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Euro Weekly News - Mallorca 30 July - 5 August 2015 Issue 1569

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ISSUE NO. 1569

30 July - 5 August 2015

MALLORCA

YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION

No help for fire victims WAIT for compensation goes on

It has been two years since the worst forest fire seen in the Balearic Islands, and owners of properties damaged by the blaze

are still waiting for financial help. The fire destroyed more than 2,400 hectares of mountain areas within the Sierra de Tramuntana

Natural Location, affecting the towns of Estellencs, Calvia and ma inly A ndra tx. The a re a w a s considered a UNESCO World

Heritage Site. M or e t han 90 per cent of t he area destroyed by the fire belonged Turn to Page 4 to around

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LOCAL NEWS

Town project ARTA Town Council has come up with a project to improve the appearance of the town as well as increase the number of available hotel rooms by restoring abandoned

buildings. The accommodation would be managed by the council and an increased number of tourists would help to boost business in local shops and restaurants.

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NEWS

130,000 signatures to ban bullfighting CAMPAIGN has been backed by Palma City Hall’s ruling parties FLICKR BY EQUANIMAL.

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Pool broken into INTRUDERS entered the indoor swimming pool facilities in Lloseta, broke into the safe in reception and rummaged through drawers, getting away with €600. The robbery was reported by the local councillor for Sports who told Guardia Civil the intruders had entered through an open window. It is thought they had been in the building before.

Dumping sites PALMA City Hall and the Mallorca Industrial Association plan to take action together to do away with more than 20 illegal dumping sites on Son Castello and Can Valero

industrial estates. Their plan includes raising awareness amongst business owners and their employees about the importance of taking care of industrial areas.

ANTI-BULLFIGHTING: Signatures were collected by the Mallorca Sense Sang.

By Staff Reporter PALMA City Hall received 130,000 signatures supporting a bullfighting ban today. The signatures were collect-

ed by the Mallorca Sense Sang (Without Blood) campaign organised by animal welfare group Anima Naturalis in the aim to ban bullfighting throughout the Balearic Islands.

The next step is to request the prohibition of bullfights in the Balearic Parliament. Nineteen towns in Mallorca have already been declared anti-bullfighting and Palma plans

to do so on Thursday. The campaign has been backed by Palma City Hall’s ruling parties, the socialists PSOE, nationalists Mes and populists Som Palma.


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30 July - 5 August 2015 / Mallorca

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Limited swimming

FEATURED NEWS

Castellers and Falcons - Castles in the air

Numbers restricted THE number of people allowed to access the municipal swimming pool in Binissalem has been restricted by the town hall to 172 to avoid having it closed down by the Health Department.

Lorry theft

HUMAN towers or castles can be built as high as nine storeys

Cordon Press

Making deliveries NATIONAL POLICE are investigating the disappearance of a lorry loaded with butane gas bottles in the Son Ferriol area of Palma. The driver left the keys in the ignition while he was making deliveries.

Office robber Prison sentence A MAN, 38, has been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison for 17 robberies in lawyers offices in Palma between 2013 and 2014. He also targeted small companies, a charity and an architect’s office.

Knife fight Three injured

Spanish gold Sunken treasure found

CLIMBING HIGH: Human towers are a Catalan tradition.

By Carol Irving BARCELONA is famous for the Castellers festival, which features human towers and other Catalan traditions. The human towers are a regular feature throughout the summer, and can be seen outside Barcelona Cathedral at 7.30pm on most Saturdays until August 29. Castell is the Catalan word for castle and this tradition of building castles out of people began in Valls, Tarragona, when different local groups called colles, began to hold competitions to build human towers. The towers have different storeys which are ‘built’ on a firm base called the pinya. This keeps

€28.2 billion is the amount spent by tourists from abroad in Spain over the first six months of this year, 7.4 per cent more than in the first half of 2014, the results of the Egatur tourist spending survey have revealed.

the structure stable. In recent years, the towers have gradually got higher and higher, with as many as nine storeys occasionally constructed. Children, and younger people are often at the top of the tower as they are more nimble at climbing and they wear helmets to protect themselves. Those taking part in the human towers are called castellers or castle-makers. Falcons are similar, but are focused on creating different shapes like pyramids. As part of the tradition, music is played at each stage of the construction. Music also accompanies the casteller, usually in the form of a flute and a small drum.

A FAMILY in Florida has recovered treasure estimated to be worth more than a million dollars from a Spanish ship which sank in the Atlantic in 1715. The find includes 51 gold coins and a 12metre-long gold chain.

Quote of the Week They’re probably confusing transsexual with homosexual as many others do; it makes no sense for the church to act this way against a faithful believer,” said Gonzalo Serrano, President of the Andalucian Rainbow Federation

THREE people were injured in a knife fight between rival gypsy clans in Llucmajor. The man who sustained the worst injuries had not been involved in the original argument and was trying to separate two others.

Horses suffer Protest march AROUND 50 animal lovers held a march in the Paseo del Borne area to protest against the situation of horses which pull carts in the area all day long, facing extremely high temperatures. They claim the horses are being abused and exploited.

Dead fish

Changes to the rules for civil servants THE Balearic Government has begun the process to do away with a lifelong payment for civil servants known as ‘nivel 33’ (level 33). The regional government also plans to once again make

knowledge of the Catalan language a requirement to be able to work in positions in public administration offices. This was proposed by the councillor for Taxes and Public Administration, Catalina

Cladera, according to the regional government spokesman, Marc Pons. All former civil servants who receive the payment will continue to be entitled to it, but once the law is changed, those

who retire will not receive it. The law is due to be approved within a few months. The former conservative Partido Popular government did away with the obligation for all civil servants to speak Catalan

and it was a requirement only for those who worked directly with the public. The President said that members of the public should be able to use whichever language they preferred.

Killed by poachers A MAN has reported the discovery of 25 dead ray fish on the seabed in the Port de Valldemossa area, apparently killed by poachers. They protected species had not been dead long and were not decomposing.


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INDEX News 1 - 21

Featured News 3

News Desk 22

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Tourists spend more in first six months €3.75 BILLION expenditure is 8.4 per cent up on last year

European Press 24

Russian Press 25

Finance 27 - 32

Stocks 28

Leapy 33

Our View 34

Colin Bird 34

Mike Walsh 34

Flickr by Brian Mullender.

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By Staff Reporter FOREIGN tourists spent €3.75 billion in the Balearic Islands in the first six months of this year, 8.4 per cent more than during the same period last year. The average daily expenditure also increased by 6.5 per cent to €112 as well as the average expenditure per tourist, which rose 3.9 per cent to €853. According to the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism, the Balearics was the region which saw the second highest spending levels in the first six months of this year, beaten only by Cataluña, which accounted for 24.5 per cent of the total in Spain, while the Balearics saw 24.4 per cent. The UK was the market which contributed most to the improvements. In June, tourists spent €1.57 billion in the Balearics, 2.9 per cent more than in June 2014, with an average daily expenditure of €117 (up by 3.7 per cent) and an average per tourist of €912 (up 3.4 per cent).

ON HOLIDAY: UK visitors contributed most to the improvements.

Vicki McLeod 35

Daily TV 36

Letters 38

Time Out 39 - 42

Health & Beauty 44 - 45

Social Scene 46 - 47

Homes & Gardens 51

Property 52 - 54

Pets 55

Classifieds 56 - 57

Motoring 58 - 59

Boats 60 - 61

Sport 62 + 64

The wait goes on for fire victims From Front Page

700 private properties in Andratx. Assistance amounting to €100,000 was promised by the town hall and included in this

year’s budget, but so far, nothing has materialised, not even the conditions for accessing the aid. Local Councillor Estefania Gonzalvo has promised that a meeting will be held with prop-

erty owners in September. The regional Environmental Department met with them a month after the fire and announced plans to reforest and restore the area, but locals say

that so far nothing has been done on private property. However, the town hall and local volunteers helped to plant trees in an area which is now municipal property.

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Briton threatens doormen with machete A BRITISH man, 24, was arrested in Magaluf after threatening the doormen at several discos with a large machete. According to the Guardia Civil, he and a group of other young man began beating a doorman outside a disco after they were removed from the establishment for causing problems. Several other people went to help the victim and found that one of the men was carrying a machete which they were able to take from him. When the group of youths fled the area, they took it with them and threw it away in an alley. Plain-clothes Guardia Civil officers working in the area were able to locate and arrest the man, who was charged with threatening behaviour and causing bodily harm. A Frenchman, aged 40, was arrested in the same area of Magaluf for mugging a couple of tourists, stealing €50 and a mobile phone, and for selling drugs.

Hells Angels out on bail GANG leader Hanebuth puts up €60,000

RAID: Police operation resulted in 18 people in prison and 12 out on bail.

By Staff Reporter THE leader of the Hells Angels in Europe, Frank-Armin Hanebuth, has been released from prison after paying bail of €60,000. His main man in Mallorca, Khalil Youssafi, paid the same amount to be released under the conditions of the National Court. Both have had to hand in their passports, are banned from leaving Spain and have to appear in court every day. They have been in prison on remand since July 2013, and the term had been extended by the judge, but their lawyers appealed the situation and got them released on bail. National Court Judge Eloy Velasco, who is handling the case, intends to try 55 alleged members and collaborators of the

Hells Angels for belonging to a criminal organisation, blackmail, prostitution, white slave trade, fraud, holding persons against their will and money laundering, amongst other crimes. The investigation began in 2009 following the appearance of a chapter of the biker gang in Mallorca with members from Turkey. It broke up in 2011, but a new chapter began to operate in 2012. In June 2013, an operation against the gang resulted in 18 people in prison, and 12 more released on bail. One of the gang’s main sources of income was prostitution. Hanebuth was allegedly the leader of Hells Angels in Hanover, Germany, and considered one of the main leaders of the gang in Europe. He had only been in Mallorca for two months.

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NEWS EXTRA

Death toll THE death toll on the roads of the Balearic Islands has risen by 50 per cent so far this year with 31 victims according to the State Traffic Department (DGT) while the total for the whole of last year was 28.

Tractor accident A MAN, 24, was taken to hospital with severe injuries to his leg after being run over by a tractor while he was working on a property in Son Servera. Firemen, paramedics and Local Police attended the scene of the accident.

NEWS

Rodrigo Rato is visiting Mallorca THE former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Rodrigo Rato, was spotted arriving in Mallorca on holiday. He was seen at Palma Airport returning from Madrid where he had refused to testify in the Bankia case and is charged with five tax-related crimes, money laundering and fraudulent conveyance by the Anti-corruption Prosecutor and the National Bureau for Fraud Investigation. Rato, who was President of Bankia and Financial Vice-President during the Partido Popular rule of Jose Maria Aznar, ignored the questions of the press upon his arrival. He has since been spotted enjoying himself aboard a yacht in the Mediterranean with his girlfriend.

Night watch A MAN, 23, was arrested in Palma for allegedly jumping over a fence so he could watch his former partner, 29, while she slept. When she awoke and found him there she called the Local Police and he fled.

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Flickr by Parlamento de Cantabria.

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KING FELIPE VI: Expected to arrive on the island to holiday with Queen Letizia and their two daughters.

Armengol ‘proud’ of Royal presence KING FELIPE expected to take part in the Sailing Cup By Staff Reporter

RODRIGO RATO: Spotted arriving in Mallorca.

Wants no more rubbish MALLORCA councillor for the Environment, Sandra Espeja, has requested the regional government abolish the law which allows rubbish to be brought from outside Balearic Islands.

Espeja said that Mallorca wants to stop being Europe’s tip and that she plans to talk to the different levels of government to ensure more information and better transparency.

THE new President of the Balearic Government, Francina Armengol, met with King Felipe VI, and said the region was “proud” that he comes to Mallorca. Armengol was received at La Zarzuela Palace in Madrid and announced that King Felipe, Queen Letizia and their two daughters, Leonor and Sofia, are expected to arrive on the island at the end of the week to spend a holiday at the Marivent Palace like every year. King Felipe is expected to take part in the Sailing Cup from August 1 to 8. Other members of the Royal Family are already holidaying in Mallorca. During her audience with the king, Armengol explained how the new Balearic Government is to be organised and that there are

plans to open the gardens of Marivent Palace to the public, although they would have to be discussed and approved by the Royal Family. She explained the presence of the Royal Family had always been beneficial for the island. Five of Spain’s eight Royal grandchildren began sailing lessons in Mallorca this week. Victoria Federica, the daughter of the Infanta Elena and Jaime de Marichalar, and Juan Valentin, Pablo Nicolas, Miguel and Irene, the children of the Infanta Cristina and Iñaki Urdangarin, attended the Cala Nova Sailing Club with their grandmother, Queen Sofia. The Spanish Royals have been seen practising sailing activities every summer in Mallorca. The oldest of the Royal grandchildren, Froilan, now 17, has not yet been seen this summer and it is rumoured he no longer enjoys spending time with his younger cousins.

Luxury sales are steady FIVE per cent of luxury purchases in Spain are made in Mallorca. The highest percentage of

luxury goods are sold in Barcelona (32 per cent), followed by Marbella (27 per cent), Madrid (18 per cent) and Ibiza (8 per cent), while the remaining 5 per cent of purchases are made in the rest of Spain. Within the EU, Spain holds the fifth position for luxury sales, after France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland. While many sectors have seen production and sales fall, the luxury market in Spain is seeing better results, including exports, according to the

Spanish Luxury Association. International buyers are attracted by Spanish products and an increasing number of people visit Spain to purchase them. Exports are mainly to the USA, Japan, India, Qatar, Mexico and Colombia; and within Europe, to Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and Italy. The main sectors are gourmet and beauty products, with 55 per cent of sales, followed by tourism and services. However, fashion, jewellery and leather goods are also seeing sales increase.


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Plaque marks railway history A PLAQUE was unveiled at the site where the original Palma-Inca railway tracks started to mark the 140th anniversary of Mallorca’s railways. When the route was changed, no trace of the original train station was left. In order to recover the memory of Palma’s first railway, the City Hall, the Mallorca Railway Services and the Friends of the Railway decided to install a plaque at kilometre 0. The local councillor for Infrastructures and Accessibility, Rodrigo A Romero, said that it was part of Mallorca’s historical memory and that the plaque marked the arrival of the train on February 24, 1875.

Chill-out lounge ordered to close PALMA City Hall has ordered the immediate closure of the chill-out lounge at Sant Carles fortress. The establishment was given two days to close as it had no licence to open or carry out work. It was located in the fortress which was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest. The councillor for City Planning said that the work to prepare it for opening was carried out illegally and that although it had a licence from the Port Authorities, as it is not used for maritime activities, it also needs authorisation from the city hall. The permit to carry out the work was reportedly requested when it was almost finished and the work, including a swimming pool, does not match the original project which was approved.

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Plans to change law on inheritance ASSETS where the deceased leaves no will and has no relatives are to go to region THE Balearic Government plans to change the law so that assets which have not been assigned in a will are

transferred to the region. It is currently assigned to the state, but the regional government plans to

start procedures in order to modify regional civil law. In the past four years, €2.11 mil-

lion has gone to the state from the assets of the deceased who had no relatives and had not made a will.


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No room on the island

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Changes rushed GOVERNMENT sources admit steps were missed out Flickr by Xavier Trias

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HIGH demand from the Spanish, British, Scandinavian, French, Italian, Swiss and German markets is causing occupancy problems all over the island, as there are not enough available rooms. According to hoteliers, tour operators and holiday rental companies, the problem will continue until the last week of August. Demand is higher than expected and recently last minute bookings have boomed. Hotels are having to turn people away to accommodation with rooms available. Mallorca is gaining popularity as a family tourist destination, as well as with alternative markets. Palma Airport is seeing record numbers of passengers this month, partly due to Spanish and Central European timeshare residential tourism.

CATALAN FLAG: Was banned in schools by former government. By Staff Reporter THE new Balearic Government abolished the ‘Symbols Law’ of the previous governing team without following the proper channels. Jose Ramon Bauza of the conservative Partido Popular introduced a law in 2013 which banned the use of the Catalan flag in schools which was greatly criticised.

One of the first measures of the new government was to approve plans to abolish the law. However, this was not consulted with the Personnel Committee or the Balearic Public Fun ct i ons Counci l , exper t s say, meaning that the plan is defective. It hasn’t been reviewed by unions either. Government sources admit that steps were missed out, but that the plan has now been approved by the Parliament.

NEWS

Free child dental treatment AROUND 35,300 children aged between six and 15 in the Baleaaric Islands received free dental treatment in 2014. The Children’s Dental Care Programme (PADI), has been running for 10 years on the islands and covers 31.5 per cent of the infant population. It is run by the Health Department in collaboration with 154 public and private dentists. This year, 90,385 children in Mallorca could benefit from the programme, and throughout the region, the number amounts to 114,007. The service includes an annual check-up, x-rays, fillings, cleaning, special treatment for malformations and education in dental health and hygiene. Braces, temporary or aesthetic treatments and implants are not included.


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EURO WOMEN PAGE

Helping those who are vulnerable Our Euro Women series is featuring women who have made a success of their lives in Spain. These outstanding ladies have been shattering glass ceilings whether in business, charity work or sports. Elaine Horton is always taking care of other people, both in her personal and working life.

ELAINE HORTON has been taking care of other people her whole life, nursing her grandmother and her mother until they passed away and also in her professional career as head of children’s services in Dorset until her retirement. Her nurturing background is what makes her the woman she is, but it also brought her to Jalon Valley Help, a voluntary charity organisation founded in 1992 to help those in need within the Vall de Pop. Elaine has been stepping in to help people for so many years she cannot understand the attitude of people who just walk away from their obligations. “During my career I have seen people walk away from children as young as two, leaving them to fend for themselves. “How can they do it? We are all responsible for those who are vulnerable and that is what Help is all about.” Up to 140 hard-working volunteers give up their time to raise funds for people who need help inspired by Elaine, whose considerable motivational skills are behind major contributions and support to individuals who desperately need a helping hand as well as other local deserving charities. Funds are raised through special annual events and also through two charity shops in Alcalali and Jalon. And it is not just about raising cash - an

NURTURING BACKGROUND: Is what makes Elaine Horton the woman she is today.

I cannot understand people who just walk away By Jan Gamm

Elaine believes that a charity’s president has to work harder than everyone else to get the job done.

Fact file Name: Elaine Horton Family: Married to Richard with two grown up boys Home Town: From Middlesex and also Dorset Lives now: Alcalali in the Jalon Valley for 12 years Pets: Two dogs and a cat called Maggie Languages: English, some German, some Spanish Book or TV: Both: I don’t like fiction but love travel and factual Favourite title: Anything on travel Strengths: Problem solving

amazing support network has been created through Help - a 24-hour Helpline, a drop-in facility, medical equipment, transport, care facilities for patients with Leprosy, Alzheimer ’s, Cancer… interpreters and even bilingual legal services when necessary. Elaine believes that a charity’s president has to work harder than everyone else to get the job done: “Our volunteers are outstanding,” she said: “When a van was needed to

Weaknesses: A bit impatient, I don’t suffer fools gladly Irritants: Egotists. And irresponsible people Biggest success: Our two boys who have grown into wonderful men Biggest Failure: My first marriage

transport people to and from hospitals, Help volunteers stepped in and worked so hard to raise the cash to buy what was needed - we now have a van and it is certainly put to good use!”

