RTN Newspaper – Costa del Sol 7 - 14 December 2017 Issue 032 by Euro Weekly News Media S.A.

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7th-14th December 2017

Reporting The News

How to Cook the perfect turkey on Christmas Day

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Issue 32

A small charity with a big heart

Inside this week...

DRIVING TESTS back on

P4 Crash victims demand justice

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A Costa Love Story A shot of the guests at the Age Care Association Christmas Lunch

by Michael Cano YESTERDAY (Wednesday) the Age Care Association invited more than 100 of its clients for Christmas lunch at the Tamisa Golf Hotel on the Mijas to Coin road. Organising weekly coffee mornings for the elderly in Benalmadena Calahonda, Coin and Fuengirola, this charity which is completely run by volunteers was set up to try to assist elderly expatriates in the area. As women tend to live longer than men, it was understood that there were a number of lonely people who had little contact with others and who also had problems

with dealing with health and legal matters if they didn’t speak English. A committee of volunteers, all of whom are themselves of pensionable age, do all that they can to assist those who are alone and vulnerable or just simply want to make friends with other English speakers in their area. The lunch was one of two free get togethers organised annually and the turkey meal, drinks and entertainment was paid for by the charity as it believes that many of its clients don’t get the chance to enjoy a traditional meal which even saw the pulling of crackers. Apart from a great lunch, those who

attended didn’t just chat to each other but were entertained by the voice of Martin Joseph, who is Frank Sinatra in the very popular Rat Pack Tribute and the Mania Performers a group of amateur singers and dancers who appeared in special Santa and elf costumes. Sadly the President Syd Weldon was unable to attend as he is in the UK receive medical attention but RTN and EWN reporters were the guests of honour at the lunch as a gesture of thanks for the coverage the newspapers give to the Age Care Association on a regular basis as a service to their readers (www.agecarecosta.org).

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Councillor fronts new political party by Staff Reporter Benalmadena Councillor Beatriz Olmedo has been elected as national spokerperson for Contigo Somos Democracia (Together We Are Democracy), Spain’s newest political party. Contigo Somos Democracia are centrist, socio-liberals who have pledged to put the power back in the hands of the people. Their website describes how Spain “needs a new social, political and ethical commitment, where people participate actively in decision-making and where their voice is really represented.” Contigo promises to “work to build and defend an open, free, fair, egalitarian and solidary society where no one is a slave to poverty, conformism and ignorance” and describes how they “believe in the need for public authorities to play an important role in the protection of equal opportunities, as well as respect for all types of freedom of belief.” Beatriz – who was born in 1983 and studied Labour Relations at the University of Malaga – will be joined on Contigo’s committee by some familiar faces from Benalmadena: David Almagro and Pablo Zugasti together with Bethlehem Caballero (Rincon de la Victoria), Daniel Salcedo (Mijas) and Julio Gonzalez (Malaga) from the Costa del Sol. READY FOR IT: Beatriz Olmedo

Hospital tests increase by Jemima Roberts TWO OF Malaga’s hospitals have increased their MRI testing by 30 per cent. The city’s Carlos Haya Regional Hospital and University Clinic have started performing the tests on Saturdays and Sundays from 8am to 10pm, increasing the amount of patients seen and reducing waiting times. Dr Mercedes Acebal, director of the clinical radiodiagnosis management unit and nuclear medicine at Hospital Clinico, explained some patients prefer to be tested at the weekends due to work and other commitments. She also said the move made better economic use of the expensive equipment bought by the hospitals. Meanwhile, it was recently announced the Axarquia Comarcal Hospital has doubled its anaesthetic recovery area. The project has seen the number of beds available to those coming round from surgery increase from six to 12. The area has also been rearranged to help with sanitation. Next year, the hospital plans to increase the number of operating theatres from four to five and reform the building’s other facilities. The area used for operations currently occupies more than 800 square metres, and €200,000 has been invested to expand and improve the space. The works to double the size of the post-operation area were undertaken during the summer months to lessen the disruption to patients, doctors and visiting families. Last year 3,900 operations were performed at the Axarquia Comarcal Hospital, 1,021 were emergency surgeries and 2,034 of which were scheduled. Not all patients are thrilled however, as Rincon

Tests are now available at weekends de la Victoria’s health centre was closed for two days after cockroaches infested its emergency room. The site is now open again after workers found a nest hidden in the room’s false ceiling, causing cockroaches to frequent the centre for months. The Malaga Health District ordered the building to be closed while work was undertaken to remove the nest and disinfect the site. The centre, which opened in 2012, has six health staff and two ambulances. Juan Jose Bravo, a delegate from the Malaga Nursing Union, condemned the ac-

tion, saying, “if they have had to close it is because previous treatments have not worked and this is also an indication that no work of this type has been carried out in recent years.” He added, “in La Cala del Moral there should be another emergency team.” Over the summer, patients complained of an outbreak of the insects throughout the centre and mainly in its emergency room. The centre has since apologised to users to the closure’s inconvenience, confirming it would reopen again on Monday, November 20.

Wrists up

POLICE recently bust a gang of eight muggers who had been targeting tourists in Puerto Banus nightclubs this summer. The clique of criminals is reported to have stolen €320,000 worth of luxury watched and is also believed to be behind a string of jewellery shop robberies. The investigation began in the summer and all gang members have now been identified – all Belgian and French nationals aged between 23 – 34. Four of the detainees were arrested in a police raid, with arrest warrants issued for the other four. Four watches were recovered in the raid, including two Rolexes.

Driving tests back on by Pippa Harris DRIVING EXAMINERS are back at work after a six-month strike. Five examiners will now be on duty every day after being forced to perform minimum services by the Directorate General de Trafico (DGT). The group will carry out an average of 55 exams every day. Jose Luis Conde, spokesman for Malaga’s driving examiners, explained the group had been on strike every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for six months following a dispute over pay. He claimed despite some examiners now returning to work, there were still issues “to solve.” Opposition politicians have now said they will back the group’s claim to an extra €250 a month. Meanwhile it was last week re-

vealed around half of Malaga’s cabs turned up to work despite a strike. The Costa del Sol Confederation of Taxis agreed half its fleet would continue to work across Malaga’s 11 municipalities, and in particular at the city’s airport. The strike, which took place between 6am on Wednesday and 6pm Thursday last week, also saw cabbies take to Madrid’s streets in protest over private hire firms. Unions agreed a minimum of 25 per cent of drivers would continue to work, although Malaga’s taxis decided to raise the amount to 50 per cent. Jose Royon, president of the Costa del Sol Confederation of Taxis and the Malaga Unified Autonomous Association of Taxis, explained, “we cannot leave the city abandoned so we have decided that half the fleet will be operations, which we think

is enough to cover demand without any problems.” Spain’s Supreme Court dealt a blow to cab drivers across Spain earlier this month when it granted 80 new private hire licences in Madrid, potentially opening the flood gates for up to 10,000 more across the country. Fedetaxi, Spain’s main taxi union, called yesterday’s nationwide strike over the increase in private hire vehicles from companies including Uber and Cabify, accusing them of “unfair competition and piracy.” Police in Malaga last month unearthed 118 illegal taxies. The 53 “pirate” cabs and 65 chauffeured rental cars all lacked a licence to carry passengers. Local Police officers foiled 44 of the “pirate” taxi drivers as they entered Malaga Airport, eight were found near the city’s bus

Driving examiners forced to return to work station and one was located in the Alameda de Capuchinos. An earlier taxi strike in Malaga in August caused travel chaos in

the city at one of the busiest times of the year. Taxi drivers refused to work at Malaga Airport, instead sitting in their vehicles.

Marinas matter

Man fined over bomb threat

A MAN has been convicted of threatening an official at a Malaga court. The accused, who must now pay a fine of €240, had visited the Malaga Provincial Court with his son to request information. Unhappy with the reply he received from an official, the man starting shouting about a bomb. The official asked the man what he meant and the accused pointed at him and told him to be very careful. A court found this constituted a mild threat and fined the man.

by Pippa Harris A GROUP has asked the Junta de Andalucia to provide better support for the Costa del Sol’s marinas. Jose Carlos Martin, president of Marinas de Andalucia has demanded “greater and better” attention, claiming the Junta has so far “been adopting provisional solutions for a long time, applying discounts that, for example, would not be valid next year.” He added it showed a “lack of will on the part of the administration, which only thinks about collecting funds and not about fixing problems.” He claimed the marina industry had been left feeling “unprotected.” Mr Martin’s proposed solution would be to transfer responsibility for marinas to the Junta’s Ministry of Tourism from the Ministry of Development. Meanwhile, cruise passengers have praised Malaga for its security and hospitality. A study carried out by the University of Malaga (UMA) found visitors rated the destination 8.59 out of 10 overall, giving average scores of 8.8 for security and nine out of 10 for hospitality. Professor Manuel Angel Fernandez carried out the report for the second year, handing out 225 surveys throughout 2016. He found the lowest average score given was 7.6 for the city’s traffic volume, while “memories and gifts” was also given 7.6 out of 10. Travellers found Malaga’s restaurants were

Faking it

Support wanted for marinas its best feature, while the city’s port facilities were also given the thumbs up, scoring 8.5 out of 10. The study also found the destination average marks of 8.9 from visitors who would recommend the destination and 7.8 for whether guests would return. The cruise industry is believed to contribute around €40 million a year to Malaga’s economy, €4.5 million of which remains in the port. Around half a million passengers have visited the port this year on 298 cruise ships. This summer, a new cruise ship, Seabourn Encore, made its first ever trip to Malaga after

visiting Gibraltar. The luxury ship measures 210 metres long, and can accommodate 640 passengers and 400 crew. The vessel, belonging to American company, Seabourn Cruise Line, was welcomed by Malaga’s Port Authority, the council’s department for tourism and company Cruceros Malaga. The ship’s captain was also given a commemorative plaque to mark the inaugural visit at a reception held on board. The cruise liner stopped in Malaga to enjoy the city’s feria, before moving on to its next stop, Cartagena.

POLICE IN MARBELLA arrested five people in November for faking crimes, including a delivery driver who stole the goods he was supposed to deliver. The 31-year-old Spanish man claimed his van had been broken in to and a thief had stolen €6,170 worth of watches that were destined for a jeweller in Puerto Banus. Investigating, the police found the man had in fact made off with the goods himself. Of the other four people arrested, three had feigned robbery with violence or intimidation and another falsely claimed to have been assaulted. Police warn that to fake a crime is, in turn, a crime in itself. It is also detrimental to the police force, allocating personnel and means to investigate crimes that have not actually happened.

Smart meters detect 600 leaks by Jemima Roberts

Meters aid in detection of small leaks not normally easy to identify

NEW METerS installed in Malaga are helping to lower water bills in Malaga City. The devices, which warn of possible leaks and monitor consumption in real time, have found almost 600 leaks since being installed in April. Customer service operators monitor the 41,663 meters installed in Malaga, telephoning customers if they detect a problem. Raul Jimenez, Councillor for Environmental Sustainability, explained the service helps customers, saying, “since we spent a lot money getting this data it is normal we use it for the benefit of all residents.” He added the meters check yearly household expenditure and average consumption, giving clients more control over their bills. The council explained most of the leaks identified were small and would have been hard to find if not for the meters.

Water supplier Emasa said most clients fixed their leaks within 10 days of being told about them. Once repaired, an updated invoice is sent out. Meanwhile, around 750 families were last month left without water after a cleaning mishap. Residents in Miraflores del Palo had their supply reinstated within a week after workers allegedly poured detergent into a well causing foam to pour from taps across the town. Pilar Gutierrez, manager of the Miraflores del Palo conservation entity, said the community’s deposito had been emptied and refilled with drinking water. National Police started investigating after receiving reports from concerned residents and soon established three people had thrown the liquid down a well after cleaning a storage room in the Calle Pintor Enrique Florido building. Police believe the incident was unin-

tentional and explained the product was non-toxic and had a PH of zero, although it does have a strong smell. Officers were able to find the alleged culprits quickly after eight empty containers of sodium sulphate were found in the trash near to the well. Police were able to take fingerprints from the containers, allowing them to identify the workers. The chemical, which is used for foam parties, is the base detergent in many household products including shampoo and toothpaste. Felix Benitez, president of the Miraflores del Palo Urban Conservation Collaboration Entity, said he began receiving calls from confused residents at around 10.30pm. He explained, “several residents told us they were having problems with the water in their homes which had a strong smell and contained a lot of foam.” He added the organisation soon put their “hands to work to try to find out what happened.”

Teachers rebel over fine

Training schedule not given the go-ahead

by Richard Johnson THE BOARD OF EDUCATION has refused to extend its training schedule after receiving a fine from Malaga Council. The body was due to sign an agreement over training until it was handed a €12,000 fine over noise levels at two schools. Patricia Alba, Delegate for Education, said, “in the current circumstances I cannot put my signature on the agreement.” The furore began when the Lex Flavia Malacitana and Felix Revello de Toro schools were fined for exceeding legal noise levels as children played sport. The Education board said the penalties represented “shameful and disgraceful disloyalty” on the part of the council. Last month a union claimed lack of education personnel in Malaga is leaving gaps in schools. The Comisiones Obreras union said 76 vacancies in administrative positions are affecting leave cover as well as schools’ abilities to hire effectively. The union said cleaners and kitchen staff are in short supply, leading to high compe-

tition for staff. While the most urgent positions began to be filled at the beginning of the school year in September, other positions remain unfilled. The news comes following complaints of a lack of teachers across Malaga province, leading to arguments over hiring decisions. In September, teachers in Torremolinos complained potential jobs were being filled before interviews had even taken place. Political parties, Partido Popular (PP) and Costa del Sol- Podemos criticised the PSOEled council after it was claimed the name of one candidate had been listed as a teacher on a school’s class schedule while the hiring process was still ongoing. The politicians demanded the hiring system be suspended, claiming selection committees were made up of friends of certain applicants. The town hall, however, claimed the irregularity was down to “human error,” saying the teacher had been at the school last year and “the names of teachers from last year were copied and pasted.” The council had not revealed whether the hiring process will be suspended or cancelled.

40 years on TO COMMEMORATE the 40th anniversary of his death, the ashes of Manuel Jose Garcia Caparros were transferred to Malaga’s Jardin del Recuerdo del cementerio on Monday where a ceremony led by his three sisters was attended en-masse. Garcia Caparros was only 17-years-old when he was killed during the demonstration of the Andalucian autonomy on December 4, 1977.

The bullet that claimed his life was shot by a police officer, who has never been identified. Vice President of the Junta de Andalucia Manuel Jimenez Barrios spoke at the ceremony, ratifying the need to identify Garcia Caparros’ killer, both for his family and for the Andalusians: “The family will not rest until they know the truth of what happened, it's time for the the family and the

Andalusians to know what happened." His sister Loli said of the relocation of his ashes: “"He has what he deserved, to be in a symbolic place where all Andalusians can come to visit him." Garcia Caparros’ ashes have been buried under an olive tree, next to a monolith inscribed with information about his life and the circumstances in which his death occurred.

