one after the other.

Brian Hoile Technology Help Group

Join the Group by searching Facebook for “Costa Blanca Technology Help Group” Send your questions to cbtechnology.help@gmail.com

Studio32 provide a fitting tribute to Broadway

By Kevin Reardon

If, like me, you are a fan of Musical Theatre, you will have spent at least one-night last week in San Fulgencio’s Cardenal Belluga Theatre, watching members of Studio32 express their emotions and thoughts through song.

You will have found yourself caught up in the exuberance of their live performance; over thirty talented people giving their all before an audience, something to truly make your heart sing out.

If you are also a Broadway fan, as am I, you probably have hundreds of song lyrics stored in your brain. And if, like Studio32, you are tasked with putting together a musical revue, how on earth do you begin to choose those songs?

Well, whoever did make the choice did a grand job, with songs from nine classic musicals, the performance in many of which can be rated in words that every actor wants to hear “Almost as good as the original!”

Yes, there were a few ‘bum notes’, some of the acting was a little ‘sti ’, the sound system could have been much better, but all in all it was a top notch performance that the likes of Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli and Judy Garland would all have been proud of.

With one or two late withdrawals due to illness, the show opened powerfully with the very rst musical written by

the duo of Rogers and Hammerstein, Oklahoma.

As Rae Daniel, Katy Pearl and Margaret Cobb set the scene, even at that early stage we could see that we were in for a night of emotion, enjoyable and poignant memories, even the occasional goosebump, remembering those early Broadway songs that many of us were brought up on.

Rose McLean showed her amazing talent as she ‘washed that man right outta her hair’ in the act that was taken from the second Rogers and Hammerstein selection, South

evening got underway with three songs from Cole Porter’s ‘Anything Goes’.

Recent Studio32 favourite ‘Guys and Dolls’ brought Andy Kirkwood and Richie Lucey back onto the stage before Rae Daniel turned un a ne performance of ‘Luck be a Lady’.

Songs from Chicago, which were a ected by the absences mentioned earlier, and White Christmas, brought an evening that the Theatre Group can be extremely proud of to a close, where many of the songs and performances also drew cries of approval from the audience.

Musical Director Nicole Casey was called upon to perform at very short notice, but even with little or no time to learn her words she was able to deliver a professional and con dent routine that belied any di culties she might have anticipated.

Benidorm hero taxi driver hailed

A Benidorm taxi driver is being praised for helping two women who were being pursued by a man - one unknowingly. A young woman from Rincón de Loix recorded a video, which has gone viral on TikTok, explaining what happened.

On Sunday afternoon, 22-year-old Amalia, was walking home. It was dark and she soon got the feeling she was being followed by a man. She said she tried to remain calm and decided to check if she was really being followed or if her imagination was playing tricks on her out of fear.

She crossed to the other side of the road and continued walking. The man walking behind her did the same. Amalia crossed again and her pursuer again copied her movements. Scared, she stopped and picked up the phone. The man passed by, but a little further on, he stopped and turned around to stare at her.

Paci c, before Andy Kirkwood and the ensemble brought the audience alive with three songs from that intimately wonderful Jewish Musical ‘Fiddler on the Roof’.

Selections from ‘Mack & Mabel followed by a strong performance by Richie Lucey with ‘Sweet Charity’s Rhythm of Life’ brought down the curtain before the second half of the

There was an excellent tap performance by Geraldine Dore and choreographer Justine Cook and with additional choreography from Lindsay Walker the dancers and ensemble were able to provide tremendous support to a musical selection that tted the mood and tone of the evening.

As members of the audience left the theatre at the end of each of the three performances I am sure that they had all rediscovered a little twinkle and the spark, once again, to musical theatre.

Very scared, the young woman changed direction and ran down the hill and managed to ag down a taxi.

Getting in, she told the taxi driver what happened. Juan, the hero of the story, asked her to describe the man in order to alert the police. “He is a man in a tracksuit, dark, with central baldness and a rather unkempt appearance,” she told him.

They decided to take the taxi back through the same area and Amalia immediately recognised the man who was following her just a few minutes before. Only now, he was stalking

another young woman who was talking on her phone, oblivious to the potential danger. Juan the taxi driver watched what was going on and saw that, indeed, the man was following the other young woman. He decided to act. He sped up, stopping the car next to the girl and asked her to get in the taxi. The young woman hesitated, but she ended up getting in at Amalia’s insistence.

Finally, Juan took both women home, refusing to charge them for the taxi ride and waiting outside until each one was safely through her front door.

In addition to reporting the incident to the police, Amalia decided to share the ordeal on TikTok, in a video which has been shared over 3000 times and liked by more than 220,000 users. In the video, she wanted to thank her ‘hero’ taxi driver, but also warn other young women around Benidorm to be vigilant.

This Week´s Movie Picks

The Equalizer 2

Saturday 26th November – Channel 4, 10.25pm

If you have a problem and there is nowhere else to turn, the mysterious and elusive Robert McCall will deliver the vigilante justice you seek. This time, however, McCall’s past cuts especially close to home when thugs kill Susan Plummer -- his best friend and former colleague. Now out for revenge, McCall must take on a crew of highly trained assassins who’ll stop at nothing to destroy him. magical abilities.

Flushed Away

Sunday 27th November – ITV2, 4.05pm

After an ignoble landing in Ratropolis, a pampered rodent (Hugh Jackman) enlists the help of a sewer scavenger (Kate Winslet) in nding his way back to his posh London at. Getting home is not the only problem, however; a rodent-hating toad (Ian McKellen) wants his notorious cousin, Le Frog (Jean Reno), to exterminate the pair.

The 28-year-old singer was spotted checking out a 211mph, £260,000 Ferrari 812 Superfast at a Ferrari dealership in Beverly Hills on Sunday.

He split from actress and director Olivia Wilde, 38, last week after two years together.

The pair decided it was ‘impossible’ to maintain their relationship with him on a world tour next year.

Olivia will focus on her work and her two children Otis, 8, and Daisy, 6, with ex Jason Sudekis.

her the ‘happiest’ she’s ever been in the pair’s rst TikTok video together on Sunday.

Bennifer go viral! Jennifer Lopez cuddles husband Ben A eck in rst TikTok together as she praises him for making her the ‘happiest’ she’s ever been.

Jennifer Lopez lovingly praised Ben A eck for making

Ahead of their rst Thanksgiving as husband and wife, the superstar, 53, shared an adorable recording of herself cozying up with the Oscar-winning actor, 50, while on a private plane.

The mother-of-two jumped onto the latest viral trend that features Pink’s hit, Try, playing in the background.

