The Leader Newspaper Edition 981

The week long International Habaneras

Competition in Torrevieja starts on Monday 24th July and continues until Sunday 30th July 2023. It is one of the most popular cultural events within Torrevieja. The first competition was held in 1955 and there has been one every year since then.

The Habanera is a specific type of music that originated from Cuba in the 19th century. It was the first written music to be rhythmically based on an African motif, and the first dance music from Cuba to be exported all over the world.

This year, the 69th edition, will also feature a number of parallel activities, of particular note being the free daily recitals and choral performances that will take place in Calle Concepción, just across the road from the Main Church and the Plaza de la Concepcion.

Featured under the name of "Tardes de habaneras" there will also be a performance of accordion and soloists from a balcony in the Miguel Hernández square, scheduled for 21:30 p.m. on Saturday July 29th.

The Vice President of the Habaneras Board, José Antonio Quesada, explained that the intention of this range of initiatives is to open up the Contest and the Habanera to the wider public, expanding the evenings themselves and "complementing the other classic events, such as the 'Night of Habaneras on the Beach" that took place as a prologue to the Contest.

The additional activities will all begin at 8pm, Tuesday to Friday, and include:

Tuesday 25th El Conservatorio, en Habaneras

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Wednesday 26th The poetry of Ricardo Lafuente, by the association 3MAP

Thursday 27th The Ensemble of Madrigalists of the University of Playa Ancha (Chile)

Friday 28th Concert by the Orchestra de Pulso y Púa “Cecilio Gallego”

On Saturday 29th at 9.30 pm in Plaza Miguel Hernández – 'Habaneras desde el balcón' with accordion and solo singers. Of course, the outdoor programme will run in tandem with the Habaneras Contest itself, which will be taking place throughout the week in the Municipal Theatre. It will be presented by the TVE Cultural host Elena Sánchez, one of the most recognized faces in the cultural field of public television. With an extraordinary professional career, she is currently presenting 'Historia de nuestro cine' on TVE's La2.

In announcing her as the main host, the Board of Trustees complemented the style and professionalism that she showed during the three editions of the Contest in which she has previously been involved, stating that they have no hesitation in appointing her once again.

Sánchez said, "I will miss the Eras de la Sal" because the Contest is being held for the second consecutive

TVE Cultural host Elena Sánchez will be hosting Habaneras

year in the Municipal Theatre due to the work of its usual iconic venue.

HABANERAS PROGRAMME

Monday, July 24: Opening Gala with the Spanish singer Pasión Vega and the Symphony Choir of the Municipal Choral School.

Tuesday, July 25: A scenic-musical recreation of El Regalo: el cuento de la habanera, with original text by Amparo Cos, and a cast of singers, musicians and actors.

Competition phase: Coro Pichincha (Quito, Ecuador) and Coro de la Universidad Católica de Temuco (Temuco, Chile).

Wednesday, July 26: Competition

phase: Conjunto de Madrigalistas Universidad de Playa Ancha (Valparaíso, Chile); Ensamble Oikos (Montevideo, Uruguay); Adelis Freitez Polyphonic Choir (Lara State, Venezuela).

Thursday, July 27: Competition phase: Kaunas Kamertonas Mixed Choir (Kaunas, Lithuania); Ensamble Vocal Macondo (Medellín, Colombia); Concordia Choir (Warsaw, Poland); Chamber Choir of Copiapó (Copiapó, Chile).

Friday, July 28: Competition phase: Chamber Choir Extremadura (Badajoz); Nubah (Grenada); Las Veredas Youth Choir (Colmenarejo, Madrid); Kammerchor Manila (Manila, Philippines).

Saturday, July 29: Grand International

Two injured as car takes out Bar Terrace

A 75-year-old woman and a 37year-old man were injured on Thursday evening after a car collided with the terrace of the popular expat venue, Sheerins Sports Bar, in Catral, as reported by the Emergency Information and Coordination Centre (CICU). The events occurred around 6:00 p.m., when a car left the road and collided with the terrace of the bar on calle La Purísima.

After receiving the notice, the CICU has mobilised a paramedic SAMU unit and a SVB unit.

The SAMU medical team has assisted a woman with polytrauma and a man with polycontusions.

Both have been transferred to the Vega Baja de Orihuela hospital in separate ambulances.

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Choral Gala of Exhibition, Awards Ceremony and common singing by the participating groups.

Sunday, July 30: Local evening with the Choirs and Orchestra Maestro Ricardo Lafuente, Masa Coral José Hódar, Agrupación Coral Manuel Barberá, Orfeón de Torrevieja, Coral Torrevejense Francisco Vallejos and Coro Maestro Casanovas.

All performances start at 22:30, for more information take a look at the official website at www.habaneras.org.

This year there are 13 choirs participating, 3 of which are Spanish and the other 10 are from Ecuador, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela, Lithuania, Colombia, Poland and the Philippines.

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for the 4th time

Just one of many such sites across the Orihuela Costa IMAGE: AVCRL

ORIHUELA COSTA - WHAT A MESS!

Despite the promises of the new government team, many rubbish bins in the Orihuela Costa continue to overflow with waste, with, in many cases, an equal amount or more dumped indiscriminately by the roadside.

Indeed, according to the Cabo Roig and Lomas-Orihuela Costa Neighbourhood Association (AVCRL), the situation has deteriorated in recent weeks since their meeting with the Deputy Mayor and Councillor for the Coast, Manuel Mestre (Vox) and Rocío Ortuño (PP) where they asked that situation be given priority.

According to a complaint that they have registered with the council in it’s electronic headquarters the Association says that there are "serious failures" in the collection of waste in multiple neighbourhoods and urbanizations of Orihuela Costa which, because of the shocking photographs being published on Social Media, are now beginning to attract international attention.

Hundreds of images show evidence of "the appalling situation" caused by the lack of cleanliness on roads such as Naranjo, Carolinas, Cabo de Gata, Tourmaline, Garnet, Turquoise, Guapiles, Niagara, Agua, Aire, Panticosa, Sagittarius, and many others, concentrated in the northern sector of this large residential area of the Coast that extends along 15 kilometres.

According to the reports, much of the rubbish has been accumulating for several days, without being collected, causing "significant nuisance to the neighbourhood in the form of doors, rodents and the terrible image that threatens the dignity of many residents and their quality of life."

The Association warns that if the public service, which depends on both the Councillor of the Coast, Manuel Mestre

(Vox)and the Councillor for Urban Cleaning, Rocío Ortuño, does not improve, the situation will be denounced at the very highest level, so that it ceases to be an attack on public hygiene and health.

Orihuela Costa is an area of the municipality that multiplies its population from the 30,000 registered residents to more than 200,000 in the summer, where the means waste collection, entirely municipal, can barely cope ‘out of season’ so it comes as no surprise that the service is completely overwhelmed during the summer.

LETTER FROM THE MAYOR

A development on Thursday afternoon saw the Mayor become directly involved, at long last seemingly showing some concern for the residents of the coast.

In a letter written to the Secretary of AVCRL, Tomás Moreno. the mayor wrote.......

“Good afternoon Tomás,

We are going to change Orihuela Costa in such an absolute way that it will not look the same.

We are already working on everything, but there are things that we cannot do faster than we are doing them.

I know it is probably unfair to ask for some patience, but I can also tell you that you are going to have to be less patient than you think.”

Pepe Vegara

So, at long last an acknowledgement by the mayor of the plight of Orihuela Costa residents. We can only hope that he is true to his word.

AI WILL LITTER THE NEWS IN THE COMING WEEK

Did somebody mention something about an election in Spain? Of course, in all seriousness, it is of extreme importance, and as the dust starts to settle on yesterday’s results, the week will be dominated by the fallout and lots of scurrying around.

Whereas the political field will be mostly messy but now largely uneventful, the markets don’t stop, and we start the week with in Spain with the publication of the industrial price indices for June, the hotel statistics (occupancy, prices and profitability indicators), also for June, which are eagerly awaited to see if the expected tourism boost has come to fruition (most experts think it will by the way), and the doubtful credit data for May.

Meanwhile, in the business section, the results of the first half of the year for Naturgy (formerly Gas Natural Fenosa), whose stock price was up 1.33% at close of business on Friday, and Spanish pharmaceutical company Almirall stand out. Their stock price also increased 1.19% on Friday. Away from Spain, but of interest to many who visit, Ryanair will also present its quarterly results today. Spain’s Q2 GDP comes out later in the week.

Microsoft publish their financials on Tuesday, which may or may not have been boosted by their delving into Artificial Intelligence (AI). An academic report last week revealed how ChatGPT, the AI platform Microsoft is backing, has become more stupid in its latest carnations, perhaps showing that it is indeed presenting human-like qualities. It is having a direct effect on the quality of work produced by the bot. Spotify, Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram) publish their figures this week too.

