ISSUE NO. 1590
24 - 30December 2015
MALLORCA
YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
EWN The only one, 6 editions, 52 weeks a year
Balearics broken as expats are excluded
By Glynis German The Balearic Islands are now as split politically as they are physically with each of the four main parties now sending representatives to Madrid. Despite winning a majority in Palma, the PP slid to just 28.1 per cent across Mallorca
while insurgent anti-austerity party Podemos captured 24.78 per cent. Both Podemos and the third-placed Socialist party will send two deputies to Congress while the PP has three and Ciudadanos just one. Mallorcan coalition MĂŠs saw a sizeable section of their support flock to the emergent Podemos, winning just 5.75 per cent
and gaining no representation in the capital. With no party winning a national majority and a doubtlessly long period of tense negotiations and instability on the horizon, one can only wonder what impact a million-strong expat resident vote would have had, and whether a change in voting rights will be a part of the new politics promised.
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LOCAL NEWS
Search continues in Binissalem THE search for 65-year-old Maria Pascual Bibiloni resumed last weekend, with emergency services concentrating once again in the Binissalem area.
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National Police complaints DEMONSTRATION held after four years of empty election promises olares / Shutterstock.com
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Maria disappeared on December 3 after dropping her grandchildren at school. Her abandoned car was found on December 6 in Binissalem.
Missing man found FRANCISCO ORTIZ, 67 years, went missing last week in the Son Ferrer area. Emergency services as well as the canine unit from the Mallorca fire services mount-
ed an extensive search for him. He was found safe and well the following day, having suffered a drop in sugar levels which had caused him to faint.
Reminder NEXT week the Euro Weekly News will be hitting the streets a day early again. It will be out on Wednesday, December 30. Don't forget to pick your copy up!
LACK OF EQUIPMENT: One of the main problems officers complain about. By Glynis German THE Unified Police Union (SUP) representing the Balearic National Police released a statement last week, in which they condemned the difficulties experienced in carrying out their duties. Complaints such as a lack of equipment,
loss of manpower, corruption and lack of transparency formed the backdrop for a subsequent concentration by members. The union called for more equipment claiming that more than 50 per cent of officers do not carry a bullet proof jacket. In light of the recent Paris terrorist attacks, they would be unable to defend
themselves in the event of such an attack. The union shared that worker’s rights were not respected, neither were they happy that promotions and merits were not carried out in a transparent or statutory manner. After four years of empty election promises, the demonstration was held to defend the rights of the National Police.
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Isabel Allende
A Christmas message from the EWN directors A WONDERFUL thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like the British rain, and we all go through it together. This year the EWN family implores you to remember that word. Together. We urge you to help us bring back the true meaning of Christmas - the spirit of giving, not getting. Let us abandon meaningless materialism, rekindle the flame of charity in our hearts, and remember that without community, we can never speak of character. This is why this Christmas, as part of the Euro Weekly News 2016 Giving While Living campaign we will be donating to a wide variety of worthy causes on behalf of you, our readers. We believe that these different charities do such invaluable work in their local communities that through them, together, we can make a lasting difference. We will be kicking off our campaign with a thousand euro donation to the Asociacion de Padres Serrania de Churriana who assist parents of disabled children, working especially hard at this emotional time of year. We will be donating to Make a Smile to help with their invaluable assistance to orphaned and suffering children; MABS, one of the leading charities in Spain dedicated to supporting those with cancer; Sam Bayley who has done incredible work for those with mental health issues; MACS who support and raise funds for medical treatment for people with cancer and related problems; and Palma Pictures who have produced a wonderful short film to help raise money for food-banks. A donation will be made to 3C’s Care Agency, an agency devoted to helping senior members of the community in their time of need. On a personal note we will also provide help to a family in Axarquia, where the children unexpectedly lost their father in February. We stress that all of these charities and endeavours are fully transparent and we know with certainty that any money or goods provided will go straight to those in need. These donations are spread across all six of the areas where EWN is distributed, providing you, the readers, with the only national paper with six local editions written by expats for the expat community. Christmas is the time of year we can be truly human, it is a tonic for the soul, a state of mind. This Christmas we urge you to remember the forgotten, the lonely, the lost, and the hungry. Take round some food for a neighbour you know may be having an especially tough time of it this year. Wake up early and lend a helping hand at one of the many soup kitchens which are the anchors keeping many afloat. Be a friend in need, a shoulder to cry on, a consoling voice amid all the fanfare and noise. Remember that you too have felt the pangs of despair, and that someone close to you will be feeling them now. Remember that we came to Spain because we wanted to do things differently, so let’s be different this Christmas and renew our faith in our community for we are only as strong as the weakest among us. Therefore with all this in mind, we would humbly like to offer our sincerest wishes to all of our readers, and our valued clients, without you none of this would be possible.
A Very Merry Christmas from everyone at the
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INDEX News 1 - 16
Featured News 3
News Desk 18
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New school on parents’ Three Kings wish list PETITION presented when Three Kings’ pages visited town
Russian Press 19
European Press 20
Finance 21 - 26
Stocks 22
Leapy Lee 27
Letters 28
Daily TV 30
Time Out 33 - 36
Health & Beauty 37
Our View 38
Colin Bird 38
Vicki McLeod 39
Social Scene 40 - 43
Property 44 - 45
Legally Speaking 46
Homes & Gardens 47
Classifieds 48 - 49
Pets 50
Boats 51 Motoring 52
Sport 54, 56
ACTION NEEDED: Calls to extend and improve Mestre Colom school in Bunyola.
By Glynis German PARENTS and staff at the Mestre Colom school in Bunyola are chanting together: ‘Ara toca Bunyola. Volem escola nova’ - ‘Now it’s Bunyola’s turn, we want a new school.’ Last weekend, they took advantage of a visit by the Three
Kings’ pages to Bunyola to collect letters from the children, and they presented their own wish list via a petition signed by parents, staff and other interested parties. Their request was not only for a new school building for infant and primary, but also one which will accommodate a secondary school, as at
present those pupils have to attend a high school outside of Bunyola. The original school building was built in 1920 and over the last few decades more space was added to accommodate the village’s growing population. However, these additions have not always been satisfactory
and two of the newer buildings are not even connected to the original. Access is difficult and parents feel that if ever there were an emergency, the limited access would cause greater difficulties. A commission has been set up and over the next months, more action is planned.
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Curtains are still down for theatre THE company responsible for the work stopped it over a year ago by Glynis German LAST Friday Inca Town Council met with Dragados, the company responsible for the reform of the Teatro Principal, to inform them of the decision to revoke the contract and reclaim the €2.5 million of European funds already lost, due to work being stopped by the company over a year ago. The Mayor of Inca, Virgilio Moreno, requested a meeting with the board of the theatre’s foundation, to discuss the €280,000 difference between what the company was paid, and what the council said doesn’t add up. The decision to tackle this issue is due to the legal report being made available, in which the company Dragados is responsible for the works on the theatre being abandoned in November 2014. The foundation will claim for damages against the company and most probably see the case brought before the courts. At such a time, bids will be put out to find a new company to complete the work on the theatre in due course.
Drugs recalled IF you have recently purchased the drug Efferalgan Pediatric oral solution in a 90ml bottle, then the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) has ordered the recall of all units of seven lots of the drug, because of the possibility of the presence of particles. In a pharmaceutical warning, AEMPS ordered the return to the laboratory for all units of the N9475, P2007, P4102, P5130, P8287, R1671 and R4129 batch of this drug, whose active ingredient is acetaminophen, which is used to treat fevers and relieve mild to moderate pain in children.
THEATRE: Council said that the figures don’t add up.
General budget approval for 2016 THE Balearic Parliament has been busy this week with their last task before Christmas, which is to approve the general budgets for next year. The coalition government began deliberations on Monday December, 21 and were expected to finalise details on Wednesday December, 23. The government will manage a budget of €4,240 million, €205 million more than 2015, representing an increase of 5.09 per cent. The regional ministries of health, education, social services and labour will have 82 per cent of the total non-financial expenditure of the Balearic government, with a total of €2,430 million, €145 million more than the last budget.
Christmas meet up INTERNET site meetup.com is the perfect solution for moving to new places and making new friends as Jay discovered. Being alone at Christmas time might be daunting, but not for Jay as she has organised a meet up on Christmas Day.
“The gathering is at 11am at the big Christmas tree near Parc de la Mar and the plan is to walk, talk, eat and drink, we’ll probably head towards Portixol,” explained Jay. Everyone is welcome and bring a snack to share.
Demolition of olive building MANACOR is set to lose one of its more emblematic buildings, as demolition works start on the old Fabrica Oliv-art to make room for more industrial space. The company opened its doors in 1956, making and selling works of art in olive wood. Situated at the entrance to Manacor, near the pearl factory, the business was a well-known meeting point in the 60s a nd 70s for many of the locals. The ma c hine s move d into place last week and Friday saw the first of the demolition process take place.
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NEWS EXTRA
Car parking ANDRATX Local Council has agreed to allow parking in Catalunya street. In the last plenary session the socialist party (PSOE) requested that residents be allowed to park at night, from 10pm until 8am.
Cat shot A WOMAN in Puerto Pollensa discovered her cat had been shot at and made a complaint. The cat was taken to the vet after the woman discovered a wound and the vet confirmed it had been shot.
Open air AFEDECO, the organisation for commercial businesses in the Baleares, wants to convert the streets of central Palma into an open air shopping centre. Shops in the area would join under the same logo.
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Residents say yes to terraces on the Born PALMA locals think bars should be allowed outside space By Glynis German PALMA residents have wholeheartedly given their opinion on whether the Paseo del Born should allow bars and restaurants to set up their terraces there. The question ‘Do you want terraces in the Born?’ was put forward by the Palma Town Council as part of their promise to consult and to listen to their citizens. The questionnaire was made available to all citizens and 11,869 responded with a resounding yes, settling the issue once and for all. The number opposing the move was 2,854. The second question posed was where the terraces should be situated, if allowed, and choices were given as to whether in the middle or to the
PASEO DEL BORN: Issue regarding terraces has finally been settled. sides of the Born. Having the terraces in the middle of the walkway gathered 8,410 votes against 2,204
votes for the sides. A total of 15,655 people took the time to fill in the questionnaire, although 932
votes were disqualified as people had answered only one of the two questions instead of both as required.
NEWS
Getaway car is caught POLI CE ar r est ed five men in the earl y hour s of Monday December, 21 i n t he Son Banya area of Palma. The men were accused of breaking into a chalet in Campanet some days before. The police had been on the lookout for the car which had been stolen on the Friday, after a neighbour had discovered signs of a break-in at the chalet. The owners were away at t he t i m e, and stolen items also i ncl uded t ool s and electrical appliances.
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Prison sentence for cheating couple out of millions 25-YEAR-OLD member of Mallorca’s jet set sentenced to seven years in prison By Glynis German PERHAPS the court’s sentence of seven years will allow 25-year-old Luis Rodriguez Toubes time to consider the error of his ways and look towards a more productive future. The young man, part of Mallorca’s jet set, whose circle of friends allegedly includes members of the Spanish royal family, was last week convicted for cheating a couple from Llucmayor out of €38 million. The prosecution had asked for four years whilst the cheated couple’s lawyers had asked for eight years. The couple claimed that Toubes had persuaded them to sign over 15 properties,
assuring them that he would return them, something he never did. Toubes claimed that the childless couple wanted him to have them. All the property deeds were nullified by the courts and he will have to pay a €389,154 liability sum as well as a fine of €11,340. Surprisingly the mother of the accused was aware of her son’s dealings as she had granted him power of attorney to act in her name. She will have to respond to the amount charged. The other person in the dock with Toubes, an architect, was found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to six months in prison and a fine of €240,000 for having bought
one of the properties. This is not the first time that Toubes has appeared before the courts. In 2012, aged just 22, he was accused of stealing jewels from a friend worth €120,000 as well as owing her €17,000. A year later, he was denounced for more debts and more jewellery thefts from friends. His shopping habits also got him into trouble when he was allowed to take €600,000 worth of jewellery, leaving a promissory note in payment, which was not covered when the shop went to cash it in. Laureano Arquero, lawyer for Toubes, will appeal the sentence to the Supreme Court.
SYMBOL OF LIFE: Olive trees in the Serral dels Molin park.
Tree planted for every birth FOUR years ago, Inca decided to plant an olive tree for every baby born in the city. The trees were planted in the Serral dels Molin park and the first 50 trees were of the Arbequina variety. Since then, some 200 trees have been planted, celebrating every baby’s
arrival, and other varieties including the Picual tree have been added. Last week the first fruits were taken to Olis Caimari where they were turned into 12 litres of olive oil. Councillor Angel Garcia presented the oil to two public projects.
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Son Serra says no to beach bars SO N SER R A D E LA M A R IN A ma de the ne w s la s t w e e k w he n residents set up an online petition to show their opposition to Santa Margalida Council’s plans to allow beach bars to open there. The success of the petition was such that in just a few days it had exceeded its initial expectations of 1,000 signatures and reached 5,030. The group, SOS Son Serra, has now called for people to mobilise in person and form a human chain to call for the beach to remain the natural paradise it is. The date scheduled for the protest is Sunday, January 10, and those interested should gather at 11.30am on Son Serra beach.
CHRISTMAS SHOPPERS: Average spend is €613 on presents and food.
Tightened belts finally loosened SPENDING is up but social gap still exists By Glynis German SPENDING is up by 5.7 per cent in the Balearics this Christmas with the average person shelling out €613 on presents, most notably on children’s toys, followed by food. According to a report released by the Gadeso Foundation earlier this week, spending habits vary between the classes with the lower classes spending an average of €213
whilst the upper classes spend an average of €1,453, nearly seven times more than the poor. Interestingly, the poor spend nearly 60 per cent of their Christmas budget on food whilst the wealthy put aside just 21 per cent, preferring to make the most of the budget for presents. The report also looked at the religious connotations of Christmas and discovered that more and more people are not celebrating a Christian occa-
Town joins crusade SANTANYI is one more town in Mallorca to declare itself antibullfighting after the council ruled in favour of a proposal presented by the opposition party, Alternative per Santanyi, last week. The opposition also proposed that a commission be created to study a new ordinance for owning pets.
sion but more of a consumer one. Forty per cent consider Christmas to be an occasion for family and spending whilst only 2 per cent celebrated a religious holiday. So whilst spending in general is up, spare a thought for those with nothing to spend as poverty in Spain is the second highest in the European Union, with three out of every 10 children already at risk of social exclusion and living in poverty.
Politician lands lotto MEMBER of the Balearic Socialist Party (PSIB), Silvia Limones, was one of the winners of the Spanish lottery, El Gordo, yesterday, getting €125,000. The news was shared with her as she was in parliament discussing the 2016 budget proposals. PP member Biel Company suggested that she put it towards the Balearic government coffers, which Limones politely declined.
