Voted Best
ISSUE NO. 1711
19 - 25 April 2018
Newspaper in Spain 2017 & 2018
MALLORCA
YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
Smashed to pieces
Brits held for ‘destroying hotel room’ TWO British tourists have been arrested in Playa de Palma after they allegedly caused more than €2,000 worth of damages to their hotel room. The two brothers, aged 20 and 26, are believed to have smashed up the room they were staying in while visiting Mallorca. According to reports, security services at the hotel received complaints that there was a lot of noise coming from a fifth floor room,
DAMAGE: The British brothers allegedly caused €2,000worth.
Holiday horror A BRITISH holidaymaker has been hospitalised after plunging off a seafront cliff while snapping a selfie in Mallorca. The unnamed man, who is reportedly 38 years old, plummeted more than three metres near the Puig de Ros housing
estate in Llucmajor, after a rock he was standing on gave way. He had been staying at a nearby hotel with friends and was rescued by firefighters after a witness raised the alarm. Although conscious, he told onlookers he thought he had
broken both arms and a leg. Medics said he may have suffered spinal injuries and was in “a serious condition” after an ambulance took him to hospital in the island’s capital Palma, where he was expected to undergo surgery.
while the occupants were also allegedly throwing bottles and furniture from the room onto the street. When security services inspected the room they reportedly found that the pair has destroyed the entire room with a telephone socket, hair dryer, desk, toilet, skirting boards and doors all seriously damaged. The damage is believed to have cost more than €2,000. And following a report from the hotel to the police, the two Brits were arrested and have now appeared in court.
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Porreres shooter in court A 77-YEAR-OLD man who allegedly shot dead a member of a gang accused of attempting to rob his house has appeared in court on murder charges. Pau Rigo told the Manacor court he believed one of the accused knew he had a safe containing thousands in cash from his slot machine business inside his Porreres villa. The defendant added Jose Antonio SL, 44, worked at his company and that he was later the mastermind of the alleged attempted robbery. The court heard from Rigo that he did not want to kill anyone in response to his shooting of 25year-old Mauricio Escobar. He said he was “very scared” at the time of the break in and that he had been “very overcome” as a result of the situation.
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NEWS EXTRA Smoke poisoning AN elderly woman has been treated for smoke inhalation after a fire, which was reportedly caused by a candle on a wooden bookshelf, broke out in her home on Calle Calvet Bernat in Palma.
Items seized GUARDIA CIVIL officers in Santa Margalida have seized a number of possessions, which include jewellery, sunglasses and other items, that were stolen from homes in Muro and surrounding areas.
Student A 20-YEAR-OLD Mallorcan student, Cris Oehling Pascual, has been named on UK news website The Tab’s top women to watch in 2018. Voting is now open on the website to decide the top 30.
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Drugs probe hell Brit bus driver was set up, family claim By Matt Ford THE family of a British bus driver ‘trapped’ in a Spanish prison in connection with a €4.6 million drugs swoop claim that he was set up. Dad-of-seven Michael Penney was driving a luxury double-decker coach used to transport touring rock bands when police pulled the British-plated vehicle over on the AP-7 toll road in Valencia. The 40-year-old from Margate, Kent, and his British co-driver, 59, were held and remanded in custody after more than 15 kilos of cocaine and 750 kilos of hashish were found stashed in hidden compartments under beds and behind cabinets. They were later denied bail by a Spanish judge, but 10 weeks after his arrest Michael’s wife Melissa, 34, insists that he is innocent and says she has been told that a
police probe could go on for two years. Melissa - who has set up a fundraising campaign to help her husband pay for a lawyer - told local UK media: “He would never get involved in drugs. He hates anything to do with that kind of thing and he has no convictions at all. “We are going out of our mind with worry. He’s keep-
ing his head down and getting on with it as best as he can, but he’s calling me in tears. “His children miss him and I miss him. “He has been set up. He would never get involved in anything like this. “There are two innocent men stuck in Spain and nobody will listen to us.” It comes as a European Arrest Warrant has reportedly been issued for the owner of the coach firm. Michael, a professional bus driver, was hired by a British company to fly to Spain and drive the vehicle back to the UK, his wife said. It had been used by golfers taking part in a competition, and the owner allegedly travelled with the two men before flying back to Britain. But as the men made their way up the Spanish coast they were stopped by
€4.6 MILLION STING: The Spanish government’s Valencia delegate, Juan Carlos Moragues, and regional Guardia Civil commander Amador Escalada congratulate officers on the haul in January and (inset) Melissa and Michael Penney. Guardia Civil traffic police at a toll near Sagunto, half an hour north of Valencia, at 2.30am on the morning of January 23. Investigators said at the time that they believed the coach was being used in an international plot to smuggle drugs from Spain to the UK. Melissa claims she did not hear from Michael until six days after he was arrested.
“The kids are really upset,” she added. “They are putting on a brave face and saying ‘we’ll go to school and work hard for dad’ but it’s just terrible. “We’ve been told it could take two years to fight the case.” A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We are providing assistance to two British men arrested in Valencia in January.”
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Your weekly guide to the UK’s best television
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Pilot strike SPANISH budget airline Vueling’s trade union has announced that the company’s pilots will go on 24-hour pilot strikes on April 25 and 26 and May 3 and 4 following alleged ‘repeated breaches’ by the airline. According to reports, almost 90 per cent of the company’s pilots voted in favour of the strikes.
Body found
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LETTERS Readers’ views on eclectic topics in print and online. P34
NEWS, FIXTURES AND RESULTS FROM THE UK AND SPAIN.
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MOTORING ALL THE LATEST CAR NEWS PLUS OUR WEEKLY TEST DRIVE P46
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Finance 19
Leapy 24
Couch Critic 31
Time Out 32 - 33
Police punch
Health & Beauty
A 28-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced to three years in prison after he was found guilty of drug trafficking and assaulting a National Police officer. He was also found guilty of resisting arrest and a minor assault offence, while he was also given multiple fines, amounting to €4,600.
THE Peluditos de Son Reus association has denounced the attack of a three-month-old puppy after it was found battered in a rubbish bin in Son Ferriol. The puppy currently remains in a coma at a veterinary clinic in Palma and the association has asked for help with funding its treatment.
Car crash FIVE people have been left injured after a head on collision between two vehicles on the road between Capadepra and Arta, the same road that saw nine cyclists run down on April 5. Spanish media are reporting that one person was left seriously injured while the other four were given a less serious prognosis.
PLUS THE REGULARS News
THE lifeless body of a 29-year-old, who disappeared from Palma after going to a bar with friends on Sunday April 8, has been found in a field next to a petrol station on Calle Tomas Rullan. Investigators are reportedly refusing to rule out any theories surrounding the ‘strange circumstances’ of his death.
Brutal attack
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Social 36
ALL THE MOOR REASON TO VISIT: The Alhambra is among Spain’s most popular tourist attractions. IT has inspired travellers for centuries. And Granada’s jaw-dropping Alhambra palace has been chosen for a new guide to the world’s 120 greatest man-made buildings. The Moorish architectural wonder is included in travel guide publisher Lonely Planet’s Amazing Architecture: A Spotter’s Guide, a grand tour of the planet’s most awe-inspiring constructions. Perched atop the red hill of Sabika with the Sierra Nevada mountains as
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a backdrop, the world heritage site attracts up to 6,000 tourists per day. It houses some of the most important Islamic architecture in Europe, with the Generalife gardens and 14th-century Palacios Nazaries the must-see showpieces. The fortified complex was first built as a walled citadel in AD 889. It was later rebuilt as the palatial seat of the city’s Nasrid emirs, the last Arab Muslim dynasty in Iberia, and the name derives from the Arabic al-qala’a al-hamra, meaning ‘the
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Red Castle.’ The Alhambra was later claimed by the Christians during the 1492 ‘reconquista,’ when the mosque was replaced by a church, before Holy Roman Emperor Charles V demolished a wing of palaces and replaced them with a giant Renaissance building. In the early 19th century French Napoleonic troops tried to blow the building up, partly destroying it, and restoration work has continued for almost 200 years.
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Property 37 - 39
Pets 41
Classifieds 42 - 43
Boats 44
The total number of news and features which appeared in Issue 1710 of the Euro Weekly News Mallorca edition, including 27 local stories.
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By George!
NEWS
POLL OF THE WEEK Was UK Prime Minister Theresa May right to order air strikes in Syria without consulting Parliament? LAST WEEK’S POLL: Should Spain reduce speed limits on main roads as proposed by authorities this week?
Yes 42%
No 58%
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TOP SAINTLY STUFF: Revellers build castells - human towers - in Barcelona on Saint George’s Day. HE’S the patron Saint of England, and is most famous for slaying a dragon. But as the Great British nation gears up for Saint George’s Day, parts of Spain are preparing their own celebrations. The feast of Saint George takes place each year on April 23, the accepted date of his death in AD 303. It is marked by many Christian churches plus towns, cities, regions and countries of which he is patron, which in Spain include the northern communities of Aragon and Cataluña. Legend has it that a vision of Saint George appeared above the crown of Aragon in the Battle of Alcoraz, which in 1096 saw King Peter I defeat the forces of Al-Mustain II to reclaim the city of Huesca and the region from its Arabic conquerors. As a result, St George’s Day (Dia de San Jorge) is a major holiday throughout the former Crown of Aragon region as well as the modern-day Aragon Community. On April 23, the area celebrates ‘Aragon
Day,’ when the regional government hands out its annual awards and parties take place in most towns and villages, including the provincial capitals Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel. In Cataluña, George is known as Sant Jordi, and the day is a normal working day, with festivities more romantic in nature. Hundreds of stalls spring up in the streets of Barcelona and elsewhere, with girls traditionally presenting boys with a book, receiving a flower - typically a red rose - in exchange. The custom of flower-giving dates back to the 15th century, when women attending a mass, in the Sant Jordi chapel at the Palace of the regional government, were handed a rose. The red colour is said to symbolise passion, and the blooms are often accompanied by an ear of wheat representing fertility. It is also popular for crowds to fill streets and squares to watch brave souls building human towers dubbed castells. In 1930, Catalan book day was moved from October 7 to April 23, and the current practice was born.
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RAIN IN SPAIN: 38 provinces on alert
RAIN IN SPAIN: 38 provinces on alert for heavy rain, strong winds and snow SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS: Met Office upgrades alerts for Spain
4,074
Passenger numbers soar at Malaga Costa del Sol airport
4,012
Flight from Spain to London diverts as air traffic controller take mandatory break
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‘Disruptive’ passenger fined after flight forced to do U-turn back to UK
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FOR COMMENTS FROM EWN ONLINE TURN TO LETTERS PAGE CORRECTIONS At the EWN, we pride ourselves that reports are accurate and fair. If we do slip up, we promise to set the record straight in a clear, nononsense manner. To ask for an inaccuracy to be corrected. Email: editorial@euroweeklynews.com
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No sex on the beach By Greg Kirby LOVE ISLAND, Britain’s sauciest television sensation, will be back to Mallorca and Britain’s television screens this summer, but with some changes. The programme was a hit success last summer, capturing the nation’s eyes with its steamy sex scenes on the Spanish island of Mallorca. But new restrictions to this year’s Love Island may put off those coming back for a second helping of naughtiness. Reportedly, there will be full nudity ban, forcing participants to leave at least something to viewers’ imaginations this year. Another Love Island no-no this year is sex with drunken co-stars. This may cause frustration among contestants, although another ban - this time on masturbation - r u l e s o u t t h a t option as an alternative.
ISLAND LOVERS: Love Island’s 2017 winners, Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies.
But a new addition to this year’s show giving contestants access to counsellors following sexual intercourse - should rid fears that this season will be a dry version of last year’s. In preparation for a raunchy return to the island, the sun-loving love-seekers will receive a sexual handbook with advice on sexual consent and protection. Thirty-eight-year-old holiday host Caroline Flack is not surprised by viewers’ eagerness to travel to Love Island. “ I me a n, w hy w ould you not a pply? ,” she said.
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Gere to marry pretty woman
AGE-DEFYING: Elizabeth Hurley in Ibiza.
ED | LOV
SILVER FOX Richard Gere is reportedly set to marry his Spanish girlfriend. The Officer and a Gentleman star, 68, and 35-year-old publicist Alejandra Silva have been an item since 2015. And according to Spanish media rumours, the couple will tie the knot in Washington DC on May 5. Alejandra is the daughter of a former Real Madrid vice-president and met the Hollywood heartthrob through R their mutual interest in hu- ich ard . and A man rights. lejandra The Galician was embroiled in a divorce from American businessman Govind Friedland when she met the icon, who was himself previously married to supermodel Cindy Crawford and actress Carey Lowell. But the wedding has yet to be confirmed, and Alejandra last year said during a red carpet interview: “I am recently divorced. As far as a legal wedding, no, but maybe we’ll have a celebraDARK SIDE OF THE FACTS: tion.” Roger Waters.
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Gee Liz!
: UP
SHE recently raised eyebrows after revealing that her teenage son snaps her sizzling bikini shots. But British actress Elizabeth Hurley, 52, showed she is unmoved by the critics after flaunting her enviable curves in a series of skimpy swimsuits while soaking up the sun on the private island of Tagomago, Ibiza. The sexy designs are part of her own Elizabeth Hurley Beachwear collection.
Floyd star rages against the machine FORMER Pink Floyd frontman has told concert-goers that the White Helmets is a ‘fake’ organisation encouraging the bombing of Syria. The Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) hitmaker, 74, made the claim during a gig in Barcelona. His comments came as the United States, France and the UK launched controversial airstrikes in response to alleged
chemical weapons attacks on the city of Douma by Syrian President Bashar alAssad’s regime. And the strikes were based on video footage shot by the White Helmets, a volunteer rescue organisation operating in rebel-controlled parts of Syria and Turkey. “The White Helmets is a fake organisation that exists only to create propaganda for jihadists and terrorists. That’s my belief,” Waters told the crowd.
Photo credit Elizabeth Hurley/Instagram/Flickr
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Celeb focus Monk-ey business FOUL
PLAY: Sophie SHE’S the glam Mo nk. pop star who is about to host the first season of Love Island Australia. And after jetting back to Oz from Mallorca as filming ended, Sophie Monk, 38, posted a hilarious video on social media. The footage shows the singer recording an introduction line for the show, as she tries to speak in a raunchy voice before fumbling her lines and blurting out “oh, sh*t.”
X factor AMERICAN actress Olivia Munn and Spanish hunk Alex Gonzalez been spotted driving around Los Angeles together. The pair, both 37, have starred in XMen movies, and they were snapped after parking outside a shopping centre in the home of Hollywood, parking rumours of a budding romance.
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NEWS EXTRA Violent robbery A NIGERIAN woman has been arrested after allegedly robbing a French tourist in Playa de Palma, during a scuffle with three womenwhich saw the tourist’s wallet stolen. It is claimed to have contained €800.
Poster protest POSTERS containing the slogan ‘tourist rental employers deny us a decent home’ have been added to tourism rental company Habtur’s headquarters by socialist organisation Endavant in protest against rental homes for tourists.
Prison looms MALLORCAN rapper Jose Miguel Arenas Beltran, also known as ValtonyC, will be sent to prison within a month if his appeal against his three-and-a-half year sentence for crimes, including glorification of terrorism, is unsuccessful.
Hotel opening MAGALUF’S brand new Melia International hotel, called The Plaza, which will replace the old Jamaica hotel, is set to officially open in July, directly providing an estimated 130 jobs to the region.
Heavy rain MA L L O RCA ha s reportedly already seen close to half the year’s supply of rain, with 259 litres per square metre falling since January 1 , with the average for the year usually standing at 529 litres.
Nose bite AN amateur footballer who p l a y s f o r R o t let Molinar has been arrested in Palma after he allegedly bit a rival player on th e n o se f o l l o w in g their re c e n t ma t ch against Son Veri.