Elsewhere on Monday, the Industrial Price Index (PMI) leading indicators for the month of July for Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the euro area as a whole, the United States and Japan will also be released.

In the UK, we will see numerous high-profile Government figures appearing before the Infected Blood Inquiry, which is investigating how thousands of NHS patients were given blood transfusions containing HIV and hepatitis C in the 1970s and 1980s. Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt appears on Monday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appears on Wednesday, and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt on Friday. One of the key questions aside from how it happened, is

MAN ARRESTED FOLLOWING HIT AND RUN DEATH

The Alicante Civil Traffic Guard has arrested a man as the alleged perpetrator of the hit-and-run that took place on July 14 in the municipality of Orihuela on the border with Redován.The detainee,a 39-yearold resident of Vega Baja,voluntarily turned himself in at the Civil Guard post in Dolores.He will now be made available to the Orihuela Guard Court according to police sources.

The accident happened on July 14, around 07:30 hours.That day,the Traffic Subsector Operations Center (COTA) of the Civil Guard of Alicante received a notice from 112 reporting the location of a person lying on the ground,who seemed to be dead.

The body was about 2 metres from the N-340 road,at kilometre 691.250,in the municipality of Orihuela and bordering Redován.

A traffic patrol from the Civil Guard of Orihuela immediately

went to the location,confirming that an unidentified man was found lying dead,suggesting that it was a hit-and-run.Enquiries established the identity of the deceased,a 55-year-old man of Ukrainian nationality and a resident in Vega Baja.

The evidence was given to the Traffic Subsector Investigation and Analysis Group (GIAT),so that steps could be taken to locate the vehicle and its driver.Within a few days the Civil had narrowed the search down to a commercial van,and the alleged driver identified.

However before steps could be taken to make an arrest the man

why the Government has failed to respond to chair Brain Langstaff’s recommendation in April that a formal compensation framework be established to support the victims.

There are also a lot of high-profile cases in court coming to a close this week in the UK. A verdict is expected in the Kevin Spacey trial against the Hollywood actor charged with sexual offences. Jaswant Chail will become the first person since 1946 to be sentenced for treason at the Old Bailey, after his AI chatbot girlfriend advised him over his plans to enter

the grounds of Windsor Castle with a crossbow to “kill the Queen”. The House of Lords will be debating AI this week too, although the two are not directly linked. Also, Louis De Zoysa is sentenced for murdering Sgt Matt Ratana, who he shot dead after smuggling a gun into Croydon Custody Centre in September 2020.

Although it never seems to go away, the weather might dominate headlines later in the week as the Met Office publishes its annual report on the State of the UK Climate.

turned himself in and was duly arrested at the Civil Guard post in Dolores.

He currently had an indictment pending from Orihuela Investigating Court No.2,another from Investigating Court No.3, one from Orihuela Criminal No.3 and another from Murcia Criminal No.5.In addition,there was a police warrant issued on him by the Alicante Traffic Subsector.

The detainee has now ben charged with the crimes of reckless homicide and abandoning the scene of the accident.He will be presented in the coming days to the Orihuela Guard Court.

VALENCIA PRESIDENT ATTENDS OPENING OF THE NEW ALICANTE PROVINCIAL

COUNCIL

The president of the Generalitat,Carlos Mazon,has attended the constitutive session of the Provincial Council of Alicante,in which the mayor of Benidorm,Toni Perez,has taken office on his appointment as the new President of the Provincial Government. The ceremony was also attended by the Second Vice President and Minister of Social Services,Equality and Housing,Susana Camarero;the Minister of Education, Universities and Employment,Jose Antonio Rovira,and the Minister of Innovation,Industry,Commerce and Tourism,Nuria Montes.

Toni Perez (right) with Alicante City Mayor, Luis Barcala, Nuria Montes and Carlos Mazon

17 YEAR OLD BOY DIES AFTER TAKING TWO ECSTACY PILLS

A17-year-old boy has died in the ICU of the Hospital de Sant Joan d'Alacant.

His doctors say that he is brain dead, completely irreversible, 22 days after his admission, after he suffered serious poisoning, following the ingestion of two ecstasy tablets.

On Friday the National Police arrested a 26year-old man as responsible for the sale of the synthetic drug that the minor ingested.

The alleged trafficker was identified and arrested by agents of the Narcotics Group of the Drugs and Organized Crime Unit (UDYCO) of Alicante.

It is understood that he already had a history of drug trafficking.

Apparently the minor took just two ecstasy pills when he was with a friend in the area of Avda Miriam Blasco on 30 June shortly after which he began to feel ill and was taken by ambulance in serious condition to the Hospital de Sant Joan.

Unfortunately his situation quickly deteriorated and unable to overcome the effects suffered by the ingestion of the drugs he has been declared as brain dead.

The detainee is now in preventive detention after appearing in court for the crimes of drug trafficking, illegal possession of weapons and crimes against public health.

Following the death of the minor, it is not ruled out that he may be charged with further crimes if it is proven that the prisoner has criminal responsibility, given the age of the youth to whom he sold the pills, or if the ecstasy was contaminated.

The police reported this week that according to the statements obtained from witnesses, the arrested man sold the pills to the 17year-old without taking into account the age of the victim and the effect that the consumption of the amphetamines could produce.

TORREVIEJA FUGITIVE ARRESTED IN CALPE

Two men, of Algerian nationality and aged 44 and 46, who were wanted by the courts in Torrevieja for their involvement in a series of violent crimes against property, were arrested in Calpe by the Guardia Civil.

The suspects, who both had long criminal records, were taken into custody after officers observed their suspicious behaviour at a local shopping area.

Both men were in the crosshairs of justice for a series of crimes committed in the years 2021, 2022 and 2023, one of them the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the Belgian authorities for robbery with a firearm committed in Belgium in August 2022.

Officers saw the men in the car park of a shopping centre and thought their demeanour suspicious, and so proceeded to identify the men, one of whom presented a false ID.

Subsequent inquiries revealed that both subjects

had several outstanding warrants for property crimes. The 46-year-old individual was being sought by virtue of a search and arrest warrant issued by a Torrevieja Investigating Court in May 2023. The second, who tried to deceive the agents, had an arrest warrant and imprisonment of a Barcelona Criminal Court, as well as an extradition order issued from the Belgium. After their arrest, both men were made available to the Investigating Court of Denia. The 44-year-old man was detained in prison, while the other was released on bail. During the search of their vehicle, agents found several items that could be used to disguise their identity, including hats, caps, and a wig.

This summer, the Guardia Civil has strengthened this collaborative approach by incorporating agents from the French Gendarmerie and the German Police in mixed patrols in the province of Alicante.

Orihuela Mayor’s Declaration of Assets includes a Porsche and two Properties

As Orihuela council makes public the register of assets, Mayor Vegara declares a Porche Boxter, two houses, 12 checking accounts and 4.1% of the shares of ITV Vega Baja, a company with a turnover that exceeds 20 million euros per year and employs more than 300 staff.

The City Council of Orihuela has made public the declaration of assets of the new members of the City Council, a legal obligation, when assuming a public office, that compares the financial situation of the councillors at the start and at the end of each municipal mandate. One of the records with the most entries is that of Mayor José Vegara (PP), who declares two urban homes among his assets. One is in Orihuela and the other in Molina de Segura. The declaration also includes 4.1% of the shares of the company Estación ITV Vega Baja and twelve current bank accounts, three as a company proxy and several shared, most of them with the Oriolan bank Caja Rural Central where he also has a pension plan.

ITV Vega Baja is an important company at the state level in it’s sector with a turnover that exceeds 20 million euros per year and with more than 300 employees.

Palantir and among the other assets he has declared, there is the ownership of three vehicles: a Porsche Boxter (whose cheapest model costs 77,000 euros), a Nissan X-Trail (40,000 euros) and a Seat Ibiza. The one liability recorded in Vegara's assets is a mortgage with Bankinter, although he has failed to specify the amount.

WOMAN WITH NO MEDICAL TRAINING WORKS AS A DOCTOR IN BARCELONA A&E

A young woman with no qualifications has spent seven months working as a doctor in the Accident and Emergency Department of the National Health Berga hospital (Barcelona),where she attended to patients.

She fraudulently used the registration number of another doctor as a result of which she was able to be hired by the hospital despite having no medical training.

“She asked a lot of questions and she was very smart”said one of her colleagues,“so she was able to practice as if she were a doctor without raising suspicions.”

addition to an Audi A-4 vehicle. There is also the socialist councilor Milagros Lacárcel who has four parking spaces, a commercial unit and two houses, in addition to two vehicles Mazda CX-5 and Volkswagen Tiguan.

She was also helped by the fact that she never had to attend a serious case and that since she was an intern she always had an experienced doctor covering her,according to the protocol.”