Harry Styles gears up for life as the world’s most eligible bachelor! Singer shakes o break-up blues by eyeing up £260k Ferrari sportscar at LA dealership after ‘SPLIT’ from Olivia Wilde.

I’M A CELEB 2022 RECAP:

Scarlette Douglas is the second celebrity VOTED OUT of the jungle... after campmates became emotional with their touching letters from home.

22 Your FREE Weekly TV Guide costablancapeople.com | 22nd - 28th November 2022

BBC

01:25 Kate Garraway’s Life Stories 02:20 Ideal World 04:00 The Crossing 04:50 Unwind with ITV 06:05 The Cube 07:00 Good Morning Britain 10:00 Live: FIFA World Cup 2022 13:10 Live: FIFA World Cup 2022 16:15 Catchphrase 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale 21:00 The Martin Lewis Money Show Live 22:00 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 23:30 ITV News at Ten

05:55 Grand Designs 06:50 Kirstie’s Fill Your House for Free 07:05 Countdown 07:45 Cheers 08:10 Cheers 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Frasier 11:30 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:25 Channel 4 News Summary

12:30 Chateau DIY

13:30 Steph’s Packed Lunch 15:10 Countdown 16:00 A Place in the Sun 17:00 Sun, Sea and Selling Houses 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Come Dine with Me

19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 The Great British Bake Off 22:00 Miriam and Alan: Lost in Scotland and Beyond 23:00 You Won’t Believe This

00:00 ITV News London 00:15 FIFA World Cup 2022 01:20 Family Fortunes 02:20 Ideal World 04:00 The Jonathan Ross Show 04:55 Unwind with ITV 06:10 FA Cup Classics 07:00 Good Morning Britain 10:00 Live: FIFA World Cup 2022 13:10 Live: FIFA World Cup 2022 16:10 Live: FIFA World Cup 2022 19:15 ITV News London 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale 21:00 Coronation Street 22:00 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 23:20 ITV News 23:50 ITV News London

07:15 Oggy Oggy 07:25 Blue’s Clues & You! 07:45 Fireman Sam 07:55 Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go 08:10 Peppa Pig 08:15 Peppa Pig 08:25 PAW Patrol 08:40 Milo 09:00 Pip & Posy 09:15 The Adventures of Paddington 09:30 PAW Patrol 09:45 Daisy & Ollie 09:55 Odo 10:00 Milkshake! Story Den 10:05 Baby Shark’s Big Show Shorts 10:10 Sunny Bunnies 10:15 Jeremy Vine 13:30 Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun 14:20 5 News at Lunchtime 14:30 Christmas at the Chateau 16:15 A Crafty Christmas Romance 18:00 5 News at 5 19:00 Winter Road Rescue 19:30 Eggheads 20:00 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly 21:00 The Yorkshire Vet 22:00 Alexander Armstrong In South Korea 23:00 A&E After Dark

00:00 Family Guy 00:30 American Dad! 00:55 American Dad! 01:25 Bob’s Burgers 01:55 Bob’s Burgers 02:25 The Emily Atack Show 03:10 CelebAbility 03:50 Unwind with ITV 04:00 Teleshopping 07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:35 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 08:00 The Cabins 09:00 Love Bites 10:00 Love Bites 11:00 Dress to Impress 12:00 Dress to Impress 13:00 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 14:15 Catchphrase 15:00 Supermarket Sweep 16:05 One Tree Hill 17:00 Hart of Dixie 18:00 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 19:15 Catchphrase 20:00 Dress to Impress 21:00 Bob’s Burgers 21:30 Bob’s Burgers 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 Family Guy 23:00 Family Guy 23:30 Family Guy

07:25 Blue’s Clues & You! 07:45 Fireman Sam 07:55 Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go 08:10 Peppa Pig 08:15 Peppa Pig 08:25 PAW Patrol 08:40 Milo 09:00 Pip & Posy 09:15 The Adventures of Paddington 09:30 PAW Patrol 09:45 Daisy & Ollie 09:55 Odo 10:00 Milkshake! Story Den 10:10 Sunny Bunnies 10:15 Jeremy Vine 13:30 Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun 14:20 5 News at Lunchtime 14:30 The Christmas Promise 16:15 A Fiancé for Christmas 18:00

Burgers

Foyle’s War Tuesday 22nd November 00:30 The English 01:20 Have I Got News for You 01:50 Blankety Blank 02:25 Match of the Day 04:05 Weather for the Week Ahead 04:10 Joins BBC News 04:30 The Travel Show 05:00 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 World Business Report 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Morning Live 11:00 Expert Witness 11:30 Dom Does America 12:15 Homes Under the Hammer 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:30 BBC London 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Doctors 15:45 Escape to the Country 16:30 Live: Match of the Day 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:15 BBC London 19:30 Live: Match of the Day 22:10 Tokyo Vice 23:10 BBC News at Ten 23:40 BBC London 23:50 Tokyo Vice 00:10 BBC Weather 00:15 Pawn Sacrifice 02:00 Countryfile 02:55

23:00

Thursday 24th November

00:35 Wreck

01:20 Wreck

02:10 Match of the Day 03:50 Weather for the Week

Ahead 03:55 Joins BBC News 04:00 BBC News 04:30 Click 05:00 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 World Business Report 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Morning Live 11:00 Expert Witness 11:30 Dom Does America 12:15 Homes Under the Hammer

13:00 BBC News at One 13:30 BBC London

13:45 Live: Match of the Day 16:15 Doctors

16:45 Garden Rescue

17:15 The Bidding Room 17:45 Pointless 18:30 BBC News at Six 19:00 BBC London

19:30 Live: Match of the Day 22:10 MasterChef: The Professionals 23:10 BBC News at Ten 23:40 BBC London 23:50 Question Time

00:10 BBC Weather

00:15 Unspun World with John Simpson 00:45 QI 01:15 Autumnwatch 02:15 The Elon Musk Show 03:15 Best Bakes Ever 04:00 This Is BBC TWO 07:30 Bargain Hunt 08:15 Escape to the Country 09:00 Iolo: A Wild Life 09:30 Between the Covers 10:00 BBC News 11:00 BBC News

13:00 Bargain Hunt 13:45 Politics Live 14:30 Best House in Town 15:15 Lightning 15:45 Lightning 16:15 The Great British Sewing Bee 17:15 Kate Humble: Into the Volcano 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Richard Osman’s House of Games

19:30 Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 The Secret Genius of Modern Life 22:00 The English 22:55 Live at the Apollo 23:30 Newsnight

