Weekender Alicante North Issue 078 by IMPACT GROUP

ISSUE 078 - Friday 25th January 2019

E E FR

Your Weekend Starts Here!

Hiding the past

EXCLUSIVE

UNDER INVESTIGATION

The Weekender newspaper has been given information in the last few days that may lead to the arrest of a British person who is a key and prominent business person living and working here in Spain. It is all too often that we have seen news reports of people that have fled their country to hide away from the authorities and think that Spain is far enough away to

by Alex Trelinski

hide away from their true identities. After having had this information passed on to us. an investigation is now underway to ascertain the current position with a past bench warrant for the arrest of this person for non-attendance as a co-defendant in a criminal court case dating back to the 1990’s. That case involved a well-

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known journalist from Salford who was found guilty of perverting the course of justice and sentenced to serve time in Strangeways prison, following a car crash where the person involved claimed he had not been the driver at the time. The co-defendant (unnamed at this time) is a person that is said to have fled to Spain under a past name to avoid justice being served for the same crime and has since become a key figure in

the public domain of British expatriates working and living in Spain. Police are now working to discover the facts of this report and to identify the person being named as the absconder that could lead to their arrest and extradition back to the UK. The Weekender Newspaper will report more on this story as it emerges and the identity of the person has been verified

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Finance Feature provided by...

Does your Spanish investment bond have you tied up in knots?? I’m a big believer in investment bonds, and So, with all these advantages, where can a bond many of my clients here in Spain hold them, fail to provide what you’d expect as an investor? in particular, Spanish compliant investment Firstly, the annual charges. Did you know bonds created by companies including The Prudential, SEB and Old Mutual.

Investment bonds offer great tax efficiency – as an example, a net return of 7% per annum would actually double your investment over 10 years thanks to the gross roll-up (compound growth) these bonds allow you to benefit from. (As always, returns aren’t guaranteed, and the figures given are for illustration purposes only). Alongside that, if your bond is appropriately advised and designed for you as a resident here in Spain, it will also be fully tax compliant, meaning it is effectively taxed at source, and under most circumstances you won’t have to declare the bond itself on the Modelo 720, or indeed your annual gains or income. Within a bond, you can hold a fully diversified portfolio, and if that portfolio is advised through Chorus you will also benefit from our promise that we only use FCA regulated funds, that guarantee no hidden fees or commissions.

that you could be paying more for exactly the same bond depending on which firm you sign up through? I’ve seen people commit to annual charges of over 1% a year for as long as 10 years on a bond. That’s an unnecessarily high charge, and if you’d taken that exact same plan through Chorus, you would be paying far less.

Secondly, and probably worst of all, there are certain bonds offered here in Spain which not only commit clients to incredibly high charges for a very long period of time but also have exclusive agreements in place with particular financial advisories. This means if you become dissatisfied with your financial advisor you could be effectively forced to stay with them or face heavy exit penalties. This really isn’t how the market should operate and would be illegal in the UK.

By Tracy Storer Senior Partner Chorus Financial

investment funds your advisor uses within your bond. As I’ve been saying for many years here in Spain, the use of commission paying funds is prolific and can mean your portfolio is loaded with low-quality investments and high hidden fees that you may be unaware of for many, many years.

A well put together Spanish investment bond can offer so many advantages and can be a fantastic long-term investment solution, but sadly many advisors here in Spain fail to put them together with their client’s needs at the forefront of the advice.

Your long-term financial security is simply too important to risk not asking enough questions or signing paperwork until you’re 100% sure you’re getting the best possible deal and the best possible investment advice. Never be Chorus only use investment bonds that are afraid to get a second opinion, whether it’s openly available to all licensed advisors on a new application or an existing plan. (such as the 3 I mentioned previously), so this means that if we fail to provide the service we’ve promised you, you can If you’d like to discuss anything in this simply cancel our ongoing fee and appoint article, please call me direct on 693 107 044 another advisor. For us, this is the only or email t.storer@chorusfinancial.es. All fair way for the relationship between initial advice is free and without pressure or an advisor and their client to operate. obligation. The final element comes down to the

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Shooting linked to victimÂ´s business dealings by Simon Russell

THE National Police have opened an enquiry into the murder of a 49-year-old man in Marbella (Malaga) and are investigating the possibility that the killing was linked to his business dealings. They were notified of the incident at 3 am on Wednesday morning after a member of the public saw the man lying inside a car that had its windows broken. The caller said that he thought he was unconscious but when the emergency services arrived they could only confirm his death.Â Â The victim was known to run several clubs in the wealthy Puerto Banus area of Marbella and the police are looking into any association between these and his murder. As well as the police and a forensic team a special unit of Drugs and Organised Crime is also involved in the case.

National Police at the scene of the crime.

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SO WHATS IT ALL ABOUT? SAY EURO WEEKLY NEWS Dear Marco

As if they didn’t know? Most business owners would know it is illegal to make false claims and lie to the public and in particular paying advertisers, as a way to make attempts to damage one´s business and combat the recent success and growing popularity of The Weekender Newspaper. A court document published yesterday in the Euro Weekly News is being used by co-owner Michel Euesden as a way to divert the attention away from the legal action being taken against her and her son Benjamin Wickham. The legal interpretation of a case being set aside in accordance with the ruling made by Judge Mrs Sonia Tomas Ranilla was re-submitted as a lawsuit by Marco Baiardo´s legal team directly to the Court no 1 at Villa Joyosa. The court document states that the case was dismissed due to the allegations not fitting the Penal code it was set to by Guardia Civil officers. Upon legal advice, Marco Baiardo has had to make numerous denuncias to record constant personal attacks upon himself and his business, which are categorically untrue and are being used to attack Mr Baiardo´s character. Further legal action has also been actioned in a further incident on 11 January 2019 against Benjamin Wickham and his employer The Euro Weekly News, for further false claims and slander made directly to a

advertising client of The Weekender Newspaper. After having been the victim of ongoing abuse, false claims and lies dating back to 2015 when in fact the Euro Weekly co-owner Steven Euesden registered the business name as a trademark of a competitor newspaper (The Weekly Buzz) that Marco Baiardo owned. This led to other false claims and accusations made by Michel Euesden that have only recently come to light and after further investigation have been proven to be totally untrue and can only be described as a personal attack on Mr Baiardo dating back to 2015. Mrs Jacquelyne Phillips MBE, founder of the MABS cancer

charity, recently wrote to Marco Baiardo to put the matter straight after he had approached her to make comment on allegations made by Michel Euesden in 2015 and again on her public Facebook page in September 2018. Marco Baiardo had decided enough is enough when taking legal advice in September 2018 and then continued to take legal action against both Michel Euesden and Benjamin Wickham that is now going through the courts. Until the courts have had the time to hear this case, the Euro Weekly and Michel Euesden can say what they want, but in good time the truth will prevail.

The False accusations on Facebook, which were submitted to the court made directly by Michel Euesden.

MABS FUND RAISING 2015

I acknowledge receipt of the resum e of our meeting on 17 October at your Javea office, the purpo discuss monies that were purported se of which was to MABS but never recieved by the Fundato have been raised for The meeting resulted in ascertainin cion. g that 2 of the events in question were in fact not for MABS. The 3rd was for MABS and that the monies HAD been recieved. I feel that as this saga has been rumb ling on for 3 years that this matter has now been resolved and is now closed. Yours Sincerly Jacuelyne Phillips MBE

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British red top wide of the mark N OT O R I O U S British tabloid the Sun has been accused of using a Benidorm bar to stir up anti-European sentiments after it’s owner was asked to take down Union Jack flags by local police. Landlady of the Old Town’s Little Britannia pub, Tracey Walker, posted about the order on a popular Benidorm social media group, asking if they would do the same for Spanish flags. The Sun then managed to find comments from conveniently anonymous locals querying if this was a crackdown on Brit owned bars in the wake of Brexit one saying this is “Benidorm officials giving Brits a kicking in their

by Simon Russell

own way.” However Tracey has admitted that the reality is somewhat different and the police had asked all bars including Spanish ones - on Carrer Bon Retiro where the Little Britannia is located to remove their flags. This was for health and safety reasons and the police pointed out that in many cases bunting was tied to electric cables and were a fire risk. Tracey said that the Sun article was “all lies” and they had based a whole story on an offhand social media comment without doing any real research or contacting anyone directly involved.

RUDE AWAKENING

A DRUNK DRIVER who gave a Murcia City police patrol the slip, was caught later grabbing forty winks behind the wheel of his car. Officers tracked down the vehicle after the motorist sped away in the early hours of Saturday morning, and found him snoring away in the front. He was given a rude

Authorities are asking for flags to be removed from both Spanish and British bars

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by Simon Russell

awakening and arrested after being found over the drinkdrive limit. Not surprisingly, the Murcia police were unable to resist posting a picture on social media of the man very much in the land of nod before being shocked back into reality.

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Fairground VOTE DEAL SIGNED ride owner arrested General Enquiries

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The controversial fairground ride The Weekender (Registered Trademark Pending) Editor-In-Chief Marco Baiardo - Y1153737-W. Deposito Legal - A375-2017. C/Castellion 5 Benidorm, 03500. The Weekender Newspaper, its publishers, members of staff and its agents do not accept responsibility for claims by advertisers nor can it be held responsible for any errors in advertisements which are reproduced from poor artwork, low quality electronic data or inadequate instructions for text or other layout features. Further no responsibility is accepted for any loss or damage caused by an error, inaccuracy or non-appearance of any advertisement, although all advertisements produced are checked prior to insertion. We regret that we cannot accept responsibility for more than ONE incorrect insertion and that no republication will be granted in the case of typographical or minor changes which do not affect the value of the advertisement. E&OE. No part of this newspaper may be reproduced without written consent of the publishers. The Weekender Newspaper is printed by SILSA SERVICIOS DE IMPRESIÓN DE LEVANTE S.A. GRUPO Z

THE owner of a fairground ride where a boy almost had two toes severed has been arrested in the latest development. As reported in last weeks “Weekender” the four year olds foot got stuck between metal plates, causing the horrific injuries. However he was fortunate in that Dr Pedro Cavadas, one of the world’s best transplant surgeons, was able to treat him and the digits have been reattached. The police have now decided to look into taking action

BRITISH citizens residing in Spain will be entitled to vote and stand for this May´s municipal elections, after UK and Spanish officials put pen to paper at a ceremony in Madrid on Monday. Spain´s EU secretary, Marco Aguiriano and junior Brexit minister, Robin Walker, were the signatories.

by Alex Trelinski

As reported in The Weekender last week, a deal was struck between both countries allowing voting to continue in local elections as before. Wednesday January 30th is the final day for British residents to check with their council that they are registered to vote.

by Simon Russell

against the owner of the Torrente 5 ride after it transpired that there was a similar incident about a week earlier. A five year old girl had also had her foot stuck in an almost identical fashion, although in this case it had luckily missed her toes although her shoe was completely trapped. When interviewed after the latest incident the rides owner had omitted the earlier incident, which is why the police are considering prosecution.

Marco Aguiriano (left) and Robin Walker (right)

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Animal protesters disrupt boar hunt THE Hunting Federation of Valencia have said they are planning to take legal action after animal activists successfully stopped a hunt of wild boars in woodland around Xativa (Valencia) at the weekend. The small group of protesters wearing yellow vests entered the hunting area, complete with megaphones to warn off animals. The hunting party called the Guardia Civil who attended the scene and decided that the hunt needed to be called off for security reasons. The Hunting Federation

by Alex Trelinski

have said they are going to bring about a lawsuit, accusing the activists of preventing a â&#x20AC;&#x153;legal, regulated and necessary activity needed to control the overpopulation of boarsâ&#x20AC;?. They say that the hunting has been authorised and has been prompted by the proliferation of wild boars which have no natural enemies in this area, have become a traffic hazard and have been damaging farmland. They went on to say that the protesters

did not understand rural ways and the importance of controlling certain species. The activists said in return that there are methods of control that do not involve killing animals and this is something out of line with modern Spain. They expressed their satisfaction at stopping the hunt and their disappointment that some animals had already been killed on previous outings. Further hunts are scheduled for 17 January and 2 February before the window closes for the season.

Activists disrupt the hunting party near Xativa

Two injured after cardboard blaze A major fire at a cardboard company near Valencia airport resulted in six fire engines and 22 firemen being called out to fight the blaze. The fire broke out on the Cova industrial park close to Catarroja and fire crews from Paterna, Burjassot, Catarroja, Sagunt and Torrent all attended the scene. A large column of smoke was visible over a wide area; the airport was

by Simon Russell

monitoring the situation but in the end flights were unaffected. The fire was extinguished after several hours and two workers had to be hospitalised suffering from smoke inhalation. A third person was also hurt but did not require hospital treatment. The reason for the breakout of the fire is being investigated.

Smoke from the fire, photographed from Catarroja town.

Alicante hotels praised SEVEN of the top ten hotels in the Valencian Community are located in Alicante province according to the latest survey by influential travel site TripAdvisor. Based on comments and ratings of the sites millions of users, a huge database was produced of a list of 7,800 hotels in 94 countries. 163 of these were in Spain and

by Simon Russell

seven from the Alicante area. These are located in Alicante City, Guadalest, Benidorm, Parcent, San Miguel de Salinas, Altea and Calpe. They featured highly in categories including best small hotel, most romantic, best service, best family hotel and best B&B or pension.

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Left wing split ONE OF the founders of the far-left anti-austerity Podemos party, Inigo Errejon, quit his parliamentary seat on Monday, sending the movement - a key ally of the ruling PSOE Socialists - into disarray months before regional and municipal elections in May. Internal divisions in Podemos, whose support is instrumental for the survival of the minority centreleft Socialist government, could spell problems for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez., who came to power in June after ousting Mariano Rajoy´s PP administration. Errejon, who was second in command in Podemos’ first few

by Simon Russell

years, said that he would run for presidency of the Madrid region in May as part of an open political platform on the same ticket as Madrid mayor Manuela Carmena. The move appeared to signal a complete break-up with Podemos leader and Errejon’s once close friend Pablo Iglesias. Errejon, who is considered more moderate than Iglesias, has not officially left Podemos, which now has to decide whether to nominate a new candidate for the Madrid elections.

Errejon making his announcement on Monday.

NEW WOLF PACK CASE PROSECUTORS have brought another sex crime charge against four men calling themselves “The Wolf Pack” who assaulted a young woman at the Pamplona bullrunning festival in 2016. In a controversial ruling last year, a court gave nineyear prison sentences to the men for sexually abusing the 18-year-old in a doorway, but cleared them of rape because of a lack of physical violence.

by Alex Trelinski

In the new case, the Andalucia regional prosecutor’s office said it was seeking a seven-year prison sentence for sexual abuse and other crimes suspected to have been committed in Pozoblanco, in the south of the country some two months before the Pamplona crime. Evidence was found against four of the five

men being investigated over the Pamplona assault, with a mobile phone video discovered in which the gang appeared to abuse an unconscious woman inside a car. Despite the original ruling against them, the men were controversially released on bail last June on a legal technicality that says no one can be held for more than two years without a definitive sentence.

Mega coke lab raided

8,500 litres of chemicals have been seized.

POLICE in Valencia have uncovered a cocaine laboratory that they have described as one of the largest ever found in Europe. The raid last weekend was at the town of El Puig near Valencia City and involved over 100 police officers from various agencies. The ringleaders were said to reside in a mansion on

by Simon Russell

the Costa del Sol and 11 arrests have been made with Spanish, Colombians and Albanians all among those detained. 8,500 litres of chemicals have been seized, much of it ready to be converted to cocaine. Police think that the gang were converting coca

paste, a legal substance, into cocaine hydrochloride, the illegal product sold on the streets. The port at El Puig has long been considered one of the main entry points for drug trafficking into Spain and also has good road connections, lying close to the AP-7 motorway which connects Spain and France.

Schools out after blaze

OVER 1,000 pupils at a Villajoyosa school had a bonus long weekend after the centre was closed due to a fire on Sunday. A rubbish bin on the site of the IES La Malladeta secondary school was reported to be on fire at around 6.30am. The container was packed with highly flammable cardboard and plastics and soon spread to the building itself. At least one room was badly burnt and toxic smoke Fire crews Russell at the affected school. by Simon had also entered the buildings air ducts, spreading fumes over two floors. It was due to on Monday while the building been set on fire the same day these fumes that the decision was fully aired out. Another and police are linking the was taken to close the school container in the area had also incidents, suspecting arson.

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Epidemic

Dusting

of the white stuff

officially here THE Department of Health has declared that the Valencian Community is officially in the grip of an influenza epidemic as the infection rate climbed to 118 per 100,000 inhabitants, over twice the level of the week before. Health Centres and Hospitals have both said they are noticing a significantly higher level of admissions and appointments, with children

by Simon Russell

under four accounting for a large proportion. The infection rate for this group is 370 per 100,000 and stands at 200 per 100,000 for 5 to 14-year-olds. Almost 90% of those diagnosed with flu were not vaccinated and the strains in this area are predominantly AH1N1 and AH3N2.

by Simon Russell

Investigating the strains of influenza to help fight the flu.

Top and bottom

The colourful beach front houses, line the Villajoyosa coast

TORREVIEJA spends the least on social services per person of any municipality in Alicante Province, whilst Villajoyosa comes top of the regional pack, according to figures produced by social services bosses based on 2017 budgets. The survey based on municipalities having a population of 20 thousand and over, showed that Villajoyosa spent an average of 168 euros per resident which actually places it tenth for per head spending in Spain. In stark contrast, Torrevieja produced just 24

by Alex Trelinski

euros per person in social spending, closely followed by Mutxamel and El Campello. It´s the latest black mark for Torrevieja, which has always featured predominantly in national surveys in recent years looking at the most impoverished communities. As for Villajoyosa, it´s the first time that the social spending survey has labelled an Alicante Province town as “excellent”, with mayor Andreu Verdú describing such spending as “a priority”.