Vegara also holds shares and maintains social participation in a company called

Apart from the mayor, other councilors who have asubstantial real estate portfolio the Councilor for Urbanism, Heritage, Industry and Major Projects, Matías Ruiz, with three houses, a commercial unit, three parking spaces and a rustic plot of 4,100 square metres, in

Closer to home, the Leader of Vox, deputy mayor and councillor for the coast, General Manuel Mestre, has declared the ownership of a house in Elche, a pension plan with ING, two current accounts with the same group, two life insurance policies with Met Life Europe Limited and Generali España, S.A. and the ownership of a Volvo XC60 vehicle, valued at 45,000 euros.

The alarm that something was wrong was raised by an external company.The fake doctor sent her resumé to a private health company.When she failed to attach evidence of her medical degree, they asked for it and when she could not produce it,and they were unable to find her name on the list of qualified doctors,their suspicions were raised.They immediately notified the Berga Hospital.

SUMMER HOURS FOR AGE CONCERN

Los Monntesinos shop will only be open on Wednesday mornings from July 31st until August 25th

She was removed from her duties and fired since when the hospital has filed a complaint with the Mossos (police) for professional intrusion,which in the case of doctors is a crime. The Age Concern Centre will be closed from 31st July until 21st August It will then be open on August 22nd, 25th, 29th and September 1st

hours will resume on Sept 4th

TORREVIEJA’S 12 MILLION EURO FROM SUMMER FESTIVALS

The concerts planned in Torrevieja during the month of August will have an economic impact of more than 12 million euros. These are the estimates provided by the City Council as they contract Brilla Torrevieja (12 concerts between July 31 and August 18) and the Reggaeton Beach Festival (RBF) whose programming exceeds ten concerts on August 5 and 6. All of them will be held in the city's Antonio Soria park. The economic impact of both festivals will be enormously beneficial to the city, according to the technical reports that justify them, with

attendance estimates of up to 45,000 people at Brilla Torrevieja and another 40,000 at the RBF.

The municipality has confirmed two advertising sponsorship contracts with the organising companies costing e360,000 to Brilla Torrevieja and e121,000 to RBF, a total outlay from the municipal budget of e481,000. Brilla Torrevieja will be held between July 30 and August 18 with twelve days of concerts. This will be its third consecutive year in Torrevieja.

The cost of these concerts, that the City

Council considers will be a major tourist attraction, will be the payment of an exclusive advertising sponsorship contract. The municipality will pay for the dissemination to the radio media, regional and provincial press, national programs, social networks (Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook... ) and other conventional media. In the case of Brilla Torrevieja, the contract is with the company La Música Mola, with the City Council contributing 363,000 euros. The planned program of concerts and performances is made up of India Martínez (July 30), Goyo Giménez (August 1), Melendi (August 3), Pica Pica (August 4), Superthings (August 7), Luis Piedrahita (August 8), Abraham Mateo (August 10), Black Eye Peas (August 11), Loquillo (August 12), Kid Keo (August 13), Galder Varas (August 15) and Israel Fernández (August 16).

With estimated ticket sales of ten thousand for the 10, 11, 12, 13 and 16 and 3,000 for the remainder, the concerts will attract a total of 45,000 direct and 150,000 indirect tourists, which will earn the city between 4 and 5 million euros in hotels, restaurants, cafeterias and

other businesses. In addition, there will also be a major benefit through the dissemination of the festivals through social media, by each of the participating artists, some of them with many millions of followers.

An attendance of 20,000 people is expected on each of the reggaeton days with an estimated benefit of seven million euros, which, with the majority of people arriving from outside the city, will generate a significant impact on all shops, accommodation, restaurants and other commercial businesses.

STAR OF BETHLEHEM'S DELIGHTFUL PERFUME!

THE MYSTERY OF THE PAST!

Ababy left on a doorstep in swaddling clothes -- the baby was wearing them, not the doorstep -- on Christmas Eve in 1899 had a note pinned to the basket he lay in, which said, 'This is David Learmont.' The note said that, not the basket. It's no breeze, this writing lark.

The point being, although I had no way of knowing it then, this abandoned baby later became my grandfather. "The Child is grandfather of the Man," as the poet Wordsworth almost said. Grandad could play the piano almost before he could reach the keyboard, and was able to bake like a patissier long before he could speak French, which was never.

In defiance of both Darwin and Wordsworth, I have a tin ear for music and have never put a baking tin into an oven. My grandfather was a mystery, as was my ancestry, lineage, bloodline and forebears. Genealogy is a friendly-sounding word, but often there is nothing genial about it.

We live in an age obsessed with finding out who we are and where we come from. The airwaves are awash with programmes investigating the family trees of TV show presenters and football stars, many of whom have already recounted their life stories to ghostwriters in two or more autobiographies. Apparently an answer like "Rock Star" is no longer considered a sufficient explanation for one's behaviour, especially if one has actually been behaving.

Bloodlines have always been important to kings and others who want to lay claim to thrones, also to bookmakers who want to lay odds on racehorses. The Imperial Family of Japan is the longest-running monarchy in the world, dating back to

SA SA T ANIMAL T ANIMAL RESCUE RESCUE

660 BC. And Confucius is considered to be the founding father of the Kong family bloodline, which continues to this day. He was the first King Kong.

Those lucky people who actually have genealogies to trace (unlike me, with my pedigree lost in the misty pavements of 1899) often find unexpected connections.

Tom Hanks is related to Abraham Lincoln. Moose-hunting ex-governor of Alaska Sarah Palin is, or was, a tenth cousin of Princess Diana. Lucky British actress Anna Chancellor can claim Jane Austen as her eight-times great aunt. Anna ought to write a novel.

Not-so-lucky President Nixon was 7

cousins away from actor James Dean. One sweated visibly during televised debates, the other was super-cool. Ninth cousins once-removed -- thank goodness -are Prince Charles and Camilla. And goodness knows how George W. Bush -not a playboy -- feels about being related to Hugh Heffner -- Playboy!

Clive Dunn's song 'Grandad' contains the line, "Memories linger on, thoughts of when I was a boy." After my father's early death, my grandfather taught me to ride a bike, drive a car and play the guitar. (But not the piano.) Best of all, he bequeathed me his surname as my middle name. Wherever it came from.

Ornithogalum - also called Star of Bethlehem or Sun

Star - is a flowering bulb producing stunning clusters of flowers with the most delightful perfume! In the spring, they put up taller stems that produce dazzling flowers, blooming over the course of one to three months.

The plant comes back from bulbs each spring, but the bulbs can easily rot if they become waterlogged, so plant your bulbs in a sandy or rocky area. Care is not difficult and is based around keeping the bulb moist, but not waterlogged.

Plant your bulbs in a well draining sandy soil and water regularly, in bright, indirect sunlight.

Dead-head individual flowers as they fade. Once all the flowers have passed, remove the entire flowering spike from the main body of the plant.

Donít cut back the foliage, continue to water it and let it die back on its own. This gives the plant the chance to store up energy in its bulb for the next growing season.

Note: All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested. Care must be taken when growing these plants around young children and pets.

Duque is a very sweet 3.5 year old, weighing 8.5 kilos. For more info contact 966710047 (leave a message) or info@satanimalrescue.com or WhatsApp 688 792 515

ELIS VILLAMARTÍN TURNS TO FUNDRAISING AND ANIMAL WELFARE

The charity work undertaken last term by pupils at the ELIS Villamartín international school allowed it’s students to learn more about the concept of "global citizenship."

By working together with local charities, in particular with a local animal charities, the children were able to learn about compassion and empathy toward others.

One such relationship, that has already borne important fruits, is with Finca La Castellana where it has been possible to create awareness, both among students and among the rest of the school community (parents, teachers and staff in general), and, in addition,

where the bond has already provided a clear return, with the collection of hundreds of euros in cash, as well as food products for the dogs and cats.

The project was organised by Primary students thanks to, among other initiatives, the sale of cakes and biscuits cooked by the children themselves.

It has also resulted in adoptions, animal sponsorship and registration of volunteers who walk the dogs, an initiative that is soon to take a step further with the adoption by the school of a new-born donkey in La Finca.

"We are confident that this relationship will generate sustained interest over time, giving

our students more opportunities not only to track his progress, but also to visit the donkey as well as the other animals personally," explained Rebecca Burns, Primary teacher and coordinator of the project. "In addition, this relationship will provide our Duke of Edinburgh international programme students with the perfect opportunity to complete

their weekly volunteering skill for our chosen charity."

After an initial visit to learn about the wonderful work this shelter does, the volunteers visited ELIS Villamartin, with two of their rescued dogs, to talk to the students about the importance of their work. This visit was very well received and had a great impact on all the students and teachers involved.

