Issuu

ISSUE NO. 1587

3 - 9 December 2015

MALLORCA

YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION

This is our fight too! GLOBAL Climate March in Palma attracts people from all over the island By Glynis German In a typically, relaxed Mallorcan style, some 2,000 people gathered in the Plaza España in Palma last Sunday with colourful banners of hearts and suns. Adults and children joined together and with painted faces marched to the Paseo del Born, accompanied by two drumming bands, whilst another 785,000 people from all over the world were marching too. Avaaz member and island resident, Alice, Jay said: “The march in Palma was part of the largest climate mobilisation in history!” Covering the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21) in Paris, Alice added: “Our voices shook the planet and in Paris, inside the talks, governments are still hearing our call.” Images and footage of the marches, including Mallorca’s, were shown to delegates as they entered the negotiations. Palma resident Felicity Butler Davis was also at the Palma march with her family. “I feel very strongly about the abuse of the planet and I believe the talks in Paris will

have a big influence on how fast change takes place from a government level,” she remarked. However, if Spain’s last reform of the electricity sector is anything to go by, one can only imagine that the road ahead might be rocky.

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LOCAL NEWS

Ses Verdures market for all The market of Ses Verdures in the main square of Manacor has begun to open on Friday afternoons in an attempt to attract new customers and bring more

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NEWS

Survey reveals truth FOREIGNERS who arenâ€™t willing to integrate not tolerated by locals

life to the town centre this winter. In collaboration with the town council there are also free activities for young children to enjoy.

Aggro parking A YOUNG man was threatened over a parking space in Palma by two men, approximately 50 and 30 years. The problem occurred when the driver saw a parking space

become free in the Riera area of Palma and parked in it without problem. Unfortunately the other two men claimed to have seen it first.xx

Reminder WE would just like to remind our advertisers of our upcoming 2015 festive deadlines: Kindly ensure you send us the necessary material for editions 1589/1590/1591 by no later than Friday 11th of December and edition 1592 no later than Monday 21st of December

NEGATIVITY BREWS: Locals are not as positive about the foreigners living and working in the Balearics anymore By Glynis German A recent survey conducted by the Gadeso Foundation shows Mallorca and the surrounding islands to be less tolerant towards foreigners than in recent years. The negativity on immigration issues has grown whilst the positive re-

sponse shown in recent years dropped somewhat. The survey shows that 89% of locals want to deport all immigrants from Spain who donâ€™t have their papers in order. It was also found that 82% of locals feel that there is an excess of expats living and working in the Balearics.

On those immigrants who have the right to be in Spain, 82% expressed negative opinions such as immigrants occupying local jobs. Only 18% were positive with comments such as immigrants doing the work no-one else wants to do. An opinion shared by the majority was that if an immigrant commits an of-

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FEATURED NEWS

This year’s El Gordo lottery TV advert launched THE draw has been so popular it even continued during the Civil War

EWN

Where to buy lottery tickets SOME places ‘lucky’ AS well as from lottery offices in Barcelona, the internet, hypermarkets, on high streets and many tobacconist shops. Some of the places that sell El Gordo tickets are considered ‘lucky’ for one reason or another, and people stand in line for hours to buy their ticket there.

What are the odds? CHANCE is one in 10 YOUR chances of winning the El Gordo jackpot, worth €4 million is about one in 100,000! It doesn’t take a mathematician to see why so many people like those odds, and the chance of winning a prize of any sort is one in 10 even though that may only be a refund of the ticket cost.

Who can play? SPANISH laws changed

ADVERT: Justino and colleagues after winning El Gordo, in the advertisement by Leo Burnett Madrid.

By John Smith ALTHOUGH tickets for the Christmas EL Gordo (the Fat One) lottery have been on sale for some time, it is about now that the organisers launch TV advertisements in an effort to persuade an already willing public to participate. This Christmas lottery has been organised every year since 1812 by an arm of the Spanish Government now called Loterias y Apuestas del Estado. It has been so popular that the draw even continued during the Civil War, but not only does the government benefit by keeping 30 per cent of the total spent on the tickets but also now charges a ‘profit tax’ on winnings over €2,500. There is only a limited range of numbers, but more than one ticket with the

2.24bn Euros is the total value of prize money to be distributed in the 2015 El Gordo draw

same numbers is offered for sale, and most of the outlets only have two or three different numbers which means that there could be say 500 big winners within the same town. There have been some fairly boring adverts for the lottery, but this year the organisers and their advertising agency Leo Burnett have excelled themselves by creating an up to date and very amusing animated story. It features Justino, a lonely night watchman in a mannequin factory who spends his nights alone but decides to lighten his daytime colleagues’ lives by placing the mannequins in amusing situations which they see every morning when they come to work. There is of course a happy ending when they ensure that he is included when they buy a ticket and then win El Gordo.

Christmas lottery El Gordo is first prize ALTHOUGH referred to mostly as El Gordo, the correct name for the Government Christmas Lottery is ‘El Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad’ sometimes shortened to ‘Loteria de Navidad’. El Gordo only refers to first prize and should be used for that prize in every lottery during the year.

Quote of the Week I’ll pay the debts I have and try to buy an apartment with my husband said a happy Joana Lizcano one of the El Gordo winners in 2014

AN estimated 75 per cent of Spaniards purchase tickets and many hold lottery parties on the night of the draw. Thanks to a change in Spanish laws, people from overseas can purchase tickets within Spain or through internet sites although there is a slight risk of scams with internet clubs.

How much does it cost? FULL tickets or tenths EACH full ticket costs €200 but it is possible to buy in 10ths (decimo) at €20 for each decimo. A full ticket will win the full prize of €4 million whilst each tenth will win €40,000, if you have a ticket which contains all of the correct numbers.

Televised draw AT San Ildefonso school

Some lotteries raise funds for charity LOTTERIES have become more and more popular around the world as many countries now use them to raise funds for charity, although equally, some governments also see them as a

ready source of income. When premium bonds were introduced into the UK in 1956, they were intended to act as a relatively cheap loan for the British government which pays

a varying rate of interest to cover the prize fund. This was an early form of lottery for British participants which guaranteed the refund of the original stake at any time.

Since then the UK has seen the introduction of a plethora of lotteries including the national lottery, euromillions, national health lottery and post code lottery with varying amounts

passed to charities of all kinds. The Spanish lottery donates around €75 million (about 2 per cent of net income) to a range of charities including the Red Cross.

ON December 22 every year, children from the San Ildefonso School sing a three-hour long Gregorian chant in which they pick and announce the winning numbers in a televised programme, which is avidly watched by those holding tickets.

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INDEX News 1 - 20 Featured News 3 News Desk 21 European Press 22

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Michael Portillo Great Continental ENDED the last of his series’ in Mallorca By Marcus Hopkins

Russian Press 23 Finance 25 - 30 Stocks 26

Letters 31 Leapy Lee 32 Daily TV 34 Time Out 37 - 40 Our View 41 Colin Bird 41 Mike Walsh 41 Health & Beauty 42 - 43 Social Scene 44 - 47 Vicki McLeod 48 Homes & Gardens 49 Legally Speaking 50 Property 51 - 52 Pets 53 Classifieds 54 - 55 Motoring 56 - 57 Boats 58 - 59 Sport 62, 64

Michael Portillo brought his highly popular series Great Continental Railway Journeys to an end on November 27. After his first programme of Great Continental Railway Journeys, from Madrid to Gibraltar, first aired in 2013, Michael Portillo, with a 1913 copy of Bradshaw’s Continental Railway Guide in his hand, returned to Spain to film another stunning vintage rail journey, this time the last in the current series, from Barcelona to Mallorca. The series is based on a 1913 edition of famous Bradshaw Guide, George Bradshaw’s first guide being published as far back as 1839. In the case of this episode, Portillo, who has a first class degree in History from Cambridge University, traced the roots of the Spanish Civil War, a war that had divided his Spanish family. Portillo, the half Spanish former Conservative Government Minister in the UK, who owns a property in Andalucia was the ideal presenter, his father being a repub-

Adrian Pingstone, Wickimedia

TRAM: Travelling along the Mallorcan seafront. lican refugee from the Civil War who had been sent into exile. The journey saw him enjoying rides aboard the Palma to Soller railway, constructed in 1912, so very modern when Bradshaw’s Guide was first written.

As much of the rolling stock is original, and with his fluent knowledge of Spanish, the flamboyant politician could experience a journey that took his viewers back in time to a golden and romantic era of rail travel. Portillo, who was wonder-

fully dressed as always in the series, also enjoyed a trip on the 1913 tram down to the port. With Mallorca being seen by many as a sun and sea resort, Portillo recommended that people come to the island to experience the historic train and tram experience.

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The curse of Palma’s Conference Centre Thomas Wolf, Wikipedia

WORK again suspended on Palacio de Congresos over accusations in a dispute over unpaid compensation

ONGOING SAGA: Palma City Hall accused of not making payments. by Matthew Elliott ACCUSATIONS are flying after construction work was s us pen d e d o n t h e c i ty ’s Palacio de Congresos convention centre in another twist to a seemingly neverending saga. Last week the main contractor, Acciona, ceased all activity following a dispute over unpaid compensation, to the fury of the Ministry of Tourism. Vice-President Biel Barceló sa i d t h a t h e h ad grown ‘weary’ of Acciona’s accusations that Palma City H all h a d n o t m a d e p a y ments, “when it isn’t true.” He v o i c e d a su sp i c io n that Acciona “don’t want to finish the work in order to have some means of applying pressure” lamenting that the people were “long ago fed up with the sheer sorrow of the saga.” Acciona had complained that the government had not paid an August invoice for tw o mi l l i o n e u r o s w h ile Barceló stated the transfer

w as s ig n ed a n d s en t, and not due until mid-December regardless. The dispute further complicates an already complex a n d a c rimo n io u s s to ry of repeated delays and legal battles. Acciona is claiming 16 million euros in compensation for a two-year suspension of work by previous administrations, while the state is only willing to offer four million. Longer-term residents will see this as an almost c a rb o n co p y o f e v en ts in 2 0 11 w h e n w o rk o n t he P a la c io d e C o n g re s os stopped for two months

ove r the dive rs ion of 20 million euros of statutory funding due to Acciona. Five representatives of the company met with Mayor José Hila on Monday and a decision is expected to be ma de this w e e k on w he n work will be resumed, although officials now admit that the expected completion date of December 31 is unrealistic. Tenders for the project were first offered in 2006 but a succession of different political parties at the helm of the city hall have been unable to successfully work with any of the contracted firms.

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NEWS

Stolen sailboat recovered in Calvia THE Guardia Civil’s Maritime Service managed to recover a sailboat valued at €60,000, stolen in November. The yacht was recovered in Calvia waters and the crew member onboard at the time, a German national of 48 years, was arrested.

The boat was anchored off the coast of Calvia and agents discovered that the man onboard was unable to produce any ownership papers. Furthermore, they the name of the boat had been rubbed off and the ignition system tampered with.

Electioneering begins TUESDAY next week (December 8) is a public holiday in Spain and celebrates the Immaculate Conception. It is also the day for a visit by Pablo Iglesias, General Secretary of the Spanish political party, Podemos. Tonight (Thursday) political parties will begin their election campaigns with the traditional act of putting up the election posters which takes place tonight at midnight.

CONTROVERSIAL: The practice of running the bull through the streets.

Fornalutx wants to keep bullfighting PARTIDO POPULAR presents motion in Parliament in its defence By Glynis German THE Partido Popular (PP) of Fornalutx this week presented a motion in Parliament that advocates the defence of the ‘correbou’, the running of the bulls, in their annual celebrations. The proposal had already been presented and approved in Fornalutx and was supported by both the PP and the PSOE parties.

The motion calls for the government to respect bullfighting and wants to declare it an ‘intangible cultural heritage of the Balearics’. The motion also asks to repeal the sections of the Law on Protection of Animals 1992 regarding bullfighting. In his preamble to the motion, Mayor of Fornalutx, Antoni Aguiló, affirmed that the history of bullfighting in the Balearic Islands goes back some three

centuries and “formed part of the most deeply rooted customs and traditions of the people as well as being the most enjoyed section of the Fornaltux festivities.” For some years now the celebrations have had people demonstrating against the bull being run through the streets of this small town in the Tramuntana mountains. It seems that the locals want their fiesta to stay the way it is.

Holiday rentals denounced A TOTAL of 59 property owners have been reprimanded for renting their homes via tourist websites. This is prohibited by the Tourism Act (Ley Turística) and 176 complaints were received by the local government between January and October this year. Of these complaints, only 59 have been filed so far although no sanctions have been formalised. The Tourism Act allows the tourist marketing of homes provided they are not in multifamily buildings. One can rent through the Urban Leases Act, but marketing is not allowed on tourism websites. The government intends to

PROHIBITED: Renting homes via tourist websites. analyse changes to the Tourism Act and wants to introduce some form of regulari-

sation to the issue of tourist lets but it will still be illegal to rent your home this manner.

Organic diary The Organic Farming Association of Mallorca (APAEMA) has produced an ecological agricultural diary for 2016 which is already on sale at certain outlets across Mallorca. Included in the diary is technical information on organic agriculture, livestock and beekeeping as well as where one can buy organic foodstuffs on the island. The diary includes calendars on biodynamics and the best times for planting and for pruning.

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Doctor’s protest extended hours 76% of Simebal against opening till 8pm ON NOVEMBER 20 the local Balearic government decreed that health centres would have extended opening hours until 8pm which came into effect this week. This news was not received well and was in fact rejected by the doctors’ union. The Medical Union of Baleares (Sime-

bal) presented a document earlier this week to Ib-Salut and the courts, signed by 34 of the 45 coordinators of the health centres protesting against the opening hours. The document also exonerated medical professionals of any liability for the possible lack of technical and human

resources for the new extended opening hours. With no increase in staff and with already insufficient cover, doctors are unwilling to take responsibility for any malfunctions that may occur and put that responsibility in the hands of those in charge of the health service.

Tragedy at sea

Xmas market

EMERGENCY maritime services were joined by a helicopter from Mallorca’s Son Sant Joan airbase to search for a French man who had fallen overboard the sailing boat on which he was crew. The 11m yacht, on route from Toulon in the south of France to Menorca, faced waves of 4m high. The second passenger, 61 years and owner of the yacht was rescued. The lifeless body was finally spotted on Monday by a French airforce plane and rescued by the Spanish rescue ship, Marta Mata. The man was named as 55 year Serge Marino and his body will be repatriated to France.

ON MONDAY 7 December, from 10am until 2pm, there will be a Christmas market organised by Viveca Palma. The market will be held in San Feliu 17 in Palma and will have a selection of hand crafted goods for sale as well as food for the hungry shopper.

EWN

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NEWS EXTRA

Permit cost NEARLY 17,000 residents of Palma have until January 31 to renew their parking permits. For those using the ORA parking areas, the permit cost will remain the same for next year at €24. The Palma Town Council informed that 94.5 per cent of the renovations are automatic with residents receiving the parking badge in the post.

Water leaks EMAYA water company was kept busy repairing burst water pipes which caused havoc with the public and traffic. Both occurred at around 7am, one in the Es Molinar area in which the police had to divert traffic and the other in Cala Mayor, near the palace of Marivent.

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Joan Miro exhibition will be in London early next year EXHIBITION is a recrestion of Miro’s Mallorcan studio By Glynis German T H E P IL A R & J O AN M IR O F O U N D AT IO N o f M a llorc a a nnounced last week that ‘Miro’s Studio’ will exhibit in London from 21 January until February 16, 2016. The exhibition is a recreation of Miro’s Mallorcan studio designed by the Catalan architect Josep Lluis Sert in 1956. The studio was also his sanctuary and Miro continued working in it until his death in 1983. Twenty five of Miro’s paintings and drawings will form part of the exhibition. The exhibition has been commissioned by Elvira Camara and has the support of Successio Miro, as well as the Miro Foundation. It is currently on display at the Mayoral Gallery at 6 Duke Street in London.

Flickr thanks to rishon-lezion

STUDIO: Was Miro’s Sanctuary and he continued working there until his death in 1983.

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NEWS

Collection service for old junk SERVICE available Sunday to Thursday Flickr thanks to Steve Macfarland

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PICK-UP SERVICE: Junk and old furniture will be collected. By Glynis German THE public water company Emaya’s new service for collecting junk and old furniture was introduced this week. The service is available in 26 districts of Palma and each will

be assigned a different day of the week. Over 65s are still able to request direct pick-up from their homes if they are unable to carry items to the street. Emaya offers the service from Sunday to Thursday and

larger items of rubbish such as old furniture can be left in the street between 8pm and 10pm to be collected shortly after. Fines between €300and €900 will be applied to those residents leaving out items on different days or in the street.

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NEWS FLickr Francisco Gomes

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LOCAL BUSINESS: Owners have complained that the rundown appearance is not a good image for the area.