PROSECUTORS have requested a three-year prison sentence for a stepfather who regularly abused three of his children. The mother was also on the defence, accused of abusing the children with punishments that include locking up a nine-year-old girl in a cage when she behaved badly. Prosecutors recommended that the woman be jailed for a year and a half for the reported crimes that the childrens’
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Three years for caging children school in Calvia and the Mallorca Council tipped off. The accused appeared in a Palma criminal court hearing where they both denied the crimes. But the mother said that she regretted what had happened despite allegedly not knowing and not having been warned
about the cruel treatment, something that the children have repeatedly denied throughout the criminal process. The reported crimes began three years ago when the woman arrived in Mallorca from Germany with three of her children. The International Red Cross had already been warned about the mother,
who was under the gaze of social services in relation to her fourth child, who was older than the three others, aged 14, nine and seven. In addition to other acts of physical violence, including punches, one of the girls complained at school about being enclosed for a long time in a cage.
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NEWS EXTRA Thief taken down
‘I was afraid for my life’
POLICE in Palma have arrested a 42-year-old allegedly responsible for 10 different robberies in various shops across the city, who was found with several tools that he is believed to have used to commit the robberies in his truck.
Dogs removed LOCAL POLICE in Ibiza have moved seven potentially dangerous American bulldogs to the Animal Protection centre in Sa Coma after their owner could not provide the correct licence for the animals after a complaint.
No ITV AN estimated three out of 10 cars on the road in the Balearics have not passed the mandatory technical inspection test, also known as the ITV, according to data released by the Council of Balearic Audit Office (SCIB).
Big bail BUSINESSMAN Bartolome Cursach, allegedly behind the Balearic Islands’ biggest ever corruption scandal, has been allowed to leave Palma’s prison after 14 months if he agrees to a €1 million bail, as well as staying in Spain and regularly attending court.
Green future MALLORCA towns will be able to take action, including buying electric vehicles, to boost the island’s energy efficiency thanks to a special support scheme that will grant towns €38,300 each.
Blame game THE Mallorca Council’s Partido Popular (PP) spokesperson, Mauricio Rovira, has slated the Socialist Party Infrastructure Minister Mercedes Garrido for ‘blaming tourists’ for Mallorca’s vehicle congestion crisis instead of acting on three years of PP infrastructure plans.
ROBBERY: The incident occurred in the town of Porreres in February.
From front page » by Joe Gerrard Rig o ad d e d th e alle ge d th ie v es w o re h o o d s a nd brandished crow bars when they broke into his home on Saturday February 25. “I n e v er th re a te n ed to shoot them; I thought they were going to leave. I was afraid for my life and for my wife’s,” he said.
The 77-ye a r-old a dde d Es c oba r ha d rus he d him when he shot him at point blank range with a shotgun. He said they were nervous and angry that they had not found a s muc h mone y a s they expected. Freddy Escobar, the twin brother of Mauricio, said he had started to beat the old ma n a fte r s e e ing the 25year-old shot.
Rigo was taken to hospita l in M a na c or w ith he a d and facial injuries shortly after police arrived at the villa. M a uric io Es c oba r die d hours after being shot with abdominal wounds in Son Espases hospital. His brother Freddy turned himself in shortly after fleeing the scene of the robbery. The trial continues.
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Tourist blamed for Brit death avoids jail AN over the drink-drive limit, American tourist, who ploughed into and killed a British cyclist on the Spanish holiday island of Menorca has avoided jail.
Father-of-three Phillip Rasmussen, 47, was struck from behind while cycling on holiday on the road from Sant Lluis to Alcaufar at kilometre 8 on April 1.
Credit: 061 Balearics
Drink drive outrage CYCLIST KILLED: Paramedics were unable to save the life of Phillip Rasmussen (inset). Two ambulances were sent to the scene but paramedics could do nothing to save him. The Brit, from Cardigan in Wales, was the chief financial officer at technology company IQE that makes components for Apple’s iPhones. American tourist Bryan Leeds, aged 25, was arrested after failing a roadside alcohol test and testing positive for drugs. But he was able to show he had a medical receipt for amphetamine tablets found on him as part of treatment for an
unidentified health condition. He was released on bail of €10,000 the day after his arrest but was banned from leaving Menorca until his court appearance last week. After the hearing in Mahon he has been allowed to leave the island with a one-year suspended jail sentence. Under Spanish law manslaughter is punishable by a prison sentence of one to four years. Jail sentences of two years or less are normally suspended for first-time offenders.
NEWS
OUR VIEW Thanks for your help but… AS Britain emerged from the Second World War it encouraged men and women from its Caribbean Colonies to travel to the UK to take up vital jobs. The streets of London and other parts of the country were not paved with gold and as newly arriving West Indians were confronted with owners of bed and breakfast accommodation who were less than welcoming, they still performed a vital service at a time when it was needed. A large proportion of those known as ‘the Windrush Generation’ - after the MV Windrush which brought the first immigrants to the UK in 1948 - settled in Britain, paid their taxes and had children who became British citizens. Now that Britain is heading towards Brexit it appears that enthusiastic civil servants in the Home Office decided that a number of those who came to Britain before 1973 were actually illegal immigrants. Due to this decision, it is suggested that a significant number of these people have lost their jobs due to the need for employers to be satisfied with their immigration status and others have had to engage lawyers to fight extradition orders. With Commonwealth leaders in the UK at the moment the matter has been raised with the government and after first denying that there was a problem both Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Prime Minister Theresa May have had to apologise for the treatment that these people have received. The British government is currently unable to confirm whether anyone has been improperly extradited and will now be faced with a raft of claims for compensation.
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Advertising Feature
Two week review Commentary by Moneycorp
THE UK manufacturing sector purchasing managers’ index came in at 55.1 for March, ahead of the forecast 54.7 while the construction sector dropped to 47.0 nearly four points below forecast and three points into the contraction zone. The weak figure was attributed to the ‘beast from the east’, also cited as the reason that activity in the services sector fell to 51.7 in March. UK consumers spent 1.4% more in March than last year. UK manufacturing output unexpectedly fell 0.2% in February - despite a forecast rise of 0.2%. A lack of activity in the UK housing market could make it more difficult for Bank of England policymakers to raise interest rates. However, the pound broke above the key 1.15 barrier against the euro leaving the pound-to-euro rate at its strongest level for 10 months; it seems that many more believe in a May rate rise than fear its delay.
Seven European PMI figures averaged 56.4 and Euroland as a whole scored 56.6. Euroland core inflation slowed to 1.0%. In Germany exports fell more quickly than imports in February, narrowing the trade surplus to a seasonally-adjusted €19bn. Bank of Austria Governor Ewald Nowotny spoke of ending quantitative easing and raising the ECB’s deposit rate from -0.4% to -0.2%. The statement had little impact on the euro, perhaps because Mario Draghi’s team central bank were quick to distance the comments from the official policy of the Governing Council. There have been rumblings of a trade war between the US and China. Recent placating and diplomatic words from both the US and China have eased the worst fears and there are hopes for an end to the tension soon. America’s main services sector PMI failed to meet expectations. US nonfarm payrolls increased by 103k in March, 90k
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.
902 887 243 mallorca@moneycorp.com fewer than analysts had told investors to expect. The Consumer Price Index slipped 0.1% last month, the first and largest drop since May 2017. The Federal Reserve issued hints at a more aggressive interest rate stance in the near future. The Canadian manufacturing PMI matched the analysts’ forecast and there was a 32k jump in employment. However, the loonie fell after the release of the US
employment data because of the nature and strength of the links between the two nations. However, the Bank of Canada’s quarterly Business Outlook Survey said “sentiment continues to be positive”. The Aussie dollar was helped by AiG manufacturing PMI of 63.1 and construction PMI moving a point higher at 57.2. NAB’s measures of Australian business conditions found conditions six points less friendly at 14 while confidence was two points down at 7. The Reserve Bank of Australia kept its Cash Rate unchanged at 1.5%. In New Zealand, milk prices fell for the third successive month even as domestic production declined, yet the Kiwi continues to show some resilience. As well as the news welcomed by environmentalists about an end to oil drilling in New Zealand, there was more good news when New Zealand's Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion (QSBO) improved by a point to -11%.
Moneycorp is a trading name of TTT Moneycorp Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for the provision of payment services. All relevant customer funds are safeguarded in segregated client bank accounts.
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Brawling ‘lapdancers’ separated on Spanish flight by Matt Ford CABIN crew were forced to step in after three women believe d t o b e e ro tic dancers downed spirits before sparking a punch-up on an easyJet flight to Tenerife. One of the friends, who were tr a v e l l i n g t o g e th er, was lef t wi t h a b l o o d ie d face after the scrap during which they ‘tore each other’s hair out.’ Horrified passengers later
revealed that the trio were sharing a bottle of expensive vodka before the brawl. The booze was confiscated by attendants after holid ay mak ers c o mp la ine d about the women’s’ drunken swearing on the flight from Gatwick. Angie Dilloway, 50, was o n th e jet w ith d au g hte r Bella, 10, who can be heard screaming in the footage. She told UK media: “No one expected it to happen.
They were friends and cuddling one minute and then getting louder and drinking Grey Goose vodka the next. “They started arguing and they were swearing using the ‘f ’ w ord a nd the ‘c ’ w ord. O the r pa s s e nge rs started to complain and the stewardess took the bottle of vodka away from them. “Then a brunette lunged at a blonde, screaming. She was ripping her hair out. We feared someone would get
badly hurt.’’ The airline said in a statement: ‘'easyJet can confirm that flight EZY8709 from London Gatwick to Tenerife South on April 13 was met by polic e on a rriva l in Tenerife South due to passengers on board behaving in a disruptive manner. The passengers were escorted away by police.’ It comes a week after the UK government announced it is c ons ide ring a c ra c k-
POLE POSITION: The women were pulled apart by cabin crew after downing vodka. down on inflight boozing, with tougher sanctions for drunk passengers and sell-
i ng dut y- f r ee al cohol i n sealed bags among the proposals.
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By Matt Ford FOUR British revellers on a stag-do in Mallorca have been held on suspicion of using counterfeit money to party for free. The unnamed quartet, aged between 30 and 50, had been staying in Magaluf, where they were allegedly spending the false €20 and €50 bank notes on booze-ups in bars and nightclubs before accepting change in legal tender. They were sporting specially designed t-shirts emblazoned with ‘Marty, the game is over my friend,’ featuring a black silhouette of a man on all fours wearing a dog collar held by a woman. Local Police launched a probe after business owners on the riotous Punta Ballena strip reported that the bogus cash was appearing in their tills. The investigation led to the arrest of one of the suspects, who was carrying five forged €20 notes plus small amounts of cocaine and cannabis as he
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Booze binge scam Brit stag party held on forged cash rap
GOODBYE KITTY: The counterfeit and legal money seized from the Brits’ holiday flats in Mallorca. drank in a bar. But when they took him to his holiday flat in the Torrenova neighbourhood
to check his passport, officers found more counterfeit money in the property’s safe, leading to three
others being held after Guardia Civil investigators were called in. Investigators requested a search warrant for the apartments, seizing €800 worth of forged cash, plus €3,000 and around £1,000 in legal notes. All four men had been on the island ‘for a short time,’ police said in a statement. The arrests came after three people were charged with smuggling false bank
notes from Italy into mainland Spain. Tw o o f t h e s u s p e c t s were held in Alicante and the third in Barcelona, with one surprised as he left a post office clutching a package containing €4,600 in counterfeit cash. The notes were reportedly brought from Naples to Spain by an Italian citizen, or mailed by his son. A fourth individual who i s s e r v i n g t i m e i n a Ta r ragona prison has appeared in court for allegedly heading the plot from his cell, detectives confirmed. A total of €5,050 of fake bank notes and €4,535 in legal tender were seized during the sting.
NEWS
Garage sale CALANOVA Cancer Care Charity Shop will be hosting a Furniture and Paintings Garage Sale on Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10.30am to 5pm at 354 Ave Joan Miro, San Agustin (opposite Calanova Sailing School). There will be beds, rugs, desks, filing cabinets, tables, lamps, chairs, beautiful glass wear, antiques, designer goods and paintings by local artists for sale. All proceeds will go to cancer charities to help children and adults on Mallorca who have cancer. For more information please contact Angela on 609 848 622 or the shop on 971 708 664.
NEWS EXTRA Employment numbers grow THE number of people employed in the Balearic Islands’ hotel and travel agencies sector reportedly rose by 11.5 per cent in March to 87,827 workers, an inter-monthly growth of just over 38 per cent.
Prison time A MAN has been sentenced to spend six years in prison after being found guilty of recording intimate videos of children and spreading them over the internet and also sexually abusing his niece.
Tree crash A 22-YEAR-OLD man was transferred to the Hospital de Son Espases after being left seriously injured following a car accident which reportedly saw him drive into a palm tree on Avenida de Gabriel Roca.
Estate talk THE first Balearic Real Estate Conference will begin later today (Thursday) aimed at professionals from all sectors of real estate brokerage and will be held at the College of Property Administrators of the Islands’ headquarters.
FINANCE
EUROPEAN Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said that the UK must ‘fully respect’ Spain’s Gibraltar veto during Brexit negotiations. His comments came after Tory MEP leader Ashley Fox and Labour counterpart Clare Moody asked the European Commission (EC): “Does the Commission agree that the enthusiastic Europeans who live in Gibraltar, who voted 96 percent to remain in the European Union, are also entitled to an orderly and smooth departure, as are the 13,000 EU nationals from all parts of
‘ and Sales Swede sour after spend
» BUSINESS EXTRA
Chopper shoppers THE United States has approved the sale of 17 Boeing CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to Spain at a cost of around €1.05 billion including defensive aids and technical support, according to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
€3bn jackpot WHY-KEA? An IKEA online shopping point in La Marina shopping centre, Finestrat, Alicante. SWEDISH flat pack furniture specialist IKEA is feeling the pinch. The chain has revealed that operating profits in Spain fell by €20 million to €130 million in 2017, while net profit plunged to €98 million, a 19 per cent drop. And bosses are blaming the firm’s own online shop and new specialised emporiums for the nosedive, since sales rose by 5.8 per cent to €1.46 billion. An IKEA official said that the giant retailer pumped money into the
launch of its internet offering plus ‘new commercial formats,’ including city centre shops. According to official data, more than 40.6 million people walked through the doors of its 16 Spanish stores last year, a year-on-year increase of 200,000, while its website attracted 108.7 million visits for a 13.9 per cent climb. Cataluña and Madrid saw flatpack fans fork out the most cash, raking in €356 and €342.6 million, respectively.
SPANISH public electricity firm Iberdrola expects to rake in close to €3 billion net profit in 2018, a 7 per cent year-on-year increase, the company’s president Ignacio Sanchez Galan told shareholders at a general meeting in Basque capital Bilbao.
Cutting costs GERMAN cash and carry chain Makro has announced the €90 million sale of three of its stores in the Madrid area, as it tries to attract a third-party buyer from which it then intends to lease the premises.
Compo scheme sells sole SPANISH department store group El Corte Ingles has launched the world’s first life insurance policy that pays customers compensation to walk. Bonuses will vary depending on the amount of steps taken per day, and only non-smokers, or those who have not smoked for at least two years are able to sign up to the scheme,
dubbed VidoMovida. It is otherwise available for anyone aged 18 to 65, with those walking 10,000 steps per day receiving gift vouchers to spend in the firm’s stores. The product is reportedly based on the idea that those who maintain healthy lifestyles are less likely to submit claims.