Five arrested over nightclub fight

Unicaja Banco has renewed its collaboration agreement to support nearly 500 entrepreneurs in Marbella. The bank offers members of the Asociacion de Empresarios y Profesionales-Centro de Iniciativas Turisticas (Association of Entrepreneurs and Professionals-Centre for Tourism Initiatives) with a comprehensive financial service with favourable conditions, aimed at facilitating and improving the development of its management and activity. The agreement was renewed by Unicaja Banco Director for Marbella Francisco Jimena and CIT President Juan Jos Gonzalez in a meeting earlier this week.

by Jemima Roberts SOME youths have been arrested in Marbella after one of them was thrown out of a nightclub. The five Spanish people, aged between 20 and 25 years old, are facing prosecution for assault, public disorder and property damage. The group allegedly confronted bouncers after one of them was turned away, hurling furniture at the doormen and the building. The nightclub was temporarily closed to protect the workers and those inside. Police say the group are local residents. Meanwhile, police are searching for a man who bit the ear of a young American tourist in Malaga. The assailant and an another man have yet to be identified after they attacked the holidaymaker in a brawl near Calle Granada in the city’s centre. National Police officers attended the scene after witnesses reported the fight, which broke out around 4am, leaving two injured. A group of Americans, including three boys and one girl, who were renting an apartment in Malaga were caught up in the incident, leaving one 25-year-old man missing a piece of his right ear. It is believed footage of the brawl was captured on one of the tourist’s phones. Police are now investigating what caused the incident although witnesses have confirmed the fight was not initiated by the Americans. One source claimed the group was being “quiet” when they were reprimanded by another group of young people, two of whom became more aggressive. Allegedly one of the assailants then bit his vic-

Supporting entrepreneurs

Busy streets, the scene of disruption and disorder tims, tearing off the top part of his ear. One witness saw the man throw the body part into the sewer and led officers to the area where they were able to retrieve the piece of cartilage and keep it on ice to give to doctors. After he was taken to the Carlos Haya Hospital, the victim was told he would need surgery to reattach his ear but refused, saying he wanted to have it done in his own country. One of his friends, a 28-year-old man, was also

injured but did not need hospital treatment. National Police officers patrolled the centre of Malaga trying to find the assailants but have so far not identified them. Agents are using footage of the brawl alongside witness statements to continue their search but as yet have been unable to get the alleged assailants’ names. According to witnesses, the men are Spanish and probably from Malaga, based on their accents.

Crash victims demand justice by Pippa Harris A GROUP of people injured when a train derailed between Malaga and Seville are planning to sue the department responsible. A firm of lawyers are now hoping other victims will join the suit after four of the 37 people harmed in the accident are taking action against Train Infrastructure Administration (Adif). Firm Osuna Abogados claims there was a “malfunction,” and, “bad performance” of the train because of heavy rainfall and that Adif has “administra-

tive responsibilities” for the accident. The lawyers say the train should have either stopped or be going very slowly due to the weather. One lawyer claimed, "it seems that it should never have been agreed that the train would go down the track in the terrible conditions it was in or, if it did, it would have to be very slow. None of the measures was adopted. " In response to the legal action, Adif told one publication the Renfe tickets bought for the journey include passenger insurance.

Group to sue over train derailment

RIP ‘Pepe’ FUENGIROLA said goodbye to former head of the Local Police Jose Vera last Sunday. Vera – who was otherwise known ‘Pepe’– passed away aged 79 and locals flocked to the chapel at Fuengirola Town Hall to pay their respects and give their condolences to his family. He joined the Local Police in 1971 and headed the force up for more than two decades Vera also taught gymnastics at the Fuengirola Institute and coached the Los Pacos Handball Club

– paying for resources from his own pocket. He was much-loved by many and characterised by his closeness to citizens and willingness to lend his hand to help solve problems. Vera founded the Coordinadora de Ayuda al Necesitado de Fuengirola charity that, together with Radio Comarcal, has launched a series of successful Christmas campaigns and watched over the welfare of Fuengirola’s needy. Rest in peace, ‘Pepe’!

Water supply improves THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL is planning to upgrade the water systems of six municipalities. Arriate, La Viñuela, Pizarra, Alfarnatejo, Ojen, and Arenas will benefit from €430,000 worth of investment, allowing communities to enjoy improved water services. Alfarnatejo will be given €93,000 for repairs to its supply network, Arriate will receive €109,000 to replace it fibre cement water supply, La Viñuela benefit from almost €84,000 to adapt its supply network to a new area of the reservoir, €66,000 will go towards improving the supply network on calles Colegio and Arroyo de Ojen, and €30,000 will be given to improve drinking water in parts of Arenas.

Prosecutor condemns animal cruelty convict LAWYER: “There are cases that haunt you”

by Jemima Roberts A SENIOR lawyer has slammed a woman convicted of animal cruelty. Fernando German Benitez, the Delegate for the Environment in the Malaga Prosecutor’s Office, has described to one publication the impact of working on the case of Carmen Marin, the former president of Parque Animal in Torremolinos. The lawyer explained, “there are cases that particularly haunt you, and this is one of them not only because of the harshness of the images and testimonies, but because it is unimaginable that there are people who have that degree of dehumanisation. It is almost incredible that someone who promotes themselves publicly as a benefactor of animals has complete contempt for animal suffering and for purely economic reasons cruelly killed hundreds of animals.” The news comes after Ms Marin asked for her prison sentence to be suspended due to psychiatric problems. A judge will now decide whether Ms Marin’s claims of depression, anxiety and health problems are enough to see her avoid jail after she was sentenced to almost four years for animal cruelty and fraud. Ms Marin had been given five days to voluntarily present herself to prison, however

Odour eaters

her lawyers have now presented evidence of their client’s psychological issues, as well as her fibromyalgia, cataract and neurological disorder. Although they recognise none of these “represent an imminent risk to life.” Ms Marin’s defence instead claims her issues are “incompatible with prison life.” Parque Animal was run from 1998 to 2010 by the accused, until she was convicted after Guardia Civil officers found the bodies of dozens of animals in rubbish bins and freezers. At her trial, the judge found Marin had made a “lucrative” business out of the char-

RESIDENTS of the Gualdhorce poligono will breathe a sigh of relief after it was announced a wastewater treatment plant will be covered over. The plant, which has been the source of odours in the area, will be given new covers which will help reduce smells given off by sewage as it is treated. The €342,100 project, which will take three months, will see a retractable roof placed over parts of the plant. The facility is one of three managed by Emasa in Malaga, helping to treat water from Churriana, Camapanillas, Puerto de la Torre, Torremolinos and Alhaurin de la Torre.

ity, which benefitted from zero tax, and carried out “culling sessions” on a “massive and unjustified” scale. Marin also faced further charges of using the charity’s money to fund luxury travel, restaurant trips and cars. At her latest trial, the judge said he believed Parque Animal paid out €104,382 to department stores, using the funds to reform and decorate her daughter’s beauty centre. Marin was also accused of using public funds to pay for a lift in one of her buildings, supermarket purchases and car rental, after receiving tens of thousands of Euros from the council.

No more noise

TWO SCHOOLS in Malaga have been fined €24,000 for exceeding noise regulations. Lex Flavia Malacitana received a €12,000 fine following a string of noise complaints from neighbours. The school has been told to suspend its afterschool outside activities until further notice. 40 students stay afterschool in the safety of the playground until 6.00pm when their parents collect them – they play basketball, football and skate but neighbours have complained the children disturb their siestas. Police have been told to check up on the school periodically. Revello de Toro also received a €12,000 fine but has not been told to suspend its afterschool outside activities.

Distraction thief arrested A 28-YEAR-OLD Romanian man was arrested in Marbella accused of eight incidences of distraction theft in shops throughout the city. The accused was caught redhanded last week, about to steal from a shop assistant who he had stolen from just a few days prior. Police told of how the man would enter a shop, distract the shop assistant (he primarily preyed on women) and steal their mobile phone, wallet or both. Police have warned shop staff not to keep their personal belongings on display/ behind the counter.

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Five years in prison for baby killer by Richard Johnson A WOMAN has been sentenced to jail for killing her baby as she gave birth. The girl, who was 17 when she committed the crime, will serve another three years’ probation after leaving prison. A judge found the young woman was aware she was pregnant, although she initially told doctors she had not known. Dismissing the prosecution’s request for the girl to serve seven years in prison and four on probation, the judge downgraded her sentence, although still convicting her of murder. The girl was accused of hitting her baby on the head and chest after giving birth in a bathroom in Malaga. The woman says she was unaware she was pregnant, however, and fell after giving birth. The prosecution said they did not believe the girl’s account, claiming they found text message between her and her boyfriend discussing the pregnancy and contending the baby was beaten rather than injured when the girl fell. The girl was arrested after health workers found her baby in a vehicle. Despite trying to save the child’s life

Judge downgraded woman´s sentence one diagnosing she was pregnant. The mother is now suing the doctors for “medical negligence,” after she was hospitalised for a month for complications from childbirth. Her two daughters are said to be well. Carolina first visited a Malaga health centre in June complaining of “severe leg pain, weight gain and that her period had stopped.” Convinced she could not have children as she was obese, the woman was discharged from the centre before returning on August 1 for “se-

it died of its injuries. An autopsy revealed the child had been beaten. Meanwhile, five doctors in Malaga are under fire for allegedly failing a pregnant woman. A judge has now told the Andalucian Health Service (SAS) the professionals could face civil liability claims after failing to spot a woman was pregnant until she went into labour. The claimant, Carolina, allegedly visited doctors five times with stomach pain, eventually giving birth to twins on her final visit, without any-

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BENALMADENA MAYOR VICTOR NAVAS met with the Director of five-star Vincci Seleccion Aleysa Boutique&Spa this week to congratulate the hotel on being awarded ‘Top five-star hotel in Spain’ by Trviago. Trivago has recognised the hotel for the second year running, but the hotel has also been recognised by TripAdvisor in the past, winning ‘Best hotel in Spain’ in 2015

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vere abdominal pain.” Doctors once again failed to offer her a pregnancy test and instead diagnosed her with back pain and poor circulation. Carolina returned again on September 10, telling doctors she had not had a period in four months and in a later appointment she explained she had developed a bump on her stomach. Doctors stuck to their diagnosis, telling the woman she instead needed to lose weight before she eventually gave birth in October.

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Feeding the five thousand … and more! THE SIXTH EDITION of the Gran Recogida foodbank collection saw a staggering 600,000 kilograms (600 tonnes) of food collected in Spain last weekend. The initiative, organised by Bancosol, saw some 4,000 volunteers lend a helping hand at supermarkets across the country. 200,000 kilograms were collected on Friday, with the remainder being collected on Saturday. Coming out on top in Malaga was Carrefour Los Patios and Carrefour Alameda. Bancosol’s Vice-president and coordinator of the Gran Recogida Joaquin Jimenez declared this year’s campaign to be a “total success.” The Bancosol foodbank helps a total of 49,000 people in the province of Malaga, through a number of different charities.

Photo credit Bancosol

Fake worker scams €35,000 from elderly woman by Jemima Roberts A MAN pretending to be from Endesa has swindled a 90-year-old woman in Malaga City. Police are now trying to find the alleged thief who is believed to be a “young man, between 25 and 30 years old, with short curly hair and a Spanish accent.” The incident occurred at around 1pm when the man knocked on the woman’s door, telling her “we are changing the metres and I have to do a series of checks on your home.” He was let in and begun to ask the woman to turn the property’s lights on and off. When her carer arrived he also instructed them to check the electrics. He allegedly held a mobile phone to his ear all the time pretending to be reporting back to his team. When he left, the woman checked on her belongings in her bedroom but found her jewellery and €35,000 in cash had been taken. Police are warning this type of scam is becoming commonplace, with the elderly often targeted. The Ministry of the Interior has warned people never to allow strangers in their house, particularly if they claim they are carrying out a review as companies always warn customers before any inspections. They recommend instead calling the company to check before allowing someone into a property. Last month it was revealed five people had been arrested in Seville for scamming holiday-makers online. The group allegedly conned their victims

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SCAMMER: Pretended to be checking the electrics within the property

out of around €7,000 by promising holiday rentals in properties in Malaga, Cadiz and Huelva. The accused are said to have used an internet shopping site to get in contact with holiday-makers before charging them €200 for a bogus reservation. A total of 28 complaints were made against the group, according to one publication, 21 of whom were from Seville. The same month, another internet scam tricked 190 people, including 20 unemployed people in Malaga.

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An advert promising fake grape harvesting jobs in France was posted on website Milanuncios, asking prospective applicants for €85 towards the cost of coming to France to take up a job helping with the wine harvest. In return the job description offered over €4,000 worth of work to employees. Police now say this was a “massive scam.” On investigating, National Police found the man had posted 26 job adverts on the website, leaving around 20 out of pocket in Malaga province.

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Eight years for murderer by Jemima Roberts A 17-YEAR-OLD boy is facing years in prison for stabbing a man in a nightclub. Prosecutors are asking a judge to place the boy in a reform centre for killing 44-year-old Rafael RD in September at the Tropical Discokaraoke in Arroyo de los Angeles. Paramedics found the victim at 4am lying on a pavement. Initially believing he was drunk they soon realised he was lying in a pool of blood and had no pulse. The man was later found to have five stabs wounds, one in his chest and four in his back. The National Police began investigating and soon identified the man as a resident of La Palmilla who held several criminal records. After initially struggling to find witnesses as they had fled when the stabbing occurred, police eventually gathered enough evidence to carry out a reconstruction of the event. They found three people had tried to enter the club earlier that night but were refused as two of them were underage. The victim, who happened to be near the argument, supposedly made a comment agreeing with the bouncer. One of the group apparently challenged Rafael RD to a fight at which point another boy stabbed him in the back. After investigating for a month and a half, police identified the three young men. Two were released as they were not believed to have been involved in the stabbing. The accused has been held in a reform centre since his arrest on suspicion of murder. Meanwhile, a 64-year-old murderer was

Stabbing allegedly as a result of being refused entry to a nightclub

last month given 20 years in prison for stabbing his 74-old-former friend 16 times. The accused, who did not deny the allegation, “surprised” his victim at his home in Torremolinos before killing him. The suspect waited on the doorstep next to his victim’s body before telling police officers, “he did not keep my secret.” It is not known what secret the man is referring to. Police said the suspect killed the deceased,

Not just for Christmas

PRESIDENT of Malaga’s Protectora de Animales Carmen Manzano has asked people to ‘adopt, not shop’ this Christmas. Manzano revealed that a total of 1,453 animals have been rescued from the streets of Malaga this year – including 1,038 dogs and 344 cats. 114 animals have had to be euthanised, many puppies abandoned still with their umbilical cords attached and animals abused or run over. Manzano stressed that when people adopt an animal from the protectora, they “help two animals: the one they take home and the one that can be welcomed at the protectora in its place.” Remember this festive season, a pet is not just for Christmas.

who was believed to have been his friend, in a “repeated and surprise” stabbing to the man’s head, neck, thorax, abdomen and back with a machete. After the attack, the man told a passer-by to call the police and sat waiting for them before telling them what he had done. When asked by police why he was carrying the machete, which was 25 centimetres long and four centimetres, the man said he always had it on him.

Airport workers worry by Pippa Harris WORKERS at Malaga Airport are concerned about their working conditions after new managers are due to move in. The employees of the airport’s bars and restaurants have received support from all Malaga’s political parties after the current operator Aena put out a €100 million tender to find new operators for the catering facilities. The workers fear the eight-year contract does not provide any assurances over their rights. Miguel Angel Salazar, chairman of the works council, confirmed, “the Aena specifications do not guarantee that all conditions will be met,” if the tender is awarded to several different companies. Meanwhile, it has been revealed the airport’s firemen have asked to become municipal employees.