Old Jamaica hotel comes back to life HOTEL has been closed for the past five years but opening date intended for 2017 By Glynis German IT seems that the old Jamaica Hotel in Magaluf will finally be restored to its former glory, with a building application permit submitted

Christmas sanctuary THE Monastery of Lluc will host its annual Christmas fair this weekend from Saturday until Tuesday 8 December, taking advantage of the bank holiday weekend. The fair will be open from 10am till 6pm during these days, and feature some 40 stands selling crafts, Christmas products, food, jewellery and organic products.

by owners Melia Hotels International to Calvia council. With the hotel closed for the past five years, local business owners have long complained that her run-

down appearance is not a good image for the area. If all goes according to plan, the first phase of the project will begin this winter and include the demolition of part of the existing

building along with the construction of a parking. The remodelling of the hotel offering over 300 rooms on four storeys intends to open in time for the 2017 season.

Ambitious plans for cleaning budget CALVIA 2000 presented their 2016 budget showing a clear commitment to efficient management of resources for the benefit of the customer, both residents and tourists. The budget foresees an investment of 4.33 million euros and will be run with the principals of prudence and rationalisation f o r a b e t t e r a n d m o r e e ff i c i e n t s e r v i c e throughout the Calvia municipality. More personnel and â‚Ź500,000 meant better street and beach cleaning was completed during the summer season, which extended

to October 15. Ther e i s al so t he r educt i on of cer t ai n items including fuel, insurance, banking services, travel costs and communications, to further increase the efficiency of services. Some of the main investments include upgrades to the water purifying plants at Paguera and Bendinat and improvements to the Santa Ponsa plant. Also included are reforms to the Deixalles waste plant to be used as a facility for hazardous waste management.

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EURO WOMEN PAGE

Changing things for the better 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. Lyn Baines ‘retired’ to Spain in 2002, but is now busier than ever. AFTER a busy working life in Marketing and PR, Lyn Baines was worried she would be bored after retiring to Spain in 2002. Now, 13 years later, she is anything but bored, juggling numerous hats in the social, animal welfare and charity worlds. Lyn has always had a passion for singing and was in a barbershop group in the UK. It was one of the biggest things she missed in Spain so she set about doing something about it. “Barbershop was almost non-existent here,” said Lyn: “So with my friend Anthea we put an advert in the paper and Spangles was formed with just five women.” The group now has more than 44 regular singers and associate members and is marking its 11th year by preparing to go to Cork in Ireland next year to compete in an international competition. Spangles is renowned on the Costa Blanca and Costa Calida for their polished and fun performances and these have stood out at competition level. They have been crowned Spanish champions every time they have competed in the national barbershop championships organised by SABS, the Spanish Association of Barbershop Singers, of which Lyn is a founding member and now president. “In 2008, I was contacted by a guy in Madrid who had been introduced to barbershop singing on the internet and was looking for like-minded people, so I met him in Gandia,” Lyn recalled. They got the ball rolling and began spreading the barbershop word and building their membership, which currently stands at over 200, comprising men’s, women’s and mixed groups from all around Spain and Portugal.

RINGING THE CHANGES: Lyn is now working to bring improvements to animal protection and welfare.

A lady determined to make a difference We also need to be in schools, educating future generations”

Fact file Name: Lynda Baines Age: 64 Married to: Billy

Singing offered a break from her charity work, which Lyn has been involved with since 2007: “My friend was diagnosed with cancer and I would go to hospital and translate. We went through a rocky journey. There was no help or support and we did not know the system.” Lyn continued: “I was going to start something up myself when I discovered MABS and so after speaking with Jacqui, the president, she agreed I could set up a MABS branch in Murcia.” Being prolific in founding MABS Murcia Mar Menor, Lyn used her determination and marketing and organisational skills to successfully open the first such charity shop in the area. “The shop was and still is very successful and brings in vital money for MABS.” Lyn organised the Race for Life and Party in the Park events, which were big fundraisers each year but

Profession: Formerly in Marketing and PR, now retired Children: Daughter, grandson and granddaughter Nature or nurture: Nurture Originally from: near Bournemouth, UK Now lives: Los Alcazares, Murcia Pets: French bulldog Books or TV: Books but I don’t really get chance to read much Favourite book: Gone with the Wind

the shop brought in essential daily funding for the cancer support group. Lyn has helped raise tens of thousands of euros for MABS. But after six years she felt she had given it all she could and

stepped down as director of the Murcia branch. “Dealing with cancer every day takes it toll on you,” she explained, but within a few weeks she was already planning her next charity challenge, this time

with animals. Along with Sue Thomason, Cruz Azul was formed, which Lyn hopes will be pivotal in helping to change laws and attitudes towards animal welfare. Working along the lines of the PDSA in the UK, Cruz Azul exists to provide veterinary care for the sick and injured pets of people in need and to promote responsible pet ownership. They also form part of PAES (Protección Animales España) which aims to bring together associations, government, authorities and professionals or companies interested in animal welfare so they can make a difference, something which is the main driving force behind Lyn’s many hours of dedication. “I have just met with a councillor in Murcia in the hope of getting the law changed. There are European laws coming in, saying how animals should be treated, and some regions in Spain have already passed laws so that no dog can be put down. There are changes and developments being made, just very slowly. We also need to be in schools, educating future generations, ” said Lyn. In the next five years Lyn hopes they will see even more changes and improvements in animal protection and welfare.

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 with all profits going to charitable organisations.

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NEWS

A day to celebrate volunteers worldwide EVENTS will be held in Palma

INTERNATIONAL SYMBOL: Volunteers work tirelessly all over the world. By Glynis German SATURDAY December 5 celebrates International Volunteer Day, a day when volun-

teering is celebrated in all its glory with special tribute paid to those working tirelessly all over the world. The Balearic Volunteers

Platform (Plataforma del Voluntariado de les Illes Balears) will be at the entrance to the Parc de Les Estacions in Palma from 11am till 6pm on Saturday where they shall have an information tent and lots of activities. The platform recognises some 30 organisations in the Balearics relying on some 7,000 volunteers. At midday a concert will be performed by Proyecto Hombre and at 1pm there will be a workshop on Nordic walking organised by PREDIF, which is the Spanish organisation representing people with physical disabilities and working to promote equal opportunity whilst improving the quality of life for all those with physical restrictions. There will be a talk by the volunteer association, DIME Cuenta con Nosotros, who organise volunteers to visit patients and their families at the two palliative care units in Palma General Hospital and Juan March Hospital near Bunyola. Throughout the event there will be world cafĂŠ workshops held where one joins a conversation at one table and certain questions are posed about volunteering resulting in interesting conversations. If you have any questions about the world of volunteering, then this is the place for you this weekend.

FEATURE

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EWN

Separating fact from fiction Positive response to Blevins Franks’ seminar Blevins Franks hold regular wealth management seminars for expatriates living in Mallorca. Their latest seminar, at the Castillo Hotel Son Vida in Palma de Mallorca on 17th November, was again very well attended. The seminar was hosted and presented by Peter Worthington, Senior Partner, and Simon King, Partner, of Blevins Franks. It was introduced by guest speaker, John Stone, who is Chairman of the Blevins Franks Group and flew over from London for the event. John’s financial services career spans over 40 years. He was the founder and Chairman of Lombard International, Europe’s leading life assurance company specialising in estate and tax planning solutions

Peter Worthington designed to meet the needs of high net worth individuals and families. The seminars this time around focused on two key subjects: Automatic Exchange of Information and Wealth Tax. January 2016 sees the start of the new global regime for the automatic

exchange of financial information. It will be implemented through the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Common Reporting Standard. Although this does not impose new tax obligations on residents of Spain (or elsewhere), it is important for everyone with crossborder assets to understand what information will be exchanged about them and their financial affairs. This is also a good time to review your tax planning arrangements to ensure you are declaring everything correctly, and that your tax planning arrangements are compliant and effective. Wealth tax can have a significant impact on wealthy expatriates in Mallorca. The Balearic Islands’

draft budget for 2016 imposes higher taxes for the region, including wealth tax. If approved, the individual allowance will reduce from €800,000 to €700,000 and the wealth tax rates will increase from January. The seminar discussed solutions to mitigate this tax. If you would like information on the topics, or to be added to the Blevins Franks’ mailing list for future seminar invitations and updates, please contact them on 971 719 181 or mallorca@blevinsfranks.com. Blevins Franks Financial Management Limited (BFFM) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK, reference number 179731. Where advice is provided outside the UK, via the

Insurance Mediation Directive from Malta, the regulatory system differs in some respects from that of the UK. Blevins Franks Trustees Limited is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority for the administration of trusts and companies. Blevins Franks Tax Limited provides taxation advice; its advisers are fully qualified tax specialists. This promotion has been approved and issued by BFFM.PRESS OFFICE, MALLORCA Holly Veneman Business Development Manager Telephone: 971 719 181 Fax: 971 675 200 holly.veneman@blevinsfranks.com www.blevinsfranks.com

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NEWS

Tis the season to be jolly ARTISAN businesses should be booming but not for most

HAND-MADE GIFTS: Come from the heart and show the receiver care and effort was put into it. By Glynis German BUYING a hand-made gift this Christmas has never been so easy with craft fairs and markets being held all over the island. Associations, schools and some town councils have organised Christmas fairs where it seems that local, hand-made and ecological are the buzz words this season. However, not all is as rosy

as the pretty gifts on display with many artisans struggling to make a living. Being self-employed in Spain involves paying a monthly fee which can run into thousands of euros over the years. As well as the monthly autonomo tax, most self-employed professionals will hire the services of a gestor, someone who will do the quarterly tax returns, yet another cost to consider.

On an island such as Mallorca, with thousands of tourists visiting the island, summer should be the time to make money. Just a decade or so ago, a summer worker could take time off in the winter and live on savings made from a hectic and busy five months. Nowadays it seems that this is not the case and winter can be a long time waiting for benefits to come through, if any.

Cleaning up the mess LOCAL non-governmental organisation Asociación Ondine (AO) and their beach cleaning project, Dos Manos, were at Es Carnatge beach near Palma airport. Ondine founder and president Brad Robertson said “Tourism in the Balearics is and always will be a huge percentage of our overall income. What will change is the kind of tourism that our awesome islands attracts. We will learn how to work with nature! We

really have no other option!” Volunteers collected 16.4kg of waste which was counted and catalogued. Volunteer Joana explained “When we arrived, we were impressed by how clean the beach was. However, once we began to pick up the rubbish we realised just how much was there, right under the surface.” That day, 279 bottle caps were counted along with 330 plastic cotton bud sticks. “These

buds were not brought to the beach, but put down people’s toilets” informed Brad. “Ask yourself, what’s it doing on the beach and maybe you’ll stop using them!” AO is working to conserve and improve local marine ecosystems and raising awareness of these issues plays an important part of their work. To donate, support or volunteer - please visit www.asociacionondine.org

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NEWS FROM OUR FIVE OTHER REGIONS

DESIGNERS have received a top prize for their work

DETUNDA: Botanical garden has 200 species of plants, 42 of which are endangered.

COSTA BLANCA NORTH

By Sam Croft THE botanical garden Detunda, located next to la Cueva de Nerja and the Maro District, will shortly be ready to open its doors to the public. Work on the gardens began in August 2014 and has cost more than €3 million. The town council yesterday held a meeting with the architects who designed the gardens. The mayor of Nerja, Rosa Arrabal, and the Environmental Councillor, Jorge Bravo, welcomed the park designers, Isabel Amores and Modesto Garcia, who have been awarded the Premio Ateneo (Ateneo Prize) from the University of Malaga for their work on the project. Local authorities expressed their satisfaction with the recent push the project received after previously spending too much time at a standstill. In the botanical garden there are 200 species of plants, 42 of which are classified as threatened. It occupies a space of 26,000 square metres.

AXARQUÍA

COSTA DE ALMERÍA

Doll petition

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Pregnant swimmers Recycling tyres

ALICANTE toy manufacturer Famosa is taking one of its popular Nancy dolls off the market. Famosa decided to make the changes after receiving an 18,000-signature petition from the ‘SOS delfines’ group complaining that the bucket, ball and hoop that came with one of the dolls, were typical of those used in dolphinariums.

CALPE Town Hall is publishing a new magazine aimed at older residents, listing events at the Third Age civic centre. It also gives details of the businesses that are participating in the Targeta Majors discount scheme.

BEGINNING on January 11 the Nerja Sports Complex will offer classes for pregnant women for the first time. In addition, a new round of swimming lessons for beginners will kick off on the same date. Both activities will take place every Monday and Wednesday from 8 to 9pm.

Clean sweep

Missing money

ALCOY street-cleaners are battling to s w e e p fa lle n le a ve s from the city’s tree-lined streets. These must be cleared to prevent future flooding after leaf-clogged storm drains failed to cope with the recent heavy rain.

EX-MAYOR of Algarrobo and PP representative Natacha Rivas claimed last Friday that a cash discrepancy detected by the town council was the result of an administrative error and that councillors began to return the missing money last September.

Benidorm buskers

Christmas evictions

STREET entertainers have until Dece mb er 1 8 to a pply for prime Benidorm sites. Contenders for a Paseo de los Artistas pitch on the network of streets where busking is permitted should be over 18 and listed on the local Padron for at least six months.

RESIDENTS of the Carmenes del Mar de La Herradura Urbanisation in Granada are worried that they will have to spend Christmas ¨under a bridge¨ after receiving eviction orders for safety reasons. The urbanisation is gradually moving downwards as a result of the shifting of the ground.

Pollutants removed ORIHUELA is to remove the leachate ponds found on the surface of different parts of the Sierra de Orihuela, specifically in the hamlet of La Murada. Leachate is a pollutant residue that has dissolved environmentally harmful substances which may then enter the eco-system.

Valencia protests REPRESENTATIVES of the yacht clubs of Valencia gathered at the ministry to show solidarity to the clubs concerned by the refusal of the regional administration to process renewals of its concessions.

Cinema to gym PLANNING permission has been granted to convert the old Alcazar cinema in Elche into a gym. Work is expected to be completed in 12 months.

COSTA DEL SOL

Botanical garden set to bloom

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH

EWN

In the clear

Fishing bonanza

ADRIAN BALLESTER, head of the Diputacion’s Governance department, visited Benissa Town Hall detailing the resources for adapting its website. This will enable the council to comply with the official transparency regulations at a local level.

THE fishing port of Caleta de Velez reigns supreme for yet another year. The Axarquia port is one of the most productive in Andalucia and all of the Mediterranean. Part of the port’s extraordinary success in 2015 can be attributed to its huge catches of sardines.

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

THE Junta de Andalucia regional government has removed 485 tonnes of used tyres which had been abandoned in Velez-Rubio. They will be classified, reused and recycled where possible as part of a project partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Man overboard LIFEGUARDS in boats and helicopters took part in a rescue drill in Almeria recently. The ‘man overboard’ exercise aimed to improve their skills insearching for people missing at sea, one of the hardest rescue missions.

Fortress fire FIREFIGHTERS were called to put out a fire on the northern side of the Alcazaba (Arab fortress) in Almeria which started at around 9am. They reported that it destroyed approximately 100 metres of bushes.

Fatal crash A MAN, 34, died and two others, aged 31 and 24, were injured in a collision between two vehicles in the Cuesta de la Perla area of El Ejido, at Kilometre 0.4 of the A-1050 road. They victims were trapped inside the vehicles and had to be cut out by firefighters.

The Dutch connection EASYJET will be flying between Malaga and Amsterdam next year, general director of the airline in Spain Javier Gandara has announced. The airline aims to carry more than 13.5 million passengers to or from Spain in 2016.

Better kit SAN ROQUE Council has included €406,000 in its 2016 budgets to provide the Local Police force with vehicles, bullet-proof vests and other equipment.

Less skiving ABSENTEEISM cases reported by schools in Estepona have dropped by 36 per cent, the municipal absenteeism commission has reported. While there were 106 cases reported during the 2013-2014 school year, these fell to 67 last year.

Beach flag A MIJAS beach has once again been received acknowledgement from an independent quality assessor. This time it was Calahonda beach’s turn to receive an award, the Ecoplayas flag from ATERGUS environmental association.

Native species THE farm school and public country grounds in Entrerrios, Mijas, are undergoing maintenance and improvement work which is currently focusing on planting native vegetation.

Malaga beer VICTORIA beer, created in Malaga almost 90 years ago, is finally moving home due to a successful local level campaign running since 2007 to relaunch it at restaurants, bars and supermarkets in its hometown.

EWN top for all the news from Spain.

E W N 3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

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GERMAN

EUROPEAN PRESS SCANDINAVIAN PRESS

Christmas pizza SWEDEN: A fast food restaurant in Karlstad has created a unique Christmas twist on the traditional pizza by combining Swedish favourites such as meatballs and pickled herring with Italian pizza.

Refugee ships SWEDEN: Refugees could be housed on cruise ships in a bid to ease the urgent asylum accommodation shortage as winter sets in. The Swedish Migration Agency said several shipping companies have been in touch with the agency to offer ships.

Innocent man

PRESS

Tax rise over five years MONEY needed to help town halls pay for elderly care COUNCIL tax bills could rise by an average of £250 (€356) over the next five years to help cash-strapped town halls raise more money to pay for elderly care.

Carols cancelled THE headmistress of a primary school in Mackworth, Derby has cancelled two carol concerts saying it was too dangerous for children to cross the road to church. She said she was ‘not comfortable’ with 360 children crossing the A-52 to the church.

Depression death A FORMER BBC journalist shot himself in the grounds of his old Catholic boarding school after suffering from depression and money worries.