Who was the biggest influence in Elaine’s life? “Definitely my lovely grandmother. “My father died when I was only eight and my Mum had to work so Gran brought me up. Even now when

I have a dilemma I ask myself ‘What would Gran do about this?’” Elaine is a ‘big picture’ person, believing that you have to have a vision before you can attend to the detail to make it all happen. The best time of her life? “Now! I absolutely love it in Alcalali, where we have so many friends - I love the place and the people in it and in years to come it is where I want to be, still loving it and still having a blast!” Elaine’s heroes? She has hundreds! “I admire anyone who has overcome enormous disability to achieve their goals against all odds. It is so easy for people who have every advantage of money and good health to make a success of their lives. “Others have to conquer incredible obstacles, struggling with illness and perhaps financial hardship to attain a normality that so many of us take for granted. “Those people are my heroes, an example to us all. I love them and I salute them.”

Do you know a Euro Woman? If you do please drop us a line at eurowomen@euroweeklynews.com giving full contact details and why you feel they deserve to be honoured. As well as being featured in the EWN a book is being produced for Christmas with all profits going to charitable organisations.


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Winning ticket in Palma A RESIDENT of Palma won €300,000 and a ‘salary’ of €5,000 per month for 20 years with a ticket for the National Organisation for the Blind in Spain (ONCE) lottery. On the same day, €100,000 was won in Calvia and €30,000 in Palma; and the following day €20,000 in Alcudia, also with the ONCE lottery. The tickets were sold via an electronic device which allows participants to choose their own numbers.

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Balearics not a favourite with Spanish THE Balearic Islands is one of the least favoured destinations amongst Spanish tourists. Together with La Rioja and Murcia, the Balearic Islands attracted just over 1 per cent of Spanish tourists during the first three months of the year. According to the Familitur survey carried out by the Na-

tional Institute of Statistics, the favourite destinations are Andalucia, Cataluña and Madrid. Between February and March, business trips increased the most amongst Spanish travellers, and March was the busiest month. Spaniards made 32.7 mil-

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NEWS EXTRA

Crime down THE cr i m e r at e i n t he Balearic Islands fell 3 per cent in the first six m ont hs of t hi s year com par ed t o t he sam e period last year, according to the Interior Ministry. Robberies of all t ypes have decr eased considerably.

Bike blaze HOLIDAY TIME: Spaniards mainly travel within Spain. lion trips in the first trimester of 2015 and stayed away from home an average of 3.2 nights. The main reason (44 per cent) was to visit family and friends, followed by leisure (37.7 per cent) and business (13.6 per cent).

More than 91 per cent of trips were within Spain, although trips abroad increased 14.2 per cent from March last year and were longer, with eight days on average compared to 2.8 nights for those who remained in Spain.

PALMA firefighters were called to put out a blaze which destroyed a motorbike in Son Gotleu. A group of youths reportedly began to smash the motorbike before intentionally setting it on fire in the early hours of the morning.

Changes to laws for commercial areas THE Balearic Government has approved a law with urgent measures regarding large commercial areas in order to resolve differences with the central government. The de c re e , w hic h wi l l com e i nt o effect immediately, alters Balearic rules to match state law and provide more legal security. It inc lude s a s e c tion whi ch wi l l st op

permits being granted to large shopping areas for six months, so that from now on, t he r egi onal gover nm ent wi l l be t he onl y one t hat can aut hor i se new pr oj ect s, som et hi ng whi ch t he cent r al government had complained was unconstitutional. It will only apply to projects presented from now on.


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Boat crashes into car in Palma street THE vehicle was seriously damaged By Staff Reporter A BOAT which was being towed by a vehicle in Palma ended up crashing into a 4x4 vehicle after it came off the trailer. The four-metre-long boat slid several metres along the road before crashing into the back of the vehicle, which was seriously damaged. Local Police handled the inci-

dent. Later the same day, a motorcyclist was taken to hospital with several injuries after he was involved in a collision with a car which failed to respect a ‘stop’ sign on the old Inca road towards Palma. The British driver of the car was in shock and had to be seen by counsellors. Guardia Civil are handling the incident although the Local Police were also in attendance.

Search is on for suspects NATIONAL POLICE are searching for two men who stole a car at gunpoint in Palma and stole almost €300,000. The events took place last Friday when the two men wearing police vests, ordered a driver to stop in the Porciuncula area. Thinking they were police

officers, he stopped, but was then threatened with a gun and told to leave the car. He was carrying the takings of several businesses in s’Arenal in the vehicle at the time. The men then fled in the vehicle towards Llucmajor and a manhunt was launched by the

National Police, the Guardia Civil and Local Police. The stolen Volkswagen Golf was later found nearby and police suspect the men had another vehicle waiting in which they could escape. Evidence is now being examined in an attempt to identify them.

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NEWS EXTRA

Fire chaos TAILBACKS of several kilometres were reported on the access to Palma from Via de Cintura when a fire broke out in the Can Valero industrial estate area due to agricultural burning getting out of control.

New peak LAST Tuesday, the electric network in the Balearic Islands hit a new high for this year, beating the previous day which was also a record breaking peak for the system.

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NEWS

Works reveal 19th century water channels

CREDIT Araceli Merino Wikimedia commons.

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RESIDENTS say they accessed it when children By Staff Reporter WORKS to renew the water network in Muro have revealed a 19th century system to carry water. The mayor, Marti Fornes, has ordered that work stop in Calle Santa Anna since the channels were found. It is believed that the system was created

in 1895 and there are minutes from a plenary meeting back then which mention works to complete such a project. The system starts in Plaza de Sant Marti and ends at Cova de Sa Mora, at the entrances to the town, where rain water runs to. It was dug in the earth and there are residents in the town who say they accessed it when they were

MURO’S CHURCH: Believed to be connected to the convent through a tunnel. children. Legend also speaks of a tunnel which was supposed to connect the

convent and the church, located at both ends of the channel.

Man denies hitting his stepson A MAN is facing a year in prison charged with injuring his three-year-old stepson in Palma in April 2014. The accused and several relatives, including the child's mother, said in court when the boy left for school, he was not injured. However, several hours later, a large bruise appeared on his forehead, which alarmed

his teacher. He was taken to a health centre and then to Son Espases Hospital, where a paediatrician claimed the bruise was consistent with the child having been hit hard and intentionally on the forehead. Finger marks were visible and the boy said his stepfather had hit him, which his sister confirmed. The protocol for child

abuse was activated and the man was charged. The boy’s mother said he must have been injured at school, which the teachers denied. She said problems had begun when a new teacher started at the school and that her partner had an excellent relationship with her children and had never hit them.


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Galicia corruption case reaches island TOWN hall searched due to a possible link By Staff Reporter SANT LLORENÇ DES CARDASSAR Town Hall was searched due to a possible link to the Pokemon corruption case in Lugo, Galicia. The Environmental Department in Sa Coma was also searched by Customs Officers from Lugo and documents were taken from both buildings

regarding a rubbish collection company in the area. The Pokemon case was blown open in September 2012 and more than 100 people have been charged so far. The investigation focuses on alleged bribes given to politicians by companies in order to obtain contracts for public services and maintain them over the years.

Woman accuses taxi driver of abuse NATIONAL POLICE in Palma arrested a taxi driver accused of sexually abusing a client. The woman went to the police claiming she had told the middle-aged driver she could not afford the fare and he had responded by touching her inappropriately and suggested she have sex with him to pay off her debt. He denied this and said the woman had refused to pay him and he had taken her straight to the police station. However, she told them she had been abused. He was arrested but was released after giving a statement.

Body found in Alaro GUARDIA CIVIL and Local Police in Alaro are investigating the death of a man whose body was found in a pond in the ses Basses area. The man’s remains were found near Finca de Son Fortesa where the channels which supply water to the property end.

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NEWS

Aggressive workers TWO work-related incidents involving knives By Staff Reporter A MAN has been arrested by Guardia Civil in Sa Coma de San Llorençdes Cardassar for threatening his former employers. He reportedly arrived at the house, where he had previously done odd jobs but was told not to return. He had a knife and chased them. He was also charged with drug-related crimes as a bag containing 320 grammes of marihuana was found. Meanwhile in Palma, National Police prevented a waiter, 23, from stabbing a colleague. He had been caught by the owner drinking wine from a bottle, which he had allegedly stolen. He was drunk and began shouting at the woman and insulting her when she reprimanded him. Another waiter came to the woman’s

NEWS EXTRA

Home burnt FIREFIGHTERS attended a blaze which may have been started deliberately in an apartment building next to the Red Lion Pub in Punta Ballena. The apartment where squatters were reported to be was totally gutted by flames.

Holiday time THE social welfare branch of bank La Caixa has arranged holidays in Mallorca for 522 children who live in a situation of poverty. The organisation also provided 16 wheelchairs to the Mallorca Institute of Social Affairs.

Pension sum THE average retirement pension in the Balearic Islands is currently €937.69 per month, 2.34 per cent more than at the same time last year, according to the Ministry of Employment and Social Security.

HASH HAUL: Police confiscated 320 grammes of marihuana. rescue, but the detainee broke a bottle and threatened him. Other staff went for help and found National Police patrolling the area. When the police arrived, the man in-

jured himself on purpose with the bottle and had to be treated. However, he was taken to a police cell. The other waiter sustained several injuries, including a

deep wound in the stomach, and was taken to hospital. Police are investigating how the knife with which he was injured was present at the scene of the fight.

Fatal accident A WOMAN, 78, died from the injuries she sustained when she was involved in a collision with a car in Manacor. The events took place in the Ronda del Port area when she and a friend of the same age were crossing the road on a pedestrian crossing. Both were left lying in the road and witnesses called the emergency services. They were taken to the Intensive Care Unit of Manacor Hospital with serious injuries. Local Police launched an investigation and tests confirmed that the driver was not drunk or on drugs at the time, so he has not been charged. However, police suspect he may have been speeding. In a separate incident, a woman, 75,

was seriously injured in Plaza Progreso in Palma after she was hit by a motorbike. She was taken to Son Espases Hospital. Earlier in the week, citizens helped to stop a van occupied by two men who had f l ed t he scene af t er col l i di ng wi t h a pedestrian in Plaza de España, Palma, and hit other vehicles while fleeing. Several drivers who witnessed the acci dent f ol l owed t he van, whi ch was eventually caught by police on motorbikes. The men denied having been involved in the accident. The driver tested positive for alcohol and eventually admitted that he had not stopped because he thought the pedestrian was uninjured. He also admitted he had taken drugs.

Guardia Civil acquitted A GUARDIA CIVIL officer accused of attacking a detainee, 44, in September 2007 outside a brothel in Port d’Alcudia, has been acquitted. Palma Provincial Court has ruled that the officer’s version of the events was more logical than the man’s testimony, in

which he claimed he had been beaten. The officer maintained that the man fell accidentally against the patrol car when he was running while handcuffed, and this was confirmed by witnesses. He fractured a bone in his

face and sustained a cut to his eyebrow which required stitches. He has also been acquitted of resisting arrest after staff at the brothel called the Guardia Civil because he was carrying what they believed to be a weapon and was in fact an airgun.


NEWS

30 July - 5 August 2015/ Mallorca

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Russian facing mafia charges requests bail SUSPECT has been on remand since December 2013 By Staff Reporter RUSSIAN ‘mafioso’ Alexander Romanov, 52, has appealed the decision to keep him in prison on remand as his wife is facing identical charges and remains free. Romanov, who has been in prison since his arrest in December 2013, is facing 17 years in prison for money laundering, organising and belonging to a criminal group, crimes against workers’ rights, document falsification and revealing secrets. He denied all charges. He was arrested in his luxury mansion in Calvia, where more than €250,000

ARREST: Police raid Romanov’s home. worth of jewellery was found. He, his wife, her parents and eight others have been required to pay sums amounting to €200 million in civil liability.

Driver hurt in bus crash A BUS driver, 49, was injured in an accident on the road between Palma and Manacor. He was trapped in the vehicle and had to be rescued by firemen but his injuries were not serious. According to the accident emergency services, he was returning from the airport when instead of going round the roundabout, he went straight across it, knocking down a concrete and metal statue which was in the middle before ending up in a garden. The driver was the sole occupant of the bus at the time. The road had to be closed to traffic for some time, mainly due to the fuel on the road. Road maintenance workers cleaned it up and the vehicle was removed by crane. Local Police are investigating the cause of the incident.

Spain kicking the habit SPANIARDS are slowly but surely shrugging off their addiction to smoking. Cigarette sales have decreased by 2.4 per cent in the first half of 2015, with a total of just more than 1.1 billion packets sold. Sales generated profits of €4.9 million for the industry, 0.6 per cent less than last year, according to the data released by the Tobacco Market Commissioner for Tobacco. Cigarette sales reached a historic minimum in 2014, with a total of 2.3 billion packets sold over the full year, which translated into a 1.49 per cent fall compared with 2013.

His wife, Natalia Vinogradova, is facing 16 years in prison. Romanov, believed to belong to the ‘Taganskaya’ gang had allegedly illegally

invested up to €14 million gained from mafia activities in just a few months, with the purchase of the Mar i Pins hotel in Peguera, amongst

other methods. His defence lawyer said in court that it was unfair for him to remain in prison as he had collaborated with the authorities and provided documents regarding the case. He has a home in Mallorca where he lived for years with his wife, in-laws and son, and claims he just wants to return to his old life, so there is “no risk of him fleeing the island”. His lawyer also claims he needs to be in hospital to be treated for several illnesses which have worsened in prison. He has offered to appear in court every day, pay bail and hand over his passport.

EWN

17

NEWS EXTRA

More police for Palma PALMA Ci t y Hal l has announced that between 20 and 30 more police officers will be hired to control the Palma Beach ar ea f ol l owi ng com pl ai nt s t hat t her e was not enough surveillance and that it had become dangerous.

Railway to go electric THE Balearic Governm ent has announced plans to electrify the part of the railway network that is still run on di esel , whi ch was proven to be an expensive option. The project will cost between €30 m i l l i on and €50 million, according to the region’s Transport Depart m ent , l ed by Jaume Mateu.


NEWS

30 July - 5 August 2015/ Mallorca

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NEWS EXTRA

Busy airports MORE than 460,000 passengers were expected over the weekend in Balearic airports. According to Airport Authorities AENA, there were 3,019 flights, mainly to and from Palma, with 1,837 flights carrying 301,943 people.

More jobs UNEMPLOYMENT fell by 27,200 people in the second three months of this year, leaving the total at 103,500. The region has the highest percentage of people working in Spain, according to the Employment Department.

New feature POSTAL company Correos y Telegrafos has created a new postmark featuring Mallorca Cathedral which will be available for letters sent from central post office in Calle de la Constitucion in Palma.

Drugs ‘mules’ detained at airport by customs A COUPLE was arrested at Palma Airport after they were found to be carrying hashish in their stomachs. They arrived on a flight from Malaga and were heading to Ibiza when they were arrested by Guardia Civil and Customs Officers at the airport and an x-ray revealed foreign bodies in their digestive system. They were taken to Son Espases Hospital where it was found the man was carrying 101 hashish pellets weighing just over one kilo, and the woman was carrying 78 pellets containing 840 grammes of the drug.

HASHISH PELLETS: Found in the couple’s stomachs.

Acquitted of sexual abuse charges A MAN, 46, has been acquitted of charges of sexually abusing a mentally disabled woman, 22, because her disability is not obvious. He was facing 10 years in prison and was also accused of forcing her into prostitution

between June 2013 and March 2014. However, Palma Court has ruled that as the woman’s mental disability of 71 per cent was not obvious he therefore he did not take advantage of it. The court also concluded that the man made friends with the

woman and had sex with her on at least two occasions, as well as asking her regularly for money, which she gave him. She reportedly obtained some of the money she gave him from having sex with other men, but it was not proved that he told her to do so.

EWN

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Man leaves town after rape claims A MAN, 32, who claimed to have been sexually abused by the former dean of sa Pobla has been forced to leave the town. According to locals, the man, who reported Monsignor Joan Pons in March and then went back on his statement, was unable to put up with the pressure and the social rejection which he had been suffering and has gone to the north of the island. Many locals had confronted him defending the priest’s innocence, and 20 days later he retracted the statement he had given to the Guardia Civil claiming he had been raped and had not said anything before because he was scared. The Bishopric continued the investigation and kept Joan Pons from his parochial duties.


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Man is arrested for threats to neighbour DETAINEE had entered his garden without permission By Staff Reporter A MAN, 55, was arrested in Palma for allegedly threatening his neighbour with a shotgun following an argument. The detainee had entered his neighbour’s garden, supposedly to pick lemons, without his permission, and the homeowner reprimanded him, to which he responded by threatening to shoot him. He headed home where the police then found him obviously drunk.

www.euroweeklynews.com

NEWS

Sahrawi children’s visit to Palma City Hall APPROXIMATELY 30 of the 95 Sahrawi children who are on holiday in Mallorca visited Palma City Hall. The Mayor Jose Hila, said that Palma would continue to show its support for these children who live in refugee camps,

mainly around Tindouf in Algeria, and who come to the Balearic Islands and other parts of Spain thanks to the ‘Holidays in Peace’ programme. He thanked the families who take part in and give the children accommodation.

Girl is injured on hike SHOTGUN: Man threatened to shoot his neighbour.

A GIRL, 12, had to be airlifted to hospital after she twisted her ankle in the Torre nt de Par ei s area. She was on a hike with other children ac-

com pani ed by sever al monitors when she fell and twisted her ankle on a narrow pathway as they were nearing Sa Calobra. Firemen from Inca

and Soller reached her l ocat i on and she was t aken t o a m or e open area where she could be pi cked up by t he Guar di a Ci vi l hel i copter.


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30 July - 5 August 2015 / Mallorca

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Accident leaves man seriously injured AREA is a favourite spot for jumping into the sea By Staff Reporter A MAN, 30, was left quadraplejic after jumping off some rocks in the dark. The accident occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning in s’Arenal when the man intended to jump into the sea. However, he jumped straight on to some rocks where he remained immobile.

Witnesses got him out of the water and called the emergency services. Paramedics realised immediately the man had sustained serious spinal injuries. Extreme care was taken to move him and he was taken to Son Espases Hospital. The area where the accident occurred is a favourite spot with youths who choose the early hours of the morning to jump into the sea.

A busy time for firemen IT too k f i r e m e n a l mo s t three hours to extinguish a fire which broke out on an abandoned property in Marratxi. The fire was spotted near the road between the Festival Park and Marratxinet on terrain where there was an

abandoned boat, pieces of wood and other refuse. T h e d ep artme n t fo r the e x tin c tio n o f fo re s t fi re s was alerted due to the proximity to a forest area, but in the end they were not needed. In a s e p ara te in cid ent,

Palma firemen extinguished within minutes a fire which started in a car and extended to wasteland on the old Sineu road, four kilometres from Son Ferriol. One of the occupants of the vehicle had to be treated for an anxiety attack.

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NEWS FROM OUR FIVE OTHER REGIONS

NEWS

COSTA DEL SOL

A Burma war hero celebrates 100th birthday in Fuengirola HEROIC war veteran shared some of his memories with EWN

More jobs A TOTAL of 575,000 people in Malaga Province had jobs at the end of June, the highest number since 2008, according to the EPA Active Population Survey for April to June. The survey found that 25,900 new jobs were created over the three-month period.

By Carol Irving

ERNEST HALL: Celebrated 100th birthday with his family.

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH

COSTA BLANCA NORTH

ERNEST HALL, a member of the British Legion and one of the last surviving former POWs from the Burma Campaign in the Second World War, celebrated his 100th birthday with several generations of his family in Los Boliches, Fuengirola on Monday July 27. Looking in the peak of good health, the heroic war veteran shared some of his memories with EWN when we were invited to join him at his party. As a POW, Ernest worked on the notorious Hellfire Pass on the Burma railway which saw hundreds of thousands of Allied POW, as well as Asian civilian labourers, worked to death under deplorable conditions. However, Ernest considers himself one of the lucky ones. He miraculously survived five incidents in which he escaped death by a whisker. The former soldier from the Second Battalion Leicester Regiment also recounted how he had to survive on just three cups of rice a day for three years.