WHILE hardly resembling an Alpine scene, a mountain located inland of the Marina Alta became the first to officially record snowfall this winter. There was a clear dusting of snow on La Serrella, in the Castell de Castells municipality, after 0.5 litres per square metre fell on Tuesday night. Temperatures in the area were recorded at 4.4 degrees centigrade but cold air on the peaks allowed for the light dusting of snow, although noone will be breaking out the skis quite yet. In contrast the north of Spain is preparing for heavy snowfall this weekend, with warnings issued across Cantabria, Aragon and Rioja amongst others.

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Fairground VOTE DEAL SIGNED ride owner arrested General Enquiries

info@weekender.news Text / WhatsApp: 622 44 22 70

The controversial fairground ride

Read The Weekender Online www.weekender.news/read

News & Editorial

newsdesk@weekender.news

Sales & Advetising Sales@weekender.news Office - 965 898 355 Sales Direct - 634 310 665

Deadline for advertisers, advert changes & article submissions is Tuesday, midday for Friday distribution. @TheWeekenderEs @TheWeekenderSpain

The Weekender (Registered Trademark Pending) Editor-In-Chief Marco Baiardo - Y1153737-W. Deposito Legal - A375-2017. C/Castellion 5 Benidorm, 03500. The Weekender Newspaper, its publishers, members of staff and its agents do not accept responsibility for claims by advertisers nor can it be held responsible for any errors in advertisements which are reproduced from poor artwork, low quality electronic data or inadequate instructions for text or other layout features. Further no responsibility is accepted for any loss or damage caused by an error, inaccuracy or non-appearance of any advertisement, although all advertisements produced are checked prior to insertion. We regret that we cannot accept responsibility for more than ONE incorrect insertion and that no republication will be granted in the case of typographical or minor changes which do not affect the value of the advertisement. E&OE. No part of this newspaper may be reproduced without written consent of the publishers. The Weekender Newspaper is printed by SILSA SERVICIOS DE IMPRESIÓN DE LEVANTE S.A. GRUPO Z

by Simon Russell

the owner of the Torrente 5 ride after it transpired that there was a similar incident about a week earlier. A five year old girl had also had her foot stuck in an almost identical fashion, although in this case it had luckily missed her toes although her shoe was completely trapped. When interviewed after the latest incident the rides owner had omitted the earlier incident, which is why the police are considering prosecution.

Marco Aguiriano (left) and Robin Walker (right)

Do you have experience in care professionally or with a family member or friend? One of the LGTBI representations.

at the FITUR International Tourism Fair in Madrid this week. The Gandia Fallas is the biggest in the region after Valencia City, while the town is a huge draw for young, mainly Spanish, tourists in the summer season.

Fatal stairs tumble by Simon Russell

A 67-year-old woman has died after falling down the stairs of her house in Silla (Valencia). The property is on Avenida Valencia; a neighbours son discovered the body and immediately called the emergency services. A SAMU unit arrived and tried resuscitating her but declared the woman died after they were unable to raise a pulse. The police have kept the case open for now, but all indications are that it was a tragic accident. It is not known if the victim had any health issues or disabilities.

by Alex Trelinski

LIVE-IN CARERS To Work in the UK

Inclusive Fallas

GANDIA’S town council have said that they are planning to use this year’s Fallas festival to try and promote the Valencian town’s credentials as an LGTBI tourist destination. This is following on from 2018 where a special award was given for the best LGTBI Fallas statue scene. This year will see the addition of the Diva Disco at the event and further education to eradicate the homophobic and macho attitude that can sometimes accompany Spanish fiestas. The town’s activities are being promoted

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The house in Silla where the fatality occurred.

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Ronaldo agrees deal over tax fraud and dodges jail

EX-REAL MADRID footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has accepted a fine and suspended jail term for tax fraud in Spain, signing a deal on Tuesday to settle a case which will cost him a total of nearly 19 million euros. The 33-year-old Juventus forward came out of the Madrid court house smiling, pausing to sign autographs and having photos taken with his Spanish fiancée Georgina Rodriquez, before leaving in a black van. His court appearance lasted about 15 minutes as the five-times world footballer of the year only needed to sign off on the previously settled agreement.

by Alex Trelinski

Ronaldo had to enter the courtroom through the front door after his request for special security measures to avoid the spotlight was refused. In 2017, Ronaldo denied the accusation that he knowingly used a business structure to hide income generated by his image rights in Spain between 2011 and 2014. After reaching the deal, he paid a fine of five point seven million euros, plus interest of about a million euros, in July 2018, the prosecutor’s office said last week.

Ronaldo exits court smiling with Georgina Rodriquez before signing autographs.

Police work pays off Combating landmine horror

THE National Police have confirmed that they have arrested a man in connection with a violent robbery at a clothes shop in Elche. The defendant wore a ski mask in the robbery which had multiple witnesses, many of whom contacted the police at the time. The perpetrator told the shop assistant he had a gun and she then opened the

by Simon Russell

cash till. The thief took cash as well as the saleswoman’s personal phone and money. Witnesses attempted to stop the man but he escaped after hitting out. The police were able to gather a lot of information at the crime scene, including the height and build of the thief,

what he was wearing and the fact he had a foreign accent. Using these leads they later arrested a man who is now in detention; he matched the physical description given and was even still wearing the same clothes. An Algerian national aged 60 has been charged with robbery, violence and threatening behaviour.

PEDREGUER has helped pay for a special medical vehicle for use in the Western Sahara, an area still blighted by landmines left behind from previous conflicts. Spain had a military presence in the region that was withdrawn in 1976 and

by Simon Russell

there are still estimated to be millions of mines in the impoverished region. The devices kill or maim hundreds of people each year, usually civilians and often children.

The contribution from Pedreguer’s budget for developing countries will go towards buying an ambulance for the Martir Cherif area to help cope with the problem and ensure victims receive swift treatment that could save limbs or even a life.

Staff and patients at the Martir Cherif clinic

Missing yacht baffles authorities

Guardia Civil in Alicante where the missing men are residents.

POLICE have given details of the disappearance of a sailing boat crewed by three Alicante men which have not been seen since 5 January. The “Dream Land” was rented in Palma de Mallorca by friends Alvaro Aguirre, aged 67, Antonio Fernandez (66) and Fernando Mogica (48). After

by Simon Russell

not hearing from the group for several days the son of one of them reported them as missing to the authorities on 11 January and the National Police began an investigation. An alert has been sent to ports, yacht clubs and other places where the vessel may

have been spotted or is even berthed. The crew have not responded to radio calls from the Spanish Coast Guard and there are no records of distress calls or emergency beacons being activated, something that is supposed to happen automatically in the event of capsizing or sinking.

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Bless them all

ORIHUELA was one of many municipalities across Spain on Sunday that staged the annual animal blessing in honour of San Antón. The event was held appropriately in the San Antón area of the city, as part of the two day fiestas in the Orihuela district. The saint is said to have lived for 105 years between 251 and 356 AD, and according to legend, he was approached by a wild boar in the desert, begging him to help her cubs, who had all been born blind.

Battered baby dies A TWOMONTH-OLD baby who was admitted to Barcelona´s Vall d’Hebron Hospital at the start of the month, after being mistreated, died on Monday afternoon. The baby boy lived in Pineda de Mar with his father, a 21-year-old

by Alex Trelinski

He succeeded in restoring their sight, and the mother boar was so grateful that she remained by Antón´s side for the rest of his life to guard him against evil spirits. No miracles happened in Orihuela on Sunday, but a variety of animals were blessed by the local priest. Cats and dogs dominated, but canaries, parrots, and hamsters also made an appearance.

The traditional animal blessing in San Antón de Orihuela.

MAN´S SMOKE SHOCK

Tap water is tops

JAVEA Town Hall has asked the town’s schoolchildren to help with their campaign to get people to drink more tap water and stop buying bottled water. Their “Mes aixeta i menys plastic” campaign stresses that tap water is cheaper, more environmentally friendly and just as healthy if not more so than the bottled variety. It also points out the damage that plastic, the main

by Alex Trelinski

material used for shop bought water, is doing to the environment on both land and at sea. People behind the project have been visiting local schools to spread their message to students and to ask for their help in designing tap water containers for distribution to schools, which will be made from metal or glass.

Talking to kids about the benefits of tap water.

A NORTH AFRICAN man, aged in his thirties, suffered smoke poisoning after his Almoradi home was gutted by fire on Sunday morning. He was the only person in the twostorey detached property when the blaze broke out shortly after 11.00 am. Other family members were not at home, as the second floor was badly damaged, with the man taken to the Vega Baja Hospital, having inhaled black smoke. Fire crews from Almoradi and Orihuela dealt with the blaze which was totally put out nearly two and a half hours later at the address in the El Saladar area of Almoradi.

by Alex Trelinski

Uruguayan, and his mother, an 18-yearold Catalan. As reported in The Weekender last week, the child had bruising, broken ribs, and a broken arm, caused by his father, who admitted his guilt authorities.

School secretary swindle THE Guardia Civil say they have arrested the secretary of a Valencian school on suspicion of embezzling €140,000. An investigation started at the end of last year after irregularities in the accounts were reported by the director of the school in Sueca. It transpired that the secretary had sole access to all bookkeeping and accounts, making them the prime suspect. The Guardia looked at accounts going back to 2014

by Simon Russell

and found that regular transfers had been made from the school to the secretaries’ personal bank account. Cash was also regularly drawn out on the schools’ bank cards; again it is alleged for personal use. Furthermore, debit cards were used to purchase goods at wine shops and electrical goods stores among others. A 58-year-old Spanish male has been arrested and charged with various financial offences.

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Bringing scooters into line ELCHE is the latest city set to address the issue of electric scooters that many think are becoming a safety hazard when they use the same space as pedestrians, often at high speed. The Ciudadanos party are proposing a motion at the next town hall meeting to finds ways to â&#x20AC;&#x153;guarantee the safety of users, pedestrians and driversâ&#x20AC;?. Deputy speaker Juan Antonio Sempere said that regulations needed to be drafted on these and other personal mobility vehicles

by Simon Russell

such as Segues as a matter of urgency. Alicante City has recently brought in new laws concerning the vehicles, many of which can travel at speeds in excess of 50 kmph while travelling on the pavement with pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. In Alicante, they are now largely restricted to using the bike lanes and speed limits have been drawn up.

Their job involves more than just fighting fires.

Helping with the basics

BENIDORM approved â&#x201A;Ź26,000 in grants last year to help citizens who were unable to pay for basic resources, specifically electricity, gas or water. This money helped 47 households and the council have confirmed that none of them lost their services at any time due to non-payment of bills. Awarded on a case by case basis this help, known as PEI, is determined at a municipal level and is outside of general

by Simon Russell

financial state assistance. Applicants have to prove their poor economic situation, supplying evidence of incomings versus outgoings and justifying the levels of their utility bills. If approved the grant would then be used to pay the difference between what the user can afford and the overall cost to tide them over difficult times.

Lucky puppy FIRE-FIGHTERS rescued a puppy last week that they believe had been stuck in a public drain for several days. A passer-by was walking along the Conejeras path (near Sax) when they heard a dog whimpering. They eventually found the source of the sound, a small dog trapped about six metres down and standing in shallow water. The emergency services were contacted and a crew

by Simon Russell

from Elda Parque fire station attended the scene. One of them entered the drain on a harness and managed to extract the animal after a lengthy operation. The puppy, a hunting dog breed, was too tired to lift her legs or move. The animal had no identification or chip and was transferred to the animal protection centre in Elda.

Energy poverty still an issue for many in Benidorm.

Wife beater arrested LOCAL Police in Gandia were called out to an incident phoned in by a member of the public who believed a domestic assault was taking place. Agents arrived at the property to find a woman barefoot in the street and clearly distressed. She said her husband had hit her several times after

an argument and she was now locked out. The police went to the house where they arrested a man, assumed to be her husband, on suspicion of assault. The victim said she had been beaten by the man on several occasions in the past but had never reported the assaults to the police.

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The bars that time forgot A British blogger has set herself an unusual mission - to document and photograph a hundred of Madrid’s “no frill bars” before they disappear for good. Journalist Leah Pattem told Spanish national newspaper El Pais of her passion for the city and these spaces which she fears are rapidly being replaced by the theme bars and chains that have sprung up all over Spain in the last few years. She calls the local hostelries “gateways to Madrid’s working-class soul which are unpretentiously beautiful, just like the city.” Leah also fears that clients are dwindling as outsiders move

by Simon Russell

in and seek out the comfort of familiar chains, while youngsters are also drawn to the attractions of MacDonald’s and Starbucks as well as the many Spanish equivalents. She hopes that by documenting these 100 bars she may help to halt the rise of the “spiritless chains”. However, Leah concedes it could be a losing battle as even since she started the project many featured have closed their doors for good. To visit her blog go to www. madridnofrills.com and find the link to the bars section.

Signing up to equal rights ONE of Alicante’s biggest employers, Carrefour, has signed up to the equality in employment plan laid out by the Institute for Women and Equal Opportunities (IMIO). Several politicians attended the ceremony to mark the move which affects the supermarkets entire Alicante workforce. The agreement eliminates any possibility of gender bias with actions such as “blind” CVs in the

by Simon Russell

recruitment process, positive action and gender training for all staff. There will be particular emphasis on staff involved in the selection and promotion of employees. There will also be measures brought in to manage worklife balance and ensure women aren’t penalised in the workplace due to family commitments.

The panel during the signing of the new agreement.

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Business & Finance

Strong finish for hotel trade

CaixaBank slimming down its operation.

Region hit as banks close

ONE of the country’s biggest banks has announced it is closing 81 branches across the Valencian Community as part of a national cutback operation. CaixaBank is closing 40 branches in the Valencian province, 34 in Alicante and 7 in Castellon. This is expected to lead to the loss of 238 jobs, 142

by Simon Russell

in Valencia, 63 in Alicante and 33 across the Castellon province. Overall CaixaBank is closing hundreds of offices across Spain in an effort to reduce its workforce by over 2,000. Madrid is the hardest hit region where the planned closure of 91 banks

will result in almost 500 job losses. CaixaBank has said that it is “consolidating it’s business” as more people use online banking. Across Spain many smaller municipalities are finding themselves without any banks at all; it is not clear if these planned closures will add to that number although it seems likely.

Talks The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator has ruled out ever accepting Theresa May´s Brexit ‘plan-B’, in a major blow to the prime minister’s bid to get MPs to back her deal. Embattled May had been

hoping for EU concessions ahead of another Commons vote this coming Tuesday, where she will face calls for an extension of the Article 50 March deadline and a second referendum. Michel Barnier said

by Matthew Richards

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BARNIER´S REJECTION repeated requests for a timelimit on the controversial Irish backstop had already been discussed and rejected twice by EU leaders. Speaking to European newspapers, Barnier said “We cannot tie the backstop to a

time limit” as suggested by the prime minister. He said the withdrawal agreement on the table was “the only possible option” for Britain and also ruled out the possibility of a socalled “managed no-deal” as advocated by some Tory Brexiteers. “In the case of no-deal action will of course be taken to ensure that planes can land but … the ‘no-deal’ cannot be a sum of mini-deals and be a situation of ‘business as usual’,” Barnier added. The EU negotiator made it clear that all the problems with the backstop could be solved if the UK went for a “softer Brexit”, which would mean remaining in the customs union. Over an extension of Article 50, Barnier said that it “was not of the question”, but would to be agreed by all EU states, and also questions would be asked as to what it would achieve.

A good December meant that Alicante City finished 2018 with slightly more hotel guests staying in the city than the previous year. The final overall occupancy figure last year was 76.5% while 2017 finished at 76.1%. Hotel occupancy in December was 59%, usually a very quiet month for visitors to the city but this figure was an almost

7% improvement on 2017. Across the province the highest increase in visitors was El Campello (up by 14.4%) while Orihuela saw the biggest drop (-7.2%). As with many big resorts there are concerns in Alicante’s hotel sector about increasing competitiveness from the likes of Turkey and Egypt as well as domestically from platforms such as Air BNB.

Ryanair issues profit warning

Ryanair, reduced profits but still flying high.

BUDGET airline Ryanair has issued a profit warning ahead of publishing its yearend results on 31 March. They have downgraded their profits forecast by about €100 million although the firm is still on track to be about a billion Euros in the black at the end of their financial year. CEO Michael O’Leary said that the drop

by Simon Russell

is largely down to the ongoing battle at the cheap end of the flight market. However, market experts are confident that Ryanair is in a position to win any price war in the medium to long term, possibly resulting in competitors being driven out altogether.

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Brexit? What should I do about Tax and Residencia?

Business & Finance

By Andrew Gibson DipIP BLACKTOWER Financial Management

UK HMRC you are now living in Spain, for example, then the authority will want to continue to tax your income and any gains arising worldwide including any in Spain.

By now you are probably really fed up hearing about Brexit! Yet, it’s important that you are prepared financially; not just for a Deal or No Deal Brexit, but also by being ready to meet the Spanish requirements for living here. You will have, no doubt, heard lots of horror stories about what Brexit means either way for UK expats and I do not intend to go into that here. Having said that, please read on, as I explain some fundamental issues that may need your attention sooner, rather than later.

The questions you should be asking

If you have not been in Spain for long but intend to live here, enjoying the sun, for a significant time, then you may feel like a rabbit caught in the headlights when deciding what to do about Residencia and Spanish tax, especially now Brexit or No Brexit is amongst us. Specifically, should you become a resident and/or tax resident of Spain, what does this mean, and what should you be doing about it?