Finca La Castellana is a project that began almost 25 years ago as a family initiative in San Miguel de Salinas where it provides rescue and a home for animals that had been abused or abandoned.

During all this time, it has supported more than 3,000 animals, something that has been possible thanks to volunteering and fundraising to cover the costs of feeding, veterinary services and maintenance.

"We have found that our way forward for the future is to engage with schools and their students to be aware of how to help, to inform them to get involved in the education of their pets at home and the responsibility we all have to the animals we choose to share our home with them," said Janette Margaret, charity secretary of Finca La Castellana. And this is not the only charity work carried out by ELIS Villamartin, where many different environmental, technological and aid initiatives carried out last year with different local groups, amounted to 13,000 euros.

Working with local animal charities helps the children to learn about compassion and empathy toward others

‘WHICH OF YOU SAID THAT..?’

Tom T Hall declares in one of his songs that ‘big preachers know a lot more than I do.’ Nonetheless, Tom T had his own belief as to the role that Clayton Delaney would play in the great beyond.

The beauty of being a columnist rather than a journalist, is that, like Tom T Hall, you have the right and the platform to contradict those that ‘know a lot more than I do.’

What do you think of split personalities, dual personalities and multiple personalities? Is the person with a dual personality two people, or two sides of the same person, or sort of like a sheep with two heads?

The most extreme example of a split personality is of course the Jekyll and Hyde story.

I recently met up with a distinguished author and broadcaster who is in the process of writing a book on the life of a person who demonstrated acts of unselfish, generous service on one hand; coupled on the other with astonishing cruel and cynical betrayal of good and trusting people.

Again, we ask: Is this a split personality … two different people in the same skin – or just more of the impregnatable mystery that devises the human mind?

One of the most deviously dishonest and damaging people I ever met, is also the most plausible and charming man you could meet today. So, who can tell the difference?

A New York architect; a family man and a pillar of his community is currently being charged with being a serial killer of several women over more than a decade. There are loads of such stories on TV every night, where a ‘Mr Nice Guy’ fools a partner and friends for years whilst his ‘other half’ is a

NEWS IN BRIEF

Vox's "unconstitutional" job proposal to companies that only hire Spaniards

One of Vox’s latest proposals is to subsidise 100% of the Social Security contributions paid by a company for employing a worker during his first year of contract, and 50% in the second year. The only proviso is that two conditions are met; that the contract is permanent and that the worker is "Spanish".

rapist and killer.

Many who ‘know a lot more than I do’, would argue that these are clear examples of a split personality … but is this a cop-out and a way of trying to put a simple label on a baffling, but not all that rare, duplicitous mind?

The vast majority of us do not slink out at night to kill somebody, but what if each of us pause for a few moments and do an honest stock-take of our inner mind and compare the worst thing we ever did against the good deed we are proudest of. Some difference … eh?

If you were to tell your two stories, wouldn’t it sound very much like two different people?

I can look back on how I handled or responded to similar situations on different occasions and the view from here is quite staggering. Like that author told me about her subject, I have at times shown a meanness of spirit, spite, and self-righteousness that I regret.

Not a mass-murderer, mind you; and the strange thing is that in the same circumstances at other times I have, in more than equal measure, been charitable, generous, forgiving and done a few good deeds. I am not a split personality … and yet, I can almost be two very different people.

Have you managed to figure it out yet? My verdict is that I don’t believe that anyone has a split personality. Everyone has just that one elastic personality. We do have many ego states within our personality to handle different situations.

How we react to a situation can be governed by how we feel about other things around us at that point in time. Even small things …. I am still haunted by the fact that I once

SPAIN’SNOTSO ECO FRIENDLY LEADERS

The only one of Spain’s four political heads who is demonstrating green credentials is Alberto Núñez Feijóo, of the PP, who travels in a plug-in hybrid, while the rest continues to use traditional combustion engine cars.

The PP leader drives an electrified car, a 46,000-euro DS 9 plug-in hybrid with a Zero environmental label from the DGT.

refused to give a young English student the price of a meal one time in Spain. Why did I do this – and yet often walk up and give a few bob to someone on the street without being asked?

This isn’t a dual personality … it’s just demonstrating a complicated personality that we all have. We act differently when shouting for Westmeath than we do when playing with the children in the garden!

People display a different personality at work than when they meet the Gorls and Lads in the pub. In reality, we spend the greater part of our lives ‘playing a part.’ Our personality traits are governed to a large degree by convention.

We are taught how to behave in situations

THE KING IS IN NEW YORK

After last week’s trip to Wimbledon, King Filipe, is on a visit to New York where he lunched with the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, before taking part in the presentation of the Joan Margarit International Poetry Prize, at the headquarters of the Cervantes Institute.

He also attended the Closing of the 2023 World Law Congress at the UN Headquarters

and going from one to another can seem like two entirely different people.

In simple man’s language; there are a lot of different divides in our head and this is all part and parcel of just one personality … the only one that we’ve got.

So next time you get ‘caught out’, don’t try to extract yourself with the claim that it wasn’t really you, but the other guy – the bad side of your split personality! And yes, I do believe there is such thing as a warped personality …

DON’T FORGET

It is extremely difficult to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place.

Guardia Civil concludes first Ukrainian weapons dogs instructor course

The Guardia Civil has concluded the first training course for instructors of canine equipment to detect explosives, weapons and ammunition for personnel of the Border and Customs Guard of Ukraine.

The five month course was held at the Guardia Civil dog training centre in El Pardo,

Record Number of Brits Regretting Brexit

In addition, the data show that the interest to remain in the EU has increased, with 49 per cent of respondents voting to remain in the EU back in 2021, which grew to 55% in 2023. The number of people that would not vote or aren’t certain remains the same as in 2021; 13 per cent of the total respondents.

Among those that voted to leave the EU in 2021, the survey found that from 81 per cent of respondents, it shrank to 73 per cent in 2023. Similarly, from nine per cent of respondents that voted to remain in the EU, these rates doubled to 18 per cent in 2022. Additionally, the number of people who are uncertain about their decision grew by one per cent among leave voters.

British nationals are increasingly regretting their decision to leave the European Union in the move known as Brexit, which, despite Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying it brought benefits to the UK, more than half of the population would vote to remain in the EU.

According to the results of the YouGov survey, if the referendum was to be held again, 55 per cent of respondents said they

would vote to remain in the EU, while 31 per cent said they would stay out, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

While three in ten respondents, representing 31 per cent of the total, said they would vote to leave the EU, it indicates that one in six leave voters, or 18 per cent, would change their mind and instead vote to remain in the EU if the referendum would be held again.

Currently, 57 per cent of Britons say the 2016 decision to leave the EU was wrong, which is the highest figure YouGov has recorded to date. By comparison, one in three respondents (32 %) thinks this decision was right and appropriate, while one in five Leave voters (19%) now say it was the wrong decision. On top of thousands of respondents that have changed their minds and would vote to remain in the EU, seven in ten Brits say that the government handled Brexit poorly. The trend shows that the numbers that think the government handled the exit badly has been increasing since 2021, while the number of those that think the opposite is constantly dropping, to be hitting its lowest rate at 18 per cent.

Leaving the EU has had some severe impact on the British economy, as data by the OECD reveals that the GDP growth has decreased by 0.4 per cent since 2019, while other countries have experienced increases – such as Germany and France, with 0.3 and 1.1 per cent increases in economic growth during the same period.

Brexit-EU-UK © Ironjohn _ Dreamstime.

by Tony Mayes

There are several important areas where a country’s government can be judged as to whether it is successful or not. Most important is defence, another is the standard of education for all, another is law and order and whether everyone feels and is safe.

But right up there at the top is people’s health, and that means all people, not just the relatively few who can pay to go private –and jump an ever-growing queue.

Britain was the envy of the world when, on 5th July, 1948, the NHS was born, providing free health care for all. Prior to that people had to pay, or, if they were lucky, were admitted to hospitals financed by charities.

But that high ideal of providing free health care, or care from cradle to grave, has taken a severe battering, and never more so than during the last 13 years that the Tories have been in power in the UK, sacrificed on the altar of spending cuts.

Hardly a day passes without hearing on the news of another crisis in the NHS, massive waiting lists for hospital appointments and treatments, waiting for ever on the phone just to get an appointment with a doctor, or people with raging toothache going to dreadful lengths to pull their own teeth out.

Listening to it seems like stepping back 100 years to Victorian Britain. While other countries appear to have long passed their own Covid crisis, Britain has a long way to go before it’s back to pre-Covid hospital waits.

And what is the Government doing about it? Ask anyone caught up in the current NHS disaster and they would say absolutely nothing.

And why? Because they are all right Jack. What seems so obvious now is that a country cannot have a hospital service which is free for all plus a private hospital service available for those who have fat wallets, or those who opt to have private health insurance or are in jobs where employers pay for that luxury.