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A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 6 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION | WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM/3.0.15/FINANCE
by Matt Ford the Union who live in Spain and work in Gibraltar?” Mr Juncker replied: “In line with these directives, the territorial scope of the withdrawal agreement, including as regards the transition period, should fully respect paragraph four and 24 of the European Council guidelines of April 29, 2017, notably as regards Gibraltar.” The controversial clause 24 states that any transitional agreement or future trade deal only applies to Gibraltar if Spain agrees. Britain and the overseas territory have
The tax agency is not the inquisition, the problem in this country is that the rich complain too much!” Spain’s Treasury Minister Cristobal Montoro defends his crackdown on tax fraud.
EWN
The amount saved by Catalan television channel TV3 - which has broadcast adverts in favour of the troubled region’s independence movement - after it won a court VAT battle in Madrid.
EC chief backs Brexit veto
THE Spanish Finance Ministry has written to 13 local councils warning that they will be fined if they continue to avoid paying their bills. Jaen, Jerez, Granada, Huelva, Puerto de Santa Maria, Chiclana de la Frontera, Algeciras, and Velez-Malaga in Andalucia, Alcorcon, Leganes and Parla in Madrid, and Gandia and Telde in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, are the offenders. All are accused of failing to pay suppliers within 60 days after racking up combined debts totalling more than €3 billion.
Quote of the Week
€60m
STAT OF WEEK
business & legal
Bill fears spark ministry alarm
Mallorca
19 - 25 April 2018
argued that transitional negotiations form part of the withdrawal agreement and should therefore apply to the Rock. Spanish foreign minister Alfonso Dastis appears to have softened his stance on the issue, after he last week pledged not to hold the UK’s Brexit talks ‘hostage’ by using them to reclaim Gibraltar. But the EC’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier recently told Spanish media that clause 24 is a ‘lever of solidarity’ for Spain, adding that he hopes ‘there will be an agreement’ between the two countries.
€775m rail gig for Real gaffer THE company chaired by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is set to agree a €775 million mega deal to build a Canadian rail link. Construction of a new light railway in Toronto City is to begin after the summer, and Madrid-based construction firm ACS has been designated a preferred bidder, an official revealed. Working alongside two local enterprises, the company will reportedly land a 33 per cent slice of the infrastructure and half of the maintenance contract.
20
E W N 19 - 25 April 2018 / Mallorca
www.euroweeklynews.com
LONDON - FTSE 100
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US See our advert on opposite page
C LOSING P RICES A PRIL 16
PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY Anglo American 1,700.00 12.00 Associated British Foods 2,592.50 -27.50 Admiral Group 1,847.50 -67.00 Ashtead Group 2,035.50 -24.50 Antofagasta 922.00 -20.00 Aviva 511.00 2.80 AstraZeneca 4,937.50 -72.50 BAE Systems 574.50 -19.50 Barclays 211.00 -2.35 British American Tobacco 4,140.00 21.00 Barratt Developments 552.50 -3.50 Berkeley Group Holdings 3,900.00 -6.00 British Land Co 648.00 -5.80 BHP Billiton 1,405.00 -52.80 Bunzl 2,090.50 -10.50 BP 502.50 -1.80 Burberry Group 1,620.50 -112.00 BT Group 241.00 -0.50 Coca-Cola HBC 2,546.00 53.00 Carnival 4,525.00 55.00 Centrica 139.65 -1.05 Compass Group 1,422.50 -37.50 Croda International 4,638.50 -16.50 CRH 2,371.00 4.50 DCC 3,360.50 -3,294.50 Diageo 2,509.00 17.00 Direct Line Insurance Group 358.00 -2.10 Evraz 412.05 19.45 Experian 1,569.00 19.50 easyJet 1,625.00 14.00 Ferguson 5,290.00 -14.00 Fresnillo 1,275.00 -9.00 G4S 242.25 -8.25 GKN 440.50 -11.20 Glencore 342.50 -3.30 GlaxoSmithKline 1,413.00 -7.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,711.00 0.00 Halma 1,208.00 0.00 HSBC Holdings 679.90 -5.30 International Consoldtd Airs 620.00 11.00 InterContinental Hotels Grp 4,280.00 48.00 3i Group 870.80 -25.80 Imperial Brands 2,492.50 29.50 Informa 719.80 0.00 Intertek Group 4,815.00 0.00 ITV 144.00 -0.20 Just Eat 743.80 8.20 Johnson Matthey 3,275.00 -28.00 Kingfisher 301.50 1.20 Land Securities Group 950.00 -5.00
% CHG. NET VOL 0.71 23,400.61 -1.05 20,413.32 -3.50 5,475.14 -1.19 9,989.89 -2.12 9,345.92 0.55 20,487.57 -1.45 63,880.45 -3.28 18,866.65 -1.10 36,884.57 0.51 95,892.97 -0.63 5,576.08 -0.15 5,211.99 -0.89 6,415.34 -3.62 30,521.55 -0.50 7,044.59 -0.36 100,528.46 -6.46 7,196.42 -0.21 23,847.29 2.13 9,204.15 1.23 9,290.28 -0.75 7,823.68 -2.57 23,157.20 -0.35 6,101.00 0.19 20,012.86 -49.50 5,864.11 0.68 61,273.58 -0.58 4,904.63 4.95 5,669.50 1.26 14,178.18 0.87 6,600.81 -0.26 13,140.66 -0.70 9,343.81 -3.29 3,925.53 -2.48 7,568.92 -0.95 49,272.03 -0.49 70,937.96 0.00 8,063.42 0.00 4,523.43 -0.77 136,749.26 1.81 12,458.39 1.13 8,108.24 -2.88 8,701.59 1.20 23,533.46 0.00 5,960.85 0.00 7,756.55 -0.14 5,757.54 1.11 4,956.96 -0.85 6,301.45 0.40 6,508.93 -0.52 6,980.47
COMPANY
PRICE(P)
Legal & General Group 269.00 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 68.65 London Stock Exchange Grp 4,200.00 Micro Focus International 1,364.50 Mediclinic International 695.80 Marks & Spencer Group 268.50 Mondi 1,885.50 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 231.00 National Grid 829.50 NMC Health 3,282.00 Next 5,015.00 Old Mutual Group 245.00 Paddy Power Betfair 7,120.00 Prudential 1,857.50 Persimmon 2,813.00 Pearson 757.50 Reckitt Benckiser Group 6,045.00 Royal Bank of Scotland Group 259.00 Royal Dutch Shell 2,370.00 Royal Dutch Shell 2,420.00 RELX 1,520.00 Rio Tinto 3,755.00 Royal Mail 563.00 Rolls-Royce Group 865.00 Randgold Resources 5,729.00 RSA Insurance Group 647.00 Rentokil Initial 249.50 Sainsbury (J) 253.55 Schroders 3,220.00 Sage Group (The) 577.50 Segro 612.20 Shire 3,667.50 Smurfit Kappa Group 3,146.00 Sky 1,349.00 Standard Life Aberdeen 374.85 Smith (DS) 485.90 Smiths Group 1,552.25 Scottish Mortgage Invstmnt Trt 480.00 Smith & Nephew 1,350.00 SSE 1,292.50 Standard Chartered 720.00 St James's Place 1,066.25 Severn Trent 1,883.00 Tesco 221.45 TUI AG 1,650.50 Taylor Wimpey 196.00 Unilever 3,935.00 United Utilities Group 713.50 Vodafone Group 202.76 WPP Group 1,152.50 Whitbread 3,790.00
CHANGE(P) -2.10 0.47 -70.00 65.50 104.20 -3.30 -77.50 0.00 3.20 -128.00 1.00 10.00 0.00 11.00 137.00 -5.90 30.00 -5.80 -8.50 -2.00 6.50 -30.00 2.20 -1.80 -55.00 -6.80 -30.00 -2.35 -45.00 -39.50 0.00 61.00 164.00 44.50 -1.15 -15.90 37.25 32.40 28.00 -18.50 -13.50 -16.25 19.50 -12.15 78.00 5.35 5.50 1.10 -4.09 -35.50 -145.00
% CHG. -0.77 0.69 -1.64 5.04 17.61 -1.21 -3.95 0.00 0.39 -3.75 0.02 4.26 0.00 0.60 5.12 -0.77 0.50 -2.19 -0.36 -0.08 0.43 -0.79 0.39 -0.21 -0.95 -1.04 -10.73 -0.92 -1.38 -6.40 0.00 1.69 5.50 3.41 -0.31 -3.17 2.46 7.24 2.12 -1.41 -1.84 -1.50 1.05 -5.20 4.96 2.81 0.14 0.15 -1.98 -2.99 -3.68
NET VOL 16,073.69 49,108.23 14,722.44 5,489.44 4,283.39 4,403.91 6,987.86 5,431.41 27,656.87 7,004.02 7,160.94 11,720.28 6,037.62 47,091.91 8,283.59 6,006.35 42,463.56 31,715.37 108,814.21 90,314.92 15,867.46 50,055.19 5,702.00 16,374.10 5,367.02 6,687.97 5,042.44 5,551.10 7,288.09 7,271.08 6,078.74 33,544.62 6,994.37 22,441.77 11,193.01 5,269.14 5,940.24 6,288.90 11,600.38 13,166.50 24,215.41 5,737.03 4,355.71 22,814.09 9,297.16 6,221.25 48,389.97 4,799.13 55,258.85 15,041.40 6,978.61
0.86562
1.15507 Units per €
US dollar................................................................1.23281 Japan yen .............................................................132.193 Switzerland franc ..............................................1.18765 Denmark kroner ..............................................7.44682 Norway kroner ................................................9.60094
currenciesdirect.com/mallorca • Tel: +34 687 906 226 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER
DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES A PRIL 16
COMPANY 3M AMERICAN EXPRESS APPLE BOEING CO CATERPILLAR CHEVRON CISCO SYSTEMS COCA-COLA DOWDUPONT EXXON MOBIL GENERAL ELECTRIC GOLDMAN SACHS HOME DEPOT IBM INTEL CORP J.P.MORGAN CHASE JOHNSON & JOHNSON MC DONALD'S CORP MERCK AND CO. NEW MICROSOFT NIKE PFIZER PROCTER AND GAMBLE TRAVELERS CIES UNITED TECHNOLOGIE UNITEDHEALTH GROUP VERIZON COMMS VISA WAL-MART STORES WALT DISNEY CO
PRICE 215,520 93,0300 174,730 329,280 150,230 119,92 43,000 44,51 66,17 77,84 13,4900 255,92 172,8000 156,71 51,8600 110,3000 130,6200 161,7300 57,17 93,080 67,25 36,3200 78,370 136,29 122,71 224,28 47,66 120,75 86,0200 100,3500
CHANGE% -0,42% -0,34% +0,34% -2,43% +0,06% +0,58% -0,78% +1,09% -0,45% +0,80% +2,35% -1,41% -0,32% -0,86% -1,63% -2,71% +0,15% +0,07% +0,76% -0,53% -0,77% +0,00% +0,75% -0,73% -0,44% +0,02% -0,17% -0,26% +0,69% -0,04%
CHANGE VOLUME(M) -0,900 128.159,56 -0,3200 80.036,46 0,590 886.582,29 -8,200 193.402,36 0,090 89.799,25 0,69 229.257,87 -0,340 207.153,23 0,48 189.813,30 -0,30 153.954,31 0,62 329.886,43 0,3100 117.227,42 -3,67 96.993,73 -0,5600 199.097,27 -1,36 144.319,37 -0,8600 242.035,80 -3,0700 375.930,63 0,1900 350.567,35 0,1100 128.438,53 0,43 153.969,43 -0,500 716.696,73 -0,52 86.286,80 0,0000 216.171,61 0,580 197.621,48 -1,00 36.827,50 -0,54 98.202,58 0,04 217.124,21 -0,08 196.877,10 -0,32 218.117,57 0,5900 253.833,69 -0,0400 150.908,87 M - MILLION DOLLARS
NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES A PRIL 16
COMPANY
PRICE
CHANGE NET / %
Most Advanced Future FinTech Group Inc. $ 2.50 Turtle Beach Corporation $ 3.91 Energy XXI Gulf Coast, Inc. $ 5.54 Dogness (International) Corporation $ 4.213 Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation $ 5.05 JAKKS Pacific, Inc. $ 2.40 Northern Technologies International Corporation $ 27 Invuity, Inc. $ 3.925 Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $ 8.98 Pixelworks, Inc. $ 4.39 Calyxt, Inc. $ 15.45
0.53 ▲ 26.90% 0.82 ▲ 26.54% 0.74 ▲ 15.42% 0.4331 ▲ 11.46% 0.45 ▲ 9.78% 0.20 ▲ 9.09% 2.25 ▲ 9.09% 0.325 ▲ 9.03% 0.74 ▲ 8.98% 0.35 ▲ 8.66% 1.23 ▲ 8.65%
Most Declined Zions Bancorporation $ 18.24 Spero Therapeutics, Inc. $ 15.49 Essendant Inc. $ 8.60 Dropbox, Inc. $ 30 QuinStreet, Inc. $ 10.78 Allegiant Travel Company $ 151.05 Innoviva, Inc. $ 16.14 Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. $ 3.78 China Internet Nationwide Financial Services Inc.$ 17.33 PetMed Express, Inc. $ 38.22 Cellular Biomedicine Group, Inc. $ 20.65
3.14 ▼ 14.69% 2.36 ▼ 13.22% 1.23 ▼ 12.51% 3.27 ▼ 9.83% 1.06 ▼ 8.95% 14.20 ▼ 8.59% 1.45 ▼ 8.24% 0.32 ▼ 7.80% 1.45 ▼ 7.72% 3.14 ▼ 7.59% 1.65 ▼ 7.40%
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E W N 19 - 25 April 2018 / Mallorca
www.euroweeklynews.com
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
SAUDI PRINCE’S €1.8BN DEFENCE SPLURGE SPAIN has signed a €1.8 billion deal to supply warships to Saudi Arabia. The agreement with the Gulf State was reached as crown prince Mohammed bin Salman paid an official visit to Madrid. It came after the 32-year-old heir to the throne attended a banquet lunch with Spanish royals, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia plus senior Spanish officials and businessmen. He later met with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Defence Minister Maria Dolores de Cospedal to discuss a range of bilateral deals between the countries in his dual role as defence minister and chief of energy and economic policy. The talks saw the co-signing of an ‘executive summary to facilitate the necessary procedures’ for a contract between the Saudi Defence Ministry and Spain’s national shipbuilder Navantia to be drawn up. The Saudi government said in a statement that a second agreement between Navantia and Saudi Arabian Military Industries - a state-owned defence company launched last year - had also been sealed, although it failed to provide specific details. A Spanish Ministry of Defence source told media that the warship deal will see five small ships sold to Saudi Arabia, with negotiations ongoing since 2015.
Photo credit Mariano Rajoy Brey/Twitter
Spain signs warship deal
BILATERAL BONANZA: The Saudi and Spanish delegations talk business. Spain’s army will also train Saudi soldiers and other personnel, and construction firms will build new infrastructure for the state’s navy. A number of campaign groups, including Amnesty International, Greenpeace and Oxfam have urged Spain to renege on the deal because the ships could be used in Saudi Arabia’s Yemen offensive against Iran-backed Houthi rebels, which has seen thousands of civilians killed. The prince arrived in Spain after a three-day visit to France as he wound up a tour which has also tak-
en in the UK, United States and Egypt. The moderniser has signed a number of multimillion Euro deals over the course of the trip, as he continues to implement his ‘Vision 2030,’ which comprises a series of economic and social policies designed to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on oil exports. Spanish companies have already won contracts to build a high-speed desert railway linking the cities of Mecca and Medina, plus a rapid transit system in Saudi’s capital Riyadh.