AXARQUÍA

COSTA DE ALMERIA

Polaris to pay

Vuelta stops traffic

Road accident

No-go car park

MURCIA courts have said Polaris World Tourist Services must pay €231,000 for the repair of damage caused by heavy rains at Torre Pacheco resort in September 2009, shortly before the Davis Cup.

THE 9th stage of the Vuelta cycling event on the N-332 will force cuts in the flow of traffic in Benidorm, Altea and Alfaz del Pi at various times during the afternoon on Sunday August 30.

A TOTAL of four people suffered injuries after being involved in a headon collision between two motorbikes on the N-340 road in Motril. The incident took place on Sunday at around 1.50pm. Victims were taken to the regional hospital of Motril.

AMIGOS del Parque Natural Cabo de Gata-Nijar condemned plans for a private car park at the Playazo de Rodalquilar beach. The project is unviable for a protected area, the association said.

Statue damaged THE cross of Santa Faz has been removed from its base in Alicante City following vandalism. The town hall says it is repairable.

Back to work THE Superior Court of Valencia has declared null and void the dismissal of a consultant in Orihuela two days before giving birth. The woman is to be reinstated in her post, receive lost salary and €2,000 compensation.

Facebook course A SUMMER course in Torrevieja has launched the use of social networks for all ages. It will use networks such as WhatsApp and Facebook, and is run by the University Miguel Hernandez.

Summer zumba ORIHUELA COSTA is hosting free evening beach zumba sessions from 7.30pm taking place Mondays at Playa de la Glea, Tuesdays at Cala Caleta, Wednesdays at Cala Bosque and on a Thursday at Cala Estaca.

Volleyball plans FINESTRAT Mayor Juan Francisco Pérez is holding meetings with local associations and sports clubs with the aim of creating a municipal school of volleyball, hoped to be opened next summer.

Dog tragedy POLICE in Alcoy are investigating two cases of dog poisoning in the Zona Alta and the green. Warning posters have been placed by the Civil Protection unit.

The Fisherman THE short fiction and horror entry ‘The Fisherman’ shot in Hong Kong and directed by Alejandro Leon Suarez was the winner of the Film Festival at Elche’s Hort del Xocolater this year.

Whale watching A WHALE has been sighted very close to the shore off Cap de la Nao in Javea according to several excited whale watchers who contacted the Euro Weekly News.

Cardiac arrest

Bank job CAJAMAR has its first partner for its Cooperative Bank (BCC). Italian insurance company Generali, a collaborator for 11 years, is investing €40m and will be joined by others after the summer.

A 10-YEAR-OLD child suffered a cardiac arrest on July 23 while on board a fast ferry between Motril Port and Nador (Morocco). On Monday (July 27) health care sources informed that the boy was recovering well.

Cast your nets

Independence proposal

TEN hours after setting out, Adra fishing boats returned to port with 6,000 kilos of lecha (amberjack). One boat alone, Los Jureles, earned €70,000 from a catch of 650 fish.

A PROPOSAL put forward by leftwing party Izquierda Unida (IU) in La Herradura could establish this Almuñecar district as a town on its own. IU is hoping to draw support from the rest of the political parties.

Luck of the draw A LOTTERY coupon processed in El Ejido shared a second-category prize in the international Euromillions draw with seven others. Five correct numbers and one star earned the winner €182,139.

Marihuana plantation

Comet fireballs

NATIONAL POLICE of Velez-Malaga demolished a marihuana plantation in a mango greenhouse in Sayalonga. A 26-year-old Spanish man has been arrested and charged with a crime against public health.

FOUR fireballs seen over Almeria were fragments of the 169P/NEAT comet. They were photographed by the Calar Alto observatory, disintegrating as they hit Earth’s atmosphere at 80,000 kilometres an hour.

For more local news from our five other regions see www.euroweeklynews.com

Less crime CRIME rates in the province fell by 1.4 per cent over the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2014. Malaga City, Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Mijas all registered fewer crimes.

Bobbies on bikes MIJAS Local Police force has created a new cyclist unit with four officers posted on bicycles on the coastal pathway to enforce beach regulations and keep crime down over the summer.

Case shelved THE case regarding the murder of Irishman Gerard ‘Hatchet’ Kavanagh by hitmen in Elviria last September has been shelved by a Marbella court due to a complete lack of evidence or suspects.

Drinking and riding A WOMAN may face a €500 fine for drinking and cycling after testing positive for alcohol following a collision with a car in Malaga City.

Parents beware THE authorities are urging parents to supervise children around water after four youngsters aged between two and seven almost drowned in Costa del Sol swimming pools in just 24 hours.

EWN top for all the news from Spain.


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GERMAN

EUROPEAN PRESS SCANDINAVIAN PRESS

Parsnip advice FINLAND: The Finnish President Saul Niinisto found time to call a radio phone-in advice line to ask how to eradicate wild parsnips from the grounds of his summer home on Wednesday July 22.

Streaming success FINLAND: The number of CDs sold in Finland in the first half of 2015 was down by half but subscription streaming revenue grew 39.9 per cent from €6.4m to €8.95m.

Unpopular asylum SWEDEN: Swedish Migration Board has stated fewer asylum seekers are expected to arrive in Sweden in 2015: it is no longer seen as a good choice of refuge, partly due to its lengthy red tape system.

PRESS

Police shock statistics CONVICTED of crimes including violent assaults NEW statistics show that 309 UK police officers have been convicted of crimes including sex offences, violent assaults, drug use and possession of indecent images of children over the past three years.

BRITISH PRESS

Criminal vicar

Vicious seagulls

A CHURCH of England vicar from Farnham, Surrey is on the run after being convicted of pocketing thousands of pounds of cash handed over as fees for weddings, funerals and graveyard memorials.

A PENSIONER aged 66 from Helston sustained an injury to her scalp and a four-year-old boy from St Ives nearly lost a finger after being attacked by seagulls in Cornwall.

Illuminated cows

Hedge chaos AUTHOR JK Rowling has infuriated her neighbours by causing traffic hold-ups while she had her 30ft Cypress hedge trimmed outside her Edinburgh home. Gardeners worked on the hedge for three days.

Jobs in Wales DEFENCE company General Dynamics is to create 250 jobs in Wales after winning a £390m contract to maintain the Army’s next generation of tanks.

Equal pay BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken about ending the gender pay gap saying companies will be forced to publish details.

HUNGERFORD’S mayor has come up with the idea that cows should wear fluorescent jackets and fairy lights to avoid being run over at night near Hungerford Common.

THE German government has been criticised for spending US$16 million per month to maintain Berlin’s Brandenburg International Willy Brandt Airport, mothballed due to its limited capability to accommodate the Airbus A380.

Undersea to Denmark DENMARK has secured EU approval for an 18 km undersea road-rail tunnel that will significantly cut journey times to Germany.

ON Sunday July 19 Germany’s Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel became the first senior Western official to visit Iran following an agreement to ease sanctions on the Islamic nation in exchange for concessions on its nuclear programme.

NORWAY is now leading the world’s electric vehicle market, having registered its 50,000th electric car in April of this year.

DENMARK: Queen Margrethe and Prince Consort Henrik on the second leg of their annual summer cruise were seen out on the final day of their tour of Greenland in the region’s traditional costume.

Expensive airport

Minister visit

Electric car

Royal cruise

BUS and coach holidays are becoming increasingly popular with German tourists according to the International Coach Tourism Association RDA in Cologne, with 8 per cent of holidaymakers taking to the road in buses.

HEALTHCARE tourism in Munich is reportedly continuing to grow at a staggering rate, mostly due to its outstanding medical facilities.

SWEDEN: Security police confirmed on Thursday July 23 that they arrested two Swedish citizens on suspicion of committing terrorist crimes, including murder in Syria in 2013.

NORWAY’S prisons have reached a level of occupancy of 98.1 per cent, the most crowded conditions ever recorded.

Taking the bus

Munich health

Terrorist arrests

Crowded prisons

NEWS

FINEST: Superyachts.

World’s super shipbuilders MARKET leaders DUTCH shipbuilders are now the market leaders in the design and building of the world’s finest superyachts.

DUTCH

Euthanasia rising

Unpaid fines

IN the first six months of this year, 18 people with severe psychiatric problems have been helped to die at a euthanasia clinic in Holland, more than double the total figure of 17 in 2014.

SO far this year, €500,000 in unpaid fines and taxes has been collected from passengers who are leaving the Netherlands via Schiphol Airport.

PRESS

Friendliest city AMSTERDAM has received the most votes for Europe’s Friendliest City, followed by London and Dublin.

Property boom DUTCH property prices continue to rise with June’s statistics 2.6 per cent up compared to the same period last year.

Industry concerns GERMAN industry and government leaders are concerned that underinvestment and poor recruitment is affecting small and mid-sized industrial firms that form the foundation Germany’s economy.

Lenin’s head A 3.5 TONNE granite head of Lenin buried after the fall of the Berlin Wall is to be excavated and displayed with other historical statues.


NEWS

30 July - 5 August 2015 / Mallorca

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RUSSIAN P RESS

Odessa training against crime DELEGATION of officers will train the FBI

ODESSA POLICE: Helping to combat organised crime. ODESSA police say they have agreed to send a delegation of 50 officers to train the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) in combating organised crime.

Drunken passenger PASSENGERS on board a Siberian Airlines flight from Hong Kong to Russia this week used seatbelts and tape to restrain a fellow traveller who was drunk and allegedly harassing a lady.

French visit FRANCE’S main opposition party led by Nicolas Sarkozy is to visit Russia and the Crimea in an attempt to form a new foreign policy.

Warm Moscow MUSCOVITES are feeling uncomfortable in temperatures of 30 degrees. The ‘heat wave’ is forecast to continue for at least another week.

Brave rescue IN Kaliningrad on Wednesday July 22, a 34year-old sailor who bravely went into the sea to rescue a teenager in difficulties pulled the boy to safety but lost his own life in the process.

Costly apartment RUSSIAN opposition leader Aleksei Navalny has accused a senior government official of concealing his ownership of a London apartment valued at US$18 million.

No charges

NGO pulls out

RUSSIAN prosecutors have decided not to bring charges against Varvara Karaulova, a Moscow student who may have been recruited by the Islamic State.

AFTER 20 years, USbased NGO the MacArthur Foundation has announced it will stop working in Russia due to the new laws targeting foreign organisations.

Home again A RUSSIAN Soyuz rocket returning to base with its three-man crew has been reported as docking smoothly at the International Space Station on July 23.

MH17 investigation RUSSIA is calling for tighter UN supervision of the MH17 crash investigation, questioning the impartiality of Dutch investigators.

Silvio appointment FORMER Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is claiming that Vladimir Putin wants to grant him Russian citizenship and appoint him the country’s economic minister.

ISS reprieve THE head of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, Igor Komarov, has confirmed that the Russian government has agreed to prolong the life of the International Space Station (ISS) until 2024.

EWN

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Spain’s unemployment rate drops

Bankinter sees rise in profits

WHICH is good news for the Partido Popular

BANKINTER has reported a net profit of €197.3 million for the first half of the year, an increase of 31.6 per cent on the same period last year. The increase is being attributed to an increase in the credit portfolio and the lowering of finance costs. Bankinter’s net interest achieved €432.2 million over the first six months of 2015. Its gross margin at end June was €806.8 million, an 8.4 per cent increase over last year.

By Jan Gamm THE governing Popular Party sees the drop in unemployment from 23.8 per cent to 22.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2015 as a saving grace in the run up to the election. The National Statistics Institute reported on Thursday July 16 that the number of unemployed dropped by

Quote of the Week

295,600 the number of unemployed dropped by this number with the creation of jobs higher than at any time in the last 10 years

295,600 and the creation of jobs has been higher than at any time in the last 10 years. The ruling government team is confident that the improvement in job stability and a better economic environment for Spaniards will be seen as a turning point and help the recovery of popularity for the presently anything

On payment terms for Greece - Debt relief is merely an “option to be considered in the future.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel

BUSINESS EXTRA

Greek bailout THE Greek government has submitted new reforms to parliament, part of the preliminaries required by the country’s creditors to begin negotiations of terms for a new bailout.

Young age INCREASE: Is partly due to the strength of sterling.

Spain’s tourism figures rocket AT the beginning of the summer season June produced record breaking statistics for visitors to Spain with 6.67 million international tourists an increase of 1.4 per cent over last year’s figures. The lion’s share of the visitors came from the UK. Between January and June 6.7 million Brits holidayed in Spain, a 2.6 per cent improve-

ment compared to 2014. Germany ran second with 4.7 million, France 4.5 million and visits from the US increased by a massive 15.7 per cent. Spain’s increase in business from tourism is put down partly to unrest in middleeastern countries as well as pocket-friendly fares and sterling’s strength against the Euro.

THE average age of Spain’s typical entrepreneur has dropped. In 2015, 52 per cent are 35 years of age or under.

False figures DESPITE the unemployment rate falling opposition parties are claiming these figures are based on part time or unstable contracts and even on one person working two or three jobs.

Energy drop SPAIN’S dependence on energy imports has decreased significantly according to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), due to renewable energy generation.

Costly ATM withdrawals THE BBVA is charging a €2 fee for cash withdrawals from ATMs for non-account holders. Other banks are tipped to follow suit shortly. The Bank of Spain, however, is uncomfortable with the practice. Between the BBVA and CaixaBank there are 15,523 Servired ATMs comprising 33 per cent of the 46,449 in Spain,

with a prospective one in three machines charging €2 per withdrawal. A representative said: “Cash withdrawal is a service and should carry a single commission.” According to a study by kelisto.es, Spaniards pay 78.6 per cent more than other Europeans to withdraw money at ATM machines.

but popular PP. In the local elections in May the PP suffered enormous losses at the polls. In the service industry there are 291,700 more employed, which is typical of the summer market as jobs in the tourism and hospitality sector fall into that category. Construction workers are up by 32,300 and 23,000 in agricultural jobs.


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C LOSING P RICES J ULY 27

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY 3i Group 552.00 -7.00 Aberdeen Asset Management 360.85 -4.15 Admiral Group 1,488.00 -5.00 Anglo American 792.05 14.05 Antofagasta 584.00 -5.00 ARM Holdings 995.75 -5.25 Ashtead Group 932.25 -7.75 Associated British Foods 3,161.00 -19.00 AstraZeneca 4,233.50 -20.00 Aviva 516.00 -1.50 Babcock International Group 1,063.50 1.50 BAE Systems 460.05 -1.85 Barclays 280.15 -2.00 Barratt Developments 609.00 -8.50 BG Group 1,039.00 3.50 BHP Billiton 1,148.50 25.00 BP 394.68 -0.02 British American Tobacco 3,547.50 -2.50 British Land Co 828.25 -0.75 BT Group 466.33 4.03 Bunzl 1,764.00 3.00 Burberry Group 1,524.50 -15.50 Capita Group (The) 1,289.00 -8.00 Carnival 3,379.50 -25.50 Centrica 273.70 1.80 Coca-Cola HBC 1,308.00 -4.00 Compass Group 1,084.00 -8.00 CRH 1,870.00 -16.00 Diageo 1,854.50 -5.50 Direct Line Insurance Group 358.55 -1.35 Dixons Carphone 456.45 -4.55 easyJet 1,698.50 -26.50 Experian 1,159.50 -25.50 Fresnillo 632.00 13.50 G4S 268.60 0.60 GKN 296.00 -2.20 GlaxoSmithKline 1,335.75 -2.75 Glencore 211.28 1.13 Hammerson 640.75 -0.75 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,159.00 -20.00 Hikma Pharmaceuticals 2,079.50 -8.50 HSBC Holdings 564.60 -4.80 Imperial Tobacco Group 3,303.00 -3.00 Inmarsat 910.75 -7.25 InterContinental Hotels Grp 2,603.50 -21.50 International Consolidated Airs 558.50 -4.00 Intertek Group 2,346.50 -5.50 Intu Properties 331.75 -1.95 ITV 265.90 -3.20 Johnson Matthey 2,770.00 -8.00

% CHG. NET VOL -1.25 5,436.06 -1.14 4,860.39 -0.33 4,167.09 1.81 10,906.26 -0.85 5,806.70 -0.52 14,135.88 -0.82 4,731.43 -0.60 25,175.24 -0.47 53,746.32 -0.29 20,935.34 0.14 5,333.33 -0.40 14,615.09 -0.71 47,251.35 -1.38 6,125.69 0.34 35,362.02 2.23 23,729.13 -0.01 72,076.67 -0.07 66,176.78 -0.09 8,460.23 0.87 38,705.42 0.17 5,896.23 -1.01 6,849.22 -0.62 8,613.32 -0.75 7,360.02 0.66 13,525.75 -0.30 4,780.84 -0.73 18,131.96 -0.85 15,489.72 -0.30 46,769.55 -0.38 5,398.50 -0.99 5,308.24 -1.54 6,851.84 -2.15 11,712.86 2.18 4,557.69 0.22 4,158.27 -0.74 4,914.50 -0.21 65,134.19 0.54 27,483.30 -0.12 5,031.36 -1.70 5,592.22 -0.41 4,152.61 -0.84 111,108.24 -0.09 31,641.42 -0.79 4,127.10 -0.82 6,198.08 -0.71 11,471.26 -0.23 3,795.23 -0.58 4,415.25 -1.19 10,832.38 -0.29 5,692.62

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) Kingfisher 363.30 -2.70 Land Securities Group 1,294.50 -2.50 Legal & General Group 260.55 -1.55 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 84.85 -0.51 London Stock Exchange Grp 2,576.00 -28.00 Marks & Spencer Group 521.00 -4.00 Meggitt 451.40 -2.50 Merlin Entertainments 399.30 -23.80 Mondi 1,479.00 -14.00 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 182.70 -0.80 National Grid 838.60 1.80 Next 7,575.00 -40.00 Old Mutual 210.65 -0.45 Pearson 1,190.50 -28.50 Persimmon 1,921.00 -32.00 Prudential 1,502.25 -14.75 Randgold Resources 3,869.00 125.00 Reckitt Benckiser Group 6,016.00 108.00 Reed Elsevier 1,088.50 -10.50 Rio Tinto 2,436.25 35.75 Rolls-Royce Group 731.50 -4.50 Royal Bank of Scotland Group 350.65 -3.15 Royal Dutch Shell 1,762.75 7.25 Royal Dutch Shell 1,778.00 8.00 Royal Mail 506.25 -2.75 RSA Insurance Group 445.85 -6.25 SABMiller 3,357.00 -22.00 Sage Group (The) 535.50 -5.50 Sainsbury (J) 261.90 -0.60 Schroders 3,072.50 -28.50 Severn Trent 2,161.00 -5.00 Shire 5,420.00 -75.00 Sky 1,126.50 -4.50 Smith & Nephew 1,130.00 -11.00 Smiths Group 1,129.00 -5.00 Sports Direct International 774.00 -3.00 SSE 1,513.50 9.50 St James's Place 960.00 -11.50 Standard Chartered 965.95 -2.05 Standard Life 443.80 -3.30 Taylor Wimpey 182.20 -2.30 Tesco 217.55 -1.45 Travis Perkins 2,202.00 -18.00 TUI AG 1,077.00 -5.00 Unilever 2,896.50 -1.50 United Utilities Group 873.25 -2.25 Vodafone Group 237.75 -0.70 Weir Group 1,502.00 2.00 Whitbread 5,095.00 -65.00 Wolseley 4,175.50 -27.50 WPP Group 1,452.50 -10.50