Friday 25th November

00:50 Newscast 01:20 BBC Wales Investigates 01:50 Late Night Football Club

02:35 Match of the Day 04:15 Weather for the Week Ahead 04:20 Joins BBC News 04:30 Panorama 05:00 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 World Business Report 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Live: Match of the Day 13:25 BBC News at One 13:40 BBC London 13:45 Live: Match of the Day 16:15 Doctors 16:45 The Bidding Room 17:30 The Repair Shop 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 BBC London 20:00 The One Show 20:30 We Are England 21:00 Death in Paradise 22:00 MasterChef: The Professionals 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:30 BBC London 23:40 The Graham Norton Show

00:15 Ready Player One 02:20 Autumnwatch 03:20 Strictly Come Dancing 04:50 Strictly Come Dancing 05:30 This Is BBC TWO 07:30 Bargain Hunt 08:15 Homes Under the Hammer 09:15 Trawlermen: Hunting the Catch 10:15 Animal Park 11:00 The Farmers’ Country Showdown 11:30 Dom Does America 12:15 Homes Under the Hammer 13:15 Bargain Hunt 13:45 Politics UK 14:30 Best House in Town 15:15 Christmas in Toyland 16:40 Baking All the Way 18:00 Beechgrove 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Richard Osman’s House of Games 19:30 Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 20:00 Your Garden Made Perfect 21:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 22:00 Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen 23:00 QI 23:30 Newsnight

00:05 Peston

01:05 FIFA World Cup 2022

02:10 Ideal World 04:00 Tonight 04:25 James Martin’s Great British Adventure 04:55 Unwind with ITV 06:00 Ainsley’s Mediterranean Cookbook

07:00 Good Morning Britain

10:00 Live: FIFA World Cup 2022

13:30 Loose Women

14:30 ITV Lunchtime News

14:55 ITV News London

15:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal

16:00 Live: FIFA World Cup 2022

19:15 ITV News London

19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale

21:00 Coronation Street

22:00 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 23:30 ITV News

06:20 Drawers Off

06:45 Find It, Fix It, Flog It

07:05 Countdown 07:45 Cheers 08:10 Cheers

08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier

10:30 Frasier 11:00 Frasier

11:30 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:25 Channel 4 News Summary

12:30 Chateau DIY

13:30 Steph’s Packed Lunch 15:10 Countdown 16:00 A Place in the Sun

17:00 Sun, Sea and Selling Houses

18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons

19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Aldi’s Next Big Thing 22:00 Taskmaster 23:00 The Horne Section TV Show 23:30 The Horne Section TV Show

00:00 ITV News London 00:15 The Late Debate 00:45 FIFA World Cup 2022 01:50 Heathrow: Britain’s Busiest Airport 02:20 Ideal World 04:00 Game of Talents 04:55 Unwind with ITV 06:05 FA Cup Classics 07:00 Good Morning Britain 10:00 Lorraine 11:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News London 15:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:00 Live: FIFA World Cup 2022 19:05 Live: FIFA World Cup 2022 22:15 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 23:20 ITV News 23:55 ITV News London

04:55 Couples Come Dine with Me

05:45 Devon and Cornwall 06:40 Find It, Fix It, Flog It 07:05 Countdown 07:45 Cheers 08:10 Cheers 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Frasier 11:30 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:25 Channel 4 News Summary 12:30 Chateau DIY 13:30 Steph’s Packed Lunch 15:10 Countdown 16:00 A Place in the Sun 17:00 Sun, Sea and Selling Houses 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:30 Unreported World 21:00 The Scottish Island that Won the Lottery 22:00 Gogglebox 23:00 The Last Leg

07:25 Blue’s Clues & You! 07:45 Fireman Sam 07:55 Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go 08:10 Peppa Pig 08:15 Peppa Pig 08:25 PAW Patrol 08:40 Milo 09:00 Pip & Posy 09:15 The Adventures of Paddington 09:30 PAW Patrol 09:45 Daisy & Ollie 09:55 Odo 10:00 Milkshake! Story Den 10:10 Sunny Bunnies 10:15 Jeremy Vine 13:30 Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun 14:20 5 News at Lunchtime 14:30 The Christmas Pact 16:15 Hot Chocolate Christmas 18:00 5 News at 5 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Eggheads 20:00 Argos: How Do They Really Do It? 21:00 Inside the Tower of London 22:00 Brian Cox: How The Other Half Live 23:00 The Lie: Murder In Suburbia

00:15 American Dad! 00:40 American Dad! 01:10 Bob’s Burgers 01:35 Bob’s Burgers 02:05 Shopping with Keith Lemon 02:35 Shopping with Keith Lemon 03:05 CelebAbility 03:45 Unwind with ITV 04:00 Teleshopping 07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:35 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 08:00 The Cabins 09:00 Love Bites 10:00 Love Bites 11:00 Dress to Impress 12:00 Dress to Impress 13:00 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 14:15 Catchphrase 15:00 Supermarket Sweep 16:05 One Tree Hill 17:00 Hart of Dixie 18:00 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 19:15 Catchphrase 20:00 Dress to Impress 21:00 Bob’s Burgers 21:30 Bob’s Burgers 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 Family Guy 23:00 Plebs 23:30 Plebs

07:15 Oggy Oggy 07:25 Blue’s Clues & You! 07:45 Fireman Sam 07:55 Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go 08:10 Peppa Pig 08:15 Peppa Pig 08:25 PAW Patrol 08:40 Milo 09:00 Pip & Posy 09:15 The Adventures of Paddington 09:30 PAW Patrol 09:45 Daisy & Ollie 09:55 Odo 10:00 Milkshake! Story Den 10:05 Baby Shark’s Big Show Shorts 10:10 Sunny Bunnies 10:15 Jeremy Vine 13:30 Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun 14:20 5 News at Lunchtime 14:30 The Christmas House 16:15 The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls 18:00 5 News at 5 19:00 One Royal Holiday 20:30 Susan Calman’s Grand Week by the Sea 22:00 Live: The Big Fight Live

00:00 Family Guy 00:30 American Dad! 00:55 American Dad! 01:25 Bob’s Burgers 01:55 Bob’s Burgers 02:20 Crossing Swords 02:50 Crossing Swords 03:20 CelebAbility 04:00 Teleshopping 07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:35 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 08:00 The Cabins 09:00 Love Bites 10:00 Love Bites 11:00 Dress to Impress 12:00 Dress to Impress 13:00 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 14:30 In For a Penny 15:00 Supermarket Sweep 16:05 One Tree Hill 17:00 Hart of Dixie 18:00 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 19:30 In For a Penny 20:00 Dress to Impress 21:00 Bob’s Burgers 21:30 Bob’s Burgers 22:00 The Heat

01:05 A Touch of Frost

03:10 Unwind with ITV

03:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Coronation Street 07:35 Coronation Street 08:00 Emmerdale 08:35 Emmerdale 09:05 Bless This House 09:35 Bless This House