Week-long celebration of the Spanish language

TEACHERS IN MALAGA are preparing for a week of celebrations in January to boost the province’s reputation for language tourism. Malaga Education Week (MEW), which takes place from 7 - 14 January 2018, aims to focus the attention of the study abroad industry on Malaga as a first-class destination for the study of Spanish as a

The group has asked Spain’s central government to be given the “status of public employees.” Their spokesman, Eduardo Zorilla, has claimed, “the security of the people who use our airports will be guaranteed by greater security, stronger rights and a faster and more effective service.” Zorilla added the group deserved to be recognised for the “essential work they do to save lives.” The controversy comes after a body responsible for checking work conditions has discovered “proven deficiencies in occupational risk prevention” at the Malaga Martiricos fire park. It is the second time the organisation has written to the council to complain about standards at the site although the building is due for a €3.2 million facelift in December. It is now demanding officials be consulted in any matters relating to health and safety as well as the psy-

foreign language. Malaga has 28 centres for teaching Spanish as a foreign language, which represents nearly half of the offer in Andalusia and 15 per cent of the total in Spain. The goal of MEW is to highlight the importance of Spanish, the world’s second language of international communication after English.

chological health of fire workers. The body also criticised the council for electrical risks in the station, including unprotected cables and boxes, dampness in the ceiling and bedroom, lack of anti-slip tape on the stairs. A €3,242,065 project will see equipment at the Paseo de Martiricos station upgraded and improved from December 1 onwards. The works, which are expected to take around 24 months, will be carries out in six stages and will include improvements to the building’s structure and design. The building covers a total of 5,448.86 square metres, including 2.955,48 square meters on the ground floor, 433.97 square meters of mezzanine and 2,059.41 meters squares on the top floor. Further improvements will include work to the firefighters’ sleeping and rest area, as well as the creation of a new emergency staircase.

Speaking at the MEW launch, Costa del Sol Tourism CEO Jacobo Florido recalled that the province of Malaga is second only to Madrid in Spanish schools accredited by the Cervantes Institute, adding: “it is no coincidence that Malaga stands as a destination for a week of great development for the language tourism that awaits us in January.”

‘Numerous deficiencies’ found in prison by Jemima Roberts AN OMBUDSMAN has criticised Archidona prison’s conditions. The body has found 10 areas which must now be improved and has questioned whether the almost 500 Algerian immigrants being held there is appropriate. Following inspections carried out last week, the Ombudsman, Francisco Fernandez, explained, “there are numerous deficiencies in the facilities,” including the need for “better architectural conditions.” Fernandez added he had “serious doubts” about the facility being used as a prison. Shortly after the Ombudsman published his verdict, politicians from the Ministry of the Interior and the Senate visited the facility to check on the inmates. As they did so around 50 prison officials protested outside, saying the facilities should not be used as a prison. The politicians from five different parties later clashed over the conditions inside. Last week it was revealed several visitors were turned away from the detention centre as

they tried to deliver clothes to their relatives. After waiting all morning to see their loved-ones, visitors were asked to return to Archidona prison in the afternoon. Every day large numbers of mother, children, fathers and siblings queue outside the prison to see their families who were detained after illegally entering Spain on the coasts of Almeria and Murcia. A plainclothes police officer was stationed outside the centre to organise visitors, some of whom say they have been waiting days to see their relatives. Sources told one publication numbers had to be limited to control the situation which is said to have become heated. One father told a newspaper, “my son is on hunger strike because the other day they put out pork to eat.” Relatives say they are concerned after hearing news reports of clashes inside the prison between inmates frustrated they will have to return home. A source told one publication there had been “some encounters,” which were “not serious.” One councillor urged Spain’s central gov-

ernment to make other arrangements for the immigrants. Mercedes Montero is asking the government to open a new, permanent prison for those who illegally reach Spain’s shores by boat. The councillor explained she had spoken to the Security of State for Security and, “he has

assured me that they will be held for a maximum of 40 days and that another jail will be opened in January as promised.” The immigrants, who arrived at the shores of Murcia before being transferred to Malaga, have received healthcare, personal hygiene kits and the services of an interpreter.

Liberty Seguros At 50 Plus Expo Left to right: Ángel de la Riva, Area Manager East Costa del Sol; Samantha Burns, Insurance Advisor in Fuengirola; José Pedro Pérez Barragán, Regional Director South and Canaries; and Rafael Nadales, Area Manager West Costa del Sol

The expats number one choice for insurance, Liberty Seguros, were on hand at last weekend’s 50 plus expo show held in Fuengirola at the IPV Palace Hotel to offer expert advice for any insurance queries. The show proved a great success for Liberty who were able to discuss, face to face in a personal manner, all those questions about insurance that we all have from time to time. Additionally, there were two lucky winners of a Galaxy Tablet which Liberty donated at

the show. Liberty Seguros provides insurance not only for car, home, life, but also for pet, business and commercial, leisure like golf, marine, and personal injury; almost anything you may need to do with insurance from one leading company. With over 300 agents and brokers, there’s sure to be one near to you so for those who need to find the whereabouts of a Liberty broker or agent, they simply have to call 91 342 25 49 or visit www.libertyexpatriates.es

Unemployment rises by Richard Johnson MALAGA’S increase in unemployment continues to rise for the fourth month in a row. The province currently has more than 158,330 job seekers, the second fastest rising figure in Spain after the Balearic Islands. The number of unemployed people rose by 3 per cent in November with a further 4,566 out of work. This increase, which is the largest in November since 2012, is being blamed on seasonal jobs made redundant after the summer season, although the rest of Andalucia has seen a less dramatic decrease with 3,114 fewer people employed in November. Jobs were also lost in the construction sector, with 446 more people out of work, as well as in agriculture, with unemployment up by eight people. In contrast, 51 more people were employed in the industry sector in November than the month before. Meanwhile, the Costa del Sol’s residents are benefitting from a general upswing in the economy after it was revealed Fuengirola Council helped 1,000 residents pay their tax this year. Maria Hernandez, Councillor for Finance, explained the town offered financial aid and practical assistance to locals, making it one of the easiest municipalities to pay tax in. She added residents had been given the option to split payments, a solution used by many. Councillor Hernandez explained, the measure “has been very well received, since 776 taxpayers took it up in 2014, 884

(Re)open to the public FUENGIROLA’S Calle Rita Luna reopened to the public yesterday afternoon. €55,000 worth of improvement works have been carried out spanning 175 square metres. Both its underground structure and its surface have been completely reformed and the supply network has been improved – with rain and fecal networks separated, new telephony infrastructure installed and public lighting put up. Accessibility has also been improved, with the pavements widened to 1.5 metres to facilitate the passage of people in wheelchairs/ with reduced mobility.

Increase in unemployment blamed on seasonal jobs in 2015, 840 in 2016 and 1,000 so far this year.” Up to 30 per cent off property tax (IBI), tractor tax and Environmental Waste Management fees are available providing residents fulfil various criteria, according to Hernandez. Fuengirola Council’s finances are looking in good shape, with its debt down by 75 per cent and the town hall is passing on its fortune to residents with funding for a community project of up to €1 million. Locals are being encouraged to put forward their ideas for how the money should be spent. The initiative, put forward by

Mayor Ana Mula, is aimed at allowing residents greater control over how council money is spent. An online suggestion submission app has been created and all ideas will be analysed for their viability. Mayor Mula explained, "like I always say; My best team is the residents themselves. And in that sense, we have put in place different tools that have allowed us to work as a team with the people of Fuengirola so that they can also send us their requests, their concerns, their complaints, ... and in short, that they participate as a team to improve our city.”

Hashish load held

GUARDIA Civil officers in San Roque have intercepted more than 1.35 tonnes of hashish. The drugs were found in a stolen van which officers first located driving past on the A-7 motorway, reportedly showing clear signs of overloading. After chasing the vehicle for some time, the driver allegedly fled on foot and man-

aged to evade police, with his whereabouts still unknown. Once inside the van, which had been stolen from Sabadell, Barcelona earlier this year, officers recovered 45 bales of hashish, weighing a total of 1,350 kilos. The Guardia Civil continue their open investigation to locate the person responsible.

News from around Europe NETHERLANDS

Sorry A DUTCH radio presenter has apologised to a young female singer after confronting her with a nude man while she was singing live on air. 20-year-old Maan de Steenwinkel, was performing on Radio 538 when she was confronted, as she put it “with a willy in my face” and burst into tears. Suspended jail sentence AN ELDERLY MAN who helped his 99-year-old mother to die seven years ago should be given a threemonth suspended jail sentence, the public prosecution department told the court in Den Bosch on Monday. The

public prosecutor said that while it did not doubt the man had the best intentions, he should be punished for going his own way. Electric cars A SURVEY of the electrical vehicle sector has revealed that only around 15 per cent of Dutch motorists are considering buying an electric car in the near future despite a government commitment to stop selling new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. Evacuation AN APARTMENT COMPLEX with 42 flats in Leiden was evacuated in the early hours of Monday morning after

a carbon monoxide scare. Checks revealed boilers in some of the apartments were producing too much of the poisonous gas, leading officials to evacuate the entire complex of over 100 people.

‘Dynasty’ fails to sell THE MOST EXPENSIVE diamond ever polished in Russia, named Dynasty after the Romanov-era Imperial Court, failed to sell in an auction. Alrosa PJSC said it didn’t receive a high enough offer for the 51.4-carat gem in an online auction last week.

Tickets please AMSTERDAM CENTRAL STATION’S main concourse is now only accessible to people with a valid ticket or travel card. The move is part of a wider NS strategy to improve safety and stop people travelling without paying the fare. Beforehand, the ticket barriers were open, meaning anyone could pass through freely.

Nonimmigrant-visa interviews U.S. CONSULATES in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and Vladivostok will resume interviews for nonimmigrantvisa applicants next week, less than four months after those operations were suspended following Moscow’s order for deep cuts in U.S. diplomatic staff.

FRANCE Baby panda finally named FRANCE’S first baby panda finally has a name four months after his birth: Chinese dignitaries and French first lady Brigitte Macron chose Yuan Meng for the cub born at Beauval zoo, south of Paris, which fittingly means “the realisation of a wish” or “accomplishment of a dream.” Brutal attack FOUR MEN and one woman were charged in France over a brutal attack on a Jewish family in a Paris suburb. One man of 50, reportedly already known to police, three younger men and a 19-year-old woman allegedly took part in the September 8 assault in Livry-Gargan, northeast of Paris. Hosts FRANCE will host next summer’s World Rugby U20 Championship. The tournament will be played in Beziers (Stade de la Mediterranee), Perpignan

(Stade Aime Giral) and Narbonne (Stade d’Honneur du Parc des Sports et de l’Amitie) over a 19-day period between the end of May and middle of June. Back to normal TRAFFIC returned to normal at Paris’s Montparnasse station this week after a computer glitch stopped all trains leaving and arriving last Sunday. Transport Minister Elisabeth Morne described the breakdown as “unacceptable” and summoned rail network boss Patrick Bontet to give him a dressing-down. France offers to lend a hand FRANCE has offered to lend Britain its amphibious landing craft if the UK scraps the Royal Navy’s own ships as part of sweeping defence cuts. Britain is considering axing HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark - assault vessels which allow the UK to attack enemyheld beaches - under cost-cutting plans.

ICELAND New woman PM ICELAND’S new Prime Minister is Katrín Jakobsdóttir, leader of the Left Green Alliance. Jakobsdóttir is 41 years old and a mother of three and becomes the second woman to head a government in Iceland. The new coalition government spans the entire political spectrum in Iceland. Delayed temple to restart ICELAND’S first pagan temple in 1000 years will be ready in late 2018. The temple is being constructed in the woodland covered hill of Öskjuhlíð in

Reykjavik, and despite there being a break in building work, it will restart in January. Superstar saver A FRAIL Sea-Eagle was rescued in WestIceland by professional outdoorsman and Icelandic Snapchat star, Snorri Rafnsson. Mr. Rafnsson spotted the magnificent Sea-Eagle a few times over the past weeks and noticed an unusual behaviour that led him to believe that the bird was unwell. Shaken...but no danger A LARGE number of minor earthquakes have occurred at Askja, in the

RUSSIA

north central highlands of Iceland. Most of the quakes were around 2.0 on the Richter scale. Geologists at the Iceland Met Office say that this is not unusual and does not point to any volcanic unrest. Argy-bargy in Moscow ICELAND will be grouped with Argentina, Croatia and Nigeria in Group D at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Iceland was drawn out of Pot 3, with nations including Sweden, Egypt and Iran. Iceland faces Argentina on June 16, Nigeria on June 22 and finally Croatia on June 26.

New submarines THE RUSSIAN NAVY expects to receive a new class of nuclear-powered fifthgeneration submarines in the 2030s, according to the service’s deputy com-

mander for armaments, Vice Admiral Victor Bursuk. “The fleet will start getting fifth-generation submarines around the 2030s,” Bursuk told the Russian press last week. UFO evidence A NEW VIDEO of a “TR-3B type of UFO” captured in Russia is being called the “best evidence ever” of a UFO sighting. Posted on UFO Today’s YouTube page on Saturday, the video shows an object making its way slowly past a building at night, displaying three lights in a triangular formation. 10 years for Economy Minister RUSSIAN PROSECUTORS have recommended a 10-year prison term for former Economy Minister Aleksei Ulyukayev for extortion, while the defendant asked the court to acquit him and called for perjury charges against the head of state oil giant Rosneft.

SCANDINAVIA Top 50 beach spot CANADIAN travel agency Flightnetwork asked 600 travel journalists, editors, bloggers and agencies and has come up with a list of what they claim to be 50 best beaches in the world. Værøy beach in Lofoten comes in the 23rd place. Redgrave rewarded ACTRESS Vanessa Redgrave, 80, has been honoured by the Swedish Stockholm Film Festival for her work in film and theatre. The six-time Oscar-nominated British actress is known for her tremendous talent as well as her political activism.

Her directing debut, Sea Sorrow, was featured during the festival. Brought to account DANISH homeless people are now able to open bank accounts in order to receive their benefits thanks to an initiative from Kommunernes Landsforening, and the umbrella organisation for banks, Finansdanmark. Until now, it was a case of no address – no bank account. Russian people smugglers A RUSSIAN family of three is suspected of smuggling dozens of people to

Finland through the Saimaa Canal. The father and his two children – a grown-up daughter and an underage son – were taken into custody after 17 people were found hiding inside their 12-metre motorboat in June. Extra migrant help HELSINKI City Council voted 45–39 in favour of a proposal to expand the rights of undocumented immigrants to health and medical care services after a heated debate. They will be entitled to medication, vaccination, dental care, medical monitoring and treatment for chronic diseases.

GERMANY Market bomb discovered GERMAN police were searching for the sender of a package initially feared to contain a bomb found near a Christmas market in Potsdam, almost a year after a deadly terror attack at a similar market in Berlin. The device was uncovered at a pharmacy. Widow’s pension A COLLECTION of South African gold coins with a value of over €100,000 were found by an employee in a box of donated food at a senior care home in Mönchengladbach. The contents included high-calorie drinks and were donated by a 78-year-old widow after her husband died. Green light for Air Berlin purchase GERMAN aviation giant Lufthansa has offered concessions to encourage the European Commission to green-light its

planned purchase of parts of bankrupt Air Berlin. Now that Lufthansa has submitted more extensive concessions, the deadline for Brussels to reach a decision has been pushed back to December 21. Frozen kebab worries THE EU Parliament is holding up a new law on using phosphate in frozen kebab meat. While the German newspaper Bild Zeitung says this threatens the future of the döner, EU MPs have said people have nothing to worry about. Glow in the cards POLICE revealed only this week that just under a fortnight ago they uncovered a series of playing cards tainted with radioactive material in Berlin’s MarzahnHellersdorf district. They were used by a player who was wearing a detector during an illegal card game.