BRITISH

David Prysor-Jones worked for the BBC from the 1970’s to 90’s and an inquest confirmed he shot himself in the head at his former Somerset school.

PRESS

Gone girl AN actress from Hampshire was given a suspended sentence at South-ampton Crown Court after she faked her own kidnapping, in a plot reminiscent of the film Gone Girl, to try and win back her ex-boyfriend.

DENMARK: An auction house has dropped its planned sale of two elephant tusks after a social media storm over the sale of the ivory. The auction was criticised by the WWF as ‘immoral.’

Norwegian plot NORWAY: A man, aged 29, suspected of being involved in a plot hatched in Norway to attack a Danish newspaper has been sentenced to 40 years in prison in New York, USA.

A REPORT has shown how Germany’s education system stacks up against the USA and the UK, with it showing German teacher’s salaries are substantially higher and a stronger early education programme.

A WOMAN was shocked to find a scorpion in her bed. What was more shocking was that it is likely to have been there for three months, stowing away in her luggage from her summer holiday in August.

CROWN COURT: Gave suspended sentence.

Happy atlas THE area of SchleswigHolstein is reported to be the happiest place in Germany according to a ‘Happiness Atlas’ which compared 19 regions on various aspects of life satisfaction including work, free time and healthcare.

German relief GERMANY is to send up to 650 soldiers to Mali, to provide some relief to France in its global fight against ISIS jihadists. The move comes in the wake of the November 13 attacks in Paris.

More learning

Ivory sale

Better education

Scorpion sting

SWEDEN: A man, aged 22, who was wrongly accused of planning a terror attack in Sweden, has returned to the northern town of Boliden after being freed without charge and cleared of all suspicions. The man said he is not angry at authorities for being falsely accused.

DENMARK: With 10,040 learning hours across 10 years of education, Danish students receive more instruction than pupils in any of the 33 OECD (Convention on the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development). According to a report, the average hours was 7,570.

NEWS

Cleaning fine USER-FRIENDLY: A system which can be built into new and existing cars.

Driver-less cars experiment CENTRAL part of government’s infrastructure police THE Dutch government is leading experiments with driver-less vehicles after making the project a central part of its infrastructure policy. The aim of the Dutch Automated Vehicle Initiative is to develop a user-friendly system which can be built into new and existing cars.

Pigs heads TWELVE pigs heads were dumped at a field near Enschede earmarked to be a new asylum seekers’ reception centre.

DUTCH PRESS Police said “there is little doubt the pigs heads are connected with the arrival of the refugees.”

Plant closure A DUTCH coal-fired power station

has been closed permanently following a string of accidents. The Borssele power plant was due to shut at the end of the year but after the death of a 52-year-old man, it has closed earlier than planned.

New €20 DUTCH banks have started issuing new €20 banknotes which the European central bank says are ‘more resistant’ to counterfeiting. The old €20 notes will be gradually withdrawn.

A TEACHER from central Germany has been ordered to pay a €1,000 fine after he painted over swastikas which had been sprayed on public property. The judge said the fine was related to the cost of cleaning up the damage.

Strike off AIR crew workers union UFO has called off planned strikes against Lufthansa, after the airline made significant concessions in ongoing negotiations. Air crew threatened a week of strike actions which would have affected thousands of passengers.

NEWS

3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

RUSSIAN P RESS

No change to Soviet station MUSCOVITES elected against proposed change

VOYKOVSKAYA: Will keep its name. A METRO station in Moscow which is named after one of the executors of Tsar Nicholas II will keep its name after Muscovites elected against a change proposed by liberal activists. Voykovskaya will retain its homage to Pyotr Voykova amid a wider changing of Soviet era street and landmark titles.

Turkish tours cancelled RUSSIAN tour agencies have cancelled flights to Turkey in the aftermath of the downing of a Russian fighter jet by the Turkish military. The move comes as tensions escalate between the two nations over responsibility for the incident. State tourist bodies have also cancelled trips to Egypt over the recent bombing of a packed passenger jet.

Nuclear gift for Japan ROSATOM, Russia’s state nuclear energy company has offered to help Japan shut down the reactors at

Arctic exploration THE Russian Senate has proposed an Arctic development bill to strengthen Moscow’s interests in the resource rich region. Industry, transport and territorial rights are high on the bill’s agenda which will draw the attention of the United States, Norway and Canada. Fukushima nuclear power plant. Japan has been struggling to close down the reactors following three meltdowns and a radiation leak in 2011, the worst since Chernobyl.

Scientology banned THE lA Moscow court has agreed with the Justice

DEVELOPMENT BILL: In resource rich region. Ministry that the Church of Scientology cannot call itself a religious organisation. The decision to ban the church’s activities came after the court ruled that the registering of the name as a US trademark precluded its protection as a legitimate faith.

Sabotage investigation THE FSB is investigating the recent sabotage of a Ukrainian power grid that led to massive blackouts in Crimea. Around 1.9 million people were deprived of electricity and a state of emergency declared after sections of the grid were bombed. Tensions continue after Russia’s 2014 annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine.

EWN

FINANCE

Mallorca

3 - 9 December 2015

LONDON - FTSE 100

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Jaguar expands in the Midlands CAR manufacturer set to hire hundreds of new workers By John Smith JAGUAR LAND ROVER is set to hire hundreds of new workers as the car manufacturer announces plans to double the size of its engine manufacturing centre near Wolverhampton to 200,000 square foot.

is the amount that Jaguar plans to spend in doubling the size of its engine manufacturing plant.

OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHS: Being used to sell fake goods.

Be careful of internet bargains A NUMBER of warnings have been given about the sale of fake goods, whereby sellers use official photographs to show images of a rang e o f p r o d u c t s a n d then supply counterfeit and shoddy items to the buyers instead. In addition, a number of major companies are taking ex t r a c a r e t o e n s u re

The plant, in south Staffordshire, employs 700 people and once the expansion is completed it hopes to double the number of employees. A rise in global demand had led to the centre’s expansion, the company said. Conservative business secretary

“The technical steps needed to fix the vehicles are technically and financially manageable." VW Chief Executive Matthias Mueller.

Photo Credit Denys Prykhodov Shutterstock

Quote of the Week

£450m

that their websites are not hacked or have had malw are a d d e d w h ich co u ld steal financial information from clients. Many of the illegal activities stem from criminals in Eastern Europe, alth o u g h th is ma y d ro p a s the west recruits many of the hackers to combat web terrorists.

BUSINESS EXTRA

Digital investment BBVA Bank will invest €63 million in obtaining 29.5 per cent of British digital bank Atom, which hasn’t even started trading as yet and will take two seats on the board. “We’ve been interested in the UK for quite some time,” Teppo Paavola, chief development officer and general manager of new digital businesses at BBVA, said in an interview. “We studied the market and concluded the way to play here is in a digital fashion.”

Spanish Budget BRUSSELS has again warned the Spanish Government they need to reduce the deficit. President of the Eurogroup, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, considered the 2016 Budget was not in line with expectations but understood no changes would occur until after the election.

Paris climate change summit MUCH is at stake for the oil and gas industry at the UN organised Paris climate summit which runs from November 30 to December 11. More than 100 heads of state will gather to negotiate an agreement aimed at driving down

UK public finances over the next five years are looking £27 billion (€38 billion) better than they were in July, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility.

STAT OF WEEK

business & legal

EWN

greenhouse gas emissions. There has been much speculation about the financial security of some of the major oil companies as they may be sitting on too much crude oil in an ever shrinking market.

Sajid Javid said the company’s investment was “further evidence that the British automotive sector can compete with the best in the world. “More than 10,000 jobs have been created and about £3.5bn has been invested in its Midlands’ manufacturing sites since 2010,” he added.

IBEX 35

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C LOSING P RICES N OVEMBER 30

Apple acquisition APPLE has purchased the company behind motion-capture technology used in the latest Star Wars film. Faceshift specialises in software that allows 3D animated characters to mimic the facial expressions of an actor. Apple has now bought the company, though in keeping with tradition they have not revealed the cost or their plans for the business.

E W N 3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

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LONDON - FTSE 100

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY 3i Group 497.85 -3.15 Aberdeen Asset Management 322.40 -12.40 Admiral Group 1,615.00 -6.00 Anglo American 395.00 -5.15 Antofagasta 489.45 -7.25 ARM Holdings 1,117.50 0.50 Ashtead Group 1,088.00 4.00 Associated British Foods 3,513.00 -3.00 AstraZeneca 4,505.25 -7.25 Aviva 510.00 -3.00 Babcock International Group 1,085.50 1.50 BAE Systems 520.25 0.75 Barclays 222.98 -1.32 Barratt Developments 588.25 0.75 Berkeley Group Holdings 3,131.50 -3.50 BG Group 1,023.00 -7.00 BHP Billiton 781.90 -25.70 BP 384.05 -2.50 British American Tobacco 3,908.75 10.25 British Land Co 832.00 -2.50 BT Group 498.83 -0.97 Bunzl 1,903.00 -1.00 Burberry Group 1,246.50 1.50 Capita Group (The) 1,266.50 -0.50 Carnival 3,477.50 14.50 Centrica 218.50 -2.30 Coca-Cola HBC 1,625.00 5.00 Compass Group 1,141.50 0.50 CRH 1,958.00 -2.00 Diageo 1,922.00 -2.50 Direct Line Insurance Group 407.80 -0.40 Dixons Carphone 484.60 3.00 easyJet 1,645.50 13.50 Experian 1,226.50 4.50 Fresnillo 708.25 -6.75 G4S 223.70 0.30 GKN 298.65 0.25 GlaxoSmithKline 1,357.25 -8.25 Glencore 90.18 -1.70 Hammerson 607.00 -2.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,466.50 -4.50 Hikma Pharmaceuticals 2,147.50 -4.50 HSBC Holdings 530.00 -4.90 Imperial Tobacco Group 3,603.00 -8.00 Inmarsat 1,111.00 -2.00 InterContinental Hotels Grp 2,529.50 40.50 International Consolidated Air 571.25 6.25 Intertek Group 2,776.00 20.00 Intu Properties 321.85 -1.45 ITV 271.90 4.30

% CHG. NET VOL -0.63 4,872.03 -3.70 4,436.85 -0.37 4,524.34 -1.29 5,609.45 -1.46 4,896.75 0.04 15,722.92 0.37 5,456.25 -0.09 27,835.26 -0.16 57,021.83 -0.58 20,754.69 0.14 5,465.49 0.14 16,436.98 -0.59 37,622.72 0.13 5,848.28 -0.11 4,284.20 -0.68 35,176.45 -3.18 17,057.09 -0.65 70,680.05 0.26 72,675.23 -0.30 8,517.59 -0.19 41,671.31 -0.05 6,379.87 0.12 5,538.17 -0.04 8,414.09 0.42 7,485.39 -1.04 10,983.77 0.31 5,903.17 0.04 18,945.57 -0.10 16,097.48 -0.13 48,391.40 -0.10 6,123.00 0.62 5,545.44 0.83 6,482.44 0.37 12,078.57 -0.94 5,268.79 0.13 3,466.26 0.08 4,917.80 -0.60 66,448.07 -1.85 13,401.80 -0.33 4,776.46 -0.31 6,977.23 -0.21 4,279.90 -0.92 104,376.19 -0.22 34,560.55 -0.18 5,003.77 1.63 5,876.96 1.11 11,522.24 0.73 4,447.13 -0.45 4,277.64 1.61 10,772.00

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) Johnson Matthey 2,805.50 6.50 Kingfisher 351.40 1.30 Land Securities Group 1,231.50 -1.50 Legal & General Group 270.35 -2.45 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 72.39 -1.01 London Stock Exchange Group2,637.00 -8.00 Marks & Spencer Group 501.25 1.25 Meggitt 386.50 -0.50 Merlin Entertainments 408.45 0.95 Mondi 1,524.50 0.50 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 153.30 -1.30 National Grid 928.10 -4.50 Next 7,905.00 -15.00 Old Mutual 209.15 -1.05 Pearson 827.00 -2.00 Persimmon 1,866.50 -10.50 Prudential 1,538.75 -9.75 Randgold Resources 3,956.50 -40.50 Reckitt Benckiser Group 6,269.50 -39.50 RELX 1,195.50 -1.50 Rio Tinto 2,179.50 -19.50 Rolls-Royce Group 605.75 -0.75 Royal Bank of Scotland Group 305.40 -1.30 Royal Dutch Shell 1,640.75 -15.75 Royal Dutch Shell 1,655.00 -18.50 Royal Mail 485.85 -3.75 RSA Insurance Group 436.65 -0.15 SABMiller 4,027.50 -0.50 Sage Group (The) 576.25 1.75 Sainsbury (J) 254.85 -1.25 Schroders 2,970.50 -19.50 Severn Trent 2,235.00 -13.00 Shire 4,666.50 1.50 Sky 1,117.50 -3.50 Smith & Nephew 1,118.00 -3.00 Smiths Group 1,025.00 -5.00 Sports Direct International 715.00 3.50 SSE 1,440.50 -19.50 St James's Place 1,010.50 1.50 Standard Chartered 551.15 -7.35 Standard Life 415.55 -2.55 Taylor Wimpey 188.90 0.20 Tesco 168.30 -0.85 Travis Perkins 2,003.00 -3.00 TUI AG 1,088.50 -1.50 Unilever 2,876.50 0.50 United Utilities Group 972.25 -6.25 Vodafone Group 224.25 -1.55 Whitbread 4,440.00 9.00 Wolseley 3,809.50 3.50 WPP Group 1,533.50 -7.50

% CHG. 0.23 0.37 -0.12 -0.90 -1.38 -0.30 0.25 -0.13 0.23 0.03 -0.84 -0.48 -0.19 -0.50 -0.24 -0.56 -0.63 -1.01 -0.63 -0.13 -0.89 -0.12 -0.42 -0.95 -1.11 -0.77 -0.03 -0.01 0.30 -0.49 -0.65 -0.58 0.03 -0.31 -0.27 -0.49 0.49 -1.34 0.15 -1.32 -0.61 0.11 -0.50 -0.15 -0.14 0.02 -0.64 -0.69 0.20 0.09 -0.49

NET VOL 5,735.65 8,161.84 9,747.40 16,211.39 52,388.32 9,185.57 8,241.32 3,048.04 4,131.02 7,399.84 3,610.05 34,890.57 12,107.59 10,354.78 6,800.19 5,753.79 39,811.72 3,722.40 45,062.45 13,451.13 30,933.93 11,151.08 19,739.38 64,513.80 40,840.27 4,896.00 4,441.20 65,107.83 6,189.65 4,919.48 6,758.07 5,347.08 27,600.55 19,270.18 10,026.13 4,066.21 4,258.08 14,498.77 5,273.03 14,219.17 8,233.17 6,139.28 13,762.89 4,991.57 6,393.98 36,912.29 6,672.28 59,865.68 8,052.86 9,897.77 20,113.66

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US dollar...................................................................1.05770 Japan yen................................................................130.039 Switzerland franc .................................................1.09031 Denmark kroner ..................................................7.46054 Norway kroner ......................................................9.22163

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DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES N OVEMBER 30

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 157.99 +0.36 +0.23% 876.1K 71.85 +0.16 +0.22% 1.5M 117.81 -0.22 -0.19% 13.0M 146.95 -0.48 -0.33% 1.3M 71.22 -0.27 -0.38% 1.6M 90.37 -0.50 -0.55% 2.5M 27.32 +0.08 +0.29% 9.5M 43.15 -0.21 -0.48% 7.2M 115.13 -3.54 -2.98% 14.9M 67.09 -0.17 -0.25% 1.0M 81.23 -0.02 -0.02% 4.2M 30.36 0.00 0.00% 33.1M 190.47 +1.32 +0.70% 1.1M 134.74 +0.09 +0.07% 3.3M 138.46 +0.46 +0.33% 1.4M 34.46 +0.01 +0.03% 6.6M 102.37 +0.41 +0.40% 2.4M 67.17 +0.31 +0.46% 4.1M 114.23 -0.17 -0.15% 2.8M 53.96 +0.24 +0.45% 3.0M 53.93 +0.24 +0.45% 9.0M 134.33 +0.20 +0.15% 2.3M 32.79 -0.08 -0.24% 16.1M 75.70 -0.20 -0.26% 2.4M 114.85 +0.05 +0.04% 548.1K 96.80 -0.47 -0.48% 1.9M 114.34 -0.07 -0.06% 1.7M 45.23 +0.31 +0.69% 4.1M 79.84 +0.28 +0.35% 3.1M 59.89 -0.35 -0.58% 5.3M

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES N OVEMBER 30

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. MACROCURE LTD. Highpower International Inc The9 Limited Mesoblast Limited ModSys International Ltd. The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. Bio Blast Pharma Ltd. Sientra, Inc. InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. Mattson Technology, Inc.