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A little helping hand for those in need at Christmas time REMEMBER if you are feeling lonely or need to talk to someone you are not alone By Glynis German THE Christmas Season is here and many of us are already stuffing ourselves full of turkey, red wine, and Quality Street chocolate. But it’s important not to forget that there are people out there with nothing at all to eat during the holidays. We have compiled a list of soup kitchens in different parts of the south of Spain. All of these services are free and open year-round, but keep in mind some of them have specific requirements or ask for specific documentation, so it’s best to have a quick check first. In Mallorca: Palma de Mallorca: On Calle Felicia Fuster 3. Lunch served between 1pm and 2pm. In Malaga and on the Costa del Sol: Alberque Municipal Gongora, Malaga: Open 24 hours a day. Those in need can have an interview with a social worker. Located Calle Donoso Cortes 2. Angeles Malagueños de la noche, Malaga: Open daily and featuring break-
FOOD DONATIONS: There are various soup kitchens throughout Spain. fast from 8am to 9am, lunch from 1:30pm-2:30pm, and dinner from 7pm8pm. Located in the Plaza de la Religiosa Felipense Dolores Marquez.
Emaus: Emaus is a chain of soup kitchens open from 9pm-3pm Monday to Saturday and including holidays. There are
four locations in the Malaga Province: in Torremolinos, on Calle Cruz 5, in Estepona on Calle El Naranjo, in Velez Malaga on Calle Esperanza 15, and in Antequera on Calle Cordoba 29. There are two locations in the Granada Province: in Guadix on Calle Puerta Alta 12, and in Baza on Calle Anta 16. In Costa Blanca: La Sal de la Tierra, Alicante: Located on Calle Alcala Galiano 85. Serves lunch from 1:30pm-2pm Monday to Friday. In Almeria: La Milagrosa, Almeria: Located on Calle Alcalde Muñoz 18. Serves lunch from 11:30am-1pm Monday to Saturday. Remember if you are feeling depressed or lonely this Christmas, or if you have an emergency you need to talk with someone about, you are not alone. You can call Samaritans in Spain on a freephone number 24 hours a day, including Christmas, with a team of experts willing to help you. The freephone number is 900 525 100 and your confidence will be kept.
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NEWS EXTRA
Robbery and fire A PETTY thief caused a fire in the convent in Sineu last week when stealing the collection box. He accidentally knocked over a candelabra and fled the scene.
Standing up PUPILS from a Manacor school were forced to stand on the train last week on what should have been a fun trip to the capital. They took the hour long journey to view nativity scenes on display.
Strike plan WORKERS at Palma’s Town Council will strike for two hours on January 28. The union, Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) announced the action last week and are protesting the refund of their 2012 extra pay amongst other items.
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Plans to spruce up the neighbourhood EL TERRENO is set to regain its former glory CREDIT: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock
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By Glynis German FORMER glory is set to return to the Palma neighbourhood of El Terreno, which, in the 50’s, was the place where the jet set and the famous were seen. International stars such as Ava Gardner and Errol Flynn were frequent visitors to the area and Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli are said to have enjoyed the nightlife too. Mallorcan promoter, Gabriel Alzina, has purchased the building in which the once famous Joe’s Bar was housed and has big plans for it and for the area. He started work this summer, eight years after having bought the property, and is working with the architect, Luis Ladaria.
Ladaria is well known for the Rafa Nadal Foundation’s centres in Palma and Manacor. The reform of the building is expected to be completed next year and the budget is approximately €1,500 per square metre of the whole building. Alzina’s wish is that whoever takes on the bar will keep in mind the significance of what Joe’s meant to the area and already interesting proposals are being received. He has thrown down the gauntlet to the town council however, as if the area is to be revived then a good clean up of the facades will be necessary.
LIZA MINELLI: Said to have enjoyed nightlife in the area.
Fishing for compliments GONE are the days of queuing in the market or fishmongers for fresh fish, taking it home and then filleting and cleaning it for cooking. Thanks to the latest in business innovation, a new way of
shopping, from the comfort of your home, is now available. La Pescateca is an online company in which fresh fish from Palma’s finest fishmongers can be ordered and delivered to your door. The compa-
ny is made up of Mallorca’s most experienced suppliers with a history between them of more than 100 years. Not only are quality and freshness guaranteed, but local businesses are supported.
A different way of living TONIGHT (Wednesday December 23) The Sala d’Actes in the library of Esporles will offer a short film and talk by a housing co-operative. Members of the Cal Cases housing co-op from the mainland will be in Mallorca this week. The film is a short documentary about their housing co-op and afterwards they will take time to share their experiences about living an alternative way of life. The film will start at 7pm.
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Santa Claus visits children of Inca ONCE again Inca enjoyed the special visit of Papá Noel last weekend with hundreds of children lining the streets in the centre of the town. The children were able to then deliver their letters to Santa in the main square.
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4th Clown Festival fills Mallorca with laughter MOST of the performances are free around the island By Glynis German CHRISTMAS is a time for clowns, says Andreu Segura, organiser of the 4th Christmas Clown Festival (Un Nadal de Pallassos). During the Christmas festivities, children across Mallorca can enjoy 13 days of laughter and fun with 36 performances by talented clowns. Most of the performances are free and 24 boroughs around the island offer their libraries or theatres so that the laughter can continue. The festival has become an important date in the Mallorcan Christmas diary and not only for the very young, but for parents and grandparents too. “We want all the family to come and laugh with us,” explains Andreu. “Christmas is the time when we want to be with the family, be happy, sharing presents and good times and also when we want to laugh with those we love.” The festival starts on Boxing Day (December 26) and continues until January 6.
CLOWN FESTIVAL: Children can enjoy performances from 36 clowns.
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Port works slow down WORKS on the first line of the new pedestrianised area in the Port of Pollensa were criticised by the party, Tots Per Pollensa, last week when it seemed that workers had walked out alleging non-payment of wages. Last Friday, Tots had denounced the project claiming that since Thursday no work had taken place. The councillor in charge, Tomeu Cifre Bennássar, said the problem was only the pace of the work and that plans to have it finished in time for the next season were on track. He refused to make further comment.
A kilo of food, a kilo of hope for those in need RAISING awareness of harsh reality faced by some on Mallorca By Glynis German OPERATION KILO premiered its 30second TV spot last week to raise awareness of homelessness and the poverty facing many in Mallorca this festive season. The film had been inspired by an initiative started by Palma Pictures’ staff member, Jennifer Sykes, who for the past three years has been collecting food every Christmas for the Caputxins Convent in Palma. Caputxins offer daily meals to more than 500 families throughout the year. Once a week, families are able to come to the shelter and collect groceries. The convent relies on donations to be able to continue their work. The film was shown at the Palma Pictures studios in Marratxi and local television crews were there to film reactions. Jennifer thanked those behind the scenes for their hard work, saying: “Without your dedication and support at this time, the message of the reality of the situation for so many people on the island would
WORKING FOR GOOD: Jennifer Sykes and Dolores Merino Santillan. not be heard.” Dolores Merino Santillan, co-ordinator from Caputxins Convent was there to receive the 660 kilos of food collected.
A further surprise was added to the collection when the Euro Weekly News, as part of their Giving While Living campaign, donated €250 to the cause.
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Tenth almond milk fair THE almond milk fair of Es Pla de Na Tesa celebrated its 10th year last Sunday. Visitors tasted freshly-made almond milk and were able to purchase handmade crafts, and join in games and activities for children as well as enjoy a motor car exhibition. Producers of the milk from the village, Pep Pocovi and Bernat Cabot, had supplied an impressive 600 litres which needed 120 kilos of almonds to make. Talks were given throughout the day on how to make almond milk, a practice thought to have been introduced to the island by monks at the end of the 17th century.
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Gift of sports clothes well received 160 items of sporting attire donated By Glynis German
CHRISTMAS came early to the Mallorcan Institute for Social Affairs (IMAS) on Monday when 160 items of sporting attire were kindly donated by the Balearic Football Federation. Vice-president Manuel López Lacal
delivered the sports clothes, which included 80 tracksuits, to the Councillor for Welfare and Social Rights, Margalida Puigserver, and also President of the institute. The clothes will be distributed to the users of the Ca l’Ardiaca centre, which forms part of the IMAS network of social inclusion projects. The items were very much wel-
c o m e d e s p e c i a l l y a s m e n ’s w i n t e r clothing is the most needed by the p a r t i c i p a n t s o f t h e c e n t r e ’s p r o grammes. There to receive delivery of the goods with Puigserver were Director of IMAS, Caterina Mas, Biel Gelabert from Ca L’Ardiaca and Miquel Vives and Pedro Cladera from the Football Foundation.
Help your neighbour this festive season LOCAL non-profit association, Ayuda a Tu Gente Mallorca, is enjoying a special
Christmas gift in the form of new premises in which to car r y out t hei r i m por t ant
work. The association cares for those at risk of social excl usi on and f eeds t he homeless in Palma. Mi guel Sanchez, founder of the association, admitted that they needed som e hel p t o transform the 60 square metres into an efficient working area. The plans for the space ar e t o st or e donat i ons, both foodstuffs and other materials, and where a volunteer will be permanently on hand to receive them. “We need a desk with two chairs as well as some sturdy shelves,” said Sanchez. “We also accept cash donations to help with our overheads,” he added. If you would like to help, please contact Miguel Sanchez on 633 307 792.
OPINION & COMMENT
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Euro one of the top performers Commentary by Moneycorp EUR weekly currency update In the fortnight since the European Central Bank surprised investors by its failure to announce significant new monetary stimulus, the euro (together with its constant companion, the Swiss franc) has been the top performer among the major currencies. Over the last seven days it has not achieved such a leading position, mainly because the US dollar has hogged the limelight, but it has still picked up three quarters of a cent against sterling. Investors now believe they know where they stand with monetary policy in the United States, Britain and Euroland. The US Federal Reserve is moving interest rates higher, as demonstrated by a quarter-percentage-point increase on Wednesday. The ECB is not going to relax the policy much further, if at all. And the prospect of higher sterling rates looks increasingly remote following the slowdown in UK wage growth reported on Wednesday.
USD weekly currency update The Federal Reserve did a better job of managing investors’ expectations ahead of this week’s monetary policy announcement than they did prior to the September meeting. Four fifths of analysts expected the Fed to increase the target for its benchmark interest rate from 00.25% to 0.25-0.5% and that is exactly what happened. There was therefore minimal reaction to the announcement: the dollar simply drifted gently higher. The anticipation and the subsequent evaluation of the Fed move dominated attitudes towards the dollar throughout the week. Investors noted with only passing interest that US retail sales increased by 0.2% in November, and that the headline rate of inflation increased from 0.2% to 0.5%. They were positive about the dollar but not sufficiently so to make the week’s top dog. It strengthened by one cent against the euro and by two against sterling.
Clarisse Musselwhite is Moneycorp’s Account Manager for Mallorca
She can be contacted on Tel: +34 902 887 243 Mobile: +34 687 932 472 Email:mallorca@moneycorp.com
902887243 mallorca@moneycorp.com CAD weekly currency update For a second week the Loonie was the weakest performer among the Commonwealth commodity dollars, hit by a double-whammy of higher US interest rates and lower oil prices. Commodity and energy prices remained under pressure throughout the week. Oil touched a seven-year low and the broadly-based Bloomberg commodity index closed in on the lows of 1999. Meanwhile in Washington the US
Federal Reserve did what just about everybody expected it to do, raising its benchmark interest rate target from 0-0.25% to 0.25-0.5% and narrowing the gap with the Bank of Canada’s 0.5%. The result was to take the Loonie within shouting distance of its 2003-04 lows against the US dollar. It lost a net one and a half US cents on the week and fell by a cent and a half against sterling. The week’s only significant Canadian ecostat was manufacturing shipments, which unhelpfully fell by -1.1% in September. AUD weekly currency update There was little respite to the downward pressure on commodities, with the broadlybased Bloomberg commodities index coming close to its lowest level since 1999. As was the case in the previous week, there was no consistency in the performance of the commodity-oriented currencies. The Canadian dollar fell further than the Aussie and the NZ dollar did relatively well.
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NEWS
Christmas blues PROFESSIONAL help is advised for those who cannot cope By Glynis German WHILST the song tells us it’s the season to be jolly, Christmas depression is a reality for many and for those living abroad, the holiday season can be an even more difficult time. Some tips to manage your feelings this festive season include acknowledging your fe e lings , re a c hing out to someone and healthy habits such as exercise and meditation. Professional help is always advised for those w ho c a nnot c ope a nd noone s hould be a lone in times of darkness. O n e s u c h o rg a n i s a t i o n that offers courses in stress free living, positive thinking and meditation is the B r a h m a K u m a r i s Wo r l d Spiritual University. With a centre in Mallorca, based in Portol, the organisation o ff e r s c o u r s e s f r e e o f charge, donations are wel-
come. Started in India in the 1930s, the university has over 8,500 centres in 110 countries.
Photo by Shawn Campbell flickr
16
DEPRESSION: Is a reality for many people.
Teen update IF your teen is looking for things to do this Christmas, take a look at the youth information centre’s new website. It promotes free or low cost activities in Mallorca with fairs, cultural and sporting activities on offer. Look at Palma de franc (Palma for free).
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NEWS FROM OUR FIVE OTHER REGIONS
COSTA DEL SOL
Programme to use waste from beer PROJECT aims to put an end to environmental issues which production presents ALMERIA University is leading a European Research programme, Greenbiorefinery, to turn the waste from producing beer into nutrients for animal food or fertiliser. Five other research centres from Spain, Colombia and Argentina are a ls o t aki ng par t i n t he pr oj ect which aims to put an end to the environmental issues which beer production presents. The waste would be treated with microalgae to produce biomass and other products so that there are no CO2 emissions. It takes about 20 litres of water to make just one litre of beer.
RESEARCH PROGRAMME: To find more uses for beer.
COSTA BLANCA SOUTH
COSTA BLANCA NORTH
AXARQUÍA
COSTA DE ALMERÍA
Cemetery expansion Students raise funds Centre closed
Swedish sound
THE new cemetery in Alicante will include an enclosure for the Muslim and Jewish community. The areas are part of the expansion plans for the cemetery to ensure the needs of burials are met for the next 75 years.
LAST Thursday, XIC students joined other schools to help raise funds for Todos Juntos Javea. Everyone had an enjoyable evening singing carols, drinking hot chocolate and spreading the Christmas spirit through the Old Town.
THE municipal group of PP and New Generations in Nerja have criticised the closing of the Youth Information Centre located on Calle Cristo during the month of December. The centre was also closed in August and September.
THE ‘Abba Show Live, Dancing Queen Tour’ was held in El Eijdo. The group from Slovenia which includes live music and a huge likeness with the original artists lasted two hours. The group has performed more than 2,000 concerts.
Christmas cheer
Charity Christmas
New football pitch
Full schedule
TRAMS between Alicante City and Benidorm, San Juan and San Vicente ran until 3am last weekend. The service was extended so employees attending Christmas parties did not need to drive home.
THE Brotherhood of Christ of the Sea of Alicante held its annual campaign to collect food for charities who will distribute to those in need. Non-perishable food was donated at Basilica of Santa Maria.
EL EJIDO Town Hall has made a programme of more than 120 leisure, cultural, sports and social events which will be held over the Christmas period. There will be more security measures at the Three Wise Men parade.
Multilingual uni
Bonfire logo
TORROX Mayor Oscar Medina has announced that in 2016 he will move ahead with the construction of a football pitch in El Morche. He said that Torrox Town Council is going to allocate €1.8 million to build the football pitch in the industrial area of Santa Rosa.
THE Generalitat intends students to leave university speaking English and another foreign language as well as coofficial Spanish and Valenciano, said the director general for Linguistic Policies.