% CHG. -0.74 -0.19 -0.59 -0.60 -1.08 -0.76 -0.55 -5.63 -0.94 -0.44 0.22 -0.53 -0.21 -2.34 -1.64 -0.97 3.34 1.83 -0.96 1.49 -0.61 -0.89 0.41 0.45 -0.54 -1.38 -0.65 -1.02 -0.23 -0.92 -0.23 -1.36 -0.40 -0.96 -0.44 -0.39 0.63 -1.18 -0.21 -0.74 -1.25 -0.66 -0.81 -0.46 -0.05 -0.26 -0.29 0.13 -1.26 -0.65 -0.72

NET VOL 8,532.52 10,253.35 15,575.53 60,924.62 9,043.19 8,653.38 3,574.95 4,289.16 7,249.32 4,284.89 31,306.48 11,641.32 10,399.12 9,999.31 5,986.76 39,001.86 3,486.78 42,198.28 12,349.87 33,768.49 13,532.05 22,770.77 68,369.44 43,195.27 5,090.00 4,596.76 54,617.51 5,828.72 5,042.42 7,008.96 5,152.03 32,511.26 19,442.09 10,205.01 4,476.78 4,650.07 14,935.71 5,077.05 24,644.87 8,804.23 6,002.64 17,818.94 5,524.07 6,347.05 37,194.65 5,969.93 63,219.54 3,200.72 9,377.74 10,930.19 19,095.58

0.71345

1.40163 Units per €

US dollar....................................................................1.10702 Japan yen ................................................................136.583 Switzerland franc .................................................1.05775 Denmark kroner....................................................7.46159 Norway kroner......................................................9.04217

currenciesdirect.com/mallorca • Tel: +34 687 906 226

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES J ULY 27

COMPANY MMM 3M AXP American Express AAPL Apple BA Boeing CAT Caterpillar CVX Chevron CSCO Cisco KO Coca-Cola DIS Disney DD E I du Pont de Nemours and Co XOM Exxon Mobil GE General Electric GS Goldman Sachs HD Home Depot IBM IBM INTC Intel JNJ Johnson & Johnson JPM JPMorgan Chase MCD McDonald's MRK Merck MSFT Microsoft NKE Nike PFE Pfizer PG Procter & Gamble TRV Travelers Companies Inc UTX United Technologies UNH UnitedHealth VZ Verizon V Visa WMT Wal-Mart

PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 3.4M -0.11% -0.17 149.33 8.6M -1.44% -1.11 75.90 -0.53% 42.2M -0.66 124.50 2.5M -1.40% -2.05 144.06 9.2M -1.01% -0.78 76.10 -2.52% 11.2M -2.34 90.60 +1.39% 39.5M 28.40 +0.39 -0.98% 10.9M -0.40 40.44 4.3M +0.09% 118.91 +0.11 5.4M -2.63% -1.54 56.94 -1.48% 14.9M -1.20 79.94 -1.94% 31.1M -0.51 25.75 2.5M -1.75% -3.70 207.35 4.4M -0.87% -1.00 113.59 3.8M -1.22% -1.98 159.75 -1.87% 31.6M -0.54 28.06 6.5M -1.05% -1.05 99.15 -1.05% 12.4M -0.73 68.91 5.6M -1.02% -0.99 96.10 7.8M -1.14% -0.66 57.41 -0.37% 32.3M -0.17 45.94 3.0M -0.89% -1.01 112.99 -1.50% 21.4M -0.52 34.26 5.7M -0.51% -0.41 80.29 1.6M -0.03% -0.03 105.27 6.6M -1.81% -1.83 99.31 3.8M -1.16% -1.39 117.94 -0.67% 19.5M -0.31 46.04 +4.25% 21.2M 74.80 +3.05 6.0M -1.28% -0.93 71.58

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES J ULY 27

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced Marketo, Inc. $ 30.39 NETGEAR, Inc. $ 33.80 Condor Hospitality Trust, Inc. $ 9.02 Inotek Pharmaceuticals Corporation $ 17.65 Merit Medical Systems, Inc. $ 25.17 Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $ 22.10 ProShares UltraPro Short NASDAQ Biotechnology$ 20.13 Calithera Biosciences, Inc. $ 9.03 Ecology and Environment, Inc. $ 11.18 Healthways, Inc. $ 13.40 LogMein, Inc. $ 72.21

5.30 ▲ 21.12% 5.05 ▲ 17.57% 1.22 ▲ 15.64% 2.28 ▲ 14.83% 3.05 ▲ 13.79% 2.50 ▲ 12.76% 2.21 ▲ 12.33% 0.97 ▲ 12.03% 1.185 ▲ 11.86% 1.27 ▲ 10.47% 6.70 ▲ 10.23%

Most Declined TrueCar, Inc. The Spectranetics Corporation Biogen Inc. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. Vital Therapies, Inc. Forward Pharma A/S Westmoreland Coal Company TripAdvisor, Inc. Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. Encore Wire Corporation PMC - Sierra, Inc.

$ 6.87 $ 16.30 $ 300.03 $ 75.91 $ 13.74 $ 31.27 $ 13.795 $ 80.86 $ 29.73 $ 36.05 $ 6.71

3.81 ▼ 35.67% 8.53 ▼ 34.35% 85.02 ▼ 22.08% 19.83 ▼ 20.71% 3.34 ▼ 19.56% 7.01 ▼ 18.31% 2.505 ▼ 15.37% 12.51 ▼ 13.40% 4.57 ▼ 13.32% 5.50 ▼ 13.24% 1.01 ▼ 13.08%


30

E W N 30 July - 5 August 2015 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

BUSINESS EXTRA

Overseas development AN analysis of 1,278 managers of Spanish companies with a turnover of at least €500,000 has shown that most large companies are considering investing abroad within the next three years to achieve higher profits.

It’s a scandal THE Japanese electronics giant Toshiba has announced the resignation of its president and other senior executives following an accounting scandal involving €1.125 billion over seven years of trading.

New position BANCA MARCH announced its new president will be Juan March de la Lastra. He replaces Carlos March Degado who has been president since 1974.

Bank ruling A BARCELONA court has issued a favourable ruling for the city of Terrassa to dismiss a Bankia SA appeal against a disciplinary ruling on houses that have been repossessed and left empty for more than two years.

Copper theft THE Catalan rail network has been victim to more copper thefts than anywhere else in Spain. Adif is seeking government help to solve the problem.

Wind tunnel SPANISH company Gamesa and the Technical Univerisity of Madrid is to design, develop and operate an aerodynamic testing tunnel 70 metres long and 50 metres wide to test turbine blades.

Rich List EBAY has published its first ‘Rich List’ comprising their top 30 wealthiest users who have coined a fortune through the eBay site.

Gold low GOLD is in a deep slump. It is down more than 40 per cent from its 2011 peak, and falling back toward €900. Gold has been in decline for the last two weeks, the longest losing streak since September 1996.

French vineyards are recruiting Spanish workers for harvesting MAJORITY of workers will be from Granada, Jaen, Sevilla, Cadiz, Cordoba, Malaga, Almeria and Murcia By Jan Gamm AN estimated 15,000 Spaniards are to work in France this year on the French grape harvest with the first workers expected to assume their duties from the second week in August, according to information provided by the Agri-Food Federation of CCOO (Feagra). The majority of those workers, a total of 11,250, will be from Andalucia with the rest sourced from Granada, Jaen, Sevilla, Cadiz, Cordoba, Malaga, Almeria, Valencia and Murcia. Workers expect a minimum wage of around €9.61 per hour for this gruelling work in intense heat but some achieve a higher wage of around €11.72 per hour, with added overtime. The typical profile of 80 per cent of workers in the French vineyards is a man or woman aged between 30 and 60 with a primary edu-

cation working around 35 hours per week. Such workers find it difficult to source work online. Twenty per cent comprises young men with a university education who are unemployed. Feagra advises

15,000 the number of estimated Spaniards who will work in the French grape harvest this year

FRENCH VINEYARDS: Workers can earn around €9.61 per hour.

prospective applicants for work in French vineyards to be cautious and beware of scammers asking for deposits for guaranteed contracts that could be fictitious.

A quarter of UK households will be renting in Europe by 2025 THE property market in the UK and the increasing difficulty for first time buyers to afford their own home is fuelling the purchase of homes in Spain and other parts of Europe. In the UK in 2001, the number of homeowners was around 10 million. This figure dropped to eight million in 2014 and market research experts predict a further fall to 7.2 million by 2025. As more and more people are unable to comply with the stringent terms of available mortgage products they instead turn to renting and ownership of property elsewhere in Europe. As property continues to value in the UK the prospect of owning a home, especially for first time buyers, becomes a remote possibility with most young buyers unable to find the required deposit. Instead, under-30s are having to renting somewhere to live and looking to long term future prospects of getting on the property ladder in Spain, France and other European destinations. The average price of a home in the UK in 2015 is projected to be around £360,000.

HOME PURCHASE: It is becoming increasingly difficult for first time buyers to afford their own home.


FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

30 July - 5 August 2015 / Mallorca

EWN

31

Theme park business surroundings Talking shop Mike Walsh Mike Walsh was for 20 years Regional Assessment Manager for the Guild of Master Craftsmen, Britain’s biggest quality assurance body for businesses.

www.michaelwalsh.es • 966 786 932

AN oversight common to businessowners, the feel of your premises should lure and hold customers, not deter them. Many business-owners permit a setting, especially music that appeals to them or their staff. It never occurs to them that it may be offputting from a customer’s perspective. Having arranged to meet a client I had little choice but to call in at a café-bar. The sound of the rap was deafening. Conversation was impossible. It was wholly unsuitable for an urban bistro a little after breakfast. Needless to say, a teenage airhead impersonating a staff member was, well, I am not quite sure what she was doing. A little imaginative flair will create a business environment that brings compliments and customers. During the Spanish property boom, UK estate agents promoting Mediterranean real

TEDIOUS: Plastic framed images of villas in a clinically boring property shop.

estate were 10 a penny. How tedious their plastic framed images of villas in a clinically boring property shop. Striking out on my own, I opened for business and did so with a flourish. My showroom soon looked the business. Here was harmonious balance between its purpose in selling Spanish properties and creating an environment which made doing so the most appealing thought ever. Of course there were images, maps, brochures, and especially presenters that, used skilfully, sold properties. This was set against a backdrop of potted palms, bullfighting and flamenco promoting posters. When visiting Alicante’s arty district I acquired wall posters, a little torn, the better. Framed, these and potted wall flowers, with a rich assortment of similar Spanish symbolism, created a showroom ambience that would have done credit to a theme park. Mock, but it worked. When Spanish builders visited they were as impressed as was my bank manager. Using such atmospheric setting to build my sales, I outperformed far bigger chains.


OPINION & COMMENT

30 July - 5 August 2015 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

EWN

The excesses of the Greeks A READER’S revelations expose some startling statistics... LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT I’D like to thank Euro Weekly News reader John for most of this week’s remarkable revelations. The next time you are feeling sorry for the Greeks, just partake of these apples. Experts, mandated by the European Union to investigate the circumstances that led to Greece’s economic situation, have apparently come up with the following information: 1. Greece allegedly falsified accounts to enter the Eurozone and since then has repeatedly juggled the facts until the whole thing finally exploded into chaos. 2. There was massive retirement at age 50. 3. At one national hospital there were, on average, 50 gardeners for one lawn with four bushes. 4. At a cost of €550 million a year, 40,000 girls were receiving monthly life pensions of €1,000 simply because they were unmarried daughters of deceased civil servants. 5. Many workers were retired at the age of

SORRY STATE: No wonder the country has gone to rack and ruin. At one national hospital there were, on average, 50 gardeners employed for one lawn with four bushes

55 if they were in one of 600 jobs considered harmful, e.g. hairdressing (dangerous dyes!), musicians of wind instruments (blowing is tiring!), TV presenters (microphones can be harmful and damaging to health, etc, etc). 6. More than 25 per cent of Greeks pay no

personal income tax whatsoever. 7. Retirees receive 95 per cent of their earlier salary (Germans receive 40 per cent, no wonder they’ve got the hump!). 8. In an apparent show of goodwill the Greek Government has recently eliminated 10,000 postal positions, 8,200 of which were revealed to be dummy positions. 9. Greece has the highest population in the world of people reporting an age of 110 years. Deaths are often not registered and pensions continue to be received. 10. Pacemakers were being acquired at a price 400 times higher than in British hospitals. And so on and so forth. If these facts are indeed proven, then Greece is a nation which has survived on corruption for so long they probably consider it the norm. I suggest they get their collective noses out of the ouzo for a while and start playing by the rules. As ye sow, so shall ye reap. But then hopefully this bunch of chancers has finally realised that. Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002 @gmail.com

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34

E W N 30 July - 5 August 2015 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

OPINION & COMMENT

Life’s perambulations

VIEW Cameron Strandberg – Wikimedia Commons

OUR

WHY am I not like normal people? It’s deeply depressing! Colin Bird A weekly look Each week, Colin brings his slightly off-the-wall view of the world to the pages of EWN in his own irreverent style.

I RECEIVED a complimentary email about my scribblings recently. What’s nice is that it came from a respected journalist. But it was prefaced with a comment about my tendency to ramble which was hurtful. However I should just be content with the nice bits. Still - ramble? Our neighbours are away, and tooled up with do-do bags, I am again going for pleasant walks in the cool ends of the day with their dog. She’s getting on a bit, so is content to trot gently along, stopping when she needs to answer the doggie call of nature - usually on some rubbish strewn waste ground thoughtfully provided by Orihuela town hall. Trouble is, as a non-dog owner, I am forever bumping into unfamiliar dogs and their people. The dogs always seem to know each other and after a bit of nose bumping, they progress to the less tasteful bit of socialising, with their noses glued to each other’s backsides. It’s embarrassing - well not for the dogs obviously - but what do you

FOREST FIRES: All over.

Indefinite strike starts

POOCH BEHAVIOUR: Experienced dog people seem oblivious.

As a nondog owner, I am forever bumping into unfamiliar dogs and their people

do? If you drag yours away, then it is tantamount to cruelty because this is accepted pooch behaviour. Moreover it only emphasises the fact that you are embarrassed, whereas the experienced dog people seem oblivious. But I make a mental note not to allow my charge to lick my face when we get back. I was in the Zenia Boulevard yesterday and a tiny child stood in the door-

way of one of the big stores and screamed blue murder for no apparent reason. The parents looked on lovingly, and every passing customer smiled encouragingly. The shop assistants turned and beamed, and even the security guard, who looked as if he could eat nails, was chortling away happily. Why am I not like normal people? It’s all deeply depressing!

Not learning from history I AM well informed enough now to realise that we are experiencing action replay Mike Walsh

Just 1 per cent of America’s population are millionaires

Mike, based in Mediterranean Spain, is an international journalist, author and professional writer.

I WASN’T born when, in 1939, under pressure from the English and American war lobby, the world edged ever closer to war. However, I am well informed enough to realise that we are now experiencing action replay. Germany, and now Russia, was goaded by war lobby interests. In the first case, Polish anti-German rhetoric was encouraged. Today, Ukraine is used to prod the Russian bear. Change the Sudetenland or Danzig Corridor for Crimea; you have pretext for war. The well-orchestrated mainstream media vilified the then Reich. Today, Hitler has been replaced by

Putler. Economic warfare is dusted off and renamed sanctions. Prime Minister Chamberlain was reluctant to engage in yet another war. Joe Kennedy Sr, Ambassador to

SMALL COUNTRY: So why does the US spend more on armaments? Britain, conceded that US President Roosevelt had repeatedly told him to ‘press a hot iron to Chamberlain’s

backside.’ Fast forward 76 years: the US war lobby bolsters Ukraine’s decrepit and reluctant armed forces. Simultaneously, the US press hot irons to the backsides of their EU marionettes to ramp up economic war against Russia. The US economy is reliant on perpetual war. A small country, place the US on Africa and it would barely cover Mediterranean Saharan North Africa. No one threatens the US or Europe. Why then does the US

AS the blistering summer heat continues, fires are breaking out all over Spain with firefighters struggling to control them. Yet this week marked the start of an indefinite strike by the elite firefighting force, Las Brigadas de Refuerzo en Incendios Forestales (BRIF), which fights forest fires, after their negotiations over working conditions and low pay between their employers TRAGSA and Ministry for Agriculture, Food and the Environment broke down. The salaries of the elite force averages just €16,000 per year and has been frozen for the last four years. The force, which is composed of 570 firefighters across Spain, wants recognition as providing a professional service, and emphasise they cannot survive on such pay while risking their lives on a daily basis in order to serve the public. With both the government and the unions refusing to budge, the union Atbrif has called an indefinite strike. In one fire in Galicia, the army’s emergency unit had to be called in to try to control fires. While the firefighters do an incredible job protecting citizens, their property and the environment and clearly deserve a decent salary, this strike may endanger those who cannot protect themselves and destroy the environment. All involved, TRAGSA, government and union, need to act now to find an immediate solution so that firefighters can go back to work.

spend more on armaments than China, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, UK, Japan and South Korea combined? A clue: just 1 per cent of America’s population are millionaires, yet 50 per cent of congressmen are multimillionaires. Might it not be an idea to force politicians to wear badges of the companies that sponsor them? Another clue: Dick Cheney, university failure, was more fortunate as an arms dealer. Using neo-conservative political clout and taxpayers’ money his companies made $39,500 million out of the Iraq War. This is a drop in the ocean compared to the $75 billion war-related US corporations. Now we These profits are again a want to pittance when set against hear your news. those made by the armaments industries. YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE Are you a sharehold- YOUR OPINION er? You can stake your www.euroweeklynews.com lives on it.


OPINION & COMMENT

30 July - 5 August 2015 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

EWN

35

The laws of the jungle THE reality is that shooting lions is like shooting fish in a barrel Vicki McLeod

Family Matters CECIL, an icon of the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe was lured to his death and then decapitated and skinned by Walter Palmer, an American hunter. When I first read this story this week it made me feel disgusted, and I know I’m not alone. But, here’s the thing, it doesn’t really matter if Cecil was a well known lion or not, that part is irrelevant. What is relevant is the ignorance, arrogance and brutality that these acts display. Hunting lions is legal in several countries in southern Africa, but groups must obtain a valid permit from authorities. The money raised from selling permits helps the conservation efforts of the species. About a century ago there were 200,000 lions but that figure has dropped to less than 30,000. The reality is that shooting lions is like shooting fish in a barrel. Lions are big lazy cats, and are not the man-eaters that the movies portray them as.

LAZY CATS: You’re more likely to be hurt by a frustrated lion in a zoo, than be in any danger in the wild. You’re more likely to be hurt by a frustrated lion in a zoo than be in any danger in the wild. The plain fact is that even I, if I wanted to, could take a gun and kill a lion, it doesn’t take any skill or bravery.

What does take effort, and intelligence is the development of a resistant conservation programme for lions and the other wild and endangered species across the world to be enabled to breed and live in their own natur-

al environments without humans wanting to kill them for entertainment. Walter is not the first person to be ousted for slaughtering an endangered animal, I can think of a few Spanish people who have been in the news, the previous King Juan Carlos for example. And consider this: is there any real difference between killing a lion and a cow? Perhaps we should remember to be as outraged at the factory farming industry as we are at the death of Cecil. It is possible that Walter Palmer will be extradited to face charges of bribery, (not for killing an endangered animal) and two other people involved in the hunt have already been arrested and face lengthy jail sentences. What did this man think he was going to get out of his hunt? I haven’t read anywhere about Walter enjoying a bowl of lion soup. No, he’s got his trophy skin, and a lot more than he bargained for as well. But that my friend is the law of the jungle, and perhaps this is the turning of that particular tide. www.mallorcamatters.com


36

E W N 30 July - 5 August 2015 / Mallorca

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TV LISTING

THURSDAY 30 JULY

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8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm

8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

11:00pm 11:30pm 12:00am 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

11:00pm 11:30pm 12:00am

Flog It! Two Tribes Eggheads The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure The Pennine Way Coast Atlantic: The Wildest Ocean on Earth The Javone Prince Show Flog It! Two Tribes Eggheads Gardeners' World Rugby League Challenge Cup The Perfect Morecambe and Wise Newsnight Artsnight Golf Cycling Proms Extra Edwardian Farm Dad's Army First Light Mock the Week Ill Manors The lives of four drug dealers, one user, and two prostitutes.