$ 34.83 $ 2.44 $ 2.88 $ 4.29 $ 6.82 $ 2.01 $ 2.79 $ 5.24 $ 4.78 $ 9.27 $ 3.05

8.20 ▲ 30.79% 0.50 ▲ 25.77% 0.54 ▲ 23.08% 0.80 ▲ 22.92% 1.25 ▲ 22.44% 0.30 ▲ 17.54% 0.39 ▲ 16.25% 0.71 ▲ 15.67% 0.54 ▲ 12.74% 1.04 ▲ 12.64% 0.34 ▲ 12.55%

$ 2.04 $ 7.90 $ 8.76 $ 4.06 $ 3.14 $ 3.22 $ 6.61 $ 9.22 $ 2.29 $ 23.10 $ 31.11

0.18 ▼ 8.11% 0.69 ▼ 8.03% 0.74 ▼ 7.79% 0.318 ▼ 7.26% 0.23 ▼ 6.82% 0.23 ▼ 6.67% 0.405 ▼ 5.77% 0.55 ▼ 5.63% 0.13 ▼ 5.37% 1.30 ▼ 5.33% 1.71 ▼ 5.21%

Most Declined Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania, Inc. XBiotech Inc. Baozun Inc. Hong Kong Television Network Limited China BAK Battery, Inc. Qumu Corporation TriVascular Technologies, Inc. TiVo Inc. Approach Resources Inc. Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. Insys Therapeutics, Inc.

E W N 3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

Time to take a look back at 2015 Ask the expert Peter Loveday Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com

AS another year comes to an end, it’s time to look back at 2015 and see what clues it gives us to the year ahead. Overall, 2015 has been a positive year for the UK economy, which remains the success story of the G7. With increases in wages, a strengthening job market and steady GDP growth, investors are increasing their bets UK policymakers will start raising interest rates sometime next year. However, the Bank of England remains cautious in its approach and is closely monitoring inflation, which remains well below its 2 per cent target. The bank is also evaluating global downside risks, as China and the developing countries are facing headwinds. Despite a slowdown during the summer, the UK still stands to grow 2.5 per cent. After three consecutive quarters of falling manufacturing output, the UK enters its final quarter with growth hitting its fastest rate. It remains to be seen if the manufacturing sector will succeed in

GROWTH: Despite a slowdown during the summer, the UK stands to grow 2.5 per cent. maintaining its momentum. The recent surge in Sterling poses a real challenge for UK exporters competing in Europe, their main export market. Sterling put in an impressive performance against the euro over the past year, thanks to a substantial improvement in economic activity and the prospect of monetary

normalisation in the near future. The divergence of monetary policies between the UK and the Eurozone is also likely to further support the pound. The Eurozone’s recovery is finally consolidating, and appears to be on a firmer ground than many analysts had anticipated. However, the

slowing of global economic activity is cause for concern to the Eurozone, especially as Germany’s engine has been making worrying sputtering noises. The euro has been kept weak by the European Central Bank (ECB), and though it tried to make up for some of its losses after the summer those gains were limited and short-lived. It only took the press conference following the October meeting of the ECB’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting for those gains to disappear. Interest rates were left unchanged (as was widely expected), but ECB President Mario Draghi managed, once again, to surprise investors during the press conference. ‘Super Mario’ sent a strong message to the market and investors were caught off-guard as they were presented, not only with the very real possibility of more easing in December, but also with a central bank that’s actively exploring lower deposit rates, extending the deadline on its quantitative easing programme and potential increasing the size of the programme. Investors couldn’t sell their euros quick enough as the implications of Mr Draghi’s speech hit home. The upshot is that, before the pre-Christmas ECB meeting, we could see a market that’s inundated with euros.

Visit us at our Spanish offices in Costa del Sol, Costa Almeria, North Costa Blanca and South Costa Blanca. Telephone: UK +44 (0) 207 847 9400 SPAIN +34 950 478 914 Email: euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com • www.currenciesdirect.com

SPANISH renewable energy and engineering firm Abengoa SA said on November 25 that it intends to file for preliminary creditor protection, a step that could lead to the largest bankruptcy case in Spain’s history. For Abengoa this highlights the problems that a number of companies around the world have experienced when trying to expand whilst carrying heavy debts which have crippled them during the financial crisis. The company is one of the world’s major builders of power lines, specialising in transporting energy across Latin America as well as being a construction business, making massive renewable-energy power plants in the UK and the US. When Spanish investment firm Gonvarri Corporación Financiera cancelled a plan to lend the Sevilla based company a further €350 million it recognised that it needed to take immediate action to protect itself and its creditors.

Airline shares have fallen due to terrorism Photo Credit JHenryW Wikimedia

Possible largest bankruptcy

SHARM EL SHEIK: British Airways and easyJet have suspended all flights until at least January 2016. By John Smith FOLLOWING the decision by British Airways and easyJet to cancel all flights to and from Sharm el Sheikh until January 2016, a number of passengers have been delighted as they are now able to obtain a full refund and make other arrangements. The budget airline was the first to an-

nounce plans to continue its ban on flights, shortly followed by British Airways, who have suspended flights until January 14. A BA statement said: “Following advice from the UK Government about the situation in Sharm el Sheikh, we will not be operating any flights to or from the holiday resort up to and including Thursday January 14, 2016.”

This news was not well received in the city as there will be an immediate loss of revenue for the two airlines and the fear of attacks on transport generally may well see a drop in passengers carried on other routes. The announcements saw the value of their shares drop by up to 5 per cent on November 24 although both finished the day just over 3 per cent down.

UK Autumn spending review has one surprise CONSIDERING the stance the Conservative government took following the voting down of the proposed tax credit cuts by the House of Lords, Chancellor George Osborne has surprised critics by doing a U-turn as well as vowing to protect police budgets in his spending review on November 25. Low-paid families will not see their benefits cut in April next year, although it is now his plan to phase out tax credits by 2018 and critics insist that the new Universal Credit that will replace them is likely to be less generous. Rather than phasing the cuts, as had been expected, Mr Osborne said he had decided the ‘simplest thing’ was ‘to avoid them altogether,’ even though it means missing his own target for overall welfare spending. He was able to make this decision due to higher tax receipts and better public finances.

The top six supermarket chains IN a review released on November 24 by Kantar Worldpanel, a global market research company, they revealed the top six supermarket chains in Spain up until the end of September 2015, which makes very interesting reading with Mercadona dominating the sector by a huge amount. Actual market share calculated for each of the ‘main players’ is Mercadona with 22.9 per cent, Grupo Dia 8.8 per cent, Carrefour 8.6 per cent, Grupo Eroski 5.9 per cent, Grupo Auchan 3.9 per cent, Lidl 3.6 per cent. All of the top six with the exception of Eroski have seen slight growths, but they do account for over 50 per cent of all the groceries sold in Spain and although Lidl is leading Aldi in the list, both companies, with their policies of discounted food and fast expansion would expect to be gaining ground over the next year. The general opinion from the research company is that the growth in supermarket sales is to the detriment of the traditional specialist shops which have been such an important part of the Spanish landscape.

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3 - 9 December 2015 /

Beyoncé hopes to conquer the fashion world By John Smith GLOBAL superstar and style maven Beyoncé is entering into a commercial partnership with Sir Philip Green, owner of the Arcadia group which includes high street brands Top Shop, Dorothy Perkins, and Burton. They have announced that they are planning to start retailing a new athletic street-wear brand across the world in spring of 2016, under the name Parkwood Topshop Athletic which will offer clothing, footwear and accessories to a youngish demographic. Not only does Beyoncé have her own clothing line House of Deréon already, but she has also been known to model for other clothing companies including H&M. No doubt both she and Sir Philip

will ensure that the new brand stands alone from all that she has done in the past. “This not a collaboration. This is about building a brand and building a business, a separate, proper business, with separate overheads and a separate office,” Sir Philip Green told Women’s Wear Daily when the venture was first announced. Taveta Investments, Arcadia’s family-controlled parent company, has announced operating profits in its last financial year of £251.6 million (€352 million) an increase of 5.5 per cent. Although it has indicated that trading has been difficult and it sold the BHS Group for £1 earlier this year.

EWN

Photo Credit A. Ricardo Shutterstock

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

OPINION & COMMENT

LETTERS

www.euroweeklynews.com

3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

EWN

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

Islamic community has nothing to hide and is happy to help Re: Not wanted – but the most sought-after man in Europe AGREE with this editorial, but I must stress that Islamic communities all over Spain have, indeed, been standing up and speaking out in the media and on TV. Some even say they don’t mind if police stop every one of them in the country to check their ID, because they’ve nothing to hide and would be happy to help in the fight against terrorism. One of these was a woman injured in the 11-M attacks. The problem is that, although they actively want to help, they’re silenced, their words not always reported, and they’re blamed. We should be getting them on our side, because that’s where they want to be. Not responding to the Islamic community’s attempts to help and speak out, and demonising them instead, is a short-sighted, narrowminded and self-destructive attitude seen all too frequently, mainly among British right-wing tabloid readers with limited education who indiscriminately share ‘patriotic’ posts on Facebook. In fact, it’s just insane, and is fuelling the issue. From Kally, via email

Much too late Re: Have we left it too late to stop ISIS? BANG on again, Lee. All is lost unless we come down hard but I suspect, like you, it will be too little, too late (much too late). Paris is just the start, methinks. You let the migrants in without proper checks and ISIS becomes the world’s oyster. I also liked the front page of Euro Weekly News about the Muslim silence re Paris. Their silence speaks volumes, don’t you think? Brian Allen, via email

Smack on Re: Have we left it too late to stop ISIS? HI LEE, smack on again. I can

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

Cabopino in our boat. A man in his early 50s with blonde hair driving a very small light blue car pulled up at our bus stop and told us that the bus in Fuengirola had caught fire and that there were long delays and huge queues so if we wanted a lift, he would be happy to help us out. Naively we accepted his help and said we were going to Marbella. When we arrived he explained that there would be a charge of €48 which I reluctantly paid. I then reported the matter, together with the registration number of the car to the police who didn’t seem overly interested. Let others be warned and do not accept lifts from strangers! Ted at sea, via the telephone

Vote danger

Hit the nail on the head! Re: Have we left it too late to stop ISIS? Dear Leapy, As ever and sadly once again you have hit the nail on the head! Oh how I yearn to pour scorn and ridicule upon your opinion this week yet find no grounds whatsoever upon which to do so. You remind me of Bernard Dineen of the Yorkshire Post fame some years ago who also said it as it was. Please continue along this vein and perhaps some of what you have to say may make a difference one day! Robert C, via email

never work out why it is that straight after one of these atrocities, the security services seem to root out all the ones well known to them for some time, as posing a threat, and deal with them immediately. I’d like to believe that some organisation, albeit MI5 or the likes of, are disposing of these evil people, without the media and everyone else knowing about it. But unfortunately the occasional one slips through. Bombing a load of sand is never going to solve anything, so where are all these highly paid, highly intelligent, know all the answers type people to sort this problem out. It’s not as though you’re taking

on the might of Nazi Germany again, just a bunch of yobs, brandishing firearms, who want to cause as much death as they can before they go and meet their heaven full of virgins. Keep up the good work! From Fred, a agrumpy old git, via email

Daft TV Re: Just a bunch of prattling females! HI Leapy, you are so right, as usual... These women really are an embarrassment to the rest of us. As a female, I could never stomach watching this daft programme, after having switched it on out of cu-

riosity ages ago. And, just to see if I’d imagined how idiotic they are, I’ve passed by to make sure I was right. However, why do these men go on as guests? What does that say about them? Could it be for the money?! Patsy, via email

Bus scam I READ with interest your recent article about a scam whereby drivers stop at bus stops, advise that the bus is not coming, offer a lift and then charge for it. This is exactly what happened to me and my wife when we were visiting

Re: Podemos plan to enable voting for foreign residents I BELIEVE this is too dangerous in today’s world. Imagine a commune with a large immigrant popul at i on - l i ke Sal t i n Cat al oni a with 40 per cent of its population or i gi nat i ng f r om Mor occo and Muslim. A Muslim mayor could be elected and introduce islamic laws or have an influence which is not in the interests of Spain. Podemos and the Socialists are only in favour of this since the majority of immigrants tend to be at t he l ower end of t he soci al scale. Only members of the EU should be allowed to vote as at present. Other foreign residents should either choose to become Spanish or keep their own nationality. Peter Fieldman, via website

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:

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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.

E W N 3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

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OPINION & COMMENT

Long live The Lord’s Prayer! CINEMA ban is eroding British values even further LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen. IF anything in this short prayer offends anyone, I suggest you either get a life or choose to live somewhere else. (This includes the relevant cinema owners!) OK? Merry Christmas! So, here we all are again. I think I gave Corbyn six months, or was it a year? With the latest antics of both him and his party (Mao’s Little Red Book, would you believe) I think any length of time is politically long for this bunch. Seriously, folks, how can anyone vote for a man who wants

THREAT: Jeremy Corbyn’s policies put our future at risk. to scrap most of the UK’s defences, allow unlimited ‘refugees’ into the country and considers that ‘negotiating’ with psycho-

pathic scum a more viable option than eliminating them? Give us a break. If this man ever came into power, we, our chil-

dren and (assuming they ever came into existence!) our children’s children would never sleep safely in their beds again. I still maintain the UK should close its borders completely for at least three years. With no terrorists getting in, we can then begin to root out all those already entrenched. If they manage to escape becoming ‘martyrs,’ bang’em up and then deport the whole lot to one of the MidEast hell holes they all seem to admire so much. If Brussels objects, so what? What are they going to do, declare war? I hardly think they can say too much, considering the state the open border policies have got their own country in. I also suggest we round up all able-bodied ‘refugees’ between the ages of 18 and 25. Proceed to arm them to the teeth and ship ’em all back to fight for the various countries the cowardly bunch has actually deserted. Keep the Faith Love Leapy Leapylee2002@gmail.com

E W N 3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

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Famous quote

This week

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

‘

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. Barack Obama

in history 43 BC Cicero, considered one of the greatest sons of Rome, is assassinated on the orders of Marcus Antonius. 1492 Christopher Columbus lands on the island of Santo Domingo in search of gold. 1586 Sir Thomas Herriot introduces potatoes to England from Colombia. 1660 The first Shakespearian actress to appear on an English stage (Ms. Norris) makes her debut as Desdemona. 1791 Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart dies in Vienna. 1877 Thomas A Edison makes the first sound recording when he recites ‘Mary had a Little Lamb’ into his phonograph machine. 1914 The German cruisers Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Nurnberg, and Liepzig are sunk by a British force in the Battle of the Falkland Islands. 1941 Japanese planes raid Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in a surprise attack, bringing the US into WWII. 1947 Tennessee William’s play A Streetcar Named Desire premieres on Broadway starring Marlon Brando and Jessica Tandy. 1952 Killer fogs begin in London, England; ‘Smog’ becomes a word 1954 The first Burger King is opened in Miami, Florida, USA. 1975 A Provisional IRA unit takes a couple hostage in Balcombe Street, London, and a six-day siege begins. 1984 Toxic gas leaks from a Union Carbide plant and results in the deaths of thousands in Bhopal, India. 1987 US President Reagan & Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev sign a treaty eliminating medium range nuclear missiles 1989 Presidents George Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev announce the official end to the Cold War at a meeting in Malta. 1992 A test engineer for Sema Group sends the world’s first text message, using a personal computer and the Vodafone network.

Women’s wit

‘

“All my life, I always wanted to be somebody. Now I see that I should have been more specific.” Lilly Tomlin

World of English

‘

The expression to ‘knuckle down’ originated from playing marbles: players used to put their knuckles to the ground for their best shots.

‘ SCOTLAND YARD? THERE IS A MARKET HERE IN SPAIN WITH A BLOKE CALLED BASIL SELLING EMPTY BANK SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES!’

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

CALA MILLOR

INCA

CALVIA

CALA d’OR

PALMA ANDRATX

LLUCMAJOR MAGALLUF

TOMORROW ALCUDIA

POLLENÇA CALVIA

INCA

PALMA

CALA MILLOR

CALA d’OR

ANDRATX

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

LLUCMAJOR MAGALLUF

SUNNY MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

19 11 S 18 10 Cl 19 12 S

Benidorm MAX 19C, MIN 11C Mon - 18 11 S Tues - 18 10 S Wed - 18 11 S

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MAX 22C, MIN 12C Mon - 19 12 S Tues - 20 11 Cl Wed - 20 11 S

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17 9 S 18 10 S 17 10 C S Sun,

MAX MIN

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17 9 C 18 9 Cl 18 9 Cl

Madrid MAX 18C, MIN 9C MAX MIN

Mon - 18 10 C Tues - 17 9 S Wed - 18 9 C Cl Clear,

TODAY:

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21 11 S 19 10 S 19 11 S

TODAY:

CLOUDY MAX 19C, MIN 8C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

19 9 C 18 8 C 18 8 C

SUNNY

MAX 18C, MIN 4C

18 4 C 17 3 S 17 3 S C Cloudy,

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MAX MIN

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MAX MIN

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Sh Showers,

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Fri Sat Sun -

23 8 S 22 8 S 21 9 S Sn Snow,

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

UK THUNDERBALL

IRISH LOTTO

Saturday November 28

EURO MILLIONS

LA PRIMITIVA

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

MAX MIN

Mon - 18 10 S Tues - 20 11 Cl Wed - 20 12 S

Murcia

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mallorca CLEAR MAX 21C, MIN 11C

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

SUNNY MAX 21C, MIN 11C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 18 11 S Tues - 18 11 Cl Wed - 18 11 S

19 11 S 18 11 Cl 18 11 S

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Barcelona TODAY:

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Bilbao

Almeria TODAY:

Malaga

SUNNY MAX 20C, MIN 11C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 21 9 S Tues - 21 9 S Wed - 20 9 S Th Thunder

LOTTERY

Alicante TODAY:

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Friday November 27

12 20

Saturday November 28

Sunday November 29

29 17

BONUS BALL

THUNDERBALL

BONUS BALL

LUCKY STARS

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Funagram

Just Joking

Unscramble the name of an award-winning novel, first published in 2005 (three words): OF THE HOT BIKE

Amy

FUNAGRAM SOLUTION: THE BOOK THIEF, MICHAEL FARADAY.