THE Hogueras Bonfire Federation in Alicante has announced a contest to create a new look for the fiesta celebrations which will be used as brand recognition and to promote the Hogueras.
Growing artichoke
False information
NEW facilities have been opened for the collection and distribution of the Vega Baja artichoke, with growers calling for a ‘designation of origin mark for the crop,’ which is a growing market.
A PROSTHETIC from privatised Denia hospital costs 139 per cent more than one from state-run Gandia hospital and 108 per cent more than Villajoyosa.
Stolen copper THIEVES removed copper cabling totaling 41.9 kilometres from the Valencian Community’s railways during 2015, revealed Spain’s track operator Adif. Only Cataluña has lost more.
Beetle drive THE tomicus beetle has attacked 500 pines in the Sierra Helada national park but is under control, the regional authorities maintained. Owners of land on the Benidorm side of the park must deal with their trees themselves.
NEWS
Rural theft reduced THE Sub delegate of the Malaga Government, Miguel Briones, said that there has been a 37.2 per cent decrease in criminal offences in rural areas of the province in the last two years.
Torrox breakwater THE Ferrara Beach, in Torrox-Costa, will finally stop suffering the predation from the rough weather that comes in from the east. For more than three decades storms have often left this strip of the Axarquia beach practically without sand. Now, Construcciones Tejera SA of Almeria has been given the goahead to construct a semi-submerged breakwater in the eastern zone of the beach.
For more local news from our five other regions see www.euroweeklynews.com
Rooftop drama A MAN was injured on December 19 when he fell through the roof of an industrial warehouse in Marbella. The man had climbed onto the roof in an Elviria industrial estate to retrieve a ball, Emergency Services reported.
Local shops BENALMADENA’S Commerce councillor Ana Scherman announced last week that the town would be running a campaign to encourage Christmas shopping in local commercial areas. “The campaign, which includes posters and radio advertising, will promote the advantage of the wide range of shops in the area and easy parking,” she said.
Estepona fire TWO people needed treatment after inhaling smoke at a fire in a home in Estepona on December 19. The fire broke out at about 5pm in a first floor flat on Calle Terraza.
Fuengirola accessibility
THE Miras family, led by Antonio, 93, once again set up a large Nativity Scene in the Patio de Luces of Almeria Provincial Government and is open until January 5. The figures are made by hand.
THE works of improving the accessibility in the Sol y Sol Pasaje de Fuengirola, in the area of the Plaza de la Hispanidad, have concluded, according to the local councillor of Works and Infrastructures, Jose Sanchez, after carrying out an assessment visit.
Christmas market
Rat control
THERE was a great response to the Christmas Market held in Gador to raise funds for the Spanish Association Against Cancer. It has been held in the town for the past 20 years.
BENALMADENA Health councillor Alicia Laddaga has been on an inspection visit to the Fidelio animal refuge, which as reported by EWN last week had been suffering from an invasion of rats coming from the bullring, and found that the problem had indeed been solved.
Nativity scene
Golf school A STATE Golf School is due to open in El Toyo in February, according to the councillor for Tourism and Sport, Francisco Javier Fernandez.
EWN top for all the news from Spain.
NEWS
24 - 30 December 2015 / Mallorca
www.euroweeklynews.com
RUSSIAN P RESS
Shopping for souvenirs DURING meetings in Moscow
JOHN KERRY: Met with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. US Secretary of State John Kerry went shopping for souvenirs on December 15 during meetings in Moscow to meet with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. They discussed a wide range of important issues, including the Syrian crisis and the current situation in Ukraine.
Trump fan RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has commended Donald Trump for wanting to strengthen relations with Moscow and described him as the “absolute front-runner in the presidential race.” However, with the same breath, Putin said he was ready to work with whoever becomes the next US president.
Olympic dope probe THE World Anti-Doping Agency has arranged to pay a visit to Russia on January 10 for a meeting with the Russian Olympic Committee after all top executives of the Russian Anti-Dop-
Trade deals CHINA and Russia signed more than 30 trade deals - including one regarding Russian oil giant Rosneft and China Petrochemical Corpthat - covering the financial, energy, high-tech and manufacturing sectors, following a meeting between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in Beijing on Thursday, December 17.
ing Agency resigned in light of accusations of covering up doping by Russia’s leading athletes last week.
Investing in high streets RUSSIAN company Sistema Capital Partners, the real estate private equity platform launched earlier this month, has led a consortium acquisition of a portfolio of German high street retail properties for a total of €125 million.
“Cancerous NATO” A SPEAKER of lower house of Russia’s parliament Sergei Naryshkin wants the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to dissolve, calling it “a cancerous tumour for the whole European continent,” while meeting with members of the Serbian parliament. NATO could be dissolved in several stages, Naryshkin explained.
EWN
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E W N 24 - 30 December 2015 / Mallorca
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GERMAN
Airline profits SWEDEN: Airline SAS has reported a return to profitability sending its shares flying on the Stockholm stock exchange. SAS said net profit was 956 million kroner (€102 million) in the 12 months to October.
Top searches SWEDEN: Google has revealed what Swedish people searched for the most during 2015, with everything from ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ to the ‘worst pizza in history’ making the top 10. Murdered teenager Lisa Holm was the most searched-for person.
Crisis stabilising SWEDEN: The Prime Minsiter has said he believes the refugee crisis in Sweden is stabilising and that he has high hopes that those granted asylum will have the “best opportunity” to start a new life.
No white Christmas WARMEST December in 70 years A WHITE Christmas is highly unlikely in the UK this year as weather forecasters are predicting the warmest December in 70 years caused by bands of tropical air from the Atlantic coming in from the south west.
Stripping ninja A MAN claiming disability living allowance saying he struggles to get out of bed, has been caught out by investigators who discovered he was working as a dancer called ‘the stripping ninja’ at parties across the UK.
Shopping savings A WOMAN from Leicestershire has got herself £574 (€790) worth of Christmas goods for less than £5 thanks to saving up coupons, supermarket points and money-back promotions throughout the year.
BRITISH PRESS
Hover board concerns
Many millionaires
Bath time
DENMARK has been named the world’s fourth best country to live in after leaping six places in the UN’s annual human development report. Denmark is only beaten by Norway, Australia and Switzerland.
Best country NORWAY has been ranked the world’s best country to live in for the 12th year in a row by the UN development programme.
THE birth rate in Germany has risen to a quartercentury high. It was apparent in August that a mini baby boom was under way, when the government released figures showing that 715,000 babies were born in 2014, 33,000 more than in 2013.
Military fight
THE UK now has over 600,000 property millionaires, with property valued at £1 million or more rising by 14 per cent.
DENMARK is on track to reduce carbon emissions by 40 per cent by 2020 according to new statistics, putting its new right-wing government on track to hit the national target it recently abandoned.
Fourth best
Birth rate
SONNENFINSTERNIS, or solar eclipse, was the most searched term on Google in Germany this year ahead of ‘plane crash’around the time of the Germanwings tragedy and ‘Paris’ after November’s terror attacks.
TRADING Standards said 15,000 of the 17,000 hover boards examined since October 15 had been seized. It comes as leading UK retailers such as Argos and Amazon.co.uk are recalling products following cases of them catching fire and for having a non-compliant UK plug.
On track
DENMARK: A Danish comedian who posted a photo of himself naked in the bath with his two year-old daughter, has hit back at criticism saying “a father in the bath with his daughter is not paedophilia.”
PRESS
Google search
credit 360b / Shutterstock.com
PRESS
1000 Words / Shutterstock.com)
EUROPEAN PRESS SCANDINAVIAN
NEWS
THE German military has joined attacks on Daesh for the first time, after the German government voted to take part in the international military campaign against the radical jihadist group.
Rabbit breeder A 10-YEAR-OLD Bavarian boy has been crowned Europe’s Youth Rabbit Breeding Champion. Breeding rabbits is in the family; his father was youth champion and his grandfather has won a range of titles.
Top team AMSTERDAM: Planning to ban from the city next year as they are seen as a nuisance.
Beer bikes tourist attractions A PETITION was signed by 6,500 people earlier this year AMSTERDAM is planning to ban the ‘beer bike’ tourist attraction from the city next year. The beer bikes are mobile bars mainly pedalled by tourists and widely seen as a nuisance by locals. A petition against the beer bikes earlier this year was signed by 6,500 people.
Not Dutch ALMOST half of the Moroccans and Turks living in the Netherlands said they do not feel Dutch and youngsters in par-
DUTCH PRESS ticular feel alienated, according to a new report.
Caring supermarket STAFF in two branches of supermarket chain Albert Heijn in The Hague are
taking part in a project to ‘keep an eye’ on elderly clients and if they appear lonely will ask them if they would like a chat with a care volunteer in the store.
Sports champ WORLD champion sprinter Dafne Schippers, 23, has been named as Dutch sportswoman of the year, the first athlete to take the title since1992. She won the 200 metres gold medal in the world championships in Beijing this year.
FIGURES show Borussia Dortmund draw bigger crowds than any other football team in the world. In the 2014/15 season, despite finishing in seventh in the league, Dortmund had an average of crowd of 80,410 at its matches.
Cash grab POLICE are searching for a gang who used a rocket launcher to rob a truck transporting money in Dortmund. They reportedly blocked the truck on the road and used an angle grinder to open the truck’s back door and steal the money inside.
FINANCE
Mallorca
24 - 30 December 2015
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UK unemployment rate still dropping THE number of people out of work fell to 5.2 per cent By John Smith IN figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) it was shown that the UK unemployment rate fell to 5.2 per cent in the three months to October. This was the lowest jobless rate since the three-
is the number of job vacancies in the UK jobs market at the end of October 2015, and is the highest level recorded since in 2001.
OFFICE: Company headquarters in Madrid.
Coca-Cola workers turn back clock By John Smith WORKERS in the Coca-Cola factory in Fuenlabrada Madrid will work to rule on December 21 and 28 in support of their demands. According to a union spokesman, Juan Carlos Asenjo, they will work manually as they did 50 years ago with no use of machinery. As the Coca-Cola compa-
month period to January 2006, and compared to 6 per cent unemployment just one year ago. There were 31.3 million people in work, 505,000 more than a year ago, and the number of people out of work fell by 110,000 to 1.71 million between August and October.
It’s a great day for film making in this country and it clearly shows the force is with us,’ said George Osborne on the day of its premier about the fact that the latest Star Wars movie was filmed in Britain.
Photo Credit Luis Garcia Wikimedia
Quote of the Week
747,000
ny targets its Christmas advertising at the ‘good old days’, this appears to be a most appropriate if somewhat ironic action by the workers. There have been a number of disputes with workers at this plant over the years, and also with the Madrid Council which refused to allow the company to film a commercial.
BUSINESS EXTRA
Fake toys and games WITH the publication of a list by the EU of the member states which see the greatest number of sales of counterfeit toys and games, Spain is near the top, beaten only by Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary and Romania. According to the report, the purchase of these fakes costs Spanish industry nearly €170 million a year.
App from La Caixa LA CAIXA BANK has launched a new app allowing payment via a mobile phone, similar to those available in the UK. Apart from making payments, it will be possible for customers to check their accounts and to view their balances.
Opera singer tax evasion charges DUE to her illness, Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballe was allowed to attend a hearing concerning tax evasion via video from her home, and without any press attendance at the court. She accepted that she had avoided paying over
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€40 million is the amount in bank accounts which have laid dormant in Switzerland since 1955, and if not claimed within the next 12 months it will revert to the State.
STAT OF WEEK
business & legal
EWN
€500,000 of tax in 2010 by registering her domicile as Andorra, even though she was living in Barcelona and was fined €240,000. She was also sentenced to six months in jail, which will effectively act as a suspended sentence.
The figures released also detail the number of foreigners working in the UK, and the number of EU citizens working increased by 324,000 to 2.02 million, whereas workers who were neither EU nationals or Britons were stable at 1.2 million.
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Boy predicts bankruptcy PEPE BALTA, a secondary school student from Barcelona had to produce an economic project for his school in 2014, and chose Abengoa as the company to review. In his 18-page paper on the company, he apparently pointed out major problems with the company’s financial position and wrote “If it does not act soon, there is a strong risk Abengoa will go into bankruptcy.”