Just imagine, if we had an NHS as its founding fathers intended, millions would not have to waste money on private insurance and in so doing keeping an insurance industry.

And anyone who thinks that this dual health system is a fair and just way of providing a modern health service is either totally selfish, stupid or just couldn’t care less because they can run off to Harley Street or go straight to a private hospital.

THE HAEMORRHAGING STATE OF UK HEALTHCARE

Nurses, junior doctors and now consultants have been voting for strike action for months and it’s not just about pay, it’s about working conditions, because they can see for themselves how the NHS is bleeding to death.

Tories have for years been privatising the NHS around its edges, refusing to listen to staff who have, for years, been complaining that wages have not kept pace with inflation. Tories seem more than happy to watch as fewer and fewer dentists continue to offer NHS treatments, offering only private appointments, or packing up altogether and quitting Britain to practise overseas. And if something is not done soon, we are going to have a new generation with rotten teeth because parents cannot afford private dentistry on top of all the other rising cost of living pressures.

Back to the crisis in hospitals. A consultant in the UK gets paid an average of about 110,000 pounds a year, and more if he undertakes unsociable hours work.

Compare that to the salary of an MP who gets 87,000 pounds basic plus allowances and all manner of perks. Now ask yourself, who is more valuable to society, an MP or a doctor who is saving a life or relieving someone’s pain every day? How dare these miserable MPs deny a sensible salary increase to doctors while they are so generously paid.

It is an absolute nonsense that a doctor can earn double his or her salary by crossing the border into Southern Ireland, or to work in Canada, Australia or New Zealand.

A few years ago, the NHS was attracting staff from abroad. Now Britain is haemorrhaging staff to overseas countries at an ever-increasing rate.

Personally, I would like to see an end to private hospitals, private nursing homes, private dentistry and doctors allowed to have private patients.

Oh yes, taxes would have to go up to pay for it, but just imagine what would happen if the filthy rich had to queue up alongside the poor to get an appointment to see a doctor, or get their teeth fixed.

Imagine what would happen if royalty, Lords, MPs and every one of the super-rich were told he or she had to wait in an ambulance outside hospital or in a corridor because there was no bed available on a ward.

The self-interested rich would be pouring money into the NHS at such a rate that once again it would be the envy of the world in no time.

I was saddened to hear Tony Blair , firstly agreeing that the NHS was in a parlous state, but then going on to say that there should be more private sector involvement in the NHS, saying there should be "complete cooperation between the public and private sector.”

Sorry Tony – it seems that as people get older and richer, they forget their socialist principles and turn blue. What you suggest will not prevent queue jumping and leave the poor at the bottom of the pile, as they were before 1948.

People in power in Britain need to take a long hard look at where the country is going and realise that if something is not done very soon the country is not going to be worth living in.

The NHS crisis is symptomatic of a disease which, for too long, has allowed the rich to get richer and the poor (and lower middle classes) poorer, resulting in millions of people having to put up with sub-standard care.

SLIMMED DOWN COMUNIDAD TO SAVE 3 MILLION

EURO

The president of the Valencian regional government, Carlos MazÛn, has announced savings in public spending by reducing political posts, specifically by reducing the number of sub-secretaries and regional secretariats of the new Consell, from 55 to 46.

This reduction will mean a saving of about 3 million euro throughout the legislature, that is, 800,000 euro a year, "that all Valencians will save", stressed the president.

Carlos MazÛn made the statement at the end of the transfer of the portfolio of the First VicePresidency and Ministry of Culture and Sports. He added that this phase of optimisation and cost reduction of the Consell structure will continue next week with "more important" changes in the general directorates, the public sector, political positions, and advisers. Although all of this will result in savings, it also potentially means a reduction in jobs.

QUICKIE CROSSWORD

ANSWERS

Week 980

QUICK QUICK

ACROSS: ACROSS: 7 Confrontation; 8 Belittle; 9 Pots; 10 Recess; 12 Garish; 14 Clever; 16 Hector; 18 Spar; 20 Gloomily; 22 Faithlessness.

DOWN: DOWN: 1 Foretell; 2 Office; 3 Loot; 4 Strength; 5 Stupor; 6 Post; 11 Struggle; 13 Spotless; 15 Verity; 17 Coming; 19 Peak; 21 Oust.

CRYPTIC YPTIC

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

6.Manacle (7)

7.Rustic (5)

9.Spar (3)

10.Useless (9)

12.Quibble (11)

15.Attachment (11)

17.Depravity (9)

19.Weep (3)

21.Oar (5)

22.Decorate (7)

CAN YOU MASTER THE SUDOKU CHALLENGE?

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

Solution on Page 22

DOWN DOWN

1.Hurl (5)

2.Deed (3)

3.Vale (4)

4.Distrust (9)

5.Aptitude (7)

8.Clandestine (6)

11.Irascible (9)

13.Masked (6)

14.Crime (7)

16.Reliance (5)

18.Cajole (4)

20.Writing fluid (3)

ACROSS: ACROSS: 7 Caricaturists; 8 Trainees; 9 Hand; 10 Wangle; 12 Desire; 14 Held up; 16 Remiss; 18 News; 20 Standard; 22 Librarianship.

DOWN: 1 Carriage; 2 Hiding; 3 Late; 4 Outsider; 5 Sights; 6 Stun; 11 Exposure; 13 Restrain; 15 Desert; 17 Modest; 19 Emit; 21 Ayah.

6.Well, it's how the man should be prepared for the wedding! (7)

7 and 3Dn. Sort of bread for a complete repast (5-4)

9.Sounds as though it's cooked brown (3)

10.Agrant apportioned for the vegetable patch (9)

12.Practically describing the parachutist's attitude? (4-2-5)

15.Undertaking to make a bid when holding hands (11)

17.Present day vocalists (9)

19.What is obtainable from a continental estaminet (3)

21.Kind of bulb to work like lightning (5)

22.Amate to practise sensible economy (7)

DOWN DOWN

1.Some of the regular guests have a different opinion (5)

2.Shoot up the peak (3)

3.See 7 Across.

4.Open level country, we hear, for producing sparkling wine (9)

5.Devise set arrangement for Holst's work (7)

8.Escaped to leave everything in France (3,3)

11.Use a booth for accommodating craft (9)

13.Almost makes a point with time to spare (6)

14.To balance completely (7)

16.Cast for a lively dance (5)

18.Being unconscious after a short right leads to complete defeat (4)

20.Go into current recession (3)

LEADER TRIVIA QUIZ (Answers on page 22)

1. What is the most populated city in the world today that did not exist at the beginning of the 20th century?

2. The US Virgin Islands belonged to which European country from 1754 - 1917? a. GB, b. France, c. Denmark, d. Spain

3. Who was the front man for "The Silver Bullet Band"?

4. Which French coastal city was named after the Greek goddess of victory?

5. The following is the movie poster tag line to which 2007 film? "The last man on Earth is not alone."

6. The following words are from which famous poem? "Short days ago we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow."

7. Which country was known as Italian North Africa between 1912 and 1927?

8. Which crime is also a collective noun for magpies?

9. The names for which two continents stem from characters found in Greek mythology?

10. The following lyrics are all from songs with the word "Night" somewhere in the song title. Can you name the song? a. So why on earth should I moan b. I'm not content to be with you in the daytime c. Come on now try and understand, the way I feel when I'm in your hands d. I woke last night to the sound of thunder, how far off I sat and won-

dered

11. A city in Spain and in the US state of Ohio, a famous kind of sword, and an unusually hard type of steel. (6 letters)

12. Johnny Weissmuller of Tarzan fame won five Olympic gold medals in swimming. In which team sport did he win an Olympic bronze medal?

13. Which kind of storm is named after a one legged wind god? a. Hurricane b. Tornado c. Typhoon d. Cyclone

14. Name the films in which Gary Oldman plays a role alongside with each of the following actresses. a. Natalie Portman, b. Mila Jovovich, c. Winona Ryder, d. Glenn Close

15. What is both the 2nd largest island in the United States and the name of a large predator?

16. Measured in distance from Europe, what was Portugal's remotest colony in the 16th century?

17. The name of which fragrant herb stems from the Latin word for "dew of the sea"? a. oregano b. cinnamon c. basil d. rosemary

18. Which child prodigy, once called the "Mozart of Pop Music", was a member of the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Faith, and later released successful solo albums titled 'Arc of the Diver' and 'Back in the High Life'?

19. The Irving Stone novel and 1965 film titled "The Agony and the Ecstasy" were both a biographical portrayal of which multi-talented genius?