10:10 Agatha Christie’s Poirot 12:30 Heartbeat 13:35 Heartbeat 14:40 Emmerdale

15:15 Emmerdale 15:50 Coronation Street 16:25 Coronation Street

16:50 A Touch of Frost 19:00 Heartbeat 20:00 Heartbeat 21:00 Vera 23:00 Foyle’s War

01:05 A Touch of Frost 03:15 Unwind with ITV 03:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Coronation Street 07:35 Coronation Street 08:00 Emmerdale 08:35 Emmerdale 09:00 Bless This House 09:35 Agatha Christie’s Poirot 11:50 Heartbeat 12:50 Heartbeat 14:00 Live: ITV Racing Live 17:00 Emmerdale 17:30 Emmerdale 18:30 Coronation Street 19:00 Heartbeat 20:00 Heartbeat 21:00 Vera 23:00 Foyle’s War

00:45 The Last Witch Hunter

00:20 Match of the Day: Top 10 00:50 End of Watch 02:30 Match of the Day 04:15 Weather for the Week Ahead 04:20 Joins BBC News 04:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson 05:00 BBC News 05:30 Click 06:00 BBC News 06:30 The Media Show 07:00 Breakfast 10:00 Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg 11:00 Politics London 11:30 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Bargain Hunt 12:35 Songs of Praise 13:15 BBC Weekend News 13:25 Weather for the Week Ahead 13:30 Live: Match of the Day 16:15 BBC Weekend News 16:30 BBC London 16:35 BBC Weather 16:40 Live: Match of the Day 19:00 Strictly Come Dancing 19:30 Live: Match of the Day 22:15 SAS Rogue Heroes 23:15 BBC Weekend News 23:40 BBC London 23:45 Match of the Day

00:40 The 1% Club

00:45 The Misinvestigations of Romesh Ranganathan 01:45 6 Music Festival 03:20 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 04:25 This Is BBC TWO 07:15 Countryfile 08:00 The Wild Gardener 09:00 Beechgrove 09:30 Landward 10:00 This Farming Life 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:30 Mary Berry’s Country House Secrets 13:30 Recipes That Made Me 14:00 School for Scoundrels 15:30 The Titfield Thunderbolt

16:50 Locomotion: Dan Snow’s History of Railways 17:50 Flog It! 18:30 This Farming Life 19:30 Countryfile 20:35 Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy 21:15 Antiques Roadshow 22:15 Simon Schama’s History of Now 23:15 Mogul Mowgli

01:40 Bradley and Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad 02:10 Ideal World 04:00 Unwind with ITV 05:15 Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh 07:00 The Rubbish World of Dave Spud 07:10 The Rubbish World of Dave Spud 07:20 The Rubbish World of Dave Spud 07:35 Thunderbirds Are Go 08:00 Dare Master

08:05 Ninjago: Crystalized 08:15 Ninjago: Crystalized 08:30 Craig of the Creek 08:45 Craig of the Creek 08:55 Dodo 09:10 Dodo

09:25 Lloyd of the Flies 09:40 Lloyd of the Flies

10:00 Live: FIFA World Cup 2022

13:15 Live: FA Cup Football 15:45 Live: FA Cup Football 18:30 ITV Evening News 18:45 ITV News London 19:00 Emmerdale 20:00 Coronation Street

21:00 The Larkins 22:00 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 23:40 ITV News 23:50 FIFA World Cup 2022

02:35 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 03:25 Couples Come Dine with Me

04:20 Hollyoaks Omnibus 06:20 Drawers Off 06:45 Escape to the Chateau 06:55 The King of Queens 07:20 The King of Queens 07:45 The King of Queens

08:10 Everybody Loves Raymond 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 The Simpsons

10:00 The Simpsons

10:30 Sunday Brunch 13:30 The Simpsons 13:55 The Simpsons 14:20 The Secret Life of the Zoo

15:25 Failure to Launch 17:15 Christmas at Holkham Hall 18:15 Channel 4 News 18:45 The Andrew Neil Show 19:30 The Who Cares Wins Awards with The Sun 21:00 Escape to the Chateau 22:00 The Handmaid’s Tale 23:05 Gogglebox

08:00 Milo 08:10 Pip & Posy 08:20 Peppa Pig 08:30 Kangaroo Beach 08:45 PAW Patrol 09:15 Pirata & Capitano 09:35 Santiago of the Seas 09:50 The Adventures of Paddington 10:05 Pop Paper City 10:15 Mimi’s World 10:25 The World According To Grandpa 10:40 Cooking with the Gills 10:50 Show Me How 11:00 The Smurfs 11:15 SpongeBob SquarePants 11:25 Entertainment News On 5 11:30 NFL End Zone 12:00 Friends 12:30 Friends 13:00 Friends 13:30 Friends 14:00 Holiday in Santa Fe 15:50 Christmas Reservations 17:40 Jingle Bell Princess 19:30 Classic Christmas Comedy Moments 21:00 30 Tips To Cut Your Christmas Spend 22:00 Alexandra: Britain’s Queen of Hearts 23:10 Secrets Of The World’s Most Expensive Cruises

00:00 Sanditon 01:00 Vera 03:05 Unwind with ITV 03:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Bless This House 07:35 Emmerdale Omnibus 10:25 Bless This House 11:00 Bless This House 11:30 A Touch of Frost 13:40 Foyle’s War 15:35 Agatha Christie’s Poirot 17:50 Agatha Christie’s Poirot 20:00 Agatha Christie’s Poirot 22:00 Vera 23:45 Vera 00:55 6 Music Festival 01:30 QI 02:05 Question Time 03:05 Ambulance 04:05 This Is BBC TWO 07:15 Homes Under the Hammer 08:15 Bargain Hunt 09:00 MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00

BBC News 11:00 BBC News 13:00 Bargain Hunt 13:45 Politics Live 14:30 The A to Z of TV Cooking 14:45 Eggheads 15:15 Eggheads 15:45 Fish Town 16:15 The Great British Sewing Bee 17:15 Locomotion: Dan Snow’s History of Railways 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Richard Osman’s House of Games 19:30 Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 20:00 FA Cup Draw 20:30 Mastermind 21:00 Only Connect 21:30 University Challenge 22:00 Trailblazers: A Rocky Mountain Road Trip 23:00 Motherland 23:30 Newsnight

00:55 Premiership Rugby 01:55 Heathrow: Britain’s Busiest Airport 02:25 Ideal World 04:00 Motorsport UK 04:55 Unwind with ITV 06:00 FIFA World Cup Rewind 07:00 Good Morning Britain 10:00 Live: FIFA World Cup 2022 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News London 15:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:00 Live: FIFA World Cup 2022 19:10 Live: FIFA World Cup 2022 22:15 Coronation Street 23:15 ITV News 23:45 ITV News London