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LONDON - FTSE 100
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
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PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY Anglo American 285.98 7.33 Associated British Foods 3,291.50 -35.50 Admiral Group 1,645.50 -9.50 Aberdeen Asset Management 289.70 2.40 Ashtead Group 1,104.50 -5.50 Antofagasta 420.25 3.95 ARM Holdings 1,032.00 13.00 Aviva 507.50 3.50 AstraZeneca 4,411.50 40.00 BAE Systems 494.15 1.65 Babcock International Group 980.75 4.25 Barclays 218.75 1.15 British American Tobacco 3,689.50 23.00 Barratt Developments 608.50 4.50 BG Group 919.20 11.20 Berkeley Group Holdings 3,591.00 37.00 British Land Co 792.00 9.00 BHP Billiton 724.40 7.20 Bunzl 1,850.00 9.00 BP 340.68 1.38 Burberry Group 1,201.00 13.00 BT Group 459.55 1.25 Coca-Cola HBC 1,501.00 1.00 Carnival 3,695.00 47.00 Centrica 212.10 0.10 Compass Group 1,141.50 9.50 Capita Group (The) 1,185.50 2.50 CRH 1,922.00 14.00 Dixons Carphone 480.20 3.10 DCC 5,532.50 32.50 Diageo 1,818.00 10.50 Direct Line Insurance Group 405.00 0.20 Experian 1,163.50 -2.50 easyJet 1,706.50 20.50 Fresnillo 663.25 4.25 GKN 295.85 -0.35 Glencore 83.32 2.46 GlaxoSmithKline 1,337.00 3.00 Hikma Pharmaceuticals 2,203.00 11.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,473.00 6.00 Hammerson 600.00 5.50 HSBC Holdings 530.95 1.75 International Consolidated Air 588.75 0.25 InterContinental Hotels Group 2,553.50 30.50 3i Group 469.95 3.25 Imperial Tobacco Group 3,486.75 23.75 Intu Properties 315.80 1.70 Inmarsat 1,108.00 1.00 Intertek Group 2,714.50 -0.50 ITV 274.40 10.60
% CHG. NET VOL 2.63 3,906.22 -1.07 26,339.00 -0.57 4,619.24 0.84 3,807.37 -0.50 5,587.12 0.95 4,104.12 1.28 14,343.47 0.69 20,390.57 0.92 55,240.09 0.34 15,582.70 0.44 4,923.48 0.53 36,498.90 0.63 68,350.32 0.75 6,012.53 1.23 31,009.92 1.04 4,856.80 1.15 7,991.94 1.00 15,147.78 0.49 6,168.77 0.41 62,040.46 1.09 5,284.62 0.27 38,211.21 0.07 5,465.90 1.29 7,885.28 0.05 10,546.01 0.84 18,796.14 0.21 7,856.25 0.73 15,670.41 0.65 5,493.62 0.59 4,852.00 0.58 45,449.44 0.05 6,072.00 -0.21 11,525.06 1.22 6,696.93 0.64 4,856.13 -0.12 4,881.54 3.04 11,794.40 0.22 64,915.21 0.50 4,359.45 0.41 6,958.25 0.93 4,662.73 0.33 103,263.93 0.04 12,001.48 1.21 5,957.24 0.70 4,538.48 0.69 33,144.06 0.54 4,155.92 0.09 4,981.29 -0.02 4,380.97 4.02 10,619.03
COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) Johnson Matthey 2,645.50 26.50 Kingfisher 326.85 2.85 Land Securities Group 1,181.00 10.00 Legal & General Group 263.15 1.35 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 71.77 0.73 London Stock Exchange Grp 2,710.00 12.00 Merlin Entertainments 440.65 -0.85 Marks & Spencer Group 452.45 1.05 Mondi 1,338.00 14.00 National Grid 920.10 5.70 Next 7,255.00 -20.00 Old Mutual 174.40 2.60 Provident Financial 3,285.00 45.00 Prudential 1,497.25 8.25 Persimmon 1,961.00 16.00 Pearson 754.50 6.00 Reckitt Benckiser Group 6,150.00 22.00 Royal Bank of Scotland Group 295.80 1.80 Royal Dutch Shell 1,458.75 -4.75 Royal Dutch Shell 1,466.00 -3.00 Reed Elsevier 1,167.00 8.00 Rio Tinto 1,885.00 22.50 Royal Mail 443.40 0.40 Rolls-Royce Group 574.00 -2.50 Randgold Resources 4,045.00 14.00 RSA Insurance Group 428.55 0.45 SABMiller 4,057.00 8.50 Sainsbury (J) 256.45 1.25 Schroders 2,929.50 19.50 Sage Group (The) 590.75 0.75 Shire 4,403.50 -16.50 Sky 1,088.50 8.50 Standard Life 377.40 3.00 Smiths Group 930.50 6.50 Smith & Nephew 1,160.50 -11.50 Sports Direct International 568.50 -1.50 SSE 1,486.00 1.00 Standard Chartered 554.75 3.15 St James's Place 978.25 4.75 Severn Trent 2,130.00 -1.00 Travis Perkins 1,938.00 11.00 Tesco 145.50 2.05 TUI AG 1,224.00 12.00 Taylor Wimpey 197.05 1.45 Unilever 2,839.25 18.25 United Utilities Group 918.50 4.00 Vodafone Group 212.18 0.88 Wolseley 3,668.00 17.00 WORLDPAY GROUP PLC ORD 3P297.85 -0.15 WPP Group 1,521.50 11.50 Whitbread 4,411.00 20.00
% CHG. 1.01 0.88 0.85 0.52 1.03 0.44 -0.19 0.23 1.06 0.62 -0.27 1.51 1.39 0.55 0.82 0.80 0.36 0.61 -0.32 -0.20 0.69 1.21 0.09 -0.43 0.35 0.11 0.21 0.49 0.67 0.13 -0.37 0.79 0.80 0.70 -0.98 -0.26 0.07 0.57 0.49 -0.05 0.57 1.43 0.99 0.74 0.65 0.44 0.42 0.47 -0.05 0.76 0.46
NET VOL 5,366.80 7,553.38 9,257.26 15,557.70 50,703.90 9,369.63 4,475.69 7,440.26 6,428.73 34,209.67 11,121.55 8,463.14 4,761.30 38,281.98 5,962.24 6,139.86 43,769.65 18,922.00 56,997.25 35,849.63 13,024.11 26,200.30 4,430.00 10,599.50 3,754.06 4,352.74 65,439.18 4,902.20 6,577.25 6,356.65 26,151.01 18,565.39 7,372.63 3,647.74 10,482.27 3,411.25 14,747.03 14,043.50 5,087.50 5,068.78 4,794.99 11,671.81 7,109.63 6,363.77 36,206.39 6,235.87 56,021.34 9,494.68 N/A 19,709.04 7,980.17
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US dollar ..................................................................1.08546 Japan yen..................................................................131.787 Switzerland franc.................................................1.07979 Denmark kroner.....................................................7.46110 Norway kroner......................................................9.52742
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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 146.92 -1.93 -1.30% 5.7M 67.87 -1.70 -2.44% 17.9M 106.03 -2.95 -2.71% 96.5M 139.58 -5.98 -4.11% 10.0M 65.11 +0.21 +0.32% 13.5M 89.81 -0.73 -0.81% 20.2M 26.27 -0.45 -1.68% 36.7M 42.50 -0.99 -2.28% 24.6M 107.72 -4.29 -3.83% 28.4M 63.40 -1.83 -2.81% 14.3M 77.28 -0.68 -0.87% 28.8M 30.28 -0.27 -0.88% 83.1M 175.49 -7.12 -3.90% 6.7M 130.29 -1.06 -0.81% 9.8M 134.90 -1.85 -1.35% 10.0M 33.87 -1.04 -2.99% 41.3M 101.95 -1.69 -1.63% 15.0M 64.40 -1.88 -2.84% 23.8M 116.66 -0.84 -0.71% 11.2M 51.64 -1.02 -1.94% 21.1M 54.13 -1.57 -2.82% 84.7M 128.52 -1.70 -1.31% 6.9M 31.99 -0.34 -1.05% 66.6M 78.13 -2.16 -2.69% 21.3M 110.13 -3.14 -2.77% 5.1M 92.34 -1.53 -1.63% 8.7M 115.82 -3.40 -2.85% 7.6M 45.56 -0.54 -1.17% 31.6M 76.32 -2.37 -3.01% 16.3M 58.85 -0.13 -0.22% 16.3M
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COMPANY
PRICE
CHANGE NET / %
Most Advanced $ 10.36 $ 13.50 $ 3.64 $5 $ 7.45 $ 10 $ 3.14 $ 8.66 $ 12.20 $ 5.60 $ 15.20
2.01 ▲ 24.07% 2.50 ▲ 22.73% 0.65 ▲ 21.74% 0.74 ▲ 17.37% 1.03 ▲ 16.04% 1.34 ▲ 15.47% 0.39 ▲ 14.18% 1.04 ▲ 13.65% 1.43 ▲ 13.28% 0.63 ▲ 12.68% 1.70 ▲ 12.59%
$ 7.21 $ 4.42 $ 4.05 $ 8.62 $ 15.42 $ 13.73 $ 30.38 $ 81.96 $ 3.15 $ 68.4268 $ 22.66
2.22 ▼ 23.54% 1.11 ▼ 20.07% 0.53 ▼ 11.57% 0.97 ▼ 10.11% 1.704 ▼ 9.95% 1.51 ▼ 9.91% 3.28 ▼ 9.74% 8.64 ▼ 9.54% 0.30 ▼ 8.70% 6.2212 ▼ 8.33% 2.02 ▼ 8.18%
Vanguard Natural Resources LLC ReWalk Robotics Ltd Nexvet Biopharma plc Empire Resorts, Inc. Daily 2X VIX ST ETN Velocityshares Golar LNG Partners LP Kopin Corporation InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. TerraForm Global, Inc. Providence and Worcester Railroad Company
Most Declined Mirna Therapeutics, Inc. Acacia Research Corporation Hovnanian Enterprises Inc Etsy, Inc. CIM Commercial Trust Corporation YRC Worldwide, Inc. GLOBAL BLOOD THERAPEUTICS, INC. Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. Zions Bancorporation 3X Inverse Silver ETN Velocityshares Werner Enterprises, Inc.
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E W N 24 - 30 December 2015 / Mallorca
www.euroweeklynews.com
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
Great results for fishing industry Photo Credit Mark Yuill Shutterstock
By Steve Walsh AT the annual EU Fisheries and Agricultural Council meeting in Brussels, which has just finished, British fishermen received some very good news about quota increases according to Fisheries Minister George Eustice, who called the latest agreement a ‘great result’. The actual quota increases were: The English Channel: Plaice 100 per cent. The North Sea: Cod 15 per cent and haddock 47 per cent. The Celtic Sea: Hake 20 per cent. The Western Channel: Sole 15 per cent. A number of quotas remained the same and there were cuts of 55 per cent in Irish Sea sole and 9 per cent in Bristol Channel plaice, but with the increases and the number of days UK fishermen can be at sea remaining the same as for 2015, the industry was generally pleased with the results. Mr Eustice said: “I entered these discussions with the firm belief that
BRITISH FISHERMEN: Received some very good news about quota increases at an EU meeting in Brussels.
any decisions need to support a profitable fishing industry, sustainable fish stocks and a healthy marine environment, and the significant quota increases we’ve achieved for iconic species like North Sea cod demonstrates the success of this approach. “We still have more to do to reach maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for all quota species by 2020, and to deliver the full discard ban by 2019, but already fishermen are benefitting from the action we’ve taken in recent years to recover stocks. “By fighting for the fishing industry, and making a clear case for the need for more sustainable fishing, we have got a good deal and shown we can get what we need in Europe.”
Amazon allocated plot in Barcelona for € 30 million
THE companies that own Domino’s Pizza in Australia and the UK have agreed to set up a joint venture operation to buy Germany’s biggest pizza chain. Joey’s Pizza has 212 stores across Germany with annual sales of €143 million, and the country is the world’s fourthbiggest pizza market with the purchase worth around €78 million. The joint venture will be two-thirds owned by the Australian company, with the remainder owned by the UK Domino’s Pizza Group, which already operates in Germany. Profit margins on pizzas are known to be very high as they are simply cooked dough with relatively inexpensive toppings, so as long as the market remains firm, this should generate significant income for the companies involved.
THE Catalan Land Institute (Incasol) announced that it has allocated a 150,808 m2 plot of land known as Mas Blau II, to Amazon for which it will charge €30 million. “The land is located a few minutes from the El Prat airport in one of the most important economic
Photo Credit Steve Jurvetson flickr
Domino’s aim to dominate
This acknowledges our commitment to the Catalan and Spanish economies.
and industrial areas of Barcelona,” said a statement. Amazon will be allowed to build up to three storeys high. The statement continued: “The main permitted use is logistics, along with the ‘complementary’ offices, shops and restaurants.” In response Amazon said in a carefully-worded statement: “We are
JEFF BEZOS: The founder of Amazon.
pleased that Incasol has awarded Amazon with a plot in El Prat de Llobregat to keep expanding our European Fulfilment Network, and acknowledges our long-term commitment with the Catalan and Spanish economies through continued investment and job creation. Legal due diligence is currently ongoing and thus we cannot comment any further at the moment.” In the meantime, Amazon UK has warned all customers about possible exploding hoverboards. In an email, the firm told buyers of these hot Christmas sellers that if they have purchased hover boards with ‘noncompliant UK plugs’, that they should dispose of them safely and they will receive a refund. This has been prompted after Trading Standards seized 15,000 unsafe boards being brought into the UK, many of which had faulty cables, chargers or plugs that could catch fire or explode.
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
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24 - 30 December 2015 / Mallorca
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25
US chemical giants Dow and DuPont in merger agreement THE rush of American companies to take others over or to merge continues apace. The latest announcement comes from the two US chemical behemoths Dow Chemical and DuPont, with the merged company expected to be called DowDuPont worth an estimated $130 billion (â‚Ź119 billion). It appears that as both companies are worth roughly the same amount of money and this will be a share deal, there are significant tax advantages for each company and their investors. As this type of deal is almost unheard of it will attract a great deal of interest from fiscal authorities as well as tax advisers. Assuming the merger is allowed, it is planned that the new company will be owned equally by existing shareholders in the two companies. Three new companies will then be created within two years of the merger, and these new companies should be con-
Credit RevalationDirect Wikimedia
By John Smith
sidered as being tax free entities. Shareholders are hoping to save $3 billion (â‚Ź2.75 billion) per annum. In addition, DuPont has announced that it plans to cut about 10 per cent of its staff. Some cynics have commented on the fact that as the US tries to climb out of its financial crisis, US conglomerates appear to be doing all that they can to avoid paying taxes, which are the backbone of any economy.
Both companies are worth roughly the same amount and this will be a share deal.
DUPONT: Headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware.
With both companies having reasonable sized operations in Spain, it will also be interesting to see if their merger has any knock-on effect on the Spanish economy, especially if jobs are to be lost or head offices merged.
OPINION & COMMENT
24 - 30 December 2015 / Mallorca
www.euroweeklynews.com
EWN
Enoch Powell was never a racist credito Allan warren on Wikimedia commons
MERELY a realist, he was of course absolutely correct LEAPY LEE SAYS IT
OTHERS THINK IT “WHOLE areas, towns and parts of towns across England will be occupied by sections of the immigrant and immigrant descendant’s population. It is like watching a nation busily engaged in heaping up its own funeral pyre. “They will find their wives unable to obtain hospital beds in childbirth. Their children unable to obtain school places. Their homes and neighbourhoods changed beyond recognition. Their plans and prospects for the future defeated for reasons they cannot comprehend; and in pursuance of a decision by default on which they were never consulted, they will find themselves made strangers in their own country,” - Enoch Powell, 1965. This highly intelligent politician was subsequently hounded out of mainstream politics by his peers, who scoffed his vision and warnings of the future. Under accusations
ENOCH POWELL: Intelligent politician who was hounded out of mainstream politics. of racism, he was soon banished to a lonely position in Northern Ireland. There, out of sight and hearing, his brilliant mind was wasted in the mire of violence and political strife that was engulfing
Ireland at that time. I personally remember him utterly destroying David Frost in a TV interview. At one point Frost asked him why he was against black people. Powell’s answer was that he had never discriminated
against someone because of their colour and challenged Frost to cite one occasion when he had actually done so. A blustering Frost couldn’t come up with one example. The fact of the matter was that Powell was never a racist, merely a realist. He was of course absolutely correct and we are now experiencing most of the situations he warned of all those years ago. The words of a Don McLean song come to mind. ‘They did not listen, they’re not listening still, perhaps they never will.’ In fairness, they do finally seem to be listening. Unfortunately they’re about 40 years too late. I’ve been called a few things in my time but the missive I received this week just about took the whole tin. This ‘gentleman’ referred to me as follows. Uneducated. Purile. Lickspittle. Forelock tugger. Knee bender. Quisling. Halfwit. Moron. Wow! Sticks and stones Señor. Sticks and stones! Keep the faith Love Leapy Leapylee2002@gmail.com
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LETTERS
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Letters for Your Say should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments straight on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com
Personal experience leads to a different conclusion I REPLY to a recently published letter from Ron, ‘Ungodly ways’. First of all the commandment is‘Thou shalt do no murder, thou shall not kill in his name,’ is nonsense. Jesus Christ died rather than call on ‘Twelve Legions of Angels’ or “If my kingdom was of this world my disciples would fight, but my kingdom is not of this world.” Pre-Darwin, it was only natural to try to explain our existence. Although his theory is seriously flawed, he leaves us with life as a random and temporary burst between aeons of nothingness. Personal experience leads me to a different conclusion. D R Griffiths, Orihuela Costa, Alicante
Photographs for possible publication should be sent by email with a full caption to: photonews@euroweeklynews.com
Overflowing with bottle-tops
Good and bad in every nation
Ban the hawkers! AS a newcomer to Spain, I would like to pass comment on the roaming hawkers who enter the restaurants to try and sell their merchandise. It is frustrating, to say the least, to try and enjoy a meal, whilst the hawkers continually interrupt the tables. I have seen them work as a team, warning all the other streetsellers in advance of approaching police officers and then giving the all-clear once the threat has passed. They actually laugh at them once they have gone! I have also witnessed some Germans having a meal being called racists because they bought nothing from a hawker. The goods being sold are of an inferior quality and some of them are plain junk. If this practice could be halted, on a continuous basis and restaurant owners prevented their entry, we, as paying guests, would stay longer and enjoy the experience, thus spending more. By the way, we are enjoying Spain, immensely!!! Michael Agliotti, Torrox Costa
people before formulating policies, not making bad and unpopular decisions and later conning the electorate into voting for them ‘or else’. Geoff Brooks, Via website
AS a good, caring, and charitable member of the community here on the Costa del Sol, when I was told that the collecting of bottle-tops and ring-pulls from cans would raise money for charity, I started in earnest. Pretty soon all my friends and family (thinking it was a wonderful idea) began giving me all the ring-pulls and bottle-tops they could find. Well! That was a while ago, and now my house is full to the brim with shiny can rings and multi-coloured plastic. I have thousands of them and no idea how to give them to charity. The breeding collection is bursting out of the doors. Can somebody please tell me who to call for collection? Anne Lee, Coin, Malaga
Science has lost its way
Burning waste peril
GOOD article, Nora. S c ie n ce to d a y s e e ms to ha ve lost its way because no-one can come out and say it IS so. Everything is listed as ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘possibly’ and the like. Scientists today never take the time to be absolutely sure of their test results. And if it isn’t pure lies, it’s conjecture. Roy Peters, Via website
RE: Floods and droughts to hit Spain The first easy action to be taken in the Comunidad Valenciana, Costa Blanca, is STOP burning waste in the open air! Why not make compost or recycle the green waste instead of burning it, polluting the atmosphere with toxic gases and poisoning all the inhabitants and millions of tourists? They even burn next to hospi-
tals, schools, etc... they are, like many others, not aware of the toxic gases produced by these burnings. Berger Micheline, Via website
Tactical voting THE establishment encouraging tactical voting in order to cling on to power at any cost will not keep them in their ‘bubble’ forever, either in France or the UK. They must start to listen to the
WITH reference to Leapy Lee’s writings, before we all get carried away with Islamophobia, let us consider the recent comments of a British soldier who lost his leg during a roadside bomb explosion near Basra. He says on FaceBook and reported by the BBC….. “Yes a Muslim blew me up and I lost a leg. “A Muslim man lost his arm that day, wearing a British uniform. “A Muslim medic was in the helicopter that took me from the field. “A Muslim surgeon performed the surgery that saved my life. “A Muslim nurse was part of the team that helped me on my return to UK. “A Muslim taxi driver gave me a free ride, when I went for my first beer with my dad, after I came home.” Also read Muhammed Ali’s comments condemning so-called Islamic jihadists. There are good and bad in every nation and religion. The bad ones will lose eventually, they always do, history has proven this. Leo, 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:
www.euroweeklynews.com
The views expressed and opinions given in Letters are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. They accept no responsibility for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements, and reject claims arising out of any action that a company or individual may take on the basis of information contained therein.