Spanish Residencia Bearing in mind that tax authorities are not mind readers, all relevant authorities should be informed of your intentions regarding where you wish to live, even though you might not be absolutely sure about where you want to finally settle. This is because, if you are a UK Domicile (have a UK Passport and/or have lived in the UK for 15 out of 20 years), and you have not told the

In addition, Spain’s tax authorities will want to know about your income and gains if you are considered a Spanish tax resident, wherever these arise in the world. For example, anyone who stays in Spain for a commutative 183 days in the Spanish tax year (January 1st to the 31st of December each year) will be considered a Spanish fiscal resident for tax automatically. This means they should declare themselves to the Spanish tax authorities to pay tax in Spain. In addition, under EU rules anyone who has been in Spain for longer than three months and is likely to stay in the country should declare themselves to the Oficina de Extrajaneros locally by applying for Spanish Residencia. Certain qualifying rules will apply for gaining residency. Whilst there is a double taxation agreement between the UK and Spain, meaning you only pay income tax in one country, not letting the tax authorities know where you are living can cause confusion and possibly a penal tax situation later. This could also mean that income tax is paid twice until it is sorted out. Consider where you might raise the money to pay it in the meantime.

under common reporting standards, so tax authorities report all tax information about an individual’s or business’s income and tax affairs to the tax authorities in the country the individual is residing in. Brexit aside, it is important to recognise that reporting of these items is mandatory, not least because the Spanish tax authorities can impose huge fines for non-disclosure. Nobody knows yet what additional impact Brexit could have on the reporting requirements; however, it is unlikely the Spanish or UK tax authorities will see Brexit as an excuse for expats not meeting the rules and requirements. My advice is not to leave matters of tax until later and to act now. Tax-compliant Investment Bonds can have major tax advantages and minimise the impact of the tax reporting mentioned above. So, by acting now, you can help yourself to be prepared for Brexit – whichever way it pans out. It is important to seek professional advice so please give me a call on 603 612 464, email: andrew.gibson@blacktowerfm.com or visit www.theblacktowergroup.com

Spanish Tax Reporting – Modelo 720

Blacktower Financial Management has been established for over 32 years and have worked with clients through the good and the bad times, offering sound independent advice, we will be by your side both now and in the future.

The other facet of Spanish tax reporting is the mandatory completion of a Modelo 720. This is a requirement for all expats who have in excess of €50,000 in offshore assets including joint offshore bank accounts. Both the UK and Spain operate

The above information was correct at the time of preparation and does not constitute investment advice and you should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity.

Blacktower Financial Management Ltd is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV. Blacktower Financial Management

(International) Ltd is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) 00805B and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV in Spain.

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THAILAND Thailand is an iconic destination in the Far East, for backpackers and luxury travellers alike. On arrival, the first question is how to get to your hotel - taxis line up outside the airport, but one of the quickest and most interesting ways is to take the train downtown, for about 45 Baht and 30 minutes. This makes it a little over 1€ and a great way to see life in action. From the central train station, you can then either take the Skytrain, an elevated train system, or bargain with a TukTuk to take you to your hotel, on board

by Yvonne Hollywood, Worldwide Horizons

this motorcycle/seated carriage combination. Its exciting, thrilling and sometimes terrifying as a method of transport. The Thais love to bargain, so never accept the first (sometimes not even the 5th!) price they offer. At least 3 nights are needed to see Bangkok - Starting with the crazy Koh San Road in Bangkok, (optional!) eating creepy crawlies, finding a bar with amazing rooftop

views over the city, and of course visiting one of the most popular temples, The Grand Palace. There are many others as well, each stunning in its own way to get a good guide book with a map and start exploring. As a Buddhist country, remember to always be respectful when entering Temples and places of worship ladies should cover up bare legs and shoulders and men, remember longer shorts at least covering the knees. From Bangkok, most travel north to the leafy green city of Chiang Mai. Do your shopping here at the famous night market, and then relax in the evening down at the Riverside listening to some of the best live music you have ever come across. Accommodation is plentiful all over Thailand, however as with all destinations, look for recommendations online or from your travel agent - there is a wide gap between good accommodation and simply good price! And if you know how, you can combine the two! Food is a day to day experiment, whether in a restaurant, a food court or sampling the local street food - if you opt for this, then I recommend buying your own chopsticks - well worth the (minimal) investment. The current rate of exchange is around 35 Baht to 1 Euros, and a good restaurant meal might cost around 8€, whereas street experiments cost a fraction of this. As a tip, never buy anything that has been sitting a while, only eat piping hot food and never, never pay up front or you might find that your food cart, and your food, will just take off before you have been served (trust me, I know!). From the north, a relatively cheap connecting flight will take you to the Southern beaches of Krabi where you can stay in this

fishing village, or board a ferry and explore some of the nearby islands. A personal favourite is Koh Lanta, smaller than the famous Phuket Island and much less developed. However this by no way means basic, as some of Thailands most exotic hotel are located here. If Phuket is your choice of beach destination, head for the resorts of Karon or Kata, a little further south from the very busy Patong, a place that of course can be visited and most of it will make your eyes pop out, but we wouldń t recommend a hotel in the area. Nicer accommodation and large golden stretches of beaches await no more than 10 minutes to the south. Whilst in Phuket, you can also visit Elephant sanctuarys, stunning waterfalls and take a boat trip (from Phuket Town) to the famous Phang Nga Bay, imortalised in the James Bond film, The man with the Golden Gun. Do remember, in amongst all the sightseeing, to take a couple of days out to enjoy some of the most stunning beaches you are likely to encounter, with miles of sand between you and your closest neighbour. This is particularly appreciated if yoú ve ever tried to get a space on the beaches in Spain!

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25 January

Alex Trelinski’s

the di g g e r ´ s revenge

tly The destruction apparen hed A furious builder ploug ors went on for nearly 30 do a digger through the hotel minutes, before the digger e dg elo av Tr w lly driven out of a ne eatedly was eventua in Liverpool and rep ilding of the building, leaving a el and smashed into the bu tangled mess of ste . ke wa its in amid a pay dispute. ss the broken gla ps The driver mounted on It moved down the ste nt we d an e for be rk pa r ca steps of the hotel a g and across din sen , ide g ins vin ge lea pa n see the ram shed the driver was debris flying as it cra eption the cab. mer through the doors, rec The phrase sledge-ham to s. gs rin sp t nu desk and window a ver to crack A witness said the dripute mind, but of even greater dis y pa a did it take the was involved in actors concern is why over £600 with contr under police so long to respond to at the hotel, which is the incident? construction.

Back In T op C op For sale

. g farriers and transportit has a With Brexit dominatin u un ted un mo e Th yo everything in Britain, s like 130 year history and in 1896 forget about other issued the had 36 horses. ht poverty, the NHS, an lice It now has 15 with eigen sev d an t lack of money for the po an ge staff, one ser . to do their job properly been police constables. s ha a, One force Top marks for the ide the offering people a day atable but what a sad state to be in, races with its chief consthost, as pressure continues to pile Andy Cooke as their me a on police forces to get better and the chance to na to results with fewer resources. horse in a desperate bidted And who is responsible keep its historic mouning for all this? section running follow Somebody Government cuts. c a l l e d s Merseyside Police say Theresa May ost it has already raised alm she the when r ve co lp he to 00 £51,0 Home s wa ce sin s rse ho cost of keeping Tall S e c r e t a r y it launched the Standing between ril. campaign last Ap 2010 and the This is still far below on 2016. s ed ne it s £200,000 it say nses an annual basis for expefeed, rse ho including for

Britain g Sniffin it OUT Scamp the sniffer dog has got so good at detecting illegal stashes of tobacco brought into the UK, that a 25 thousand pound bounty has been put on his head! Scamp´s owner Stuart Phillips said the spaniel had upset ‘some very nasty people’ during his five-year career. Stuart commented:- ‘We had to stop working in one part of the country because there was a £25,000 bounty put on his head. ‘It was believed to be linked to an organised crime group and the relevant authorities were informed. ‘I’ve also had death threats, my windscreen has been smashed and my tyres, slashed.`

Scamp is part of Pem brokeshi rebased BWY Canine, which works with 100 UK councils to target the smuggling of cigarettes, drugs and firearms. Scamp is so experienced, he can sniff out a single cigarette or an entire pallet load. He can also locate bank notes and has uncovered vast wads of cash, worth up to £60,000.

a gerbil response

Armed police officers helped to rescue a peckish gerbil which had been abandoned when its owner went to jail. Derbyshire Police said the armed response unit attended in order to help gain quick access to the property in Derby. Derby City Police Safer Neighbourhood Team said the animal was “thankfully still alive but very hungry” after being alone for a week.

The prisoner had refused to give the RSPCA access to his home , so the response team were brought in. The gerbil was taken to the vet and the RSPCA was caring for it, police said. By the way in case you wondered, the police force said that such a response had no impact on operational policing, and they discovered that the gas fire had been left on, which was a major safety concern.

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World News

“Bikini Hiker” freezes to death

A good innings

Mr Nonaka read a newspaper each morning, enjoyed watching sumo wrestling and samurai TV dramas, and had a taste for cakes.

Bikini Hiker Gigi Wu who died this week.

THE death of a woman who had become famous on social media for posing in swimwear and little else at the top of mountains she climbed, has highlighted the risks many young people are taking for the sake of a good selfie and a large following on Instagram. 36-year-old Taiwanese Gigi Wu was hiking on her own in a remote part of her homeland’s Yushan National Park, planning another bikini-clad photo-shoot. However a week after setting out she contacted a friend via satellite phone to say she was trapped after falling 20 metres down a ravine and couldn’t move her legs. Her co-ordinates were passed on to a

by Matthew Richards

mountain rescue team who had three rescue attempts thwarted due to bad weather. When they eventually reached the spot where Gigi had fallen 28 hours after she first called in to say she was in trouble, she had died from hypothermia, . There have been numerous reports of people falling to their deaths or drowning after trying to get the perfect selfie for their social media page, including the CEO of a Chinese multinational in France last year. Just last week an Indian couple died at the bottom of Yosemite National Park (USA) after trying to film

themselves on a precarious ledge and then falling 600 metres off the sheer cliff. Meanwhile, millennials are increasingly taking snaps of themselves in ever more daring manoeuvres, something spurred on by the parkour urban climbing craze and the equally dangerous “rooftopping” which is probably self-explanatory. Train surfing, driving blindfolded and other similarly daft stunts are actually taking young lives in regular numbers. However by far the most common fatality or injury caused by modern gadgetry is using your phone while driving - responsible for around 30,000 injuries a year in the US alone.

WHAT world record is held for an average of seven months? The answer is the world’s oldest man, a mantle that has been passed on after the latest incumbent, Masazo Nonaka, passed away this week aged 113. Japanese national Mr Nonaka was born on 25 July 1905 (the year that Las Vegas, Charlton FC and the Automobile Association were all founded) and died peacefully at his home in Hokkaido over 113 years later. He had been the oldest male in the world since April last year and the title now officially passes over to German Gustav Gerneth, born three

by Simon Russell

months after the late Mr Nonaka. The world’s oldest person is also from Japan, Mrs Kana Tanaka who is 116 years old. The average period that the oldest person on the planet held the record used to be more than a year, but the number of people living well past their centenary has brought in a “cluster effect” that means the average has dropped by around half. The oldest person to ever live, Jeanne Calment who died aged 122, held the crown for an incredible nine years before she died.

Fuel theft leads

to dozens of death Brits behaving badly THE antics of a British family on holiday in New Zealand have made headlines across the globe while the mayor of Auckland, their chosen destination, has resorted to decidedly undiplomatic language referring to them as “British a**hole trash”. Details about the clan are sketchy, including their name and how many of them are down under. The best guess is that are twelve of them, including children, and that the family are called Doran although they have always insisted they are the Johnsons. Their alleged misdemeanour’s include theft, shoplifting, littering a much loved local beach, excess drinking, traffic crimes, trashing a

local hotel, unpaid restaurant bills, threats and assault. A reporter who approached the family for comment was told by one of the children, who is thought to be eight years old, that “he would knock his brains out”. Meanwhile, the Dorans/Johnsons have said they are the victims with a media hate campaign singling them out and they are just trying to have a good time. However their “holiday” - which appeared to have been planned for several months leading to fears they may try and stay in New Zealand permanently - may soon be coming to an abrupt end as they have apparently been given a deportation notice.

THE Mexican government has pledged to crack down on the epidemic of fuel theft after a pipeline explosion which killed at least 91 people was blamed on people who were stealing petrol. Most of the dead at the explosion in Hidalgo state were filling up containers from the leaking pipe when the explosion took place last weekend. Mexican TV showed harrowing footage of people caught in the flames and as well as the dead over 100 people have had to be treated for severe burns. President Andres Lopez Obrador has said that theft from fuel pipes is costing the already shaky economy about $3 billion a

by Simon Russell

year while endangering the lives of those taking part in the risky pursuit. The favoured method is to tap into the pipeline and simply drain off what you can. However, the risks are obvious as petrol and fumes are both highly flammable while many of those involved are women and children. President Obrador has deployed 3,200 troops to protect pipelines statewide as an emergency measure while many pipes have been shut off where possible and tankers used in their place. This, in turn, has led to long queues at petrol stations as the tankers struggle to keep up with demand.

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Lifeline for abandoned

cats

A major new charity, Asociacion Catland Javea, has been started in the Marina Alta town to help resolve the problem of abandoned cats, and the “Weekender” spoke to president Claire Wall this week about the work they are planning to do. Claire explained how Javea town hall has been very supportive and have ceded the charity a 3,000 m2 plot of land in the Ramblars rent free where there are plans to build a refuge for up to 150 cats. The site will include four porta-cabins for the vet’s quarters, storage, office space and a staff room while there will also be quarantine and nursing facilities. The cat pens will be a good size and sheltered from the elements and there will be a garden area to ensure the animals have a measure of freedom. Cats are first sterilised and given a full health check before entering the shelter and they will then be added to the adoption website

Employment Fair coming soon THE various members of the Marina Alta association which aims to help local people find or re-enter the job market had a major get together last week. This was at the Creama HQ in Denia and among things on the agenda was a proposed Employment Fair for the region, which it was agreed would be held in Teulada at a date yet to be confirmed. As well as Creama, which helps people find work through vocational training and other initiatives, there were representatives from local businesses as well as politicians and charities. These The Marina Alta employment team. included the Red Cross and Joveampa while the school headmasters association also set to be a forum showcasing opportunities with a view to work and potential employers had a presence. The fair is training activities and job helping both those seeking looking for staff.

where hopefully homes can be found here or abroad. Catland is a fully registered charity and plans to work closely with rescue groups such as the Javea Feral Association as well as the Town Hall and local vets. Claire stressed that the two things they desperately need are donations and volunteers. People wanting to donate can go to their Go Fund Me page or pay via www.catlandjavea. com which has a PayPal and direct banking option. There are also plans for sponsorship deals and other fund-raising events. The charity will also be reaching out to the Spanish and other nationalities in the town for volunteer help, fund-raising and cat adoption. For more details go to their Facebook page (CatlandJavea) in English or the website, address as above. If you would like to spare some time in any capacity you can contact the group via Facebook.

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Local - News & Community

Sub-zero school

AN inland Marina Alta school has been without heating since the Christmas holidays, despite temperatures dropping as low as -6C. The boiler at the Castell de Castells Serrella CEIP failed to restart after the festive break, and the only heating is three ancient portable radiators salvaged from an old doctor’s office which have to be wheeled around when the kids change classrooms such as for music lessons. Staff say that the glass ceilinged corridors are incredibly cold and that some children have become ill with one reportedly developing pneumonia. Staff have also been ill and the headmaster has written an official letter to the Town Hall, outlining the problems. The socialist

The

Postbag

by Simon Russell

opposition has also complained saying “how difficult is it to call out an engineer, or buy a new boiler if that is what’s needed?”

What is it about the sheer amount of dog dirt that seems to be around my area? The local council every couple of years puts up posters in English and Spanish, yet you never hear of anybody being fined. The same thing applies to dogs having to be kept on a lead on a public path or road, but some people just prefer to let them run, causing a danger to cars or to smaller dogs, like the one I own. A few local police officers could bring in a load of cash for the town halls just by making sure that laws are observed, as posters, leaflets, and the odd poop-bag here and there just don´t seem to do the trick. Jeff Link, Los Montesinos.

CEIP Serrella, the heat free school in Castell de Castells.

Stand by for four months of promises and deception, as candidates and political parties start chasing around for your votes in the May elections. Politicians of all parties will start crawling from underneath the rocks in their clamour for support, and they just promise you a land of milk and honey before failing to deliver, and then disappear for the best part of four years. I do like the various different independent community groupings that have appeared in most areas, as opposed to the old political parties, and I will certain be voting for them as opposed to the traditional offerings, who are just puppets for their string-pulling masters in Madrid.

Lighting the way THE street lighting on Calle Venecia in Javea, which was previously looked after by a local community of residents, is now being managed by the Town Council. They

will also be updating the lamps to make them more environmentally friendly. Calle Venecia connects Avenida del Mediterraneo and Avenida Augusta in the town.

Clubs, Charities & Events

The Arts Society Marina Alta. Next meeting Feb 7th. The Cult of the South Pacific “ Cook to Gaugin” with Leslie Primo.