Mariah Carey denied Christmas trademark

07:15 Oggy Oggy 07:25 Blue’s Clues & You! 07:45 Fireman Sam 07:55 Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go 08:10 Peppa Pig 08:15 Peppa Pig 08:25 PAW Patrol 08:40 Milo 09:00 Pip & Posy 09:15 The Adventures of Paddington 09:30 PAW Patrol 09:45 Daisy & Ollie 09:55 Odo 10:05 Milkshake! Story Den 10:10 Sunny Bunnies 10:15 Jeremy Vine 13:30 Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun 14:25 5 News at Lunchtime 14:30 To Be Announced 16:15 To Be Announced 18:00 5 News at 5 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Eggheads 20:00 Police Interceptors 21:00 The Motorway Cops: Catching 00:25 American Dad! 00:50 American Dad! 01:20 All American 02:15 All American 03:05 All American 03:55 Unwind with ITV 04:00 Teleshopping 07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:35 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 08:00 The Cabins 09:00 Love Bites 10:00 Love Bites 11:00 Dress to Impress 12:00 Dress to Impress 13:00 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 14:40

01:40 Agatha Christie’s Poirot 03:45 Bless This House 04:20 Emmerdale Omnibus 06:50 Unwind with ITV 07:00 Coronation Street 07:35 Emmerdale 08:00 Emmerdale 09:05 Bless This House 09:35 Bless This House 10:10 Agatha Christie’s Poirot 12:30 Heartbeat 13:35 Heartbeat 14:40 Emmerdale 15:15 Emmerdale 15:50 Coronation Street 16:25 Coronation Street 16:50 A Touch of Frost 19:00 Heartbeat 20:00 Heartbeat 21:00 Endeavour 23:00 Foyle’s War

Singer

Mariah Carey has had her application to trademark ‘Queen of Christmas’ denied. The singer of Christmas hit ‘All I want for Christmas is you’ was also denied attempts to register the trademarks ‘QOC’ as an abbreviation of Queen of Christmas and ‘Princess Christmas’.

The US Patent and Trademark O ce turned down the application after another singer - who specialises in Christmas songs - objected to the attempt to register the names.

Carey’s Christmas track is one of the most popular holiday songs in the world and has been synonymous with the 52-year-old since its release in the mid 90s.

Chan was dubbed “Queen of Christmas” by The New Yorker in 2018 after having put out original festive records every year for the past decade.

In an interview, Chan criticised Mariah Carey for attempting to monetise Christmas.

“I feel very strongly that no one person should hold on to anything around Christmas or monopolise it in the way that Mariah seeks to in perpetuity,” she said.

“That’s just not the right thing to do. Christmas is for everyone. It’s meant to be shared; it’s not meant to be owned.”

She accused Carey of “trying to trademark this in every imaginable way” - from music to clothing to alcohol.

Carey’s company did not respond to the objection, meaning the trademark was not granted.

Carey’s company Lotion LLC submitted an application for the Christmas trademarks last year but singer Elizabeth Chan launched a legal challenge to the move.

First o ficial orld up Beer served

After a two-hour queue and at 14€ a pint, a Californian delivery driver has become the rst football fan to drink an o cial World Cup beer in Qatar. Brian Davidson, 45, said the pint was worth every penny.

He was served a pint of Budweiser at precisely 7pm in the largest fan zone of the World Cup in central Doha which opened for the rst time amid wild celebrations. Moments after supping his pint, Mr Davidson, who was at the head of a queue which had grown to almost 500 by the time bars opened to waiting reporters: “This is a historic World Cup moment and this feels like the best beer I’ve ever had in my life. I’m going to nish it o as quickly as I can and then have another one.

“It’s worth every cent. You might think the beer’s expensive but that’s what you have to pay at major international sports tournaments. I have come all this way. My big worry was that there wouldn’t be any beer at all so I don’t mind paying a bit more.

“I was a bit concerned about the alcohol restrictions before I came to Qatar but I have to say all the worry and the wait was worth it. It feels great to be the

rst fan to have a beer at this tournament. I feel like Pele or Maradona-a World Cup history maker.”

Mr Davidson was served his beer at the FIFA Fan Festival in Doha’s Al Bidda Park which will be open every day of the tournament and can accommodate up to 40,000 fans.

He revealed that he had only arrived from his home in San Jose, California that morning and decided to go to the opening of the Fan Festival so that he could get a pint after discovering that it was going on sale.

He added: “When I got here there was nobody waiting at the bar so I thought why not stick around and make sure I’m

Food trends

Every market has its trends and although clothes may be the most obvious that springs to mind, food and drink aren´t far behind…

Healthier foods. The risks of COVID-19 have made consumers more interested in healthy foods that boost immune system performance. Immunity-boosting ingredients will play a signi cant role while research and interest in the role of the microbiome and personalized nutrition as ways to strengthen immunity will accelerate, according to research rms for the food and beverage industry.

Home-made convenience

Many consumers have purchased in-home appliances to make meal preparation easier during the pandemic. For example, at the moment air fryers and multi-cookers have seen double-digit sales growth over the last year, meaning many households now have these appliances on hand. Before this slow cooker and halogen ovens led the trend. Look for more products that are speci cally made for these appliances, or existing products that now show cooking instructions or recipes as the next must have.

Plant-based foods

Demand for plant-based

foods and beverages continues to grow, expanding beyond burger replacements. Double to triple-digit growth in emerging categories - snacks, dips, sauces, cheese, spreads, creamers, etc. - are driving increased plantbased sales. More restaurants are launching plant-based meals, such as McDonald’s McPlant.

Flavour solutions are also being speci cally formulated for plantbased food products.

Artisan home-cooking

The International Food Information Council’s 2020 Food & Health Survey reveals that many consumers have changed their eating or food preparation habits as a result of the pandemic. This includes re-creating the restaurant experience at home by using pre-packaged meal kits,

rst in the queue and have the rst pint of the 2022 World Cup. It’ll be something to tell the grandchildren.”

As excitement built up ahead of the 7pm bar opening time, fans shouted and hollered as sta initiated a countdown to the moment.

Around 48,000 cans of Budweiser had been stocked in fridges for the opening night and that another 500,000 were in stock for the remainder of the tournament.

Fans, including Mr Davidson, will by now know that shortly before the tournament began, o cials announced that no more beer will be served at the World Cup stadiums, despite the lucrative Budweiser sponsorship deal.

restaurant-branded products, and more sophisticated or avourful ingredients from artisan food producers.