AIRLINE CONFIRMS STAKE IN BUDGET CARRIER
BA eyes up Norwegian bid BRITISH AIRWAYS owner International Airlines Group (IAG) has revealed that it is exploring a possible takeover bid for budget carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle. The firm said in a stock market dispatch that it has already acquired a 4.61 per cent stake in the airline, leading to
an initial 40 per cent surge in its shares on the Oslo stock exchange and lifting its estimated value to €800 million. IAG’s statement said that the investment is ‘intended to establish a position from which to initiate discussions with Norwegian, including a possible buyout. The announcement added that it views the carrier as ‘an attractive
investment,’ clarifying that ‘IAG confirms that no such discussions have taken place to date, that it has taken no decision to make an offer at this time and that there is no certainty that any such decision will be made. ‘A further announcement will be made if appropriate.’ But a Norwegian Air official said that the company “had no prior knowledge” of the move, adding that it has “not engaged in any discussion or dialogue with IAG about this matter,” before admitting that “IAG’s interest in the company confirms the sustainability and potential of our business model and our global growth.” The operator later confirmed the sale of the stake. Norwegian Air is a direct rival of low-cost specialists Vueling - which TAKING OFF: British Airways could launch a full takeover bid.
offers short-haul flights in Spain and Europe - and new long-haul airline Level, both of which are owned by IAG. It has grown rapidly over the last year after opening up an array of new routes at knockdown prices, including flights from Edinburgh and Dublin to New York from as little as €115. Its Spanish base is Barcelona’s El Prat hub, from where it operates direct flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Miami, and it also plans to introduce a service from Malaga to New York in the near future. They also fly from Barcelona to San Francisco, as well as Boston, Buenos Aires and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Norwegian Air transports 30 million passengers a year and recently struck a deal with easyJet allowing its customers to book cheap long-haul flights. After posting profits of more than €1.1 billion in 2016, last year it was announced a €30.8 million deficit, holding the purchase of 32 new jets and hiring new staff responsible for the loss.
Bank reveals new ‘instant’ international payments app SPANISH banking group Santander has launched a new international payments service. Santander One Pay FX records data digitally using xCurrent, a blockchain-based technology, and allows clients to complete money transfers within 24 hours, often on the same day. The mobile app is available in Spain, the UK, Brazil and Poland, and will be rolled out elsewhere over the next few months, the firm said in a statement. It added that customers will be shown the exact amount that will be received in the destination currency before the transfer is complete. As things stand, users in Spain can transfer funds to the UK and United States, whereas those in the UK can send money to any European country and the US, with more countries to be added in the near future.
Taskforce for international cybersecurity TELEFONICA has joined an international cyber security crusade. The Spanish telecommunications giant has joined forces with Emirati-based Etisalat, Singapore’s Singtel and Japanese firm Softbank to form a global security alliance. According to a statement, the union will be ‘one of the world’s leading cybersecurity providers,’ with more than 1.2 billion customers in Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. Between them employing more than 6,000 cybersecurity experts, the deal will see the companies share network intelligence on possible threats ‘taking advantage of their global reach, combined assets and cybersecurity capabilities to help customers around the world.’ Telefonica’s cybersecurity boss Pedro Pablo Perez hailed the move as ‘a giant step forward to expand our development as a provider of intelligent security services.’
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
19 - 25 April 2018 / Mallorca
www.euroweeklynews.com
Businesses’ global warning SPANISH companies have moved to combat global warming. Around 30 multinationals and medium-sized firms this week co-signed a document prepared by the Spanish Green Growth Group (SGGG) urging ‘the public authorities’ to ‘reach an agreement in 2018 to approve climate change laws with an ambitious but stable transition to efficient energy.’ Among the major signatories are publically listed companies including Abertis, Acciona, Bankia, BBVA, Endesa, Ferrovial, Iberdrola, Mapfre, Red Electrica de España, Siemens Gamesa and Telefonica, plus Eulen, OHL, NH Hotels and Ikea. It comes as Spanish congress continues to argue over how the new standards should be designed and implemented in the wake of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy signing the international Paris Climate Agreement in 2015. The national Energy and Environment ministries - which are supposed to be working together on the regulations - are instead at loggerheads, according to reports. Energy Minister Alvaro Nadal has re-
Photo credit Conama.org/Shutterstock
SPANISH FIRMS URGE CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION
GOING GREEN: A solar energy plant in Sevilla and (inset) SGGG president Valentin Alfaya. peatedly dampened hopes over the legislation, arguing that it is in Spain’s interest to wait until the European Union deliver their climate change package before unveiling its own measures. But his environmental counterpart Isabel Garcia Tejerina recently told Spanish
media that a draft of the standards will be ready “soon.” And the lack of urgency has sparked concern within Spain’s business sector, leading infrastructure and renewable energy giant Acciona to create the SGGG with support from the Corpo-
rate Leaders Group. SGGG president Valentin Alfaya, a director at Spanish transport giant Ferrovial, has warned that the country “needs a roadmap for the future urgently.” The document prepared by the group, which has been submitted to the national government in Madrid, says: “Most of our neighbours are already working towards a low carbon economy, which is set to unleash a global revolution that will generate huge opportunities. “Spain is well-positioned to take advantage, but effective policies are not yet in place. “We need a stable and credible legal and regulatory framework to lay the foundations on which this ‘new’ economy will be built.” The signatories also call for a “progressive calendar to abandon support for all types of fossil fuel,” and a “tax review so that the ‘polluter-pays’ principles can be met.” Not all SGGG members signed the demand, with energy firms Enagas and Gas Natural, plus banking groups Santander and La Caixa among those abstaining.
EWN
23
Internet giants league topped by US monster E-COMMERCE behemoth Amazon is officially the biggest online retailer in Spain. The American firm last year turned over more than €4.2 billion, leading the Spanish internet sales market ahead of Chinese rival AlExpress and Madrid-based department store group El Corte Ingles, which raked in €1.2 billion and €684 million, respectively. Amazon also processed more than 53 million orders, laying waste to the competition, with 16.9 orders placed with AliExpress and 13.5 with third-placed eBay. El Corte Ingles was again the best-placed Spanish firm, trailing in fourth place with 3.7 million orders, with the online top 10 completed by Carrefour, Decathlon, Zalando, Gearbest, Zara and Privalia. But Spain did top the ranking for highest-priced single sales, as customers of domestic appliance specialist Electrocosto spent an average of €308.
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19 - 25 April 2018 / Mallorca
www.euroweeklynews.com
FEATURE
Many unanswered questions? LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT
I FIRST met Cliff Richard in 1958. At the time I was living in Finsbury Park, in the same digs as Bruce Welch and Hank Marvin, later to form the wonderful Shadows. The boys brought him to the house, introducing him as Harry and adding enthusiastically that, they were ‘going the whole way’ with their new singer. Some years later, when I attained pop success of my own, I did on a few occasions find myself in the same hotel as Cliff and a couple of times joined him in the odd game of tennis (which he always won!). I always found him extremely pleasant and, although there were a number of ‘gender suspicions’ around, can quite categorically state, I was never aware of any indications that he may have been paedophilic. Witnessing this whole sorry saga of the accusations against him over the last few years I have experienced varying degrees of disbelief, doubt and often a genuine sympathy. Seeing Cliff at this latest court hearing, I
CLIFF RICHARD: ‘No smoke without fire’?
was pretty shocked at his appearance, and also moved by his admittance, that the accusations and subsequent ransacking of his home, had left him shattered and sullied and indeed fully aware that many people still retain suspicions ala the ‘no smoke without fire’ syndrome. He has to my mind quite rightly sued the BBC, who allegedly collaborated with the police in publicly raiding and searching his home and announcing the move to the whole world with no mention or pre-warning to Cliff whatsoever. Cliff has constantly declared his innocence of the paedophile accusations and obviously wants nothing more than to clear his name. In my opinion, if he is to achieve this and show himself to be utterly innocent of these accusations, he has to sue the Crown Prosecution Service. Not for the somewhat innocuous and piddling amount he received in 2017 for the police collaboration with the BBC, but millions, for defamation of character, loss of earnings, mental trauma and Lord knows what else. Only in this way will the real truth come to light and Cliff hope to be exonerated and cleared of suspicion. There are too many
questions still unanswered, and this present case will settle none of them. For example, why is it that the Elm House paedophile ring investigation, in which he was allegedly involved, appear to have been dropped altogether? Why, when he was initially suspected, did he subsequently run for the hills of Portugal and not stay in Britain, using his privileged position to protest his innocence and demand justice from the platforms of every media outlet available? Why did he take out full Barbadian citizenship, a country with no extradition agreement with the UK? And why is so much information on the subject blacked out or ‘unavailable’ on the internet? ‘Insufficient evidence to prosecute,’ the final decision of the CPS, is not a declaration of innocence. If Cliff’s conscience is indeed totally clear, he has, for his own sake, to use every means available to answer all of these troubling questions. It’s highly likely that suing the CPS for ‘proper money’ could bring the whole sorry case fully into the open and settle it once and for all. columnists@euroweeklynews.com
Keep the faith. Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com
Leapy Lee’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
TECH FOR THE TIMID I MAY never understand why a hand is feminine in Spanish but a day is masculine, even though they end in ‘o’ and ‘a’ respectively. Nor in any case can most English speakers grasp why a house should be feminine and a pencil, masculine. That all makes this well-thumbed story particularly intriguing: should our second-favourite techno-toy (after our smartphones) be ‘el computador’ or ‘la computadora,’ a language class was asked? The teacher separated the students into two groups, male and female, asking them to choose. The males decided computers should be feminine, because: - No-one but their creator understands their internal logic; - The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else; - Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long-term memory for possible later retrieval; and - As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your pay-cheque on acces-
Mind the gender Terence Kennedy hopes we can still poke some fun at the genderpolarised computer world
THE X-Y FILES: Gender gap or gulf? sories for it. The females voted that computers should be masculine, because: - To do anything with them, you have to turn them on; - They have a lot of data but still can’t think for themselves; - They’re supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they are the problem; - As soon as you commit to one, you
realise that if you had waited a little longer, you could have had a better model. The women apparently won. Jokes apart, you’re probably aware there are some serious gender issues raging in the tech world right now. Never mind the fact that Ada Lovelace is regarded as the world’s first programmer, way back in 1842. Even as recently as the 1960s, now-
Dame Vera Stephanie Shirley had to adopt the name ‘Steve’ just to trick corporate backers into seeing her to consider her business venture - which went on to write the programming for Concorde’s flight recorder, among the many other achievements of its 300 staff, 297 of them women. Long before the MeToo hashtag took wing last year, women have struggled in tech against male prejudice, bullying, sexism and underpayment. Whether it’s true or not that women have better analytical abilities than we lesser males, whether we refer to our computers the way we do to our cars (generally ‘she’), boats (overwhelmingly ‘she’) or GPS devices (‘She Who Must Be Obeyed’ on my own family outings) - there’s certainly no excuse for what happened when an entrepreneur recently searched Google for ‘an English major who taught herself calculus.’ Google’s algorithm rejected the query. It asked: ‘Did you mean an English major who taught himself calculus’?
Boys’ club CAN we, shoul d we, st i l l laugh at ‘women vs computer’ jokes? What’s the difference between a woman and a computer? One is a cold heartless machine and the other is a computing device. You can m ut e t he sound on a computer. The manual isn’t complete. Pressing all the but t ons hal t s act i on. They’re both known for bad drivers and crashing. And so on… Distinctly unamusing is that 90 per cent of women in tech have suffered gender bias, women only run 5 per cent of startups, they only hold 25 per cent of computing jobs, and they earn 29 per cent less than the men. Perhaps we can at least agree on one of m y f avouri t e com put i ng t rui sm s: t hat com put ers are the perfect thing for women who don’ t f eel t hat m en provide them with enough frustration. Touché!
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19 - 25 April 2018 / Mallorca
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SPECIALNEW
How Spain’s largest national park is being allowed to dry up
A decade of destruction With the Doñana national park on the brink of being declared the EU’s first ‘endangered’ national park, David Noon looks back over the past 10 years to examine how Spain’s most important wetland started to dry up N Iberian lynx hides silently in the long grass as a young red deer sips from the Guadalquivir River. All the while a Spanish Imperial eagle soars graciously in the warm breeze overhead, looking down upon the hundreds of migratory bird species united in the trees that line the riverbank. It is a Utopian image that exists in few places on earth. However, Spain’s paradisiacal snapshot is at risk of being wiped out. Doñana national park in Andalucia is on the verge of being declared the EU’s first ‘endangered’ national park. Environmental groups have long been calling on the park’s management to sort itself out, while the EU has warned the Spanish government time
A
20 species of freshwater fish catalogued in the Park and again about the ongoings at the park. For the best part of a decade UNESCO has stated that it is on the brink of removing Spain’s largest national park from its list of World Heritage sites after years of neglect and environmental scandals.
Controversy remains over the Extremadura to Huelva pipeline running through the park, which was installed in 2013. Constant dredging in the Guadalquivir River to allow ships to pass through has also come under fire. While unprecedented levels of illegal strawberry farming is literally sucking the life out of the park. In total there is approximately 1,000 illegal boreholes draining the aquifer of one of Europe’s most important wetlands. The lack of moisture was highlighted last summer in the most dramatic fashion when some 8,400 hectares of land in and around the park was razed to the ground by wildfires. More alarmingly, some 360 species
of birds, 127 of which breed regularly in the park, are being forced to find new homes as the park runs dry. Not to mention the endangered population of Iberian lynx, fallow deer, Spanish red deer, wild boars, European badgers and Egyptian mongooses which reside in the park’s 50,720 hectares. Placing Doñana on the list of World Heritage site ‘in danger’ is a decision made by UNESCO’s World Heritage committee. As Juanjo Carmona at WWF Spain says, nobody ‘wants to see this happen’. “It would be the first EU National Park to be given this listing,” Carmona explains to me. “We don’t want to see this happen. “Instead we want the government to get serious about stopping the activities
Timeline of outrage and inaction •1969 - Established as a national park the WWF joined forces with the Spanish government to purchase a section of the Guadalquivir Delta marshes and establish the Doñana national park. • 1994 - The Doñana national park was offficially declared an UNESCO World Heritage site. • 1998 - The Aznalcollar disaster occurred when a holding dam burst at the Los Frailes mine owned by Boliden-Apirsa, releasing a flood of toxic sludge that entered the river Guadiamar, the main water source for the park. • 2006 - The responsibilities of maintaining the park were transferred to the government of Andalucia by the Royal Decree. • 2006 - The park recorded a record 376,287 visitors in the calendar year, following many government-led promotions. • 2012 - President of Doñana Felipe Gonzalez steps down following an investigation by the National Research Council (CSIC) investigating a Doñana national park scientist for altering - and even inventing - data in his studies. • 2015 - Junta vowed to protect Doñana from gas extraction while announcing that the Aznalcollar would reopen. • February 2016 - Supermarkets unite to stop Spain’s strawberry fields sucking Doñana wetland dry by refusing to stock strawberry’s from the region. • May 2016 - Spain given ultimatum by European Commission to protect Doñana World Heritage site. • December 2016 - Environmentalists protest at Doñana national park as water supplies plummet and ‘illegal farming’ continues. • January 2017 - Outrage as gas company awarded millions to operate in Doñana national park. EU considers intervention. • February 2017 - Andalucia’s ombudsman launches investigation into at risk Doñana national park. • April 2017 - Three hundred illegal wells shut down in Doñana in bid to stop landowners draining wetlands. • May 2017 - Spain’s government forced to deny ‘unfairly’ slashing funds for Doñana national park. • June 2017 - Forest fires raze 8,400 hectares of land in and around the park.
360 species of birds live in the park
WS FEATURE
19 - 25 April 2018 / Mallorca
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TORCHED: Wildfires rip through Doñana in 2017.