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Marina Alta Arts Society will take place on Thursday 7th February 2019 at Salones Canor. Teulada (directions can be found on our website www.marinaaltaarts.com). All members will be welcome, doors open at 09:45 for registration and coffee will be available, for a prompt start at 10:15. The meeting will be followed at 11:00, when guests will be welcomed, by the first presentation of our new season The Cult of the South Pacific by Leslie Primo. For further information, membership and details of our forthcoming presentations please refer to our totally new, and extraordinary informative, website: www.marinaaltaarts.com The first meeting of the new season of the Arts Society Marina Alta will be held at Salones Canor Teulada on the 7th February 2019 at 11 am. Those invitees who attended the introductory meeting of the new venture, which became The Arts Society, will remember the charming, charismatic and knowledgeable presenter

Mr Leslie Primo from that time. And, will once again we trust, be thrilled with this presentation. Leslie Primo studied Art History at London University, has been a visiting lecturer at the University of Reading and gives lectures, tours and special talks at both the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. He has also presented a series of talks at the National Maritime Museum and the Courtauld Institute. Leslie is a graduate with a degree in Art History and an MA in Renaissance Studies from Birkbeck, University College, London. He currently lectures at the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, and teaches a variety of art history courses at Imperial College, London – South Kensington campus, the City Literary, Covent Garden, London and Bishopsgate Institute, Liverpool Street, London. This lecture will look at the enduring Western obsession with, and invention of the so-called ‘exotic’ or ‘noble savage’ starting with the first discovery of the Island of Tahiti in 1767 and charting the

impact, through painted images of the island and their people, of the English and European influence in this part of the world through the eyes of not only Captain Cook and those who came before him, but also through the eyes of the artists that accompanied these pioneering voyages and into the 19th and early 20th century with the images of Gauguin. And to this end the lecture will look at how romanticised depictions of the island and its peoples by artists such as: William Hodges (1744-1797), Benjamin West (1738-1820), John Webber (1751-1793), and John Cleveley (c.1712-1777), and indeed those of Paul Gauguin (1848 – 1903), not only bolstered these notions in the minds of Europeans, but helped to perpetuate and invent the Western notion of the exotic and the myth of paradise. Leslie has presented this enthralling lecture in faraway places including New Zealand and Australia. As has become standard fare, a glass of wine & soft drinks will be available to members & guests to allow socialising with the Committee and Speaker after the lecture.

But don´t sit and moan. Make sure you are registered and then vote. Linda Salinger, Torrevieja.

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Marina Alta Model Railway Club

We have a group meeting on the last Thursday of every month; the first one of 2019 will be at 2.30pm on 31st January in our clubroom in Teulada, where we have three 00 layouts and one N guage. We always welcome new members. For more details see mamrc.weebly.com or email mamrclub@gmail.com Trains can still be seen in Teulada but not at the station for trams to Benidorm and beyond. Tucked away in the back streets behind the ayuntamiento is the clubroom of Marina Alta Model

Railway Club where a group of keen modellers work regularly on their three layouts: a digitally controlled 00 layout, a more traditional analogue controlled 00 layout and an N guage layout. Only the digital layout has scenery so far; work is very much in progress on the other two. Members meet as a group on the last Thursday of every month but are often in the clubroom working on the layouts at other times of the month. New members are always welcome; for more details see mamrc.weebly.com or email mamrclub@gmail.com

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Warning for pet owners

PEOPLE in the Marina Alta have been warned to be alert for danger when out walking their dogs after razor blades were discovered in food that appeared to have been deliberately left out for pets. The issue has been publicised on social media by the local police in Els Poblets, where several examples of the tainted food were discovered. They released a photo of the

by Simon Russell

broken blades hidden in sausage meat saying “take special care with pets, especially dogs, because someone is putting sausages and food on the streets with razor blades inside”. Last year several dogs were poisoned and killed in a rural part of Benissa, an incident that is still under investigation.

Local - News & Community

Painter accused of jewel theft

NATIONAL Police in Denia the items to a jewellers in Denia was arrested and charged. Many of has arrested a man on suspicion of and the description given by the the valuables are still missing and stealing €2,000 worth of jewellery proprietor matched the painter, who the police investigation is ongoing. from a house he was painting. The victim was a woman who had paid a builder to reform her bathroom while she was away for a few days. When she returned the bathroom had been finished but she saw that the bedroom wardrobe where she kept her valuables had been ransacked. She soon discovered that the jewellery was missing and she contacted the builder. He said that the last person to be in the property had been the painter and she then went to the police with this information. They were able to track down some of Man charged after jewel theft.

Graffiti outrage

The bell-tower at Sant Bertomeu Church, clearly in need of renovation.

Church restoration plans announced PARISH priest Salvador Torrent announced the plans for the restoration of Javea’s Sant Bertomeu church in Javea after conducting Mass on Sunday. Sunday’s service was a special one, in honour of San Sebastian, the town’s patron saint. Father Torrent said an architect is already working on the plans for the total restoration of the church, although they have yet to be officially

Lucky

THE mayor of Denia was among those who took to social media to condemn this weeks graffiti attack on the sculpture of writer Miguel Cervantes in the town. Vicent Grimalt used the City of Denia Facebook page to write “it

Remembering the war dead

by Simon Russell

endorsed by the town hall. If they do approve them they will then be passed on to the provincial Ministry of Culture for final agreement and funding. He said that the project had “been blessed by God” and that the work to restore one of the finest places of worship in the Valencian Community is vitally important.

The two sites in Benissa identified as mass war graves.

13 chosen

The local Eramus 2019 students.

is very sad that there is so much incivility and lack of culture” after blue paint was sprayed on the face of the “Don Quixote” author. He also promised that the sculpture would be cleaned immediately, a decision Lack of culture. Graffiti mars the statue of Cervantes. applauded by many.

by Matthew Richards

A panel consisting of the Creama employment association and five Marina Alta secondary schools have selected the thirteen students who will be joining the Erasmus European Mobility programme this year. The scholarship runs for three months, March to June, and will see the candidates sent to Europe for vocational training; three of them in Vienna, six in Florence and four in Lisbon. Subjects for the courses include computing, electronics, administration and sports. The 13 were chosen from an original short-list of 25 students.

TWO sites in Benissa that have been identified as probable mass graves from the Spanish Civil War are set to be excavated later this year. They have been pinpointed as part of the Mapa de Memoria project across the Community, which hopes to identify and re-intern dead soldiers and civilians from the war, most of who will have been on the Republican side. Local expert Robert Llopis has been working on identifying the graves and

by Matthew Richards

believes that at least one soldier from Denia is interred in the area. The work is being paid for by a grant from the Valencian government and is currently under tender. The company that is selected to do the excavations will need to follow a number of criteria so that the disinterment process is done in both a respectful and scientific manner according to the terms of the tender.

for this year’s concerts, which Valley Voices songs benefit local charities, why not

We’re learning a new variety of

Valley Voices mixed choir joined come along, enjoy a laugh and a with Cor d’Orba for their popular song! Follow us on Facebook, call annual pre-Christmas concert, a or WhatsApp 699603088 or email packed multi multi nationality church valleyvoiceschoircb@gmail.com for raised 167€ for the local Caritas more information. charity. Pictured below are representatives of both choirs presenting the money to Caritas Orba. Valley Voices meets in Alcalali Centro Cívico 4-6 every Monday, and warmly welcomes anyone interested in joining the choir - especially male voices as our men are Members of the choir. rather outnumbered!

Health & Beauty

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5 fitness trends on the rise in 2019

When looking ahead to the rest of the year, so many get excited about the latest trends, gadgets or gizmos getting the most attention as they look for what they might be interested in for themselves or their family. The world of health and fitness is an area that is always evolving to the point there’s continuously something new to try, and sometimes it can even reach the point of feeling overwhelming. Brian Zehetner, Planet Fitness’ Director of Health and Fitness, helps cut through the noise by synthesizing what he sees as five major fitness trends that are likely to make the biggest impact in 2019:

1. 30-minute workouts:

How ancient ingredients can give your winter health a boost today Whether it’s a hot drink of honey, lemon and brandy, or a steaming bowl of chicken soup, many families have age-old home remedies, passed down through the generations, that they still use today when winter kicks into high gear. Grandma knew a thing or two about soothing a sore throat, quieting a cough or settling a rumbling stomach without a trip to the pharmacy. Many of those passeddown secrets originated in ancient times, and were implemented to boost the immune system to help fight off bugs before they took hold. While some of those age-old remedies are still in use today, there are some

by BPT

more modern ways to help support your health. “Today, many of us rely on the convenience of vitamins and supplements to help support our immune systems, which is a beautiful thing,” says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, and consultant to Swisse Wellness. “It’s much easier than making batches of soup from scratch and finding endless obscure herbs and remedies. However, it’s important to find high-quality supplements that have these immune boosting ingredients that are trending today.” 1. Honey. Honey has been used

People are more timecrunched than ever and they want comprehensive and effective workouts that can be done in relatively short time frames. Ideally, these workouts include both a cardio component and a strength component. We may even see more 15- and

medicinally for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians used it to treat skin and eye conditions, and added it to their beauty treatments, too. It was so revered that pots of honey have even been found in Egyptian tombs, unspoiled after thousands of years. Today, people tout honey as a superfood and natural remedy for many ailments. Honey is rich in vitamins B and C, and minerals like calcium, iron, zinc and more. Manuka honey, out of New Zealand, is getting a lot of attention lately for its super beneficial qualities. A great way to get it into your diet is with the Swisse Vitamin C + Manuka Honey supplement. It’s a chewable antioxidant

by BPT

20-minute workout programs popping up this year and beyond! Planet Fitness offers an entire 30-minute workout area for those looking to get in and get out, allowing you to get a full-body workout using a mix of weight machines for strength training alternated with steppers for great cardio.

2. Programs geared toward teens and young adults:

Expect an influx of youth-oriented workouts and wellness opportunities in 2019. With new guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommending at least 60 minutes of aerobic physical activity for kids every day, we expect to see even more youth, teens and young adults reenergizing their daily activity.

that makes it easy for you to give your body the benefits of this amazing honey without needing to keep little bearshaped jars of the stuff lying around. 2. Echinacea. Grown in North America, echinacea, which comes from the coneflower, has been part of Native American traditional medicine for hundreds of years. Its use was passed on to pioneers and settlers, and became part of their traditional remedies, too. It has historically been reported to support the immune system, and today, we know echinacea to do the same. You can find it in liquid form, or in supplements. Swisse Immune

3. Certified training:

More and more people are looking to certified trainers to help them not just with exercise form or how to use a machine but help guide them on a plan to stick to for achieving any wellness goals. Planet Fitness has what it calls the PE@PF(R) program, which includes unlimited small group fitness instruction by certified trainers - free and included with all memberships! They are available to provide counsel on individualized exercise plans but with the benefit and motivation of working out as part of a small team with other members.

4. Mindfulness:

Fitness and nutrition have always been a happy marriage when it comes to wellness, but let’s not forget about the benefits of mindfulness and meditation

Forte combines echinacea with elderflower, vitamin C and zinc for a powerful combination of immunesupporting effects. 3. Andrographis. Another key ingredient in Swisse’s Immune Forte, andrographis is a plant native to South Asian countries often used to make medicine. Andrographis is rich in compounds called andrographolides (hence the name), which are said to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. 4. European elder. To round out Immune Forte, European elder, also known as Sambucus nigra,

in 2019. This is a critical component of any wellness regimen, too, and there are numerous apps in this space that are growing in popularity. Audio-guided workouts (via apps, podcasts, etc.) are becoming all the rage, too, and that trend is expected to continue in 2019.

5. DIY fitness:

Our members are requesting more information so they can reach their fitness goals all on their own. People want help, yet see their journey as an independent one, so it’s on us in the industry to provide them with content, guidance and anything else that may help them on their journey. Look for more assistance to come via technology in 2019 (e.g., apps, on-demand content, etc.), as well. To make the most of your fitness journey in 2019 and for resources to help you reach your goals, visit planetfitness.com.

is expected to be a breakout trend this year. While it’s been around for a long time, it’s just becoming a popular ingredient for wellness enthusiasts. Boasting a wide range of benefits useful in winter months, European elder is another ancient ingredient that can still be helpful today. Many of these ingredients still emulate names and descriptions that aren’t as common today, but are starting to break out in the approach to holistic wellness. We are lucky enough to have access to high-quality supplements that are easy to intake while still getting all the benefits of these incredible ingredients.

Health & Beauty

HIV - The human immunodeficiency virus The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a lentivirus (a subgroup of retrovirus) that causesÂ HIV infection and over-time if left untreated acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). AIDS is a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows lifethreatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. It is important to note that with effective HIV treatment, lifeexpectancy is normal and the virus cannot be transmitted. This is why testing is so important as treatment should be started as soon as possible. If you think you have been exposed to HIV it is

important to be tested as HIV is called PEP and can be soon as possible. Testing is obtained in the Emergency a simple blood test, and we Department. offer the latest 4th generation There is also a newer test with results back in 24hrs. Emergency treatment for exposure t o

preventative treatment called PrEP which, when taken as prescribed, prevents the infection.

For more information about other sexually transmitted infections or to speak directly to The Sexual Health Adviser, consultations can be made by calling the Family Medical Centre on +34 966 865 072, emailing us at info@ albirfamilymedicalcentre.com, calling Vanessa directly on +34 629 345 002, or on Facebook www.facebook.com/TheSHnurse or www.facebook.com/albirfamilymedicalcentre

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Pets & Wildlife

Meet Izzy, the viral Instagram sensation

Cats are usually adorable, even when they look like they’re planning to take over the world, but the web’s favorite cats are those with extremely expressive faces, just like Izzy. Photos of Izzy, or Meowl as her fans call her, have gone viral on Instagram (the photo sharing platform)because of just how amusing her expressions are. Izzy and her sister, Zoë, are British and European Shorthair mixes. The two were born in a litter of five,

ARC - PUPPIES & KITTIES NEEDING HOMES LUCIE This pretty 18 month old spayed female islooking for her forever home. She is very affectionate cat.

MITZI - This beautiful German Shepherd cross is 2 years old and was originally found as a puppy in the mountains with her siblings. She has been spayed and micro chipped and has a passport. She is a beautiful dog with lovely markings and temperament. She would make a brilliant walking companion, is very quick to learn and loves to play and is good off the lead. She needs to be with a family who can give her the love and attention she deserves. NO ADOPTIOIN FEE BUT A DONATION IS MUCH APPRECIATED. Also, many other dogs, puppies, cats & kittens needing homes. Food and donations also urgently needed and can be left at ARC’s charity shop on CarrerValencia 1, Jalon between 10 am & 1.00 pm Monday to Saturday. Contact Tel No Sally:- 625 985 689 or Jayne:- 649 310 285.Email jalonvalleyarc14@ yahoo.co.uk. Facebook – Jalon Valley A.R.C. Based in Jalon. Charity Reg No CV-01-054107-A. CIF No G5482759

Residencia canina y felina Boarding kennel & Cattery

Since nce 11977 97 desde/si

RESIDENCIA CANINA Y FELINA BOARDING KENNEL & CATTERY Habitaciones individuales Ozono Hilo musical Calefacción Parques ajardinados Servicio a domicilio Admitimos todas las razas

Individual rooms Ozono Music Heated floor system Landscaped playgrounds Free home delivery service All types of dogs & cats allowed

but only Izzy and Zoë have black and white fur. Their loving owner claims the two have been inseparable from birth. They also claim that although the two cats do look similar, they have remarkably different personalities. Izzy, the one with a white nose, is more daring and adventurous. While Zoë, the one with a black nose and a heart mark on her chest, is a little more bashful, but very curious as well Both cats are very

affectionate towards their owners, and that’s something that makes their fans hearts melt. Most of the online attention went to Zoë with her rare heart-shaped marking on her chest, but their fans couldn’t forget Izzy and her amusing face. Look at their website, or visit their Instagram to keep up with their daily adventures. www.instagram.com/ izzyandthefluff www.izzyandthefluff.com

GOING THE WHOLE HOG

BUYING a home in Spain remains very affordable, but stop at one house when you could pick up a whole village? After all, there are literally hundreds to choose from in practically every region. And you get the church thrown in as a free gift. Admittedly, this isn’t an option for anyone on a strictly-limited budget or who wants to avoid risk; turning your newly-purchased village into a habitable residential hotspot may well cost the same amount as the original price tag and plenty more besides, plus you’ll need planning permission – even though you’re the owner, this doesn’t mean you automatically become the mayor and can do what you please once you’ve moved in. Many of the villages for sale fall under the jurisdiction of a larger town council, and you’ll need licences before you start brick-laying. Also, those at the lower end of the price range may not have mains electricity and water – getting onto the grid is costly, and not guaranteed. If there’s a handy bore-hole nearby that’s included in the overall cost, you could install a pump for water, but you’ll need planning permission for this – and solar panels, whilst an excellent,

by Neil Mortimer

environmentally-friendly idea that eventually saves you a fortune once you’ve clawed back your investment, involve considerable outlay at first and, again, you might need municipal licences. O Muiñovedro in the north-west region of Galicia was snapped up by Dutch investors for 150 thousand euros who sought to restore it, possibly for their own use or as a niche holiday rental destination. The cheapest currently on sale is in the northern wine region of La Rioja, a village of nine houses and an acre of undeveloped plots which falls under the administrative jurisdiction of the larger location of Los Molinos de Ocón and is just 30 minutes by car from the regional capital, Logroño. The asking price is Part of O Muiñovedro in Galicia. just 179 thousand euros. Given its sheer size, Spain is the most-threatened EU member State in terms of endangered villages, followed by Portugal where 23 per cent of its territory centralised Spain’s residential hubs are: the people, whilst the remaining 44 million of 53 per cent of ‘threatened’ municipalities the country’s inhabitants live in the other suffers similar desertion. And census figures show just how are home to a mere two and a half million 47 per cent of towns, villages and cities.