Sustainability

Now that food and beverage producers and consumers are more experienced at living with the pandemic, focus can shift back toward sustainability (for example, some environmentallyfriendly practices, such as using reusable cups, were suspended for safety concerns). However, in 2022,  sustainability takes centre stage. Nearly two-thirds of consumers want their food choices to have a positive impact on the environment. Lux Research’s report The Food Company of 2050 also lists “increasing sustainability” as a key factor for increasing brand awareness and market share.

ecord ood cost rise

Food prices in Spain posted a record rise in October, keeping the cost of living painfully high even as lower energy costs spurred a drop in in ation, o cial data published recently showed.

Overall food prices climbed 15.4 per cent from a year earlier, the biggest increase since the statistical series began in January 1994, according to the National Statistics Institute. The cost of fresh vegetables jumped by 25.7 per cent on an annual basis, eggs were up 25.5 per cent, milk increased 25 percent and the price of grains rose 22.1 per cent. Food prices were up 2.3 per cent over the previous month.

Globally food prices have risen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February reduced grain shipments from one of the world’s top suppliers.

An extreme drought and consecutive heatwaves in Spain this year have also slashed agricultural output in the country, a leading producer of fruit and vegetables in the European Union.

The overall in ation rate slowed to 7.3 per cent in October, down from 8.9 per cent in September and moving further away from a 38-year high of 10.8 per cent in July.

This was due to a drop in the price of electricity, which fell 22.5 per cent over the previous

month, and “to a lesser extent” a 6.4 per cent fall in the cost of gas, the statistics institute said.

Economy Minister Nadia Calvino predicted in ation would remain at its current level until the end of the year, and would then “resume its downward path in 2023” mirroring a drop in global energy prices.

The surging cost of food in

Spain has hit all households with some common food items increasing by much more than just a few cents. Especially hardhit are low-income consumers who spend a bigger chunk of their household budgets on groceries. Food banks have reported a surge in demand this year as the price of groceries has risen.

Smo ing mari uana ith cigarettes more damaging than cigarettes alone

A new study suggests that smoking marijuana in combination with cigarettes may do more damage to lungs than cigarettes alone. The study, published this week in peer-reviewed journal Radiology showed that the use of marijuana could be linked to an increased risk of emphysema versus smoking tobacco alone. The trend is more concerning by the fact that cannabis users were younger on average — most were under 50 —

than cigarette smokers.

Emphysema develops over time as lung tissue is damaged and causes air sacs to rupture and trap air in the damaged tissue and prevent oxygen from moving through the bloodstream. It can cause shortness of breath, coughing with mucus, wheezing and chest tightness. It is irreversible once it develops.

Researchers from the Department of Radiology at Ottawa Hospital found

that 75% of the people in the study who smoked marijuana, potentially alongside tobacco, had developed emphysema, while just 67% of the tobacco-only smokers showed signs of the disease. Only 5% of complete nonsmokers were diagnosed.

The study looked at chest scans of 56 marijuana smokers - 50 of whom were also current or former tobacco users - 33 tobacco-only smokers and 57 nonsmokers, taken between 2005

to 2020.

Lead researcher Dr Giselle Revah said, “There’s a public perception that marijuana is safe, or that it’s safer than cigarettes. But this study raises concerns that this may not be true.” Revah also added, “The American Lung Association says the only thing that should go into your lungs is clean air, so if you’re inhaling anything, it could potentially be toxic to your lungs.”

oung people demand change at first ever ental ealth ee

“I feel very privileged to be here, but I shouldn’t feel that way. I should be able to feel comfortable and this shouldn’t be a privilege. It should be a norm,” said Inês Mália Sarmento, a young mental health advocate from Portugal, in her address to participants on the rst day of Mental Health Week in Athens, Greece.

Mental Health Week was a special 3-day series of events meant to raise awareness about the mental health of children and youth across the WHO European Region.

Inês was one of over 200 youth advocates and service users who joined experts and policy-makers at the event to demand equal partnership in shaping mental health policies and services, and to create mental health systems that are inclusive and devoid of stigma and discrimination.

Leaders are increasingly recognizing the need to improve mental health systems, especially in the face of crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and a cost-of-living crisis, which “continue to add pressure on people’s lives and their mental well-being,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, who joined the event live on the second

day.

Young people have been especially a ected, with the global prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders almost doubling since the pandemic began. There is an acute need to improve the quality of child and adolescent mental health services across the Region, making them not only more accessible but better suited to the unique needs and preferences of this age group.

Young people at the event were not shy in noting that they and those living with mental health conditions are often left out of this conversation. While people with lived experience of mental health conditions are increasingly involved in shaping mental health services and policies, participation is rarely prolonged and often lacks compensation.

“Lived experiences should be

at the centre of all e orts. If it’s without us, then it’s not for us,” said Fatima Awil, a Policy and Knowledge O cer from Mental Health Europe with expertise in youth engagement.

“We are our own experts. We do a lot. I think young people do so much for their mental health, we are more aware than any other generation, but we can’t do it alone,” emphasized Anna Bailey, a PhD researcher and member of the Pan-European Mental Health Coalition.

WHO/Europe is taking their words to heart, aiming to scale up youth engagement across all areas of health system reform and create spaces for young people to have their voices heard, such as at the Youth4Health Forum in Tirana held this past October. To join the Pan-European Mental Health Coalition, please email EUROMHCoalition@who.int

h are Stic ers i erent olours

The ITV sticker is a visual representation that a vehicle has passed the mandatory technical inspection, and also indicates when the next ITV test is due.

Its o cial name, as established in the General Vehicle Regulations, is ‘Distintivo de inspección técnica periódica del vehículo’ and it has code number, V-19.

These stickers come in three di erent colours: green, yellow and red. Each tonality corresponds to a di erent year, in which the inspection of each vehicle expires. This makes it easier for tra c o cers to identify current stickers at the roadside.

The order of these colours was set in 1999, the rst year these badges were used in this order: green, yellow, and red.

Transferred to the present, the ITVs that expire in 2022, in 2025 and in 2028 are green; yellow corresponds to those that expire in the years 2023, 2026 and 2029 and red to those that must be passed again in 2024, 2027 and 2030.

In addition to the colour of the sticker, the bandge also includes other information. The number of the year in which the technical inspection of the vehicle expires is printed in gures (to reinforce the colour information) and the box of the month in which the next revision must be carried out is marked. The number of the station that carried out the inspection and the Autonomous Community to which it belongs also appear.

It is mandatory to display the ITV sticker and you can be ned

if you don’t. The V-19 sticker must be clearly visible on the front windscreen of the vehicle. Speci cally, in the upper right corner (looking out) so as not to reduce the driver’s visibility. It is also important that only the valid stickers is displayed. You must remove previous, expired stickers.

In the case of motorcycles, which also have to pass the ITV test and display the sticker, it must be displayed in a visible location.