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TIME OUT
24 - 30 December 2015/ Mallorca
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Famous quote
This week
MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE
‘
The term ‘serious actor’ is kind of an oxymoron, isn’t it? Like ‘Republican party’ or ‘airplane food.’ Johnny Depp
in history 1 - 1st Christmas, according to calendar-maker Dionysus Exiguus 352 - 1st definite date Christmas was celebrated on Dec 25th 640 - John IV begins his reign as Catholic Pope 1066 - Duke William of Normandy (‘William the Conqueror’) crowned king of England 1170 - Assassination inside Canterbury Cathedral of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury 1492 - Christopher Columbus’ flagship the Santa María runs aground and sinks on Hispaniola 1568 - Uprising of Moriscos in Granada 1741 - Astronomer Anders Celsius introduces Centigrade temperature scale 1758 - Return of Halley’s comet 1st sighted by Johann Georg Palitzsch 1777 - Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, is discovered by James Cook 1818 - Christmas carol ‘Silent Night’ composed by Franz Xaver Gruber is first sung at St Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, Austria 1893 - Henry Ford completes his first useful petrol fuelled engine 1914 - Legendary ‘Christmas Truce’ takes place on the battlefields of WWI between British and German troops. Instead of fighting, soldiers exchange gifts and play football. 1922 - BBC broadcasts first British radio play ‘The Truth about Father Christmas’ 1927 - Stalin’s faction wins All-Union Congress in USSR, Trotsky expelled 1963 - Walt Disney’s ‘The Sword in the Stone’ is released 1966 - Jimi Hendrix writes ‘Purple Haze’ backstage at the Upper Cut Club 1968 - Frank Sinatra 1st records ‘My Way’ with lyrics were written by Paul Anka 1975 - Eldrick Tont ‘Tiger’ Woods, was born in Cypress, California.
Women’s wit
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If I make a fool of myself, who cares? I’m not frightened by anyone’s perception of me. Angelina Jolie
World of English
‘
If lawyers are disbarred, and clergymen defrocked, does it not follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged and drycleaners depressed?
“ MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL - AND YOU THERE - ALL ALONE! “
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
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PALMA ANDRATX
LLUCMAJOR MAGALLUF
TOMORROW ALCUDIA
POLLENÇA CALVIA
INCA
PALMA
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LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
LLUCMAJOR MAGALLUF
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Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, and Distributed by Paramount Pictures. Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, and Alec Baldwin. This time: Tom Cruise (Ethan Hunt) finds himself on the run from the CIA as his team takes on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate - an International rogue organisation as highly skilled as they are committed to destroying the IMF.
Javier Arenas, December 28, Politician. Javier Arenas is a Spanish politician who has held a senior position in the PP for many years under both Prime Ministers and is a past president of the party.
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Barry Chuckle, December 24, Comedian, 71 British comedian who with his brother Paul forms the duo, the Chuckle Brothers whose act is aimed at children but is secretly watched by adults as well. Jorgie Porter, December 25, Actress, 28 Originally known as an actress in Hollyoaks, Jorgina Alexandra Porter has become a celebrity at large appearing in a number of TV reality shows, culminating in I’m a Celebrity in 2015. She said after that she ‘fancied’ former dragon contestant Duncan Bannatyne. Martin Cooper, December 26, Inventor, 87 Entrepreneur and inventor known for his work with the Motorola Company in the USA. He is credited with inventing the first mobile phone in the 1970s. Salman Khan, December 27, Actor, 50 Indian film actor, producer and television personality who has had huge success with a string of Bollywood hits. He is said to be one of the most popular and commercially successful actors of Hindi cinema. Ted Danson, December 29, Actor, 68 Best known for his role as bartender, Sam Malone on the television show, Cheers, he has had other starring roles in TV and film over a long career. Jeff Lynne, December 30, Musician, 68 Singer with the Move and founder of Electric Light Orchestra as well as member of the Traveling Wilburys alongside Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty.
Funagram
Just Joking
Unscramble the name of a famous film often shown on TV at Christmas time (four words): ALLOW UNDER FIFTIES
Two cannibals are eating dinner and one says to the other, “I hate my mother-in-law.” The other replies, “Well, just eat your noodles, then.”
Unscramble the name of a single that was a UK number one at Christmas time (three words): IT MENTIONED WALES FUNAGRAM SOLUTION: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, MISTLETOE AND WINE
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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 (DANCER) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.
ATTEST BANTER CAMERA CHEERY CHEESE DANCER (10) DISTAL EARTHY EFFORT ELDEST
GAMBOL HEATER PANDER RETINA RETURN SCURRY SERENE VORTEX YEARLY
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Creaky 2 Chalet 3 Strain 4 Shrift 5 Letter 6 Careen 7 Closer 8 Events 9 Hollow 10 Centre 11 Quaver 12 Billet 13 Astute 14 Lingua 15 Russet 16 Sulfur 17 Beaten 18 Strict 19 Chaste
PISCES (February 20 - March 20) One thing is certain, when you come through this week’s restless planetary antics, you won’t be totally the same Piscean who walked in. ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Education, media, creative and social connections are given star merit. The solar eclipse in your own sign bursts with vitality and success, more so for an array of bold moves, replacements and makeovers covering your personal affairs. TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Stand by for a week of whoosh and whirl. More importantly, try to avoid getting tongue-tied or dogmatic on Tuesday and Friday. Promising potentials appear, especially if you spruce up your competitive streak. GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Throughout this fortunate week,
CAPRICORN
(December 22 - January 20)
Hard-working, enterprising and selfsacrificing are just some of the words that describe your zodiac sign. It will be these qualities that count. Friday will boost your powers of persuasion, but you won’t have too much to complain about if you follow this lucky trend into next week’s encouraging tide. whatever else you decide, refuse to discard your hopes and wishes. As a Gemini, you like to have two strings to your bow of life, which gives you an alternative option, especially if the going gets tough.
EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREA
12-Star Quiz TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS All the questions or answers contain an ‘item’ mentioned in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas 1. Rosie was a 1968 UK top 10 hit single for which English busker/one-man band? 2. What name is often applied to politicians who advocate peaceful or conciliatory policies, especially in foreign affairs? 3. In which allegorical and dystopian novella, first published in 1945, are the hens among the first to rebel against a large Berkshire boar named Napoleon? 4. Which British sitcom, originally broadcast on BBC One from 1989 to 1998, then revived on ITV in 2014, starred Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph? 5. Endemic to Colombia, the gold-ringed tanager is a species of what? 6. Which British 1978 adventure film about a group of mercenaries in Africa, starred Richard Burton as Colonel Allen Faulkner, Roger Moore as Lieutenant Shawn Fynn, Richard Harris as Captain Rafer Janders and Hardy Krüger as Lieutenant Pieter Coetzee? 7. With which sport would you principally associate the Sydney Swans? 8. According to the nursery rhyme Sing a Song of Sixpence, where was the maid and what was she doing? 9. Which group of ladies were ‘in the mood for dancing’ in 1980? 10. What colour are the benches (seats) in the UK House of Lords? 11. What was the name of Doctor Who’s travelling companion played by actress Billy Piper? 12. Which famous actress used ‘thespian words’ to tell a group of street drummers to be quiet while still dressed in her stage costume as Queen Elizabeth II outside the Gielgud Theatre in London in May 2013? Not a lot of people know that… every year since 1984, a group of economists at PNC Wealth Management have figured out how much it would cost to actually buy all the things on the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ list.
YOUR STARS AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Eager Mars meets affluent Jupiter and enriches your financial forecast. It might show a foretaste of money to come, or on-stream benefits. If you intend to make alterations to your personal and home interests, you'll cope with both offbeat and upbeat activities.
TIME
VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Even if the opposite to what you want happens, it could prove useful. One clue to this week’s planetary crossword puzzle is ‘What word could also mean success?’ Check it out, and make it work for you. LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) The solar eclipse in your opposite sign of Aries intensifies your willpower. Before you say ‘go,’ find out where you stand. It might pay you to leave things be for a little longer to see if things begin to change.
CANCER (June 22 - July 23) A vivid star pattern portends a frantic personal and social diary. Ensure that any tight planning is carefully handled, especially if you hope to fit in everything you would like to say. Don’t allow Monday or Wednesday’s tensions to spoil opportunities for settling something important.
SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) The planets mobilise your streak of Scorpio daring, but don't stretch your limits. Your most effective weapon against personal and work-related pitfalls is your ability to be objective. Your desire to make specific situations and conversations work needs to be combined with your faith that they will work. Even if a different approach is required, try it and see.
LEO (July 24 - August 23) Pave the way for any ambitious schemes you may have, rather than actually starting them. With your ruler the Sun eclipsing your kindred fire sign, determined Aries, you are now more likely to get the support and affection you need from the powers that be or someone who thinks the world of you. Loosen up on Tuesday and Thursday.
SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) The main gist of the solar eclipse in fiery Aries and the link between plucky Mars and your ruler friendly Jupiter will stir surprises. Whether you create the right atmosphere all round depends on how you interpret other people’s views. Stick to crisp, simple but sensitively tuned answers, then no one can accuse you of not trying.
1. DON PARTRIDGE, 2. DOVES, 3. ANIMAL FARM, 4. BIRDS OF A FEATHER, 5. BIRD, 6. THE WILD GEESE, 7. AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL, 8. IN THE GARDEN HANGING OUT THE CLOTHES, 9. NOLAN SISTERS/THE NOLANS, 10. RED, 11. ROSE TYLER, 12. Dame HELEN MIRREN
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Nonagram How many English words of four letters or more can you make from the nine letters in our Nonagram puzzle? Each letter may be used only once (unless the letter appears twice). Each word MUST CONTAIN THE CENTRE LETTER (in this case H) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.
TARGET: Average: 8 Good: 10 Very good: 14 Excellent: 18
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION dirt doty moot mort omit riot root rort tidy tiro tori torr trim trio trod troy tyro dirty droit motor rooty rotor toroid torrid DORMITORY
25 Adele BUCKING the trend of downloading music, released on 20 November 2015, 25 hit the ground running at number one in more than 20 markets and broke firstweek sales records in many countries, including the United Kingdom and United States. In the US, the album sold 3.38 million copies in its first week of release, Nielsen SoundScan have said that 25 is the biggest seller since they began tracking point-of-sale music purchases in 1991.
AK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE
Crossword
Enjoy filling in the following puzzles and check the answers in next week’s edition
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LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS
CRYPTIC
Quick
Cryptic
Across: 1 Silver, 4 Pagans, 9 Haste, 10 Amnesia, 11 Mischief, 12 Bait, 14 Serene, 16 Deters, 19 Rash, 20 Atheists, 23 Grimace, 24 Agree, 25 Yields, 26 Detest.
Across 1 Something chewed, filled with brilliant yellow sauce (7) 5 Brad’s worried about poets (5) 8 Euphoria apparent when a family member loses his head (7) 9 Boy gets the French serving spoon (5) 10 Wash thoroughly inside disc rubber (5) 11 A gentle style getting stylish (7) 12 Cedar’s nuts are divine (6) 14 Get the hang of being a teacher (6) 17 A very old bounder, old fruit! (7) 19 Saint gets everything to come to a standstill (5) 22 Many young men have nothing inside them (5) 23 Report about art near building (7) 24 American money, it’s said, has a nice smell (5) 25 Wine cartels are corrupt (7)
Down: 1 Schemes, 2 Lists, 3 Elephant, 5 Arno, 6 Assuage, 7 Scant, 8 Hades, 13 Serenade, 15 Respite, 17 Suspect, 18 Steel, 19 Rugby, 21 Serve, 22 Rand.