Firefighter strike still running by Jemima Roberts A YEAR after first going on strike Malaga’s firemen have still not returned to work. The labour dispute over working conditions continues without any progress in negotiations according to the fire department. One spokesman said, “the summary of the year is that we have made zero progress.” The strike has caused a series of controversies over the year with a Malaga councillor condemning firemen in October for not taking part in new training courses while on strike. Councillor for Security, Mario Cortes, said the men had other ways of taking industrial action “without endangering the safety of residents.” He added, “how do you explain to the public who have asked for flood specialists for years

The place to be for new businesses?

Mijas Council has granted licenses to 237 businesses so far this year - including those for new premises, expansion or change of name – more than double the licenses granted last year. Councillor Andres Ruiz announced the fig-

ures last week and expressed how pleased he was, especially with the new number of new business licenses granted: “We have given permission for 64 completely new business premises this year, compared to 17 last year,” he said.

that they will not attend the training sessions a month after the rainy season begins.” He claimed the firefighters had crossed “a red line they thought they would not cross,” adding unions should, “ask for reason. These are courses other cities want to join in on. Let’s hope they handle this so that the security of citizens in not affected.” A spokesman for the firemen hit back, however, saying, “we do not want to be criminalised. This is the only opportunity we have to strike without citizens being harmed.” A further 60 firefighters have been forced to defend themselves for failing to attend five blazes in one day in June. The Malaga prosecutor’s office referred the matter to a judge who will decide whether the workers are guilty of abandoning their of-

fice, a matter punishable by up to two years’ suspension from work and fines. According to reports, on June 27 five fires broke out simultaneously around the province. Sixty-one firemen were all called and asked to come to work but only one turned up. Twelve said they could not because of child care or doctor’s appointments, three said they were out of the area, one refused to go, two were on leave and the other 42 did not pick up their phones or return the call. In the end, Provincial firefighters and Infoca workers were left to tackle the blazes in La Corta, Campanillas, Asperones, Monte Dorado and Atabal. A court will now decide whether the men broke the “minimum services” conditions of their strike terms.

Family clan of drug dealers busted AFTER receiving complaints from local residents in La Linea, 35 officers from the National Police arrested a family of drug dealers. Five members of the same family were arrested in the area known as Las Palomeras when officers raided a number of houses.

One property was used for the cutting and packing of the narcotics whilst two others acted as a ’24 hour shop’ for those wishing to purchase the drugs. Two men and three women who were all related were arrested and following an appearance in court have been imprisoned without bail.

A Costa Love Story by Michael Cano IN the late 1960s a young German Princess was expanding her life experience by looking after the children of a titled German in Somalia, East Africa. When she heard that the brother of her employer and family friend who was in Kenya with clients was going to travel to Somalia, she was quite excited until it was realized that there were insufficient bedrooms in the house, so she had to leave and fly to England. The couple literally met at the airport in Mogadishu and whilst they had a chat it rather looked as if that was the last they would ever see of each other, even though they detected an immediate spark. Count Rudolf von Schönburg wasn’t of a retiring nature however and followed Princess Marie-Louise of Prussia to London and started his campaign to woo her, saying at one time “If you like me in London, you’ll love me in Marbella!” Despite the fact that she was ir-

ritated that she had been forced to leave Somalia before she was ready, the great-granddaughter of Kaiser Wilhelm II must have seen something special in her suitor as in 1971 they married in the Castle Donaueschingen Germany and then returned to Marbella where Rudi as he is generally known was helping to run the Marbella Club. Not content to simply be part of the family of Lotus Eaters who were making Marbella a trendy and popular destination, the Princess shared her time between acting as a hostess at numerous parties and devoting time to raising funds for UNICEF. With the birth of two children, Frederic who is now a hotelier in London and Sophie whose God Mother is Queen Sofia, cousin of Marie-Louise she devoted more time to looking after them and she cut back on her charitable causes. Now the children have grown and the couple have two grandchildren, they are looking forward to spending a first Christmas with

Princess Marie-Louise and Count Rudi her three year-old grandson. Christmas Eve will see her baking cookies and enjoying a meal with her family and the former nanny of her two grown up chil-

dren and then they will all go into Marbella to hear Midnight Mass. Now in their 47th year of marriage the couple continue to be recognised as part of the fabric of

Marbella society with Rudi still present at Marbella Club which he started working for 61 years ago and Marie-Louise raising funds for her HIV/AIDS charity Concordia.

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Andura wall coatings offer numerous benefits over standard exterior paints. The coating is made from a flexible resin allowing it to expand and contract with the building, preventing cracks and blisters. It is 10 times thicker than paint offering an unrivalled coverage and resists strong sunlight and UV rays. The coating creates an impenetrable barrier which prevents any water getting into the fabric of the building, but also allows internal moisture to escape. It prevents mould and fungus and also acts as an insulator to the building. As well as vastly improving the appearance of your property it also adds value. The coating comes in a standard range of 12 colours and the professional team will offer the best service possible working on your home until it is completed. The service begins with the walls being cleaned to remove dirt and loose paint and surface imperfections are carefully treated. Doors and windows are masked up and plants and lawns are fully protected by tarpaulins before the primer and coating is applied. Andura Abroad No Need To Paint is so confident of the long lasting finish you will obtain, they offer a 15 year guarantee and an insurance backed guarantee is available. Promotional homes are currently wanted across the Costa Blanca. For nearly 20 years the company has successfully used the open house/open day promotional homes concept to promote the products and services they offer as the home owner enjoys substantial discounts on the normal cost of the Andura coating. So for more information or to arrange a free on site survey and assessment, contact the team today.

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Today they wring their hands by

Michael Walsh

keyboardcosmetics@ gmail.com The opinions published in Mike´s weekly column are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or newspaper sponsors.

Those who rang their bells now wring their hands. The hypocrisy and criminal lack of accountability of the political class is gut-wrenching. Recently, we were subjected to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson piously berating Marxist Mugabe for iniquities his hapless regime brought upon the people of Zimbabwe. A pity mainstream forgot to show photographs of Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the Archbishop of Canterbury slobbering over the Marxist dictator, who was later knighted by her maj’. Westminster’s political troika drooled over Zimbabwe’s dreadful despot. The same can be said of the Anti-Apartheid Movement, the Labour Party, and mainstream media; their now silence is deafening. Those who at the time warned against Mugabe were pilloried by the benefit scroungers of Pigminster. Rhodesia, until Britain’s betrayal and transfer to Robert Mugabe, was Africa’s most prosperous and benign nation. Rhodesia exported their harvests and their manufactured products. There was full employment and universal education. It was not an apartheid system; Rhodesia’s only problem was the on-going maintenance of frontier fences to keep refugees from black ruled nations out. Now, the deposed Mugabe has a get out of gaol card. Like his Communist mentors he will never face trial and will indeed pocket $10 million as a golden handshake. Will media investigate where this amount is coming from? I doubt it. Déjà vu, today unfortunate sub-Saharan Africans in war-torn Libya suffer casual mass murder, anarchy, genocide, slavery, rape and organ trafficking. Again, the political elite, who promoted their NATO war on peaceful and prosperous Libya, talk as if this has nothing to do with them. When Libya was governed by Muammar Gaddafi a home for every citizen was considered a right. There was no tribal warfare, Libya en-

joyed free education, electricity and healthcare, and business and family growth was invested in by government. Literacy went up from 25% to 75% and Libya’s navy kept Africa’s surplus population well away from Europe’s shores. Libya like Rhodesia was an example of what Africans can be without the interference of globalists. Similar NATO debacles in Syria, Ukraine (Donbass) Iraq, Iran and elsewhere come to mind. The corrupt political elite and their press talk as if these horrific failures were acts of God rather than the consequence of their disastrous foreign policy. The fact that those responsible are smug in their belief that mainstream will never bring them to account is proof enough that the press is the keyboard upon which government plays. If parliamentarians were to follow any other trade other than one in which they set their own rules many would be serving long gaol terms.

Is it ever OK to have a gull friend? by

Barry Duke The opinions published in Barry’s weekly column are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or newspaper sponsors.

“Hey mate, can I have a word?”, said the aggressive old geezer who stopped me as I was walking towards my local park to have a relaxed lunch and read a book, something I did in the summer months whenever the weather was good. “Sure,” I replied warily. “What’s on your mind?” “I have been watching you for weeks, and I know you’re off to share your crisps and sandwiches with a bird. That’s totally unacceptable because it just encourages these pests to attack people and steal their food.” This happened about ten years ago when I was living in the UK seaside resort of Brighton, and – yes – I did have a gull friend – one that had an insatiable appetite for bacon flavoured crisps. Our friendship began when I realised that the bird, unlike most other herring gulls in the area, was not a vicious winged hooligan who would snatch food out of one’s hand – and perhaps take a finger or two with it. “Stephen”, as I chose to call him, would patiently wait at my side and take crisps and pieces of bread I offered him in the gentlest manner imaginable. I really can’t say whether it was a male or female, but I chose the name “Stephen” because some months previously an evangelist called Stephen

FEEDING TIME: Barry, that had better be bacon flavoured Green came to Brighton to bellow hateful anti-gay claptrap on one of the city’s busiest streets. He’d just reached fever pitch when a gull dive-bombed him, and with unerring accuracy splattered guano across the front of his jacket. This immediately put a stop to his rant, and he legged it to the nearest washroom to clean off the mess. Howls of laughter followed,

and he simply disappeared. Until then, I shared most Brightonians dislike of the creatures, mainly because of their loud screeching. But this incident convinced me that gulls cannot be all bad. People, of course, will tell you terrible tales about these birds. Reports of gulls savaging small dogs and kittens and stealing ice cream cones from

toddlers and little old ladies abound in the local press in the UK, but the story of what happened to a friend of mine called Stephanie truly belongs in a horror movie. Stephanie was working at a restaurant in a large shopping complex that had trash cans on the roof. On a bitterly cold winter’s afternoon she took two plastic sacks of rubbish up the roof and was immediately spotted by a gull which settled on her head. Stephanie, who had an absolute terror of gulls, literally froze on the spot. An hour later, colleagues – noticing that she hadn’t returned – sent out a search party. She was found, frozen stiff and in a state of complete shock – with the bird still nonchalantly perched on her head. When she told me of her encounter a few weeks later in a pub, I laughed so hard beer came out my nose – and Stephanie delivered a painful kick to my right shin, and stormed out. I was reminded of “Stephen” and Stephanie’s experience when – on a business visit to Brighton last weekend – I spotted a pair of gulls aggressively ripping open a garbage bag. Seeing them prompted me to call Stephanie to ascertain whether she’d forgiven me, but, curiously, she slammed down the phone.

My debit card is exhausted by

Colin Bird The opinions published in Colin’s weekly column are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or newspaper sponsors.

One thing that is noticeable in Spain and in complete contrast to the UK, is the laid back atmosphere in the supermarkets at this time of year. Visit Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s or any of the other big supermarket outlets anywhere in England right this minute, and I am prepared to bet my week’s pocket money that it will be as manic as Michael McIntyre plugged into the mains. Even Christmas Eve, when occasionally I have had to drop in to our local Dial Prix for some last minute stuffing mix or a bottle of cooking sherry, it has never been anything other than business as usual. We took some friends to Iceland in Torrevieja recently and like many expats, they love all the familiar products on offer from back home. It’s a store that we personally visit infrequently – perhaps two or three times a year –but as the cat’s pantry needed stocking up with some of their preferred canned food, we thought a trip was due. For my part, there is nothing I like more than a good old British pork pie and always use the opportunity to buy one for immediate use as a taster, and another as a main course. But some of the frozen stuff on display leaves me utterly confused and puzzled. I mean, there is a complete

aisle of nothing but frozen sliced bread. That’s seven freezers full of what is, let’s face it, frozen white or brown floppy cardboard. Understandable if there is no alternative to white or brown floppy cardboard, but here in Spain where the fresh bread is simply wonderful. Why? Then you have frozen shepherd’s pies, or bangers and mash, or baked spuds for goodness sake. How hard or time con-

suming is it to knock any of these uncomplicated meals together? Amazingly you have bags of grated cheese. But look, here’s a tip: buy a block of cheese grate it (a grater is that shiny metal thing with holes in it) bung it in a bag and it’s all done. Three minutes tops and much cheaper. Anyways up, we emerged a half hour later; our friends with their supplies and

us with some cat food, two pork pies and one hundred and seven euro’s poorer. Why? Because of all the other ‘must have’ items that we cannot find anywhere else and which, being Christmas, are just perfect for when we are entertaining. That’s why. My flexible friend is still groaning in my wallet with a pulled muscle and a very high temperature.

Formation of present action tense Basic Spanish for everyday needs by

Jane Cronin

We started to look at gerunds, or “present participles” last week; that is the Spanish equivalent of words in English ending in – ing. We saw how simple they are to form, by changing the endings in a very uniform way. The – ar of the infinitive verb changes to – ando, and the –er and –ir infinitive endings change to – iendo. These forms are used fairly extensively in Spanish, but are not nearly so common as the gerund is in English. In English we use “–ing” words to express many different things that are not possible in Spanish. For example we can talk about future events by saying “Tomorrow I’m playing tennis” or “What are you doing later?” This is impossible in Spanish. We have to say “Tomorrow I’m going to play tennis” (Mañana voy a jugar al tenis) or “What are you going to do later?” (¿Qué vas a hacer más tarde?). In English we can also use gerunds to describe activities, for example “I go to swimming lessons”. In Spanish this would be “Voy a clases de natación”. Another example is the use of the gerund in English after “I like” – as in “I like visiting the family” or “I don’t like watching horror films”. After “me gusta” and related forms in Spanish we use the infinitive of the verb. “Me gusta visitar a la familia”, “No me gusta

¿Qué estás haciendo?

ver películas de terror”. So, we can definitely say that in Spanish the gerund has much more limited uses, so we need to be careful not to translate too literally. Probably the most common use of this form in Spanish is to combine it with the verb estar to talk about activities at the present moment in time. For example, if you phone someone up on their mobile phone, you might say to them: “What are you doing?” In that question you are enquiring about exactly what their actions are at that specific moment. They might reply “I’m cleaning the kitchen” or “I’m having a drink with a friend”. In the context, the use of the gerund or present participle is exactly the same as it is in English. So, to create the same meaning we need the equivalent of “I am” and “you are” etc. and for this we use the verb estar. Here is the verb estar in its different forms. Estoy (I am), Estás (you are – familiar singular) Está (he is, she is, it is, you are – formal singular) Estamos (we are) Estáis (you are – informal plural) Están (they are, you are – formal plural)

gerund

Now we can simply combine the appropriate form of estar with the gerund of our verb to make a meaningful sentence, referring to actions in the present moment. Here’s what I’m doing now. Estoy escribiendo un artículo. Estoy tomando un té. Estoy escuchando la lluvia. Estoy pensando. ¿Qué estás haciendo? What are you doing? Now here is what my friends and family are doing (I assume, although I haven’t phoned them to find out). Mi madre está haciendo las compras. Mi gata está comiendo. Mi hermana está trabajando. Mis hijas están estudiando. Now you have some fairly obvious homework – at any moment you can think about how to say in Spanish what you and the people round you are doing! Next week we will look at just a few irregular gerunds, but don’t worry, there aren’t many!