In the event of you needing a replacement, in such a circumstance as having to replace your windscreen, for example, you should visit the issuing ITV station, with your documentation, and they will be able to issue a replacement sticker.

e Spanish oad Signs for 2023

A number of new Spanish road signs are being added to the o cial catalogue, which will gradually be rolled out across the road network in Spain in 2023.

The new tra c signs are expected to reach the tra c regulations in mid2023, with the entry into force of a royal decree that has been prepared by the Ministries of Transport and Interior and the General Directorate of Tra c (DGT).

Fortunately, the new signs are graphic depictions of what they represent, so their intention and warning should be clear to everyone who sees them, but we Will still tell you what each of the new road signs depicts.

Some of the signs have just been updated, such as replacing a steam locomotive on the sign warning of the proximity of a level crossing without barriers, which will have a high-speed locomotive facing the driver. It is also intended to modernise the pictograms and eliminate “gender connotations”.

The signal before a pedestrian crossing will also be di erent, like the ‘stop’ signal, with new measurements and shapes for its letters, as well as a new sign warning of the possibility of wild boars crossing the road.

In the same way, the new mobility (and the risks and regulations that it entails) releases its own graphics: for example, the sign that expressly prohibits the passage of electric scooters is born. And the one that announces an electric charging station

The draft of the royal decree is already written, but its arrival in Congress, the possibility of amendments, the approval of the Senate and the return to the general courts are ahead.

So, at this stage, they still remain as

proposals, rather than de nitive, but let us look at the new road signs we will expect to see in 2023, along with their O cial Catalogue of Road Signs reference.

P‐8. Danger due to the proximity of a level crossing not provided with barriers or semi-barriers (pictogram replaced with a more modern train).

P‐20a. Danger due to the proximity of one or more pedestrian crossings (slight redesign).

P‐21a. Danger due to the proximity of a place frequented by children, such as a school, a playground, etc (the little girl now leads the way).

P‐21b. Danger due to the proximity of a place frequented by the elderly, such as a centre dedicated to the elderly, a residence, etc.

P‐22a. Danger due to the proximity of one or several crossings for cyclists.

P‐24a. Danger due to the proximity of a place where the road can frequently be crossed by animals roaming freely, a very signi cant proportion of which are wild boars.

P-33. Danger due to the proximity of a section in which driving is frequently hampered by a notable loss of visibility due to fog, rain, snow, smoke, etc.

P‐35. Danger due to the proximity of a section between a con uence and a fork where di erent lane change movements are produced by vehicles, crossing their paths and therefore

increasing the risk of collisions.

R‐2. Obligation for all drivers to stop their vehicle at the next stop line (change to lettering).

R-118. Prohibition of access to personal mobility vehicles.

R‐120. Prohibition of access to vehicles based on their environmental label or other established environmental criteria. The conditions will be speci ed on an S-860 supplemental panel or on a sign that includes the pictogram.

R-422. Obligation for cycle users to continue on foot. If such obligation is limited to certain periods, it will be indicated by means of a supplementary panel.

S‐1b. Indicates the beginning of a multilane road and, therefore, the place from which the special tra c rules apply to this type of road. This sign may indicate the branch of a junction leading to a multilane road.

S‐1c. Indicates the beginning of a 2+1 road, that is, one that has three tra c lanes and allows tra c in both directions. The central lane is intended to facilitate overtaking manoeuvres, being alternately reserved for both directions of tra c. This sign can also indicate the branch of a junction that leads to a 2+1 road.

Other new road signs have already been featured, including those for electric vehicles, as well as a detailed explanation of how the environmental Eco Stickers work.

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And we’re o . Yes, the Premier League is o until Boxing Day because there’s the small matter of the rst-ever Winter World Cup taking place in Qatar.

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last 12 years, let us recap.

Corrupt FIFA o cials awarded Qatar the 2022 World Cup back in 2010, turning a blind eye to the millions of reasons why a country the size of Milton Keynes was probably not the best option available.

Since this moment, people have either been grumbling about it or ignoring it hoping it might not happen. Whether it’s the fact that they had to move it to the winter because the summer is too hot in Qatar to play the tournament in its proper slot, the question marks over the country’s human rights record (which hasn’t stopped FIFA giving the tournament to other places in the past) or the fact that thousands of underpaid, migrant workers have died in the e ort to make the event logistically possible, the World Cup taking place in Doha and its suburbs is the most controversial tournament in history.

Has it divided opinion? Wider than the hole in Liverpool’s title bid is one way to look at it - and, of course, in 2022 you have to be Team A or Team B. You are not allowed to see Qatar as anything other than 100% bad or 100% good - though, Infantino’s “look, everyone else is as bad” argument isn’t the best defence we’ll see in the next month (though it might be stronger than England’s).

Whilst Infantino rambled more than a toddler trying to convince Mum that they hadn’t locked the cat in the washing machine, Budweiser were raising an eyebrow at the fact that alcohol - the very alcohol they were spending a small fortune on promoting - had just been banned from the stadiums. Would that mean

all the other promises made by Qatar would disappear too? Ask the fake fans being paid to attend the tournament and be the glori ed cheerleaders (though not paid as much as David Beckham or Lionel Messi). Their daily allowance was removed due to the ‘bad press’ their mere existence had caused.

It’s fair to say that if the sportwashing exercise was to be judged before a ball was kicked, the Qatari elite would have to accept that their return on investment is not looking too promising.

The problem is, for the naysayers anyway, once we are kneedeep into the tournament many of these issues will start to feel ‘inconvenient’ and things like Gareth Southgate persisting with Harry Maguire and being shouted at for preferring Kieran Trippier to Trent Alexander-Arnold will take over.

And in years to come, the majority will no doubt remember the tournament for who won it and who was the standout star - a bit like Argentina 78, or USA 94 or Russia 2018.

That’s sport, folks. Try not to be too angry about it when you are wearing a football shirt with Emirates plastered over it or have recently been over the moon at Newcastle’s current form

or called Pep Guardiola one of the nest men in football as he leads City to another title or been wowed by Messi’s form for PSG, latching on to one of Neymar’s clever little passes. Or if you like to use a cheeky little internet stream from BEIN to catch your Premier League action each weekend.

Anyway, the football has started!

All talk of corruption was able to be put aside for at least three minutes - Ecuador scored early only to see it disallowed by VAR for, well, something. Nobody really knows why and let’s be honest - nobody wants the real reason as it’s much easier to assume that VAR are in Qatar’s back pocket. O side was the call, possibly their keeper trying a new World Cup tactic of playing Enner Valencia o side by sprinting past the ball instead of claiming the cross.