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Doñana disaster FOREST fires, illegal farming and controversial pipelines are all current problems facing Doñana. However, the biggest environmental disasters to face the park took place some 20 years ago. On April 25, 1998, a holding dam burst at the Los Frailes mine releasing almost 5 million cubic metres of mine tailings into the River Agrio and then its tributary the river Guadiamar, travelling about 40 kilometres along these waterways before they could be stopped. The cleanup operation took three years, at an estimated cost of €240 million. But the real damage was on the park’s wildlife, not the bank balances of those responsible. After the dam exploded almost 2,000 birds, chicks, eggs, and nests were killed or destroyed and more than 25,000 kilos of dead fish were collected in the aftermath. As a result of the ecological disaster, nothing survived because of the high acidity of the waste, which contained a mixture of lead, copper, zinc, cadmium and other metals, along with sulphides. High levels of heavy metals are still embedded in soil and water today. And yet, despite the tragedy it was announced three years ago that the mine would reopen. While the current stance is that it will be for ‘research purposes’, environmentalists are understably worried about the Spanish government’s true intentions for the mine.
875 indigenous species of flora at the park
IN DANGER: Doñana is home to the endangered Iberian Lynx.
that are threatening the future of Europe’s most important wetland. “The government needs to urgently tackle illegal and unsustainable use of water in the park. He adds: “Combined with climate change this could cause irreversible changes to Doñana’s wildlife.” In 2016, tens of thousands of people from around the world joined the #OrigamiMigration for Doñana which WWF organised when there was a pressing threat of an ‘in danger’ listing. Since then over 1.5 million people have directly emailed prime ministers and presidents around the world, helping motivate them to reverse multiple, immediate threats to World Heritage sites including Doñana. And it is not just the WWF clamping down on Doñana. In 2016, Spain was issued an ultimatum by the European Commission to protect Doñana’s World Heritage status or risk funding cuts. Meanwhile UNESCO has time and again demanded to see improvements. In 2011, UNESCO first threatened to place Doñana on the ‘endangered’ list. Just two years later the threat was again placed at Spain’s mat. And so on and so forth for almost every year for the last decade. However, thus far, the Spanish government has been able to satisfy UN-
ESCO that it is doing (just about) enough to turn the bleak landscape around. In its most recent report, UNESCO praised the ‘state party’s commitment not to authorise the dredging project to deepen the Guadalquivir River’ and welcomed ‘the decision of the State Party not to authorise the gas and storage projects in Marisma Oriental.’ This is despite, the same report stating that it needed to see more evidence of ‘enhancing water resource management’ as well as confirmation that a research project for Aznalcóllar mine has been authorised. A subsequent report must be filed to UNESCO by December 1 this year which will be mulled over by the World Heritage committee. A spokesperson for UNESCO told Euroweekly News that while ‘the state of conservation of Doñana national park has been a source of concern of UNESCO’s World Heritage committee for several years and at last year’s session it recognised several improvements and this reflected them on its
TRAGEDY: Dead ram along the side of the River Agrio.
decision. For now, at least, Spain seems to know how to appease the officials keeping watch on one of the country’s most prized possessions. And yet, every year the problem worsens as Doñana spirals down a dark well towards the abyss. Groups such as the WWF are among those demanding that more needs to be done. “Unsustainable water use needs to be stopped, habitats need to be restored and there needs to be long term commitments put in place to protect Doñana,” Carmona warns. “In recent decades the World Heritage site has been used for short term gains. What we need to see happen is the focus shift to the park’s long term prosperity and preserving Doñana for fu-
1,000 illegal boreholes discovered in the park for farming
ture generations. “The livelihoods and quality of life of the people that live in and around Doñana is dependent on the national park, there’s no future for the area if we don’t bring Doñana back to life. Doñana risks losing the exceptional nature and wildlife that led it to being awarded with World Heritage site status. It may be possible to artificially maintain small populations of iconic animals, such as the Iberian Lynx or the Imperial Eagle, but important ecosystems such as the ‘marisma’ wetland will disappear and the richness and diversity of Doñana will be destroyed. The abundance of species that are unique to Doñana, such as dragonflies, or the bird species that depend on the wetland, such are the marbled teal, have already suffered a huge decline. “People have shown they won’t stand for continued loss of precious nature like Doñana.”
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19 - 25 April 2018 / Mallorca
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FEATURE
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Stop glorifying murderers Mike Senker In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man OCTOBER 5, 1962 was a remarkable day for me. It was the day that The Beatles released Love Me Do, their first UK single and I became a fan immediately. I have loved all their music ever since. I loved everything they stood for - peace, love, and youngsters having fun, a new age revolution, but a good revolution - a new era of happiness. Now fast forward to February 8, 2018 and I read that the last two Beatles have been captured. Not Paul and Ringo but two terrorists that were given the name of ‘The Beatles’ back in 2015 when there was four of them. How dare the media glorify these vile humans? This, of course, got me thinking. Why does the press have to give them these jolly little names? It makes them sound like celebrities. Terrorists and killers often revel in publicity. Why does the public need to know the names of every person that shoots someone or plants a bomb? Granted, our ‘survival of the fittest’, animal instinct draws us to violence and conflict. And although this glorifying journalism caters to
that human weakness, why publicise radicalised killers, felons and terrorists? In fact, why print their names or pictures at all? What if the media just used initials? They should never be named, the most they should get is initials and definitely not start publicising all their family and friends telling us what lovely people they are. Why give them exactly what they want? No pictures, no information, nothing. I know some say by issuing pictures and other publicity the authorities can get more information. Well let them do their job but stop the media glorifying these people. Then there’s the term ‘lone wolf’ which conjures up another type of character and makes them sound cool and predatory. I’d prefer to read, ‘another killer did this or that’ instead of lone wolf. Although the term often refers to an individual acting without help from a group, it is now often used to downplay acts of terrorism committed by white, non-Muslim perpetrators. Anders Breivik, the Norwegian right-wing white supremacist, who killed 77 people in 2011, was always referred to as a ‘lone wolf’ in the media. Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, the Tunisian who killed 86 people when he drove a truck into a crowd in Nice in July 2016 was not. columnists@euroweeklynews.com
Email me: mikesenker@gmail.com
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TV COUCH CRITIC by Adam Whalley-Lewis THERE is a lot to get through this week, so diving right in, Piers Morgan is back on Good Morning Britain, ITV weekday mornings and he didn’t waste time laying into the government and the opposition for failing to put up a spokesperson to talk about the UK forces air strikes. I agree with Piers (please, don’t fall into your vino tinto) that surely someone, somewhere, should have been free to talk to GMB and provide an update on what was happening, enough said. Completely changing the subject, The Big Painting Challenge is back on BBC1 on Sunday evenings. Reverend Richard Coles (you will know him when you see him) and Mariella Frostrup (you think you know the name, I still have no idea who she is) are back guiding amateur painters through painting challenges each week. If you remember Hannah Gordon’s ‘Easy Strokes’ you might be disappointed but, if you are a fan of the 80’s group The Communards (the Rev was a member) and/or the art of gentle paint-
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Painting, springtime and laughing in Las Vegas Photo credits You Tube
FEATURE
80’S REVIVAL: Last Laugh in Las Vegas. ing, this one is for you. As if to prove spring has sprung, Springtime on the Farm raced across Channel 5 last week serving up masses of celebrity contributions and stuff that happens on a farm. The celebrity contributor list read like something a BAFTA red carpet would be proud of, but what stood out for me was the resilience of the Nicholson family who have oper-
ated Cannon Hall farm for 60 plus years. I don’t think the Nicholsons need celebrity friends to illustrate how brilliant they are. Anyone in need of a nostalgia boost might want to look out Last Laugh in Vegas, ITV Tuesdays. There are eight acts performing including Cannon and Ball and Su Pollard. The gang travel to Las Vegas to put
SHOCK DEVELOPMENT: Critic agrees with Piers Morgan. on one-last-show, directed by Frank Marino. Frank knows his stuff. He is the only person to have two stars on the Las Vegas Boulevard Walk of Fame and has raised millions of dollars for charity. Frank also badly needs a haircut. The shows lead up to a one off performance, it has to be said in one of sin city’s lesser known theatres and whatever Frank’s weekly ratings might sug-
gest, I’m sure the final show will be great. The real shock for me though is Bernie Clifton’s voice, he is a great singer. Look out for a feature length episode coming to ITV3 soon. On Monday night David Attenborough and The Queen got together in The Queen’s Green Planet, ITV. This regal documentary showcased Her Majesty’s plan to create a patchwork of protected forests across all 53 Commonwealth countries. There was a bit of staged eavesdropping where the pair chatted about health and safety with Her Majesty blaming a noisy helicopter on President Trump. Cameo appearances from William and Kate, predictably planting trees and then not so predictably catching salmon with their bare hands and by Prince Harry rounded off the sort of programme the BBC used to do much better, but which ITV now seem to have the ‘By Royal Appointment’ accolade. Happy viewing.
Patek Philippe’s new manually wound ladies’ chronograph Nick Horne The Rich Pick Freelance correspondent, London, England THIS new ladies watch - Ref 7150/250R001 - is the only chronograph in Patek Philippe’s watch collection for members of the fairer sex. It is worn on a shiny mink grey alligator leather strap secured with a rose-gold prong buckle that sparkles with the fire of 27 diamonds. In 2009, Patek Philippe introduced a chronograph intended exclusively for feminine wrists. It was the exclusive debut of a classic manufacture-made chronograph movement (column wheel, horizontal clutch, manual winding) that had been developed entirely in house. That was also expressed by the name Ladies First Chronograph Ref 7071, which was manufactured until 2016. Now, the Genevan watchmaker is enriching its collection of complicated wrist-
watches for ladies and endowing this chronograph - highly coveted by discerning women - with a totally new face. The cushion shaped case has been replaced with an elegant, round rose-gold case with a diameter of 38mm featuring a bezel set with 72 diamonds. Its timelessly sleek design is emphasised by refined vintage look details such as the fluted and delicately curved strap lugs, the round chronograph pushers with manually guilloched faces, and the gently cambered sapphire crystal ‘box’ glass. The silvery opaline dial also combines a contemporary style with classic aesthetics, showcasing sculpted Breguet hour and minute hands in rose gold and a display layout that makes it eminently legible. The pulsimeter scale of the new watch pays tribute to the tradition of
classic chronographs that can measure the cadence of an active lifestyle or the slightly increased heart rate of its proud owner. The compact case accommodates the manually wound calibre CH 29-535 PS movement with an instantaneous 30-minute counter, crowning its classic architecture with six patented innovations. Its subtlety can be admired through the box-type sapphire-crystal case back that is slightly chamfered to echo the profile of the rear bezel. And the cost? A cool €68,035.
WATCH OUT: The new Patek Philippe timepiece. HIGH-END QUALITY: The reverse highlights the calibre of construction. ROCK SOLID: Detail of the strap and buckle that sparkles with 27 diamonds.
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Across 1 Bed in the Home Counties for a writer (6) 4 Mutilate a thousand fish (6) 9 Right place, I resolved to find duplicate (7) 10 A very hard stone to find in Wales (5) 11 Whip left in front of tree (4) 12 Rescue gun dog with no tail (8) 14 Fred’s wife with the Italian mother (5) 16 Before end of day dining room is cluttered (5) 20 Particular kind of epic sale (8) 21 Cast about for laws (4) 24 Cooking broth is such a pain (5) 25 Possible description of sty could be stye? (7) 26 Easing of pain about change of life (6) 27 Conniving little animal died (6)
7 A choice of one in two, or possibly one in three (6) 8 King or jack? Same difference! (5) 13 Friendly letters in e-mail: A, B, C (8) 15 Rip Emil off and put at risk (7) 17 Improved as a gambler (6)
Code Breaker
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION FACING PAGE
18 Spent getting precious stone, then diamonds (5) 19 Doesn't change Belgian port (6) 22 Copy a hundred and fifty one (5) 23 Come together in game show (4)
Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 2 represents W and 13 represents Z, so fill in W every time the figure 2 appears and Z every time the figure 13 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.
CROSSWORD PAGE
Cryptic
Down 1 Walk the street holding a register (6) 2 Guys held by Europe security officers (5) 3 Cook first of big onions in liquid (4) 5 Firm fade out supported (8) 6 They fly although they are powerless to do so (7)
TIME
Across 1 Motion picture (5) 3 Apartments (5) 6/18 Old or experienced sailor (3,3) 8 Airman (7) 9 Judge's small mallet (5) 10 Sign of something about to happen (4) 13 State of extreme anger (4) 14 Tract of level wasteland (5) 17 Own (7) 18 See 6 19 Escape or avoid by cunning (5) 20 No longer fresh (5)
English - Spanish
Across 1 Chestnut (7) 5 Arches (5) 8 Demostrar (5) 9 To withdraw (7) 10 To buy (7) 11 Claro (ejemplo, prueba, ventaja) (5) 12 To copy (6) 14 Blankets (6) 17 Playing card (5) 19 Alfombras (7) 21 Árbitro (7) 22 Ship (vessel) (5) 24 Salado (5) 25 Mañana (hora del día) (7)
Down 1 Body of matter without definite shape (4) 2 Hard white substance covering the crown of a tooth (6) 3 Just (4) 4 Tried (9) 5 Calm (6) 7 Inability to feel pain (9) 11 Increase threefold (6) 12 Against (6) 15 Relinquish possession or control over (4) 16 Eye greedily (4)
The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.
Down 1 See 23 2 Tormenta (5) 3 Happiness (cheerfulness) (7) 4 Worker (agriculture, industry) (6) 5 Desván (5) 6 Correcto (7) 7 Sorpresas (9) 10 Cooks (chefs) (9) 13 Doloroso (7) 15 To pass (approve) (7) 16 Gritar (6) 18 Temprano (5) 20 Skiing (5) 23/1 Huevera (3,3)
LOTTERY UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
10
40
42
46
47
48
IRISH LOTTO Saturday April 14
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.
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 M) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.
8
9
12
BONUS BALL
47
PISCES (February 20 - March 20)
EURO MILLIONS Tuesday April 10
BONUS BALL
14
27
39
11
TARGET: • Average: 10 • Good: 14
• Very good: 20 • Excellent: 25
12
48
46
Friday April 13
BONUS BALL
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
5
25
agin cage crag gain gave gean gear gene girn give gran grin rage rang ring acing agree anger cager cigar eager eagre genic genie genre given giver grace grain grave green range reign vegan verge arcing avenge cagier caring caving cringe earing encage enrage gainer genera geneva graven greave grieve racing raving regain avenger carving craving engrave generic reeving veering vinegar GRIEVANCE
34
6 7
50
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EL MILLON: BKJ13970 LA PRIMITIVA
Sudoku
Thursday April 12
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.
BONUS BALL
7
12
18
34
35
41
48 1
JOKER: 6 416 813 Saturday April 14
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
3
17
20
22
24
34
BONUS BALL
4
3
JOKER: 2 322 081 EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA Sunday April 15
2
12 42
25
ENGLISH-SPANISH
CRYPTIC Across:
52
1 Sash, 3 Columpio, 9 Iglesia, 10 Crash, 11 Sidra, 12 Guests, 14 Rincón, 16 Sticky, 19 Premio, 21 Reach, 24 Irons, 25 Avispon, 26 As soon as, 27 Jefe.
Down: 1 Scissors, 2 Salad, 4 Orange, 5 Uncle, 6 Plastic, 7 Ocho, 8 Estaño, 13 By chance, 15 Nervous, 17 Tercio, 18 Solapa, 20 Museo, 22 Apple, 23 Cita.
1 Stands, 4 Moscow, 9 Average, 10 Lyres, 11 Champ, 12 Red tape, 13 Clandestine, 18 Prosper, 20 Lowly, 22 Group, 23 Swindle, 24 Tutors, 25 Unseen.