Estoy pensando

Estoy tomando un té

Mi madre está haciendo las compras

present participle

Thursday 7th December - Thursday 14th December

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The Year in Music 2017, 10pm, BBC2

Saturday 7:00am 11:00am 12:30pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 2:15pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 6:45pm 6:55pm 7:00pm 7:45pm 9:20pm 10:20pm 11:10pm 11:30pm 12:55am

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this weeks weatherinbrief THU Dec 7

16º 7ºC /

Periods of clouds and sun

FRI Dec 8

19º 9ºC /

Clouds and sunny spells

sat Dec 9

17º 7ºC /

Spotty afternoon showers

sun Dec 10

18º 9ºC /

Mostly sunny

mon Dec 11

17º 10ºC /

Rain and drizzle

tue Dec 12

16º 8ºC /

Sunny

wed Dec 13

15º 7ºC /

Periods of clouds and sun

X-Men: Days of Future Past, 10pm, Channel 4

thu Dec 14

15º 6ºC /

Periods of sun and clouds

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7:00am 10:15am 12:45pm 12:50pm 2:30pm 4:15pm 6:00pm 6:35pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

Childrens TV The Wright Stuff 5 News Lunchtime Window Wonderland Merry Ex-Mas The Mistletoe Promise 5 News The Yorkshire Vet at the Great Yorkshire Show 5 News Tonight Steve Backshall’s Hedgehog Rescue Jo Brand’s Cats and Kittens Ben Fogle: Return to the Wild Britain’s Favourite Christmas Hits

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

Monkey Life Monkey Life Monkey Life It’s Me or the Dog The Dog Whisperer Meerkat Manor Meerkat Manor Modern Family Modern Family NCIS: Los Angeles Hawaii Five-0 Hawaii Five-0 NCIS: Los Angeles Stargate SG-1 The Simpsons Futurama Futurama The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons The Flash A League of Their Own Sick Note The Simpsons The Simpsons

7:05am

Coast

8:05am

Gardeners’ World

8:35am

Monty Don’s Secret History

I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, 10pm, ITV1

Monday 7:00am 10:15am 11:00am 12:00pm 12:45pm 1:15pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 2:45pm 3:15pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm

Breakfast Island Medics Homes Under the Hammer Street Auction Fake Britain Bargain Hunt BBC News BBC London News Doctors Armchair Detectives Escape to the Country The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas Money for Nothing Pointless BBC News BBC London News The One Show Panorama EastEnders Would I Lie to You? The Real Marigold on Tour BBC News BBC London News Have I Got a Bit More News for You

The Real Marigold on Tour, 10pm, BBC1

TUESDAY 7:00am 10:15am 11:00am 12:00pm 12:45pm 1:15pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 2:45pm 3:15pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm

Breakfast Island Medics Homes Under the Hammer Street Auction Fake Britain Bargain Hunt BBC News BBC London News Doctors Armchair Detectives Escape to the Country The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas Money for Nothing Pointless BBC News BBC London News The One Show EastEnders Holby City The A Word BBC News BBC London News Sports Personality of the Year 2017 - The Contenders

Jamie's Cracking Christmas, 12pm, Channel 4

Pick of the Day Inhumans, 9pm, Sky 1

WEDNESDAY 7:00am 10:15am 11:00am 12:00pm 12:45pm 1:15pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 2:45pm 3:15pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm

Breakfast Island Medics Homes Under the Hammer Street Auction Fake Britain Bargain Hunt BBC News BBC London News Doctors Armchair Detectives Escape to the Country The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas Money for Nothing Pointless BBC News BBC London News The One Show Mary Berry’s Country House Secrets The Apprentice BBC News BBC London News Match of the Day

7:30am 8:15am 9:00am 9:30am 10:00am 12:00pm 12:30pm 2:00pm 2:10pm 3:05pm 3:35pm 4:20pm 5:05pm 6:05pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm

Island Medics The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas Nigella: At My Table Anglesey Victoria Derbyshire BBC Newsroom Live The Daily Politics Lifeline Coast Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip Home Away From Home 32 Brinkburn Street The Fifteen Billion Pound Railway The Blue Planet Celebrity Eggheads Strictly - It Takes Two Celebrity Antiques Road Trip MasterChef: The Professionals Peaky Blinders The Apprentice: You’re Fired! Newsnight

7:00am 9:30am 10:25am 11:30am 1:30pm 2:30pm 2:55pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:40pm 12:45am

Good Morning Britain Lorraine The Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning Loose Women ITV Lunchtime News ITV News London Judge Rinder Dickinson’s Real Deal Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Gino’s Italian Coastal Escape Coronation Street Bancroft ITV News and Weather ITV News London Exposure Parking Wars

7:20am 8:35am 10:00am 11:05am 12:00pm 1:00pm 1:05pm 1:20pm 1:25pm 3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am

3rd Rock from the Sun Everybody Loves Raymond Frasier Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA Jamie’s Night Before Christmas Channel 4 News Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas The Dog Who Saved the Holidays Countdown Lost and Found A Place in the Sun Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Secret Life of the Zoo The Channel Vanished by the Lake 999: What’s Your Emergency?

7:00am 10:15am 12:45pm 12:50pm 1:00pm 2:30pm 4:15pm 6:00pm 6:35pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

Childrens TV The Wright Stuff 5 News Lunchtime Access Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas Season’s Greetings Murder, She Baked: A Christmas Pudding Mystery 5 News The Yorkshire Vet 5 News Tonight Police Interceptors GPs: Behind Closed Doors Harrogate: A Yorkshire Christmas Greatest Christmas TV Moments of All Time

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

Monkey Life Monkey Life Monkey Life Monkey Life It’s Me or the Dog The Dog Whisperer Meerkat Manor Meerkat Manor Modern Family Modern Family NCIS: Los Angeles Hawaii Five-0 Hawaii Five-0 NCIS: Los Angeles Stargate SG-1 The Simpsons Futurama Futurama The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Inhumans Football’s Funniest Moments The Simpsons

Island Medics The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas MasterChef: The Professionals Victoria Derbyshire Street Auction Fake Britain The Daily Politics Coast Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip Home Away From Home 32 Brinkburn Street The Fifteen Billion Pound Railway The Blue Planet Celebrity Eggheads Strictly - It Takes Two Celebrity Antiques Road Trip MasterChef: The Professionals Blitz Live at the Apollo Newsnight

7:00am 9:30am 10:25am 11:30am 1:30pm 2:30pm 2:55pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:40pm 12:40am

Good Morning Britain Lorraine The Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning Loose Women ITV Lunchtime News ITV News London Judge Rinder Dickinson’s Real Deal Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Tonight Emmerdale Paul O’Grady: For The Love of Dogs Bancroft ITV News and Weather ITV News London Birds of a Feather Tonight at the London Palladium

7:20am 8:35am 10:00am 11:05am 12:00pm 1:00pm 1:05pm 1:15pm 1:25pm 3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am

3rd Rock from the Sun Everybody Loves Raymond Frasier Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA Jamie’s Christmas with Bells On Channel 4 News Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas The Holiday Tree Countdown Lost and Found A Place in the Sun Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Amazing Spaces Snow and Ice Special The Crystal Maze Extraordinary Teens Naked Attraction

7:00am 10:15am 12:45pm 12:50pm 2:35pm 4:20pm 6:00pm 6:35pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am

Childrens TV The Wright Stuff 5 News Lunchtime The Perfect Holiday My Christmas Dream A Perfect Christmas 5 News The Yorkshire Vet 5 News Tonight UK’s Strongest Man 2017 Gypsy Kids at Christmas Harrogate: A Yorkshire Christmas My Crazy Christmas Obsession My Crazy Christmas Obsession

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

Monkey Life Monkey Life It’s Me or the Dog The Dog Whisperer Meerkat Manor Meerkat Manor Modern Family Modern Family NCIS: Los Angeles Hawaii Five-0 Hawaii Five-0 NCIS: Los Angeles Stargate SG-1 The Simpsons Futurama Futurama The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons Arrow Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi A League of Their Own Unseen The Russell Howard Hour The Simpsons

thursday 7:00am 10:15am 11:00am 11:30am 1:00pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 2:45pm 3:15pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm

Breakfast Island Medics Homes Under the Hammer Grenfell Tower Memorial Service Bargain Hunt BBC News BBC London News Doctors Armchair Detectives Escape to the Country The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas Money for Nothing Pointless BBC News BBC London News The One Show EastEnders The Apprentice: Why I Fired Them Love, Lies and Records BBC News BBC London News Question Time

7:30am 8:15am 9:00am 10:00am 11:30am 12:15pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 4:15pm 5:05pm 6:05pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm

Letters to the Editor

The Apprentice: Why I Fired Them, 9pm, BBC1

talk to us

Help not deserved Sirs, I welcome the British Ambassador´s assurance outlined in the report over a Healthy Brexit (RTN November 22nd). However, his advice that those living under the radar could have problems which result in the consu-

lates being inundated is typical of modern authorities being unable to voice what people should be told for fear of upsetting the poor dears. He should have advised that there is no excuse for living here without registering on the padron

which robs local authorities of money and using the facilities without paying tax. Should they have problems by not registering then they have brought it upon themselves and should not expect consular assistance. M.Fone (by e.mail)

Email letters to admin.rtn@ewnmediagroup.com with your full name and address

Still Open all Hours

The Ronnie Barker classic returns to our screens on the BBC this Christmas, four years since the sequel that brought Sir David Jason back to the corner shop sitcom. This festive episode is kicking off a fourth series that will bring the total number of episodes to 26. Which is the same number of episodes as the original show. Granville (David Jason) is joined by James Baxter (Granville´s son Leroy), Johnny Vegas (Wet Eric), Brigit Forsyth (Madge), Maggie Ollerenshaw (Mavis), Geoffrey Whitehead (Mr Newbold and Stephanie Cole (Mrs Featherstone). In this Christmas episode some of Granville´s most important customers are planning to leave town. He does his best to persuade them to stay.

Life

Costa del Sol clinic recognised with charity award

Award received by Ocean Clinic Marbella for charity work in Africa OCEAN CLINIC MARBELLA was recognised for its charity work in Africa at the 2017 German Medical Awards. The prestigious awards, hosted in Berlin, aim to honour medical professionals who show “extraordinary commitment to the principles of medical ethics, innovation and supreme quality standards in patient care.” Ocean Clinic was named winner of the Medical Charity Award, following two charitable missions to Lamu, Kenya, where Head Surgeon Doctor Kai Kaye and his team carried out reconstructive surgery.

In total across the two trips, 85 adults and children living with disfigurements such as congenital malformations, tumours, hernias, burns and ulcers, were treated. All members of the surgical team from Ocean Clinic gave up their time for free, in addition to paying for their own flights and accommodation. Meanwhile, a fundraising campaign launched by the clinic raised more than €5,000 to purchase essential materials and equipment. “The Medical Charity Award honours personalities and projects that distinguish themselves through their outstanding

medical and social commitment,” said a spokesperson for the German Medical Award. The award itself supports a charitable project; this year proceeds went to the NCL Foundation (For a Future without Childhood Dementia) from Hamburg. Dr. Kaye received the award at a ceremony which took place at the Sheraton Grand Hotel Esplanade, Berlin last month. He said: “It was an honour to receive the award in the name of the whole team. The Plastic Surgery Relief project in Lamu was a big achievement for us all and something we

Up to the challenge? MARBELLA is looking to recruit 200 volunteers as it prepares to host Spain's Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group next year. The Puente Romano Sports Complex beat competition from Granada to host the clash on February 2, 3 and 4 - Spain's first Davis Cup tie on home soil since 2013 when it welcomed Ukraine to Madrid's Caja Magica for a World Group play-off. Marbella’s Councillor of Sports Javier Merida explained that those wishing to volunteer can apply via http://www.marbella.es/deportes/copa-davis/voluntarios.html. The application deadline is January 9 and volunteers will be invited to group interviews from January 10 – 12, with successful volunteers receiving training from January 13 – 20.

are very proud of. “Giving back is an important part of what we do at Ocean Clinic and, while the gratitude of those we were able to help was reward enough, I’m delighted for my team to be recognised for their amazing work.” Ocean Clinic intends to run the Plastic Surgery Relief Camp again next Easter. People can support the 2018 campaign through financial donations, providing medical equipment and / or personal involvement. Please contact info@oceanclinic.net to get involved.

Charity golf tournament REAL CLUB DE GOLF GUADALMINA will host a charity tournament next week to raise funds for three local causes. The tournament will be held on Wednesday December 13 and funds raised will be donated to Caritas, Fundacion Tutelar y de Asistencia Personal (Fundatul) and the Asociacion Huesos de Cristal (CADI). To register, email gerencia@apymespa.org.

whats on

Trying to change Celebrating the the world JOHN GRISHAM’S newest legal thriller takes you inside a law firm that shouldn’t exist. Law students Mark, Todd and Zola wanted to change the world - to make it a better place. But these days these three disillusioned friends spend a lot of time hanging out in The Rooster Bar, the place where Todd serves drinks. As third-year students, they realise they have been duped. They all borrowed heavily to attend a law school so mediocre that its graduates rarely pass the bar exam, let alone get good jobs. And when they learn that their school is one of a chain owned by a shady New York hedge-fund operator who also happens to own a bank specialising in student loans, the three realise they have been caught up in The Great Law School Scam. So they begin plotting a way out. Maybe there’s a way to escape their crushing debt, expose the bank and the scam, and make a few bucks in the process. But to do so, they have to leave law school; pretend they are qualified and go into battle with a billionaire and the FBI...

artists of Malaga

The ‘Las pasas de Malaga y las artes decorativas’ exhibition celebrating the artists of the province - is open to the public at the Museo del Patrimonio Municipal until January 28. The exhibition showcases the works of Andres Sanz, born in Malaga in 1944. Sanz and was responsible for some of the most stunning window displays at stores across the province – including Gomez Raggio in the 60s and 70s and El Corte Ingles in the 80s. He joined the El Corte Ingles Malaga

Ingenious, immersive and page-turning, The Rooster Bar is a John Grisham legal thriller bar none.