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:40pm 1:20am 3:35pm 4:30pm 5:15pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:15pm 7:30pm 9:30pm 10:35pm 12:00am

Locomotion: Dan Snow's History of Railways Dragons' Den Odyssey The Javone Prince Show Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy Dead Poets Society

7:35pm

Swimming Two Tribes Eggheads Carol Klein's Plant Odysseys Great British Menu University Challenge Only Connect Life in Squares Hair Newsnight

8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

The Hairy Bikers Asian Adventure Great British Menu The House That ÂŁ100k Built Are Our Kids Tough Enough? Chinese School Hair Newsnight Weather

7:00pm

Two Tribes Eggheads The Hairy Bikers Asian Adventure Great British Menu Horizon Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Inside the Post Office QI Newsnight Weather

7:45pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 11:00pm 11:20pm 12:20am

11:40pm 12:10am

7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:40pm 12:40am 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 11:00pm 11:40pm 12:40am

ITV News London ITV News and Weather Emmerdale Real Stories with Ranvir Singh Emmerdale Flockstars Britain Sees Red: Caught on Camera ITV News at Ten and Weather ITV News London ITV News and Weather Emmerdale Coronation Street Gino's Italian Escape Coronation Street BBQ Champ ITV News at Ten and Weather Crank Jackpot247

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

The Chase All Star Family Fortunes Tipping Point Catchphrase Local News and Weather ITV News and Weather Mamma Mia! The Cube The Nation's Favourite Queen Song ITV News and Weather

6:15pm 6:45pm 7:15pm 7:40pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

Local News and Weather ITV News and Weather Nature Nuts Midsomer Murders ITV News and Weather Brits Behind Bars Piers Morgan's Life Stories

5:30pm

Emmerdale Coronation Street Vet School Coronation Street Travel Guides ITV News at Ten and Weather Plebs Britain Sees Red: Caught on Camera

10:00pm 12:00am

6:35pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am

Local News and Weather ITV News and Weather Emmerdale Love Your Garden Abducted ITV News at Ten and Weather Benidorm Murder, She Wrote

6:00pm

Local News and Weather ITV News and Weather Emmerdale Coronation Street Foyle's War ITV News at Ten and Weather Abducted Tipping Point

6:00pm

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:50pm 12:50am

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:10am

Jamie's 15 Minute Meals Glorious Goodwood French Collection Couples Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Grand Designs Prince Philip: The Plot to Make a King

3:15pm 4:15pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

Couples Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Location, Location, Location 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown The Last Leg Rude Tube

3:15pm 4:15pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

Come Dine with Me Come Dine with Me Come Dine with Me Channel 4 News Homes by the Sea Walking Through History The Inbetweeners Movie This Means War

5:00pm

Location, Location, Location Phil Spencer: Secret Agent Channel 4 News Grand Designs Experimental Humans 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown The American Couples Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Flying to the Ends of the Earth 24 Hours in Police Custody A Very British Brothel Tattoo Fixers Couples Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Three Day Nanny Sex in Class Not Safe for Work A Very British Brothel Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure Couples Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Kirstie's Fill Your House for Free One Born Every Minute Witnesses 24 Hours in A and E

10:00pm 11:00pm

11:30pm

6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:55pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 12:35am 6:20pm 8:00pm 8:55pm 9:00pm

10:00pm 12:35am

6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am

6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am

NCIS A Killer Among Us 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight Cricket on 5 The Holiday Airport: Sun, Sea and Scousers Supersized Person of Interest

11:00am 11:20am 11:35am 11:50am 1:50pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 8:00pm 10:10pm 12:40am

Football Gold Football Gold Football Gold Football Football Boots 'n' All Soccer A.M. Football Football Football Boxing Gold

NCIS An Accidental Friendship 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight Cricket on 5 Weather Terror 20 Moments That Rocked Comedy Lip Sync Battle

3:00pm

Royal International Horse Show Sky Sports Originals - Cloned: Creating Designer Horses Premier League Legends Premier League 100 Club The Premier League Years Premier League Legends Premier League 100 Club

The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away! Cricket on 5 5 News Transporter: The Series Tut Criminals: Caught on Camera Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Cricket on 5 5 News Police Interceptors Unleashed with Vinnie Jones Tut Secrets of the Egyptian Pyramids

Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Police Interceptors Stop! Roadworks Ahead Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild Under the Dome 20 Moments That Rocked Comedy Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Police Interceptors The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davies Can't Pay? Botched Up Bodies Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole

5 News Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Trauma Doctors The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door Undercover Benefits Cheat Wentworth Prison Gypsies on Benefits and Proud

7:00pm

8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:00am 1:00pm 4:00pm 4:30pm 7:00pm 9:00pm 12:30am 2:30am 4:30am 5:00am 10:30am 2:00pm 4:00pm 6:30pm 6:50pm 8:50pm 11:00pm 1:15am

7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm

10:00pm 3:30am 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm

10:00pm 3:30am

6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 11:00pm 12:00am

The Premier League Years Football Sky Sports Boxing Gold 2013 GAA GAA Boxing The Premier League Years The Premier League Years Premier League 100 Club One2eleven Saturday Fight Night The Premier League Years Football Football Gold The Premier League Years Football Major League Soccer Intl Champions Cup

Premier League 100 Club Premier League 100 Club Sporting Greats Gary Newbon Interviewing Billie Jean King Tennis: Washington Sporting Greats Premier League 100 Club Premier League 100 Club Sporting Greats Gary Newbon Interviewing Martina Hingis Tennis: Washington Sporting Greats

Premier League Premier League 100 Club Football's Greatest Managers Football's Greatest Teams Football A League of Their Own Football's Greatest Teams


38

E W N 30 July - 5 August 2015 / Mallorca

LETTERS

www.euroweeklynews.com

OPINION & COMMENT

YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION

Letters for Your Say should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments straight on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com

Spanish Government benefits from disillusioned expats I HAVE just read Leapy’s article in the paper. Has he ever thought of standing for the UK Parliament? If so, he has my vote. My wife and I reside in Spain, both being British. We left the UK disillusioned, fed up, having paid into the system all our lives, having both lived and worked abroad before, yet still paying our dues and happily so. My wife was working in China and myself in Africa, yet returning to the UK as we were not on the voters’ roll, we could not rent a property. As we had no UK payslips, we were continually advised to ‘sign on’, despite having our own savings and income. Yet we saw hundreds of others by simply being unemployed or, as I would say unemployable, receiving handouts, fully furnished homes, cars and all bills paid. We had returned to be a part of Cameron’s ‘wider society’ and work in doing our bit to contribute to the economy, pay our taxes, NI stamps, etc. Because we had contributed before from overseas we didn’t fit in the box, being told to go and make a claim, then the Government might help. We didn’t want or need help. As a result, the Spanish Government and King Felipe benefit as we now happily pay into the Spanish system. The UK Government’s budget is a good start, now freed from the constraints of coalition, but I am afraid it may be too little, too late. Those wanting to work hard and contribute like us are being pushed out in their thousands, whilst those who have no care for the society in which they live continue to sponge off the State. Keep up the excellent articles; a thoroughly enjoyable yet sadly true read. Jonathan Evans (by email)

Great article! JUST wanted to say how much I enjoyed, and totally agree with Leapy’s article about the layabouts. It is really good to see someone ‘tell it like it is’! This BS has been going on for way too long. Good job, mate! Bill (by email)

Photographs for possible publication should be sent by email with a full caption to: photonews@euroweeklynews.com

IT’S BACK... RUBBISH , RUBBISH and MORE RUBBISH! Recently, several people have once again complained - moaned, in fact, and rightly so - about the dumping of waste, litter, trash, whatever in various places in and around Mojacar and Turre. This photograph shows a load of unwanted builders’ rubbish which was tossed from a van on the main road between the two towns, amazingly near to a large empty council container and only 100 yards away from a huge skip which was ready and waiting for this sort of stuff. It would take at least two strong-armed people to lift one of these white bags seen in the picture, and since the photograph was snapped, quite a bit more rubbish has been added to the pile. Come on... there must be somebody who can name and shame these culprits. Please take note... ALL Mojacar and Turre councillors! Visitors who are now in the area, from all walks of life and countries incidentally, are not all impressed. I know, I spoken to some them! Tony Matthews (EWN columnist)

5-star treatment THIS year my wife and I have had to visit the hospital in Huercal-Overa. My wife broke her ankle on Easter Sunday and I myself have had to have an operation this July. On both occasions the treatment from start to finish was absolutely tremendous, and the after-care at the medico in Velez Blanco the same. So three cheers and five stars to the Spanish system. Chris Jones, Velez Rubio

Voices heard I AM a regular reader of EWN ever since your very first edition and I admire the way you allow people to voice their opinions. Leapy Lee is one such example – I think everything he says is true. Like Leapy, I worked in Saudi Arabia, in my case at the airbase in Tiaif and also in Jeddah. I witnessed the hypocrisy in

the form of sheiks drinking whisky from their hip flasks and sending cars to pick up foreign women from the airport. I, too, am sick of Human Rights, Islamic bigots and leniency towards ethnic minorities. I also enjoy Mike Walsh’s column and was dumfounded by his article about the 100 scientists who were killed in the MH17 Malaysia Airlines plane that was brought down over the Ukraine. Just how low can the trashy tabloid newspapers go to bring out a photo of our Queen as a small girl apparently making a Nazi salute long before the onset of the Second World War? The Queen is a few days short of a year older than me and I did not have a clue what that salute stood for until I was 15 and joined the Merchant Navy at the height of the German U-boat menace. It was only then, when I came ashore and met up with other young shipmates, all in their mid-teens, that we would mimic the Hitler salute. We all used Brylcreem and carried a black comb in our top pockets – we would

The second comes from the chemist and is the only one that has helped me. It is called Repel Bite Familiar. I hope this helps and you get some relief from these awful mosquitoes. Ellen Tully, Javea

UK in or out?

hold the comb under our nose, flick our hair over our right eye and do the Nazi salute – not to support them of course but to take the p…! Keep up the good work! EWN is a brilliant newspaper. Joseph Billet, Ciudad Quesada, Rojales (Alicante) PS: I spoke to the Queen and Prince Philip when I was a civil engineer in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) building a dam across the Mahaweli River near Candy. I have always been a True Blue and a Royalist.

Battling biters IN reply to the lady who wrote in to say she was being badly bitten by mosquitoes, I too had the problem and have found two remedies. The first is buy a bottle of lavender water (Lavanda Agua de Colonia) sold in Mercadona and Citronella Essential Oil from a herbal shop. Mix 50ml of the lavender with 10 drops of the oil and use a little spray bottle to apply.

IF the UK tabloids are to be believed the long-heralded in/out EU referendum may well take place in less than a year. There are upwards of two million expats living in Europe, the largest proportion in Spain, and all those who will have been here for less than 15 years will be able to vote. I am surprised therefore that the English-language press has not already started to examine the ramifications of an exit vote. I am thinking in particular of our residency status, the reciprocal health agreement and pensions - if you are an expat living outside the EU you are entitled to your pension but it remains at the rate set at pensionable age and there are no increases. Will we continue to enjoy the status quo or will our lives be made worse by leaving the EU? If the latter is the case then serious consideration should be given to a ‘No’ vote by those affected. I have written to both the MP for the area in which I used to live and to the prime minister’s office. They both replied but gave no assurances in respect of the above concerns. In fact, the MP Dr Julian Lewis, a well known Eurosceptic, suggested that my move to Spain was my choice and I would have to accept the consequences. I would ask you please to investigate and report on our options. Phil McAleer, Cacin, Granada Editor’s Note This is an interesting subject and something EWN intends to cover in the coming weeks.

WHEN YOU WRITE All letters, whether by email or post, should carry the writer’s postal address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published. Letters may also be edited. Readers who have missed earlier correspondence can see all letters posted on:

www.euroweeklynews.com

The views expressed and opinions given in Letters are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. They accept no responsibility for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements, and reject claims arising out of any action that a company or individual may take on the basis of information contained therein.


TIME OUT

30 July - 5 August 2015 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

Famous quote

This week

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

‘

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett

in history 781 Japan’s Mount Fuji erupts, the oldest recorded eruption of the volcano. 1620 Departure of the Pilgrim Fathers from Leiden to England before the journey to America. 1718 The Spanish fleet is decimated by the English navy after the battle at Cape Passaro. 1775 Captain Cook returns to England with the ship Resolution. 1834 The British Empire declares an end to slavery throughout the empire. 1836 Charles Darwin returns to Bahia, Brazil on the HMS Beagle. 1861 A world record in the amount of rainfall in one month is set with 9,300mm falling in Cherrapunji, Assam in July. 1865 The children’s fantasy novel, Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll is published. 1893 Douglas Hyde and Eoin MacNeill establish the Gaelic League as a way of preserving the Gaelic language and culture and encouraging other Irish people to speak it. 1912 Photos and movies of prize fights are banned by the US government. 1922 The world’s first water skis are tested by 18-year-old Ralph Samuelson of Minnesota. 1928 Halina Konopacka of Poland becomes the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field. 1931 More than 99 per cent of Spain’s Catalunya in Spain votes in a referendum to become autonomous. 1944 Three days before she is arrested, the teenage Anne Frank makes her last ever diary entry. 1954 Ardito Desio leads an Italian expedition to reach the top of K2 in the first ever ascent. 1961 The millionth person to emigrate to Israel arrives in the country. 1961 The Beatles appear at Liverpool’s Cavern Club for the first time as a house band. 1991 An agreement to reduce long range nuclear weapons is signed by both the US and Russia.

Women’s wit

‘

I think it’s great training for any comedian to start on cows. Because with cows, you expect them to be bored and just stare at you blankly. If you can toughen up with a cow audience, then you’ll never be worried with a human audience. Kristen Schaal

World of English

‘

The term muffin-wallopers was used in Victorian slang to describe elderly unmarried or widowed women who would meet up to gossip at a tea-table.

‘ IF YOU HADN’T GIVEN HIM THAT AWFUL SILLY SALUTE, PHILIPHE WOULD HAVE LET US OFF!’

Kakuro

for next 7 days

Mallorca

weather

Fill all the empty squares using the numbers 1 to 9, so that the sum of each horizontal block equals the ‘clue’ on its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the clue on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once.

TODAY ALCUDIA

POLLENÇA CALVIA

CALA MILLOR

INCA

CALA d’OR

PALMA ANDRATX

LLUCMAJOR MAGALLUF

TOMORROW ALCUDIA

POLLENÇA

CALA MILLOR

INCA

CALVIA

CALA d’OR

PALMA

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

ANDRATX LLUCMAJOR MAGALLUF

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Benidorm

CLEAR MAX 31C, MIN 24C 29 24 Cl 28 24 Sh 30 24 Cl

MAX MIN

Mon - 31 24 S Tues - 31 25 S Wed - 32 25 S

SUNNY MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

29 24 Cl 29 24 S 31 25 S

MAX 31C, MIN 24C Mon - 32 25 S Tues - 32 26 S Wed - 32 26 S

CLEAR MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

29 23 Cl 27 23 Sh 29 24 S S Sun,

MAX MIN

Mon - 29 17 S Tues - 28 17 S Wed - 28 17 Sh

28 17 Cl 29 18 Cl 31 17 Cl

Madrid MAX 28, MIN 23C MAX MIN

Mon - 31 25 S Tues - 32 25 S Wed - 32 25 S Cl Clear,

TODAY: Fri Sat Sun Fog,

31 24 S 31 24 S 30 24 S

TODAY:

SUNNY MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

33 23 S 30 22 Sh 33 22 S

MAX 32C, MIN 21C MAX MIN

Mon - 34 22 S Tues - 34 22 S Wed - 35 23 S

Murcia

CLEAR

MAX 34C, MIN 22C

MAX MIN

MAX MIN

32 19 C 32 21 C 34 22 Cl C Cloudy,

Mon - 37 23 S Tues - 38 23 S Wed - 38 23 S Sh Showers,

TODAY:

CLEAR MAX 34C, MIN 26C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

35 25 Cl 32 24 Sh 34 23 Cl

Sn Snow,

UK THUNDERBALL

IRISH LOTTO

Saturday July 25

Saturday July 25

EURO MILLIONS

LA PRIMITIVA

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

MAX MIN

Mon - 30 24 S Tues - 32 25 S Wed - 32 26 S

Mallorca SHOWER MAX 25C, MIN 17C

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

SUNNY MAX 35C, MIN 24C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 32 25 S Tues - 33 26 S Wed - 33 26 S

31 24 Sh 30 24 Sh 31 24 C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Barcelona TODAY:

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Bilbao

Almeria TODAY:

Malaga

CLEAR MAX 31C, MIN 25C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 36 24 S Tues - 37 24 S Wed - 37 25 S Th Thunder

LOTTERY

Alicante TODAY:

39

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SPONSORED BY

EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREAK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

EWN

Saturday July 25

2

4

6

11

33

Friday July 24

2

7 5

15

11

20

48

29

Saturday July 25

Sunday July 26

4

6

3

12

16

33

25

43

45

9 34

39

21

41

44

46

23

28

35

BONUS BALL

THUNDERBALL

BONUS BALL

37

1

40

LUCKY STARS

2

11

39

REINTEGRO

18

0

REINTEGRO

9


40

E W N 30 July - 5 August 2015 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPONSOR GO TO WWW.LINEADIRECTA.COM

The water diviner Cast: Russell Crowe, Olga Kurylenko, Jai Courtney, Isabel Lucas, Damon Herriman, Ryan Corr, Jacqueline McKenzie, Cem Yılmaz, Deniz Akdeniz, Megan Gale Director: Russell Crowe

Funagram

Just Joking

Unscramble the title of a song that has topped the UK singles charts on four occasions (two words): ENHANCED OILY MUD

Two grapes go on a date. At the end of the date the boy grape took the girl grape home gave her a kiss and told her that it was their only date. She started to cry and when he asked her if she was ok. She said, "No, I'm crushed!"

Unscramble the name of a current England cricketer: BY LARGE CANAL

Hexagram

The purpose of the Hexagram puzzle is to place the 19 six-letter words into the 19 cells. The letters at the edges of interlocking cells MUST BE THE SAME. The letters in the words must be written CLOCKWISE. The word in cell 10 (OBJECT) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.

An Australian farmer and water diviner called Joshua Connor (Russell Crowe) travels to Turkey after the Battle of Gallipolli in 1915 in an attempt to find his three missing sons who served with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. In Turkey, he stays at a hotel ran by warwidowed Ayshe (Olga Kurylenk) and her son Orhan (Dylan Georgiades), whom he grows close to as he finds his way into Gallipolli.