Down: 1 Starch, 2 Arena, 3 Dead pan, 5 Oiled, 6 Certain, 7 Wasted, 8 George cross, 14 Lookout, 15 Tallinn, 16 Spigot, 17 Wyvern, 19 Piper, 21 Wedge.
QUICK
KAKURO
Across: 1 Feline, 4 Fret, 8 Available, 9 Obey, 10 Rabies, 13 Second, 15 Lair, 18 Originate, 19 Fast, 20 Battle.
Down:
1 Furious, 2 Leave, 3 Near, 5 Rabbi, 6/18 Tee off, 7 Bleak, 11 Syringe, 12 Unfit, 14 Chips, 16 Alert, 17 Data.
CODE BREAKER
For some time you have been trying to settle a certain matter. Although it is in your nature to get things out of the way quickly, this has not been possible. The chance to make progress this week is welcome but be sure that all is not what it seems.
ARIES (March 21 - April 20) A friend of long standing comes up with some bright ideas to get you out of a tricky situation. Don't be surprised. You have for a long time now underestimated their worth. Your friend will be surprised when you show your gratitude in an immediate and physical way, but if there is anything better than finding a new friend it is finding an old friend has hidden talents.
TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) The urge to get ahead at as fast a pace as possible is apparent this week. Some would say not before time. However, you know the art of choosing the moment and it has not been until now that you have felt the time was right. This is a truly expansive week and one in which your powers of imagination are given full rein. No wonder you are being admired.
BONUS BALL
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS Across:
Such is your popularity this week that you can be assured of success in many things. Remember that first impressions can be the most accurate and don't be tempted to make too many allowances for others.
34
28
20
AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19)
0
GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) The company is so interesting that you can hardly tear yourself away and new experiences are arriving every day. You could be forgiven for getting a little over-excited. When travel brings you face to face with a stranger, you find that a bit of information you hear has to be acted upon.
CANCER (June 22 - July 23) Someone close gets a real stroke of luck this week and no doubt the benefits will rub off on you. It seems that some fortune will come your way by the end of the month and lead you to see a situation in quite a
QUIZ: BIG CATS 1. First published in 1950, who was the author of the fantasy novel for children The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? 2. Name any two of the three theme songs to James Bond films sung by Dame Shirley Bassey, who was born in Tiger Bay, Cardiff in January 1937? 3. ‘The lion goes from strength to strength’ is the advertising slogan of which motor manufacturer? 4. Tony the Tiger is the advertising cartoon mascot for which breakfast cereal, appearing on its packaging and advertising? 5. Welford Road is the home ground of which Premiership rugby union club? 6. What is golfer Tiger Woods real first name? 7. Which 12th century English king was nicknamed the Lionheart or Coeur de Lion?
8. Which alternative rock band released the number one hit single Three Lions in 1996 to mark the England football team's participation in that year's European Championships, held in England? 9. Which mythical creature had the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion, typically depicted with pointed ears and with the eagle's legs taking the place of the forelegs? 10. With which sport would you principally associate Dick Tiger (born Richard Ihetu)? Not a lot of people know that... female lions do the hunting (together in groups) while male lions stay home to protect the pride, however tigers are solitary hunters, and generally search for food alone at night.
different light. Any travel should be left until the beginning of next month if possible because there are likely to be delays and irritations.
LEO (July 24 - August 23) Someone you have been holding at arm’s length recently is insisting on getting closer. Charm and tact alone may not save the day, but enlisting the help of a friend could. Travel and career are well-aspected and, if you are expecting a financial windfall, you may have a bit longer to wait.
VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) The hard work you have been putting in recently has left you tired and, at times, quite tetchy. This week you will start to see the rewards of your efforts which will undoubtedly help you to keep up the momentum. There is a lot of both passion and travel this week, which is set to continue.
LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) This is a highly sociable week, and you could meet some new faces that not only attract but inspire you. You are a social butterfly, and this brings out your Libran flutteriness. You will have to draw on all your powers of concentration to keep ahead of practical matters such as paperwork.
SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) You dominate the scene this week and no one is in any doubt about what you are aiming for. If you want to impress someone new to your circle, however, try a bit of cunning as opposed to brow-beating.
SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Communication and self-expression are what it's all about this week. Although you may feel that indulging yourself is in some ways selfish, you should realise that you are entitled to some fun.
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) The call of romance is strong but so is that of your business life. The two will clash to the detriment of each other if you do not plan ahead and pace yourself. Do not be at the beck and call of others when you need all your time and energy for yourself.
Answers: 1. C S (Clive Staples) LEWIS, 2. GOLDFINGER (1964), DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971) and MOONRAKER (1979), 3. PEUGEOT (part of Groupe PSA), 4. KELLOGG'S FROSTED FLAKES (also known as FROSTIES), 5. LEICESTER TIGERS (officially Leicester Football Club), 6. ELDRICK Tont Woods, 7. RICHARD I, 8. THE LIGHTNING SEEDS (in collaboration with David Baddiel and Frank Skinner), 9. GRIFFIN (GRIFFON or GRYPHON), 10. BOXING – he was the World Middleweight and World Light Heavyweight Champion
‘ WE WOULD ALL MISS OUR NEWSPAPERS DIGITAL MEDIA HAS ITS LIMITATIONS! ’
YOUR STARS
BONUS BALL
38
Kakuro
33
FOR NEXT 7 DAYS
Saturday April 14
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OPINION & COMMENT
YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION Letters should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com
Views expressed and opinions given are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements.
Leapy Lee ‘How many more lives must be lost?’
What a waste I AM prompted to remark that Torrevieja built a wonderful looking
HAVE YOUR SAY
Sky-high prices to fly AS a seasoned traveller I am amazed at the frequently high price of flights between Malaga and Madrid. In the last six months I have used the capital for connecting international flights to the US, Far East, and the Middle East. With my most recent international ticket provided out of Madrid by a client I found myself responsible for the internal flights, resulting in a price quote of almost €400 return for a Malaga-Madrid return ticket as it was not purchased at part of the original international flight. With Malaga-London return tickets often available for a quar-
Photo Credit: Christian Schmitt flickr
I FELT compelled to write to you in reply to the above headline, and cannot agree more with Leapy Lee’s assessment. I was a Police Officer in Tottenham in the early 70’s and the frightening statistic then was that 90 per cent of the crime in the area was committed by about 10 per cent of Tottenham’s population, in other words the ethnic minority. This fact, put together by Police Collator Reports was never publicised for the very same reason it is not spoken about now - the Politically Correct - and for fear of upsetting anyone! Only those of the Ethnic Minority when arrested, had their own telephone number to call for assistance, because of any alleged racist accusations, and the old adage, quote ‘You only stopped/arrested me because I am black.’ John Mather, Costa del Sol
SHORT HAUL: Travel from Malaga is expensive. ter of this amount – in part bargain prices because of the stiff competition that exists - how I wish there was more competition between carriers on the MalagaMadrid routing. While I prefer to fly for the sake of convenience with the
All letters by email or post should carry the writer’s address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published.
connections, the near €400 price tag for a Malaga-Madrid return left me with little option for the sake of my pocket to use the AVE high-speed rail service at less than half the price. Down to earth traveller, Name and address supplied
Readers who have missed correspondence can see all letters - which can be edited before publication - posted on: www.euroweeklynews.com.
‘Disruptive’ stag do passenger fined £2,500 fine is not enough - what about the costs of all the passengers onboard? Disrupted flight disrupted lives - who knows what cost to each passenger this caused! Each passenger should be compensated by the defendant - and Ryanair costs. Who covers those? A minimum fine of £20,000 if the flight has to turn around due to disruptive behaviour could go some way to reducing this type of behaviour. Saying that, the question does have to be raised as to how on earth he was allowed on the flight in the first place! Loraine Enriquez Murphy
Comments from EWN online Man, 84, sentenced to prison for killing violent burglar in Canary Islands
So if he was already drunk, why was he allowed to fly. Staff should take more responsibility but if they have to unload a passenger it costs time and money. Robert Mitchell
Most in-humane ruling ever. Putting an 84-year-old man in jail for reacting to violence. I truly hope that judge gets burgled himself one day... see how he feels then. Lucas Verbist
Actually by law cabin crew can actually stop you from boarding if we believe you to be drunk before the flight, the problem is once we are in the air alcohol works differently so its much harder to spot on land, the problem is these people think they will be fine when its not always the case, due to the cabin pressure all alcohol in your system doubles its affect if you could limit alcohol intake both on land and in the sky we would solve the issue to a great extent. Katy Hunt
I thought it was only the UK courts that made ridiculous court judgements like this! Anne Whitfield Don't care if the gun was legal or not. What that burglar did was illegal. He and his accomplice should NOT have been terrorising these elderly people in their own home or anywhere else. How would you feel if it had been your parents in this situation? Barbara Anne Holt
So sad - that Spain is going the same way as the UK, in preferring the 'rights' of criminals over those of the victims. PM
Spanish woman attacked on London tube train for not speaking English I think it stinks how these people have been treated. Both my wife and myself travel to Spain twice a year on holiday and we have never been treated this way. What if other people went to many different countries would we have to speak many languages prior to travelling? I just hope these women are caught and put in front of a very good judge who will think very hard on the behaviour. Simon Do the millions of British people that holiday in Spain every year speak Spanish, I don’t think so. Absolutely disgusting. Sheena Hutson Absolutely disgraceful... what the hell is wrong with people... sending her best wishes and hope she soon recovers. Cherill Munday
desalination plant, but after 10 years was still not used due to the fact that no electricity was built in. Also the discharge water pipes woul d have t o go t hr ough t he town. (I left Torrevieja two years ago and it was still not functioning or having any new and necessary features provided, so it could be 12 years.) My father-in-law was a draughtsman to Stevenage new town. I don't remember any such hiccoughs. C u t t i n g o ff t h e w a t e r s u p p l y for a number of hours, encourages people to fill up baths, and other containers, then throw it away when water is returned to normal pressure is actually using more of a scarce commodity. Marie Jenkins, Mutxamel
More motor homes REGARDING the letter from Dave Turre last week. Motor homes do not contribute to the local economy as for a start they do not pay towards emptying the rubbish bins, we as residents do, they also take water from the taps that are situated in and around our village, who do you think pays for that? We pay water rates they don’t. Also they take up all the parking spaces on the beach which cars cannot park as they stay there all winter taking up all the space. They also empty their sewerage waste in and around the parkland as they have been seen and photographed doing this disgusting habit. At last the Elche Police are now going to fine them for illegally parking. About time - see what they think of that - if they c a n a ff o r d t h e s e l u x u r y m o t o r h o m e s w h y d o n ’t t h e y u s e t h e campsites, there are plenty of them. They are just free loaders. All the residents here are fed up with them. May, La Marina
HEALTH BEAUTY
Head to foot THE feet are two of the most used and battered parts of the body given that they are trodden on every d a y. Ho we ver, when it comes to taking care o f o u r h e a l t h an d looking after ourselves, we often forget our feet and toenails. But it’s importa n t t o t a k e c a r e o f them by practicing good hygiene and pampering them to avoid any pain or calluses. Feet tend to get dirty and sweat more than other parts of the body, so be sure to wash your feet every day. If you shower in the morning, do try to wash your feet when you get home at night. Apart from b e i n g a h a b i t o f good hygiene, this will prevent you from dirtying your bed. As part of this routine, keep your feet hydrated by applying a moisturising cream. Just remember not to over-hydrate the a r e a b e t we e n t h e toes, because this could cause fungi to grow. Wear shoes appropriate for the weather and the occasion. As the temperature begins to rise, keep your feet cool with sandals or shoes that are ventilated. Wearing shoes in hot weather could mean you end up with smelly feet or worse with a fungal infection. If you do walk in sandals, you will see that your nails get dirty, so take the time to clean them e v e r y t i m e y o u wash. Finally, remember to cut your toenails every few weeks. In addition to keepi n g y o u r n a ils healthy and strong, this will a v o i d y o u r f e e t looking ghastly in sandals.
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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
Ask the Optician - the introduction to eyes and vision Andrés Román Romero, Store Director, Specsavers Opticas Santa Ponsa TODAY we’re helping a patient whose child has some questions about their eyes that they are not sure how to answer. We hope it can help you to understand the eyes better too! What happens when we see? Eyes are very complex and sensitive, and work in a similar way to a camera. When we look at an object, light bounces off the object and enters our eyes through the pupil. This light then passes through the lens of the eye, which focuses it to make a clear picture on the retina at the back of the eye. There are special cells on the retina called rods and cones, which send electrical messages along the optic nerve to the brain. The brain then turns those messages into images allowing us to see the object. Everything we see reaches our retina as an upside-down image. However, the brain is very clever and tells us that we see things the right way up. How do lenses help us see better? Lenses are made from transparent materials,
EWN
such as glass or plastic. Depending on how we want to bend light, the lenses are made fatter or thinner to make the rays of light meet at one point. This point is called the focus. We see images clearly at the point of focus. The lenses in our eyes focus images on our retina. By looking through other types of lenses, we can make objects appear larger and nearer, or smaller and further away. This is what happens when we wear glasses, or when we look through a magnifying glass or telescope. What shape are our eyes? Some people’s eyes are shaped like a football, others are more like a rugby ball. If the eyeball is shaped more like a rugby ball, the rays of light do not focus exactly on the retina, causing long or short-sightedness and making you need glasses or contact lenses.
If you or your children have questions about the eyes, ask your optician and make sure that you are all having regular eye tests from the age of three years old. Advanced eye tests at Specsavers Opticas are currently free. To find your nearest store visit www.specsavers.es.
What were you inking? PERHAPS it was that holiday in Thailand, perhaps a symbol of love for your ex-partner or perhaps it was just a vague memory from the night before. However it got there, that once-longed-for tattoo can now be causing you to cringe. Never fret. With new laser technologies, you can now erase that memory for good in fewer sessions and without causing too much damage to your pocket. In the past, traditional lasers, which were used to remove tattoos, were unable to break ink into small enough particles, and so an ugly remnant of the memory lingered. New picosecond lasers, however, emit shorter pulse lengths and are able to eliminate tattoos in a safer, faster and more effective way. These lasers produce very concentrated energy pulses which increase the temperature very sharply and cause the pigments to explode into tiny particles. The skin can then metabolise these articles much more easily. Another added bonus is that no damage is caused to the surrounding skin. Even green and blue inks can be removed with ease using piosecond laser removal. Improvements in the technology mean that you need less treatment, saving you time and money. You can finally now erase that bad memory for good.
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Update on food, drink, entertainments, what’s on and weekly happenings
Return of the Formentor Sunset Classics F OR t h o se wh o h a ve th e spare cash, there will be an excep t i o n a l n i g h t a t th e Royal Hideaway Hotel in the Port de Pollença on Sat-
urday May 26. T h e F o rmen to r S u n s e t Classics welcome Spanish violinist virtuoso Leticia Moreno, accompanied by th e Tan g o N u ev o P ro j e c t Quintet and the Chamber O rc h es tra o f F o rme ntor, who will perform a selection of the compositions of Astor Piazzolla in a musical journey through the history of tango. The 33-year-old multiaw ard w in n in g v io linis t fro m M a d rid c o mp le te d much of her education in
LETICIA MORENO: Award winning Spanish violinist. Germany and has been travelling around the world for years touring, and on this one spring evening she will pre s e nt a re pe rtoire of w orks by B a c h, Viva ldi, Bartok, Ginastera and Piazzolla but all will revolve around tango.
The price for tickets for this single event starts at €100 with the top price hitting €600. The re w ill a ls o be the chance to stay at the luxury Royal Hideaway Hotel and e njoy a ga la dinne r a t a n additional cost.