Sponsored by Bookworld Puerto Banus info@bookworldpuertobanus.com

www@bookworldpuertobanus.com | 952 816 084

store in 1984 as it celebrated its fifth birthday in the province. Sanz spent five years working on seasonal displays including the famous ‘Cortylandia’ every Christmas. Cortylandia is a soaring festive scene with huge singing puppets, full of colours and kitsch. Each year there is a different theme for much-loved Cortylandia and the scene at El Corte Ingles de Preciados in Madrid is the capital’s most -visited seasonal spectacle.

food & drink

Steven Saunders FMCGB The Little Geranium La Cala De Mijas www.thelittlegeranium.com In the 40 years or so that I have been cooking I have seen hundreds of different ways of getting that Christmas bird to the table! My mother who was a great cook used to put it in the oven at about 2 am on Christmas eve and cook it really slowly, it would be ready by about 3 pm on Christmas day! I will

How to Cook the perfect turkey on Christmas Day never forget the amazing smells through the house early Christmas morning but the Turkey was cremated! The best training I had was when I was at The Savoy in London where we cooked a number of birds, pheasant, grouse, partridge and turkey in a similar way. It is a simple method and creates a perfectly moist bird

retaining all the flavours. I use these simple techniques in both my restaurants (The Little Geranium La Cala and Marbella) for cooking chicken and game and clients are always telling me it’s the best chicken they have ever tasted! So this Christmas I thought I should write it all up in an article and also put it on our web

sites to help guide you correctly and simply to serving up the best Christmas turkey. My editor has made it easy for you to cut this out and keep it. If you have any questions feel free to email them to me in plenty of time before the day! My email address is below the article. Good luck and have an amazing Christmas!

s ip T y e k r u T s a m t is r h C n Steven’s Top Te

1. Turkey originally comes from the forests of North America and Mexico, there are some fantastic varieties available like bronze or black which have a great gamey flavour. In Spain the National Turkey is not as intensively farmed as they are in the UK. I lived opposite a Turkey farm and I couldn´t believe the amount of Turkeys bred in such a small space, horrendous. Choose a large fresh bird to ensure the best flavours between 5 kilos to 7 kilos. (Serving 8 upwards) 2. If frozen ensure you defrost it at least 24 hours per 2 kilos. (A 5 kilo Turkey needs a minimum three days defrosting, I would allow four days in the fridge) Never defrost a turkey at room temperature as it breeds bacteria. 3. Take the turkey out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking 4. Put soft butter mixed with parsley and seasoning under the skin of the turkey and add salt and pepper to the outside and inside the turkey. Don’t add garlic as turkey is a gentle simple flavour and garlic is often overpowering. Any butter left over smear into the breasts on the outside skin (This can all be done the day before) Lay slices of streaky bacon over the breasts horizontally to cover the carcass of the bird after the bird has had 15 minutes sealing, See 6 below. 5. Put an onion and some bay leaf and thyme inside the bird but do not put the stuffing in the cavity. 6. Cook the bird upright (breasts up) in a deep dish ( to collect the fat) in a preheated oven 225 c to get the bird nice and brown for about 15 minutes then remove the bird and lay the bacon on the breasts as described in 2 ….Now lower the heat to 160c. 7. Roast for 30 minutes per kilo about 2 ½ hours for a 5 kilo bird. 8. Remember to baste the bird, every so often (approx. once every 20 mins) 9. Use a thermometer to check that the meat in the thicker thigh of the turkey or the thicker part of the breast when it is cooked it should read 165F about 74C. 10. Allow the turkey to rest (it will continue to cook internally) for at least 20 minutes after cooking then present it and carve!

Stuffing It is important to make your stuffing on the side, and don't include it in the cavity of the turkey. Do this to avoid bacteria (salmonella), which will drain off the bird and into the stuffing.

Ingredients for a homemade stuffing Cooking time: 45 minutes | Serves about 10 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 1/2 pound of good sausages 4 small diced onions ½ head of diced celery 300g approx. of wild mushrooms 300g of bread crumbs or use Panko crumbs even better Approx. 4 tablespoons of roasted peeled and chopped chestnuts A small sprig of fresh sage and thyme leaves Brown the sausage meat in a large pan. Drain the juice into a separate pan. Put aside. Add the onion and celery to the large pan with the sausage, sautéing frequently until tender. Add all the remaining ingredients -- mushrooms, bread crumbs, chestnuts, sage and thyme. After 15 minutes of cooking to make sure all the ingredients and natural juices have blended together. Pour the grease from the sausage back into the pan to add flavour and moisture. Put the stuffing into an oven proof dish with slices of butter on the top and put into a preheated oven. Bake for about 45 minutes. Basic Gravy Ingredients Cooking time: 2-3 hours | Serves 10 10 pounds ( 4 kilos) mixed poultry bones, pre roasted 4 onions, chopped 1 head of celery, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 1 tube of tomato paste 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour

Thyme, two sprigs 2 bay leaves ½ bottle red wine In a large stockpot, combine all ingredients. Fill pot with cold water or use a chicken stock in tetrapack (Caldo) available in all supermarkets which is better than water. Add a couple of bay leaves and sprigs of thyme. Simmer (do not boil) for three hours. Strain and transfer the ingredients to another pot. Add red wine. Reduce this by cooking it until it's all a bit concentrated almost by half. To thicken the stock, combine with the butter and flour and whisk in. Cook this out for at least 30 minutes. Finally use a little of the turkey juices from the roasting tray and add this to the sauce above, taste and season well and serve.

Steven Saunders FMCGB, The Little Geranium www.thelittlegeranium.com steven@thelittlegeranium.com

Puzzles Code Breaker

Mars is now in Scorpio, and the start of a hard working period begins. Truly you are being tested but when the tough get going they do not do things by halves. Not only do you get the satisfaction of a job done well, but this is an opening to further work on the horizon; and a wonderful chance to show to others what you are capable of too!

Word Pyramid

A friendship has escalated very nicely and it is good to be able to share your thoughts with somebody who can see things from your point of view. This may very well be the break that you have been waiting for, and the blessing you deserve in the light of your dedication to so bless others with your good fortune. You have much to give and some to share. You are feeling the need to make some big changes, but seem to be waiting for the best time to make a move. However when all is said and done you have to set the scene and make the action work all around you. If this is to be more than just pie in the sky then you have to start as you mean to continue and have a clear way ahead to launch your ideas! Mars brings timbre and dedication to make actions now more poignant than they ever were. You are gently being called into using your skills in a positive and inspiring way for the good of those who need what you have on offer right now. You are hardworking and thorough and the time is now, if you want to make changes that will have a rebound effect. The trine of Uranus sees Mercury opening up channels of communication which certainly weren’t closed by you. However you are the conduit that allows the right message through, and the bringer of change and opportunity into the bargain. Be strong and firm in your actions, since not everybody has your energy, wisdom and foresight. You have been putting things off as of late, and right now have to see things face on so that your wishes do not become a compromise. Taking control the way that you have had to in the past is irrelevant now, since somebody has moved the goalposts somewhat and so turn things around so that the ball is fairly and squarely in their court for a change. Mercury allows you the luxury of expression as you finally get to have your say. You are merely telling things the way that they are, and if that reality causes upset it will show you to what ends others will go to turn a blind eye over what is really going on right now. Keep it simple and be frank, because you have absolutely nothing to lose right now. : Neptune faces up to Venus and brings a consumate blessing into proceedings you attend. This is the very best of times to attend a workshop or a seminar, to enlighten you and broaden your mind. You will find that those people who find you this week are those who really do need your expertise and your loving, tender and sensitive way of loving.

T E

Word Wheel There is 1x9 letter word and 305 others! Make as many 3 or more letter words as you can using any letter combination just once and you must use the central letter in every word!

There may be two sides to every tale, but what you have been told may be discarded just like a pinch of salt. Though it is hard to have to take sides right now, you know very well where your loyalties lie, and this takes you closer to a truth which should shortly have to be told. Someone is going to be hurt in the process, but what option is there?

The tri working phases of Sun energies see action with Ceres, Kora and a conjunction with Mercury, to boot. This is a time for contemplation, and getting things right, rather than rushing in just where fools fear to tread. Steering is needed to take your message straight to the top, but be sure that you leave no stone unturned in light of full investigation!

Start at a letter and spell out a 10-letter word by moving to adjacent letters. Each letter will be used at least once, but no letter will be used twice in a row.

Squaring on Neptune, your planetary leader Venus is quick to bring up any unfinished business this week. You cannot be expected to just hold back on what has to be said, but getting the run around just now is a surety that your suspicions, above all, are warranted and that there is much more than meets the eye around a current pressing situation.

With the Moon in Virgo there comes a resonance into the sheer working possibilities of what comes next. This is a time to make plans rather than to just wait and see, though with so much going on this may seem very tempting. Quality is the benchmark that you need to work alongside of this week, and then nothing else should tempt you away.

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 10 represents P and 14 represents Q. Now using your knowledge of the English language work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.

Kenny’s Postbag Kenny, my sister finally lost her battle withc and passed to Spirit last month. The family have taken it so very badly that I find that even my spirituality is being tested. What can I do? Everyone is looking me for answers and I feel so empty. Helen G. Helen I am so sorry that your sister lost the fight finally. Whilst she was strong in her fighting cancer, now the family have to be strong too, for her. I doubt that your sister would like to look down and see that her death brought devastation in the family. She would surely want you all to be happy that she is free of pain and would want to see that you are, all of you, getting on with life and whatever it brings you. I know it isn't easy to lose somebody you love so much, but smile at each happy memory you have of your sister and be happy for them. Death is not the end of anything, but it is the great beginning!

For Birthday Celebrants You need to use all your many powers and put them to

good use. The Universe is tying a knot with self help and bids you to learn much more about the inner you. The

astrological year ahead will bless you as a result bringing positive changes wherever necessary.

WORD fit

Using just logic, can you make all the words fit correctly into the grid?

3 LETTERS ACE ALB AND HUT IDA LED LIT NAB NEE PER 4 LETTERS ALBA ALEC ALOE ANNE ARGO ARID

ARTY BASE BASS BLAT BOSE CAGE CARR CHAP DATE EARN EDNA EMIL EVEN GLEN GRIN HALE IRIS KLAN

LARK LASE LEAN MILE NOSE OLAV ORAL PALE RAMO RARE RIGA ROSE SEEN SERA SIAN STAN TRAG UREA

5 LETTERS AFIRE ANKLE ATONE CARET CATER EAGER EDITH ENOCH FACET HOARD HORSE IRATE LARES LILAC LUGER MATEO SAUCE

SHALE STEEN SUSIE UTTER 7 LETTERS PROTECT ROEBUCK SYNAPSE 8 LETTERS ABETTING AIRPLANE 9LETTERS BERENICES FORGETFUL

More Puzzles

Cryptic

ACROSS 7 Try my routes out - for people who don’t know where they are going? (7,4) 8 Characteristic of cap set askew (6) 9 No huge assortment is sufficient (6) 10 Stick one’s oar in as gong is heard (6) 12 Some of the stuffiest areas for a holiday abroad (6) 13 Health resort in Spain (3) 14 Craftsmen getting on in service (6) 16 Centre redevelopment not long ago (6) 18 Ariel’s new land (6) 20 Intense dislike of headgear that’s brightly coloured? (6) 22 A bird from Florence? (11) DOWN 1 Little devils at one mile per second! (4) 2 Rise for dances awkwardly (6) 3 Sauce ruined presents (8) 4 Old stringed instrument from hilly region (4) 5 Gloomy doctor got up (6) 6 Clever, getting on in seaside resort (8) 11 Lean pigs mucked up, seen in passing (8) 12 Distant object is an old coin (8) 15 Go near nuts or fruit (6) 17 A yacht going astray in China (6) 19 Many things sold at auction (4) 21 Always entertained by Guinevere (4)

Word Ladder

Can you by changing 1 letter at a time, get from the first word to the last word in the given number of moves?

TREES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

BELLS Soduku

Quick

Futoshiki

The purpose of the game is to discover the digits hidden inside the board’s cells; each cell is filled with a digit between 1 and 6. On each row and column each digit appears exactly once; therefore, when revealed, the digits of the board form a so-called Latin square. The board may also contain some inequalities between the board cells; these inequalities must be respected and can be used as clues in order to discover the remaining hidden digits. ie > is greater than and < is less than.

Fill the grid so every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1-9

Quiz 1 A staggered junction or golf hole (basically ‘ahead-sideways-ahead’) is called a ‘(What?)-Leg’: Cat; Dog; Frog; or Broken? 2 Formed 1950 and dissolved 1990, the Stasi was the secret police of: USSR (Soviet Union); East Germany; Australia; or Scotland? 3 Sepals and Tepals are decorative protective elements of many old: Churches; Sailing ships; Rifles; or Flowers? 4 The porbeagle is a: Vulture; Shark; Monkey; or Dog? 5 What human organ makes four new words when prefixing Head, Diver, Flint and Tight? 6 Aurizon, VicTrack, Brookfield and John Holland are/were major railway operators of: Canada; Australia; India; or USA? 7 A plantar wart or myrmecia is better known as a: Beauty spot; Blood blister; Veruca; or Mole? 8 The ancient pre-scientific system of classifying all universal matter as Water/ Air/Fire/Earth/Aether is called the Classical: Constituents; Elements; Energies; or Isotopes? 9 The famous USA electronics brand, alluding to its 1921 wireless origins, which collapsed in 2015 is: RadioShack; TunerRoom; TransistorHub; or AerialWarehouse? 10 The Fountain of Neptune, Bologna, Italy, inspired which famous sports car logo: Ferrari; Lamborghini; Maserati; or Alfa Romeo?

ACROSS 1 Waggish (4) 3 Loyal (8) 9 At ease (7) 10 Domain (5) 11 Dry Spanish wine (5) 12 Receding (6) 14 More corpulent (6) 16 Stableman at an inn (6) 19 Remember (6) 21 Labyrinths (5) 24 Minimum (5) 25 Quiver (7) 26 Seductive (8) 27 Homer Simpson’s son (4)

DOWN 1 Planes (8) 2 String quartet member (5) 4 Patron saint of Scotland (6) 5 Pulsate (5) 6 Face-cloth (7) 7 Floppy (4) 8 Breathe out (6) 13 Outlook (8) 15 Elation (anagram) (7) 17 Boil slowly (6) 18 Protein present in wheat (6) 20 Later on (5) 22 Striped animal (5) 23 Supplication (4)

Last Weeks Solutions on page 45

advertising feature

A revolutionary ‘no surgery’ solution WE ARE increasingly aware of the importance of taking care of ourselves and feeling comfortable in our own skin, including our private parts. A woman undergoes many changes throughout her lifetime. Pregnancies, labour, hormonal changes and menopause are some factors that can affect intimacy: the vaginal walls may dilate excessively, there may be loss of vaginal lubrication and elasticity, as well as dryness and irritation. All of these changes affect women’s intimate comfort and decrease their confidence and the quality of their sexual activity. Medical technology is constantly improving to offer us more efficient and less invasive solutions. The latest revolution in the women’s unit has already arrived at HC Marbella; a new generation of lasers, especially designed to treat in a non-invasive way the problems that affect women that have previously only been treated with surgery. What is the CO2 laser and what does it do? CO2 fractional laser technology in gynaecology has given a new boost to the development of treatments for the vaginal mucous membrane.

The CO2 laser is applied directly on the mucous membrane of the vaginal walls, which induces the remodelling and stimulation of the tissue and leads to collagen regeneration in that area. In this way, the membrane becomes thicker and microcirculation improves, making it function better by providing increased lubrication. Proven to treat: Mild and moderate female urinary incontinence Loss of urine suffered by women with stress urinary incontinence occurs when they play sports, laugh or sneeze. Thanks to the heat of the laser collagen remodelling in the vagina mucosa is enhanced, reinforcing the anterior wall of the vagina. Vaginal relaxation syndrome and vaginal atrophy The intimate laser renews the collagen of the vagina that has lost tone and elasticity with the wear of the child birth and age. It is also beneficial in menopause because it increases mucosal thickness, lubrication and genital microcirculation. Functional and aesthetic

genital surgery GyneLase™ helps to redesign and rejuvenate the appearance of the external genitalia, achieving greater uniformity. It is also used for genital whitening. Others • Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) • Cystocele • Rectocele CO2 laser reduction labiaplasty and vaginal remodelling obtain better and safer results than going under the knife. In fact, laser treatment coagulates and leads to less scars and inflammation, which reduces post-surgery discomfort for the patient. Furthermore, it increases the firmness and elastic of the membrane, while stimulating the production of collagen. The staff at HC Marbella can provide you with all the information you need and answer your questions with no obligation.

If you would like to make an appointment for a free consultation at the Gynecology Unit at HC Marbella, call 952 908 628.

Kitchen remedies for tired eyes 1. Cool cucumber Cucumbers contain antioxidants and flavonoids that help with redness, swelling and irritation. Use cool cucumber for extra tired eye relief. Place a cool slice on each eye and take a rest for 30 minutes.