ABRUPT

PELLET

ACTIVE

PIRATE

BATEAU

POSEUR

CHALET

QUAVER

EITHER

REPEAL

ESTATE

REPEAT

HERPES

ROSTER

JASPER

SHEATH

LETTER

VESTRY

OBJECT (10)

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Render 2 Hasten 3 Seared 4 Rushed 5 Heater 6 Uppers 7 Sharks 8 Latter 9 Desire 10 Kettle 11 Stiles 12 Bruise 13 Retain 14 Rubies 15 Enable 16 Resent 17 Brains 18 Leered 19 Sinews

50

Writer of major bestselling success Harry Potter fantasy books. Her first novel in this series was published in 1997 and brought her worldwide success with all seven of the books being made into box-office hit movies. Lisa Kudrow, July 30, Actress, 52 Famous for her quirky and funny portrayal of Phoebe Buffay on NBC’s legendary TV show Friends, Lisa Kudrow is a California-born actress which earned a Screen Actor Guild Award and a Satellite Award for Best Actress thanks to this role. Jack O’Connell, August 1, Actor, 25 His roles as Pukey Nicholls in This is England, and as James Cook in Skins made him popular. He attended Saint Benedict Catholic School before becoming famous and debuted on an episode of British TV series, Doctors in 2005. Charli XCX, August 2, pop singer, 23 Born, Charlotte Emma. She was only 14 when she recorded her debut album which she posted on her MySpace page. She was nominated for a Teen Choice Award. She started her career performing at warehouse raves in London. Evangeline Lilly, August 3, TV Actress, 36 She portrayed Kate on the well-known TV show Lost from 2004 to 2010. Her role as Tauriel in The Hobbit gained her an Empire Award for Best Supporting Actress. Before becoming famous she served as a missionary in the Philippines. Barack Obama, August 4, US President, 54 Born in Hawaii, he became 44th president of the United States and the first African-American president. He had previously run for the United States House of Representatives in 2000, but unsuccessfully. Louis Walsh, August 5, Reality Star, 65 He became popular as a judge on the TV show The X Factor. In 2005, he won the second season of said TV show with Shayne Ward. He has appeared on several other reality shows such as You’re a Star, Popstars and Britain’s Got Talent.

YOUR STARS VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) It appears at times that you are in the middle of a play. The lights are on you, the mike’s wired, your audience awaits, then nothing. Not that you are lost for words. You know exactly what to say and do. What you are wondering is why you are there in the first place. Maybe where you are was not intended. LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) There’s a lot of buzzing going on in your head. No, it isn’t tinnitus, it’s something quite different. You know it’s a great time to get ideas and act on them. However, trying to act on too many at once is causing some confusion. Maybe there’s too much going on. SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) You’ve been working hard, maybe in the dark some of the time. This week someone shines a torch on your situation and you see exactly where you are. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Getting a creative project started has opened your eyes to many things. Perhaps you question why you did not do it before. The fact is that it doesn’t matter. You are where you are right here and not because that was where you were heading. Enjoy the feeling, the praise and the satisfaction. . CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) Just imagine for one day that you have achieved everything your heart has desired. When you wake up in the morning believe

LEO

10-Star Quiz HAIR STYLES 1. According to Greek mythology, what collective name was given to the three sisters, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, with snakes for hair, who had the power to turn anyone who looked at them to stone? 2. Derived from the French for ‘nape of the neck’, what is a ‘chignon’? 3. How are the television presenters David Myers and Simon (Si) King collectively known? 4. In which decade did the controversial stage musical Hair originally open at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London? 5. ‘On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair’ is the first line of which UK Top 10 hit single by the Eagles? 6. What is the usual Cockney rhyming slang for ‘hair’? 7. What sort of creature is the Xoloitzcuintle (Xolo for short), which is also known as the Mexican hairless in English speaking countries? 8. What was the name of the Coronation Street character who ‘died’ in January 1971 after being electrocuted by a faulty hairdryer? 9. Which famous hairdresser who was born in Hammersmith in January 1928, is credited with creating a simple geometric, ‘Bauhaus-inspired’ hair style, also called the ‘wedge bob’? 10. Who had a UK Christmas number one hit single in 1972 with the novelty song Long Haired Lover from Liverpool? 1. GORGONS, 2. KNOT OR COIL OF HAIR ARRANGED ON THE BACK OF A WOMAN'S HEAD, 3. THE HAIRY BIKERS, 4. 1960s (1968), 5. HOTEL CALIFORNIA, 6. BARNET FAIR – FRED ASTAIRE, BONNEY FAIR, TONY BLAIR, YOGI BEAR and ALF GARNETT (rhyming slang for ‘Barnet’) are also used, 7. DOG, 8. VALERIE BARLOW, 9. VIDAL SASSOON, 10. LITTLE JIMMY OSMOND

JK Rowling, July 31, Author

TIME

EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREA

FUNAGRAM SOLUTION: UNCHAINED MELODY, GARY BALLANCE

NEW ON DVD

SPONSORED BY

(July 24 - August 23)

Are you looking for guidance? Maybe you are thinking that a recent acquaintance will be able to provide it. You ran something by a few friends and they are not so sure. That is because this is a situation where you need an expert, not a well-wisher. Best not to waste your time and jangle your nerves. Get that expert even if it costs a few pennies. it is so. Feel how your spirits lift and your heart sings. Carry that feeling through the week and beyond. If you believe that you are a success you can be. Why stop when it feels so good? AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Yours is a big ship. You are able to take a lot on board but you don’t have to. In this special week, when you see things so clearly, be selective. Allow into your life only that which is valuable and worthwhile. This is not selfishness, it is providing a source of inspiration for the present and the future. PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Your old shoes are comfortable and still have a lot of wear in them but someone is suggesting that you should buy some new shoes and throw the old ones away. They are no longer shiny. They are no longer fashionable. They do, however, provide all that you need. ARIES (March 21 - April 20) That little bit of extra cash has made you

realise something. Not everything is as simple as you would wish it to be, and throwing money at a problem will not make it go away entirely. There are some things that you need to come to terms with. It is much easier to incorporate the uneasy into your life if you take a more relaxed attitude. TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Sometimes, when we are making a journey, it is not the usual route that is best. Something has changed in your sphere and there is a need to adjust to it. There are other options that will bring the same result and maybe even a more convenient one. You will need to do two things. The first is to open your mind to the possibilities. GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Someone needs to learn to stand on their own two feet. It isn’t you, but it’s close. Finding a balance between helping and idly standing by while mistakes are made is necessary. It’s not easy but it has to be done. You may break into a sweat this week and it won’t suit your nerves, but you’ll get through. CANCER (June 22 - July 23) A way opens up before you that can bring wealth. Branching off from that is a path to certain happiness. Which will you take? If having that money means changing your nature (or trying to) is that going to make you happy? On the other hand, if you sidestep the money can you still be happy? Keep things simple. You know where you are.

Nonagram How many English words of four letters or more can you make from the nine letters in our Nonagram puzzle? Each letter may be used only once (unless the letter appears twice). Each word MUST CONTAIN THE CENTRE LETTER (in this case H) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.

TARGET: Average: 17 Good: 22 Very good: 31 Excellent: 38

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION alec alee calf caul clan clef clue elan feel flan flea flee flue fuel lace lane leaf lean luff lune ulna anele clean fecal lance ulnae uncle enlace unlace AFFLUENCE

SOUND OF THE WEEK Artist: Ducktails Title: St. Catherine Released: 24 July 2015 Record Label: Domino This Los Angeles-based band led by Matt Mondanile has crafted a collection of unique baroque pop, upbeat songs that deal with emotional topics with a unique punch to them. Noteworthy are the complex vocal harmonies intertwining string parts and electronic melodies on songs Church and Heaven’s Room. A sensitive record that includes an mp3 download card.


OUT

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page

AK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

Enjoy filling in the following puzzles and check the answers in next week’s edition

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

CRYPTIC

Quick

Cryptic

Across: 1 Sympathy, 4 Dent, 7 Loans, 9 Stamp, 11 Shave, 12 Stars, 13 Sarong, 15 Clasps, 19 Panes, 21 Elgar, 23 Evoke, 24 Satin, 25 Lace, 26 Generous.

Across 1 Rejoins as Wren’s doctor (7) 5 Flies the deer back north in (5) 8 Airman coming from Scandinavia to Russia (7) 9 To be former partner is Middle Eastern (5) 10 A feudal lord in Belgium (5) 11 Falls for villain in trial (7) 12 Drunken horse that’s swallowed whisky (6) 14 Country folk cook elk in soy (6) 17 Seeing aids to drinking (7) 19 Linen rope? (5) 22 The best part of Chinese literature (5) 23 A murder suspect, one hears? (7) 24 Rated new style squash (5) 25 With difficulty, steer a vessel through the locks (7) Down 1 Help to make a hide, say (5) 2 Transparency of a bit of playground equipment (5) 3 Exeter motorway crash is far away (7) 4 Trim a tree (6) 5 Consider guests with no time (5)

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Crossword

EWN

Down: Down: 1 Salvers, 2 Means, 3 Hostel, 5 Tiers, 6 Bags, 8 Spain, 10 Pears, 14 Rinse, 16 Lagos, 17 Springs, 18 Serene, 19 Pedal, 20 Shoe, 22 Ratio.

QUICK Across:

6 Inspire a Northern Ireland colleague (7) 7 These posers shouldn’t be missed (7) 12 Somehow gets men apart (7) 13 English Viscount, as I’ve found, is slippery (7)

Code Breaker

15 Outside broadcast - do watch (7) 16 Insist on rest, as manager (6) 18 Comes back up in deep sea diver’s rush (5) 20 Gets paid to give a listener some directions (5) 21 Bad start in the cats’ crypts (5)

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 7 represents Q and 12 represents Z, so fill in Q every time the figure 7 appears and Z every time the figure 12 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.

Across 1 Worried and uneasy (8) 5 Seize or grasp suddenly (4) 9 Definite but not specified or identified (7) 10 Rows or lines of soldiers or police standing abreast of one another (5) 11 Graduated series or order (5) 12 Not accepted (7) 13 Dishes served as the last course of a meal (6) 15 Mistakes (6) 18 Hold back or set aside (7) 20 Strips of potato fried in deep fat (5) 22 Two times (5) 23 Become fully aware of something as a fact (7) 24 Cause to stop (4) 25 Gifts (8)

Down 1 Competitions (5) 2 Outer boundary or face of something (7) 3 Go away from a place (5) 4 Soldier stationed to keep guard or to control access to a place (6) 6 Crosspieces that form the steps of a ladder (5) 7 Making an additional point (7) 8 Like better (6) 13 Extend in space or time (7) 14 Reference point to shoot at (6) 16 Personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty (7) 17 Overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety (6) 19 Ability that has been acquired by training (5) 20 Body of students who are taught together (5) 21 Paces (5)

English - Spanish The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.

1 Ask for, 4 Switch, 9 Nurture, 10 Recur, 11 Irate, 12 Passive, 13 Poltergeist, 18 Twitter, 20 State, 22 Alike, 23 Lantern, 24 Honest, 25 Mental. Down: 1 Auntie, 2 Korea, 3 Opulent, 5 Works, 6 Tactics, 7 Harlem, 8 Temporarily, 14 Opinion, 15 Essence, 16 Attach, 17 Kennel, 19 Tiers, 21 Adept.

ENGLISHSPANISH Across: 1 Clave, 4 Motos, 7 Tar, 8 Gaseosa, 9 Peon, 10 Risa, 14 Azulejo, 16 Oro, 17 Heads, 18 Sueca. Down: 1 Cita, 2 Agree, 3 Engineers, 4 Mushrooms, 5 Two, 6 Scar, 11 Smoke, 12 Bath, 13 Boca, 15 Uva.

CODE BREAKER

Across 1 Cambio (modificación) (6) 4 Glass (for drinking) (4) 8 To kiss (5) 9 Hedgehog (5) 10 Smooth (skin) (5) 11 Houses (5) 14 Llama (de fuego) (5) 16 Flood (5) 17 Vela (náutico) (4) 18 Más rápido (6)

Down 1 Buckets (pails) (5) 2 Yearning (desire) (5) 3 Germs (8) 5 Like this (3) 6 Gold (metal, commodity, currency) (3) 7 Unloading (8) 12 Principio (comienzo) (5) 13 Escalón (5) 14 Faiths (3) 15 There (near you) (3)


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TOP 10 World’s Super Yachts

Adult Coloring Book: Ocean Animal Patterns

EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREAK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

App of the Week

Spain’s ports are filled with luxurious yachts at this time of year and any self-respecting millionaire will have one to entertain guests on. The super yachts, though are in a different class altogether, here we feature the 10 most expensive ones. Credit: Moshi Anahory – Flickr.

BOOKS

TIME OUT The infamous cultural-shock experienced when travelling abroad is to fade away with the new app by Pixel Bakery s.r.o. titled FailPople. The app is packed with advices on ‘whatnot-to-dos when travelling to a foreign country and help you avoid embarrassment and awkward situations: shaking hands vs bowing, to tip or not to tip, how to eat, what to wear, this app has you covered. It is free, download from the App Store.

Play on Words EASY i

Released on June 24, 2015 This book presents a unique concept which has gained large numbers of followers over the past few years: a colouring book for adults. The book was designed by the same team who crafted the bestseller ‘Stress Relieving Patterns,’ and features 100 per cent hand-drawn illustrations including sharks, jellyfish, octopi and other ocean animals. All designs were artfully created by Puerto Rican artists Carolina and Daniela Licalzi. The piece was conceived to provide stress relief and creative expression to adults through a practice traditionally earmarked only to children. Millions of adults are said to have rediscovered colouring and creativity through a new perspective, that of therapeutic, calm fun. books@euroweeklynews.com

Boggled

1. Streets of Monaco - Currently under construction,

million), it looks like something out of a Bond film

the price tag on this yacht. Owned by a Saudi

the final price is yet unknown but is estimated to cost

and features the latest technology and entertainment

billionaire, Nassir Al-Rashid, when it was built it was

about $1 billion (€916 million). With features such as

systems as well as two extra boats for adventure.

the ninth largest yacht in the world but now languishes

a private beach, man-made lake, go kart track and a

There are three swimming pools, each with opposing

at No. 28. Still the boat’s lettering and embellishments

replica of the Monaco Grand Prix track, it’s the most

currents to swim against.

are apparently made from 24-carat gold. It can

expensive yacht on the planet. The deck’s architecture

5. Al Said - is named after its owner, Sultan Qaboos

accommodate 30 guests and 60 crew members and

replicates an upmarket city, it has casinos, helipad,

Bin Said Al Said and cost $300 million (€275

has a powerful twin diesel 7,000 horsepower engine.

pools and cafes. And so it should for that price!

million). Luxury features include a concert hall which

9. Seven Seas - accommodates 12 guests in seven

2. Eclipse - belonging to Russian billionaire Roman

can accommodate a large orchestra. It has space for 70

luxury suites, which function as double cabins. Built

Abromavich, it is estimated to have cost $450 million

guests and it takes another 154 people to look after

by Oceanco, a Dutch company, the ship’s owner

(€412 million) but could be almost $1 billion (€916

them.

Steven Spielberg ‘ spent $200 million (€183 million)

TARGET:

million). It takes 70 crew to manage the yacht and has

6. Dilbar - owned by another rich Russian, Alisher

on purchasing it and so of course, there is an

Average: 35

its own private defence system to ward off intruders

Usmanov, it cost $263 million (€241 million) and

obligatory movie theatre, gym, helipad, an infinity

Good: 45

and paparazzi. In fact, it is rumoured to have light

was apparently named after his late mother. It is over

pool and a private owner’s deck should you feel

detecting technology that can block close-up pictures.

360 feet long and 50 feet high, meaning it is one of the

crowded by the other 11 guests.

Very good: 64

For a quick getaway, there are two helipads plus a

largest in the world. It includes the usual essential

10. The Rising Sun - It cost record and film producer

private submarine available for exploring under the

superyacht items, a helipad and enough rooms to

David Geffen $200 million (€183 million) to buy it

sea.

accommodate 20 guests.

from Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. There is a basketball

3. Dubai - owned by the Sheikh of Dubai, hence the

7. Al Mirqab - Rather than a billionaire entrepreneur,

court, luxury cinema, wine cellar and all 82 rooms on

name, it cost $350 million (€320 million) to construct

this yacht is owned by Qatar’s Prime Minister, making

the five storey ship are decorated to opulent,

and was originally built for the Sultan of Brunei.

Qatari politics an attractive career prospect! Featuring

billionaire standards as you would expect!

There is a swimming pool, spa, glass staircase and a

a helipad, 10 guest suites, a cinema, and exclusive

With the average superyacht costing $300 million

helipad and has room for 115 people on board. It is the

VIP suites it cost $250 million (€229 million) to

which translates to roughly €275 million, it would

second largest yacht in existence at the moment.

build.

only take a few of these billionaire’s yachts to bailout

4. Superyacht A - worth about $323 million (€296

8. Lady Moura - $210 million (€192 million) was

Greece with emergency funds!

Sudoku

How many English words can you find in the Boggled grid, according to the following rules? The letters must be adjoining in a ‘chain’. They can be adjacent horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Words must contain at least four letters and may include singular and plural or other derived forms. No letter may be used more than once within a single word, unless it appears twice. No vulgarities or proper nouns are permitted.

Excellent: 79

SCORING: 4 letters: 1 point • 5 letters: 2 points • 6 letters: 3 points • 7 letters: 4 points • 8 or more letters: 11 points

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION edit creed crew crews tide tidies decree deice deer deem dice dices dish diet iced ices emery reed reeds reset retry lice lids side silt seed secret seer sere seem slice slid slide slier mere meres merer mesh meet mews weer wees were ruth tees teem term terse tree three threw thru hurt

Word Ladder WIDE

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3X3 box contains the digits 1-9. There’s no maths involved. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic.

Answers: Easy on the eye, See you in the morning

ECLIPSE: Belongs to Russian Roman Abromavich.

ACUM

BOYS BACK

Move from the start word (WIDE) to the end word (BOYS) in the same number of steps as there are rungs on the Word Ladder. You must only change one letter at a time.

WIDE WADE WADS WAYS BAYS BOYS

42


OPINION & COMMENT

www.euroweeklynews.com

LEGALLY SPEAKING

Different coloured pedestrian crossings AS part of a new series, we answer some common driving questions, kindly provided by members of the Guardia Civil based in Torrevieja, Costa Blanca, who set up the N332 website and Facebook page to help break down barriers.

BLACK AND WHITE: The only colour for pedestrian crossings. MANY people ask about the significance and meanings of the different coloured pedestrian crossings in Spain. Most people are aware of the ‘zebra’ crossings with black and white alternating stripes across the road, but what ones in any other colours? Article 168 of the Trafico, Circulacion y Seguridad Vial states that ‘pedestrian crossings are formed of a series of wide lines arranged from the pavement and parallel to the axis forming a set across the road where drivers of vehicles or animals must let pedestrians pass.’ It states that you must not use other colours that alternate with the white ones so by legal definition the only colours that should be on a pedestrian crossing are white and the colour of the road.

A study in 2014 concluded the best way to make crossings safer for pedestrians was to “transform these pedestrian passages into eye grabbing spectacles; a school of colourful fish, a skeleton or a row of bullets.” However the study was done by an artist rather than a road safety professional but the impact was successful. By creating a surface which drivers looked out for it could improve the awareness of the crossing, but other experts suggest these could do more damage than good being a distraction. Many of the coloured crossings are on raised humps; again traffic calming measures, but a lot of these humps don’t fall within legal requirements and so many have been removed in recent years.

For more news and articles visit www.n332.es or search N332 on Facebook

Six months is legal limit for a UK car In a recent column you said that any UK plated car being driven in Spain must have current UK road tax along with a UK MOT. However, I recently spoke with a Spanish insurance company and they said it is L e t ’s p u t i t t h i s way. Regardless of what the law says, no Spanish policeman is going to issue a fine for not having paid UK road tax or not h a v i n g a c u r re n t M O T from the UK. Insurance is a different story. The law says that a vehicle must be insured in its country of registra-

not required to have UK road tax and MOT. In order to be legal in Spain, you only need the Spanish ITV. Can you tell me whether this is correct or incorrect?

David Searl You and the Law in Spain

Six months in a calendar year is the maximum limit for a foreign car to circulate on Spanish roads.

M.T. (Costa del Sol) tion. If you have an insurance company that accepts a Spanish ITV inspection sticker on a U K - p l a t e d c a r, t h i s makes me wonder if the car has not been in Spain longer than six months. Six months in a calendar year is the maximum limit for a foreign car to c i rc u l a t e o n S p a n i s h roads.

Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.

30 July - 5 August 2015 / Mallorca

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30 July - 5 August 2015

VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.EWNLIFESTYLE.COM

TO READ MORE

HEALTH BEAUTY

&

Exercise to help any physical imbalances TIMES have changed and so have job roles

DIET BENEFITS: Normal blood sugar levels and weight loss.

GENTLE EXERCISE: Will help your posture.

FitFoxy Looking Good, Staying Trim

AS a Fitness Trainer it is my job not only to get people jumping up and down and keeping fit and strong, but to implement exercises and stretches to help fix any physical imbalances. Times have changed and so have job roles, as 40-50 years ago, jobs were more physical and kept our grandparents fairly fit and strong. These days many of us have desk jobs and are sat hunched over a computer all day. Ever wonder why your back is consistently tight, and your neck aches? The human body was not designed to be sedentary for several hours.

You will naturally lean to one side to control your computer mouse, therefore your spine is consistently tilted, are you getting the picture? Go to a large mirror, turn to the side and take a look at your posture. Is your upper back starting to curve like a question mark? Then it is time to implement some important exercises. Here is one: • Place a mat or a towel on the floor. Lay face down and position both of your hands either side of your head. • Keeping your neck in neutral position, lift your upper body off the floor, squeeze the shoulder blades together and lower it slowly. • Aim for a two second count up and down and take care not to jolt your neck. • Your lower body should not lift at all, focus is on the upper back muscles.

Could a liquid diet help to reverse diabetes? LOW calories included soups and shakes By Gemma Quinn A LIQUID diet could help reverse diabetes. Researchers at Imperial College London are looking

at t he benef i t s of a l ow calorie diet of patients with type two diabetes. I t com es af t er a r ecent study gave patients a low calorie diet of soups, shakes and non-starchy vegetables. Thr ee m ont hs l at er and seven of the 11 had normal blood sugar levels and also lost weight. The I m per i al Col l ege London is now looking at trialling a low calorie diet on 90 patients who have had diabetes for up to 10 years and take insulin in order to treat it.

Half will have nutritionall y bal anced soups and shakes, f ol l owed by t he gradual reintroduction of food with the other participant s havi ng a st andar d low-calorie diet and regular exercise. Meanwhile Chinese researches say chilli extract could help women who develop diabetes during pregnancy. Dur i ng a st udy, a dai l y suppl em ent of capsai ci n, which gives chilli its heat, hel ped l ower chol est er ol and sugar levels.


HEALTH & BEAUTY

Sleep tight THE hot sweaty nights are upon us and with the average adult sweating a pint of water a night, it creates the perfect conditions for dust mites and bed bugs to breed. Whilst dust mites themselves are harmless, their faeces and body fragments pose a risk to our health by triggering allergic reactions. They can result in coughs, dry eyes and make existing allergies worse. It is recommended not to make your bed straight away in the morning, but roll back the sheets and open windows to allow it to breath and prevent hot humid conditions in between the sheets. You should also wash your bed sheets and pillow cases every week with the actual pillow and duvets being washed twice a year. Mattresses should also be vacuumed to remove mites and dead skin cells.

30 July - 5 August 2015 / Mallorca

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45

Beware of operation bikini STILL trying to squeeze in to your swimwear for the summer? Then be careful. Experts have warned that the so called ‘operation bikini’ can have a negative effect on your health and a rebound effect on your weight. The Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition at Valencia’s Hospital La Fe said it would be desirable to follow a proper diet all year rather than due to aesthetic pressure trying to achieve in a month what should be done in 12 months: “Maintaining a healthy weight through good nutrition and regular exercise should be a constant and a proper diet and healthy lifestyle are life insurances against possible diseases.” The centre also stressed that whilst crash dieting quickly for the summer, important food groups can be missed leading to the loss of nutritional benefits. This may help quick weight loss but it will be temporary and can then later have an adverse effect on weight. For correct and consistent weight loss they recommend seeing a nutritionist to find the

THERAPY MALLORCA Physio & Osteopath Fitness & Nutrition

Gus 608 067 542

Pilates & Fitness CRASH DIET: Temporary weight loss. correct plan for you. During the summer it is recommended to drink two litres of water every day and eat smaller meals and more often, being cautious of tempting ice creams and fancy cocktails, high in sugar and calories.

Anabella 691 425 229 Mobile service to home office yachts NO CALL OUT FEE


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30 July - 5 August 2015

VISIT WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM/FEATURES/RESTAURANTS

TO READ MORE

Tramuntana Rocks Festival Flickr by Oriol Salvador

MUSIC-LOVERS cannot miss one of the most popular festivals on the Island: the Tramuntana Rocks Festival, scheduled to take place on August 1. Celebrated at the heart of the Tramuntana M ounta i n R a n g e i n E s p o rle s , it w ill s ee th e p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f a g re a t variety o f a r t i st s f ro m a ll g e n res , including the renowned local DJ, The Suicide of Western Culture, along with Satellites and Watermelons, amongst many others. Other bands who will perform at the festival are Hombre Lobo Internacional, Joe Crepusculo and Lady Moura. Tickets are €18 from the official Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/tramuntarocks or at the door for a price of €20.

CENE

A piano and 200 candles

CELEBRATED at the heart of the Tramuntana Mountain Range in Esporles By Maria José Fernandez

S

OCIAL

SWISS-BORN pianist David Gomez will perform his new show ‘A piano and 200 candles’ in Bunyola on August 1. Mr Gomez began his music career at a very early age and was taught by various teachers including Claudie Desmeules, from the Geneva Conservatory and Michael Davidson at the Rotterdam Conservatory. He gave his first concert when he was only 14-years-old and since then he has toured as a solo artist across the five continents. Noteworthy is his recent debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall. The stage will be lit by 200 candles as he performs pieces by Frederic Chopin, Ennio Morricone, and Astor Piazzolla, as well as original songs ‘The Island’ and ’16 years old’. You can look forward to a magical night which will take place at the Soller train station in Bunyola at 10pm.

JOE CREPUSCULO: One of the artists who will perform at the festival.

The secrets of the theatre TOUR will let visitors see costumes and props UNTIL August 26, the Theatre Principal in Palma (Calle Riera, 2) is offering nocturnal guided tours to visitors who want to learn

about backstage secrets of the theatre. After the successful launching of this event last summer, filling the capaci-

ty of visitors each day, organisers have decided to repeat the experience, now during the night-time. The tour begins at the façade, which was built 150 years ago and will take participants through the changing rooms, where they will be able to see for themselves the costumes and props used for past and current productions. The event takes place every Wednesday at 10pm and tickets are €5. More information can be found at http://www.teatreprincipal. com/es/.


SOCIAL SCENE

30 July - 5 August 2015 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

The Rocky Horror Show is to debut in Mallorca THE most prestigious rock n’ roll musical in history

Flickr by 3

SINCE this cheeky and divine musical debuted in 1973 at the Royal Court Theatre, the Rocky Horror picture show has become the most prestigious rock n’ roll musical in history. Performed in more than 30 countries across all continents and translated to more than 20 different languages, the production finally reaches Mallorca thanks to the company Illusions Theatre, under the direction of Jonathan Rodriguez. The audience will be taken along with Brad Majors and his fiancée Janet Weiss into a strange journey together with Doctor Frank N Furter and his creation, Rocky. The young naive couple will never be the same again. Audience members are welcome to dress

Flickr by gravitat-OFF 2

By Maria José Fernandez

ROCKY HORROR: Dress up as the characters. up as the musical characters and interact with the show, singing along to the songs, as Dr Frank N Furter once said: “Don’t dream it, Be it!”

The show will take place at Palma de Mallorca’s Auditorium between August 14 and 16 at 8pm. Tickets are €20 from http://www.auditoriumpalma.com/.

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A flamenco date in Palma FLAMENCO enthusiasts have a date at the Sala Dante on August 1. Renowned dancers Aurora Recuero, Paco Arevalo and Carmen Torres together with guitar player Jorge Espejo and singer Sebastian Roman will perform various styles of flamenco, rooted on the purest origins of the art form, putting together the passion, elegance and harmony that traditionally characterise the Flamenco performances. The event will take

place in Sala Dante (Cami de Jesus, 54 in Palma) at 9.45pm. Tickets are €12 at the door.


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OPINION & COMMENT

On a roll with my rants… gripes? or is it sour Nora Johnson

Breaking Views Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/nora-johnson

THIS will be all about rants! So, if rants aren’t your cup of tea, why not flick ahead to the sudoku page or go and make a cup of, err, coffee and I’ll see you back here next week … Hey, me again. Apologies for that short interruption but pleased to see most of you still here! But where to start? First off, the BBC with reports it ‘hid’ salaries of stars paid more than £500,000 from its recent annual accounts. Stars like Sir Tom Jones, allegedly paid around £1 million for The Voice UK, and James Nesbitt for The Missing.

Yes, scrap the daft shows, but the problem isn’t just the money paid to BBC stars, it’s money paid to management. A blatant sense of entitlement is rife in this institution as in so many other public bodies. Charities have also been in the news for the wrong reasons, with the Kids Company founder accused of financial mismanagement, and Save the Children having spent a third of its advertising budget with an agency run by its CEO’s brother. Charities have long been condemned for their excessively high executive salaries. Save the Children has, reportedly, at least six of its executives on more than £100,000 a year. Back in the day, I attended one or two charity fundraising events in the UK myself, con-

stantly amazed at the behaviour of some of the wealthiest guests who raided whatever caught their eye. From the gift table gifts intended for volunteers or other deserving individuals - to the floral arrangements on tables: everything was fair game as they swooped and executed, on their departure, a scorched earth policy the SAS would have been proud of! And (phew - great to get all this off my chest!) my final rant: all those ‘beach ready’ articles in the meWEALTHY RAIDERS: Helping themselves to the floral arrangements.

dia now. Why do we let ourselves be exposed to such body shaming propaganda? ‘Beauty’ editors for instance, constantly promoting the latest products - irrespective of whether or not they’re any good - that have just landed on their desks. Why can’t we just accept our bodies as they are? So, do excuse me, won’t you, while I totter off to get my body ‘beach ready’ - modelled loosely upon that of the occasional whale washed-up here on Spain’s beaches... Nora Johnson’s thrillers ‘Landscape of Lies,’ ‘Retribution,’ ‘Soul Stealer,’ ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.com) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.89;£0.79) and iBookstore. Profits to Cudeca.

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Don’t be caught out by non-disclosure David Deverson GLOBELINK INTERNATIONAL Insurance correspondent david@globelink.co.uk

EUROPE’S economic woes haven’t dented our appetite for travel. If anything, we’re intent on getting the most out of our much-needed getaways, and on the lookout for bargains. There are certainly some excellent deals to be had, as operators and destinations compete for our custom. Meanwhile, more people are turning to short breaks as a way of getting a travel ‘fix’ while spreading the budget. If you’re one of them, taking out an Annual Multi Trip policy with Globelink Travel Insurance makes obvious savings sense. But there’s one thing you shouldn’t be economical about, and that’s what you tell your insurer regarding your medical history. Every year, a significant number of Brits head abroad with a travel policy that’s invalid even before they reach the check-in desk. They’re the people who, through naivety or misplaced guile, don’t come clean about pre-existing health facts that may affect the terms of their insurance. Every year, some of them find themselves

TRAVEL INSURANCE: Be honest about any medical conditions.

left without adequate travel cover, as the condition they kept mum about suddenly flares up and requires medical attention. There’s no point in hoping the insurance claims investigators won’t cotton on to the facts. They always do, that’s their job! Need to cut your holiday short due to ill health?

If your condition warrants your flying home with a medical escort, expect to run up an average bill of around £4,000 (€4,700) in Europe and that’s flying economy-class. As for repatriation by air ambulance from the US or Australia, typical costs run into tens of thousands.... Not the kind of holiday ‘splurge’

most people budget for. As of April this year, a new UK consumer law should make it harder for travellers to invalidate their travel insurance by inadvertently failing to disclose important facts relating to their health. That can only be a good thing, since it should help to cut down claims disputes. But the flip-side is that the law does expect you to fill out the online form honestly and accurately when applying for, or renewing your travel insurance. A ‘little white lie’ could leave you without proper cover precisely when you need it most. Non-disclosure makes even less sense when your condition might actually be eligible for automatic coverage. At Globelink Travel Insurance, our policies embrace a large number of pre-existing conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma, provided you have no related complications. If in doubt, contact us; we’re here to help. For an instant quote and to arrange cover securely online, enabling you to print your policy documents visit www.globelink..co.uk, the leading travel insurer for people living in EU countries. Or you can telephone Globelink on 00 44 1353 699082 or their Spanish links line on 966 265 000 or 951 242 434.


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Global Consulting for a first class service in support and assistance

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AFTER 20 years they recently moved to larger premises and celebrated with an opening party GLOBAL CONSULTING is a business management company founded in 1995. Situated in Santa Ponsa they currently welcome clients from all over the island not just the south west of the island. The personnel have a vast knowledge and experience, are multilingual and are fully qualified and proficient in all aspects of business management, including financial and legal issues. Global Consulting have a strong corporate image, due to their moral ethic with regard to valuing every client and applying their strategic objectives, they deliver a first class service with the appropriate level of support and assistance. The services offered can be of a business or

GLOBAL CONSULTING: Welcome clients from all over the island. personal nature and are tailored to establish the required dimensions of service and relationship between personnel and clients.

Their basic values are to offer a fair and reasonable pricing policy, which will ensure competitive advantage, thus promoting the ability to exceed customer expectations with an emphasis on complete trust and satisfaction at all times. Social responsibility and a professional business conduct are of paramount importance to Global Consulting, they always work within the legal frameworks keeping abreast of new public policies and legislation, therefore, are able to offer advisory solutions to all legal matters that may arise in the day to day operations of a business activity. In conjunction with their 20 years in service, Global Consulting moved to larger premises and recently celebrated with an opening party which was attended by staff, clients and associates. For office opening hours, contact information and address please see our advert on page 13.


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HOMES GARDENS

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Beware now that summer is here wasps are the top pests THE mid-summer problem starts to appear as soon as fruit begins to ripen Dick Handscombe

Gardening Corner By Spain’s best known expatriate gardening author living in Spain for 25 years.

OVER the next couple of months fruit that attract wasps start to ripen. These include grapes, late plums and peaches. At the same time, wasps hatch and fly out of their nests to hunt for food and nectar during the day and return to their nests at night. If wasps are disturbed they can attack people or pets, sometimes fatally. Where to look out for nests If you suddenly see wasps hovering around you when sitting outside or at a table, turn the chair over and check to see if there is a nest underneath. A favourite place is in the strengthening framework under plastic chairs or tables. Larger nests

WASP NEST: A favourite place is under plastic chairs or tables. are often under the eaves of a house or shed, in holes in walls or trees, in empty plant pots, or sometimes even in a swimming pool strimmer. What to spray them with Obtain a proprietary wasp spray from a garden or hardware shop and keep it handy. If you are unfortunate enough to have a major in-

Make your balcony flourish in summer THOSE of us who are not blessed with acres of land at our disposal can still nurture a range of plants to brighten up our balconies. But even having two or three pot plants to care for can be tricky. The direction of the balcony or terrace will clearly make a huge difference to how your plants develop, if you don’t take steps to shield them from the sun. Blinds or awnings can be useful. Make sure they are pulled down at the hottest part of the day, shading them and you into the bargain.

While it is tempting to fill your balcony with overflowing plants, you can be economical with floor space, hanging plants in wall pots or along balustrades or on trellis. Choose plants that suit the direction of your balcony. South facing terraces will take geraniums, petunias, herbs, fuschias and carnations. East ones, begonias, orchids, and aloes among others. For west ones use petunias, spider plants, and miniature confers and north facing balconies can host aspidistras, cyclamen, and many indoor plants.

festation, contact the department of medio-ambiente at your town hall. What to do if you are stung Naturally you could be anywhere from a mountaintop to a beach-side restaurant, so here is a range of garden, kitchen and chemist treatments. For any others

that you might try, remember the venom of a wasp is alkaline. Therefore, needs an acidic antidote. 1. Move away from the wasp that stung you or a swarm or nest. Unfortunately, wasps, unlike bees, do not normally leave their sting in your skin so they can buzz around attempting to sting you again or move

onto bystanders or the pets. 2. If unusually the sting can be seen to still be there, remove carefully with tweezers but don’t squeeze the poison sack as this could inject more venom into the wound. 3. Apply an ice pack to help reduce or slow down the initial swelling. 4. Remove any jewellery

near the sting. 5. If possible wash the area with soap and water to remove any surface venom. 6. Raise arms or legs if stung. 7. Rub the area of the sting with cider vinegar, a paste of salt or baking powder, a slice of lemon, olive oil, cucumber, garlic, aloe vera, crushed marigold flowers or basil leaves, crushed plantain leaves, calamine lotion or an anti-histamine cream. 8. Wash regularly, dry and keep clean. 9. If the person is allergic to wasp stings and serious swelling starts to occur, the sting is near to or in the mouth, the tongue is swollen, the person vomits, faints or feels dizzy, contact the emergency services. 10. Put on protective clothing until the danger of further wasp attacks appears to be past, but play on the safe side. © Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com


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Perfect time to invest in a better lifestyle BUYER confidence in the last two years is leading investors to return By Eleanor Hawkins OVERSEAS investors are currently making the most of unique buying conditions in Spain created by the combination of a fast-growing economy, falling unemployment rates, an increase in bank lending and

low property prices. The Bank of Spain recently confirmed the end of the property crisis, and the government has said the economy is growing at its fastest rate since 2008. International real estate agency Lucas Fox has released a report which shows changes

in the market since 2005 with price peaks reached in 2007 followed by falls until 2013 and a steady rise registered again this year. Over the last two years increased buyer confidence is leading what he calls lifestyle investors back to Spain.

One of these lifestyle investors is British-born Jane Mitchell. She moved to northern Barcelona with her family in 2009 and bought a home in the village of Alella in 2014. “The weather is great - we wake up to the sun most days and has a very positive effect.”

JANE MITCHELL: Moved to northern Barcelona in 2009.

Famous couple spends €5m on new home SINGER Shakira and footballer Gerard Pique have spent €5 million on a new home in Barcelona’s Pedralbes district, near King Felipe’s sister Infanta Cristina’s former home.

Coldwell Banker Prestige Barcelona, which acted as intermediary for the sale, announced the news, stating that the couple had been interested in the property for some time and had managed to close the deal quickly and for less than the market price, as the previous owner did not want the sale delayed. The home is extremely private and cannot be seen from neighbouring streets. Covering an area of 1,500 square metres, it has seven bedrooms, two kitchens, a swimming pool with a waterfall and a gym among other attractions.


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A touch of magic and your small kitchen will appear to look bigger BY following simple design tricks you should be able to make a kitchen space seem larger and more efficient John Graham The property expert WITH the average size of Spanish apartments at around 120m2, it is apartment owners who have the biggest challenge with small kitchens. The majority of home owners I have met in Spain have all made the same complaint about their kitchen, it’s far too small and the first question owners ask me is, can I design a better kitchen in such a small space? Yes, is the simple answer. I have many years of experience and like all good magicians I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve that can help you expand the appearance of depth, height and width in your kitchen. By following a few of my simple design tricks you should be able to make a smaller kitchen space seem larger and function more efficiently.