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Local - Property

HOME GROWTH UK house

SLOWS

prices weakening

HOUSE prices in Britain continued to rise in January, but the increase was the smallest for the month since 2012. Across the country the increase was 0.4%, although in London and the south east there was an overall fall. The average price of a property in the UK is now a fraction under ÂŁ300,000 while in London it dropped below

The number of Spanish home sales logged in the National Land Registry rose by three per cent in November 2018 compared to the same month the previous year, according to the latest figures from the National Institute of Statistics (INE). There were 38,084 Spanish home sales inscribed in the Land Register in November,

by Alex Trelinski

and 42,150 if you include subsidised homes (known as VPO), according to the INE, based on data from the Land Registrarsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association. The Spanish property market has been growing since it started to recover in 2014, but unsurprisingly growth is starting to slow

down, which is inevitable. The average sales growth over the first 11 months of 2018 was 12 per cent, compared to 16 per cent over the same period in 2017. New home sales were up 8 per cent to 8,043 and resales up three per cent to 34,107, both in positive territory as they have been almost every month since August 2017.

Properties for sale and sold in London.

by Matthew Richards

ÂŁ600,000 for the first time since 2015. Many industry experts are saying that this is further signs of a slowdown, at least in parts of the country such as London where many felt prices had become overheated and out of reach for all but the wealthiest.

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Local - Food, Drink & Entertainment

Cold comfort for Amata craft fair in Pedreguer art lovers by Simon Russell

DENIA has two ongoing exhibitions, ideal for anyone who is looking for a cultural way to spend some time out of the midwinter chill. At the Centre d’Art l’Estacio, there is a photographic show of recent architecture in Denia and the Marina Alta, covering the years 2016 to 2017. The free exhibition is from 10 until 1 and then 5 to 8 in the evening and is on display until 17 February. Denia Hospital is the unusual venue for the second exhibition. This is also a photographic show, a series of pictures of the Lithuanian city of Vilnius taken by Madrid based artist Ire Lenes. It shows the contrasts in the neighbourhoods and how they co-exist to almost work like an archipelago on the waterbound city. The exhibition is at the CuidArt Room, is free and open all day, running until 10 March.

during the San Blas fiestas

In the first week-end in February, Pedreguer will be celebrating its annual San Blas festival. It starts on the Friday evening the 1st of February, with the transfer of the Patron Saint to the chapel at the foot of the hill and continues till late Sunday afternoon. The programme includes processions, fireworks, a running competirion, concerts and dances and this year also an interesting craft fair. The fair will be set up in the Plaza Mayor, next to the church and the old porches where the concerts and dances will be held. There is ample space for the thirty or so craft stalls, the demonstrations and workshops and the old fashioned merry-go-round.Plenty of choice! Every three years there is a different group of people organizing these fiestas and the current comission “Festes Sant Blai 2017-2019” has decided to include an Amata fair in their programme. This regional craft associations makes sure that only real craftsmen and women participate and that everything on sale is made by the participants themselves. As a result you can find original

at 7 pm. On Saturday and Sunday opening times are from 11 am till 9 pm. The stalls stay open at midday. To get an idea of what to expect you can look at photos on www. amata.es, for example at http:// www.amata.es/San_Fulgencio_18. html. For more information, also in English, you can ring 639 979 678. Pedreguer lies in the North

and curious items in the fair, like a whole chess game and other figures made of acorns, spoons out of cow horns, traditional baskets woven from esparto in the special way they use in Calasparra (Murcia), jewelry made of natural orchids or from glaas using a blowtorch (while you watch!) and small furnitutre of recycled wood. You can watch a weaver make shawls and vests, and young and old can make their own bowl or vase on a potter´s wheel or engrave a glass with their initial. Some thirty stalls are expected, each one offering something different, all hand made and guaranteed “made in Spain”. The fair opens on Friday evening

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Local - Food, Drink & Entertainment

Send in the Equal rights on hogs! the agenda Concha Gisbert, Isabel Morant y Justa Montero

Motorbikes outside Oliva’s Tourist Office and market.

OLIVA is hosting a HarleyDavidson rally on 25 to 27 January, the town hall has confirmed. Dozens of bikers from all over Spain are converging on the Valencian town for the three day event and while Harley’s will be the centrepiece other performance

by Simon Russell

bikes will be on display as well. There will also be a gastronomic festival during the weekend, which will be located on Paseo Luis Vives, at the Gandia end of the town.

JAVEA’S fourth Conference for Equality is to be held on 9 February, organised and hosted by a collaboration between the Department of Equality, the town hall and Xarxa de Dones de la Marina. Topics under discussion include the future of feminism, where we are with the ongoing battle, legal changes required and the future of the movement. Guest speakers will be Asuncion

Ventura, a Professor of Constitutional Law and Concha Gisbert, a Professor of Gender and Equality Policies, both specialists in the field of feminism. The venue is the Casa de la Cultura, starting at 9.30 am with a scheduled finish time of 2pm. If you wish to attend or need more information just email xarxadones@gmail. com or contact any of the Xarxa de Dones members.

Local - Food, Drink & Entertainment

A taste of Denia in the Far East ONE of Denia’s top young chefs, Bruno Ruiz, has been representing the Marina Alta capital at a gastronomic fair in the Chinese enclave of Macao. The city, the current UNESCO City of Creative Gastronomy, was hosting the International Macao Food Forum. Chefs from all over the world aged between 18 and 40 were invited to the event; Bruno was chosen to represent Denia as he was the winner of the 2018 “Red Shrimp” cooking contest held in his home town.

Bruno, chosen to respresent Denia after winning the Red Shrimp contest.

Pego animator up for major award by Simon Russell

YOUNG Pego native Mari Carmen Cambrils is the main animator behind “Soy una tumba” which is among the nominees for best short animated feature at this year’s Goya awards. Known as the Spanish Oscars, the Goyas are to be held in Seville in a fortnights time and will attract both national and international attention. Professional animator Mari has said that being nominated is recognition in itself and winning would just be the icing on the cake. The “Soy una tumba” team will all be travelling to Seville and are planning Drawing attention. Mari Carmen Cambrils. to party “whether we win or lose”.

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Motoring

2019 Rav4 Hybrid Despite the Toyota RAV4’s acronymic name alluding to it being a full-time 4x4 – the Recreational Activity Vehicle with four-wheel drive, to be exact – it’s always been a crossover, really. The original RAV4 combined SUV-type looks with convenience and running costs more akin to a hatchback a good dozen years before the Nissan Qashqai did; sadly for Toyota, in 2006 Nissan’s PR machine basically convinced everyone that the idea was its own. This new RAV4, the fifth one since 1994’s original, is still a crossover in that it offers a front-wheel drive option (which will account for the majority of sales) and has a focus on familyfriendly space with low running costs. The latter of those qualities is accomplished by offering buyers only one choice: a hybrid. But it does mean the RAV4 will cost over €30,000 at base level. That’ll buy you a heck of a lot of Qashqai. Or Skoda Karoq, Renault Kadjar or Volkswagen Tiguan, even. The other, more subjective, problem the new RAV4 has is a distinct lack of charm. It does a lot of things very well – it’s spacious, has a high level of standard equipment, and excellent low speed refinement – but there’s very little in the way it drives, or looks for that matter, that’s especially riveting. Toyota’s decision to go hybrid-only is largely the result of a seismic shift in sales over the course of just two years. In 2016 the company introduced a hybrid model to the last generation RAV4, at a time when

diesel models made up nine out of ten sales. By the end of 2018, that 90 per cent was hybrid sales. You can see why Toyota hasn’t bothered with a diesel this time around. At low speed, as with the Prius, refinement is excellent because it’s just so quiet. Toyota has partly solved the harsh ride quality issue associated with most hybrids too, because a new and

How to drive in the

snow

Yes, we know there´s not much snow around here at the moment. But with a cold snap on it´s way and winter far from over, we thought we better brush up on our snow driving... just incase... Who better to take us through the basics than SEAT racing driver Jordi Gené, who explains how to tackle snowy conditions calmly and confidently. - The golden rule: “Anticipate what’s ahead and take it easy, that’s the

basic rule for driving in harsh conditions.” - How do you drive down a mountain pass or a steep road in the city?:“Using the engine to brake is fundamental. Driving downhill in low gears will help you stay in control and it takes a lighter toll on the brakes,” This recommendation is especially important in low temperatures when cars can lose grip more easily. -Stay calm and don’t make sudden manoeuvres: When driving on snow, pay careful

attention to dark patches on the road where there could be black ice: “It’s important to stay calm and avoid making sudden manoeuvres,” explains Jordi. “You have to turn the wheel gently and lightly step on the brake until you’ve passed the ice patch and the wheels begin to gain grip again.” - Only use the fog lights in extreme conditions:Their use should be restricted to when visibility is poor”. Fog lights deliver added brightness and are useful during heavy rain or in dense fog, however “they can dazzle oncoming traffic if used incorrectly,” warns Jordi. - Parking in sub-zero temperatures: Jordi advises putting the car in ‘P’ for park if the car is automatic and either in neutral or first gear if it’s a manual. He recommends “putting the wiper blades up so they don’t stick to the windscreen during a snowfall or if the temperature falls sharply,”

significantly stiffer chassis has allowed for a slightly softer suspension setup. Around town and on the motorway, while there’s still some of that trademark underlying harshness to the ride, it’s generally nicely cushioned, and with well-judged body control. As in, minimal roll. So, in the modern Toyota tradition, the RAV4 will satisfy the requirements of

lots of buyers without being satisfying for those who want a bit of interest beyond that. The sort of interest that the Peugeot 3008 or the Kia Sportage or the Skoda Kodiaq provide, in their own ways. Long story short, it’s cheap for company car buyers, spacious, well made, decent around town, noisy on the motorway, clumsy to drive quickly, and not especially memorable.

Nissan Leaf is top seller in Europe Sales of the award-winning, all-electric Nissan LEAF are surging throughout Europe as consumer appetite for electric vehicles (EVs) continues to grow. Norway has emerged as a standout market for the LEAF, with more car buyers opting for the EV over any other car on sale. More than 12,000 LEAFs found homes in the country in 2018, with the nation’s strong focus on sustainability cited for its sales success. Owing to consistent high demand, the Nissan LEAF has taken the crown as the best-selling EV overall in Europe for 2018, with more than 40,000 sold across the continent. To ensure LEAF remains the most competitive EV offering on the market, Nissan recently confirmed two new versions of the LEAF for Europe. The addition of the new Nissan LEAF e+ 3.ZERO Limited Edition, which is fitted with an uprated 62kWh battery, which brings enhanced performance and a range of up to 239 Miles from a single

charge. The new Nissan LEAF 3.ZERO equipped with a 40kWh battery brings to Europe’s best-selling electric vehicle an 8-inch infotainment screen enabling additional connectivity services such as door-to-door navigation. An all-new and improved NissanConnect EV app will also be available when the new LEAF 3.ZERO goes on sale in Europe. In addition to new connected services, it also benefits from new colour options, including a contrasting roof, enabling more scope for personalisation, enhancing the appeal of Nissan EV ownership even further. Ken Ramirez, Senior Vice President, Sales

and Marketing, Nissan Europe said: “This latest announcement marks the start of a very optimistic 2019 for our EV range. The fact that the Nissan LEAF is still the default choice for EV buyers in Europe is a testament to its all-round capability as the icon of Nissan Intelligent Mobility - especially with the evergrowing range of competitors.” “We can celebrate standout sales success with Norway as an example, as it highlights how the Nissan electric ecosystem has established itself as a sustainable lifestyle choice in a relatively short space of time.”

Auto Mart Benissa Ctra Nacional N-332, Partida Bonaire 60 Opposite Benissa Motorway Entrance info@automartbenissa.com Mon to Fri 9.30 –19.00 Saturday 10.00 –14.00

Auto Mart La Nucia c/ Callosa de Ensarria 32 Pol. Ind. La Alberca, Rotonda Nº1 info@automartlanucia.com Mon to Fri 10.00 –19.00 Saturday 10.00 –14.00

Benissa – La Nucia

GRUPO

Tel 659 198 805 WhatsApp 682 455 828

Tel 965 733 311 WhatsApp 609 234 847

100+ vehicles to choose from

CITROEN C3 Picasso 1.6 HDi SX Year 2009 1600cc, 90 hp Manual, Diesel 98,000 km 7,995€

CITROEN C3 1.1i Furio Year 2007 1100cc, 75 hp Manual, Petrol 88,000 km 4,895€

FIAT 500 1.2 Lounge Year 2014 1200cc, 70 hp Manual, Petrol 37,000 km 8,995€

FIAT 500 1.3 Auto Year 2012 1300cc, 70 hp Automatic, Petrol 51,000 km 8,995€

FORD Focus 1.6 TDCi Trend Year 2014 1600cc, 95 hp Manual, Diesel 74,000 km 10,995€

NEW ARRIVAL CITROEN C3 1.4 TONIC YEAR 2012 1400CC, 75 HP MANUAL, PETROL 31,000 KM 8,995€

FORD Fiesta 1.25 Trend 82 Year 2015 1250cc, 80 hp Manual, Petrol 64,000 km 9,395€

FORD FOCUS 1.6 TI-VCT TREND POWERSHIFT YEAR 2015 1600CC, 125 HP AUTOMATIC, PETROL 91,000 KM 11,995€

PEUGEOT 508 SW 1.6 YEAR 2012 1600CC, 110 HP MANUAL, DIESEL 87,000 KM 10,995€ TEST DRIVE as many cars as you like.

FORD FOCUS 1.6 TREND YEAR 2009 1600CC, 100 HP MANUAL, PETROL 98,000 KM 6,795€

CITROEN C4 Picasso 1.6 VTi Seduction Year 2011 1600cc, 120 hp Manual, Petrol 101,000 km 8,995€

KIA Sportage 2.0 CRDI EX 4x4 Year 2005 2000cc, 115 hp Manual, Diesel 69,000 km 7,995€

Once you have bought your car we can deliver it to your door free of charge (max. 150kms) from either our Benissa or La Nucia dealership.

BUYING a Car includes:

1 year’s warranty ITV and full check Road tax paid for the year Name and transfer plus paperwork Part-exchange welcome

SELLING a Car

OPEL CORSA 1.3 CDTI YEAR 2009 1300CC, 90 HP MANUAL, DIESEL 59,000 KM 5,995€

SEAT Altea 1.4 Driver’s Edition Year 2008 1400cc, 85 hp Manual, Petrol 67,000 km 7,995€

automartlanucia.com

SEAT Altea XL Year 2014 1400cc, 125 hp Manual, Petrol 76,000 km 11,995€

WE BUY CARS FOR CASH

Avoid the pitfalls of private selling; we do ALL the work. Car transfers processed within 7 days Proof of ownership transfer provided

automartbenissa.com

Facebook: @TheWeekenderSpain

FRIDAY 25th January

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain: Holidays 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under 12:45 Caught Red Handed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers’ Country Showdown 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Live: Match of the Day 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:25 BBC London News 23:35 The Graham Norton Show

07:00 Good Morning Britain 07:00 This Is BBC TWO 07:30 Wanted Down Under 09:30 Lorraine 08:15 The Farmers’ Country 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show Showdown 11:30 This Morning 09:00 Antiques Roadshow 13:30 Loose Women 10:00 BBC News at Nine 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 11:00 Victoria Derbyshire 14:55 ITV News London 12:00 BBC Newsroom Live 15:00 Judge Rinder 13:15 Politics Live 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 14:00 Live: World Indoor 17:00 Tipping Point Championship Bowls 18:00 The Chase 18:00 Australian Open Tennis 19:00 ITV News London 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American Railroad 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale Journeys 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Jeremy Wade’s Mighty Trip Rivers 21:00 Mastermind 21:30 Coronation Street 21:30 Grand Tours of Scotland’s Lochs 22:00 Grantchester 22:00 The Victorian House of 23:00 ITV News at Ten Arts and Crafts 23:30 ITV News London 23:00 QI 23:45 The Keith & Paddy 23:30 Newsnight Picture Show

07:30 The King of Queens 08:45 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:10 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:40 Frasier 11:10 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:05 Undercover Boss USA: Celebrity Edition 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Sun, Sea and Selling Houses 14:05 Find It, Fix It, Flog It 15:10 Countdown 16:00 A Place in the Sun 17:00 The £100K Drop 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast 22:00 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 23:00 The Last Leg

SATURDAY 26th January

07:00 MILKSHAKE 10:15 Jeremy Vine 12:15 Bad Tenants, Rogue Landlords 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 14:10 Access 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Garage Sale Mystery: All That Glitters 17:00 Friends 17:30 Friends 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 Digging Up Britain’s Past 21:00 Celebrity 5 Go Camping 22:00 Cruising with Jane McDonald 23:00 Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story