The perfect winged eyeliner Step 1 Start by placing the tip of your eyeliner at the inner corner of your eye, along the lash line. Slowly swipe the liner to the outer corner of your eye. The more firmly you press down with your liner, the darker your wing will be. If you prefer a thicker wing, retrace your steps a couple of times.

2. Raw potato slices Try using sliced potatoes in place of cucumbers. They stay cool longer and contain an astringent that helps remove the water from under the eyes. You can also make a finely ground potato poultice by grating raw potato and placing it in a few layers of cheesecloth.

Step 2 To wing the liner out, angle your line towards the end of your eyebrow. You might have to gently tug the skin at your outer corner to draw a straight line. Most people stop at the crease of the eye, but you can draw your liner out as much as you like depending on how dramatic you want it to look.

3. Milk Whole milk is most commonly used, but soy milk works too. Dip a cotton ball into cold milk and squeeze off the excess. Place on eyes to help shrink the under-eye tissue.

Step 3 Fill in your wing, thickening the curve as you go. Chances are you might mess up a time or two, so grab a cotton swab and start the wing over if you need to.

health Acne – not just for spotty teens IT IS a misconception that acne is solely a condition of adolescence. Although it’s true that severe acne past the age of 45 is very rare, mild to moderate acne can either continue past the adolescent years (called persistent acne), or can appear suddenly in adulthood, even if the sufferer never experienced acne as a youth, called late onset acne. The general term adult acne applies to anyone over 25 with the condition. Bacterial Infection The skin’s hair follicles become clogged with excess sebum, which encourages the growth of bacteria. This leads to an excess of white cells being called to the site. The white cells secrete an enzyme, which damages the follicle walls, resulting in an inflamed pimple. Hormones In men, the sebaceous glands can become hyper sensitive to testosterone, leading to an excess production of sebum. While hormonal fluctuations are more typically thought of as a female problem, the androgens present in the male body can encourage oily skin and breakouts.

Ask the Optician How to Protect Your Sight on Día de Santa Lucia

The over 25s are still susceptible to acne in later life Stress While stress doesn’t cause acne, it can aggravate it. If you lead a stressful life, you’re more likely to sleep and eat poorly, which contributes to body toxins that have no way to escape except through the pores. In most cases, the stress didn’t cause the acne; rather, the acne caused the stress, which then just makes the acne worse. Poor Hygiene Formerly, the thinking was that the

skin should be scrubbed aggressively in order to thoroughly clean it, but this just isn’t true. Too much washing can irritate the skin, and may also by itself stimulate the glands to produce more oil, thus creating more blemishes. Drug Reactions Some drugs have been linked to increased acne breakouts, including anabolic steroids, epilepsy medications, isoniazid and rifampin (used in the treatment of tuberculosis), lithium, and drugs that have iodine in them.

Six top teas to aid weight loss Green Tea and Matcha These teas are known for increasing metabolism. A study published in the American Journal For Clinical Nutrition found that green tea promotes fat oxidation, beyond that explained by its caffeine content - caffeine boosts your metabolism on its own, but green tea's got that extra mojo. It's also been shown that matcha can stop the growth of new fat cells. It triggers the release of fat from fat cells and also helps speed up the liver's ability to turn fat into energy. Dandelion This floral tea can help eliminate excess water weight. This small, yellow flower dots meadows around the world and its roots are known to offer a string of healthy benefits. The dandelion's use traces back to the 10th century when Arabian physicians revered the root for its cleansing properties and as a natural aid for digestion. Oolong Oolong tea has been studied and proven to be effective in helping obese patients lose weight. It is also recommended for a metabolism boost. Pu'erh Another great metabolism-booster is pu'erh, a fermented variety from China. White Tea Similar to green tea, white tea can stop new fat cells from forming — it's been studied and published in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism to help with weight loss. Black Tea Black tea is higher in caffeine, and any tea with caffeine will support high energy levels, which will in turn support weight loss. High energy leads to more movement – sip on a cup of black tea before a workout to get a better calorie burn.

Nerea Galdos, Store Director from Specsavers Opticas Marbella The 13th of December is Día de Santa Lucia, the patron saint of the blind and the protector of sight. We are urging anyone who has not had an eye test in the last two years to make an appointment on Día de Santa Lucia, and take an important step to protecting their sight. Why should I have an eye test? Many problems with the eyes have no symptoms, so you should have a check-up with your optometrist every two years. Effective treatment relies on an early diagnosis, so it’s vital to have a regular eye test even if everything seems OK. How often should I have one? Normally every two years, but more frequent checks are advised for the over 70s or those with a family history of glaucoma or a condition such as diabetes because they are more at risk of certain eye diseases. How can I protect my sight? Get your eyes tested regularly, eat a healthy diet, be aware of the symptoms of the most common conditions, and don’t delay in seeking professional help if you do notice any changes. The quicker any condition is identified the easier it is to treat. Specsavers Opticas are passionate about providing the best quality, most comprehensive eye tests, using the latest technology. To book a free eye test or to find your nearest store visit www.specsavers.es

home & garden

How to care for a Christmas poinsettia The poinsettia (or Mexican Flame Tree or Christmas Star, as it is also known) is synonymous with the festive season but keeping the plant alive long enough to see Christmas Day can be a challenge. How do you keep a Poinsettia healthy? Buy your poinsettia from a garden centre or reputable store. Do not buy from outside shops or stalls as lower temperatures on display will reduce the shelf life of the plant. Inspect the plant carefully before buying; poinsettia are tender plants and will not last if they stand in the cold for any length of time. If possible, check your poinsettia’s compost before buying. It should be neither dripping wet nor totally dry. Dense foliage and yellow-green budding flowers in-between the coloured bracts are a sure sign of quality. Protect your poinsettia from the wind and cold and transport it quickly to its warm new home. Keep it in a bright, warm spot (around 20° C). It can be close to a radiator, but not in direct sunlight or near draughts – so keep away from open doors, windows and fireplaces. Be careful not to overwater it by leaving a pool of water in the bottom of the pot it’s sitting in. Water only when the compost is starting to change colour and become lighter. To use poinsettias as fresh flowers in a vase, cut the bracts, dip the cut end in warm (60 degrees) water for five seconds, then immediately in cold water, and you’re ready to arrange. Are Poinsettia plants poisonous to pets? The poinsettia plant’s brightly coloured leaves contain a sap that is irritating to the tissues of the mouth and esophagus. If the leaves are ingested they can cause nausea and vomiting, but it would take a large amount of the plant’s material to

actually cause significant poisoning. How do you revive a Poinsettia? Remove the dead leaves from the pot, and continue to remove any leaves that fall off. If the stems of the plant have started to rot, cut them back far enough so that you can remove the dead parts. Place the poinsettia near a bright, south-facing window. Poinsettias are tropical plants that benefit from plenty of light. Monitor how much you are watering your poinsettia. The plant should be moist rather than soggy. How much water you will need will depend on the temperature and humidity level. When in doubt, skip the water. Fertilise the poinsettia once a month after you’ve pruned it. As a rule of thumb, a poinsettia will require 1 or 2 tablespoons of fertiliser. Cover your poinsettia plant every night or move it to a dark cupboard overnight. For it to bloom again, a poinsettia requires 14 hours of complete darkness every night. Continue to cover your plant until the buds start to appear again. How long do Poinsettias last? It will depend on how well you follow the tips above, but on average a well-cared for poinsettia should last 4-6 weeks until the flowers start to fall off. Remember, poinsettias like the warmth of centrally heated homes but they should be kept away from direct heat, as well as from drafty windows and doors. Will the poinsettia be part of your Christmas decorating scheme this year?

Avoiding common lighting mistakes Many people don't spare much thought for the lighting in their homes and offices. This week, RTN looks at the most common lighting mistakes and how to avoid or resolve them. 1. Sticking with a default lighting scheme The default lighting in the average room tends to be either too simple or too complex. On the simple end of the scale, you have a room with just a single light in the centre of the ceiling. The other extreme involves maybe half a dozen recessed lights beaming straight down. The result is harsh, sterile, white light that is generally far in excess of what is needed. If you're cleaning the room or sewing a button on a shirt, then plenty of light can be a good thing. For relaxing, watching television, or reading, however, default lighting simply provides excess light. All that excess light is actually bad for your eyes. Adding some wall lights, floor lamps, or table lamps can make a big improvement. You can also add a dimmer switch to control light fixtures. By

softening the light, you create a more pleasant atmosphere. 2. Failing to think about where shadows fall When lights are not placed well, shadows can create problems for you. For example, if you are writing at a desk and the light source is from above and behind you, your shadow may fall across the paper, making it difficult for you to see what you are writing.

Try to locate light sources in optimal areas, giving thought to how the space is used. Lamps or lanterns can be useful as "fill lights" to eliminate problem shadows. In bathrooms, wall lights can be helpful, particularly if placed strategically in relation to where the mirror is located. This helps avoid makeup mistakes and shaving errors. In kitchens, hanging pendants

are a good idea to ensure you have light directly above the primary work area, instead of the light beaming from the centre of the ceiling. 3. Mismatching the lighting design to the rest of the décor You can usually get away with mixing retro lighting designs with modern furnishings and decoration, but using modern or futuristic lighting designs in a room that is furnished with

antiques will not create the ideal look. It's best to plan ahead, giving thought to how the room will be furnished and whether you intend to use a theme for the room decoration. Then choose an appropriate mix of lighting solutions that will work with your décor. 4. Choosing the wrong size of lighting design for a space Bigger isn't always better, but if you are lighting a large area then it's also possible to choose lighting styles that are too small. Think about the available space and choose a design that will look appropriate and will provide sufficient light (without it amounting to excess light). Think about clearance height too. If you're hanging a pendant or chandelier above a stairwell, you've got a lot more room than if you're hanging it above a dining table. Around 75cm to 85cm of vertical clearance and 50cm of horizontal clearance is good for areas where people are seated, while for areas where people walk, you'll want more vertical clearance.

ADVANCED CLEANING Advanced Cleaning Services. Professional Carpet, Upholstery Cleaning, 27 Years Experience, Wet/Dry Clean. Honest, Reliable Service. 678 808 837 / 952 669 701 Or Email acservs@outlook.com (252581) air conditioning

animals/PETS

air conditioning Air Conditioning / Quality Air Conditioning Unit Installations. Silent Operation. Economical In Electrical Consumption. Free Quotations. All Areas Covered. Envirocare Sl 21 Years Cooling The Coasts. 952 663 131 670 409 759 www.envirocarespain.com Aircon Choices 0034 617 804 564 info@airconchoices.com Serving the Costa Del Sol See our advert on page 10 (246832)

domestic

storage & REMOVALS

AIR CONDITIONING by Cool and Cosy. The family company that cares. Installation and repairs. Quality machines. EsoSense movement sensor supplied and fitted for 80 euros. Coin meters supplied and fitted from 260 euros. For other energysaving products, visit www.coolandcosy.es. Tel 952 935 513

builders INLAND CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE building services. Fully Legal and Insured. We cover all areas from Marbella to Granada. Call 695 903 825 today for a free estimate (257111)

antiques WANTED! All types of antiques, paintings, jewellery, watches, silver etc. Any condition. Immediate cash settlement. For more information call into Anthony’s Antiques and Jewellers shops, extensive premises at C/Ramon y Cajal 40, Fuengirola. Mobile 609 529 633. Telephone 952 588 795

charities ACE CHARITY “El Refugio” in La Cala de Mijas is a registered charity. We have on average 275 dogs in our care and we receive no help from the Town Hall or the Andalucian government. We desperately need foster homes and adoptants for our many dogs, especially the small ones and puppies who do not do well in a big shelter. We are grateful for any help offered, including donations of food and blankets. Visit-

ing times are from 13.00 to 15.00 and you can always turn up or make an appointment by calling Denise on 669 018 736. Our website is www.ace-charity.org where you can view all the dogs in our care ADANA THE ANIMAL SHELTER IN ESTEPONA. We always need volunteers to walk and socialise with our dogs and help with cleaning. We also need good homes for our animals that you can see on www.adana.es. Kennels open every day 10-1.30, Camino de Casares, near Parque de los Pedregales, Estepona. (5 minutes from the Poligono) For more information call 952 113 467, available from 10.00am until 14.00pm SEPE the horse and donkey charity is open to the public week-ends from 10.00 to 5.00. Volunteers are much needed in all departments and are welcome at anytime. For our riding for the disabled classes, we are also in need of extra helpers. We are nationally registered by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior (164640) but only with your support can we give the equine a voice. If you can just commit to 2 or 3 euros a month it will really help make a difference. You can find us at Lauro Golf Equestrian Centre, Alqueria, Alhaurin de la Torre. Tel. 608 258 950 info@sepeonline.net www.sepeonline.net

cleaning services

Professional Carpet And Upholstery Cleaning, 27 Years Experience, Wet/Dry Clean. Honest, Reliable. 678 808 837 952 669 701 acservs@outlook.com (252581) Rugs Fitted Carpets, Upholstery Including Leather Cleaned On Site 685 524 921 (252581)

concrete

CONCRETE – OZBUILD. The specialists of printed concrete. Reseals, Brickwork, Tiling, Plastering, Reforms. 14 Years in Spain. Competitive Prices, Quality Finish. 952 426 074 606 745 920 www.ozbuildspain.com

computers

COMPUTER PROBLEMS SOLVED. Error messages fixed, viruses removed. Repairs and upgrades available. Laptops in English. Kindle, iPad & Android help. One-to-one training. Experienced, reliable service. Paul 630 652 338 / 952 493 859

computers

PC DOCTOR Computer Sales & Repairs in any Language. 24HR IT Support. 20 Years on the Coast. We come to wherever YOU are – Home or Business. 952 591 071

obituaries

42 decorators

RAINBOW PINTURAS. English professional, reliable painting & decorating company. Furniture spraying. Building service available. Free quotations. Daniel 628 066 308 www.rainbowpinturas.com

dentist NHS REGISTERED DENTIST in Fuengirola. Specializing in Zircon crowns, bridges etc. Free check up! drvisky@hotmail.com 689 887 019

electrician MARBELLA BASED ELECTRICIAN call richard on 687 352 358 or email richi@europe.com all installations & maintenance. Surge protection, garden lights, upgrades, boletins. (260566) BS ELECTRICAL, All electrical work, rewires, Boletins, Endesa helpline, professional genuine service, www.bselectrical.eu. Call Sean 952 961 108, 669 070 011 CSW ELECTRICAL & MAINTENANCE for all your Electrical & Maintenance needs. No Job too Small. Call Craig for a FREE QUOTE on 604 106 414

floor polishing marble floor (2.50€/ M2) why pay more .We clean, crystallise, seal then polish your marble to high gloss, non slip. Professional guaranteed, fast service. 25 Years experience. Also repairs damages to marble, clean and seal terracotta terraces, covers all costa del sol. Tel: 671 244 683

motoring

furniture The Warehouse – We Buy A Single Item To A FUll House Clearance – 602 610 103 Furniture Wanted, Same Day Collection, Also House Clearance And Removals. 602 610 103(252581)

gardening PROFESSIONAL garden services from Fuengirola to Estepona. All aspects of gardening and full maintenance and landscaping, free quotes, competitive prices. Contact Andrew 600 259 981 Andrew@garden-profes sionals.com TOP-JARDIN. No tree too tall, palm & tree pruning - removal - pests bio treatments. Town hall licence process advice. Timber logs. Mulch. Urban veggie gardens. Visit us www.top-jardin.com or call Andres mob 686 948 552 / 602 130 250 GARDEN SERVICE – from €10 per hour. Monthly contract from €90. Benalmadena to Marbella. RICARDO 637 160 129

glass curtains GLASS CURTAIN repairs, specialist in replacement of discoloured plastic strips that act as a seal between the glass panels. Call Julian 655 825 931

holiday rentals Nerja 2 Bed Well Equipped Rental Villa, Close To All Amenities And Beach. Please Call Kim +44 7596 379 686 (251269)

house clearance The Warehouse – We Buy A Single Item To A Full House Clearance – 602 610 103(252581)

irrigation F&P-IRRIGATION: professional new sprinkler systems and repairs, 30 years’ experience. 14 days free trial, fixed price. Six Solid Rock Guarantees. Free quotation. 952931558 (258952) F&P PUMPS: pressure and pool pumps, service, sales and repairs Six Solid Rock Guarantees 952931558 (258952)

locksmiths 24/7 Locksmith Emergency / Appointment. Doors Opened Without Damage, Locks Changed, Patio Doors And Windows Secured, 24 Hour Honest, Fast And Reliable Service. Call Paul 657 466 803 (251072)