KITCHEN SPACE: Idea is to have a beautiful and functional area. The first important tip for small kitchen designs is to build up, not out. You can stack cabinets on top of one another, building all the way to the ceiling. No kitchen design can increase the physical size of your kitchen but a well designed kitchen can overcome any limited space issue and can enhance easy and simple workflows, giving

you a significant level of convenience. The focus of your kitchen design should be to give you a beautiful and functional area despite the limited space available. If you have a galley kitchen, the ideal width of the aisle should be four to six feet. You can create a more efficient space and also add design features that can expand the area visually,

to create the illusion of a longer kitchen space. Make sure the ceiling and cabinet tones match, if they contrast, the space will seem smaller. Also, lighter tones tend to create a more open, airy feel in smaller spaces. You can hide appliances entirely, behind cabinets or with panelling that mimic the look of your cabinet design. Clean lines give the impression of a larger space. The trick about clean lines also applies to cabinets, keep these as simple and unadorned as possible. Another efficient use of kitchen cabinets is door storage. Attaching racks or shelves to the interior side of cabinet doors can allow you to double the amount of supplies they can hold. A small kitchen island idea could include shelves for cookbooks, racks for wine bottles, drop-leafs or pull-out drawers for extra countertop space, and a countertop overhang providing breakfast bar-type seating for two. If you are looking for the best kitchen design and installation please contact me. Twitter @JohnGrahamFASI Gk.ipad@me.com / Tel. (44)203 900983


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Spanish woman behind green home of future ELECTRICITY companies probably won’t be happy about the idea, but it is possible to build a hou se t h a t g e n e rate s more energy than it consumes. Following a prototype crea t e d b y a Sp a n is h w oma n , E st e r C o ma Bassas, the first Solcer house has been built in the UK by a team directed by the University of Cardiff. The three bedroom home took just 16 weeks to build and combines technology in a way that allows it to reduce the energy needed to run it while generating and storing more than it needs.

Built with integrated glass solar panels and an energy storage system, the home also includes a series of insulation techniques to reduce running costs. T h e U n iv e rs ity o f Ca rd iff h as c a lc u late d that for every €144 of ele c tric ity th e h o u s e takes from the network it will push approximately € 2 5 1 w o rth b a c k in to the system. A ll fo r a n e s tima te d construction price of approximately €1,430 per square metre. Professor Phil Jones, Solcer project director, s aid th is c o u ld b e th e green home of the future.

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PROPERTY

‘Crowdfunding’ in the property market

FUNDING PROJECTS: This method will revolutionise the property market. THE method of funding projects through small donations made by private citizens is to revolutionise the property market, according to two Spanish entrepreneurs. Housers.es is a new company that facilities small investors the access to their own slice of the pie in terms of property profit, via donations as small as €500. The initiative was created by Tono

Brusoal and Alvaro Luna, who wish to help anyone to invest on immovable goods (houses) and receive monthly revenue, as well as taking advantage of the revaluation of homes if they are sold. The system allows users to allocate a small fee to one or several properties, which minimises the risk, according to the company: “If an investor wants to in-

vest €15,000 in the property market, they can do so distributing the money on 15 different homes, diversifying the risk.” “We only offer properties with a high chance of profitability,” said the creators, adding: “We are professionals of this sector and we carry out an administrative audit of each and all of our purchases.”


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Dog owners should be aware of problem leads FLEXI leads are dangerous

David THE Dogman Listen to David on TRE every Saturday 10am to 11am Costa del Sol (Gibraltar/Sotogrande) 98.7fm (San Roque to Calahonda) 91.9fm (Calahonda to Motril) 88.9, Costa Calida 92.7fm Costa Blanca (Torrevieja to Elche) 105.1fm (Elche to Calpe) 88.2fm, (Calpe to Gandia & Ibiza) 104.6fm, (Denia to Valencia) 95.3fm Mallorca 103.9fm

OVER the past years I have given out warnings on my radio show that flexi type extendable leads are dangerous. I app e a l t o d o g o wn e rs to b e very wa r y o f u si n g e x ten d in g leads on walks. Sally Flanagan from Bracknell, Berkshire, wants other pet owners

RAISING AWARENESS: It only takes a fraction of a second for a dog to run out onto the road.

to be vigilant to prevent them going through the ordeal she suffered in June. Sally’s Jack Russell Terrier Pippin was killed when the lock on

her extending lead broke suddenly. “My grandson was walking my dog; they came to a main road and he put the lock on the lead,” said Sally. “But the lock

In the hills close to Granada... To find a pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on +44 (0)1865521508

JOHN and his wife left the west coast of Scotland some years ago and decided to find a new home with a gentler climate more conducive to retirement. They had visited Granada on a couple of holidays and fell in love with the ancient character of the place, and of course the climate. Moving over was easier than expected, and finding a property didn’t take any time at all. In fact it was the first house they saw that captured their imagination. They actually chose an ancient home of character in the hills facing the Sierra Nevada, with stunning views all

around. And their dogs loved it too. Since then they have acquired two cats to add to their fur family. The one challenge they face is finding sitters who will care for their home and their pets while they are away. They have connected with HouseSitMatch online and are now talking to a number of experienced sitters about dates when they plan to return to Britain to visit with family. The HouseSitMatch process was straightforward. They registered as homeowners and posted a housesit advert with photos and descriptions of the pets.

The registered sitters receive an automatic email through the website if they have said they are interested in housesitting in Spain. Then John reviews the applications and begins the getting to know the sitters through the site, with his identity and contact details hidden until he chooses to take up references and then to accept the sitter of his choice. It’s easy! To find a pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on +44 (0)1865 521508.

Protecting fish from the heat of summer KEEPING your tropical fish in good condition in the hot temperatures is a must, but not necessarily because, as you might think, the water is too hot. Tropical fish can cope

with warmer temperatures in the short term, unlike humans, but the rise in temperatures can bring other issues. When the water is warmer there is less oxygen available and so

steps must be taken to counteract this. It is essential the tank is kept clean, avoiding a buildup of organic material that will decrease the amount of

oxygen in the water. Another issue is feeding. The metabolism of the fish changes when temperatures are high and they will need more food. As a result, there

broke and Pippi n r an straight i nt o t he r oad and was killed by a car. She was 10 year s ol d. I want people to think twice about using these leads.” I hope by raising awareness of this issue people will think twice about using extending leads next to r oads as i t onl y t akes a fraction of a second f or t hei r dog t o run out onto the road and be hit ei t her by a car or a cyclist.


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FOR BEST RATES IN MOTOR INSURANCE CALL: 952 89 33 80

Motoring shorts

Innovative car sharing RENAULT has joined forces with a French car rental company Totem Mobi to launch a car sharing rental service for those on low incomes in Marseille, France. Reserving cars through a mobile app, companies and individuals who need a car short-term can reserve one for one euro and one euro for each 15 minutes of use. Cars will be available in company car parks and at main points throughout the city.

Technology to light up your way IT can be extremely difficult to spot pedestrians, cyclists and animals when driving at night but Ford is developing advanced technology to help drivers identify such hazards more easily. The company’s Advanced Front Lighting System ‘reads’ traffic signs and widens the light beam accordingly. A GPS enabled system uses cameras to see bends in the road and spot lighting uses infra-red to help see pedestrians, cyclists and animals and can highlight up to eight potential hazards at once.

Clarkson Quote of theWeek

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We are going to have to stop penalising people for making that most human of gestures - mistake.

Some might say...

Comfort and safety of pet passengers KEEPING a car clean is also a problem with pets on board By Carol Irving WHILE car manufacturers focus on the latest technology to keep us all entertained when we are driving, they don’t often consider the comfort of our pets. It is refreshing then to hear about Skoda’s range of accessories to keep dog lovers happy. The dog safety belt comes in four sizes from S to XL and will ensure your pet does not get thrown around, especially in the event of a collision. It also doubles up as a leash. Keeping the car clean is another headache when you have pets, and Skoda has come up with a solution - a backseat protector which fits snugly into the backseat, attached by hooks and fasteners to the front and rear headrests, making it secure and ensuring hairs don’t get all over the place, and it is water resistant and fully washable too. Skoda have also come up with some simple solutions for maintaining a hair free zone in your car such as rubber mats moulded to the shape of the boot, plastic liners and double sided carpet-

water resistant mats which you can flip over when Fido is travelling. For large dogs in estate cars, a grille is essential and for the Skoda Fabia, Octavia and Superb Estate, their new trunk grille in the luggage compartment has a dual purpose. As well as providing space for your animal, it separates the boot into two, one side for your pet and one for luggage so any sudden turns won’t result in your loved one being hit by a suitcase. The trunk grille itself fits onto the rear headrests and will ensure safety in the backseat and boot for your family and your dog.

SEAT BELT: Will ensure your pet does not get thrown around in the event of a collision.

Credit: SKODA Autos a.s.

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The classic new Jazz with a few contemporary twists THERE’S more room for passengers and includes the Magic Seat system that allows seats to be moved By Carol Irving THE classic lines of Honda’s new Jazz continue in the latest model of the hatchback but with a few contemporary twists. Released in September in the UK, the new Jazz is bigger on the inside with 354 litres of boot space (with rear seats up) and 897 litres with them

down. There’s more room for passengers and includes the Magic Seat system that allows seats to be moved when you need to carry large items. Honda’s City Brake Active comes with all models, helping prevent sudden low-speed accidents, and other standard fittings in the base S grade are air con, cruise control and auto lights that light up at dusk. Upgrading to the

SE model will give front and rear sensors, electrically adjustable heated door mirrors, and 15” alloy wheels. The top grade EX model features smart entry and start, automatic climate control and six speaker audio, 16” alloy wheels and front fog lamps. Honda’s Connect infotainment system, which comes in the SE or EX models as standard, has an Android

system pre-loaded with apps with a seven inch touchscreen with a ‘pinch, swipe and tap’ interface. The apps connect you with real-time traffic information, news and social media as well as music and web browsers. You can also opt for Garmin navigation. Safety features include radar sensors, forward and rear facing cameras in SE and EX models with Forward

Collision Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent Speed Limiter and Lane Departure Warning amongst others. The new 1.3 litre VTEC petrol engine is the latest from Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology and powers up the driving performance with 102 PS at 6,000rpm, yet retains the fuel economy of the previous Jazz’s 1.2 litre engine.


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420 World Championship gold medal goes to Spain SPAIN took the Ladies gold medal in The 420 World Championship in Castle Bay Karatsu, Japan. Other gold medal winners went to Italy and host team, Japan. Despite a poor outlook in the days leading up to the race, with typhoons threatening to make an appearance, the weather cleared to create perfect sailing conditions for competitors.

The Spanish Ladies pair, Mara Garrido and Maria Jesus Davila finished 11th place in Race 11 but their sterling performance throughout the championship gave them the points to take the gold with Charlotte Yven/Marine Riou from France taking the silver from Japan’s Misaki Tanaka/Sena Takano who earned bronze.

Mallorcan is champion silver medallist PALMA canoeist Alicia Heredia has been crowned silver medal champion in the Sub 23 category of the world’s K 1,500 metres championship, registering a final speed of 01.56.428, just two seconds more than winner Dora Bodonyi from Hungary. The championship, which took place in Montemor, Portugal, saw three other competitors from the Royal Nautical Club

1,500 metres championship saw Palma canoeist win the silver medal

of Palma (RCNP) Obra Social La Caixa team take part, including Adriana Paniagua who achieved a notable fifth place in the Junior Final of C 1,500 me-

tres, and with her team mate Belen Araneo came eighth in C 2,200 metres and Ignacio Torees who was second in the B final of K 2,200 metres. Heredia’s win was well deserved, having made a strong start from the beginning of the competition and looked set for a medal, and despite dropping back to third position in the 300-400 metres stretch, fought back in the last 100 metres.

BOATS

The 34th Kin regatta launc

OFFICIAL opening of the event starts on the even By Carol Irving ONE of the most prestigious sailing regattas in the Mediterranean takes place on Saturday August 1, at the Royal Nautical Club of Palma. The 2015 King’s Cup Regatta (Copa del Rey) in conjunction with MAPFRE is a key fixture in the sailing calendar, attracting at least 50 cruiser class boats from all over the world. The official opening of the event starts on the evening of August 1, with the King’s Cup Gala, with Day one of the races starting on August 4, and continuing until the final race on the afternoon of Saturday, August 8. The regatta has a notable


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Credt Robert L Knusden, Wikimedia Commons

ng’s Cup ches

ning of Saturday August 1 history. In 1982, the first ever King’s Cup Regatta was launched with 35 Spanish boats competing and another 15 international vessels taking part. The competition developed in subsequent years and was the first international regatta in 1990 to bring in the IMS boat classification system, which had just been introduced. A new category (IMS 670) was also established in 2004, in addition to the existing IMS 500 and IMS 600 categories. For more information about the event, please see the website www.regatacopadelrey.com. KING’S CUP: A key fixture in the sailing calendar, attracting boats from all over the world.

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Boat shows coming up UP and coming boat shows in September for the enthusiastic mariner are: Cannes Yachting Festival September 8 - September 13, 2015. Opening times: Daily from 10.00am - 7.00pm, Fri: 10.00am - 10.00pm, and Sun: 10.00am - 6.00pm. Start date: September 8, 2015 10:00 am End: September 13, 2015 6:00 pm. Organiser: Reed Expositions France Phone: +33 147 56 64 83. Email: cannes@reedexpo.fr.

JOHN F KENNEDY: Previously owned the Manitou.

Third Classic Silver Bollard Regatta THE Third Classic Silver Bollard Regatta will take place on July 31 to August 2 on the south-east coast of Mallorca starting from Port Adriano.

Port Adriano Regattas C lub orga nis e the a nn ual event, in association with the Balearic Sailing Federation (FBV). A host of beautiful sailing

yachts are participating, including Manitou, a vessel which was previously owned by John F Kennedy which was built in 1937 by Davis & Sons.

Southampton Boat Show September 12 - September 21, 2015. Opening times: Daily: Sept 12 - 20: 10.00am - 6.30 pm. Sept 21: 10.00am - 6.00pm. Start date : September 12, 2015 10:00 am until September 21, 2015 6:00 pm. Organiser: National Boat Shows. Phone: +44 (0) 844 776 7766. Email: info@loveboatshows.co m.


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SPORTS

Getting to grips Froome riding with your game! ‘Sky’ high IMPORTANT - one size does NOT fit all!

GB Olympian yachtsman wins America’s Cup From Back Page

NORMAL GRIP: Your longest finger should just touch the pad of your thumb.

Getting in the swing with Campbell Lamont

By Tony Myles HOW often do you renew the grips on your clubs? For most people it probably isn’t often enough for a number of reasons. They deteriorate gradually and so the loss of firmness is unnoticed as it tends to happen over several rounds. And of course there can be no simple equation that suggests changing grips once per year because whilst that may mean over 100 rounds for a lucky few, it could be less than 10 for many others. Then there is the question of who to entrust with the task. If your local pro-shop offers this service then that is

usually the simplest solution. Finally you must decide on the type and the size. As with buying any item of personal wear you need to ensure that the grip on your club is suitable for your hand. What size are you? (Oh and by the way - size IS everything!!) It is important to realise that One Size does NOT Fit All! One further consideration is the fact that the grips you have been using may not be the best for you. There is a simple test using your guide hand - this is the left hand if you are right handed. With your normal grip your longest finger should just touch the pad of your thumb. If you find it digging in then the grip is too slim. If it fails to touch then the grip is too fat. Fitted while you shop Campbell Lamont offers a comprehensive re-gripping service with a range of the

most popular products. If you are shopping in the centre in Ondara you can arrange to drop your clubs off at the Golf Shop and collect them when you are ready to leave. They will have the right size fitted and they are guaranteed to feel good when you next take them out. Manufacturer’s fitting days These events are always very popular and fully booked well in advance and so here is some news of an event that you will want to ensure you do not miss. Coming to El Plantio on September 25 and La Sella on September 26, the leading manufacturers will be lining up alongside each other on the driving range and affording you the opportunity of moving along the line and testing their latest products. Make a note in your diary for these dates and we will bring you more details nearer the time.

RUGBY - This weekend (August 1-2) sees the semifinals of Rugby League’s Challenge Cup: Leeds Rhinos v St Helens and Warrington Wolves v Hull KR. CYCLING - For the second time in three years, Team Sky rider Chris Froome, born to English parents in Nairobi, Kenya, brought up in South Africa and coached by Dave Brailsford, won the gruelling 21stage, 3,506 km (2,201 miles) Tour De France. Froome - the 2013 champion - is the first Brit to win the race TWICE, his second victory seeing him finish one minute and 12 seconds ahead of the Colombian Nairo Quantana. The other Team Sky winner was of course, Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2012. There were 160 finishers (out of 167 starters) in this year’s race and for the record, Froome was on his bike for over 85 hours... And for that, and without hesitation, I’m nominating him as my 2015 BBC Sports Personality of the Year. AMERICA’S CUP - GB Olympian yachtsman Sir Ben Ainslie and his Landrover Bar Racing Team won last weekend’s (July 25-26) America’s Cup event at Portsmouth after officials abandoned sailing because of bad weather. Ainslie’s team came first and second in last Saturday’s two races on the Solent to secure first place. Emirates New Zealand came second overall and America’s

Cup holders, Oracle Team USA third. ATHLETICS - Dina Asher Smith (19) became the first British woman to run

CHRIS FROOME: First Brit to win the race twice.

100m in under 12 seconds at London’s Anniversary Games at the Olympic Stadium last weekend (July 25-26). GOLF - The women’s British Open Championship takes place from today until Sunday at Turnberry. DARTS - Michael Van Gerwen beat James Wade 1812 to win the World Match Play Darts final in Blackpool. HORSE RACING The four-day ‘Glorious Goodwood’ meeting ends on Saturday.


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30 July - 5 August 2015 For the second time in three years, Team Sky rider Chris Froome won the gruelling 21-stage, 3,506km Tour de France.

TO READ MORE

Mallorca’s best guide to local sport

Vettel wins Grand Prix for Ferrari Tony Matthews International Sports A former football player and the world’s most prolific author of football books (more than 100 published), Tony is also the sports reporter for Spectrum Radio and lives in the Cabrera mountains. Costa de Almeria

FORMULA ONE - Last Sunday’s (July 26) dramatic Hungarian Grand Prix was won, for the first time, by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who drove superbly, leading from lap one. Daniil Kvyat

(Russia) was second and Aussie Daniel Ricciardo third. It was wheel-to-wheel, bumper-to-bumper, punctures, drive throughs, and penalties galore - practically an incident on every lap - as Lewis Hamilton, starting from pole, had to settle for sixth position, but still extended his lead in the driver’s championship to 21 points (202-181). Vettel has now equalled Ayrton Senna’s total of 41 F1 race victories - only Alain Prost (51)

and Michael Schumacher (91) have won more, and the German is now the joint highest points scorer in F1 history with Fernando Alonso (1,778). Next race: Spa, Belgium, on August 23. FOOTBALL - The women’s Cup Final between Chelsea Ladies and Notts County Ladies takes place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday August 1, followed at the same venue 24 hours later by Arsenal v Chelsea in the FA Community/Charity

Shield game. Also this weekend (August 1-2), League football starts up again in Scotland when SPL champions Celtic meet Ross County. CRICKET - The Third Ashes Test started at Edgbaston yesterday (July 29). England won the first, Australia the second - so it’s all to play for now with two matches remaining, at Trent Bridge (August 6-10) and The Oval (August 20-24). Turn to page 62

SEBASTIAN VETTEL: Drove superbly.

SPORT www.euroweeklynews.com


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