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 (BOVINE) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues

AERATE ASSERT AUNTIE BAMBOO BODIED BOVINE (10) COYOTE DEVOUR FAULTY GLOOMY

Amy Winehouse was one of the most important musical figures of her generation and before she would tragically join ‘the 27 club’ she created some of the best music in recent years. This film features neverbefore-heard tracks and never-before-seen footage as her demons and her music take centre stage.

David Villa, December 3, Footballer. Spanish born Villa played for Barcelona and became Spain’s alltime leading goal scorer. He scored five goals while leading the Spanish national team to their first ever World Cup Championship in 2010.

Tyra Banks, December 4, Supermodel and TV presenter, 42 As one of the original Victoria’s Secrets models she has gone on to create a multi-million dollar business with programmes such as America’s Next Top Model. Ronnie O’Sullivan, December 5, Snooker Player, 40 Known as The Rocket, due to his quick style of play, he has been in the forefront of international snooker for many years, winning numerous championships. Nick Park, December 6, Director, 57 Acclaimed stop motion animation filmmaker best known for his work on the Wallace and Gromit series as well as Shaun the Sheep. He has also co-directed a number of full length animated features. Noam Chomsky, December 7, Educator, 87 Regarded by many as one of the most accomplished educators alive, he is a linguist, philosopher, political activist and educator. Sinead O’Connor, December 8, Singer, 49 Irish singer-songwriter whose cover of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ brought her commercial success although she has something of a controversial past with four marriages and ordination as a priest of an independent Catholic group. Judi Dench, December 9, Actress, 81 Considered by many as one of the greatest actresses of her generation, she was made a Dame and has received six Laurence Olivier Awards for her contributions to the stage as well as playing M in several James Bond films.

GOBLET HITHER MEMBER RABBET RANDOM REDDEN RHOMBI SHANTY SUTURE

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Cloudy 2 Ruckus 3 Fallow 4 Auntie 5 Coleus 6 Fluffy 7 Shrunk 8 Bureau 9 Turnip 10 Hurley 11 Ramble 12 Sherry 13 Illume 14 Magnet 15 Diesel 16 Scream 17 Father 18 Direct 19 Sprite

YOUR STARS CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) You are in for a bit of a bumpy ride this week. Some things will go well but other outcomes can be quirky. People change their minds, technology doesn’t work, phone calls don’t come. Be assured, however, that if you keep your sense of the absurd it could all be quite amusing. AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) When it comes to throwing wobblers, please don’t. It is so important this week to stay cool and unruffled. Change nothing that you can avoid changing. Even having discussions about change can set your nerves jangling. PISCES (February 20 - March 20) This month, there is much to be celebrated. So much has happened in the latter part of the year. Certainly, congratulations are in order. When you have made such an effort and are rewarded for it, the satisfaction level is high. ARIES (March 21 - April 20) The importance of making the right choices is clear to you. Where to begin seems to be a sticking point. Starting by taking away the things you really do not want is essential. Be practical and logical. This is not a time for sentiment or muddled thinking.

SAGITTARIUS

(November 23 - December 21)

Having problems with that new computer? Fallen foul of the new mobile phone? That wouldn’t be surprising this week. As you are prone to mistakes and misunderstandings, try not to tackle anything vital. Be sure to get plenty of sleep and fresh air. TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Although you have the feeling that younger members of the family are not interested in your point of view, this is far off the mark. They, in their inexperience, may not know how best to approach you in this regard. GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) The prospect of travel sets you thinking. Have you been spending too much time considering others? Should you take steps now to get time alone then these plans cannot be changed. This will save any discussions as to how or when. CANCER (June 22 - July 23) With the best will in the world it is only possible to spend money once. We are all guilty of trying to get over this truth, but it never works. Have patience when looking to improve your possessions. LEO (July 24 - August 23) Going over old ground is counterproductive. There is nothing to be

EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREA

10-Star Quiz

A mother texts: “Hi! Son, what do IDK, LY, and TTYL mean?!” He texts back, “I Don’t Know, Love You and Talk To You Later.” The mother texts him back, “ok then, don’t worry about it. I’ll ask your sister, love you too.”

Unscramble the name of a famous 19th century English physicist and chemist: I AM HARDLY A FACE

TIME

A PICTURE QUIZ 1. A picture of which famous English physicist and mathematician appeared on the reverse of the Bank of England one pound note from 1971 to 1991? 2. Chapter one of which famous 1865 children’s novel opens with a young girl sitting on the riverbank and asking her sister ‘what is the use of a book without pictures or conversation’? 3. First published July 1890, The Picture of Dorian Gray is a philosophical novel by which famous Irish author, playwright and poet? 4. Pictures of Lily was a 1967 UK Top five hit single for which rock group? 5. Released in 1971, which singer’s third album was entitled Every Picture Tells a Story? 6. The 10-movement suite Pictures at an Exhibition is which Russian composer’s most famous piano composition? 7. Which 1971 American drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, set in a small town in north Texas from November 1951 to October 1952, is about the coming of age of Sonny Crawford (Timothy Bottoms) and his friend Duane Jackson (Jeff Bridges)? 8. Which 1972 movie musical has the distinction of winning the most Oscars (eight) without winning the Best Picture award? 9. Which 1975 musical comedy horror film featured Tim Curry as Dr Frank N Furter, Susan Sarandon as Janet Weiss, Barry Bostwick as Brad Majors and Richard O’Brien as Riff Raff? 10. Which 1998 British-American romantic comedy-drama starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Gwyneth Paltrow), and Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench)? 1. ISAAC NEWTON, 2. ALICE IN WONDERLAND (ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND), 3. OSCAR WILDE, 4. THE WHO, 5. ROD STEWART, 6. MODEST MUSSORGSKY, 7. THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, 8. CABARET, 9. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, 10. SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE

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gained from repeating methods that did not work in the past. If it is not possible to find a fresh approach then seek the opinions of others. You do not need experience of a situation to be able to come up with a useful idea. VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Getting together with others to entertain is sure to be successful after the 26th. Before that there may be some irritations, particularly with people who refuse to be positive and make decisions. Those moving house or going on a journey need a lot of patience, and forward planning is essential. LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) This is an important week for both your physical health and your mental well-being. Because of things beyond your control, you may have let your diet or exercise slip. Having sorted out any problems that side-tracked you, there is a need to be particularly strong. SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) This is a week to let yourself be heard. Be it writing letters, sending emails, making phone calls or making conversation, you must express yourself. Being honest and outspoken need not mean upsetting people. Think of the way that a child gets its point over.

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 D) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.

TARGET: Average: 8 Good: 11 Very good: 16 Excellent: 19

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION amid amir balm barm beam bema berm brim dame dime dram emir iamb idem lama lamb lame limb lime made maid mail male mare marl mead meal meld mild mile mire ream rime abeam aimed aimer alarm amber amble ameba amide armed bedim blame bream derma dimer drama dream embar imbed lamed lamer lamia limed maria medal media miler mired ramie realm rimed admire ambled ambler amelia bedlam beldam blamed dermal lambda lambed limbed limber mailed mailer marble medial medlar milder ramble admiral alarmed amiable balmier barmaid marbled rambled ADMIRABLE

SOUND OF THE WEEK A Head Full of Dreams By Coldplay Record Label: Parlophone - Atlantic The latest album from Coldplay, their seventh, will be released on December 4 and the record features collaborations with Beyoncé, Noel Gallagher, Tove Lo and Merry Clayton. The band previewed the album on Instagram recently, sharing almost eight minutes of new music which finds the group in liberating form.

AK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

Crossword

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

Code Breaker

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

CRYPTIC

Quick

Cryptic Across 1 Disturbed fish surrounded by poles (6) 4 Property in England, say (6) 9 Cared about a group of activists (5) 10 How old is bird in Dorset seaside resort? (7) 11 They curb characters involved in slaughter (8) 12 Talent is present (4) 14 From and to Kensington for souvenirs (6) 16 Virginia rents out the servants (6) 19 Plenty of land in tarmac resort (4) 20 Save joints of meat for private quarters (8) 23 Effect of comet crash after half an hour (7) 24 Saint gets drink that’s not fresh (5) 25 Note heard by male singer (6) 26 Refuse to accept awful jeer at court (6) Down 1 Dismiss reported target of humour, old music-maker (7) 2 Check the accounts of German car trader first (5) 3 The plane might be a Jumbo (8) 5 Remain for support (4) 6 Greed displayed by girl taking pudding (7) 7 Choose the chosen? (5) 8 Take over and use Earp from the sound of it (5)

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Across: 1 Tarzan, 4 Banger, 8 Snare, 9 Okapi, 11 Eerie, 12 Sterile, 13 Secure, 15 Ladies, 19 Swansea, 21 Staid, 23 Akela, 24 Erect, 25 Tables, 26 Hearts. Down: 1 Tenders, 2 Riser, 3 Amateur, 5 Atone, 6 Raise, 7 Dense, 10 Alibi, 14 Crate, 16 Austere, 17 Saddles, 18 Cadet, 19 Scant, 20 Skate, 22 Alter.

QUICK Across:

13 Game makes the French angry with English (8) 15 Material for nails a tinker ordered? (7) 17 Mistrust American priest in church faction (7) 18 Came with nothing but a piece of jewellery (5) 19 A boxing match, roughly (5) 21 That’s enough of the cold comfort! (5) 22 Fiasco deep in computer instruction (4)

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 14 represents B and 21 represents Z, so fill in B every time the figure 14 appears and Z every time the figure 21 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 Put down by force or authority (8) 7 Remains (5) 8 Flying machine (9) 9 Hot beverage (3) 10 Short musical composition with words (4) 11 Right to enter (6) 13 Arranged by type (6) 14 Overtakes (6) 17 Made afraid (6) 18 Own (4) 20 Hole in the earth (3) 22 Saying or performing again (9) 23 Footwear (5) 24 Worried and uneasy (8)

Down 1 Official stamps (5) 2 Associate (7) 3 Ready for harvest (4) 4 By no means plentiful (6) 5 Cobblers’ equipment (5) 6 Frees oneself from (7) 7 More than two but not many (7) 12 Mends (7) 13 Assume (7) 15 Coast (7) 16 Place of worship (6) 17 Arose (5) 19 Borders (5) 21 Lure (4)

1 Pines, 4 Shower, 9 Restore, 10 Slips, 11 Says, 12 Octopus, 13/18 Bow tie, 14 Thou, 16 Turn, 20 Realise, 21 Bait, 24 Crime, 25 Sausage, 26 Stress, 27 Sends. Down: 1 Phrase, 2 Nasty, 3 Shoe, 5 Hesitate, 6 Whisper, 7 Resist, 8 Below, 13 Business, 15 Heavier, 17 Cracks, 18 Tense, 19 Others, 22 Again, 23 Buys.

ENGLISHSPANISH Across:

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

1 Paint, 4 Swans, 7 Ahi, 8 Azulejo, 9 Shepherds, 13 Cremosa, 15 Sea, 16 Obras, 17 Sueca. Down: 1 Pray, 2 Irish, 3 Teaspoons, 4 Saucepans, 5 Age, 6 Slow, 10 Desde, 11 Ocho, 12 Baya, 14 Ear.

CODE BREAKER

Down Across 1 Waiters (9) 1 To marry (5) 2 Royal (4) 3 Goat (5) 3 Which (4) 5 Thousand (3) 7 Wire (metal) (7) 4 Olives (fruit) (9) 6 Monday (5) 9 Frog (4) 8 Cervezas (5) 10 Cinturón (4) 11 Expensive (4) 13 Rescue (7) 12 Alquiler (de inmueble) (4) 14 Hijo (3) 15 Sacred (5) 16 Gemelos (5)

3 - 9 December 2015/ Mallorca

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Gifts for him and her

So, it’s that wonderful time of year again! No not the new Starwars film… It’s time to go shopping for Christmas presents! But as always; now you face the age old problem of what to buy for your loved ones. We have been scratching our heads and scouring the web to give you a few ideas and save you some footwork this holiday season. Here is our Santa’s list for him and her this year. 1. Italian Supercar day For the big boys who need big toys, how about treating him to an ‘Italian Supercar Experience’? Available from Virgin, it’s a sure winner. The recipient will get giddy over driving two of the latest models to be launched from rivals.

THE new offering from Dean Koontz is a thriller sure to keep you up all night. Bibi Blair is a young woman who has escaped death and now finds herself on a mysterious mission which will uncover the reasons for her survival. She is approached by a stranger who tells her that she has survived because she now has to save a girl identified only as Ashley Bell. Brilliantly paced, an exhilarating heroine and a twisting, ingenious storyline.

2. Marc Jacobs Decadence This new floral perfume has everyone talking, and will have her talking about you! It’s bound to be an instant classic and will surely put you in her good books this Christmas. Decadence is more sophisticated than Marc Jacobs’ other iconic fragrances and will be compatible with most tastes. This bottle itself is also quite the statement, taking its cues directly from Jacobs’ fashion with its handbag shape and opulent detailing. Sure to look good on any dressing table. 3. BOSS Hugo Boss has always had that ‘something special’ as a gift, but the new fragrance from Hugo has been flying off the shelves. It’s a scent designed for seduction: a heady mix of spicy ginger, intense leather and softer fruit and lavender notes. The result is something

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Sudoku

4. Eva Tote Gym Bag If she loves the gym, you can’t go wrong with this stylish gym bag that nobody will ever believe holds her training kit. A must for avid gym goers and yoga enthusiasts, the Eva Tote gym bag has special places for her phone, water, dirty clothes and yoga mat. Who knew you could give the gift of style and practicality in one bag? 5. Game of Thrones Monopoly If board games are his thing, or hers come to that, then settle in for the only game more bloodthirsty than the battle for the Iron Throne itself. In this brilliant spin on the classic board game, the hotels are keeps and the Chance cards are labelled Valar Morghulis. You even get to play as a little dire wolf. All men must die, but not before they’ve passed Go. 6. Olloclip 4-IN-1 Photo Lens This ideal gift is for the gadget-loving, snaphappy girl who can’t be bothered to carry around a bulky camera. The Olloclip 4-in-1 photo lens will fit in her pocket and offers a selfie function, fisheye (180° view), wideangles (double that of the normal iPhone), and two macro lenses. For every extra like she gets on Instagram she’ll think of you. 7. Tom Tom The latest incarnation and most cutting-edge sat nav yet, proves Tom Tom have lifted the

App of the Week Fotoswipe This handy app allows you to share photos and videos instantly across multiple smart devices whether you have an iPhone, iPad, Android or any tablet. Simply select photos, videos or even an entire album, swipe a finger and the exclusive FotoSwipe technology allows you to send them on to a chosen device. It takes away the need to text or email photos and can be downloaded for free.

bar again. They now offer you lifetime extras like real-time traffic updates, speed camera alerts and map updates, all for free. The big bonus is the unlimited data roaming which means, through the built-in sim card, you’re always connected, no matter which country you’re driving in. 8. GoPro HERO4 Session For the action film maker in your life: Whether they are filming themself skiing down a mountain, or just recording their cycle ride to work, this is the camera to do it with. The new Session is GoPro’s highest performing, and smallest, camera made to date, featuring ultra-high speed capture and the ability to shoot fancy 4k video, meaning your wipeout will be a viral sensation in no time.

Play on Words HDEAD2O

9. Harrods Champagne Bar Treat her the way she deserves by making your way to the Champagne Bar and share a bottle of chilled Champagne exclusive to Harrods. Established in the Champagne region for over three centuries, the Hostomme family uses only premium quality pinot noir grapes. A taste of luxury she will remember.

Boggled 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.

10. Personalised Ring Necklace The classic version of this gift for her is the three ring design but you can order one with four or five rings and of course add a personalised message to make it special. The circle pendants with your personal message look great on the chain making this the perfect accessory to any outfit, night or day.

TARGET: Average: 22 Good: 28 Very good: 40 Excellent: 50

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

ITALIAN SUPERCAR EXPERIENCE: Lamborghini Aventador LP700.

nods odds odor odors oust ouster ousted condo coda cods cusp icon twerp dodo dads date dated dote doted dust duster with wither whit hews ados adore adored oats otter otters suit soda sort sortie sore store spew spar spare iota toad toads tore tier tiers trod rods road rots rotted rote pews prod prods proud pros pare parred raps rape drape rare apex

Word Ladder WORE

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.

that smells light or even sweet at first, before settling down as something deeper and intoxicating.

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TIME OUT

AWAY BACK

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

WORE WIRE WIRY AIRY AWRY AWAY

TOP 10

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Answers: Dead in the water, Upside down cake.

EWN

CAKE

3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

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The hidden agenda of the ‘fat cats’ in our political elite

EWN

OUR VIEW UN Photo Rick Bajornas

OPINION & COMMENT

DON’T you get the feeling that there is an underlying ‘something’ being kept from us all? Colin Bird A weekly look Each week, Colin brings his slightly off-thewall view of the world to the pages of EWN in his own irreverent style.

THE papers are full of it, the politicians hold endless rounds of talks about it, and each of us has an opinion on the subject. In the meantime, the situation becomes increasingly dangerous. The escalating refugee problem, with tens of thousands more entering Europe every single day and the growing threat from the subhuman monsters of ISIS, continue unabated and effectively unchallenged. Those who believe that Europe’s borders should be closed to the Syrian refugees are labelled racist by those of the opposite persuasion, with

INTEGRATION: England is already the most densely populated major country in Europe. the accusation of a blinkered and irresponsible attitude being thrown back by the other side (actually only 40 per cent of the influx is of Syrian origin, so why is there not a selection procedure in place at the very least?). Ordinary, caring, but gen-

uinely concerned, members of the public have for years been saying that uncontrolled migration into the European Union in general, and Britain in particular, needs by necessity to be strictly controlled. Not for any xenophobic reasons, but because vital in-

tegration, a term that we rarely hear these days, cannot take place with this continuous flood of humanity reaching our shores, coupled with the fact that England is already the most densely populated major country in Europe.

All that and the very real prospect of the collapse of our creaking public services, along with the rape of the countryside in the quest for more housing. Housing crisis? It is clearly a population crisis we are dealing with here. But, shock horror, this all seems to have come as a complete surprise to the politicians. Or has it? By their very actions and dubious decision-making on a host of important issues, it seems that our so-called leaders are at best complete morons incapable of coherent thought processes, and at worst criminally inept sociopaths. But don’t you get the feeling that there is an underlying ‘something’ that is being kept from us all and that the fat cats of our political elite have always had a quite different agenda of their own?

Tales of Hans Christian Walsh THE allegory was anti-Soviet Cold War satire Mike Walsh Mike, based in Mediterranean Spain, is an international journalist, author and professional writer.

IT was tough going for the Russian hunter as he made his way through the tundra. Suddenly, stopping in his tracks, he noticed a baleful bear staring at him. Instinctively, the stalker raised his rifle. As he was about to pull the trigger the bear called o u t : “ W h o a , n o t s o fa s t. Let’s talk this through, brother.” At the bear’s suggestion that he show some goodwill, the hunter placed his rifle against a nearby tree and took the proffered seat. The bear and the tracker chatted amiably. “The way I look at it,” the bear smiled, “I need a square meal and you need a fur coat.” The outcome was that the bear got its square meal and the hunter got his fur coat. The allegory was anti-Soviet Cold War satire. This was in response to the peace initia-

SIBERIAN TUNDRA: Tough going for the Russian hunter. tive waged by the USSR at a time when Moscow was amassing a nuclear arsenal. Aware of Russia’s rapid moderni-

sation of their military resources there are signs that the European Union’s political elite are acutely aware that the US wants Europe to

Ban Ki-Moon in Paris

Life has to go on DESPITE the terror attacks on Paris, life has to continue and the city is now host to the UN Climate Change Conference which runs from November 30 to December 11. Whilst people around the world are still mourning the 130 who died in Paris and thousands of others who have been killed in terrorist activity, leaders (or their deputies) of 142 different states were due to speak on the first day of the meeting to consider ways of combating climate change. There have been a series of public demonstrations calling for direct action to reduce the risk to the environment of greenhouse gases, and it is clear that all those leaders will publicly espouse the cause. Poorer countries will call upon the ‘developed world’ to take action to reduce emissions from industry and household activity whilst the response will be that those in less developed countries will need to introduce more efficient ways of handling their waste. Every country will pay lip service to the concept of change and then many will return to their countries where voters will continue to demand ever increasing standards of living whilst industrial and financial interests will ‘lean on’ those politicians who need support to stay in power. The one encouraging sign is that despite the size and power of the oil companies and despite the drop in the barrel price of crude, much is being done to find new and sustainable sources of power.

provide a battleground for their anti-Russian aggression. However, there is no way the EU democracies can hope to emerge other than as a glass-strewn parking lot much as the US left Germany in 1945. Some Europeans hold vivid recollections of the British and US incineration of Europe during the latter half of the 1940s. The Spanish have a maxim: ‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.’ European reconstruction, peace and security lie in good relations based on trade with Russia and the CIS. Russia is by far the world’s largest country. The economy is based on huge natural resources upon which the world depends. It is going to have a solid future. Russia spans two continents and is within swimming distance of the Now we American continent. want to The far smaller petrodollar-dehear your views. pendent US is a busted flush, he nc e t he about t ur n now YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE taking place in the faux par- YOUR OPINION liaments of Western Europe’s www.euroweeklynews.com democracies.

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Is weight loss surgery really the best option?

HEALTH BEAUTY

Ask The Doctor

Brought to you by Helicopteros Sanitarios.

Obesity issue

FitFoxy

Looking Good, Staying Trim

WE live in an age where many of us are managing our waistlines. Let’s face it, we are a far cry from the days of our great grandparents, when food was rationed and stew made from leftovers was a treat. It wasn’t going to take long for food companies to exploit the fact humans love to eat, and what was once deemed a physical necessity to stay alive has now become a full-time leisure pursuit. Count how many different cafes and restaurants there are on the high street. Is it any wonder food for many has become an obsession? So what can you do? First option: The Gastric Band This is an operation costing around €3,600, in which a silicone band is fitted to shrink the stomach, or alternatively a gastric bypass, in which a small pouch is created at the top of the stomach and connects to the small intestine, bypassing the rest of the stomach and bowel. You simply cannot eat anywhere near the volume of food that you were before as your stomach cannot cope. The ability to only be able to eat small portions of food will certainly reduce your appetite. The problem with option A is it will not solve any emotional problems you

SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte.

SURGERY: Will not fix the mind. have with food. I had a client that was fitted with a gastric band but she was still heavily overweight. She told me she still had huge cravings and knew how to cheat, by liquidising Mars bars, etc. People have also been known to suffer with depression due to the effects it has on relationships and lifestyle. The better option: Nutritional Therapy This would consist of several sessions

with a qualified practitioner to help identify when, where and why you formed a habit of over or obsessive eating. Human beings are emotional creatures and many things affect us in ways that form habits we would prefer not to have. Weight loss surgery appears to be the easiest option to combat obesity, but is it really? From my experience nothing will work unless the client has the ability to fix their mind, as well as their body.

THIS week we’ve asked the doctor about obesity, which has been said to be the plague of modern times. ventable cardiovascular risk What is obesity? and it has virtually become Obesity is a chronic illthe epidemic of the 21st ness characterised by an excentury. It is not just an aescessive accumulation of fat thetic problem, it is a real in the body, both on an exhealth risk. ternal level (under the skin) Also, type two diabetes is and an internal level (beusually associated to obesity tween and entering vital orand almost all patients with gans). This causes an inthis type of diabetes are crease in bodyweight and obese. volume which affects peoWhat can I do to conples’ lives. trol obesity then? What’s the difference There are various differbetween being overweight ence causes but most are and being obese? down to an imbalance beThere are different levels tween the amount of energy of excess fat and obesity. we put into our bodies (what The easiest way to differwe eat) and how much we entiate and classify the use each day (the base problem is known as the amount of energy needed to corporal mass index, which keep us alive, physical acis calculated by dividing tivity, intellectual activity weight by the square of etc). Therefore the best way height in metres. to control obesity and lose If this gives a number beweight is to reduce the enertween 25 and 29.9 then the gy going in (by following a person is overweight, if the balanced, low calorie diet) result is more than 30 they and increase the amount are considered obese. used with moderate, daily Is obesity dangerous? exercise. Why? There are many safe, efObesity is considered to fective types of diet that can be a major cardiovascular help obese people to control risk, meaning people with their weight. Also these obesity are more likely to days there are treatments have heart attacks, strokes, that can help lose weight etc. and even surgery for exToday it is considered as treme cases. the most frequent preThe Coast’s Home GP service - wherever you are - at home - in the office - in the car - on the golf course your GP will get to see you any time, anywhere. A priceless service at an affordable price.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

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EWN

Boosting your brain power is now more important than ever QUICK tips to help ward off dementia and Alzheimer’s TAKE CARE: There are some simple ways you can improve brain health and stay more alert.

By Gemma Quinn

WORLDWIDE, 47.5 million people suffer from dementia, with the World Health Organisation saying each year there are 7.7 million new cases diagnosed. With dementia and Alzheimer’s disease now some of the leading killers, taking care of our brains is more important than ever. But what can you do to improve brain health and be more alert? Avoid medication Overuse of taking over the counter and prescription drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, asthma medication and steroids, can deplete stores of B vitamins, which are essential for boosting mood and energy. Have house plants These are an easy and effective way

Cot bumpers pose risk to babies THERE are calls for cot bumpers to be banned for the safety of babies after they were linked to infant deaths. A study published in the Jour na l o f P a e d i a t ri cs , found that 48 infant deaths betwee n 1 9 8 5 a n d 2 0 1 2 were specifically linked to cot bumpers, and an additional 146 babies were involved in accidents where they nearly choked, suffocated or were strangled by the bumpers. As a result, experts are now calling for them to be

b an n e d . T h e p a d d e d bumpers are widely available and are tied to the inside of cots to stop babies from getting their limbs stuck between the railings, but in the study, it found that of all items inside a cot, such as blankets, pillows and cuddly toys, the cot bumper was the most lik ely to c a u s e in fan t death, potentially by suffocation and strangulation. The UK’s NHS has also s a id th e y d o n o t rec o mmend cot bumpers, warning parents that their baby

to purify the air in your home and are known to have soothing and calming properties. No electronics at night Bodies and brains are programmed to sleep at night. When it’s dark the pineal gland releases more melatonin to signal that it’s time to wind down. When it’s light the pineal gland slows down melatonin production, signalling that it’s time to wake up. With electronic devices, they emit a blue light which slows the melatonin production and triggers the production of a hormone that keeps you awake. This leaves bodies no longer knowing when to produce melatonin as they no longer know when they are sup-

Warning against buying sperm online THE Spanish Fertility Society (SEF) has warned about the risks of buying sperm on the internet for self-insemination. Dr Rocio Nuñez, coordinator of the Interest Group on Ethics and Good Clinical Practice, said of home sperm banks: “They threaten the Spanish rules of assisted reproduction and deprive patients of the essential health guarantees to undergo assisted reproduction.” Among the necessary guarantees to be followed

by a treatment of assisted reproduction are medical management, assessment of semen quality before insemination and the existence of liability insurance in case of damage. In addition, Dr Nuñez indicated such sites are illegal in Spain because they violate the condition of anonymity guaranteed in Spanish legislation. The Spanish Fertility Society is working in collaboration with other associations to end this practice.

posed to be asleep. Meditate Meditation not only helps you feel at peace but practising for 12 minutes a day improves focus and memory. Maintain sugar levels For the brain to work properly sustain blood sugar levels to keep brain chemistry balanced. Increased blood sugar levels can lead to type two diabetes, which can lead to Alzheimer’s. Stimulate the brain Like other parts of your body, the brain needs exercising. Try new activities that stimulate and improve your brain function. Eat more omega three Eating healthy fats, such as omega three fatty acids, can help preserve the health of your brain. They are known to prevent inflammation, the key to preserving cognitive function and warding off depression and anxiety.

E W N Mallorca

3 - 9 December 2015

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OCIAL CENE

Advertising feature BONNIE HAN is owner of not just one, but three busy restaurants in Mallorca. The latest venture is Thairiffic, a modern Asian bistro in Portals Nous. She opened there a little more than a month ago and already has regular customers returning for home-made, healthy Asian cooking. “We grow some of our own vegetables, all our own herbs and of course our own chillis,” explains Bonnie. “I love to cook and I’m not afraid to be different, always using good quality ingredients, trying to include as many organic vegetables as possible in what we serve.” The Thairiffic offers a selection of dairy and gluten free dishes along with a varied vegetarian selection too. One doesn’t have to leave the comfort of one’s home either as there’s a home delivery service with the Thai Me home menu. Deliveries can be made up to a 10km radius, from 5pm till 8pm, with a minimum order of 20€. No time to stick around, well then Thai Me Up is the take away service, call through with your order and come pick it up at your convenience. All the dishes are delicious, boasts Bonnie, and the Thai green chicken curry is one of the customer

Tiger Foods offers lion’s share of the food chain! THREE fantastic restaurants to choose from

THAIRIFFIC: Healthy, home-made Asian cuisine.

favourites. “Another favourite is the Chilli Beef pad thai,” says Bonnie. “It’s pretty awesome and comes served with al dente noodles and our special sauce wok-tossed with beef fillet.” The other two restaurants are in Palma: Appetite Palma is popular on weekends for Santa Catalina’s trendy lovers of brunch, and Churrasco specialises in Brazilian style food with cocktails to samba for! “Not only do we do great food,” says Bonnie, “but we can serve you in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese, Arabic and Russian too! We have many staff from all over the world so you’ll never be lost for words at Tiger Foods!” Thairriffic Modern Asian Bistro 1230 to 2030, Thursday to Monday Takeaways & Home Deliveries

971 415 340 Ctra. Palma-Andratx 30, Portals Nous 07181 Reservations 666 101 643 Like them on Facebook “Thairiffic” Appetite Palma Café Bistro 7.30pm till late, Wednesday to Monday Weekend brunch from 12.30 till 3.30pm C/San Magin 68, Sta Catalina, Palma 07015 Like them on Facebook “Appetite Palma” Churrasco Brazilian Style BBQ 7.30pm to late, Thursday to Monday C/Industria 12, Palma 07013 Reservations 971 911 491 Like them on Facebook “Churrasco”

SOCIAL SCENE

3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

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COCINA AVENTURA: Health food shop in Binissalem is stocked with goodies.

Sinterklaas comes to Binissalem By Glynis German BINISSALEM will welcome Saint Nicholas tomorrow, Friday 4, in local health food shop, Cocina Aventura. Owner Marÿke Hebbes, originally from Holland, wants to share a tradition that is enjoyed back home and at which children receive their

Christmas presents. For the fifth year, children and parents of Binissalem are enjoying this celebration too! The tradition of Sinterklaas has a connection with Spain because every mid-November, Holland welcomes the saint who arrives by steam boat from Spain. As with the Spanish tradition of Three

Kings celebrated in January, this Dutch festival is celebrated all over Holland. “I love celebrations and there’s none better than Sinterklaas,” claims Marÿke. “The local children love to come to the shop with their shoe in which they’ve placed a carrot or some hay and every year I am amazed at

how well behaved they are and for this they are rewarded.” If you want to join in the festivities, then make sure you come along with your spare shoe with carrot or hay to Cocina Aventura in Binissalem tomorrow, Friday, from 5pm until 8pm. Hot chocolate will be served.

EWN

E W N 3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

Charity fundraiser RAMSHACKLE café in Portals will be supporting the Allen Graham Charity 4 Kidz with a charity day. There will be tasty, home-made cakes and biscuits on sale as well as an auction, bingo and a raffle with some fantastic prizes. Tickets for the raffle are 2€ and the draw will take place on the day - December 8 from 11am till late!

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Action for animals SPECIAL Christmas Raffle

TEMPTING TREATS: Tasty Christmas hampers up for grabs for just 1€ a ticket. VICTORIA’S Animal Refuge in Alcudia is holding its annual Grand Christmas Raffle with lots of fabulous prizes to win including tasty Christmas hampers and tickets are just 1€ each. The draw will take place on Monday December 21 but if you are unable to be there, a list of lucky winners will be posted in the shop. The refuge cares and supports abandoned animals in the

Alcudia area which includes 14 indoor cats, a colony of 35 outdoor cats and around 15 dogs. They are also feeding many more dogs currently in temporary foster homes and don’t forget the horse and pigs they care for too! Victoria and her team have found forever homes for more than 100 dogs this year They have a charity shop in Puerto Alcudia (opposite Lidl)

which raises the much needed funds year round for the refuge. Come and take a look for yourself at the prizes when you buy your tickets and the shop has lots of Christmas cards and decorations for sale, too, as well as the usual bargains in warm sweaters, cosy jackets and glittery party clothes. Victoria’s Animal Refuge Carretera Arta 38, 07410,

SOCIAL SCENE

Britten brings season to life SINGERS Fiona StuartWilson, Cristina Van Roy and Waltraud Mucher will perform Benjamin Britten's masterpiece ‘A Ceremony of Carols’ accompanied by the harpist Tamara Heideveld. There will be just two concerts this year and they will also sing traditional carols. The concerts will take place on December 12 in Palma at the Sant Felip Negri church and on December 13 in Sóller at the Convent of Sacred Hearts. Both concerts begin at 8pm and tickets (15€) are available on the door from 7.30pm. More information and reservations can be made by calling 971 633 370.

SOCIAL SCENE

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New Lace networking lunch NETWORKING group, New Lace, will meet today Thursday for lunch at the OD Portals Hotel. The group, created by Susan Worthington, is for foreign residents to meet, exchange, support and celebrate all that they do. The opportunity is also provided via a hot spot in which a speaker has five minutes to make an announcement, talk about their busi-

IN GOOD VOICE: Carol singers get ready for the sing-along.