Not that it mattered - minutes later the best keeper Qatar could nd had given away a penalty, duly dispatched by Valencia with VAR struggling to nd anything they could claim to be wrong. And then Valencia nodded a second before half-time.

Is Saad Alsheeb the worst World Cup goalkeeper ever? Alan Rough certainly hopes so.

Ex-West Han and Everton striker

Valencia packed more into 45 minutes than many will manage in the whole tournament - one disallowed goal, one penalty won and scored, another goal scored, being kicked three times which led to a yellow on each occasion. In fact, let’s try that again - he managed more in that 45 minutes than he did in his whole Premier League career.

It turns out there are somethings money cannot buy. A team capable of getting out of the Group Stage would appear to be one of them. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to move this xture to the top of the pile so the whole world was watching, eh? Mind you, their kit is nice. I’ll forgive a lot of things (on the pitch) if you have a nice kit.

By the time you read this, England will have hu ed and pu ed their way to a narrow win over Iran and every man and his dog will have an opinion on whether James Maddison should be straight into the side if he is ever declared t, that Harry Kane looks proper tired and that “well, Quieroz was the real brains at United you know”.

The USA will have dampened Welsh enthusiasm and (checks notes) all the hipsters will be rejoicing in Senegal/ Netherlands (delete where applicable) very much looking like the tournament dark horses.

man o ol Societ ave otchell Salver

1 th ovemberat Alicante

Twenty-eight players took part in this the eigth year of the Dave Rotchell Salver; unfortunately, Dave could not be with us this year. As usual we started with the traditional English breakfast in Imanyo’s before we had the draw, the format was Stableford split into two groups. On arriving at Alicante golf we found the course in excellent condition from tee boxes to the ag, for those in the UK it was once again perfect weather and all players still in shorts, by 10.30 it was sunny and a very pleasant 75 degrees.

Winner of the Dave Rotchell Salver was from group B, our HCP secretary will be having his pencil out again as “Templegate” Dave Sanders came in with an incredible score of 43 points, runner up from group B was Nick Chambers, again another HCP cutting

score of 42 points, third place went to “Blackpool Rock” Ian Chetwynd with 40 points. Group A winner was “He’s on Fire” Steve Burns with 40 points, runner up on count back with Lee George eventually went to “Keep it in the Family” Alan Ralph with 39 points and third place went to Lee George also with 39 points. Nearest the pin’s winners were group A holes 5 &17 “Tom Tom” Brian Court, hole 14 was a tie as both players downed the ball in 5 shots on a par 5 so “Three Clubs” Sean McGuinness and “Mr Amstel” Peter Kelly shared, group B hole 2 “Sir” Ronnie King, hole 9 “Lost and Found” Chris Russell and hole 12 Nick Chambers, best front 9 with 22 points went to “I don’t play much” Donald Main and best back 9 with 20 points went to Steve Hopkins. The two’s pot was not won so €60.00 will be played for next

game. The doubles knockout nal was also played and the eventual winners were Steve Day and Brian Court beating Tom Goulden and Derry Quinlan 3 & 1.

The football card was won by “Fish Called Wanda” Mo Chaplin with West Bromwich Albion winning €40 and making €40 for our Charities 2022.

The presentation was held at Imanyo’s bar, many thanks to Dave Rotchell for sponsoring the day and Antonio and his sta for looking after us.

Photo shows, on behalf of Dave Rotchell, Vice Chairman Brian Court presenting the Salver to Dave Sanders.

www.imanyogolfsociety.com imanyogolfsociety@gmail.com

An incident filled da or SA racers

Another morning of sunshine but light wind greeted the SAMM sailors as they arrived at CTD on the Mar Menor for the 7th and 8th race of the autumn season, so the race o cer choose to set a square but short lap course.

Race 1. A great start with all boats close to line and over soon after the signal to go. In the steady westerly breeze of 4-5 knots all boats sailed the course well until the rst incident when Sirocco fouled the very long mooring line of a ferry boat. They couldn’t get free so the SAMM support boat had to go to their aid, which forced retirement under the rules. The race o cer did time them out of interest but they would have nished last.

Then the second incident when a calculation error resulted in the wrong boat being declared winner but this was subsequently corrected.

Race 2. Again a great start with all boats close to the line at the signal. The wind had veered to the south and increased to 6.5 knots enabling faster lap times of around 7 minutes. An individual battle developed between the Laser Standard of John Down and the Omega crewed by Steve Hall and Fiona

McMahon and, by the 4th lap, the Omega was closing in. Then disaster hit, the third incident, as Omega’s forestay snapped and down came the mast. Steve managed to stay dry but Fiona took a dip. A second job for the support boat towing them back to shore. Nothing injured but pride. A great nish in a very tight race with only 13 seconds separating average lap times of the winner and last placed boat

as follows.

Balaton Sirocco 373 secs Shoestring Cuatro 376 secs Shoestring Dos 380 secs Laser Standard 386 secs

A fantastic achievement by all the competitors.

To learn more about the sailing opotunities within SAMM go to www.sailingmarmenor. com

ouble op or ision

Vision, the new Sail sh 18 of the Balaton Group made her racing debut at the November 13th SAMM race day, and what a debut it was.

Perfect racing weather greeted the competitors, fewer than usual as many non-resident SAMM members had left for home. A sunny day, small waves and a steady NNE breeze of 8-10 knots, good for the heavier day boats but not to strong for the dinghies.

An excellent start for the rst race at 11.30 with all ve boats across the line within 18 seconds for their rst circuit of the square course. Shoestring Dos, a light Laser 2000, took the lead completing the lap in 9mins 35 secs with the last

boat, the much heavier Balaton Sirocco taking 13mins 21 secs with the rest of the eet spaced out between them. This continued until lap 4 when the Shoestring Omega had to retire when a shroud failed. Although Vision nished third in the hour long race, the application of the handicaps gave her the winning average lap time of 479secs.

At 12.50 the wind had increased to 10-12 knots but the start of the second race was a repeat of the rst with Vision over the line bang on the start signal closely followed by the other four. This time the Omega, having xed the shroud problem, soon took the lead and held it until the nish. Dos and Cuatro, close behind, were

having a real tussle. Dos had the edge but was only 2 secs ahead at the end of the rst lap, 25 secs on lap 2, 7 secs on lap 3, and 9 secs on lap 4. Then Cuatro seemed to loose concentration and the gap opened to 4 minutes over the last two laps. Meanwhile Vision kept up a great performance to again take rst after handicaps in an average lap time of 415 secs. A brilliant performance by Robert and Jurgen on Vision to take the double in her rst appearance.

For full information on the sailing opportunities within SAMM go to www.

sailingmarmenor.com

Photo: Visions crew Robert Hudson, left and Jurgen Reimann, right