SCENE
OCIAL
Opera season continues AS part of the Opera and Ballet Season at the Teatre Principal de Palma, there will be three performances of Norma by the Italian composer Vicenzo Bellini. This is tragedy in the true sense of opera and combines elements of traditional Greek tragedy, the Celtic cult of nature and the remorse of Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth. The opera is considered as a leading example of the bel canto genre and such great sopranos as Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland and Montserrat Caballé are known for their memorable performances of Casta Diva
from Act I. This is a stark yet monumental production which relies on additional audio visual projections and specially designed costumes. The cast is made up by a number of well-respected singers, supported by members of the choir of the Teatro Principal whilst the music will be played by the Orquestra Simfònica Illes Balears under the direction of Andrés Salado. The opera will be presented on June 6 and 8 at 8pm and June 10 at 6pm with tickets available from the theatre box office costing from €10 to €65.
How to plan your meals Eat Well
to Live Well by Andrew Harding I THOUGHT I would discuss meal planning and the best way to store, scale and find recipes. Meal planning for one is easy, I go to a local supermarket (farmer’s markets are better and cheaper if you are cooking for four or more), check the meat/fish/vegetarian options, buy what looks the best and select the freshest and best-looking accompaniments. Going shopping with a pre-conceived idea is not the best way to enjoy the fantastic range of excellent food we have in Spain. Meal planning for more than one is difficult unless a cuisine or theme is chosen, such as Spanish, English, Orien-
SIMPLE BUT TASTY: Aubergines can be cooked in the microwave. tal, Indian, Italian, etc. What is the best way to store, scale and find recipes? It has to be by computer! I will state that I receive no money, no publicity, nothing tangible or intangible from the following company. This is my personal recommendation
This week’s recipe; it doesn’t get any easier than this! • Aubergine with onion, garlic and lemon • Serves four as an accompaniment • One large onion, skinned and chopped • Four garlic cloves, skinned and chopped • One vegetable stock cube crumbled • One lemon (finely grate ½ of the lemon and reserve, together with the juice of the whole lemon)
for the best cookery book you will ever have! The program is called MasterCook, for the Windows PC or an Android Phone (there isn’t a version for the Apple Mac). It is now in its 15th incarnation and is available as a download for $39.99 (€32.45) from the MasterCook website. I have been using MasterCook for 20 years. You can search by ingredients, combination of ingredients, recipes for those with food intolerances or allergies. For Christmas, Easter and dinner parties it is especially good, because you can plan meals and print off shopping lists. If you have ingredients in your fridge that need eating, use the ‘Search’ function, it will search 40,000 recipes and list every recipe with the specific ingredients that you have selected in about 20 seconds.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste • 25cc of extra virgin olive oil • Two medium sized aubergines, tops removed and diced Place all the ingredients in a microwaveable covered bowl and microwave on full power (850 Watts) for 12 minutes. Stir and serve. HINT: Aubergine is diced last of all, within seconds the flesh turns brown on contact with the air, the lemon juice inhibits this process.
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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
Now is the time to buy! THE Spanish property market is on the move again. The number of mortgages taken out in January this year was up 9.2 per cent on the same month in 2017 and the amount borrowed has gone up by 7.9 per cent. These are the most recent figures from the Spanish Statistical Institute (INE) and they paint a very confident picture. Mortgages for property in Sotogrande tend to be around 70 per cent of the asking price for non-residents and can be as high as 80 per cent for residents.
SPANISH PROPERTIES: Now is a good time to buy.
The same is true inland in the villages like Jimena de la Frontera and Gaucin. Prepare yourselves; the best bargains are getting mopped up fast! Case study We have just sold a property in Jimena which was bought for €70,000 cash. The lawyer had to tell the buyer that this was lower than the price the Hacienda calculated as the ‘real price.’ The buyer paid the 8 per cent tax on the title deed price and chose to wait until the Tax Authorities calculate the shortfall (which they undoubt-
Brexit? What Brexit Brits buying property abroad ‘not bothered’ by triggering of Article 50 • 55 per cent of Brits still want to buy a second home in Europe • Spain remains the most popular destination • 130,000 Brits owed €5.3bn now eligible to get money back on previously unbuilt homes
WHILE the country may have voted to leave the European Union, Brits show no sign of giving up on their dreams of owning a place in the sun, according to new research published by specialist firm Spanish Legal Reclaims. The study reveals that over half (55 per cent) of Britons who are considering buying a home abroad say Brexit will have no impact on their decision to buy. In fact, 10 per cent of those surveyed said they were actually more likely to buy in Europe now that Britain has decided to leave the EU. Spain remains the most popular choice for Brits looking to buy abroad, with 45 per cent saying it was their first choice, followed by France (37 per cent) and Italy (20 per cent). “ I t ’s n o t s u r p r i s i n g t o h e a r t h a t Spain remains the favourite destination for British people who want to buy property in Europe. Despite the horror stories you may have heard of disappearing developers, it continues to deliver on lifestyle, property prices and climate,” said Spanish Legal Reclaims CEO, Luis Cuervo. “What’s more, a Spanish Supreme Court ruling introduced in December 2015 means that if you bought a property off-plan that isn’t delivered on time by the developer, and they have
NO CRISIS: Brits looking for property abroad continue to flock to Spain. since gone bankrupt, you can reclaim your money back from the bank who was meant to safeguard your deposit. “The new ruling gives fresh hope to thousands who are potentially hundreds of thousands of pounds out of pocket,” Mr Cuervo continued. Around 130,000 Britons are eligible to claim a total of £5.3bn against this ruling, according to research commissioned by Spanish Legal Reclaims and the Centre for Economics and Business research. Spanish Legal Reclaims is also currently working with clients across the country to help them reclaim money they are owed from off-plan Spanish property.
One of the successful claimants is Janet Jalil from north-west London. “In 2002, my husband and I decided to buy a second home for holidays, as well as somewhere we could eventually use as a retirement home. After lots of research, we paid just over €200,000 for a property in Marbella. “When we flew to Spain to see the property for ourselves, we quickly f o u n d o u t t h a t i t w a s n ’t b u i l t . O u r lawyer let me know about the change in the law and, after a year-long legal process we are now expecting to get all of our original deposit back plus interest!” For more information please visit www.spanishlostdeposits.com.
edly will). This will add another €3,200 because the government says the property is really worth €110,000. Winners and losers Bad luck for the seller, our client, who had cash flow problems and needed to sell, but on this occasion the lucky winner was the buyer. There was a similar example in Sotogrande Marina, where a two bed sold for €280,000 when the asking price was €315,000. And a villa in Sotogrande sold for €1.4 million negotiated down from €1.7 million.
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PROPERTY
Top 5 tips for rental owners What should you consider when choosing your property management company?
1) CHOOSE the company that markets your property with cutting-edge technologies and provides innovative ways of bringing customers on-board. Examples of such progressive solutions could include: a dynamic calendar that displays your bookings clearly and can synchronise with other large rental platforms; a simple back-end system allowing you to easily work on your property listing; a multilingual team that can give your guests 24/7 support. These are some of the ways in which a good rental company can save you time and money. 2) Consider whether the company offers access to a broader community of hosts. Sharing reviews and being part of a large community provides a range of benefits, eg, bonus systems and loyalty programmes, and creates an interactive community of homeowners that share the same ideas and concerns. 3) Does the company offer services that cover your needs of in-destination management and extra services to the tourists? The availability of airport pick-ups, shuttles,
LANDLORDS: Avoid scams by choosing the right agency to advertise your property.
restaurant reservations, tour bookings and other added services increase the probability of your property having reservations all year round. 4) Inquire to what extent the management company will be monitoring your property and offering you related services. Not all situations might turn out to be pleasant for guests. Therefore, it is advisable to ensure that you are covered by a correctly structured rental agreement. Rental agreements only recently became a legal necessity, and many agents are still behind on correctly implementing and covering all fronts in this regard. Some companies go beyond this, offering different types of in-destination monitoring, visits, check-ups, and follow-ups that help you better manage your accommodation. 5) Finally, choose a company that includes the maximum number of services within their agency fee. A lot of players in the market are benefiting from charging a percentage management fee, and further billing landlords with add-ons, sometimes essential services, which are not covered within the initial agreement.
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A POPULAR new trend among young professionals furnishing their home is to upcycle old objects, rather than buying brand new furniture. Upcycling is the process of recycling old, often battered, objects and giving them new life. These ‘new’ pieces of furniture look drastically different to their former selves and offer something completely unique to your home. Perhaps you have an urge to express your creative side, perhaps you don’t want to get rid of granny’s old dresser or perhaps you need to watch the pennies. Whatever your reason, taking on the challenge of upcycling unwanted or
Credit: Olegusk Shutterstock
Breathing new life SUNFLOWERS: Red and yellow can grow together.
ROLLING IN IT: Think of the money you can save by upcycling. unloved objects can allow you to furnish or transform your home without having to spend a fortune. The types of things that can be used to create furniture are endless. Old wooden boxes can be used to make shelves or even desks, by placing the boxes one below the other. Old wooden shutters can have legs attached to transform into a table. And one of the most recognised materials for
making recycled furniture is wooden pallets. These can be creatively upcycled into unique pieces of furniture such as room dividers, tables and bases for things such as beds and seating. The best thing about upcycling is, it doesn’t have to be perfect. The fact that it’s been made by your own hands gives it a charm and personality that even the most expensive massproduced piece never could.
PERMACULTURE EDUCATION SUSTAINABLE DESIGN Telephone: 666 33 33 35 info@permamed.org http://permamed.org/
Sunflowers can brighten up your garden area GRAEME TYRRELL FEW flowers stand out like a sunflower. The large brilliantly yellow flower head at the top of a tall stem that faces up towards the sun as the sun travels across the sky is a fascination of the plant world. It is a great addition to the garden space that you may have to provide interest, colour and size while also being a source of one of the most popular snack foods in Spain. The flowers are shaped like the sun symbol and its heliotropic ability to align with the sun as it moves from east to west can be used in landscaping to add a special feature. Grouping the plants in a zone that you see regularly during the day is a good way to enjoy them. The traditional and most popular colour is yellow but there are also shades of brown, red and orange. The sunflower originates from the Americas and were brought to Europe by the Spanish as a decoration and food source from the new world. The Native Americans used it as a staple food in many regions where it grew naturally. The flower head is actually a group of florets arranged in spirals with the Fibonacci golden angle ratio. The pattern gives rise to the abundance of seeds that form after the flower to produce the sunflower seeds or ‘Pipa’ in Spanish.
The seeds are very nutritious with an abundance of health benefits, but roasted and spiced they are a delicious snack. You need patience to crack the shell to extract the seed. They are easy to grow in the Mediterranean climate but the soil should be well fertilised with compost and manure to ensure that the plants are healthy enough to produce a strong plant to support the flower head and to give the best seeds if you wish to harvest them. In a windy location the plants will need some staking to ensure they do not fall over. I always grow some in the vegetable garden as the enriched soil suits them perfectly and they look wonderful amongst the less colourful vegetables. I prefer the dwarf varieties that grow to around a metre as they are easier to manage and you can see the flowers better. They do need regular watering to do well so if water is an issue it is best to be conservative with the number you grow and apply a good mulch around them to conserve the moisture. They love the sun so make sure they have at least six hours of strong sunlight. They will not grow well in the shade. Harvest the seeds after the seed head has dried out. You can pick out a few seeds from the head to sample when they look ready and leave a little longer if they are not. Birds love them so you may need netting to get enough for yourself but if not, you will have plenty of bird friends.
PETS PAGE www.euroweeklynews.com ORDINARY household products contain many of the substances that poison animals every year. They include insecticides to kill ants, fleas, termites, wasps, pesticides against rats and mice, herbicides to kill garden weeds, cleaners used in homes, fuel and other petroleum products used in cars, heaters and even lighters. The combination of being common and dangerous means that pets which share our homes, gardens and cars are particularly vulnerable, depending on the amount of toxic ingredient in the substance. It is vital in any potential poisoning situation to take the container with its label of contents to a vet. All poisons do not necessarily have the same ingredients. Feeding dogs raw meat and uncooked bones, raw eggs or chicken, allowing them access to rubbish bins full of rotting garbage or having a bird feeder within snacking range, can result in salmonella poisoning. Commonly classified as food poisoning, salmonella is a group of about 2,000 related bacterial strains. It causes gastrointestinal infections and can be very dangerous. All livestock carry the bacteria which is transported via the retailer to
19 - 25 April 2018
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Dog poisoning David THE Dogman columnists@ewnmediagroup.com
your home. Dogs eating bird droppings or birdseed that has been touched by the infected birds are at risk. Animals who are carriers of the bacteria spread it to other animals and humans via their faeces. Although susceptibility depends upon the animal’s immune system, the strength of the particular strain and the amount ingested, salmonella in its slightest form is a very painful infliction. Prevention includes cooking all raw meats (including poultry) and using a cooking thermometer to determine minimal acceptable temperatures to kill the bacteria, therefore meats should reach a temperatue of between 820°C and 900°C. Using pesticides can be dangerous, but there are alternatives. Marigolds will
ROLLED OVER: Watch out for symptoms of poisoning in your dog. repel many garden pests such as beetles. Daffodil bulbs or garlic plants keep mice and moles at bay. Basil in pots near your outdoor sitting areas will deter flies and mosquitoes. Spearmint acts in the same way for ants.
Keep cats safe at home when you’re away SOME cats have a tendency to wander While many domesticated cats like their routine and regular feeding schedule it can be a worry if the cats are young or come from a rescue home. It is tempting to think that they will be alright for a few days or a week on their own if you go away. But please think again. The dangers of life on the street are ever-present and your cat may be at risk if there is no one at home to maintain their routine. We can help you to find checked cat-sitters who will help to maintain your daily feeding and maintenance routine. Better to know your cats are safe at home and being cared for under a watchful eye than let it roam the streets at risk of attack, being run over or herded into a pound. We can help. How do you benefit as a home and pet owner?
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By joining the HouseSit Match membership network you can meet experienced and checked sitters safely online. For a small annual fee you can be part of the managed network that allows you to meet sitters online, and make arrangements for them to look after your pets and property while you are away. Whatismore, the sitters do not charge a penny, they look after your pets for free in exchange for free accommodation during their stay. It is an exchange of services that saves both parties money and often leads to lasting friendships. Why join a network like HouseSitMatch? HouseSitMatch is a managed online network which we believe makes us more secure. We ID check all members on joining, and police check all sitters. We believe this transparency is safer for everyone. How you benefit as a home
DANGER: The temptation to stray from home when you’re away. and pet owner Our membership offers a secure network to help you find suitable sitters. We don’t reveal your contact details, or your address. You post an advert ahead of your travel dates, we publish the advert then house-sitters apply. You can view their profiles and chat with them before you accept your choice of applicant. How you do join? Please register online via our website below, and choose a membership plan: Standard (DIY option) = £49 pa. Premium (with support at each step) = £79 pa.
Do you need a house or pet-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either house-sitter or homeowner now with a 20 per cent off introductory offer using coupon code PERFECT20. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HouseSitMatch.com call Lamia on 00 44 (0) 777 214 2742 or email admin@housesitmatch.com
Ladybirds eat aphids and make pesticides unnecessary. If you want a harmless ant repellent, wash kitchen tops, cabinets and floors with equal parts of vinegar and water or pour a line of cream of tartar at the place where ants
enter the house. They won’t cross the line. Strip old fruit from trees to stop caterpillars from laying their eggs. Flea and tick repellent can be made by boiling half a litre of water. When cool, add a thinly sliced lemon or one of a combination of herbs such as fennel, rue and rosemary. Stand the mixture overnight and spray or sponge onto your dog. This only keeps fleas and ticks off pets. It will not make residents leave. Put cedar chips around clothes or dried lavender sachets in drawers and closets to repel moths. Place whole bay leaves in several locations around the kitchen to repel roaches. Signs of poisoning can appear from six to 72 hours after the poisoning and include fever, vomiting, dehydration, constant diarrhoea, weakness, depression and loss of appetite, burns around the mouth, reddening of the skin, staggering, twitching, convulsions, even coma. Get your dog to a vet immediately.