Carol singing for local charities LOCAL freight forwarding company Complete Marine Freight won’t forget those less fortunate this year. They have organised a Christmas carol sing-along on Thursday December 10 at 6.30pm in the port at STP in Palma. As they do every year, they will gather with customers and friends and enjoy mulled wine and

mince pies whilst collecting for a worthy cause. Everyone is welcome to come and join in the Christmas cheer and bring their donations of milk, toys and nappies for babies and children on the island. The charities who will benefit this year are Mediterranea run by Doctor Stoma and Ondine run by Brad Robertson.

ness or launch an appeal. Guests are also invited to bring a gift as resident Carol Gamble is collecting 200 presents for the elderly in Mallorca’s care homes. Gifts like slippers, hats, gloves, sweets or biscuits would be well received. “I thought we could a spread a little Christmas magic whilst we are enjoying ourselves at the same time,” said Susan.

E W N 3 - 9 December / Mallorca

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FEATURE

Not every apple is created equal Flickr thanks to Kelly Garbato

HEALTHY foods are not entirely nutritious and should be carefully selected to take care of our health Vicki McLeod

Family Matters I dislike the phrase "health kick". It suggests that it will be over in a flash, probably after taking someone out at the knees and landing on their bottom. It's not a good image. I prefer the phrase "lifestyle change" which is more appropriate, sounds more serious and more, you know, grown up. We've (I say we, I mean "I") been reading a lot about different types of diets: low fat, low calorie, Paleo, 80/20, Cabbage Soup, the White Food Diet, you name it they're out there. They all claim they are THE diet to make the difference. Following research from Israeli scientists it turns out that it's not a "One Size Fits All" approach to diet that will work: your body may well respond differently to your partner's because of different responses to a food's Glycemic Index. But measuring your responses to your food may be a step too far for most of us, you'd need to ask a scientist to move in for a start,

TIP: An apple a day might not actually keep the doctor away. but there are other things we can do to improve the healthiness of how and what we are eating. I am one of those people who buys her veggies with every good intention to "do something with them" and then at the end of the

week have to throw them out to replace them with a new version of the same thing, what a waste. According to Mallorca's own Mister Eco, Jerry Whitehouse, not every vegetable is created equal as with modern farming

methods there are plenty of your five a day that are coming with added ingredients you donâ€™t want. Spinach, kale, lettuce and leafy greens have been found to be contaminated with insecticides that are toxic to the nervous sys-

tem. Potatoes are the vegetable which has the most pesticides used on it by far but even the humble cucumber will have had 86 different pesticides used on it whilst celery will have seen 60 pesticides. 98 percent of peaches and 97 per cent of nectarines tested positive for at least one pesticide residue strawberries are covered in a fungicidal spray, and cherries (which I eat like sweets in the summer, much to my dismay), pears and grapes (imported) are all fruits to give a serious swerve to as well. Apparently you should also be checking out your humble raisin as well, as just like the grapes they come from they can have traces of 15 different pesticides on them. And don't even get me started on apples. The good news is that you can source organic products locally very easily, and cost effectively, which supports both your health and the economic health of the island and you can even get them delivered to your door! Check out www.mistereco.es for more information about organic food in Mallorca, we are the potato capital of Europe, but that's a whole other story.

HOMES GARDENS

3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

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Don’t throw away those Christmas season plastic soft drink bottles IF you produce too many cuttings, the excess can be passed on to friends and neighbours Dick Handscombe

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

DURING the next three months there will be plenty of opportunities for taking cuttings to propagate new plants to extend your plantings and fill in gaps. Unfortunately most plant pots kept from purchased plants and those available for sale in garden and horticultural centres are shallow and do not allow deep roots to be developed. This is a great pity as probably a new plant with 20 centimetre deep roots will be twice as easy to establish in the garden than one with only 12 centimetre long roots. The simple solution is to retain all 1.5 litre and five and seven litre water and soft drink plastic bottles and use them as deep plant pots. If the top is cut to leave a hinge, rather than being totally cut off, one can use this as a cloche over your cutting which will protect it during the winter. Plant individual cuttings in

PLASTIC BOTTLES: One can use the partially cut top as a cloche to protect your plants during winter. 1.5 litre bottles and up to six in the larger bottles. If possible over winter place the planted up cuttings in a greenhouse or cold frame. The mini versions sold most Springs by Lidl stores are useful in this respect. We also noticed the new Aki store on the Ondara Commercial centre site sells inexpensive green houses. On a smaller scale, one can cut off the

base of plastic bottles and invert them over plant cuttings in a same diameter bottle. Fix with tape and you have a mini greenhouse with a constant moisture level. These can be kept at the back of a frostless greenhouse or on a shelf in a conservatory or greenhouse, or in a cold frame protected with fleece. Wine bottles full of water

are also useful for raising cuttings from Oleanders and Bignonias. If you have never raised plants from cuttings do read Chapter 6.12 in the book ‘Your Garden in Spain - From planning to planting and maintenance.’ This describes, as does also Chapter 4.9 of the book ‘Apartment Gardening Mediterranean Style’ how to

propagate various types of plants from stem, side, root, air, and leaf cuttings. Once you are hooked, propagating becomes an interesting and absorbing hobby for all ages from school children to the aged. Once you have proved you have green fingers, take every opportunity of planting up cuttings from your own garden and those of friends. The result

will be inexpensive strong plants. When we stroll round our garden the majority of plants and mature trees started off as cuttings or seeds, and many of the seeds were collected from our own gardens on our travels around Spain. If you produce too many the excess can be passed on to friends and neighbours still developing new gardens or sold at Gardening Club meetings. To improve your success rate obtain a pot of hormone powder to dip the end of cutting in before planting. Unfortunately some cuttings can be prone to rotting off especially during winter months so spray the surface of the compost with a mild fungicide. By the way a great advantage of plastic bottles is you can write the name of the plant being propagated on the outside of the bottle with a waterproof felt pen. Happy propagating next year! (c) Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com. December 2015.

E W N 3 - 9 December 2015 /Mallorca

Some things in Spain just wind me up! Mike Senker

In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man I HAVE to start this by saying I love living in Spain. I’ve been here for 11 years now and a regular visitor for 35 years before that. But there are some things that just wind me up and that I don’t understand. Let’s start with pedestrian crossings on roundabouts. As we all know it’s a life threating event navigating the darn things as it is, as nobody would ever dream of giving way. In fact it’s time for most to accelerate at you! So what do they do to help? Yup, stick a pedestrian crossing right on the exit so you have to stand on your brakes as the pedestrian strides out in front of you in a total act of challenge and defiance. They never even notice you have a car hurtling up behind and your front wheels are already on the crossing. Then there is the act of trying to join the main road via its 12 inch slip road. You try and edge out and jockey for position but of course no one will slow down to let you out.

However, Lewis Hamilton behind has decided there is enough space to overtake and pulls out in front of you just to prove how macho he is and fears nothing in his probably uninsured heap. Red tape and rules could drive you nuts. How about the paying of bills? You know the ones you have to pay at a certain bank on a certain day between certain hours. Whoever heard of anything so daft? And get there five minutes late, not a chance! Come back next week...oh but not that date because it is a bank holiday that day on that side of the street! Mrs S goes to the post office, not a person in there and one counter open. So up she strides and goes to speak to the lady behind the counter who looks up and says ‘you have to take a ticket’. ‘Are you joking? There is no one here except you and me?’ ‘You have to take a ticket.’ So off she goes and gets her ticket, sits down and as her bum hits the seat her number lights up and she now gets served by Señora Jobsworth. My list is actually much longer but I’ve used up my word allocation for this week so I might add more soon and, by the way, I never realised how grumpy I was!!

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OPINION & COMMENT

LEGALLY SPEAKING

Breakdowns are on the increase 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.

BREAKDOWNS INCREASE: Indicative of a worrying lack of maintenance of vehicles. ACCORDING to the Real Automovil Club de España (RACE), breakdowns have increased by 8.4 per cent in the last two months, with more than 104,000 vehicles assisted during September and October. RACE believe that the upward trend is indicative of a worrying lack of maintenance of vehicles, stressing the importance of properly maintained vehicles at all times, especially during the winter months. During September and October the RACE attended 23,640 flat batteries, an increase of 2 per cent, 10,276 tyre related incidents, an increase of 13.2 per cent, and 4,889 engine problems, an increase of 2.5 per cent. To reduce potential problems a regular check of the battery, tyres, liquid levels and windscreen and lights is recommended. Indicating Whether you call it signalling, using the

indicators, turning on the blinkers, or something else, letting other road users know what you’re doing is an essential part of road safety. Signals warn and inform other road users, including pedestrians, of your intended actions. You should always: Use them to advise other road users before changing course or direction, stopping or moving off. Cancel them after use. Give clear signals in plenty of time, having checked it is not misleading to signal at that time. If you want to stop after a side road, do not signal until you are passing the road. If you signal earlier it may give the impression you intend to turn into the road. Your brake lights will warn traffic behind you that you are slowing down. Use an arm signal to emphasise or reinforce your signal if necessary. Remember that signalling does not give you priority.

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

Neighbour’s video cameras My neighbour has installed five long-range wide-focus cameras that video and record over almost half of my property, as well as public roads. He can see everyone that calls to my property and the areas around

No, he is not allowed. Spain has strict regulations about the use of security cameras. They are limited to the owner’s property and a minimum of its surroundings. You can report him to the

my garden and pool. Is he allowed to do this? I feel very stressed to know that he is watching me and my family. What can I do about it?

David Searl You and the Law in Spain

Data Protection Agency. If your neighbour has

G.A. (Costa Blanca)

cameras that view the public way, he should be registered with the Agency. If he is not, he could be fined. Visit the Agency’s website www.agpd.es, or call 901 100 099 and 912 663 517 for more information.

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

PROPERTY www.euroweeklynews.com

3 - 9 December 2015

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Mallorca

SURVEY reveals that Spaniards must put aside 32.55 per cent of their monthly salary

BUYING SPANISH PROPERTY: It is easier for many foreign buyers than native Spanish.

SPANIARDS need to spend up to four yearsâ€™ worth of wages more than other Europeans if they want to purchase their own homes. At least this is the data revealed in a study carried out by real estate website Pisos.com, r e v o l v in g around t h e c o m p a r a tiv e ability of Spaniards and

foreigners to purchase property within Spain. The findings indicate that Spaniards must put aside 3 2 . 5 5 p e r ce n t o f th eir monthly salary in order to buy a home, while foreigners w h o b u y a h o me i n S p a in o n ly n ee d to p ay 22.68 per cent. A c c o rd in g to th e R ea l Estate Statistic Registry, of the houses sold in Spain in

V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E W W W . E U R O W E E K LY N E W S . C O M

Spanish buyers must raise large amounts of money to buy homes

By Sam Croft

EWN

the last quarter, 13.52 per cent were the result of foreign demand. Of all of those, the British are those responsible for the most purchases, 32.12 per cent of the total. British, Danish, Dutch, Belgian, Swiss, German, Irish, French and Italian buye rs a ll ha ve it e a s ie r tha n Spa nia rds w he n it c ome s to buying a home

due to differences in salary, whereas Poles, Russians, and Bulgarians have to allocate an even greater perc e nta ge of the ir s a la rie s than Spaniards when attempting to acquire property within Spain. As of 2010, there were more than 6 million foreign born re s ide nts in Spa in, c orre s ponding to 14 pe r cent of the total population.

Spaniards live in flats, Brits live in houses THE vast majority of Spanish citizens live in apartments (66.5 per cent), over single family homes (33.1 per cent), thus making them the leading flat-owners in all of Europe. However, residents of other European countries tend to opt for houses (59.3 per cent) over flats (40 per cent). UK (84.7 per cent), Croatia (80.8 per cent), Belgium (77.6 per cent), and Holland (77.1 per cent) lead the rankings when it comes to single family homes, according to Eurostat data. Of the citizens polled, 70.1 per cent of Europeans are home owners ahead of 29.9 per cent who rent. There are countries where home ownership is the clear choice among citizens. The countries of Eastern Europe are the ones with the most home owners: Romania (96.1 per cent), Slovakia (90.3 per cent), Lithuania (89.9 per cent), Croatia (89.7 per cent) and Hungary (89.1 per cent) are all ahead of Spain, where 78.8 per cent of residents own homes.

E W N 3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

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PROPERTY

Building to start again in earnest Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock.com

RECENT STUDY: Claims building will soon start again. IN Spain there are about 389,000 new empty homes, according to a new report by Tinsa real estate assessment company. The study revealed that since 2008, when the property bubble burst, 1.56 million new builds have been completed but 24.9 per cent of them remain empty. Tinsa has forecast that they will take an average

of two and a half years to sell, meaning they will not be filled until 2018. Although at a slower rate than in the past, construction continued during the critical years, leading to excess remaining empty particularly across Madrid, Valencia, Murcia, Barcelona and Alicante. Yet at the rate property is currently selling, the assess-

ment company has reported that it will soon be time to start building again in earnest in Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Granada, Gerona, Oviedo, Santander, Vigo, Pontevedra, San Sebastian, Gijon and Aviles, bearing in mind complexes take at least two years to build there is likely to be high demand by the time they are finished.

EXCESS PROPERTY: Emphasis being put on selling property.

Banks shift surpluses SPANISH banks are in possession of a huge amount of excess property. The group International Finance Analysts (Analistas Financerios Internationales â€“ AFI), claims that the banks own property worth an estimated â‚Ź90 billion. Due to the surplus, increased needs to find profits in a low interest-rate climate and imminent arrival of new regulations have led Spainâ€™s largest six banks to change their strategy. Rather than concentrating on helping devel-

opers they have provided with financing to sell their property, banks are placing priority on moving their stock of repossessed homes. In fact, over the first nine months of this year, Santander, BBVA, Popular, Bankia, Caixabank and Sabadel have between them shifted more than 40,000 properties, meaning they have sold 300,000 since 2012. Although last year the six banks aided the sale of 68,000 homes, this year their strategy has been to sell less for developers and move their own properties to ensure more profits.

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We no longer shout and punish our pets Funny pet photo competition – sponsored by HouseSitMatch.com

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

To find a pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on +44 (0)1865 521508 HAVING been involved with dogs for over 60 years, I learned many years ago like in any other industry there is a word called ‘progress’. A dog is not a wolf in disguise. I used to use pinch collars, choke chains, write and teach about the ‘alpha’ in the pack. I wish I could destroy my past four books. Much progress has been made in the ‘canine world’. We no longer shout and punish our pets. No point in rubbing a dog’s face in pee or poo and saying ‘he knows he did wrong’. No, he does not know he did wrong he only understood you were being aggressive and you were breaking down your relationship with your pet. Some of my articles relating to dogs and packs on my website www.thedogman.net go back 25 years, and are being rewritten. Dogs are not pack animals! It has been proven that many of their genes are not that of a pack animal. There are no pack rules, we raise dogs as we raise children. We do not use the word pack, as a group of dogs is a collection, there is no hierarchy. What happened to the word alpha? For

PROGRESS: A dog is not a wolf in disguise.

many years books and articles about wolves have mentioned the alpha male and alpha female or the alpha pair. Rather than viewing a wolf pack as a group of animals organised with a ‘top dog’ that fought its way to the top, or a male-female pair of such aggressive wolves, science has come to understand that most wolf packs are family groups formed exactly the same way as human families are formed. That is, maturing male and female wolves from different packs disperse, travel

around until they find each other and an area vacant of other wolves but with adequate prey, court, mate, and produce their own litter of pups. When one puts a random group of any species together artificially, these animals will naturally compete with each other and eventually form a type of dominance hierarchy. In such cases, it is appropriate to refer to the top-ranking individuals as alphas, implying that they competed and fought to gain their position.

House-train your puppy TRAINING your puppy doesn’t have to be a tough, messy ordeal, it can be pretty easy with a simple system. Always be consistent and follow the same schedule to instil a routine. Teach your dog how to live in isolation so they don’t panic and wreak havoc when you leave the house. Schedule potty breaks evenly to create a pattern they will follow independently in adulthood. Clean any mess instantly so that your puppy never associates inside with dirtiness. Finally remain calm and composed when any inevitable mistakes happen to prevent aggressive behaviour.

SIMPLE STEPS: Training doesn’t have to be tough.

EURO WEEKLY NEWS and HouseSitMatch are co-sponsoring a Funny Pet Photo competition. Evidence of our love affair with animals goes back to the earliest human records. Cavemen scratched images of wildlife on cave walls, no doubt in an attempt to record the beauty of the creatures. Today we enjoy hours of fun through the gestures and movements of our own pets. If you have recorded your pet’s antics in photos and want to share them with us, enter our ‘Funny Pet Photo competition’. You could win a free membership of HouseSitMatch.com securing free pet care for a whole year! What is HouseSitMatch? HouseSitMatch.com is a network for where home and petowners meet sitters online.

It is a managed network where if you need support we can help you find a suitable match. Or if you prefer to find your own sitter you can access the public profiles of other members and connect with them to arrange free care for your home and pets while you are away from home. How do I enter the competition? Send us your funny pet photo and email address and we will enter you into our competition. First 10 entrants get a free annual membership to HouseSit Match.com as either a homeowner or a house-sitter saving you £35 per year to join the network, and the winner gets their photo printed in the Euro Weekly News newspaper! Send your funny pet photo to admin@housesitmatch.com.