07:20 The King of Queens 07:00 This Is BBC TWO 07:00 ITV Kids TV 08:00 All Over the Place 07:45 The King of Queens 10:25 ITV News 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 08:30 Wild & Weird 08:10 Everybody Loves 10:30 James Martin’s Saturday 12:30 Tom Kerridge’s Fresh 08:45 All Over the Workplace Raymond Morning 09:15 Show Me What You’re Start 09:05 Frasier Made Of 12:40 Ainsley’s Caribbean 13:00 Football Focus 09:35 Frasier 09:45 The Dog Ate My Kitchen Homework 10:05 The Big Bang Theory 14:00 BBC Weekend News 13:45 ITV Lunchtime News 10:15 Deadly on a Mission: 11:25 The Simpsons 14:15 Australian Open Tennis Pole to Pole 13:55 Jeremy Wade’s Mighty 12:55 Four in a Bed 10:45 Natural World Rivers 15:30 Bargain Hunt 15:25 A Place in the Sun: 11:45 Coast 14:30 Live: ITV Racing Live 16:15 Money for Nothing 12:45 The Diary of Anne Frank Winter Sun 17:00 Tipping Point 15:30 Live: World Indoor 17:00 Final Score 16:30 Sun, Sea and Brides 18:00 ITV Evening News Championship Bowls To Be 18:05 BBC Weekend News 17:30 Nature’s Epic Journeys 18:15 ITV News London 18:30 Back in Time for School 18:30 You’ve Been Framed! 17:30 Location, Location, 18:15 BBC London News Location 19:30 The Victorian House of 18:20 Live: Match of the Day 19:00 The Chase: Celebrity Arts and Crafts 18:35 The Secret Life of the 20:30 The Greatest Dancer Special 20:30 Chris Packham: In Zoo Search of the Lost Girl 20:00 Catchphrase 21:40 Casualty 19:30 Channel 4 News 21:30 Dad’s Army 21:00 The Voice UK 20:00 Spying on the Royals 22:30 Mrs Brown’s Boys 22:00 Antony Gormley: How 22:35 Through the Keyhole 21:00 Hidden Britain by Drone Art Began 23:00 BBC Weekend News 23:30 ITV News 23:15 Live at the Apollo 22:00 xXx: Return of Xander 23:20 Match of the Day 23:45 Bros: After the 23:45 Rocky Cage Screaming Stops

07:00 MILKSHAKE

07:00 Breakfast 09:40 Match of the Day 11:00 The Andrew Marr Show 12:00 Sunday Politics 12:30 The Big Questions 13:30 Homes Under the Hammer 14:00 BBC Weekend News 14:15 Songs of Praise 14:50 Porridge 15:20 Australian Open Tennis 16:50 Escape to the Country 17:20 Countryfile 18:20 BBC Weekend News 18:35 BBC London News 18:45 Live: Match of the Day 21:00 Call the Midwife 22:00 Les Misérables 23:00 BBC Weekend News 23:20 BBC London News 23:30 Match of the Day

07:00 MILKSHAKE 11:20 Access 11:25 Make You Laugh Out Loud 11:50 Friends 16:45 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 19:00 Inside the Chocolate Factory 20:00 Britain’s Favourite Sweets 21:55 5 News Weekend 22:00 Me Before You

07:00 Breakfast

SUNDAY 27th January

10:25 ITV News 07:00 This Is BBC TWO 07:25 The Man in the White 10:30 Parveen’s Indian Suit 08:50 Life in a Cottage Garden Kitchen with Carol Klein 11:30 This Morning 09:20 The Instant Gardener 12:30 Ainsley’s Caribbean 10:05 Countryfile 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Best Kitchen Bites 13:30 ITV Lunchtime News 12:30 Mary Berry Cooks 13:00 The Hairy Bikers’ 13:50 The Voice UK Northern Exposure 15:15 From Russia With Love 14:00 Food & Drink 14:30 Money for Nothing 17:30 ITV Evening News 15:30 Live: World Indoor 17:45 ITV News London Championship Bowls 18:15 Ski Sunday 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Natural World 20:00 The Five Billion Pound 19:00 Dancing on Ice Super Sewer 21:00 Vera 21:00 Dragons’ Den 23:00 ITV News 22:00 The Last Survivors 23:30 The Boy in the Striped 23:15 Caught on Camera Pyjamas

07:20 The King of Queens 07:45 The King of Queens 08:10 Everybody Loves Raymond 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:00 Frasier 09:30 Frasier 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Sunday Brunch 13:30 The Simpsons 14:00 The Simpsons 14:25 The Simpsons 14:55 The Simpsons 15:25 The Simpsons 15:50 Robots 17:35 How to Train Your Dragon 19:30 Channel 4 News 20:00 Escape to the Chateau 21:00 George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces 22:00 SAS: Who Dares Wins 23:00 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

07:00 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 07:20 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 08:10 Dress to Impress 09:00 Emmerdale 09:55 You’ve Been Framed! 10:25 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 11:20 Superstore 11:50 Superstore 12:15 Dress to Impress 13:15 Emmerdale 13:45 Emmerdale 14:15 You’ve Been Framed! 14:45 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:40 The Jeremy Kyle Show 16:45 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:55 Take Me Out 19:10 Take Me Out: The Gossip 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 21:30 Superstore 22:00 American Pie: Reunion

07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:25 Emmerdale Omnibus 10:00 Coronation Street Loud Omnibus 12:55 Catchphrase 11:45 Police Interceptors 14:00 Harry Hill’s Alien Fun 12:45 Close Encounters of the Capsule 14:30 Harry Hill’s Alien Fun Third Kind Capsule 14:55 You’ve Been 15:30 Happy Feet Framed! 17:35 The Proposal 15:55 Step Up 2 the Streets 19:40 Dogs Behaving (Very) 18:00 Hotel Transylvania 2 Badly 19:45 The Mummy 20:30 Digging Up Britain’s 22:00 Casino Past Royale 11:20 Make You Laugh Out

07:00 Coronation Street 07:25 Coronation Street 07:55 Heartbeat 08:55 Murder, She Wrote 10:00 Judge Judy 10:30 Judge Judy 10:55 Judge Judy 11:25 On the Buses 12:00 On the Buses 12:30 Rising Damp 13:05 George and Mildred 13:40 Heartbeat 14:45 Emmerdale 15:15 Emmerdale 15:50 Coronation Street 16:20 Coronation Street 16:50 Midsomer Murders 18:55 Heartbeat 20:00 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Doc Martin 22:00 Doc Martin 23:00 Unforgotten

07:00 Judge Judy 08:00 Rising Damp 09:00 George and Mildred 10:05 Death Becomes Her 12:05 Midsomer Murders 18:00 Endeavour 20:00 Midsomer Murders

21:25 5 News Weekend 21:30 The Great Fire Of London: Hour By Hour

07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:25 You’ve Been Framed! 07:50 Emmerdale Omnibus 10:30 Coronation Street Omnibus 13:25 Catchphrase 14:10 You’ve Been Framed! 15:10 Hotel Transylvania 2 17:00 Antz 18:45 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 22:00 The Ibiza Weekender 23:00 Family Guy

07:00 Rising Damp 07:50 George and Mildred 08:50 Heartbeat 10:55 Love Your Garden 11:55 The Great St Trinian’s Train Robbery 13:45 Midsomer Murders 17:55 Agatha Christie’s Poirot 19:00 Midsomer Murders 21:00 The Durrells 23:00 Birds of a Feather

www.weekendernews.com

MONDAY 28th January

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain: Holidays 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under 12:45 Caught Red Handed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:30 BBC London News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers’ Country Showdown 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Inside Out 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Panorama 22:00 Silent Witness 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:30 BBC London News 23:42 BBC Weather 23:45 Imagine..

07:15 Island Medics 07:00 Good Morning Britain 07:45 The Farmers’ Country 09:30 Lorraine Showdown 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 08:30 Tom Kerridge’s Fresh Start 11:30 This Morning 09:00 Great American 13:30 Loose Women Railroad Journeys 09:30 The Week in Parliament 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 10:00 BBC News at Nine 14:55 ITV News London 11:00 Victoria Derbyshire 15:00 Judge Rinder 12:00 BBC Newsroom Live 16:00 Tenable 13:15 Politics Live 14:00 A Very British Renaissance 17:00 Tipping Point 15:00 Who Do You Think You Are? 18:00 The Chase 16:00 A Place to Call Home 19:00 ITV News London 16:55 Nick Baker’s Wild West 19:30 ITV Evening News 17:25 Natural World 20:00 Emmerdale 18:15 Flog It! 20:30 Coronation Street 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American 21:00 The Martin Lewis Railroad Journeys Money Show 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 21:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Only Connect 22:00 Cold Feet 21:30 University Challenge 22:00 Inside Europe: Ten 23:00 ITV News at Ten Years of Turmoil 23:30 ITV News London 23:00 Two Doors Down 23:45 The Paras: Men of War 23:30 Newsnight

What’s

07:30 The King of Queens 08:45 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:10 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:40 Frasier 11:10 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:05 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Sun, Sea and Selling Houses 14:05 Find It, Fix It, Flog It 15:10 Countdown 16:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 17:00 The £100K Drop 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 How to Lose Weight Well 22:00 Steph & Dom: Can Cannabis Save Our Son? 23:00 999: What’s Your Emergency?

07:00 MILKSHAKE 10:15 Jeremy Vine 12:15 Bad Tenants, Rogue Landlords 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 14:10 Access 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Brace for Impact 17:00 Friends 17:30 Friends 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 World busiest train station 21:00 Traffic Cops 22:00 Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys 23:00 Raw Recruits: Squaddies at 16

Coach Trip

NEW SERIES: Hosts Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker reunite with their honest upbeat brand of satirical comedy as the UK begins the final countdown to Brexit. The trio are joined by comedian John Bishop for a comic review of the significant moments of the past seven days and, as usual, the hashtag £isitok paves the way for the gang to round up, examine and explain the leading and most entertaining and perplexing news stories.

NEW SERIES: Road to Barcelona New series. Tour leader Brendan Sheerin returns as 14 young Brits head off on an epic journey to the Spanish city of Barcelona, beginning on the Croatian coast.

TUESDAY 29th January

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain: Holidays 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under 12:45 Caught Red Handed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers’ Country Showdown 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Holby City 22:00 Silent Witness 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:30 BBC London News 23:42 BBC Weather 23:45 Danny Dyer’s Right Royal Family

07:00 Island Medics 07:00 Good Morning Britain 07:30 Wanted Down Under 09:30 Lorraine 08:15 The Farmers’ Country 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show Showdown 09:00 MasterChef: The 11:30 This Morning Professionals 13:30 Loose Women 10:00 BBC News at Nine 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 11:00 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC Newsroom Live 14:55 ITV News London 13:15 Politics Live 15:00 Judge Rinder 14:00 A Very British Renaissance 15:00 Who Do You Think You Are? 16:00 Tenable 16:00 A Place to Call Home 17:00 Tipping Point 16:50 Nick Baker’s Wild West 18:00 The Chase 17:25 Natural World 19:00 ITV News London 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 ITV Evening News 19:30 Great American Railroad 20:00 Emmerdale Journeys 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road 20:30 Britain’s Top 100 Dogs Trip Live 2019 21:00 Winterwatch 23:00 ITV News at Ten 22:00 Icons: The Greatest 23:30 ITV News London Person of the 20th Century 23:00 Mock the Week 23:45 Bradley Walsh & Son: 23:30 Newsnight Breaking Dad

07:00 Coronation Street 07:25 Coronation Street 07:55 Heartbeat 09:00 Murder, She Wrote 10:00 Judge Judy 10:30 Judge Judy 10:55 Judge Judy 11:25 On the Buses 12:00 On the Buses 12:30 Rising Damp 13:05 George and Mildred 13:40 Heartbeat 14:45 Emmerdale 15:15 Emmerdale 15:50 Coronation Street 16:20 Coronation Street 16:55 Midsomer Murders 18:55 Heartbeat 20:00 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Endeavour 23:00 Scott & Bailey

new this week

The Last Leg

Season 16 Episode 1 Ch4 11:00pm Fri 25th January

07:00 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 07:20 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 08:10 Dress to Impress 09:00 Emmerdale 09:25 Coronation Street 10:25 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 11:20 Superstore 12:15 Dress to Impress 13:15 Emmerdale 13:45 Coronation Street 14:45 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:40 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:55 Take Me Out 19:10 Take Me Out: The Gossip 19:55 You’ve Been Framed! 20:25 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 23:00 The Stand Up Sketch Show 23:30 Family Guy

Season 17 Episode 1 CH4 8:30 pm Mon 28th January

07:30 The King of Queens 08:45 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:40 Frasier 11:10 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:05 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Sun, Sea and Selling Houses 14:05 Find It, Fix It, Flog It 15:10 Countdown 16:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 17:00 The £100K Drop 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 The Secret Life of... 22:00 24 Hours in A&E 23:00 Catastrophe 23:35 Naked Attraction

07:00 The Planet’s Funniest 07:00 MILKSHAKE Animals 10:15 Jeremy Vine 07:20 Totally Bonkers 12:15 Bad Tenants, Rogue Guinness World Records Landlords 08:10 Dress to Impress 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 09:00 Emmerdale 13:15 GPs: Behind Closed 09:25 Coronation Street Doors 10:25 The Ellen DeGeneres 14:10 Access Show 14:15 Home and Away 11:20 Superstore 12:15 Dress to Impress 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Stalked by My Patient 13:15 Emmerdale 13:45 Coronation Street 17:00 Friends 14:45 The Ellen DeGeneres 17:30 Friends Show 18:00 5 News at 5 15:40 The Jeremy Kyle Show 18:30 Neighbours 17:55 Take Me Out 19:00 Home and Away 19:10 Take Me Out: The 19:30 5 News Tonight Gossip 20:00 The Hotel Inspector 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 21:00 Britain’s Parking Hell 22:00 Ben Fogle: New Lives in 21:30 Superstore 22:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA the Wild 23:00 Celebrity Juice 23:00 Supersized

07:00 Coronation Street 07:25 Coronation Street 07:55 Heartbeat 09:00 Murder, She Wrote 10:00 Judge Judy 10:30 Judge Judy 10:55 Judge Judy 11:25 On the Buses 12:00 On the Buses 12:35 Rising Damp 13:05 George and Mildred 13:40 Heartbeat 14:45 Emmerdale 15:15 Emmerdale 15:50 Coronation Street 16:20 Coronation Street 16:55 Midsomer Murders 19:00 Heartbeat 20:00 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Midsomer Murders 23:00 DCI Banks

Facebook: @TheWeekenderSpain

WEDNESDAY 30th January

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain: Holidays 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under 12:45 Caught Red Handed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:30 BBC London News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers’ Country Showdown 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 21:00 The Truth About... 22:00 Danny Dyer’s Right Royal Family 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:30 BBC London News 23:42 BBC Weather 23:45 Match of the Day

07:00 Heir Hunters 07:00 Good Morning Britain 07:30 The King of Queens 07:30 Wanted Down Under 07:55 The King of Queens 09:30 Lorraine 08:15 The Farmers’ Country 08:20 The King of Queens 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show Showdown 08:45 Everybody Loves 11:30 This Morning 09:00 See Hear Raymond 09:30 Great British Menu 13:30 Loose Women 09:40 Frasier 10:00 BBC News at Nine 11:10 Ramsay’s Kitchen 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 11:00 Victoria Derbyshire Nightmares USA 14:55 ITV News London 12:00 BBC Newsroom Live 12:05 Undercover Boss USA 15:00 Judge Rinder 12:15 Politics Live 13:00 Channel 4 News 14:00 A Very British 16:00 Tenable 13:05 Sun, Sea and Selling Renaissance Houses 17:00 Tipping Point 15:00 Who Do You Think You Are? 14:05 Find It, Fix It, Flog It 18:00 The Chase 16:00 A Place to Call Home 15:10 Countdown 16:50 Nick Baker’s Wild West 19:00 ITV News London 16:00 A Place in the Sun: 17:20 Natural World 19:30 ITV Evening News Winter Sun 18:15 Flog It! 17:00 The £100K Drop 20:00 Emmerdale 19:00 Eggheads 18:00 Come Dine with Me 20:30 Coronation Street 19:30 Great American Railroad 19:00 The Simpsons Journeys 21:00 Britain’s Brightest Family 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 21:30 Coronation Street 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Tom Kerridge’s Fresh Start 21:00 Kirstie and Phil’s Love 22:00 Cleaning Up 21:30 The Twinstitute It or List It 23:00 ITV News at Ten 22:00 Winterwatch 22:00 The Undateables 23:00 Insert Name Here 23:30 ITV News London 23:00 Pure 23:30 Newsnight 23:45 Peston 23:45 24 Hours in A&E

07:00 The Planet’s Funniest 07:00 MILKSHAKE Animals 10:15 Jeremy Vine 07:20 Totally Bonkers 12:15 Bad Tenants, Rogue Guinness World Records Landlords 08:10 Dress to Impress 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 09:00 Emmerdale 13:15 GPs: Behind Closed 09:25 You’ve Been Framed! Doors 10:25 The Ellen DeGeneres 14:10 Access Show 14:15 Home and Away 11:20 Superstore 14:45 Neighbours 12:15 Dress to Impress 15:15 A Father’s Denial 13:15 Emmerdale 17:00 Friends 13:45 You’ve Been Framed! 17:30 Friends 14:45 The Ellen DeGeneres 18:00 5 News at 5 Show 18:30 Neighbours 15:40 The Jeremy Kyle Show 19:00 Home and Away 17:55 Take Me Out 19:30 5 News Tonight 19:10 Take Me Out: The 20:00 Traffic Cops 21:00 GPs: Behind Closed Doors Gossip 21:30 When Demolitions Go 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 20:30 You’ve Been Framed! Wrong 21:00 Two and a Half Men 22:00 Red Arrows: Kings of 21:30 Superstore the Sky 23:00 Fred & Rose: House of 22:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA 23:00 Celebrity Juice Horrors

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain: Holidays 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under 12:45 Caught Red Handed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:30 BBC London News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers’ Country Showdown 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Would I Lie to You? 21:30 EastEnders 22:00 Death in Paradise 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:30 BBC London News 23:42 BBC Weather 23:45 Question Time

07:00 Heir Hunters 07:00 Good Morning Britain 07:30 The King of Queens 07:30 Wanted Down Under 08:45 Everybody Loves 09:30 Lorraine 08:15 The Farmers’ Country 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show Raymond Showdown 09:40 Frasier 11:30 This Morning 09:00 MasterChef 11:10 Ramsay’s Kitchen 13:30 Loose Women 10:00 BBC News at Nine Nightmares USA 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 11:00 Victoria Derbyshire 12:05 Undercover Boss USA 14:55 ITV News London 12:00 BBC Newsroom Live 13:00 Channel 4 News 15:00 Judge Rinder 13:15 Politics Live 13:05 Sun, Sea and Selling 16:00 Tenable 14:00 Coast Houses 17:00 Tipping Point 15:00 Built in Britain 14:05 Find It, Fix It, Flog It 18:00 The Chase 16:00 A Place to Call Home 15:10 Countdown 16:45 The Wonder of Animals 19:00 ITV News London 17:15 Natural World 16:00 A Place in the Sun: 19:30 ITV Evening News 18:15 Flog It! Winter Sun 20:00 Emmerdale 19:00 Eggheads 17:00 The £100K Drop 20:30 Tonight 19:30 Great American 18:00 Come Dine with Me 21:00 Emmerdale Railroad Journeys 21:30 The Cruise: Shanghai to 19:00 The Simpsons 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road 19:30 Hollyoaks Sydney Trip 20:00 Channel 4 News 22:00 Fred and Rose West: 21:00 Winterwatch 21:00 The Secret Life of the The Real Story with Trevor 22:00 Hospital Zoo McDonald 23:00 Better Things 22:00 Hunted 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:25 Romesh: Talking to 23:00 Flirty Dancing Comedians 23:30 ITV News London 23:30 Newsnight 23:55 The Undateables 23:45 Grantchester

07:00 The Planet’s Funniest 07:00 MILKSHAKE Animals 10:15 Jeremy Vine 07:20 Totally Bonkers 12:15 Bad Tenants, Rogue Guinness World Records Landlords 07:45 Totally Bonkers 13:10 5 News Lunchtime Guinness World Records 13:15 GPs: Behind Closed 08:10 Dress to Impress Doors 09:00 Emmerdale 14:10 Access 09:25 Coronation Street 10:25 The Ellen DeGeneres 14:15 Home and Away Show 14:45 Neighbours 11:20 Superstore 15:15 Fatal Defense 11:50 Superstore 17:00 Friends 12:15 Dress to Impress 17:30 Friends 13:15 Emmerdale 18:00 5 News at 5 13:45 Coronation Street 18:30 Neighbours 14:45 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 19:00 Home and Away 15:40 The Jeremy Kyle Show 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 The Dog Rescuers: Best 16:45 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:55 Take Me Out in Show 19:10 Take Me Out: The 21:00 Bargain Loving Brits in Gossip the Sun 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 22:00 All Inclusive Holiday: Is 21:00 Two and a Half Men It Worth It? 21:30 Superstore 23:00 Bad Girls Behind Bars 22:00 Casino Royale

07:00 Coronation Street 07:25 Coronation Street 07:55 Heartbeat 09:00 Murder, She Wrote 10:00 Judge Judy 10:30 Judge Judy 10:55 Judge Judy 11:25 On the Buses 12:00 On the Buses 12:35 Rising Damp 13:05 George and Mildred 13:40 Heartbeat 14:45 Emmerdale 15:15 Emmerdale 15:50 Coronation Street 16:20 Coronation Street 16:55 Midsomer Murders 18:55 Heartbeat 20:00 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Vera 23:00 Law & Order: UK

THURSDAY 31st January

our

Top

movies

this

week

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find CH4 12:45pm Sat 26th January 7.7 Them(2016) ITV2 8:25pm Sun 28th January 7.3 /10

Electric company lineman and family man Roy Neary and single mother Jillian Guiler experience some paranormal activity before seeing flashes of bright lights in the sky, which they believe to be a UFO. Roy becomes obsessed with what he saw, unlike some others, especially in some form of authority, who refuse to acknowledge their belief that it was a UFO in not wanting to appear crazy. That obsession both for Roy and Jillian is ratcheted up a notch when they begin to have a vision of a mound with vertical striations on its side as a key to what is going on.

/10

Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the whole gang are back in a heartwarming story. A new girl with red hair moves in across the street, and Charlie Brown falls in love. Now he tries to impress the Little Red-Haired Girl but Charlie Brown just can’t do anything right. At the same time, Snoopy is writing a love story about his continuing battles with The Red Baron. Then Charlie Brown has accomplished something never done before. He gets a perfect score on his standardized test, but there has been a mistake. Should he tell the truth?

ry 2019

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Relax

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

1/24/2019

Across

1 Beef team gets medal for second place (10) 7 Produce fresh green tea (8) 8 Sound your horn both ways (4) 9 Repeated sound from the choir (4) 10 Pattern for the Ulster doctor? (7) 12 Is pate smeared with curds when they are thrown? (7,4) Daily Cryptic: January 14 Nuclear submarine I’d24put in river2019 (7) Michael 16 Enclosures forCurl female swans (4) Contentof ©a Michael Curl 19 Part ofPuzzle the foliage maple, a fir, etc. (4) 20 Deals making profits for the landlord? (8) A free daily cryptic crossword 21 Now’s the time for giving (7,3)that's not too difﬁcult - just

right for solving in your coffee break. It is also an ideal cryptic crossword for beginners to tackle.

Down

1 In restaurants we demand some veg (5) ACROSS 2 Blood-suckers left runny cheese (7) 14 15 Beef spouse team gets for(4) 3 Test for1former in themedal morning 4 Attendants - we dart about second place (10)in ship (8) 5 Bird finally consumed small fruit (5) 7 Produce fresh green 6 They pose remarkably seldom (6) tea (8) 8 Sound 11 Can new basin beyour pot? horn (8) both ways (4) 19 12 Rush into a profession (6) from the choir 9 Repeated sound 13 Country where one caught antelope (7) (4) 15 Put off being freed, perhaps (5) 10 star Pattern the Ulster 17 Cheerful going for to New York (5)doctor? 21 18 Bird that’s (7) new coming up over river (4) 12 Is pate smeared with curds Drop Quotes when they are thrown? (7,4) 14 Nuclear submarine I'd put in Source: Andre Gide river (7) O S E T 16 Enclosures Drop Quotes are similarfor to female crypto-swans T S O O R N U (4)that the goal is for the solver grams, in 19 aPart of the foliage of a maple, aE H O O C O N T I to uncover hidden quote. A blackand-white grid is set fir, crossword-style etc. (4) up for each quote,making with a number of the T I M N M E S F F 20 Deals profits for letters “hovering” above each column. landlord? (8) each of those Your task is to “drop” 21 the Now's the time square for giving letters into appropriate in (7,3) each column, DOWN until the entire quote is revealed.1 All punctuationwe (commas, In restaurants demandpesome riods, dashes, etc.) has been removed. veg (5) Good luck! 2 Blood-suckers left runny cheese (7) 3 Test for former spouse in the morning (4) 4 Attendants - we dart about in 1 ship (8) 2 3 4 5 6 5 Bird finally consumed small fruit (5) 7 6 They pose remarkably seldom (6) 11 Can new basin be pot? (8) 12 Rush into a profession (6) 8 9 Country where one caught 13 (7) antelope 15 Put off being freed, perhaps (5) star going to New 17 Cheerful 10 11 York (5) 12 18 Bird that's new coming up over river (4) 13

Drop Quotes

Aries

21st Mar – 20th Apr The Chariot Everything to do with travel this week is very positive so if you have been putting off a trip now is the time to get on and do it. There will be a choice of two destinations later in the week whichever you take you’ll find there’s a Spiritual moment there, a personal message. Lucky Number 13

Tarus

Puzzle #H623XM

D U N

N R

O E

A O

21st Apr – 21st May Ten of Wands A very busy week this week, you need to reorganise a few things to fit everything in you want to do. A moment of forgetting will cost you personally write everything down to avoid this happening. New ideas are slow starting this week too much to do for you and yours. Lucky Number 32

Gemini

22nd May – 21th June Six of Coins Everyone seems to want a bit of you this week you need to say no a little more often and do your own thing. A friend will ask for a loan however sort yourself first before you even entertain this or you may find yourself regretting helping them. Tuesday will be lucky. Lucky Number 33

Across 7 Medium-dry sherry (11) 8 Third sign of the zodiac (6) 9 Riches (6) 10 Immediately (2,4) 12 London rail terminus (6) 13 Female in religious order (3) 14 Protective headgear (6) 16 Bicycle for two (6) 18 Old Greek city (6) 20 Horizontally (6) 22 The nobility (11)

Down

1 Palm fruit (4) 2 Movement (6) 3 Loud and grating (8) Copyright © Puzzle Baron January 24, 2019 - Go to www.Printable-Puzzles.com for Hints and Solutions! 4 Defect (4) 21 5 Channel port (6) 6 Defer (8) 11 Actor (8) 12 Way in (8) 15 Space at edge of page (6) 17 Scandinavian country (6) 19 Gaming stake (4) 21 Inflamed swelling on eyelid (4)

QUICK CROSSWORD

Cancer

22nd June – 22nd July Ace of Wands Work is your keyword this week, and more of it is coming your way, you must have been doing something right as work and finances are looking good. There will be some unusual news from abroad and you will find yourself not really knowing what actions to take. Lucky Number 27

Leo

23rd July – 22nd Aug Seven of Wands Take your shoes off and put those slippers on, relax and give yourself time to think about all you have to achieve this week, others can be quite demanding at the beginning of this week and you will need to use all your tact and diplomacy to avoid others getting upset. Lucky Number 05

Virgo

23rd Aug– 22nd Sept Four of Coins Time now to allow that creative side of your personality to shine out, colours will be most important with this. There will be invitations to boost your social life too, 1/1 an interesting week if you allow these things to manifest, go with them. Self belief is something you need. Lucky Number 19

Libra

23rd Sept – 22nd Oct Six of Cups If you can allow things to unfold without thinking too much about them this week you will find it a surprisingly great week. A small gift from a younger person will help the week go well, there have been disappointments recently but the future is now looking much brighter. Lucky Number 21

Scorpio

23rd Oct – 21st Nov Eight of Swords Why are you holding yourself back you know now is the time to push forward and get rid of the rubbish from your life, this could also include some of the people around you that are also holding you back. A week for making a clean sweep, getting yourself back on track. Lucky Number 33

Sagittarius

22nd Nov – 20th Dec The Tower A wonderful card to describe a week of positive changes, physical and mental, you will see yourself finding new patterns within your life, helping you to feel much more freedom and love within your circle. An interview will go really well even though you are feeling nervous. Lucky Number 14

Capricorn

21st Dec – 19th Jan The Wheel of Fortune Seems as though you are half way through some project now is a good time to finish off those project started. A time of endings and new beginnings new adventures ahead. Take time out Wednesday to relax as the rest of your week will be so very busy. Enjoy this time. Lucky Number 36

Aquarius

20th Jan – 19th Feb The Fool This card talks to you of making those decisions you have put off maybe because you cannot see the outcome, take yourself off to a quiet time and listen to your soft inner voice and you will hear the answers you are seeking. Thursday is a good energy day to do this. Lucky number 10

Pisces

20th Feb – 20th Mar Seven of Swords This is a time to keep your own council and not be too trusting of those around you there are those around at the moment who will take your ideas as their own. Children will be, as ever, totally honest and you will find new happy memories created this week from them. Lucky Number 22

Star 0001-Solution 1/24/2019 1

1/24/2019

V E R S X

G E N E R A T E 9

E C H O E

D E A

1 7

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NACROSSS C 16 17 E N7 Medium-dry T P sherry E N(11)S 8 Third18sign of the zodiac (6) A9 Riches W (6) L U 20 10 Immediately (2,4) B12 ALondon R rail G terminus A I (6) N S order I13 Female E in religious N N (3) 14 Protective headgear (6) E S16 EBicycle N for T two D (6)A Y 18 Old Greek city (6) 20 Horizontally (6) 22 The nobility (11) DOWN 1 Palm fruit (4) 2 Movement (6) 3 Loud and grating (8) 4 Defect (4) 5 Channel port (6) 6 Defer (8) 11 Actor (8) 12 Way in (8) 15 Space at edge of page (6) 17 Scandinavian country (6) 19 Gaming stake (4) 21 Inﬂamed swelling on eyelid (4)

A free daily cryptic crossword that's not too difﬁcult - just right for solving in your coffee break. It is also an ideal cryptic crossword for beginners to tackle.

ACROSS 1 Beef team gets medal for second place (10) 7 Produce fresh green tea (8) 8 Sound your horn both ways (4) 9 Repeated sound from the choir (4) 10 Pattern for the Ulster doctor? (7) 12 Is pate smeared with curds when they are thrown? (7,4) 14 Nuclear submarine I'd put in river (7) 16 Enclosures for female swans (4) 19 Part of the foliage of a maple, a fir, etc. (4) 20 Deals making profits for the landlord? (8) 21 Now's the time for giving (7,3) DOWN 1 In restaurants we demand some veg (5) 2 Blood-suckers left runny cheese (7) 3 Test for former spouse in the morning (4) 4 Attendants - we dart about in ship (8) 5 Bird finally consumed small fruit (5) 6 They pose remarkably seldom (6) 11 Can new basin be pot? (8) 12 Rush into a profession (6) 13 Country where one caught antelope (7) 15 Put off being freed, perhaps (5) 17 Cheerful star going to New York (5) 18 Bird that's new coming up over river (4)

A M O N T I

G E M

F L

CODEWORD

H E

P S

T H

E U S T O N

N U N

L M E T A

A R

W E A

A T O N C E H

T A N D E M

S P A R T A

5 7

2 7 1 4

2 4

1 4 7

5 Stardoku

For a complete explanation on how this puzzle was solved visit “The most decisive actions of our life are, more often than not, unconsidered. “ www.hexaliagames.com

A D O

7 3

8 CROSSWORD 9 CRYPTIC

A C R O S S

S T O C R A C Y E

QUICK CROSSWORD

Rated: Medium

Rated: Super Difficult!

DROP QUOTE

Puzzle Solutions Presented by Puzzle Baron

Sudoku Puzzle #T215TM

Presented by Puzzle Baron

Sudoku Puzzle #L177QU

8 1

2 4 8

Rated: Easy

1 9

6 Sudoku Puzzle #T215TM 8

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3 7

2 9 6

Rated: Medium

Sudoku Puzzle #Z673ZW2 7

5 9

3 3

Rated: Challenging

Presented by Puzzle

Sudoku Puzzle #

Medium

Easy

Presented by Puzzle Baron

Sudoku

Hard

1/1

52 3

* Note that each1 white hexagon belongs to a line of 7 that must contain each of the numbers between 1 and 7.

ABCDEFGHIJKLM BP CQ DR EF KX LM NAO SG TH U IVJW YZ NOPQRSTUVWXYZ

5 6

4 5 1

2 9

Rated: Easy

6 4

1 8 5

Presented by Puzzle Baron

Sudoku Puzzle #Z673ZW

1. No number is repeated in a horizontal row 2. Each number from 1 to 7 are represented in the 7 grey coloured hexagon cells. 2 3 4 A Rosetta is made up of a 7 6 centre coloured hexagon Example encircled by 6 white hexagons. To complete the puzzle, fill in all 7 Rosettas with each number between 1 and 7 in no particular order while also ensuring that :

ta Roset ROSETTA

1. No numbers in a horizontal line can be repeated. 2. No numbers in a diagonal line can be repeated. 3. No numbers in the 7 gray hexagons can be repeated. To complete the puzzle fill in each of the empty hexagon cells with numbers between 1 & 7 following the 3 rules below;

STAR PUZZLE *

STAR PUZZLE Easy Puzzle Star Star 0001-Grid_E1

Rose_0012_M1

Medium

24 January 19

CODEWORDS

Relax

Daily Codeword Daily Codeword 24 January 19

1/24/2019

Daily Codewords

Andy Mansell’s

Stars In

friday 6TH juLY 2018

Chris Evans returns to the airwaves

Chris Evans has returned to the airwaves for his first breakfast show on Virgin Radio again! The 52-year-old told his listeners: “It’s so great to be back at Virgin and I have to say it’s a real treat. I feel blessed and we couldn’t be more grateful.”- with James Corden saying he felt “incredibly homesick” while listening to the show. Evans left the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show in

December after eight years show with Virgin in October 1997, he left bosses at the helm, with Zoe Ball panicking after arriving just taking over. five minutes before he was Evans’ will return to due to go on air. Virgin which funny enough Monday’s debut was a lot he used to own, comes 18 smoother - but in a break years after he was sacked by the station for “breach of with tradition, Evans kicked off the programme with a contract”. Although he had claimed live performance by The he was unwell, he had been Verve’s Richard Ashcroft, spotted drinking in multiple who performed the band’s 1997 hit Lucky Man. pubs with his then wife He quipped: “That’s Billie Piper. actually the opposite of the On his first breakfast

dream I have been having.” A sponsorship deal from Sky means that the show will be broadcast without advert breaks, mimicking the listening experience on the BBC. It will air on weekdays between 6.30am and 10am.

Chris Evans returns to Virgin Radio which he once owned

Ant and Dec Reunite

Ant and Dec take to Twitter to announce their return as a duo again. Ant McPartlin has rejoined Declan Donnellyand is officially back to work for the first day of Britain’s Got Talent. Ant was arrested for drink-driving in March, where he crashed his Mini into two vehicles and was later confirmed to be twice over the legal alcohol limit, and resigned from all remaining TV duties in 2018 while he looked to get himself back on track and went for rehab treatment.

On the first day back Ant and Dec took to Twitter and posted a photo together along with a quick message. “#BGT 2019 Auditions day1. The boys are back in town!” Ants personal life has also been rocked by his recent struggles , Ant also split with wife of 11 years, Lisa Appleton, who was working as a make-up artist on BTG since the show began however she has since been dumped from Britain’s Got Talent.

n My Eyes

friday 8th june 2018

‘miracle’ Carrie Underwood welcomes Fisher baby boy with husband Mike Carrie Underwood has given birth to her second son, Bryan Fisher, and has said she feels ‘truly blessed’ by her new arrival. The country star and her Carrie Underwood husband Mike shares photo of confirmed the husband Mike with their arrival of their new baby newborn on several family snaps of Instagram on the couple with baby Jacob after his Monday, with Carrie writing: ‘Jacob birth. Sources told People magazine, Bryan Fisher entered the world in Carrie and ex ice hockey pro Mike the wee hours of the morning on are ‘overjoyed with their healthy Monday… ‘His mom, dad and big baby’ after the couple suffered three brother couldn’t be happier for God miscarriages in the last two years. to trust them with taking care of this Mike touched on their previous little miracle! ‘Our hearts are full, heartache as he introduced baby our eyes are tired and our lives are Jacob on social media, saying: ‘Jacob forever changed. Life is good…’ Bryan Fisher! You are a gift from our Carrie, who has said pregnancy was Lord! ‘The last few years has had its harder second time round, gave fans challenges and it makes this moment a first look at her newborn by sharing even more sweet.

After the Spice girls announced their reunion tour without POSH SPICE, Victoria Beckham has expressed shes gonna feel left out! FOMO (the popular abbriveiation for - Fear of Missing Out) can effect anyone even those big celebs! Scary, Sporty, Baby and Ginger Spice will head out on tour, kicking things off at Manchester’s Etihad stadium on 1 June, before ending this at Wembley Stadium, on 15 June.

Taylor Swift confirms she’s taking on role of ie v o m ts a C in a in r lu a b Bom So what can we expect from the young actress? Well according to idris Elba, good things! Speaking earlier this month he said. ‘Taylor and I have known each other for a couple of years and we’re cool you know. She’s a good girl; she’s a great artist and she’s got a really great Taylor will star heart,’ he said. ‘I’m s alongside Idri ited to work Elba, James Corden, so exc in this film her with Ian , son Jennifer Hud ng to be goi ’s she McKellen and Rebel g.’ azin am Wilson

Taylor Swift will be taking a role int he upcioming CATS movie. She confirmed her role with an adorable selfie, taking a pose next to a sign with her characters name ´Bombbalurina´with just the caption “Meow”

Adorable Taylor confirms her role as Bombalurina

O M O F s t e g e Posh Spic

But despite always being opposed to getting back on stage, Posh Spice admits she’ll have a bit of FOMO when the girls take to the stage at Wembley Stadium. Victoria has confessed that while it was in no way difficult to opt out of the reunion, she will feel a bit ‘left out’ when she watches the concerts. Victoria is adamant she’s steering clear. When asked by The Guardian if she’d join the girls via a cameo or a hologram, the mum of four said: ‘No. Definitely not.’ Booooo. Victoria went on to say ‘I’m sure when I’m there and they are on stage, there will be a part of me that feels a bit left out. Because even after all this, a part of me will always be a Spice Girl. Well, as they say, friend ship never ends.!

Victoria is sitting out the Spice Girls reunion tour

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Marina Alta Golf Society Pego Golf Society We all played today in glorious weather, some players even wearing shorts! We were playing for The Pego Cup and we welcomed three guests, Ann & Chris Riley and Jim Hayward. The results were as follows: Winner Bill Pike with a great score of net 65 playing off 18.6 2nd Martin Gates with net 68 playing off 7.0 (Also lowest gross score, brilliant), 3rd Derek Lindley

With player numbers slowly increasing as members return from their travels, the Marina Alta Golf Society’s game at Oliva Nova on Monday 21st January 2019 got off to a good start with 14 playerspresent and in slightly colder conditions from the previous week’s game. However, things soon warmed up as the members got into the swing of the game so to speak and some good scores were evident when the members cards were checked back at the club house, 8 out of the 14 cards had 30 points or over. Are these guys ( and girls ) good or what. As with the games over the last few weeks,it seems that the prizes are being won by just a few players.

Is it luck, skill,knowledge of the course or a good mixture of all. Watch this space to see how they make out in next week’s game In first place and playing off a 24 handicap was Andrew Brown with a whopping 40 points. Second place went to our Captain Tony Stevens who playing off a 36 handicap turned in a very respectable 37 points. Not bad for an old timer. In third place and of late one of the usual winners was Peter Gardiner. He was playing off a 22 handicap and scored 36 points. Well done to all three who should see their handicaps drop a little for the next game. There were no 2’s recorded today. However, not content

with net 69 playing off 13.7, 4th Celia Cronin with net 71 playing off 17.1, 5th Shaun O’Gorman with net 72 points playing off 5.4, 6th Mike Holloway with net 72 points playing off 14.7 Nearest the pins on hole 5, second shot was Mick Connolly with 2m60 and on hole 16 Malcolm Cannon with 3m80. There were four 2’s today, Bill Pike, Simon Fox, Peter Rapley and Martin Gates.

The number of balls in the water was 105 (l guessed104!) and was correctly guessed by Angus Muir. Next week, Tuesday 30th is a Singles Stableford competition, guests and any potential new members are welcome subject to Handicap, contact pegohandicapsec@ gmail.com “I have a tip that can take five strokes off anyone’s game: It’s called an eraser” Arnold Palmer.

with one prize, Andrew Brown also won NTP on hole 3 and then to rub saltin, took the prize for NTP in two shots on hole 18. Well done to all players. The Marina Alta Golf Society plays every Monday at the Oliva Nova course. If you want to join this friendly group of golfers as a guest then a warm welcome will be waiting for you.But be warned, it’s unlikely that you will pick up any prize the way some of the members have been scoring over the last few games. Anyone interested please contact Denis McVeigh at mcveigh1@hotmail.com or call tel 638401170 or Alan Tissington at alantissington@gmail.com or call tel 656831893.

ALFAZ FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE

After last week’s slowing down, the Premier League was back with a bang, supplying the Alfaz Fantasy Football League with a shed load of goals. Altogether the 1 Monday Night game, 2 F.A.Cup Replays and a full Premier League at the weekend gave the A.F.F.L. 44 goals, 6 clean sheets, 30 yellow cards, and 2 red ones. Wolves defender Wily Boly and Liverpool’s utility Player James Milner were the Players who went for an early bath. There was also 4 own goals 2 of them from Wolves defender Conar Coady. the other two from Everton’s Lucas Digne and Spur’s Fernando Llorente. John’s team Wee Aggies lead at the top of the A.F.F.L. as slowly been ebbing away, Andrew’s team Ballers who have now closed the gap to 37 points when at one time the Wee Aggies were running away with a 70 point advantage

over the rest. His team may suffer now that Spur’s Harry Kane is out for a while injured. Mind you there is also another 100 Fantasy Managers in the same boat! Adam’s Equipo Sin Hombre have slipped down to 3rd and are level on points with Barbra’s XI. At the other end of the Table, Gary’s Upside Team fell further behind Liz’s Cookies Crew, the distance now a massive 54 points. Our Mark Carter Ladies Section is turning into a real battle at the top with Linda’s Team Tapas moving to within 1 point of the Leaders Barbra’s XI. Pauline’s Vodka Army have gone A.W.O.L. and have slipped out of the reckoning for the time being but I’m sure they will be back. Down in the basement, Liz’s Cookies Crew has been bottom for the last 2 weeks after taking over from Kim’s Ginger United who is now 17 points above them.

Ollie’s team Olly F.C. are enjoying a good spell at the top of our Junior League. They reached the Summit 4 weeks ago and they have been steadily building a substantial lead over Harley’s Ginger Ninjar, at the moment 12 points is the difference. At the opposite end of the Table, Fleetwood Gian is showing signs of recovery and have managed to close the gap on Tom’s Real City to only 11 points. The goals again were flowing last week which gave our Across the Costa’s Golden Boot League an average score of 15 points Bill’s East Fifers stretched their lead at the top over Grahem’s Lloris and Gromit to a comfortable 34 points. Top scoring team in this Section was Lee’s Athletico Higgo with a tally of 50 points courtesy of Wolves Hat-Trick Star Diogo Jota who bagged 21 points of them. Liz’s Cookies Crew 61 are still bot-

tom of this Section despite scoring 20 points this week, They made up ground on Dave’s team The Hatters to only 6 points. Jimmy’s team Nick’s Blues had the lowest score last week with a Zero to his name. This week he has got the highest score of 80 points which means he will go into our Monthly Wine Draw for the 2nd week running. His team is an all Manchester City Line-Up which meant he had double points going in this week. Two other teams will join him in the draw and they are our lowest scoring teams, Kris’s Death Row United and Steve’s Two Can Vam Dam who only manages to score 4 points each. Pauline’s Vodka Army are still camped out at the top of our Champion of Champions League with a 37 point advantage over Joe’s team Keith Lard F.C. while at the other end Dave’s team The Hatters are

still lagging behind Mick’s Walkden Town Res by 63 points. Manager of the Month for January has been kindly sponsored by Mona’s Restaurant in Albir who provide excellent food in very pleasant surroundings. With one week left to go Hup Hannah City have taken a crucial 6 point lead over Linda’s Team Tapas. Guns N’ Moses and Lloris Gromit are also in contention for this super meal for 2 at the classy Mona’s Restaurant. Dave’s team The Hatters still lead our F.A.Cup League after the Mid-Week Replays. Cookie’s Crew jumped up 4 places to 2nd and are only 8 away from the Summit. Dani’s Top of the Klopps is still at the bottom 1 behind M.A,K, Forever. This week the 4th Round of the F.A.Cup takes place so watch out for plenty of changes by logging onto our brilliant website.

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Sport

Tiger claims award

Tiger Woods’ return from spinal-fusion surgery in 2017, which culminated with his first PGA Tour victory in five years at the Tour Championship last September, earned him the Golf Writers’ Association of America’s Ben Hogan

by Alex Trelinski

Award this week. The accolade is given to a player who has overcome a physical handicap or serious injury to remain active in golf. “I’m grateful to receive

an award named after Mr. Hogan and to join a group of truly inspirational individuals,” Woods said in a statement. “I feel very fortunate that I was able to return to a normal life with my kids, and I understand what a privilege

it is to play competitive golf again. I would like to thank the fans for their unwavering support and the GWAA for this honour.” Woods returns to action for the first time in 2019 at this weekend´s Farmers Insurance Open.

Ronnie Trumped

Judd Trump said he was “sick of losing and watching other players win” after he beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-4 to claim his first Masters title on Sunday. The 29-year-old won only his second Triple Crown event at Alexandra Palace, to add to the 2011 UK Championship. “I’ve tried to be more mature and my mindset is a lot different now,” Trump told the BBC Sport.

by Neil Mortimer

“It has sunk into my head that I want to be winning four or five tournaments a season.” “I was getting sick of losing and watching other players winning all the titles on TV,” said Trump. “The likes of Mark Selby consistently staying at world number one, Mark Williams coming back to form and winning the World Championship and obviously Ronnie O’Sullivan.”

Pitch perfect

Torry´s woes continue CD Torrevieja´s slide towards towards the Primera Regional continued, as the strugglers were beaten three-nil at home by Villajoyosa(pictured in dark red), who have hit a rich vein of form. Torry remain second-bottom in Preferente Group Four, whilst Villajoyosa lie fifth, and three points off the top three play-off slots. They now entertain CD Thader who drew their local clash, two-two, with CD Horadada, whilst Torrevieja make the short journey to Redovan. At the top, leaders CF Intercity won three-one against struggling Aspe; Hercules dis-

by Alex Trelinski

posed of Benferri, two-nil; and third-placed CD Almoradi got their expected three points in a five-nil victory over bottom side Villena. The big match sees Intercity play Hercules on Sunday, whilst Almoradi face a tricky trip to UD Horadada, who have slowly climbed the table of late. Third-bottom Benidorm CD entertain Alicante University after getting a credible goalless draw at Callosa, whilst at the other end of the table, fourthplaced CFI Alicante, fresh from beating Redovan three-nil, go to Elche to play UD Ilicitana.

Work has started on replacing replacing the artificial turf on two football fields in Torrevieja, in what the council claims is ”the largest investment in sports facilities since 2010”. The artificial surfaces on the Esteban Rosado and Grabriel Samper sites are being ripped up, whilst the athletics track is also going to be refurbished. Work will take up to four months at a cost of over 600 thousand euros, with groups

by Alex Trelinski

able to use the Vicente Garcia stadium for training, whilst the artificial turf replacement work will be done in a way that one pitch will always be available for use. “We have planned the project in a way to minimise disruption and to make sure that users will continue to have access to pitches”, said Torrevieja´s sports councillor, Víctor Ferrández.

Sport

6 Nations - Starts Friday 1st February

Golf

Premiership Football

Friday 25th January Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2019 Sky Sports Golf 08:30 Farmers Insurance Open 2019 Sky Sports Golf 21:00

Saturday 26th January Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2019 Sky Sports Golf / Main Event 09:30 Farmers Insurance Open 2019 Sky Sports Golf 19:00

Sunday 27th Januray Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2019 Sky Sports Golf 09:45 Farmers Insurance Open 2019 Sky Sports Golf 19:00

Spanish Football Saturday 26th January Sevilla v Levante Eleven Sports 1 - 13:00

Sunday 27th January Girona v Barcelona Eleven Sports 1 - 16:15

Tuesday 29th January Arsenal v Cardiff City - 20:45 Fulham v Brighton -20:45 Wolves v West Ham - 20:45 Huddersfield v Everton - 20:45 Newcastle v Man City - 21:00 Man United v Burnley - 21:00

Wednedayday 30th January Southampton v Crystal Palace - 20:45 Bournemouth v Chelsea - 20:45 Liverpool v Leicester - 21:00 Tottenham v Watford - 21:00

Tennis

Friday 25th January

Australian Open 2019 Eurosport 2 04:00 - 09:00 Eurosport 1 05:00 - 12:30

Saturday 26th January Australian Open 2019 Eurosport 1 02:00 - 07:00

Sunday 27th January Australian Open 2019 Eurosport 1 00:00 - 11:00

FA CUP

Scottish football

Arsenal v Man Utd BBC 1 - 20:55

Friday 25th January

Friday 25th January Saturday 26th January

Accrington v Derby BT Sport 2 - 13:30 Millwall v Everton BBC 1 - 18:30 AFC Wimbledon v West Ham BT Sport 2 - 20:45

Sunday 27th January C Palace v Tottenham BT Sport 2 - 17:00 Chelsea v Sheff Wed BBC 1 - 19:00

Sala´s plane tragedy

Ayr v Dundee Utd BT Sport 1 - 20:45

Sunday 27th January

St Mirren v Hibernian Sky Sports Football - 14:30 Livingston v Rangers Sky Sports Football - 17:00

English football Saturday 26th January Bury v Lincoln Sky Sports Football - 18:30

Hopes faded, as the days moved on, of finding missing Cardiff City footballer Emiliano Sala alive. The Argentine striker, 28, and a pilot were on board the plane which lost contact off Alderney in the Channel Islands on Monday night.

by Alex Trelinski

Chief officer of Channel Islands Air Search, John Fitzgerald, said “even the most fit person” would only last a few hours in the water. Sala reportedly sent a WhatsApp voice message to family. Sounding con-

versational and jokey, he said he was “so scared”. Media in Argentina reported he said: “I’m on a plane that looks like it’s going to fall apart.” Sala was heading to the Welsh capital after signing for the Bluebirds from French club Nantes in a £15m deal.

ALL TIMES GIVEN ARE SPANISH TIME

Becks invests

Former England captain David Beckham is set to take a 10 per cent stake in National League club Salford City. Beckham, 43, will become a part-owner alongside

former Manchester United team-mates Gary and Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt. The ‘Class of 92’ now own 60 per cent of the club, with the remaining 40 per

cent being held by Singapore businessman Peter Lim. Beckham already owns American club Inter Miami, who will join Major League Soccer in 2020.

Sexton awaits England

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt expects Johnny Sexton to be available for their Six Nations opener against England a week tomorrow in Dublin, which could even be an early decider for this year´s tournament.

by Neil Mortimer

Second rows Iain Henderson and Tadhg Beirne are both unlikely to be fit until the visit of France on March 10th. Sexton, 33, has not played since Leinster’s Pro14 derby

loss to Munster on December 29th because of a knee injury but he returned to training this week. “He trained fully yesterday(Thursday) and we will then ramp up his training,” said Schmidt.

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Sport

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Arsenal will look to become the first team to beat Ole Gunnar Solskjaer´s Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium this Friday evening as the FA Cup enters the fourth round stage. United have won seven games out of seven since their former striker came into replace Jose Mourinho in December, including their last visit to north London when they beat Tottenham two weekends ago. That run has seen the

by Alex Trelinski

Manchester club move level on points with Arsenal in the Premier League and back within reach of the Top Four. Tonight also sees Bristol City entertain Championship strugglers Bolton Wanderers at Ashton Gate. There are a number of allPremier league clashes to come tomorrow with Newcastle v Watford; Brighton v West Brom; and Manchester City v Burnley on

the list, with Spurs playing Crystal Palace on Sunday. Potential banana skins include Shrewsbury entertaining nearneighbours Wolves from the Premier League tomorrow afternoon, and West Ham United going to AFC Wimbledon this Saturday night. League One Accrington Stanley will try to make it to the fifth round for the first time in their history tomorrow lunchtime, as they play Southampton´s conquerors, Derby County.