Hungry habits WITH so many abandoned dogs needing a new home, why not open your heart and your front door to a dog in need. It is important to remember, however, that your new dog will have established eating habits and altering them too radically can cause him stress, or even illness. Find out what his diet has been and only change slowly. When feeding him, allow your dog to eat alone and in a quiet place. He may have had to defend his food in the past and your presence could cause him to become aggressive. Do try to avoid offering your dog too many treats or a ‘Sunday lunch’. Offering special extras or meals which are more abundant than usual can alter the d o g ’s d i e t a n d d i g e s t i v e system, and cause the dog to become obese. Remember, if your new dog is trying to grab your attention it’s not necessari-
ly a sign that he is hungry. Your dog always appreciates social contact, so caress him, play with him and teach him simple orders to strengthen your relationship.
Your dog will naturally crave contact with you and with other dogs. Give him the necessary time to cover his needs and your dog will become your new best friend.
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MEIN SCHIFF 6: On the high seas.
Double first for Mein Schiff 6 GERMAN cruise Ship Mein Schiff 6 made its inaugural call to Gibraltar last Sunday and then sailed on to Palma to make its first stop there yesterday (Wednesday). The vessel is part of the German Tui Cruises fleet and like her sister ships was built by Meyer Turku Shipyard in Finland. Mein Schiff 6 is the newest of the fleet having completed its maiden voyage in June 2017. It has a gross tonnage of 99,500GT, a length of 294 metres and can carry approximately 2,500 passengers and 1,030 crew.
Tui specialises in premium cruise vacations for German speaking customers, whilst at the same time offering value for money for those who enjoy comfort and fine dining. In 2016 Mein Schiff 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, all made their inaugural calls to Gibraltar and as with other inaugural calls there was an informal ceremony on board where an exchange of plaques took place. A similar ceremony took place in Palma and the visit coincided with the opening of the new cruise terminal in the port.
BOATS SPECIAL
Denia also has its own Boat Show next week PALMA doesn’t have the only Spanish Boat Show this month as Denia in the Costa Blanca will be running its 11th Salon Nautica from Friday April 27 until Tuesday May 1. Access to the Denia Boat Show is completely free, as are many of the activities that will take place during the opening hours of 10am to 8pm.
Credit: Salon Nautica Denia
Credit: Pjotr Mahhonin Wikimedia
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There will be no less than 19 nautical activities which visitors will be able to enjoy free of charge.
From Saturday to Tuesday there will be catamaran trips to the Cabo de San Antonio Marine Reserve, taking place at 10am, 11.30am and 1pm with 100 seats available on each sailing. The re w ill a ls o be a touris t tra in stopping at three different parts of the town. Every day, from 10am to 2pm and from 4pm to 8pm, there will be children’s workshops and remote-controlled boats for them to get involved with and there will be a number of other attractions including paddle surf, Hawaiian canoeing, and tours of the Maritime Rescue boat. The re w ill be a numbe r of loc a l companies exhibiting which includes boat manufacturers, repair yards, sell-
FLASHBACK: Crowds of visitors enjoy last year’s Denia Salon Nautica. ers of accessories, maritime clubs and of course plenty of purveyors of food and drink. Keeping an eye on conservation and the environment, during the show, the winners of the school drawing competition will return three turtles to the sea following their involvement in the competition, which was designed to
m ake even t he youngest chi l dr en aware of how they can contribute to the care of the marine environment. During the five days of the Denia Boat Show, there will be no less than 19 nautical activities which visitors will be able to enjoy free of charge. For full information visit http://sa lonnauticodenia.com.
BOATS SPECIAL
19 - 25 April 2018 / Mallorca
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B O AT I N G l o v e r s a r e c o u n t i n g down the days to the opening of the 35th Palma International Boat Show which will run from Friday April 27 to Tuesday May 1. Once again, the Superyacht Show (the sixth to be held) will run side by side with this increasingly popular show. So important are the shows now considered to be that an increasing number of exhibitors have applied for space at the Moll Vell and the amount of exhibition area is to increase by 15 per cent this year. This means that the show will now take in the Muelle de la Industria Pesquera so that the total area available will exceed 80,000 square metres. In order to make it easier for visitors to view every exhibitor and to ensure that there are no ‘dead areas’, a temporary floating bridge will be constructed to link the areas of the Espigón de Consigna with the newly added Muelle de la Industria Pesquera. The temporary bridge will be constructed in such a manner that it may be moved quickly and easi-
Credit: Palma International Boat Show
Just over a week to the Boat Show
THE PORT: At the 2017 Palma International Boat Show. ly to allow access and exit of the exhibitor’s vessels. Bearing in mind the fact that the sister show hosts some exceptionally large superyachts, the expansion will allow mooring of a larger number of boats that can reach up to 65 metres in length. The shows will be open from 11 a m u n t i l 8 p m e x c e p t f o r t h e
Saturday night where it will remain open until 11pm to allow for the traditional Sea Night with additional entertainment. Daily entry for adults is €6 with some discount for children expected and for bona fide boating professionals there will be a season ticket which can be purchased online costing €12.
It’s not just about selling boats but about explaining the excitement of messing about in boats, the importance of the boating industry including repairs and associated craftwork and the possible employment opportunities to the island. Not only is this a great opportunity for Mallorca to promote its
important position as a destination for leisure boating and the repair and commercial aspects of the business, it is also a superb employment opportunity for those in need of temporary work. For the second year running, the show will host the Boat Show Investment Forum which is aimed at entrepreneurs or start-up projects (with fewer than two years) and companies undergoing a growth phase (with more than two years) related to the boating sector, who are seeking private capital investment. This forum will take place on Monday April 30 at 11am in the conference room at Ports de Balears and anyone interested in participating, either as an investor or entrepreneur should visit http://www.keiretsuforum.es. With the two shows combined once again, there really will be something for everyone, whether they are happy on a paddle board, a dinghy or a multi-million euro superyacht. To find out more about the show visit www.boatshowpalma.com/en.
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MOTORING FACT SEAT’S brand new Arona has been singled out as Best Product Design 2018 by the prestigious Red Dot Award design competition. Since 1954, the Red Dot Award has been one of the most prestigious design competitions in the world, giving international recognition to quality and innovation. The Red Dot Award: Product Design jury is made up of 40 experts from all over the world who are not permitted to be part of any industrial manufacturing company nor can they participate in the vote for those products in which they may have been involved. They found the exterior and interior design and multiple personalisation options available on the Arona key aspects in selecting it as winner of the Best Product Design 2018. The new SEAT Arona also shone thanks to its compact
ROAD TEST by Nick Fletcher THE choice of estate cars is not as plentiful as it once was, but there are still strong contenders in a sector which retains a loyal following. At the head of the list is
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The last car to have a cassette deck as standard was the Lexus SC430 in 2010.
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ARONA: Awarded the Red Dot Best Product Design award.
SEAT win design gong measurements, dynamic behaviour; which is ideal for nimble city commutes, motorway driving or countryside getaways, while it was also awarded for its incredibly safe and easy to use applied technology and comfort.
“We are extremely delighted to receive one of the most prestigious design awards for the SEAT Arona,” said SEAT Design Director Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos. “We wanted to give a distinct
crossover character, for day to day life and for the urban jungle. “The SEAT Arona is yet another example of fresh, young, functional, adventurous and comfortable design.”
PRODUCTION of the brand new Tesla Y model could begin as early as next year, according to reports. News agency Reuters has claimed that Elon Musk is allegedly taking bids from suppliers for contracts which could lead to production starting from November 2019. Unofficially called the Y, Tesla’s newest planned model will be a crossover based on the €34,000 (£30,000) Tesla model 3, which is currently under construction. The new ‘Y’ would complete the billionaire’s ‘S3XY’ product plan; joining the original Model S saloon and the Model X SUV. Musk claimed in February that Tesla would build a million Y’s a year, but according to Reuters official stats will be way off that estimate; with annual production claimed to be at 500,000 in the US, held at Tesla’s California plant, while some will also take place in China. Musk’s claims came as an ambitious figure considering the Model 3’s current production problems. Tesla has struggled with the Model 3 so far, having planned to make 20,000 of the new car a month by December 2017, but in reality just 2,000 models were produced in the last three months of the year. As of yet, Tesla has still declined to comment on the Model Y production.
Volkswagen Passat estate the Volkswagen Passat estate. Beautifully styled, robustly built and with a more upmarket and luxury feel than main rivals, the Passat will tick all the boxes of those seeking space, day-to-
day practicality and dependability. One of VW’s best-selling and award-winning models, the Passat estate is priced from €27,101 (£23,630). Lighter and more spacious than previous versions, the latest Passat estate is a refined cruiser and load-lugger which can also be neat and nimble in urban use. There are petrol and diesel options and my test model was a 2.0 litre 148 hp diesel in business SE trim. Priced at €34,539 (£30,115), it was fitted with smooth-shifting seven-speed auto transmission.
Standard kit is extensive. Among the highlights: preand post-crash safety features, keyless start, front and rear parking sensors, three-zone air-con, adaptive cruise control, auto-lights and wipers, DAB radio/CD, sat-nav, internet access and smart-phone connectivity, alloy wheels, roof rails and variable boot floor. The boot space is a substantial 650 litres, expandable to a massive 1,780 litres with rear seats folded.
GOOD CHOICE: Volkswagen Passat Estate.
Wide doors give easy access with deep door bins, large glove-box and centre console storage make it very family-friendly. On the road, the Passat is a delight, quiet, agile, composed, very comfortable and with precise steering and well-balanced suspension inducing a feeling of absolute driver control and assurance. Top speed is 217 kph (135 mph), 0-100 kph time a nippy 8.9 seconds, fuel figure
22.7 kpl (64.2 mpg) and emissions just 114 g/km. The car looks more elegant and classy than most estates thanks to its understated and rather cool design, both in the cabin and outside. Passat rivals include estate versions of its stablemate Skoda Superb, Ford Mondeo and BMW 3 Series but in my view, none match the all-round Passat package which combines space and versatility with visual cachet and outstanding driving characteristics. It is about as near-perfect an estate car as you can find.
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Mallorca
SPORT
19 - 25 April 2018
BARCELONA set a new La Liga record as their 2-1 victory over Valencia saw them extend their unbeaten league run to 39 matches, beating Real Sociedad’s record of 38 games.
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Home comforts! Rahm wins maiden victory at Open de España SPANIARD Jon Rahm secured his maiden title as he took a two-shot victory on home soil to win the Open de España. The 23-year-old hit a five-under 67 in the final round of the Spanish open at Madrid’s Centro Nacional de Golf to finish 20 underpar overall and register just his fifth victory as a professional after overtaking overnight leader, Irishman Paul Dunne, and fellow Spaniard Nacho Elvira. “It’s probably the hardest Sunday I’ve ever had to play because the amount of crowds I was carrying,” Rahm told Sky Sports News
following his victory. “I saw the willingness and the feeling that everybody had to want me to win. They were pushing so hard and I felt that. As a golfer it’s hard to deal with the public’s emotions, so I tried to isolate myself and that’s perhaps why I didn’t play my best golf. In what turned out to be a frantic final round, Rahm came into the final day two strokes off the pace, with Dunne beginning the day with a one-shot lead ahead of Elvira. But Dunne’s playing partner for the day Elvira birdied the first to draw lev-
el with the Irishman, while Rahm birdied the first two holes to also take a share of the lead heading into the third. The lead switched hands multiple times from then on while on the front nine, but Rahm seemed to move comfortably clear as he rolled a 10-footer at the 13th to move two ahead. And despite Elvira pulling level by the 15th, the final pair made mistakes heading into the 18th where both were left needing to hole their second shots on the par-five final to force a play-off after Rahm posted a two-putt birdie to set the
clubhouse target at 20 under par. Dunne, who could only post a birdie on the final hole to finish with a one-under 71 on the final day ended second ahead of Elvira, who couldn’t recover after hitting a double bogey on the penultimate 17th to hand Rahm his maiden victory Rahm continued: “I’ve been blessed to be national champion with the Spanish Golf Federation many times, European champion and world champion representing them. To win this as a pro and do this for them and the Spanish people feels great.”
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Malaga’s relegation looms in Levante MALAGA’S relegation from La Liga could be confirmed later today (Thursday) if they lose to Levante. Los Boquerones recorded their first win in more than three months against Villarreal earlier this month and despite spirited performances against both Deportivo and Real Madrid in recent weeks it seems to be too little too late. Having recorded just four wins all season; the side are currently bottom of the league with just 17 points from 32 games and a loss tonight would leave the side 17 points adrift with just five games re-
PROUD: Jon Rahm secured his maiden victory on home soil.
maining. They could be joined by Las Palmas sooner rather than later if results go against the Gran Canarian side, who face a tough double header against Real Betis tonight before hosting Alaves on Sunday. Las Palmas have lost five of their last six matches and two more losses, coupled with victories for Levante against Malaga and Athletic Bilbao, would see La Union Deportiva relegated. Deportivo La Coruña will look to continue their resurgent run
STRUGGLES: Malaga suffered a 2-1 loss to Real Madrid last time out.
of form in their fight against relegation as they head to Leganes tomorrow (Friday). Clarence Seedorf oversaw his first win since taking charge against Malaga two weeks ago and his side followed that victory up with an impressive win against Athletic Bilbao last week and a third consecutive win would move them within touching distance of safety. At the top of the table, Atletico Madrid will look to increase their hold on second place as they travel to Real Sociedad this evening. Antoine Griezmann scored his 18th goal of the season as Atletico made light work of Levante to keep ahead of rivals Real and will be confident of a victory against Sociedad, who have struggled in recent weeks, before travelling to high flying Real Betis on Sunday. In the week’s other fixtures, Alaves host Girona tonight before Eibar play Getafe and Celta Vigo take on Valencia on Saturday. Malaga are back in action against Real Sociedad on Sunday alongside Girona who are up against Espanyol.
Heading for a record MANCHESTER CITY host Swansea on Sunday in their first game since they were crowned as champions and will now turn their attention to adding yet another record to their extraordinary season. The Citizens were officially confirmed as Premier League Champions on Sunday after Manchester United suffered a shock defeat 1-0 to bottom side West Brom at Old Trafford. City had eased past Tottenham 31 on Saturday to take themselves to 87 points, 16 points clear of Manchester United and will now target Chelsea’s record points total of 95, needing just three wins from their final five games to take the record. Despite their win against Manchester United at the weekend, West Brom’s relegation could be all but sealed if they lose heavily to Liverpool on Saturday. Liverpool continued their red-hot form with a 3-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday, with Mo Salah scoring his 30th Premier League goal of the season, and will be desperate to keep up the pace with second placed Manchester United. West Brom currently find themselves nine points adrift of 17th
with a heavily inferior goal difference so a loss to Liverpool would mean they must win their remaining three games, coupled with Swansea losing all of theirs by several goals to have any chance of survival. Elsewhere, Arsenal will look to bounce back from their defeat to Newcastle as they host West Ham at the Emirates. Goals from Ayoze Perez and Matt Ritchie were enough to see Newcastle inflict Arsenal’s fifth consecutive away defeat and leave them teetering just two-points ahead of seventh placed Burnley with five games remaining. The Gunners face a West Ham side who are unbeaten in their last three; with their last gasp draw against Stoke on Monday adding to their 1-1 draw at Chelsea and a 3-0 win over Southampton. On Monday, Everton host Newcastle at Goodison Park with both sides looking to leapfrog Leicester into eighth position. The Magpies will look to continue their rich vein of form after their fourth consecutive victory against Arsenal on Sunday took them past the 40-point safety mark and harbour realistic hopes of a top-10 finish this season.