20. A fortified wine with a very long shelf life AND an Atlantic archipelago. One word.

ACROSS ACROSS

ACROSS ACROSS

MANAGEMENTOF LOS ALCÁZARES MARINAFINALLYUNLOCKED

Los Alcázares Marina finally has a clearer future, two years after the management contract was first tendered and abandoned, it has finally been awarded for about 11 million euros.

It has been won by Club Náutico Mar Menor who came out

ahead of its only rival, Bolnuevo de Turismo SA (Boltursa).

The fee is understood to be 130,000 euros plus IVA per year.

It was in June of last year when the Ministry of Development relaunched the award of the contract of 'Concession of services of the Marina of Los Alcázares', by 'open procedure'.

The estimated value of the contract amounts to 9,132,458.28 euros, for the twenty years of the conces-

‘Huevo frito’ jellyfish wash up on local beaches

Hundreds of ëhuevo fritoí(fried egg) jellyfish are being washed up along the coastline of Torrevieja and Orihuela this summer. The AcequiÛn beach in Torrevieja has been plagued by these cnidarians during recent days causing fear to many bathers, however, this type of jellyfish is practically harmless.

The fried egg jellyfish is a species of jellyfish from the Cepheidae family. The origin of its common name is because of its similarity to a fried egg. In addition, it is easy to identify by its colourful purple tentacles.

This cnidarian can measure up to 25 cm, although they normally reach 15 cm in length. Generally, they form in large schools of jellyfish that can be annoying to bathers. Although, they are practically harmless, their rubbing can cause a slight reaction to the skin for some people, although it does not pose any danger.

Due to the weakness of the bites of Cotylorhiza tuberculata, in the Vega Baja no measures have been taken. Therefore, bathers will not be informed of their presence by means of a white flag earing the jellyfish symbol which is usually raised to warn of such specimens. It should be noted that this year the jellyfish have arrived much earlier than in other summers, and there are many more.

Fortunately, this type of jellyfish is practically harmless.

sion term, which with IVA of 21%, is 11,050,274.52 euros. The concession will provide all of the services demanded by the sailing vessels and their users.

The winning company will now open a commercial and catering activity within the facilities, "but may not use the building as a residence", as stated in the conditions.

Now, and after the award, the marina situated in one of the most visited tourist municipalities in the Region, can once again return to full sail.

Norte back home with Helen and Tatiana.

Los Alcázares Marina

The Church of JESUS CHRISTof Latter-Day Saints in Torrevieja meet at 10.00 each Sunday in their chapel at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia, 104. All Welcome. Phone or whatsapp the missionaries on 659 016 733

Join us at the SALTCHURCH Sundays at 10.30 am. We are a friendly church, bible centred in our teaching and informal in our worship. Meets at Calle Daya Nueva 12, PolÌgono Ind. Levante 11, 03187 Los Montesinos. We look forward to meeting you. www.Saltchurchspain.

Facebook SaltChurchSpain

International Christian Assembly, Calle Beniajan 14, Torrevieja -Evangelical Church. Sunday Service 11

a.m.; - Contact 966 799 273 / 660 127 276. Evangelical non-denominational church. ww.icatorrevieja.org

The Car of the Month at AUTOMOVILES CRESPO is a very attractive 2019 Ford Ecosport ST-Line Petrol which is priced at just 17,900 euro.

Come along to our large showroom in Elche and see our vast range of new and used cars or call 96 666 22 60 for all our latest offers. See page7. We can assure you of the biggest and best in the area for price, choice and quality.

ENGLISH SPOKEN

COMMUNITYCARE ASSOCIATION (CCA) is an Association that caters for residents of Orihuela Costa over 60 years of age. It facilitates the provision of fair and adequate social facilities for everyone. It is located at the Centro Civico Alameda del Mar. Open 3 times a week for a programme of English speaking activities, support, information and advice with the support of Orihuela Council. Anyone wanting to join CCAsocial activities, learn Spanish, to paint, watercolours or acrylics can pop along where you will be welcomed by volunteers. We are open between 2pm -6pm Mondays and Thursdays, Wednesday 2pm - 5pm. You can register between 1pm & 2pm on those days, in the Cafe area where you will find Eva or Norah. email: communitycare@gmail.com

on +44 7576 117 222, Secretary Steve Hemingfield 0n Mob/Whats 711 011 373

The RAFACosta Blanca RMG is a social group of caring people and remains affiliated to the parent Association. Contact with the RAFAand the RMG is via the RAFA website rafa.org.uk.

Kayak with paddles in good condition euro 150 Mountain bike old but works well euro 40 ONO. Call667 314 378 (2) For Sale Harley Fatboy front wheel rim. Never used. 150Ä. Tel: 711 041 018 (2)

Business Opportunity: LOOKING FOR Silent Business Partner for small Private Care Home. Invest 10K and get 20K back in 14 months. 747 438 225 (3)

Law Services: PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR, Solicitor, Debt Collections, Bad Tenants. 747 438 225 (3)

Los Alc·zares Digital Camera Club. Interested in photography? We invite you to come and join us at our twice monthly meetings. Please contact coordinatorladcc@ gmail.com or see http://www.los-alcazarescamera.club/ for details.

Age Concern Costa Blanca Sur is here to help you with problem solving and well being for the over 50ís. We need volunteer Drivers and people to join our Home Visiting Team to visit a Residential Home, and take them out for a coffee. Call into our centre at C/Paganini s/n, Urb. La Siesta 03184 Torrevieja or ring 966 786 887. Or email: costablanca@ageconcern.org.es

Royal Naval Association, Torrevieja Branch now meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 5pm at the Lakeview bar/restaurant, Quesada. For more info contact Chairman Tony Jenkins

Bungalow Long Term Rental 2 bedrooms 2 bathrooms Garden. La Zenia Area. Call Claire 658 098 397 (2)

FREE

CLASSIFIED ADS

If you have items that are WANTED or FOR SALE, ANNOUNCEMENTS, NOTICES and suchlike, advertise them, to a maximum of 35 words, FREE OF CHARGE, on this page. SEND BY EMAIL TO: office@theleader.info

‘POLI’ TURTLE SPAWNS IN CAPE OF SANTA POLA

By Andrew Atkinson

A 'POLI' turtle that is being monitored by satellite has laid 97 eggs in Cape Santa Pola.

"The turtle came out to lay in the Carabassí and a satellite tag was installed," said a spokesperson from the University of Valencia.

"During July we have been able to get a little ahead of the movements of the Poli turtle, to guarantee success and protect the nest on beaches.

"He was about to go out on a beach in the Torrevieja-Orihuela sector. The beach cleaning services of both municipalities were notified, and a visit was carried out on all the coves and beaches in the area, in case it had come out.

"But, finally it continued heading north and on

July 14, at sunset, it was close to Cape Santa Pola. It was possible to notify the Local Police and beach cleaners of Santa Pola and Elche.

"On this occasion, it did come out and lay 97 eggs, but in a pebble cove - like many in that area - and very close to the shore.

"The nest was moved to the dunes of Carabassí, Gran Alacant, where the turtle had already laid a few weeks ago.

"The nest will remain protected there, until it hatches in about two months.

"We are still in the middle of the season. They can still come out to spawn more turtles. If you find one on the beach at night, stay away, do not disturb it or illuminate it and call 112," said the spokesperson.

ABANDONED HORSE REHOMED IN ELCHE

Following a call from a concerned neighbour, the Local Police in Elche have rescued and rehomed an abandoned horse.

For several weeks, officers have been delivering food to the animal, in order to check on its status, and gain its trust. The horse has now found a home where it will be cared for thanks to the Associacion Amla.

Poli turtle laid 97 eggs in pebble cove.

Nest moved to dunes of Carabassí, protected until hatching.

PERCY’S RAMBLINGS

THE GOLD RUSH

Ihave frequently, through this column, referred to the horrors of a cashless society, having just got back from a visit to the UK I cannot help wondering if it is too late.

Although I had intended to draw British money on arrival it did not happen while everywhere, not only accepted a card but also expected to be paid that way.

That meant for every pound we spent approximately 5% went to the banks for supplying the service, when in reality that sum of money could have stayed in circulation if we had used cash and the plastic in our wallets did not exist.

Any form of travelling is not without mishap, alright it does not have to be, but frequently is. We were on one of EasyJet’s modern planes on the way back to Spain, I was sitting next to my wife enjoying the ride and we were nattering in general.

The space in an aircraft, as everyone knows is limited, when suddenly Jean asked if I had dropped anything as she thought she saw something fall and sure enough my gold signet ring was missing off my finger.

People were very kind as once it was known Individuals in three rows of seats were searching the cabin floor to see if they could find it.

To a man, well at least me, ladies’ handbags are a place not to venture into its secrets and bits and pieces that only a woman would know the use of, I say that with respect, but my darling searched through her bag several times while torches from the modern mobiles were being flashed under the seats. Then Jean found it somewhere in the inner confines of her bag which had been open on the floor in front of us, which the item sliding off my finger had dropped into. Our appreciation to all the fellow passengers who helped by studying the floor of the Airbus 320. The journey was surprising as we thought there was a recession, where in the past at such a time everywhere is quiet and yet this time public houses were full with diners spilling out into the gardens, a change from when we were there five years ago, also traffic levels seemed to be a lot higher, perhaps that was comparing it with where we live, where six cars in a line is a congestion.

YOU ARE NICKED

Not many of us can remember a ‘Beat Policeman’ walking the streets especially at night, well many moons ago it used to be normal, although I understand some towns, struggling with misbehaviour and other hor-

rors on the highways are considering bringing them back.

We had been touring around Scotland, just the two of us, finding hotels as we travelled about, which had not been difficult in what was the old world of Scotland before the digital age hit it with items like ‘TripAdvisor’ to show the way.

We were making our way southward and as usual with the holiday, no real plan where we were going next. Barrow in Furness seemed a good idea, so we poured over the maps and made our way there.

With the narrow twisty roads of that time, it was late and getting dark when we arrived in the vicinity of the town, we then discovered there was some convention on at that time and the agents had occupied the hotels which were fully booked with no room, not even for the two of us.

We were wandering along the waterfront and there strolling along a smartly dressed local Bobby. In desperation we explained our predicament, I think he was quite pleased to have someone to talk to.

He nodded his head as we explained to him the problem of somewhere to stay, to which he confirmed the town was full of delegates to some engineering conference.

He pointed to a side turning a little way ahead and said at the far end of it we would find a house with rooms to let. We thanked him and with some relief I turned into the turning only to discover it was one way – and not the way we are going. So, I backed out. In the mirror I could see our friendly policeman taking his notebook out and he booked me for going up a one-way street the wrong way.

I pointed out to him he had sent us up that road – he smiled, shaking his head and said, “No I told you there was a house up that road that let out rooms I did not tell you to drive up it.”

The house with the rooms, although it did not have a red light outside, was no more than scruffy accommodation they let out by the hour.

THE MIDDLE AGE RUNNER

Not many people have heard of ‘Valintina Petrillo’, she, and I say it with trepidation as I do not believe a born man should be able to compete in women’s competition. In this case we are in Paris at the World para Athletics Championships where this trans person raced in the 400 metres, and despite approaching middle age and being in her late forties, and eighteen years older than the others in the

event, this birth man managed to come in third, which to my mind proves the point that the trans female is stronger, and if for only ‘fairness in sport’ they should not be able to take part in female events.

I have always wanted to take up motor racing. Maybe it’s not too late to start. I could be

a ‘trans Stirling Moss’, ah, but if I really want to win, I will need to be a Formula One car with four giant wheels on each of my corners.

However, that is all make believe as in the end we are either male or female. Take care. www.facebook.com Percychatteybooks

AIR EUROPA PILOTS STRIKE DEAL TO END CONFLICT

The Sindicato Español de Pilotos de Líneas Aéreas (Sepla) union representing pilots at Air Europa, and the management of the airline, have reached an agreement to end the ongoing labour dispute, although it must still be ratified by the collective of pilots through an assembly and subsequent vote.

Company fined over a million euro for using self-employed workers

Clintu, which offers home cleaning services, has been ordered to pay 1.29 million euro in arrears for Social Security contributions, as it is considered proven that there was an employment relationship between the company and its 505 workers, who were operating as self-employed, but carrying out the functions which should have required for them to be contracted by the firm.

The sentence highlights the precarious situation of many companies who falsely employ the services of self-employed workers who should be contracted.

GERMAN DOCTORS RECOMMENDING THE SIESTA

We are all experiencing the real-term effects of global warming, with temperatures already breaking records in many places, but for German workers, there may be a slight benefit, in that doctors are suggesting they take a siesta.

The recommendation comes in a hot period in Germany. The German meteorological service forecast maximum temperatures of 24 degrees in the north at the beginning of this week and levels dropping below 20 degrees along the North Sea. The maximum was forecast to be reached in the south, with between 28 and 27 degrees.

In this series of summer driving dos and don’ts, we have covered everything from positioning in the vehicle to keeping our picnic safe, but one thing we have not looked at yet is our furry friends, so what happens if we want to take our dog on a summer drive?

Firstly, just like everything else we have spoken about, whether humans or goods, animals must also be secured in the vehicle. However, there is an additional rule, in that they must not be able to interfere with the driver in any way.

A common appearance on the roads in summer is a beloved pet being carried sat on the lap of a front seated passenger, totally unrestrained, other than perhaps the hands of the human upon it. This is extremely dangerous, especially for the animal, and with that in mind, you will perhaps not be surprised to hear, illegal.

There is a specific offence of having insecure animals in the vehicle, which is punishable by an immediate fine of 80 euro.

Having an animal in the vehicle that could interfere with the driver is dangerous, so a dog sat loose on the front seat for example is not allowed. Carrying animals which are not properly restrained is dangerous to them too. Allowing your dog to hang out of the window, which might be a favourite past time for some, is not allowed, as it is dangerous to the animal, and can interfere with the overall visibility.

In terms of keeping an animal secure, then they can be placed inside a case, cage, or box, for example, but then that device must also

be properly secured to the vehicle. You can but specific dog straps which attach to the seat belt fixtures in the vehicle. These are allowed, so long as the animal is secure and there is no way it can reach the driver, so again, the front seat id most likely not the best place.

Animals are unpredictable, especially in environments they are unsure of or not used to. If loose, they could interfere with the driver´s ability or visibility. In the event of a crash, the animal would suffer considerable injury and, most likely, death.

If you are on a longer drive and need to stop for a call of nature, then again, you must ensure that the animal is secure and not able to run into the road. In strange an alien environment, animals can behave unpredictably, and so you must ensure that you have control at all times, never allowing the animal to run freely.

Again, to be clear, the picture accompanying this article shows an action which is not allowed.

The largest shopping centre in the province of Alicante,has registered 18% more visitors than during the same period last year and now exceeds the preCovid figures

Managed by Nhood and owned by Ceetrus and CBRE Investment Management,located in Orihuela Costa (Alicante),during the first six months of 2023,Zenia Boulevard Shopping Centre,registered a total of 6,465,702 of visitors.

Cristina Ros,Director of the Zenia Boulevard Shopping Center,said,“these figures show the effort that the entire team is making so that our visitors enjoy a unique experience and want to come back.

Last year we celebrated our tenth anniversary,breaking many records.We can now see that 2023 will also be a very positive year and we will exceed the more than the 13.8 million reached in 2022.

July and August are the months in which the centre receives the most visitors in the whole year.We are very grateful to all the people who visit us and consider Zenia a unique meeting point.

During the second half of 2023,we will continue with the comprehensive remodeling of the shopping centre to

continue as one of the main reference points for leisure,shopping and entertainment in the province,improving the visiting experience of our customers and attracting customers from other cities in the area of influence".

Zenia Boulevard,opened in 2012,is the largest shopping centre in the province of Alicante.

Located in Orihuela Costa,in a strategic position in the surroundings of Orihuela,it has more than 150 commercial premises.

During its ten years of life it has registered more than 120 million visitors.It organizes events and activities for clients practically every day of the year.

18 MILLION EUROS FOR THE REFORM OF ZENIA BOULEVARD

Zenia Boulevard is investing 18 million euros in its comprehensive refurbishment project,which will include improving the facades,pavement,rest areas,green areas and restaurant areas, as well as children's leisure areas.

The central motive behind the new image of the shopping centre is the idea of becoming a lived-in town with a story to tell,a tourist spot where a melting pot of cultures come together,a more sustainable,more comfortable place,with more services,more attractive with state of the art technology.

Z E N I A B O U L E V A R D H O S T S 6 . 4 M I L L I O N VISITORS IN FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2023

MONTE LOCAL BOY TAKES CHARGE

youth and senior appearances for CD Montesinos over two decades,taking up an Under-15-16-17s coaching role.

"My family are from Montesinos,my father was a player for the club and President for many years,the club is very close to my heart," said Joni.

His father Jaime - Pepe - sadly passed away in 2019,with the club having a minutes silence in honour of his services to the club.

“I never dreamt that one day I would follow in the footsteps of my father as President.

"Being President never crossed my mind.But I knew that one day I was going to be involved,in one way or another," said Joni.

The club have a solid fan base and 'Full Monte' Supporters Club President Eddie Cagigao told The Leader: "The message to the fans is 'Keep The Faith'.

"It might be a little bit difficult at first.We've got a lot of new players,with pre-season starting in August,with four or five friendlies,and the Fred Griggs Full Monte Trophy v Saladar on August 27,prior to the 2023-24 season kickingoff on September 10."