QUICK Across:
Down 1 Mating game? (5) 2 There’s a step, but you’ll have to look hard by the sound of it (5) 3 Being friendly, I blame a manager (7) 4 One may waltz about in European river (6) 5 Beautiful French girl is involved in libel legislation (5) 6 Brilliant at drain moving (7)
Code Breaker
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7 Guard rank surrounding lieutenant (7) 12 Small charts for the horses (7) 13 Capone is in work producing a hymn (7) 15 European nation curtailing an American test (7) 16 Tooth can return for an alcoholic drink (6) 18 Possession as fixed (5) 20 Come to a vigil (5) 21 Fifty seek mixed vegetables (5)
Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 11 represents F and 25 represents T, so fill in F every time the figure 11 appears and T every time the figure 25 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 7 Ceremonial procession (6) 8 Concepts (6) 9 In this place (4) 10 Action of bringing something into existence (8) 11 Very small distance or space (7) 13 Deal with (5) 15 Beam (5) 17 Arrives at (7) 20 Arrange systematically (8) 21 Precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals (4) 23 Coned shaped utensil (6) 24 Moves on ice in a gliding fashion (6)
Down 1 Cook with dry heat (4) 2 Ships of the desert (6) 3 Round stone fruits with juicy yellow flesh (7) 4 Acknowledged as a supposition (5) 5 More substantial (6) 6 Citrus drink (8) 12 Funny (8) 14 Let go free (7) 16 Gains knowledge or skills (6) 18 Nonchalant (6) 19 Written accounts of money owed (5) 22 Domesticated bovine animals as a group (4)
1 Hose, 3 Dreadful, 9 Shrinks, 10 Heals, 11 Improvements, 13 Accent, 15 Rescue, 17 Nevertheless, 20 Alike, 21 Betting, 22 Entitled, 23 Asks. Down: 1 Hospital, 2 Scrap, 4 Rested, 5 Achievements, 6 Frantic, 7 Last, 8 Announcement, 12 Messages, 14 Chemist, 16 Stable, 18 Exits, 19 Make.
ENGLISHSPANISH Across:
English - Spanish The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.
1 Shops, 3 Fresa, 7 Rosada, 9 Agua, 10 Calabacin, 13 Aula, 14 Anchoa, 16 Abrir, 17 Adios. Down: 1 Sure, 2 Pea, 4 English, 5 Abad, 6 Cambiar, 8 Smaller, 11 Paja, 12 Ears, 15 Cod.
CODE BREAKER
Across 1 Trineo (4) 2 Manger (7) 6 Abeto (3) 7 Bread (3) 8 Vixen (5) 9 Flor de pascua (10) 13 Regalo (4) 14 Nuevo (3)
Down 1 Dormir (5) 2 Premios (6) 3 Espíritu (6) 4 Berry (4) 5 Temprano (5) 6 Diversión (3) 10 Gold (3) 11 Duende (3) 12 Hostería (3)
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Star Wars: The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary
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WHETHER you’re doing that last minute shopping, trimming the tree, or heading out to a Christmas party, you’re bound to be bopping along to the perfect soundtrack that will get you in the festive spirit. But which ones are the best? There’s so many to choose from. When it comes to deciding what’s going to have you rocking around the Christmas tree at, ‘the most wonderful time of the year’, it’s the oldies that are the goodies.
2. All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey The super-sexy Mariah Carey, with a vocal range so high it’s a good chance she can converse with bats, wrote and produced this song herself, and released it just in time for Christmas 1994. It was an instant hit and has since become what Rolling Stone calls ‘Holiday Standard.’ It has since reportedly earned more than €45 million in royalties. 3. Fairytale Of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl Quite possibly one of the best Christmas songs ever made! Yes, Shane MacGowan is totally out of tune, and yes he looks like he just fell out of bed in 1987, with an empty bottle of supermarket cider, but it works! It kind of reminds you of granddad getting a bit tipsy after crimble dinner and trying to sing. If a Christmas pudding could sing, this is what it would sound like. 4. Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt The sexiest Christmas song ever written. Eartha Kitt purrs more than sings in this 1953 yuletide hit including the classic line: ‘been an awful good girl’ with an eyebrow raised. Now a firm festive favourite, the song is about a high priced
App of the Week Facebook for Windows Phone Even though not actually made by Facebook, the official Facebook app for Windows Phone is finally out of beta. If you were using the beta app before this release, that app will keep getting updates, but this new ‘official’ release will be more stable. To be honest, this app still isn’t perfect it’s missing simple things like the ability to reply to a specific comment in a thread.
Play on Words
1. White Christmas by Bing Crosby First performed on Christmas Day, 1941 White Christmas was written by Irving Berlin while reminiscing about an oldfashioned Christmas setting. the Guinness book of Records states that the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 100 million copies worldwide.
Sudoku
KNIGHTXMAS
TIM
WHITE CHRISTMAS: Best-selling single of all time. fantasy Christmas list to Santa. 5. Winter Wonderland by Doris Day The 1964 version by Doris Day is the firm winner for many; however, others see it as a little sweet, whereas Perry Como’s version is more robust. This song conjures the Christmas of all our dreams, one of snowflakes falling gently on our eyelids, curling up in front of crackling log fires and romance. 6. The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole You can practically smell the roasting chestnuts before the intro ends. This Christmas Song is smoother than ironed silk and more than deserves its place among the best Christmas songs of all time. Written in 1945 by Mel Torme, it’s regarded by BMI as the most-performed Christmas song ever. 7. Merry Christmas Everybody by Slade Personally, this one and Wizzard’s hit sum up Christmas memories perfectly. In 1973, Top of the Pops was at its height, the whole family for dinner and not a
worry in the world. But I guess that’s just a generation thing, however! As Noddy tells us, ‘it’s Chriiisssstmaaaaas.’ 8. Driving Home For Christmas by Chris Rea If you’ve ever lived half a country away from your family and have packed up the car with presents to head home for Christmas through the snow, the ice and the M25, you must appreciate at least the spirit of this 1986 song. 9. Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms Chances are this 1957 stalwart either makes you think of Lethal Weapon or Mean Girls. Either way, it’s an ear worm. The song’s title and some of its lyrics are a parody of the old Christmas standards… Long may they reign! 10. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday by Wizzard Definitely a must on anybody’s list, this 1973 blockbuster has to be one of the best Christmas songs of all time. The crazy Roy Wood and his loony costume were the epitome of a fun-filled Christmas holiday, and probably always will be.
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.
TARGET: Average: 27 Good: 35 Very good: 51 Excellent: 62
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 sixth sift sifts dish fish fist fists foist foists fiat stem stir staid stair stamen test tent tents sent oats titan tans tang tame tames tamest nest nests naifs name aids aria arias atria attest ants ante amen astir mesh maid maids mats matte mans manse mane manes mange mast gnat gnats gent gents gems gums raid ratio trait traits trio sitar said sans sane sanest sang same smug star strait fats fang fair fame fames fast fume
Word Ladder WARM
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.
Christmas songs
EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREAK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE
Answers:Tiny Tim, The night before Christmas.
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HOME BACK
Move from the start word (WARM) to the end word (HOME) in the same number of steps as there are rungs on the Word Ladder. You must only change one letter at a time.
WARM WORM WORE WOVE (TORE) HOVE (TOME) HOME
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HEALTH BEAUTY
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Arthritis issues
Now it’s time to relax FitFoxy
WHATEVER your plans are this Christmas, be sure to allow yourself a little indulgence. If you have been taking care of yourself throughout 2015 and putting your body through its paces it’s time to... STOP and TAKE A DEEP BREATH…
AS the cold weather is on its way, which often seems to worsen arthritis issues, we decided to ask the doctor about that this week. What is arthritis and when does it usually appear? Arthritis is the term we give to inflammation of the joints. Not all joint pain has to be arthritis, in fact most joint pain is due to other causes which are not really arthritis. The reasons it can appear are varied and it can be caused by many things ranging from autoimmune inflammatory conditions, systemic illnesses to trauma etc, therefore the moment it appears depends on the type of arthritis. Joint pain can be influenced by weather changes, diet, exercise and other factors meaning it can worsen in the winter. What are the most common symptoms? Arthritis causes joint pain along with swelling in the joints and surrounding areas which can lead to redness, increased temperature, stiffness and is also sometimes related to fevers and a general feeling of being unwell. It can affect any
joint in the body. How is it diagnosed? Diagnosis is initially reached by examining the patient’s medical history and listening to a specialist. This is followed by blood tests, x-rays of the affected joint and sometimes analysis of liquid from within the joint although this depends on the area and whether it is safe to draw off liquid. Are there any good treatments? The usual treatment involves resting of the joint and use of anti-inflammatory medications to reduce the pain. Sometimes the joint can be injected with medication and in severe cases surgery is an option. What about diet? Diet is important for almost all ailments. In this case it is of importance especially for those who suffer secondary arthritis due to gout. These patients should avoid products high in uric acid such as red meat, seafood and alcohol. Is exercise helpful? Exercise should be avoided while the pain is at its worst but added gradually to daily life as swelling reduces.
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Now give yourself permission to unwind, enjoy your family and friends and take time out without feeling guilty. There are more elements to fitness than just the aesthetic aspect, and in order to have a healthy balance, we need to nurture all of them. In order to maintain a healthy body, you need to maintain a healthy mind. If you are a creature of habit as I am, this can be difficult, as quite often you will have a rigid routine in your normal life. Generally I train five days a week and take weekends off.
My diet is clean during the week and I don’t drink any alcohol unless it is the weekend or a special occasion arises. Alas this is all going to change in the next week or so as I am quite partial to the odd tot of Baileys, box of chocolate liqueurs, mince pies, Christmas pudding and brandy cream….. should I go on? I am also aware that I’m likely to be around 2kgs heavier by New Year, but that’s fine by me, otherwise what would my New Year challenge be? Have a great Christmas, FitFoxy XX
E W N 24 - 30 December 2015 / Mallorca
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OPINION & COMMENT
The magic of the Thursford Christmas Spectacular
OUR VIEW Credit Elliott Brown flickr
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THE ambience is pure enchantment and it simply has to be experienced first-hand 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.
EVEN under a leaden sky on a December day, the vast flatness of the Norfolk countryside is inescapable. Someone once wrote that the Norfolk dialect was a language encapsulated in its landscape, with long vowels and wide horizons, summing up the county and its people. Norfolk is familiar to us during the summer months, with its endless skies and fantastic light so beloved by painters, who are as numerous as the wildfowl in the coastal wetlands. But what could possibly entice someone here on such a bleak winter’s day? Seven miles beyond Fakenham and almost without warn-
YEARLY EVENT: It is perhaps Christmas’ best kept secret. ing to the unwary, we turn into a country lane, indicating Thursford village. With barely room for two vehicles to pass and with no street lighting, this surely is heading into the back of beyond. The only clue to the uniniti-
ated that something interesting lies ahead, is the procession of car tail-lights and a discernible glow in the sky. Then after a bare half mile we enter a massive floodlit car park where fluorescently-clad stewards are busily directing
the flow of cars and coaches. Enter the magical world of the Thursford Christmas Spectacular. To most people, the name Thursford will elicit looks of incomprehension, and yet during November and De-
cember almost 130,000 regularly attend this event with many returning year after year. It is perhaps Christmas’s best kept secret and yet paradoxically, the biggest and most spectacular of all Christmas shows. It would take more space than I have available to adequately describe this spectacle. The ambience is pure enchantment and it simply has to be experienced first-hand. Not all the content is necessarily pure Yuletide, but the genius of John Cushing, Thursford’s producer and director, is to tie the whole package together with a festive ribbon and deliver a wonderfully balanced and awesome Christmas feast of a show. Everyone should witness this Christmas masterpiece once before they die. Do it soon, you are not looking well!
The letter ‘i’ inspires confidence THERE is a sudden torrent of companies using the letter to name their products
WE have all become used to the iProducts produced and marketed by Apple and indeed, they have spread all over the world so there is probably no country except perhaps North Korea where residents can’t buy at least one of their ubiquitous products. What is interesting is the number of companies who are adopting the ‘i’ as part of their business name. You can now find iStorage, iFurnishing and just the other day, the iFilmmaker Festival in Marbella. What does the ‘i’ stand for? There are a number of theories, one of which goes back to the launch of the iMac in 1998, when Steve Jobs explained: “iMac comes from the marriage of the excitement of the internet with the simplicity of Macintosh. Even though this is a full-blooded Macintosh, we are targeting this for the number one use that consumers tell us they want a
Credit John Karakatsanis flickr
By John Smith
APPLE: The new iPhone 6 plus.
ENERGY: Solar panels.
Mixed messages SOMETIMES life can be quite confusing and the actions of politicians and major companies throughout the world seem to add to that. No sooner has Britain confirmed its agreement to the Climate Change Compact in Paris, than the government has drastically cut subsidies to homeowners who wish to install solar panels in an effort to reduce pollution. The power producers certainly appeared to have plenty of economic strength, when they persuaded the Spanish Government to introduce new taxes on those using solar power, as they were worried about reduced profits. Moving on and despite the glut of crude oil on the market and its undeniable effect on the climate, the British Parliament has just voted to allow fracking for shale gas 1,200m below national parks and other protected sites. Fracking is not totally safe as enormous amounts of water are used, and the water is contaminated by the layers of earth it is pumped through as well as the fracking chemicals. Brazil has banned WhatsApp as it allows poorer people to make free calls without having to sign up for expensive contracts. It is surely coincidental that the current President of the Chamber of Deputies has been identified as a lobbyist for the telecommunications industry. In the USA, companies are almost fighting to merge so they can avoid tax, or at least delay paying it whilst paid lobbyists in Washington appear to be accepted as part of the political landscape.
computer for, which is to get on the internet, simply and fast. And that is what this product is targeted for. “The letter ‘i’ also means some other things to us. We are a personal computer company, and although this product is born to network, it also is a beautiful stand-alone product. We are targeting it also for education. They want to buy these. And it is perfect for most of the things they do in instruction. It is perfect for finding tremendous sources of information over the internet. And we hope as you see the product it will inspire us all to make even better products in the future.” The ‘i’ continued to be used and a freelance copywriter Vinnie Chieco is credited with coming up with the word iPod, based on his viewing of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey which contained a reference to a pod. When the lawyers at Apple went to register the name, they discovered that another company, also involved with the internet Now we owned it but was prepared to sell it on. want to Now it is clear that the simple addition hear your views. of an ‘i’ in front of any products seems to inspire confidence and recogniYOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE tion in a customer’s mind although - YOUR OPINION perhaps we will see a time when the www.euroweeklynews.com letter ‘i’ itself becomes protected.
OPINION & COMMENT
24 - 30 December 2015 / Mallorca
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The best way to survive Christmas THERE is not much enjoyment in being as stuffed as the festive turkey! Vicki McLeod
Family Matters Christmas Survival IT’S happening, it’s here. The main event if you’re to believe the hype. Can it possibly live up to the expectations? Well perhaps we should measure our expectations to make sure that we can get through the next week or so with the least amount of stress. I’ve been reading around the subject of ‘Christmas Survival’ and there’s plenty of articles out there on the web which can give you some ideas, but if you don’t have the time, here’s my round up of the best. Don’t try and do everything If you are responsible for cooking and hosting the Christmas Day activities, then don’t take it all upon yourself. Ask other family members to bring different parts of the meal, such as snacks, salads or desserts - don’t be afraid to ask for help. Make sure you have some time for YOU, even if it’s just allowing yourself to watch one
BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE: Take a walk and recover after your festive lunch. special TV show that you want to see. Everything in moderation Christmas seems to be all about excess - but there is not much enjoyment in feeling the size of a padded Santa suit or as stuffed as the festive turkey!
The best advice is moderation - apply it to everything you eat and drink. Drink moderate amounts of alcohol and try to alternate soft drinks or water with alcoholic ones. As for food, have a bit of what you fancy but try not to
stuff your face if you can help it! Difficult I know, but try. Get active, rehydrate and sleep! You’ve got to balance your festivities with some time to rest, and recuperate. Active recovery, such as taking
a walk in the beautiful landscape of Mallorca is a perfect way to do this. Follow it up with a snooze on the sofa or an early bedtime. Don’t be on your own If you are concerned about being lonely over Christmas, either being single or unable to spend it with family, then do something about it now. Think about inviting a few others over who are in the same boat as you and consider offering your house as a venue. Also try not to turn down any invitations to other festive events, provided that you are giving yourself a chance to recover in between! A final word… Christmas should be fun but if you find that previous years have not been enjoyable then consider doing something about it - try something different. One way would just be to get away from it all and remove the majority of the hassle from the whole festive experience. Although we know how stressful preparing for a holiday can be! Happy Christmas from me and my family to you and yours. V xxx www.mallorcamatters.com
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O’Neill’s Bar & Restaurant SERVING good home-cooked meals in an atmosphere where everyone feels at home STUART MORENO loved working at O’Neill’s so much, he bought the business! For the past four years, Stuart and his fiancée, Nikki, have been the proud owners of O’Neill’s in Palma Nova, just a few metres down from the big Eroski. “We’re a family run business and Nikki and I do everything together!” says Stuart. “We’re both chefs by trade and we like to serve a good, home-cooked meal in an atmosphere where everyone feels at home.” Tasty specials include the homemade steak and Guinness pie and the chocolate Guinness cake with Bailey’s frosted icing. “Since Nikki started working here about four years ago, I have put on the kilos! As they say, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and she captured mine with her delicious desserts!” jokes Stuart. The restaurant has a large terrace
for al fresco dining and in the summer both locals and tourists enjoy their visits. “We’re popular with the locals all year round,” said Stuart “and obviously summer is always busy with the tourists too.” For great offers, Stuart and Nikki are happy to offer specials all year round (except for Sundays) and over the festive season and every other evening one can enjoy a meal for two people with a bottle of house wine (if you don’t drink, then you can choose one of Nikki’s delicious desserts) and all for the fantastic price of 21.50€! And if you’re in need of a pickme-up on New Year ’s Day, then why not pop down to O’Neill’s and enjoy their breakfast special - two for one - a traditional fry-up or, alternatively, try our smoked Scottish kippers! Winter opening hours: Wednesdays to Fridays
10am till 9pm Saturdays and Sundays 10am till 8pm Closed Mondays and Tuesdays Reservations essential for Sunday lunch! O’Neill’s Bar Restaurant C/de Paris 8 Palma Nova Tel: 971 683 010
O’NEILL’S: Both locals and tourists enjoy their visits.
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Join anti-fur demo ICA hope that people will join them on Boxing Day AN anti-fur demonstration will take place on Boxing Day (December 26) in Plaza España. Organised by ICA Animal Association, participants a r e i n v i t e d t o m e e t there at 11am and for two hours, members will hand out leaflets to the public to educate them on how many animals are cruelly killed to make just one fur coat. There will be a chilling perfor m a n c e wh i c h w ill highlight this bloody industry and ICA’s ultimate desire is that people will be forced to reject such a practice. “We hope people will join us ,” s a i d Ai d a Sa n ch ez , member of ICA. “The r e i s t o o m u ch bloodshed in the world already and cruelty to animals forms part of it. We have to change o u r h a b i t s a n d o n Saturd a y we sh a l l t r y to reach into people’s hearts with o u r m e ssa g e fo r change.” They wi l l b e j o i n e d b y other animal associations
such as Sociedad y Protectora de Animales y Plantas (S PA P ), M o ix o s d e Son Puig, Miaus Mallorca and Mininas. Any other animal
organisations or associations are invited to attend. ICA are a non profit organisation and always dependent on donations.
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Gremlins horror showing in Palma FOR those of you who remember the 1984 American comedy horror film, Gremlins, then the people’s cinema, Cine Ciutat in Palma, is the place for you this Sunday (December 27). The film was an instant success when it was released and is about a young man who receives a strange creature called a mogwai as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters.
GREMLINS: The film was an instant success.
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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
TO READ MORE
PROPERTY www.euroweeklynews.com
We have to recognise traditions MANY nationalities are buying their homes in Spain, it’s important to acknowledge the different customs John Graham The property expert
CHRISTMAS! It’s time to celebrate and nobody does it better than the Spanish. It’s a Catholic country with many cultural and religious traditions and Christmas in Spain is a wonderful mix of religious
and modern celebrations. You probably have a decorated Christmas tree in your home in Spain, and we have to thank Germany for introducing the ‘Christbaun’ in the 16th century. If you are from the UK thank Queen Victoria for introducing the custom of having a Christmas tree in your home. As you hang up your Christmas stocking, spare a thought for the patron saint of children St Nicholas, a Greek, who
started the tradition. Don’t forget Boxing Day, you can thank the UK for this tradition but Spain does not yet have Boxing Day on the Christmas calendar. Let’s not forget the Christmas turkey, made immortal by Scrooge’s gift to the Cratchit family in Charles Dickens ‘A Christmas Carol’. What’s all this got to do with owning a property in Spain? Well if you work in property I
think it’s important to recognise that people from all around the world have different customs and traditions, and they are buying homes here in Spain. So although property buyers are all different and originate from different countries, they do have one very important point in common, their dream to own a home in Spain. The number of non-Spanish buyers is growing, and official figures show an almost continu-
GIVEN that the time is right for investment in Spanish property, the next question would be, what type will be the most profitable? Real estate investment in Spain at the moment is sweet. Shops, homes, offices and garages, any of the areas on the market offer yields above the majority of the products offered by banks.
ous monthly increase in sales on the Costas and Balearics. I have received many Christmas cards from my customers who have decided to buy a property in Spain in 2016, and it’s my job is to find exactly what they are looking for. It seems that 2016 should be another year of record-breaking sales on the Costas and the Balearics. Buyers with different customs and traditions are looking
Knowing the property sweet spot
forward to buying their dream home in Spain, and enjoy celebrating Christmas in Spain next year. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. If you want to sell, or are looking to buy a property in 2016 please contact me. John Graham. Fellow of The Architecture & Surveyors Institute. International Property Expert Gk.ipad@me.com
In fact, the figures can double in comparison with, in the worst case, government bonds to 10 years, according to the latest report published by idealista. The retail unit seems to be sweeter according to the survey, offering a gross return of 7.5 per cent. And office blocks or space provide a yield of 6.8 per cent, while garages have been stabilised at 4.6 per cent.
Spain an attractive property market ACCORDING to the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm CBRE, Spain was the sixth most attractive destination in the world for real estate investors in the first half of 2015, securing €8.5 billion of investment. The news places Spain in excellent company, behind only the USA, UK, Australia, Germany and Japan. Real estate investment in Spain was 144 per cent more than that in Italy, and double that of The Netherlands. Spain has now jumped 10 places on the reputable list, having occupied 16th place in 2013, and, with experts predicting Europe will retain its high investment rate, Spain can look forward to 2016.
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Why on earth are toll roads odd amounts? Mike Senker
In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man I DECIDED to go to Gibraltar to watch the snooker of which I’m a great fan. I set off on my journey and as I got on to the road down to the delightful A7, which used to be the N340, I remembered someone once said to me it was the most dangerous road in Europe. My reply was: “How? It’s a pretty straight road! The raving lunatics that use it are the danger.” The lorry drivers that sit up your rear end because you are not going as fast as they want. Plus the morons that pull out of the slip roads at 20 kilometres an hour. This is the road which used to have a speed limit of 120. That got changed to 80, for some reason to do with making people save fuel and lives. They did this by putting new stickers of the 80 speed limit on the existing road signs and then, pretty quickly, changed them back! In some areas they couldn’t peel the new stickers off so then had to put new ones, all very confusing and a waste of money!
Anyway, I’m going on my merry way and then in front of me is the sight that is the bane of most driver’s lives here, the four abreast cyclists! They are all lycraed up as if they are on the Tour de France but, seriously, why four abreast? I do my normal cursing and sit behind them for two miles until I can get past. I finally get on the main road and decide to go on the toll road. I love that road. It’s like having your own personal highway and the reason it’s always empty is because most of the time the toll charge is ridiculously high, and you never know how much it’s going to be from one week to the next. Of course, I make the mistake of going through the wrong bit. The bit that you have to put the exact coins in and, of course I don’t have the exact amount. So the €3.10 toll now costs me €4! For someone like me that is a shopaholic money waster, paying 90 cents more is like being robbed at gunpoint!! Why on earth is it an odd amount? Why can’t it be €3 or €4? If anyone knows, please let me know at mikesenker@gmail.com. Actually, let me know what makes you grumpy and we can compare notes! In the meantime I’m going to try and have an ungrumpy Christmas and, if I don’t, you’ll be hearing all about it!
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LEGALLY SPEAKING
Alcohol and drugs tests out in force 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.
BEST ADVICE: Zero consumption before getting behind the wheel. ALCOHOL and drugs tests out in force this week Throughout this week in the run up to Christmas, there will be a focus on one of the main contributors to road traffic incidents, alcohol and drugs. The Guardia Civil will be out in force with plans to conduct at least 25,000 alcohol and drugs tests each day. The main goal is to detect and deal with habitual offenders, who get behind the wheel on a regular basis whilst having consumed alcohol or drugs. The latest figures extracted from the most recent data available suggests that there may be around 12,000 drivers who meet this continually dangerous criteria. So far this year, more than 84,000 drivers have tested positive, risking not only their
own but the lives of many innocent victims, who all too often leave the scene of the carnage facing a life dealing with serious injuries and, on numerous occasions, leaving the friends and families of loved ones having to deal with their death. According to the annual report of the National Institute of Toxicology, 39.09 per cent of deceased drivers displayed the presence of alcohol or drugs in their blood. The figure rises to 40 per cent when pedestrians are analysed. Even the smallest amount of alcohol or drugs can affect driving ability and so, despite Spain having considerably lower maximum limits than countries such as the UK, the best advice is always zero consumption before getting behind the wheel.
For more news and articles visit www.n332.es or search N332 on Facebook.
Can they lock fire doors? I LIVE in an apartment complex of more than 200 units on nine floors. There are eight entrances with elevators and stairwells to the roof and underground parking areas. There are no notices of an evacuation plan and by order of the President, all fire doors to the roof and to parking areas are permanently locked. If you want something changed in your Community, put the issue on the formal Agenda for the AGM, discuss it, and vote on it. In the case of locked fire exits, we find a con-
An exit to the pool area is also locked after 11pm to prevent use of the pool by holidaymakers. This leaves only one exit door for 27 or 36 apartments. Our Administrators have raised my safety concerns with the President but he is adamant the fire exits are locked at all times. Is there an alternative course of action? L.T. (Costa Blanca)
David Searl You and the Law in Spain
flict between safety and security.
A locked exit is useless in an emergency but too many doors can allow access to unwanted persons. You may find that local building regulations require the doors to be open.
Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.
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Looking after plants over Christmas MANY people are busy with festive preparations, but don’t forget the plants need care too Dick Handscombe
Gardening Corner By Spain’s best known expatriate gardening author living in Spain for 25 years.
AT this time of year many expats are busy with the preparations and enjoyment of two weeks of Spanishstyle festivities stretching from Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), to Los Reyes (The Three Kings), with the Año Nuevo (The New Year) in the middle, but at the same time there are three sets of plants that need some care. Firstly, those plants in window boxes or pots to cheer up the front of the house. Typically these are poinsettias, cyclamens, mini roses, mini Christmas trees, crotons, kalenchoes, azaleas, chrysanthemums, pansies and violas. Many of these will have been grown in hot houses and until a few days before delivery to garden centres were used to almost continuous tray or drip feeding. So plant all of these in a moisture retaining compost mix and water them once or twice a week to keep the compost damp, especially if they are placed where they will receive sun for most of the day. If you have a box of the very useful TerraCottem water retaining soil/compost improvement gel make use of it.
TIPS: On how to care for your house and garden plants.
Secondly, do visit the greenhouse and/or cold frame every few days as these can get warm on sunny days and cuttings and seedlings can irreversibly dry out. Also sprinkle around a few ecological snail pellets because snails do look for winter shelter, and just one snail can cause havoc eating the
Saving your basil plant WILTING supermarket basil on the windowsill is one of life’s great consistencies, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Few realise that a pot of basil is not one plant but actually a tight gathering of around 20 odd seedlings, w hich m a k e s i t l o o k fu ll and vibrant. Ultimately, however, the seedlings will start to fight one another for space and nutrients, soon leaving them all wi l t i n g i n a n ap t
me ta p h o r fo r th e h u m a n race. To solve this puzzle, take out the clump of plants and divide into four, weed out the weakest seedlings and keep just five strong ones per clump. P lan t e a c h o f th e fo ur clumps in their own individu al p o t w ith a s o il-b a s e d p o ttin g mix . G en ero u s ly dowse them in water, and leave them in a prime spot in the sunlight and reap the rewards later.
leaves of favourite cuttings for its Christmas lunch. Thirdly, emergent seedlings in the vegetable garden may still have shallow roots so don’t let these dry out. Fourthly, newly purchased house plants, especially flowering ones, will need watching and timely watering. These will often have been used
to a hot house with a high humidity but although living spaces in the house will be warm from log stoves or central heating the air will be dry with little humidity. So check the dampness of compost every two days and if it is starting to dry out give the plant a watering and also spray the leaves with a fine jet
water sprayer. ‘Amaryllis enjoy sunny windowsills’ ‘Hyacinths enjoy cool rather than hot conditions’ Christmas gifts may be any of the plants listed earlier plus bulbs. These are best placed on a regularly used covered terrace and if brought inside, restrict the hours in a hot room. Lastly, if tender potted plants have been kept on open or covered terraces, or around the front porch for a Christmas effect, do now give them protection from the possibility of freezing winds and heavy frost during January, February and early March. ‘My annual temporary winter plastic greenhouse’ I line a metal gazebo with a large sheet of plastic hoisted up over an old plastic table top, and tied back with lengths of wood to create a secure temporary green house for around 50 plants. In fact the cold house gets quite warm, so the door is opened up once a week and if things are drying out the inside is lightly hosed with a fine jet of water. Happy year end best wishes to all our readers and do keep all those plants alive. © Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com December 2015.
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How to help your dog prepare for your new baby CHANGES in your pet’s routine should be introduced before your child arrives
MAKAI: Posing with dog walking charges.
The benefits of hosting a pet friendly family To find a pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on +44 (0)1865 521508
WHEN choosing a pet-sitter it goes without saying that you need to look for experience, and someone who has an affection and will cherish your animals. But does it have to be just one pet-sitter? Have you considered hosting a pet-friendly family who have experience pet-sitting? There are advantages. Originally from Canada, Makai and his parents started travelling the world about nine months ago. Both parents have portable careers and decided to pack up and find a way to make an extended adventure as a family. The way they make this affordable is they house-sit and pet-sit as they go from place to place. Makai loves the pets, he is good with animals and both he and his parents now have near-
ly a year’s solid experiences of caring for all kinds of domesticated pets from dogs, cats and rabbits to hens and donkeys. For most of the day time hours they manage his schooling online and the break times are spent with the animals. The routine is a regular structure to their day, and they flex according to the pet owners’ requests regarding the pet-specific requirements. Their favourite house-sitting assignment to date was to care for two small dogs on the Costa Almeria in Spain. They had two adorable dogs to care for and were only a five minute walk from the beach during May and June. What an ideal introduction to life in Spain. House-sitting can be a win win for both homeowner and house-sitter.
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
GRADUALLY introduce changes in your dog’s routine as soon as you know a baby is on the way. If a dog does not connect the changes with the baby’s arrival, it has less reason to be jealous. Here are a few changes to introduce. 1. Your dog should not be the centre of attention at all times, and should not sit on your lap, (if at all) only when invited by you. 2. Get your dog used to being away from you, sometimes in another room, or an indoor kennel, never in the nursery. 3. Take a refresher course at a training school, and think about practice walks with the pram, it can be trickier than it sounds! 4. Check with your vet about canine hygiene and worming. When your baby is born your dog may be left for hours while you are in hospital,
CHANGES: If introduced early mean your dog has less reason to be jealous. or upset by the excitement if you are at home. Arrange for someone the dog knows to look after and walk them. It is an old wives’ tale that letting your dog drink breast milk or play with dirty nappies will help your dog and baby to become friends, but sending home a blanket that the baby has slept on may help your dog to get used to the baby’s scent. When you come home let someone else hold your baby while you greet your dog, introduce them later when he is calm. Do not try to keep your dog and baby completely apart, you won’t be able to
keep it up! Teach them both to interact calmly and gently, no licking by the dog or grabbing by the child. Never ever leave dogs alone with babies or young children. Shut your dog out of the room or pop the baby in a secure playpen. This applies every time you use the bathroom, answer the door or phone, or have a meal. It is not a matter of ‘trust’. Toddlers can accidentally injure or alarm dogs (eg by falling on them) and startled dogs may react impulsively, lashing out or biting. Your dog may have to wait in the queue for love but they still need you.
A Yorkshire terrier is in the record books as the oldest dog in Britain at 117 years old AT 117 dog years Jack the Yorkshire Terrier from Hartlepool has roared into the record books as the oldest dog in Britain, and the eighth oldest canine across the whole world. Celebrating his 26th birthday (in human years) on December 16, Jack is still in fine form, despite suffering from arthritis, and is still a cheeky chappy according to owner Ray Bunn.
Now some of you may be wondering how 26 human years adds up to Jack’s epic 117, after all isn’t the ratio seven to one? Actually this peculiar rule of thumb is far from accurate because dogs age quicker than humans in their early days, and slower in their later years. Smaller breeds also tend to live longer than their larger cousins.
To give you an idea of what this means, smaller dogs like Jack will be 15 in dog years in their first human year, about 26 in their fifth human year, and 56 in their 10th human year. Ol d Jack, however, i s off t he charts, which usually stop at around 16 human years. So congratulations Jackie boy. Long may you rove.
BOATS
24 - 30 December 2015 / Mallorca
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A possible answer to marina pollution Photo Credit holbox shutterstock
FUNDING and exposure are the two most important things
MARINA WATERS: The Seabin has been designed to catch floating rubbish, oil, fuel and detergents. By John Smith A MALLORCA based pair, Andrew Turton and Peter Ceglinski have come up with an innovative idea which they hope will help to clean up the waters in marinas in particular and give them a decent financial return. The invention, known as the Seabin is an automated rubbish bin that catches floating rubbish, oil, fuel and detergents. It is designed for floating docks in the water of marinas, private pontoons, inland waterways, residential lakes, harbours, water ways, ports and yacht clubs or it can be fitted to the ever growing fleets of superyachts. According to their website, “marinas, ports and yacht clubs are the perfect place to start helping clean the oceans. There are no huge open ocean swells or storms inside the
marinas; it’s a relatively controlled environment. “The wind and currents are constantly moving the floating debris around in our oceans and in every port, marina or yacht club there is always some pollution, heavy areas based on the predominant wind and current directions. “By working with these marinas, ports and yacht clubs they can locate the Seabin in the perfect place and Mother Nature brings us the rubbish to catch it. Sure we can’t catch everything right now, but it’s a really positive start. “The Seabin is situated at the water’s surface and is plumbed into a shore based water pump on the dock. The water gets sucked into the Seabin bringing all floating debris and floating liquids into the Seabin. We catch all the floating debris inside the Seabin and the water then flows out through the bottom of the
bin and into the pump on the dock. “The water then flows through the pump where we have the option of installing an oil/water separator and clean water then flows back into the ocean. This process is constant, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.” As with so many new projects, whilst the idea is good and the prototype is seen to work, funding and exposure are the two most important things for them now. They attended the huge METSTRADE show in Amsterdam to debut their project and attracted some significant interest and they are now trying to raise additional funds through crowdfunding which can be approached through their website www.seabinproject.com. It is reported that their home base, Mallorca has shown some interest in the project and may test Seabin next year.
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One of the greatest back in Rolex race HAILED as one of the greatest yachts of her day with three wins in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, in 1979 when known as Bumblebee IV and then as Ragamuffin in 1988 and 1990, this grand old lady of yachting has been working as part of a charter fleet in Queensland but is now returning to competition. On Boxing Day, spectators will see the 36-year-old yacht make her hopefully triumphant return to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race as she gracefully sets sail bringing back so many memories of one of the great eras of this remarkable race. Now known as Maxi Ragamuffin, she was purchased and renovated by Keith Batt, the CEO of Nant (Whisky) Distilling Company at a cost of something in the region of one million Australian dollars (€660,000) and although he originally wanted to just spon-
sor a yacht in the race, when he discovered that this was for sale, he immediately changed his plan. The vessel will carry two barrels of whisky during the journey, in keeping with whisky manufacturing tradition as this supposedly helps to mature and colour the whisky. No doubt wherever she finishes in the race, there will be a limited edition of bottles taken from these two barrels which should appeal to lovers of whisky and sailors alike. According to her boat manager and skipper Graham Eaton. “She’s been fully stripped and rebuilt from stem to stern,” Eaton says “We took 95 per cent of the deck gear off. All the winches were stripped and we found that 50 to 90 per cent of each winch had to be rebuilt and there were no spare parts available anymore. Everything had to be custom made in Sydney.”
London Boat Show arrivals TWO spectacular yachts, the Princess 60 and Princess V58 Open, made their way along the Thames on their way to EXCEL London in preparation for the London Boat Show which opens on January 8 and runs until January 17, 2016. Once the boats arrive there, a crane will lift the motor yachts out of the water so they can be placed on the back of lorries for transportation to the Show.
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Top Gear may have new rival ITV have come into the fray of motoring shows with the announcement that they are about to launch a show to rival Top Gear. The Drive, as it will be called, will see celebrities lined up against one another on the track, where they will compete against the clock to become the top driver. The winners will then fight it out to be the series champ in a grand finale. One of the stars who has signed for the new show is former model and TV presenter Melinda Messenger. She told The Daily Star she wasn’t always the best driver: “On my first driving lesson I almost took a slip road to the motorway by mistake, which resulted in lots of shouting. The instructor asked me to swap seats.” A source said: “Think Top Gear’s ‘Star in a reasonably priced car’, and that’s Drive. But ours is more like stars in a very expensive car.”
Clarkson Quote of theWeek
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That Zonda, really! It’s like a lion in orange dungarees. Kind of fierce, but ridiculous all at the same time.
Some might say...
Saying goodbye to a legend
CAR: An iconic offroader.
ONE of the most recognised vehicles By Steve Walsh A ONE-OF-A-KIND Land Rover Defender sold for a record £400,000 (€549,224) at a prestigious charity auction at Bonhams, from which all proceeds are being donated to Land Rover’s humanitarian and conservation partners. This is thought to be the most valuable production Land Rover ever to be sold at auction. As the world bids a fond farewell to the classic Land Rover Defender, fans of the
iconic offroader are clicking like mad to see a new film celebrating one of the world’s most recognisable vehicles. The film was commissioned to celebrate the global automotive icon and to promote the charity auction of the Defender 2,000,000, which took place at Bonhams headquarters in London on December 16, where it sold for £400,000 (€549,224). The film is called ‘From production to auction, the Defender 2,000,000 journey’, and marks the event as Land Rover ambassadors and well-known
fans of Defender visited the Solihull production line to help build the Defender 2,000,000. Funds from the sale of this vehicle will be going to Land Rover supported charities, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Born Free Foundation. FOND FAREWELL: To the Land Rover Defender.
You can see the film by following this link: http://www.landrover.com/above-and-beyond/celebrate-defender/2-million-vehicles.html
‘One careful lady owner’ RARE 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona found in barn KEEPING the illusive ‘barn find’ romance alive, a real gem has been found in Alabama, USA, and is now expected to generate a small fortune at auction in January. She doesn’t look much after nearly a half century in an old barn, but nevertheless, there are great expectations for the old girl. The valuation price of the car is e s tima te d a t be tw e e n $150,000 a nd $180,000 (more than €150,000).
The reason for the high cost is that there were only about 500 of these monsters produced, of which only a small minority have been kept running. The c a r is a D odge Charger Daytona, the special version which was produced in 1968-69. As the name suggests, the car was designed to have a great career on American racetracks, but despite
the streamlined design and the huge wing, it failed to beat Ford in the end, who took the NASCAR title both years. I t st i l l has t he or i gi nal Dodge 440 Magnum V8 engine, and according to the cl ock, i t had onl y done about 33,000 kilometres before it was stored and for-
got t en about i n t he m i d1970s. According to the auction house Mecum, the car was originally bought by a local judge in Alabama, who gave it to his wife. One careful lady owner eh! Don’t you just love those ‘barn find’ stories?
AUCTION: Car is expected to generate a small fortune.
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SPORT
José departs, Foxes top dogs, United booed off, Test returns ACTION-PACKED line-up of sport for the festive period 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
TRADITIONALLY over the Christmas period, millions of supporters attend various sporting events – and 2015 will be no different to any other year with football, cricket, rugby and horse racing among the many pastimes which will be well attended from now until the end of the month. FOOTBALL – Over the festive season, there are full programmes of Premiership, Championship, Leagues 1 and 2, Scottish and Conference football matches. • On Boxing Day, PL leaders Leicester visit Liverpool before taking on Manchester City who start their holiday fixtures with a home game against lowly Sunderland. • High-placed Arsenal travel to Southampton and then play in-form Bournemouth at The Emirates; Manchester United (booed off after losing at home to Norwich last Saturday) go to Stoke before welcoming Chelsea, who sacked José Mourinho last Thursday, seven months after winning the title, and placed former boss Guus Hiddink in temporary charge. The reigning champions start the festive season with a home game against in-form Watford who walloped Liverpool 3-0 last Sunday. • Bottom club Aston Villa play West Ham (H) and Norwich (A), Newcastle entertain Everton and then visit WBA while Sunderland also
WORLD CLUB CUP CHAMPIONS: Fifth trophy for Barcelona. have to play at Anfield. • The top Championship games on December 26/28 are firstly Blackburn v leaders Middlesbrough, BrentfordBrighton (whose record 21match unbeaten run ended last weekend), Derby-Fulham and Hull-Burnley, followed by Brighton-Ipswich, LeedsDerby, MiddlesbroughSheffield Wednesday and PNEHull. In Leagues 1 and 2, the top matches are Bradford CityBurton, Coventry-Port Vale, Oxford-Exeter and WalsallPeterborough, while in Scotland it’s Hearts-Celtic, Rangers-Hibs and Annan-Clyde. • Tottenham Hotspur will have a new ground by August 2018. The capacity will be 61,080 (bigger than The Emirates) and will cost £400m,
with another £275m being spent on adjoining facilities, including 600 flats, a museum, medical centre, numerous shops and restaurants. • Barcelona won their fifth trophy of 2015 by lifting the World Club Cup, defeating River Plate 3-0 in Yokohama. • Ex-Fulham star, Coventry City manager, football innovator and BBC Match of the Day presenter Jimmy Hill has died aged 87. He gave me a trial with Sky Blues in the mid1960s. RIP CRICKET – The first Test between South Africa and England starts in Durban on Boxing Day… the second Test between Australia and the West Indies will commence in Melbourne… and New Zealand face Sri Lanka in Christchurch. RUGBY UNION – Dylan Hartley will captain England in the 2016 Six Nations tournament and over the holiday period, the top Aviva PL games are Exeter-Sale and Leicester-Newcastle, followed by Bath-Worcester, Harlequins-Gloucester and WaspsSaracens. TENNIS - Andy Murray, who is retaining Amelie Mauresmo as his coach, may pull out of the Australian Open
in Melbourne next month, if his wife goes into premature labour. Heather Watson has split with her coach Diego Veronelli and Roger Federer will partner Martina Hingis in the mixed doubles at the Rio Olympics next summer. HORSE RACING – My tips for the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day are Silviniaco Conti and Cue Card with Don Poli the outsider CONGRATULATIONS – Last Sunday Andy Murray was crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year; Team of the Year was GB’s Davis Cup tennis squad; gymnast Ellie Downie was Young Sports Personality for 2015; Kiwi rugby star Dan Carter took the ‘Overseas’ top prize; NI’s soccer boss Michael O’Neill was Coach of the Year and jockey Tony McCoy was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Other awards went to Damien Lindsay (unsung hero) and young Bailey Matthews (Helen Rollason award winner).
CHRISTMAS FOOTBALL FACTS • In 1955, Numancia and Lugo drew 6-6 here in Spain. • Lee Holmes was 15 when he made his debut for Derby in 2002. • Newcastle scored 16 goals against Merseyside clubs in 1933, beating Everton 7-3 and Liverpool 9-2. • In 1927, Luton led Northampton 5-0 at halftime in a League game; final score Luton 5 Northampton 6. • In 1962, Oldham beat Southport 11-0 - the biggest ever Fourth Division win. • 20,851 fans saw the last League game played on
INSPIRING: Andy Murray voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Christmas Day when Blackpool beat Blackburn 4-2 in 1965. • Leicester were bottom of the PL 12 months ago; now they’re top! And with that I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas
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Dylan Hartley will captain England in the 2016 Six Nations tournament. He was dropped from the World Cup after being banned for a head-butt. Mallorca’s best guide to local sport
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Charity windfall follows Pinmar THE recent 27th annual Pinmar golf event at Son Gual, Mallorca’s number-one golf destination, raised more than €65,000 for charity. More than 330 golfers took part in the two-day event, which was won by a team from the 61m motor yacht Mylin IV. And almost 700 people attended the prize-giving and gala dinner at Pueblo Español, as well as the ‘after party’ at Pacha. This year’s contribution takes the total contributed to charity in the 27 years of the event to a staggering €765,000. Proceeds from the event will be split between charities determined by the winning team and the or-
ganiser Pinmar, the super-yacht finishing specialist, and these will include Joves Navegants, Handisports, Tyume Valley Schools, Allen Graham 4 Kidz, Sail 4 Cancer, Serve-on and many more. Pinmar’s company secretary Nick Entwisle, said: “Once again, the Son Gual course was in perfect condition despite very heavy rain the day before the tournament, and as always, the wonderful Son Gual staff looked after us with their habitual care and attention to detail.” This is the sixth year that Pinmar has hosted its annual charity fundraiser at Golf Son Gual.
FUNDRAISER: The 27th Pinmar golf event took place at Son Gual, Mallorca’s number-one golf destination.