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3 - 9 December 2015

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UK drivers comfortable with fraud A STUDY into motor insurance fraud has found that over a third of insured motorists have no qualms with omitting or adjusting data to reduce their premiums. The study suggests that the scale of application fraud is much higher than the 212,000 cases recorded annually.

Irish car of the year revealed A CEREMONY for the 39th Irish Car of the Year Award announced the Ford Mondeo as the winner in Dublin. With criteria including design, comfort, economy, handling and performance, the car came ahead of the Volvo XC90 to take the top spot.

Clarkson Quote of theWeek

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Every year, the world’s Golf GTI enthusiasts congregate in a field in Austria, and they talk about fuel injection and wear jumpers with ‘GTI’ on them. Frankly I’d rather blow-torch my nipples off.”

Some might say...

Praga returns with a vengeance AVOIDED spotlight for 68 years AFTER auspiciously avoiding the spotlight for 68 years, Czech manufacturer Praga has announced plans for a limited edition release of the super-sport road car Praga R1R in 2016. Founded in 1907, the company quickly diversified into motorcycles, engines and gearboxes before its chief factory was heavily bombed during WWII. The R1R will be the first road model released since 1947, anticipated as a commemorative model rather than a step back into the fray.

So what does over a half century lay off bring to the contemporary landscape? The lightweight model comes in at just 670kg, with a power to weight ratio of over 575bhp/tonne enabling it to hit 0-62mph in under three seconds. It is carbon constructed and uses a 390bhp Formula Renault 2.0-litre engine enhanced by in-house turbo and electronics. Forced induction allows for plenty of torque while a sixspeed auto box offers an excellent power flow. The twoseater cabin optimises space

through offset controls and a roof mounted switchgear The design features front and rear mounted crash boxes and a carbon composite monocoque to deliver safety technology matched only in Formula one. It is in effect a

double seater race car adapted for the roads and has a generated down force that exceeds its weight, so can theoretically turn corners upside down. Marking the time since Pra-

R1R: First road model released since 1947.

ga last hit the roads, 68 custom-modified editions will be on sale coming in at a reasonable £140,000 (€199,000).

Formula 1 is slowing down By Matthew Elliott

AFTER this year’s Malaysian Grand Prix, winner Fernando Alonso claimed: “The winner of Malaysia this year would have been lapped six times by the winner in 2006.” A strange and bold claim, given that technology typically enhances the speed and accuracy of a given product, but a cursory glance over timesheets confirms his suspicions. Winners in the Monaco, Canadian and Japanese Grand Prix in 2005 edged out 2015 winners by seconds. In 10 years at the Suzuka track, winning times have slowed by almost five seconds with Kimi Raikkonen scoring course record 1’31.540 in 2005 and Lewis Hamilton managing 1’36.145 earlier this year. Today’s vehicles are certainly more technologically advanced, but the chief difference between now and then is the focus of new engineering promise. Fuel efficiency, ease of use and getting around ever-growing regulations are now top priorities for engineers. Track safety should always be a concern but as David Coultard said: “The current era of F1 should always be pretty much the fastest period of the sport in history.” With F1 selling itself as the epitome of racing the FIA has stepped in and to announce plans to make cars ‘five to six seconds a lap faster’ by 2017.

E W N 3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

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Photo Credit Dirk Vorderstrasse Wikimedia

BOATS

Snow in Europe br of interest in Mall

EASYBOATS, a Mallorca based company, has already re By John Smith

CONFIRMATION: Owner confirmed when the boat arrived at the Marina at Puerto Portals.

Stolen boat is found by the Guardia Civil ACCORDING to a press release issued on December 2 , G u a r d i a C i v i l o ff i c e r s sighted a boat said to be worth €60,000, that was reported stolen from its mooring in Illetes on November 10. It was discovered by the officers off the

coast of Calvia. A 4 8 - y e a r- o l d G e r m a n man has been arrested in connection with the theft as when he was questioned not only was he unable to show any documents concerning the vessel, but he also could not explain his presence on board or the fact that that the ignition had

Man overboard near Mahon ON Sunday November 29, a 55-year-old Frenchman fell overboard from the 11 metre lo n g y a c h t St o rmy Weather, about 35 nautical miles north of Menorca. The yacht was sailing from Toulon to Mahon en route to the French Antilles with two men on board. The alarm was raised by

th e 6 1 -y ea r-o ld o w n er of the vessel, who was himself injured and had to be evacuate d to th e M ate u O rf ila hospital in Mahon. The search for the missing man continued the next day with rescue ships and helicopters from both Menorca and Mallorca participating.

A supercar for a Superyacht BRITISH niche motor company BAC has announced that it is producing a special car to accompany the latest superyachts. At a price of £500,000 (€700,000) it can be produced to order so that the colour of the car matches the interior and colour of the vessel. The special, single seat car is able to reach 60mph in 2.8 seconds, with an anti-rust coating, special chassis lifting point and a superior environmental control system, this really is the perfect gift for the superyacht owner who has everything.

been ‘hot-wired’. Somebody had appeared to try to remove the name of the boat but there was sufficient lettering left for the Guardia Civil to recognise the name, and to contact the owner of the stolen vessel who confirmed when it arrived in Puerto Portals that it was indeed his.

RIVA VIRTUS 63: Perfect boat for a day charter. skippered sailing yacht and a request for a 46-metre yacht to

sleep eight. It’s a very encouraging situation to be in so early.”

US guided missile destroyer visits Palma for a three day stay THE USS Gravely is part of Carrier Strike Group Two Photo Credit Tiffini Jones Vanderwyst Wikimedia

By John Smith

ACCORDING to Mallorcabased easyboats, the snow and icy winds making their way across Europe, has resulted in them receiving a large number of yacht charter enquiries for summer 2016. Lorenzo Vila, Director of 26year-established easyboats, commented: “As soon as the mercury dropped, our enquiry levels went up, and we’re already processing payments for yacht charters taking place in 2016. Most interest is coming from the UK. We’re also seeing a continuation of various postrecession trends, namely clients getting younger, budgets getting larger, and size of boat requested getting bigger. “As an example we’ve got an allowance of €30,000 for a

By John Smith THE USS Gravely arrived in the port of Palma de Mallorca on Monday November 30 for a three day stay. The vessel, which was commissioned in 2010, is a guided missile destroyer and is part of Carrier Strike Group Two. Her first deployment overseas was in 2013 when she was sent to patrol in the eastern Mediterranean, where she was also involved in assisting refugees who had got into trouble in waters near Greece. She left her home port in the US as recently as November 16, and will be part of the US Naval presence in the Mediterranean as one of the destroyers escorting the air craft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.

USS GRAVELY: First deployment overseas was in 2013 when she was sent to the Mediterrenean.

BOATS

3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

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EWN

Optimists visit Palma rings flurry lorca By John Smith

eceived a large number of enquiries

Photo Credit jakez29120 Wikimedia

The company’s observation agrees

Franck Gammas

with a recently-released report on Spain’s yacht charter market from a Barcelona-based broker. It too cited an ever-younger clientele, a demand for larger boats and the rise in day or ‘flexi’ charter over a traditional week-long booking. It also highlighted Mallorca as the number one Spanish charter destination thanks to excellent water quality, climate and variety of anchorages, albeit a little more expensive. For those who believe waiting for a last-minute booking will result in a better deal, Lorenzo has a word of warning. “This is the first season since 2009 where we have seen a significant rush of early bookings. Back then, far from reducing prices last minute, we were running out of quality boats.”

ORGANISED by the Real Club Nautico de Palma (RCNP), the Trofeo Ciutat de Palma takes places from December 5 to 8 and has attracted no less than 341 sailors with their optimist class boats, all hoping to be successful and that the wind is kind to them. This number of contestants is near to the very highest number that the organisers could have expected which was set at 360, and although there are 211 Spanish participants, sailors from 10 other countries including no less than 60 from Germany are also taking part. At 65 years old, the annual regatta boasts that it is the oldest of its kind in M a llorc a a nd a ttra c ts s ome of the world’s best sailors in the various optimist classes. Ita lia n fe ma le c ompe titor G a ia B e rgonz ini, runne r up in the 2015 World Championships seems to be the favourite, although Spanish sailors from Barcelona and Mallorca intend to give her a hard challenge. The optimist boats are for single sailors and come in a number of different classes which cater beginners in the ir e a rly te e ns to ha rde ne d a dult

Photo Credit Quinvo Wikimedia

THE Trofeo Ciutat de Palma takes place from December 5 to 8

COMPETITION: Has attracted no less than 341 sailors. sailors, but other classes including La s e rs w ill a ls o par t i ci pat e i n t hi s event.

The announcement of results and the awards ceremony will be held on December 8, the closing day.

French sailor badly injured in accident WELL respected French sailor Franck Cammas, leader of the French Americas Cup challenge in 2017, was badly injured when he fell off a racing catamaran which he was steering in the Bay of Quiberon, Brittany on December 1. “In a wind of around twenty knots, and while he

was at the helm, Cammas went overboard and struck in the right leg by the rudder, while the catamaran was travelling at full speed,” said his team in a statement. He was immediately evacuated by a safety boat and then airlifted to a hospital in Nantes where he was operated on for a double fracture of the tibia and fibula. This means that he will certainly be unable to partici-

p a t e i n n e x t y e a r ’s O l y m p i c Games in Rio due to the length of time required for recovery, and the upcoming deadline for qualification. Forty-two-year-old Cammas will have to be satisfied with the fact that he has every chance of still participating in the challenge for the 35th Americas Cup competition, which is due to be held in Bermuda in 2017.

E W N 3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

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OPINION & COMMENT

It’s election time eleven years on A woman’s world

Cassandra Nash A weekly look - and not entirely impartial reaction to the Spanish political scene

IT was never fair to say that Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero won the 2004 election because of the Madrid bombings on March 11. He won it because Aznar’s government insisted the bombs were from ETA. The Spanish felt they had already been lied to and manipulated over joining Bush and Blair in Iraq, the 11-M bombs were the last straw. In the wake of the Paris massacre on November 13, Mariano Rajoy has postponed any decision over relieving the French troops in Mali until after the elections on December 20. Possibly he is mindful of what happened in 2004 or perhaps he is merely exercising his habitual prudence until he knows if he will still have a job on December 21. But 2015 is not 2004, and what

CHUNTERING has been heard because women head only 34 per cent of the leading parties’ lists of general election candidates. Who cares? Women don’t. They plan to vote for a political party and an ideology, not the gender of its candidates.

not an entirely bad thing. He’s poaching votes, of course, and has fallen prey to the ‘Liquorice Allsorts Syndrome’. Remember how each different type had its own distinctive flavour? These days they all taste the same regardless of shape and size and this could be said of Iglesias, whose views are coming into line with everyone else’s. Trying to please everyone satisfies no one, just like 21st century Liquorice Allsorts.

Cloth ears was pointless and reckless then seems the only possible course of action now.

Same difference ZAPATERO: Won the election in 2004.

PABLO IGLESIAS of Podemos no longer wants a reform of the Spanish Constitution and finally admitted that the Transition was

FIFTY per cent of Catalans now want to remain in Spain and 60 per cent reject their regional parliament’s ‘disconnection’ from Spain. Sixty-four per cent reject independence if this means leaving the European Union. And Artur Mas, who wants to be president of an independent Cataluña, gets no for an answer time after time but still refuses to listen.

E W N 3 - 9 December 2015 / Mallorca

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SPORT

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COURSE: Was thoughfully designed to incirporate seamlessly into the striking landscape. If you need to hire equipment there are clubs, trolleys and golf

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Hearty congratulations to Vardy, Fury, the Murrays and Rosberg ALL winners in their respective sports Tony Matthews International Sports A former player and now the world’s most prolific author of football books with almost 150 published since 1975, Tony is also the sports correspondent for Spectrum Radio and lives on La Pilica in the Sierra Cabrera Mountains overlooking Turre. Costa de Almeria

TENNIS – Great Britain are World champions after beating Belgium to lift the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936. Majestic Andy Murray won

both his singles matches and teamed up with brother, Jamie, to win the doubles. Almost 40,000 fans attended the threeday final and there was great joy for 5,000 Brits in Ghent. Well done to head coach Leon Smith and his team…could it now be Sir Andy? GOAL MACHINES - Last Saturday, Leicester’s Jamie Vardy became the first player to score in eleven consecutive PL games, thus equaling Blackpool’s Stan Mortensen’s

1950-51 feat of netting in 11 successive First Division matches. Only Jimmy Dunne (Sheffield United) is now ahead of Vardy. He holds the all-time record in top flight football, scoring in 12 games in a row in 1931-32. * Gabriel Batistuta (Fiorentina) also scored in 12 consecutive Serie ‘A’ games in 1994-95. BOXING – Despite disrespecting the National Anthem, I congratulate Tyson Fury on outpointing Wladimir Klitschko to become the undisputed WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion of the world. MATCH ACTION – Thirty goals were scored in the Premiership last weekend, the results being: Lowly Aston Villa 2 Watford 3, plucky Bournemouth 3 Everton 3, Crystal Palace 5 awful Newcastle 1, Leicester 1 Manchester United 1, Liverpool

1 Swansea 0, leaders Manchester City 3 Southampton 1, battling Norwich 1 Arsenal 1, gutsy Sunderland 2 ten-man Stoke 0, Tottenham 0 Chelsea 0 and West Ham 1 WBA 1. Brighton beat Birmingham 21 to return to the top of the Championship: Coventry (2-2 with Doncaster) and Oxford (10 winners at Hartlepool) lead Leagues 1 and 2 respectively and Celtic are in charge in the SPL. In Spain’s La Liga, Barcelona whipped Real Sociedad 4-0 to stay four points clear of Atletico Madrid. Real Madrid (2-0 winners at Eibar) are third, six points adrift of the leaders. Bayern Munich are romping away in the German Bundesliga. FORMULA ONE - It was another Mercedes one-two as Nico Rosberg won the final Grand Prix of 2015 in Abu Dhabi. Hamilton was second and Raikkonen third.

short but stimulating test of skill. A full bar is available, so after your game you can relax and enjoy a snack and a drink while taking in the picturesque view and the leisurely atmosphere. Established in 1986, Golf Pollensa was one of the first golf courses on the island and has established a strong and longstanding customer base, offering locals, regulars and walk-in visitors alike, a relaxed ambience and a homely feeling. T h e f r i e n d l y, h e l p f u l s t a ff speak English, Spanish, French and German and are always happy to be of assistance. Specials include the Twilight green fee and Special green fee vouchers. They are open everyday from 8am to 6pm in winter and 7am to 9pm in summer. F o r m o re i n f o r m a t i o n c a l l : 971 533 216. Golf Pollensa, Ctra. Palma-Pollensa, km. 49.3, 07460, Pollensa, Illes Balears E-mail: rec@golfpollensa.com Website: www.golfpollensa.com

MURRAY: Now a Davis cup champion.

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Mallorca

SPORT

3 - 9 December 2015

MATT JONES: Won the Australian Open golf by one shot, beating world number one Jordan Spieth.

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Mallorca’s best guide to local sport

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The Baleares Rugby Report Baleares Senior League. THE postponed match between Shamrock RFC and El Toro RC took place in Son Roca on Saturday. As the appointed referee didn’t turn up the Shamrock coach offered his services. El Toro RC forwards proved to be difficult for the home team to get past but they managed to put points on the scoreboard through penalty kicks, and narrowly led at half time by nine to seven. The second half belonged to El Toro RC who, remembering their defeat at the hands of Shamrock RFC in the last match in Son Roca, came out intending of winning this match. Shamrock RFC suffered from dropped balls and lost opportunities at line-outs with lack of communication between team mates giving the visitors chance to move ahead by scoring tries

and win by 22 points to nine. Bearing in mind Shamrock is a young team with several new players they will be looking to improve as the season progresses and El Toro RC left the ‘tercer tiempo’ with another win. Third leg for U16 teams in the Baleares League. The first match in Son Caliu on Saturday afternoon was the third leg in the U16 Baleares League. In the closely fought match between El Toro RC and RC Ponent the visitors won with a final score of 19 points to 26. The addition to this league of the combined team with players from Bahia RC, Mallorca Bocs, Corsaris RFC and Pollença RC, who, individually, are unable to put a team together to represent each club will give the league some much needed variation.

EL TORO RC: Another win under their belts this season. It will also give more of the younger Baleares players the chance to gain experience in competitive matches.

Veterans Match Following the young hopefuls was the match between El Toro RC Emeri-

tus and the Babarians, the veteran players from other clubs on the island. As always when these two teams meet, the play was competitive although not as fast as the youngster’s. In this meeting the Babarians won but perhaps the most important part of the day for these veteran players is the ‘Tercer tiempo’ after-match session. Coming up during the week The Baleares Girls players will be meeting in Germans de Escala Sports centre on Tuesday December 1 for a training session. Next weekend El Toro RC is at home in Son Caliu to the mixed team of Corsaris / Dimonis, TRUC Menorca is due to play Ibiza RFC and Bahia RC will host Shamrock RFC in S’Arraco. For the U18 and 19s there is a session for the Baleares Selection team.