By Andrew Atkinson

Los Montesinos born Joni Lorente has stepped in to save the town's football club CD Montesinos,taking over the mantle of President ahead of the 2023-24 season. Speaking exclusively to The Leader,Joni,affectionately known as 'Macan',who succeeds outgoing President Alfredo Macia,said: "I'm very excited to become President of CD Montesinos.

"It's a new challenge for me,and I'm very happy and determined to succeed.

PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE 2023/2024 SEASON

The new Premier League season is nearly upon us and for some fans, the pre-season and transfer window is one of the most exciting times.

With lots of new players snapped up from around the world, as well as new and talented players rising from the Championship, there’s lots to look forward to. Lets look at three new players worth keeping an eye on for the new season.

SANDRO TONALI - NEWCASTLE

After a very impressive season, Newcastle United has looked to build upon their squad, adding depth, with extra games to play in Europe in 2023/24.

One early signing is Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali. Signed from AC Milan on a five-year deal, Newcastle has arguably tied down the 23-year-old for the prime years of his career.

The young international has already played in the Champions League, reaching the semifinals in 2022/23, and has a Serie A title under his belt from the 2021/22 season.

Tonali is a bit of an all-round midfielder. He’s physical, hardworking and technically gifted, and can chip in with goals and assists. He scored seven goals and assisted in 13 in 130 games for Milan. He’s certainly one to watch for The Magpies this year.

JOSH CULLEN - BURNLEY

Republic of Ireland international midfielder Josh Cullen enjoyed a superb year for Burnley as he helped them romp to the Championship title last year.

Cullen began life at West Ham, but unable to break into the team, he joined Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht in 2020. The diminutive playmaker works incredibly hard for the team but also chips in with the odd assist and occasional goal.

When Kompany got the Burnley job, Cullen was his first sign-

"Montesinos is my town - it's where I have spent my life, and I've played for the club at different levels during that time.

"I went to Elche FC for a few years,but this is where I belong.Montesinos is my club,my team."

Following the shake-up,that saw ex-Racing San Miguel coach Dani Williscroft 'Willy' appointed as manager ahead of the 2023-24 season,a new Committee was formed,consisting of Monte former players,and a group of associates.

Joni retired in 2022 from playing after a career spanning

CD Montesinos will play in the newly formed (FFCV) G8 2nd Valencia Federation this season.

On Macan,Eddie said: "Montesinos is part of Macan's DNA,he's been here since he was a kid.His love is hereit's his town,born here,as was his parents.

"It's in his heart and soul - that's why I think he's going to do well."

*CD Montesinos-Leader Exclusive interviews with Macan, Eddie Cagigao and new manager 'Willy' continue next week.

Carp-R-Us Fishing

Round two of the Carp-R-Us Summer/Autumn Series was fished at the El Bosquet complex on pegs 26-40. The previous couple of days had been very hot, but fortunately the match was fished in mainly cloudy conditions with the odd light shower and a light breeze helping make the conditions not too bad.

Over the last year or so this stretch has seen a large increase in the number of mullet and a gradual drop in the number of carp caught and so was the case today when, if you wanted to fish for them, there were mullet aplenty, but the carp were more elusive. First was Jeremy Fardoe with 13.00kg caught on pole and bread from peg 28.

ing. In his debut year, he was voted Players’ Player of the Season and Fans Player of the Season.

He’s pipped to be ever-present for Burnley again this year, and as he’s proved at international level, the step up in quality in the Premier League won’t faze him.

EBERECHI EZE - CRYSTAL PALACE

Eberechi Eze enjoyed something of a breakout year for Crystal Palace last season. Eze particularly flourished under manager Roy Hodgson, when he was brought in at the end of last season to save the club from relegation.

Eze proved instrumental in that last push. His driving runs, skill with the ball, and crucial goals and assists propelled Palace up the league and finally had people talking about his ability.

It even led England manager Gareth Southgate to call him up to the squad, and in May 2023, he made his international debut against Malta.

Hopes are high for this talented young man. At 25 years old, it’s potentially a make or break season for Eze. Palace fans will hope he can build upon his impressive form, but only time will tell.

Unfortunately, Jeremy’s day ended with him stripped to his underwear and entering the water to rescue a couple of sections of his pole that had fallen in. Second was Dave Hutchinson on peg 34 who did include a couple of good carp in his 8.64kg caught on pole and maggot. Third was Richard Crawshaw with 8.42kg caught using feeder and maggot and fourth was the ever-consistent Willy Moons with 6.80kg also on feeder.

Further information about the club can be found on its website www.carp-r-us.weebly.com or on the Facebook page Carp-R-Us Fishing Costa Blanca

At the AGM the Club Socio’s voted in a new committee for the next four seasons IMAGE - Monte FB

Republic of Ireland international midfielder Josh Cullen

SPANISH DOUBLE AGAINST ENGLISH OPPOSITION AT PINATAR ARENA

Adouble treat for football fans at Pinatar arena on Friday as Sheffield

Wednesday met Eldense in the morning session while Arsenal

U/21 entertained Villarreal C in a clash that put-on show some of the future stars of world soccer in the Pinatarense complex.

In the final game of their pre season break, in the searing Spanish heat, the Owls were well beaten in the morning game, getting off to the worst possible start when CD Eldense, took the lead in just the 5th minute, with a great goal from Arnau Ortíz, the 21-year-old rifling past Cameron Dawson from outside the box.

For the next half hort things were fairly even with both sides enjoying opportunities, but then in 35th minute when a well-worked move from Eldense saw Juanto Ortuno find space, and he crashed it home from closerange to double the Spaniards’ lead. Eldense made wholesale changes at the interval as they brought on 10 and fresh sets of legs, including six new signings. Akin Famewo was the only change for the Owls, replacing Adam Alimi-Adetoro.

Unsurprisingly given the heat there

was no real intensity to the second half until the final 20 minutes or so.

Wednesday still couldn’t find any rhythm and by the 79th minute it was

3-0 Joel Jorquera finding space in the box to bend it around Dawson and inside the far post.

Eldense made it four as Ivan Chapela broke through on goal and slotted it past Pierce Charles, shortly after he had replaced Dawson in goal.

Earlier in the week the Owls had played out a goalless draw with Real Murcia, another game in which they failed to inspire, the message being that they will need to add to their squad fairly quickly if their promotion to the championship is to bear any fruit.

In the evening game it was the turn of Arsenal U21 to face Villarreal C in front of some 700 spectators where two goals from the Spanish outfit, the second a sensational free kick from Alassan, saw them achieve a comfortable victory.

Once again, another great day for local afficionados with plenty more still to come in the next weeks as Pinatar Arena and the Costa Calida continues to reference the area as one of the very best locations for quality football. www.pinatararena.com

By Andrew Atkinson

Racing San Miguel continue to add to their squad for the 2023-24 season with the renewal of utility player Diego Ledesma's contract.

"Diego is an offensive player who can play in midfield and attack, and stands out for his technical abilities," said a club spokesperson.

Diego arrived at Montesico Blanco at the end of last season after having achieved promotion with Balsicas and has now committed for one more year with the red and blue team.

Paco renews contracts of trio Àlvaro, Bryan, and Antonio

At CF Atlético Algorfa coach Paco Martinez has also renewed the contracts of trio, young Algorfian midfielder Àlvaro, Bryan, and Antonio Muñoz for the 2023-24 season.

"Álvaro will be an important part of our midfield while Bryan is a master of set pieces. Antonio, meanwhile, is a top level forward," added a club spokesperson.

Still with Algorfa where the youngsters celebrated the incredible end of the 2023 summer 10 days campus at the Juan Carlos I de Algorfa sports centre. “It was an unforgettable summer sporting event, enjoyed by both the families and the children," added a club coach.

QUIZ FROM PAGE 14:

1.Brasilia, 2.Answer c.Denmark, 3. Bob Seger, 4.Nice (from Nike), 5.I am Legend, 6.In Flanders Fields, 7. Libya, 8.Murder, 9.Two answers. Europe (Europa) and Asia (mother of Atlas), 10.Four answers.a.Hard Day's Night (Beatles), b.All Day And All Of The Night (Kinks), c. Because The Night (Patti Smith), d. Night Moves (Bob Seger) 11.Toledo, 12.Water polo, 13.Answer a. Hurricane (from the Mayan 'Huracan'), 14.Four answers.a. Leon:The Professional, b.The 5th Element, c.Bram Stocker's Dracula, d.Air Force One 15.Kodiak, 16. Macao, 17.Answer d.rosemary (from 'rosmarinus'), 18.Steve Winwood, 19.Michelangelo Buonarroti, 20.Madiera

SUDUK SUDUK O SOLUTION O SOLUTION

Algorfa Summer Football Camp

The Owls were well beaten by Eldense while Arsenal U/21 lost by a brace to Villarreal C