24 Hour Locksmiths Safe Engineers. 30 Years Experience, Call Daren Or Bob 952 660 233 667 668 673 www.securityofspain.com (240915)

metalwork ALL METALWORK UNDERTAKEN – New Fabrication & Repairs/Alterations. Work Guaranteed. Reliable. 14yrs on Coast. Steve Call or Whatsapp 655 040 648

mobility MOBILITY scooters, electric wheelchairs, wheelchairs, walking frames, etc, for sale and rent. Large selection of quality used scooters at competitive prices. Rascal vantage X, Rascal Veo X, Shoprider Sovereign, Pride Go Go, Neo 4 and 8, Mercury Prism, Pride XL8, Rascal 388, Rascal 329, Rascal 125 Wheelchair, Shoprider electric wheelchair breaks up for boot, Rascal 330 electric wheelchair as new condition at considerable saving, Rascal turnabout electric wheelchair, plus many more all with guarantee. New and used wheelchairs for sale at competitive prices. Brand New Pride Go Go Mobility Scooters All models just arrived huge savings on retails prices. Rentals from 55 euros weekly. New mobility scooter batteries supplied and fitted. Mobility scooters bought for cash. www.mobilityscootersdi rectspain.com email info@mobilityscooter sdirectspain.com Tel 609581139

SENIORWORLD - MOBILITY scooters, wheelchairs, stairlifts, nursing beds, rise ´n´ recline chairs and a large range of daily living aids for sale or hire. Visit our showroom in Los Boliches - or call on 952 663 131 or 670 964 181 for advice & best prices

motoring PARKING, STORAGE & SALES. Caravans - Motorhomes - Boats - Cars and Vans etc. Short / long term - Safe & secure, drop off & collections. Excellent rates, discount for long term, 5 mins from Fuengirola. Established 25 years. www.eurodog.es / info@eurodog.es 679 786 669 / 606 101 807 MOTOR INSURANCE. For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 902 123 153, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 902 123 153 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! LSM INSURANCE. No fat singing blokes or trumpeting telephone´s, just professional service at the best prices for all your insurance needs including car, household, commercial, life, health and travel. Tel 952 578 008 or www.lsminsurance.biz for a quotation

MOBILE MECHANIC will come to your home or work. Servicing, repairs, ITVs & diagnostics. Call Mick on 617 553 072 WANTED all cars vans and anything interesting also classic cars, bikes, etc, with or without paperwork considered, same day decision, cash waiting, 653 777 073

pest control COCKROACHES, ANTS, insects, fleas, mice, rats, wasps, termite specialists. Fumigations, bars, restaurants, houses, etc. Sanitary department officially registered certificates. Guarantee. Serving the coast since 1985. Only legal English owned pest control company on the coast. If you want the best then phone N.P.S. Nigel 606 008 940

pets/animals EURODOG Boarding Kennels & Cattery. Under new ownership by animal loving family. Large kennels and exercise yards, fully licensed and sanitary approved. Safe, secure and caring environment. Inspections welcome anyt ime. 5 minutes from Fuengirola 679 786 669 952 464 947 / www.eurodog.es PETCARE PET HOTEL. Alhaurin el Grande. Holiday accommodation for dogs and cats. Heated/Air conditioned kennels available. Tel: 952 112 284 685 400 216 www.petcarespain.com. Find us on Facebook at Petcare Spain

43 ACCOMPANY your pets to their new home. Fully licensed pet transport service. Denise www.petchauffeur.eu 952 197 187 696 233 848 info@petchauffeur.eu

pool services

property

roller shutters

WWW.INMOANDALUZ.COM is always looking for realistically priced inland properties to sell to our interested buyers. Tel 952 491 609 685 514 835

www.perfectpools.es. Maintenance, Repairs & Renovation. Professional & Reliable Service. All Areas. info@perfectpools.es. 650 348 785

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removal services Man and van / HOUSE CLEARANCES 20€ per hour 609 321 958 (258625)

Need An Extra Income? Earn 75€ To 400€ Per Week, Flexible Hours From Home. We Are A Reputable British Home Retailer, New To Spain. No Selling Required Or Experience Needed As Full Training Given. Apply Now At www.the-vista-group.com (260527)

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Most anticipated new cars of 2018 The new Grand Cherokee promises new level of luxury, new engines, fresh and aggressive design combined with significant off-road capabilities. Expected to be a rival to BMW´s X5 and Range Rover.

A joint development between BMW and Toyota the new Toyota Supra should finally be released in 2018.

BMW X7, the full sized addition to BMW´s X-range. Typical BMW styling and engineering with XL dimensions which is expected in 2018 New Audi A7 to face off against the new BMW 5-Series in the hot executive sedan market. With a new aluminium chassis and revised engines with more power and better economy. Promises better driving dynamics.

motoring

Design is becoming more thought provoking I notice this as I admire the new Fiat Tipo station wagon, parked on my driveway. There’s barely a straight panel on it and that’s nothing to do with my driving! This has led me to cast my mind back to vehicles of the past. It seems that curves started to become fashionable in the ‘60s on the likes of the E-type Jaguar but many cars of that period were still boxy and this was the case right through to the ‘80s, even the ‘90s where straight lines still prevailed on the likes of the Vauxhall Cavalier. Of course this is a very general perception and there were exceptions to the rule such as TVR and the more specialist manufacturers. Over the next 20 years those straight lines were gradually rounded off, think of the Ford Granada and Vauxhall Omega. But we now live in a different era, one where manufacturers have gone back to the drawing board and created something that combines both straight lines and curves. The Fiat Tipo is a good example of this. The front wheel arches are a tasteful blend of slightly boxy curvaceousness which joins up with the equally well crafted bonnet. It looks chunkier from the side than head on. And it’s a good effect. This is offset by the two-tone 16-inch alloy wheels. Such a visual feast is a surprise from Fiat which has raised its game of late. The build quality is improved too when compared to Fiats of the past. Like a good recipe,

sprinkled with the right amount of herbs and garnishes, the designers have done a Gordon Ramsay, successfully giving the Tipo station wagon a special personality. And it has more than 500 litres load carrying capacity making it attractive as both a family car and a business proposition. “Is the bumper meant to be like that?” I ask the delivery driver pointing at the rear section which seems to jut out as if it has been forcibly pulled out of place. “Oh yes,” he chuckles. It’s as if the fabricating machine has gone too far. Fiat, which is the world’s seventh largest car maker, also owns one of America’s most well-known car manufacturers, Chrysler. So the big American front grille on the Tipo estate, which is very much of our time, is no surprise and helps this Italian cut a strong presence on the road. The boot is not so successful, looking weaker than the front in my opinion. And the back side panels have a hint of the Honda Accord estate about them. A generous smattering of chrome is both successful and appreciated by me. There’s a comfortable driving position, although the seat fabric seems a little thin as I feel my

young son’s foot in the base of my back. It feels a sporty car and the diesel unit coupled to a six speed manual gearbox - can have a surprising sense of urgency, if required. But seemingly not enough oomph for the impatient Ford Focus behind me as I overtake a slow moving lorry. It is quite surprising to find that the Focus is quite a bit quicker. So I gracefully pull over and let the topless baseball hat clad youth pass. The air conditioning is always a welcome sign on a warm summer’s day especially when the pollen count is high. As a sufferer, the air conditioning purifies the air, removing any irritating pollen. It’s very effective.

Facts at a glance

Model Tested: Fia t Tipo Station Wagon 1.6 -litre diesel Price From: €20,4 00 Top speed: 200 Km /h 0-100km/h: 8.6 se cs Engine power: 12 0CV Economy: up to 3.3 l/100 km Watch the video at www.testdrives.b iz

All-electric Renault Zoe takes top award THE game-changing range of the all-electric Renault ZOE has contributed to the stylish city car being voted the ‘Best Small Company Car’ at the Carbuyer Awards 2018, which were held at a ceremony in London. The award recognises that the Renault ZOE, with its ultra-low running costs, impressive range of up to 250 miles (NEDC), represents an unbeatable proposition for business users searching for a compact car that will be both

exceptionally efficient and usable. On the decision to award the highly-coveted ‘Best Small Company Car’ award to the Renault ZOE, Stuart Milne, Editor, Carbuyer, said: “The Renault ZOE packs plenty into a very small package. It's good to drive, comfortable and more spacious than you'd ever think possible. Thanks to its electric power, it sits in the lowest nine per cent BIK band, but what really seals the deal is its range. The standard car can travel up to 149 miles on a charge, but ZOE Z.E.40 versions are capable of an impressive 250 miles.” The Renault ZOE is an allelectric, five-door supermini available

in a choice of three trim levels and with two battery options. Despite its affordability, the entry level Expression Nav comes with a high level of standard specification, including items such as climate control and the 7-inch touch screen R-Link 2 infotainment system with sat nav. In Dynamique Nav, features include hands free keycard, automatic lights and wipers and rear parking sensors. The new top-of-the-range Signature Nav trim provides buyers with features including supple leather upholstery, a seven speaker BOSE audio system, heated front seats and a rear parking camera. ZOE is the best-selling electric vehicle in Europe and more than 4,500 ZOE have been sold since launching in the UK in 2013. ZOE is one of three models in Renault’s diverse electric vehicle range which also includes the Twizy quadricycle, the Kangoo Van Z.E. and the forthcoming Master Z.E. large panel van.

motoring

sport Russian Olympic hopefuls need to prove they’re ‘clean’

A former player, Tony Matthews is now the world’s most prolific author of football books with 150 published since 1975. He has also been a PE teacher, policeman, radio correspondent and is now a quiz-organiser and fund–raiser, for various charities.

Football The group draw for next year’s World Cup in Russia indicates that England and Spain should qualify for the knockout stage

IOC President Thomas Bach (left) announcing ‘unprecedented’ punishment THE INTERNATIONAL Olympic Committee has banned the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) from participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, opting to allow clean athletes to participate under the Olympic flag. The ROC has been suspended “with immediate effect,” and there will be no accreditation for any members of the Russian Ministry of Sport. Dmitry Chernyshenko, a member of the Coordination Commission Beijing 2022, and IOC member Alexander Zhukov have been removed from their posts. Any Russian athletes that wish to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics will have to be invited by a panel and will compete under the Olympic flag. Announcing the decision, IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement:

“This was an unprecedented attack on the integrity of the Olympic Games and sport. The IOC EB, after following due process, has issued proportional sanctions for this systemic manipulation while protecting the clean athletes. This should draw a line under this damaging episode and serve as a catalyst for a more effective anti-doping system led by the World Anti Doping Agency. “As an athlete myself, I feel very sorry for all the clean athletes from all NOCs who are suffering from this manipulation. Working with the IOC Athletes’ Commission, we will now look for opportunities to make up for the moments they have missed on the finish line or on the podium.” This punishment is unprecedented, and some Russian officials have called for a complete boycott of the event.

The eight groups are: (A) Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay (B) Iran, Morocco, Portugal, Spain (C) Australia, Denmark, France, Peru (D) Argentina, Croatia, Iceland, Nigeria (E) Brazil, Costa Rica, Serbia, Switzerland (F) Germany, Mexico, South Korea, Sweden (G) Belgium, England, Panama, Tunisia (H) Colombia, Japan, Poland, Senegal The opening game is Russia v Saudi Arabia on 14 June 2018; Spain meet Portugal 24 hours later and it’s England v Tunisia on 18 June. The top two from each group will enter the last 16, with the final taking place on 15 July. After recent results, Manchester City, 2-1 winners over lowly West Ham, lead the Premiership by eight points. This was City’s 14th successive PL win – a record. In a brilliant match at The Emirates, Manchester United (2nd) had Paul Pogba sent-off in a 3-1 win over Arsenal (5th); Chelsea (3rd) beat Newcastle 3-1; Liverpool (4th) won 5-1 at Brighton and Spurs (6th) drew 1-1 at Watford. Wolves (after winning 1-0 at Birmingham) lead Cardiff by four points at the top of the Championship while struggling Sunderland, beaten by Reading, haven’t won in 21 homes games. SPL top-dogs Celtic, now unbeaten in 67 domestic games, battered Motherwell 5-1. La Liga leaders Barcelona are well clear of fourth-placed Real Madrid who had Sergio Ramos sent-off for a record 19th time in their 0-0 draw with Bilbao. The last 72 hours has seen action in two major European competitions with five English clubs set to make progress in the Champions and this weekend there are three Premiership derbies – the 109th West Ham-Chelsea meeting (Saturday) and the 175th Manchester clash at Old Trafford and the 229th Merseyside battle at Anfield (Sunday). The 3rd round FA Cup draw has produced some intriguing ties including Bournemouth-Fylde/Wigan, Coventry-Stoke, Fleetwood/Hereford-Leicester, Forest Green/Exeter-WBA, Fulham-Southampton, Liverpool-Everton, Manchester CityBurnley, Manchester United-Derby, Middlesbrough-Sunderland, Norwich-Chelsea, Nottingham Forest-Arsenal, Shrewsbury-West Ham, Spurs-AFC Wimbledon and Wolves-Swansea. Ties to be played on 5/6/7 January. General Round-up Australia beat unlucky England 6-0 in the Rugby League World Cup final in Brisbane, while Wales defeated South Africa 24-22 in a ‘Union’ friendly in Cardiff. Exeter (40 points) lead the Aviva Premiership from Gloucester (32); Glasgow and Scarlets top the Pro12 sections A & B respectively. England needed 354 to beat Australia in the Second Test in Adelaide after Jimmy Anderson’s 5-43 had set up the target. Ben Stokes scored just two runs and was wicketless on his Canterbury debut in New Zealand and ex-Gloucestershire and England batsman Tom Graveney has died, aged 88. Reigning champion Mark Selby, Ken Doherty, Judd Trump and Neil Robertson crashed out of the UK Snooker Championship early doors; the final is at York’s Barbican on Sunday. Rickie Fowler won the Heroes Golf Championship in the Bahamas; GB’s Tommy Fleetwood was third while Tiger Woods had three good rounds and finished eighth. Alfie Hewett beat Gordon Reid in the all-British Wheelchair Tennis Masters final. Birmingham must wait to see if they’ll host the 2022 Commonwealth Games and 48 Russians have been banned from athletics for drug abuse. And GB Olympian Jade Jones has added the world Taekwondo Grand Prix title to her C.V. Did You Know? From 1998-2003 Wolfgang Wolf managed German Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg.