Issuu

ISSUE NO. 1724

19 - 25 July 2018

Newspaper in Spain 2017 & 2018

MALLORCA

YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION

Hit and run horror Brit tourist mowed down in Magaluf by Matt Ford A BRITISH holidaymaker is battling for his life after being mowed down by a hit-andrun driver in Mallorca. Police have launched a manhunt in the wake of the incident, with the unnamed 34-year-old suffering a ‘traumatic brain injury’ after a Renault Megane car ploughed into him, medics confirmed. The victim’s girlfriend is believed to have witnessed the accident, which took place in the early hours of the morning near the four-star Hotel Samos in Magaluf. It was also captured by

CCTV cameras, according to local media reports. The couple were staying at apartments in Port de Soller, around 40 kilometres from the party resort on the island’s northern coast. An official from Calvia’s Local Police said: “Calvia Local Police have opened an investigation into a hit-and-

run incident which happened on Saturday at 5.30am in Avinguda S’Olivera in Magaluf. “The man run over is a 34year-old tourist who was admitted to Son Espases Hospital with a serious traumatic brain injury. “Witnesses say the car that hit him was a grey cus-

tomised Renault Megane with tinted back windows. “Police were alerted by a call to the emergency services and found the man lying on the road when they reached the scene. “He was accompanied by his partner. The couple were holidaying on the island in Port de Soller.”

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HOLIDAY NIGHTMARE: The incident took place near the Hotel Samos in Magaluf.

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NEWS EXTRA Coal not the goal SPAIN consumed 28.5 per cent more coal in 2017 than the previous year, the highest in the world in relative terms, after a lack of rain left the country with a hydropower deficit, according to an energy journal.

Cat fight TWO high-ranking members of Spain’s opposition People’s Party want the country to leave the EU’s Schengen Area after Germany refused to extradite separatist Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont on treason charges.

Five dead FIVE people drowned on Spanish beaches last weekend, including two in Cataluña, two in Castellon and one in A Coruña, Galica, while a 10-year-old boy remains in critical condition in Tarragona.

AN investigator who recreated the death of tragic Scottish holidaymaker Kirsty Maxwell for a television documentary says she “climbed out on a balcony in Benidorm before losing her grip and falling.” Specialist Michael Brown performed a series of tests where he asked three women of a similar height and weight to the victim to climb a replica of the hotel railing she fell from. And his probe found that the 27-year-old from Livingston did not jump from the 10th floor balcony, but climbed over it and tried to cling on before plummeting to her death. Mr Brown said: “All we can say is I believe she was facing into the room at the point she lost her balance or lost her grip and fell, vertically initially, before she interacted with features on the building. “How that loss of balance or loss of grip occurred is not something I can hypothesise on. But the biggest thing that would help is if people spoke up.” In the dramatic reconstruction, the woman wore similar clothes to those Kirsty had on when she died, and each took 12 seconds to climb over the

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Kirsty case goes on railing. Tears on her denim skirt were also analysed, Private detective David Swindle, an ex-police officer who has been leading an enquiry on behalf of her family, said in the BBC show Killed Abroad: “Kirsty could not have jumped directly over that balcony. “It seems far more likely that she clambered over. “But what happened next? It makes me wonder - has Kirsty been climbing?

“Was she trying to get to the rooms below? “It wasn’t very quick. What were they (the suspects) doing when this was going on? We saw how difficult it is to do what was said that Kirsty did. “It’s a small piece in the jigsaw of circumstances that you try to put together. It helps the investigation.” He added: “Nobody tested that theory. The police in Spain hadn’t used any experts. We will hand the information over to the authorities.” Kirsty was on a hen-do with pals and died seven months after marrying husband Adam in

Cyprus. After a night out she entered and fell from an apartment next door to a friend’s room, and a floor above her own, occupied by five British bodybuilders from Nottingham. The men were quizzed by Spanish investigators and denied responsibility for her death, claiming she jumped before returning to the UK. Mr Swindle has obtained police images from inside their room, alongside copies of their statements, in which major holes were found during the programme. Spanish investigators believe

FRESH HOPE: BBC Scotland has featured the probe headed by David Swindle.

Kirsty could have mistaken the apartment for a friend’s after becoming disorientated, and controversially destroyed her clothes without proper DNA testing. Her dad Brian Curry, 59, has urged any witnesses to come forward as the family fight to keep the case open. He said: “We hope this will put pressure on the authorities to take this to trial. We are waiting for scientific results back from the lab and a prosecutor will look at the evidence. “We want somebody to be held responsible. To me, one or more people are responsible for Kirsty’s death.” Killed Abroad, which also investigates the death of Craig Mallon, 26, who was killed with one punch while on a stag party in Lloret de Mar, aired on BBC1 Scotland at 9pm yesterday (Wednesday). If you have any information about the accident on April 29, 2017 email info@kirsty maxwell.com.

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19 - 25 July 2018

Booze battle

THE BIG PICTURE Nº 23

BRITISH holidaymakers heading for all-inclusive hotels in Mallorca and Ibiza may be forced to pay for alcohol if new rules proposed by the Balaeric Government come into force. Tourism officials are likely to put the plans forward for public consultation in order to address the island’s anti-social behaviour problems.

Balcony fall A 14-YEAR-OLD Irish boy is fighting for his life after falling from his second-floor hotel room balcony. Police sources indicate that the youngster’s mother was holding on to him in a desperate attempt to help him reach safety when he plunged around 20 feet, and he is in a critical condition.

Tackling tourism PROTESTERS against mass tourism in the Balaeric Islands have gathered at Mallorca airport to make the strength of their opposition known. They displayed a banner that read ‘Tourism kills’ and distributed leaflets condemning the lack of housing for locals, and the fact that many have had to leave the islands.

Fare enough THE central government has authorised plans to award residents of the Balaeric Islands, Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla a 5075 per cent subsidy in the price of air and sea travel. The policy came into effect on July 16 and is intended to encourage more engagement with the mainland.

HACK TO NATURE: The process is sustainable since the trees are not cut down.

Popping the cork SPAIN is the second-largest producer of cork in the world after Portugal, with 27 per cent of the world’s 2.2 million hectares of cork forest, and the annual harvest is now in full swing. Taking place from June 15 to August 15 each year, it is the ultimate example of an environmentally-friendly industry which still employs ancient methods. The process is considered sustainable because the trees are not cut down to obtain the product, rather the bark is stripped from the trunk by highly-skilled workers known

as corcheros who wield specialised tools and must train for around eight years. Normally working in teams of five, they each have a specific role, from using an axe to strip the cork to stacking the planks in piles or loading it onto mules once it is cut. The trees cannot be harvested until they are 30 to 40years-old, and after being cut they are left alone for nine to 12 years to allow the cork to grow back, the harvest taking place in a different area each year following a cyclical pattern.

Murder mystery DUTCH filmmaker Wouter Van Luijt was beaten to death in the shanty town of Son Banya, Mallorca, when he was on the way to buy drugs. An 18-year-old Mallorcan named Adrian has been arrested for the murder, but claims he intervened as Van Luijt was attacked by five youths.

Not welcome THERE have been 0.35 per cent fewer holidaymakers visiting Mallorca up to June of this year, than the same period in 2017. Hoteliers are worried that protests against tourism are responsible for the decline, as well as the growing competition from other Mediterranean countries like Turkey, Greece, Tunisia and Egypt.

Rubbish time to strike BRITISH tourists arriving at the jampacked airports of Mallorca and Ibiza this summer could be greeted with filthy conditions because cleaners in the Balearics plan to strike. The cleaners are demanding a 25 per cent wage increase and say there will be walkouts from August 1 if their request isn’t met. Unions say they are still open to talks but believe it is ‘inevitable’ that there will be industrial action.

A two-and-a-half hour meeting between staff representatives and the employers ended in stalemate with no agreement being reached. As a result, workers voted for strike action, which will affect airports and hospitals and could again produce piles of rubbish strewn around during the busiest and hottest time of the year. When cleaners went on strike last spring, there were overflowing bins, which some described as ‘apocalyptic.’

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REGULARS INSIDE News 1 - 18 Finance 20 Leapy 24 Time Out 30-31 Letters 32 Health & Beauty 33 Social 35 Property 36-37 Classifieds 42-43 Boats 44 Motoring 46 Sport 48

Boozy balconing MALLORCA’S respectable capital of Palma has become the latest holiday destination to crackdown on anti-social behaviour, with a series of new rules for tourists. The city’s council has approved a ‘Regulation Ordinance for the civic use of public spaces to improve coexistence in leisure areas.’ The measures include a ban on streaking, balconing, bottle parties in the street and the sale of laughing gas. Revellers caught breaking the rules will face hefty fines and possi-

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ble prosecution. Palma’s mayor, Antoni Noguera, said: “We must intervene against the excesses that have alcohol at their heart and that give Palma a bad image.” The regulations pave the way for the creation of Zones of Special Tourist Interest (ZEIC) to act more forcefully in entertainment areas. Breaches will be punishable by fines of between €100 and €3,000, and more than 120 police officers a day are now patrolling Palma’s tourist zones.

The total number of news and features which appeared in Issue 1723 of the Euro Weekly News Mallorca edition, including 81 local stories.

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Photo credit Constanza Lambertucci/Twitter

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‘LONG LIVE SPAIN’: Protesters give fascist salutes at the Valley of the Fallen and (inset) Pedro Sanchez addresses Congress.

Salutes for Franco

SPAIN’S new Prime Minister has vowed to exhume the remains of former military dictator Francisco Franco. “I want to announce to you that the political decision of this government is taken,” said Pedro Sanchez during an extraordinary session of Congress. “We are going to exhume the remains of the dictator Franco from the Valley of the Fallen, and this - barring last-minute changes to the means that will make this possible - will take place in a very brief period of time. “The wounds have been open for many years, too many, and the time has come to close them. Our democracy will have symbols that unite citizens.” It comes days after hundreds of protesters gathered at the controversial Valley of the Fallen monument north of Madrid, giving fascist salutes and chanting: ‘Long live Spain;’ ‘Don’t touch the Valley;’ and ‘Franco, Franco, Franco!’ Many also sang ‘Cara al Sol,’ the anthem of the general’s fascist Phalange party, while some unfurled the pre-constitutional Spanish flag emblazoned with an eagle. Opposition parties last year voted to move Franco’s remains from the state-funded mau-

soleum and turn the site into a memorial for ‘the victims of fascism’ who died during Spain’s Civil War from 1936-1939. The end of the bloody struggle saw the dictator assume control of the country until his death in 1975 and he is the only person buried at the site who was not killed during the conflict. In addition to Franco, Phalange party founder Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera is also buried at the site alongside 27,000 fascist soldiers and 10,000 pro-Republicans fighters whose bodies were taken from mass graves and entombed there without their families’ consent. But the protestors fiercely oppose the move. Francisco Javier Feria, dressed in the blue uniform of the Phalange, told Spanish media: “There is a lot of resentment, this is vengeance against a political ideology. This is not a Franco cult. The bodies here have to give an example so that [the Civil War] does not happen again.” Since taking office via a no-confidence motion in the former conservative administration of ousted leader Mariano Rajoy, Spain’s socialist government has announced plans to establish a truth commission to investigate alleged crimes against humanity committed by the Franco regime.

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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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Braak in the sun! HER 16-year marriage to stockbroker Danny Goldberg ended in April. But Australian model Annalise Braakensiek showed she’s letting things hang loose as she soaked up the rays on holiday in Barcelona. The 45-year-old bombshell sent temperatures soaring after whipping off her bikini top before posting a saucy snap on Instagram captioned in Spanish: ‘A very magical and fun day.’

BEACH READY: Annalise Braakensiek.

Bey to go

Strictly romance

SUMMER LOVIN’: Gorka and Gemma.

Ocean Serg SPAIN suffered an embarrassing World Cup after tumbling out to hosts Russia in the last 16 when widely predicted to be among the favourites. But captain and Real Madrid star Sergio Ramos appeared to be getting the disastrous exit out of his system as he holidayed on a luxury yacht with girlfriend Pilar Rubio. They have been together for six years and their third child Alejandro was born in March.

Photo credit Instagram/Annalise Braakensiek

THEY recently hinted they’ve discussed children after just four months together. And Strictly Come Dancing’s Gorka Marquez, 27, and Gemma Atkinson, 33, jetted to Ibiza for a sunshine break as their burgeoning romance continues to take off. Speaking on ITV chat show Lorraine, Gemma gushed: She said: “I love the fact that Gorka’s an amazing cook, and I love eating so it’s a great combo. Outside the gym it’s like being best mates. “In 10 years time when hopefully we’ve got a couple of kids around I won’t want to be out of breath!”

CELEB

SHE’S currently travelling the globe with hubby Jay Z as the pair wow fans with their On The Run II tour. And pop megastar Beyonce, 36, caused a stir at Barcelona airport as the couple and their entourage jetted into Spain ahead of their FORMER Atomic Kitten singer Kerry Katona has been put through her paces at a holistic body camp on the Costa del Sol. The TV personality and singer attended a water workout session atop a floating platform at the plush fitness centre overlooking the sea in Marbella. It comes after a close friend told UK media that the mum-offive was left devastated after her former bandmates Natasha Hamilton and Liz McClarnon

Photo credit Sergio Ramos/Instagram

19 - 25 July 2018

REAL LOVE: Pilar and Serge. only performance in the country. The Crazy In Love songstress flaunted her famous curves in denim shorts and a sheer blouse, topping off the outfit with a pair of red designer sunglasses. ON THE RUN AGAIN: Beyonce.

Atomic blonde recorded a World Cup-themed version of their hit Whole Again while she was away in Spain. The source said: “Kerry is heartbroken. She’s absolutely gutted that the girls would sing the song without her. “She always thought they’d get back together and this was an

Photo credit Beyonce/Instagram Photo credit Kerry Katona/Instagram

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KA-TONED: Kerry in Marbella. amazing opportunity. She’s a single mum and has been struggling looking after the kids and the family, so it hurts her a lot to be left out of it.”

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Tourist swept to death A GERMAN father of two died after being swept to sea in Mallorca, just hours after a ‘meteotsunami’ wrought havoc on the holiday island’s beaches. The tourist, 52, died on Monday after being tragically dragged into the sea in front of his wife and children. Sources indicate that the man was walking on Portopetro, Mallorca, when he was swept to sea with his son and daughter. It is believed the mother was able to pull her daughter to safety, while nearby canoeists rescued the son before dragging the lifeless father onto the boat. The freak weather devastated several holiday resorts, with seawater flooding coastal bars and terraces in the island’s Port Andratx. An investigation is now underway.

19 - 25 July 2018

‘Miracle escape’ Brit survives seven-floor fall Photo credit Facebook/Google

FEATURE

LIFE SAVER: The car broke the victim’s fall.

By Matt Ford A BRITISH holidaymaker has survived after plummeting seven floors from a balcony at a Mallorca hotel and landing on a car bonnet during a row with his partner. The unnamed victim, believed to be in his early 30’s, suffered multiple injuries and

was taken to Son Espases Hospital in Palma in the wake of the dramatic incident. He had reportedly been taking drugs and drinking alcohol before arguing with his girlfriend and plunging from their accommodation at the Hotel Porto Playa, Porto Cristo, in the early hours of the morning. Medics said it is a “miracle”

he survived after a parked BMW broke his fall, probably saving his life. Police are probing the accident amid claims the hotel had “problems” with the couple 24 hours earlier. It comes days after a British woman, 41, was seriously hurt after falling from a secondfloor apartment in Ibiza.

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OUR VIEW Much ado about little IT almost seemed that certain parts of the Spanish and International press wanted to see street riots following the England v Croatia match in Russia. There had been some unsavoury scenes in Benidorm with a ‘stand-off’ between the police and so-called England fans following the previous match with both sides complaining that the other was at fault. There was lots of huffing and puffing and a few insults, but generally speaking there was nothing too serious although any argument or disturbance by visitors to the city was certainly uncalled for and unnecessary. The general feeling seemed to be that the Brits will be at it again (even though it has been pointed out by those who aren’t English that the Northern Irish, Scots and Welsh were being unfairly brought into this general anti feeling) but in the event, the evening passed without any problem. The media rolled into Benidorm looking for fights, the authorities had drafted in a number of specialist police who were used to handling riots and even the British (not English) Foreign Office advised people to be calm. There is an old saying about giving a dog a bad name and in fairness, the combination of football, booze and heat could well have resulted in things getting fractious but thankfully, those England fans (and others who decided that England was part of the United Kingdom and they could offer their support) who were there, decided to just have a good time and either drown their sorrows or celebrate the best achievement of an England team since 1990. Long may the peace last.

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Caught on the run Brit teen murder suspect arrested By Matt Ford A BRITISH fugitive, 19, has been held on the Costa del Sol in connection with the fatal stabbing of a young actor in the London district of Islington. Jack Stevens, from the Euston neighbourhood in the English capital, is one of five young men suspected of the murder, and was traced to an Estepona housing estate after a European Arrest Warrant was issued in his name.

It comes after Nashon Esbrand, 27, was last August stabbed after receiving death threats from Islington gang the Cally Boyz. According to a police statement, the quartet chased the victim down on pushbikes before one produced a machete and stabbed him three times. The father-of-one died of his injuries a few hours later. Two of the suspects, Dillon Zambon, 19, Jhon Berhane, 18, and a 16-year-old who cannot be named for legal

reasons were last month sentenced to a combined 54 years after being convicted of the murder. And Stevens is one of two others investigators said were on the run at the time of the rulings. Mr Esbrand was reportedly branded a ‘grass’ and asked police for help after he began to receive warnings that his life was in danger. He told his doctor he was afraid to walk in the street because men had been after him since he gave detectives

Airport strike threats SPANISH workers’ unions have announced that more than 60,000 baggage-handlers and other airport staff are to strike on unconfirmed dates at the beginning of August. The action is expected to affect all Spanish airports. It comes in the wake of more than two years of failed talks over salaries,

working hours, breaks, overtime and professional growth, the CCOO union said in a statement. It added that labour mediation agency SIMA has been asked to act as a peacemaker in an effort to avoid the strikes, which are likely to spark chaos for travellers across Europe.

Photo credit Policia Nacional

EUROPEAN MANHUNT: Jack Stevens, left, was traced to Estepona after allegedly participating in the murder of Nashon Esbrand, top right, with Jhon Berhane and Dillon Zambon. a witness statement following a violent incident in March 2017. And on August 24 Stevens and Zambon spotted him as he walked home after visiting his week-old daughter. They chased him on their bicycles while calling in ‘reinforcements,’ including Berhane, before cornering him on a doorstep. He suffered one stab wound to the side and two to the back of his legs as he

tried to escape, one of which - delivered by the 16-year-old - punctured an artery in his thigh causing fatal blood loss. A neighbour recorded the incident on his mobile phone, with the attackers heard to shout: “What are you saying now bruv.” During the trial, jurors heard how the victim was on the phone to his father Desmond, who launched a

desperate bid to find him, as the attack took place. In a distressing victim impact statement he said: “The duty of a parent is to protect their child. “From the day that I received that call I have felt a sense of guilt because I was the last person he talked to.” Stevens now faces extradition to the UK after an international manhunt led to him being tracked down.

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NEWS Photo credit Policia Nacional

Sex shaman held Suspect ‘drugged and sexually abused’ victims By Dilip Kuner A SO-CALLED shaman has been arrested accused of drugging a string of women with methamphetamine (crystal meth) before sexually abusing them. The 52-year-old man is alleged by police to have gained the confidence of his victims by passing himself off as a South American mystic who could help them through courses related to meditation and spirituality.

In fact, police allege, he was searching for women of a certain profile - usually around 45years-old - to drug, sexually abuse and extort money from. The Spanish Ministry of the Interior says the man and two accomplices - a woman of 43 and man of 40 - set up a network of ‘spiritual’ meetings across Spain using local WhatsApp groups to lure their victims. At the meetings the women were initially offered meditation

and spirituality courses, but were soon being given a drink the accused dubbed ‘Water of Love.’ It was in fact a highly potent cocktail of methamphetamine diluted in water. The victims were given free access to the meetings to start with, but were soon being charged between €100 and €175 for attending. Meetings took place against a backdrop of relaxing music or drums, while during the celebrations the shaman offered his vic-

tims the Water of Love. He assured them it would ‘liberate love,’ although his real intention was to assault them. What began as liturgical celebrations ended up being events where both the leader of the organisation and his accomplices distributed drugs to their victims. Marihuana, the powerful hallucinogenic DMT, the San Pedro cactus - also known as peyote and psychedelic mushrooms were amongst the narcotics handed out.

ARREST: The man was held in Mallorca. Police consider that the shaman endangered the lives of his victims as some of them suffered psychological problems, schizophrenic outbreaks and emotional dependence after the ceremonies. So far seven victims have been identified, although police believe the trio operated across all of Spain. The police operation was car-

ried out by the Judicial Police Brigades of the Provincial Police Station of Alicante and that of the Superior Headquarters of the Balearic Islands. The leader of the gang and one accomplice were arrested in Mallorca, while the third arrest was made in Santander. They have been charged with drug trafficking, fraud and belonging to a criminal group.

Travel ban lifted By Matt Ford A CHARLTON ATHLETIC footballer accused of sexually assaulting a British holidaymaker in Ibiza has been allowed to fly back to the UK. Striker Reeco HackettFairchild, 20, had been unable to leave the island for over a month after a Spanish judge ordered him to hand over his passport. He missed the start of preseason training as well as a friendly match against Queens Park Rangers, and was warned he could be forced to stay on the island for months in the wake of the alleged attack on a 19-year-old woman. However his lawyer Jaime Campaner successfully managed to fight for his travel ban to be lifted and bail conditions changed. It comes after investigating judge Carmen Martin Montero agreed to watch videos recorded on his and his 20-year-old

occurred by Campaner she replied: ‘Oral sex.’ She then said she failed to confirm it in her initial police statement due to nerves, while the three men have always maintained their innocence. Hackett-Fairchild has now been allowed to fly back to London after Campaner convinced the judge and state prosecutors to watch the videos. Ibiza’s Court of Investigation Number Three is reportedly still waiting for the results PASSPORT RETURNED: Reeco Hackett-Fairchild was of forensic tests, after the medic who examined her last held last month. month said there were no signs of injury or bruising to suggest woman while Hackettteam-mate Karlan Ahearneshe had been raped. Fairchild held her down and Grant’s mobile phones. The judge who initially Ahearne-Grant filmed the The pair were arrested on quizzed the suspects described scene on a mobile phone. June 12 alongside pal Olusola their version of events as But it later emerged that the Odejayi, 26, after the alleged ‘credible and coherent,’ and ‘victim’ engaged in a sex act victim’s parents told police she said there existed ‘reasonable with the player before the alhad been attacked in a hotel doubts’ that a sexual assault leged assault, after she connear San Antonio. had taken place. fessed to ‘kisses and sexual Detectives were told one of Non-footballer Odejayi has things’ when quizzed in court. the men - Odejayi - then also had his travel ban lifted. Asked to specify what had forced himself on the young

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EWN 15

STREET TALK

Is it opening time for seven-day retail? Supermarkets in holiday hotspots now often throw open their doors on Sundays for peak tourist season, which would have been unheard of a few years ago. But should shops in Spain open on the Sabbath year-round? JESS, 22, and Charlie, 26, from close to London but living on the Costa del Sol “Yes! We live here and although it’s only been five months, it’s long enough to get annoyed about Sundays! But it’s not that common in countries to have them open, is it? It only seems to be England from what we have seen. The supermarkets are a big one too, you reall y

have to plan ahead because none of them are open. Actually Mercadona has recently opened on Sundays, but that’s only for the summer. We live in Los Boliches and there are a good variety of shops there, and the Miramar shopping centre is good too. It’s just nice to have escaped the rat race of London and to have a more relaxed lifestyle!” Leonardo, 40, on holiday from Frankfurt, Germany “No. You have to have some free time, not have work 24/7. It is important to have one day for yourself. It’s just not

SHOP ‘TIL THEY DROP: Jess and Charlie.

healthy. God created Sunday as a holiday! The seventh day is the Sabbath after all. It doesn’t matter about business, people can get their things at other times in the week. It’s not a big problem for them.” Fiona, 28, on holiday from Armagh, Northern Ireland “Yes, because this is a thirsty place and what else is

SLACK SABBATH: Leonardo.

there to do?! We’re staying in the centre of Fuengirola and it’s clear that a lot of shops would benefit from tourists on Sundays. “It’s also surprising that supermarkets are not open here either. I do love the fresh fish, vegetable and fruits too. The produce seems to be much more local than back home. I love the swordfish, tuna, tomatoes and mangos, etc.” Leticia, 36, from Brussels, Belgium but living on the Costa del Sol “Yes. I don’t see the problem, the tourists should be able to get what they need. I work on Sundays too! I work in the fe-

male fashion industry. “Spanish fashion is a little different from other countries in my experience. The colours are brighter and the design is lighter, for the warmer weather! “Of course everyone should have one day of rest but I get Wednesdays off. I

UN-BEER-BELIEVABLE: Fiona.

CONVENIENCE SHOPPERS: Darren and Chester. don’t have children but I do understand about families wanting the day free. “But it would be very good for the local economy if they changed the law on this.” Darren and Chester, both 18, on holiday from Bristol, UK “Yes. It would be more convenient for all the tourists who come here. It also gets people out of hotels and out and about. The economy would definitely benefit if they opened for the whole weekend. It’s cheaper here though, so we get a lot more for our money here.”

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A MUM who downed three quarters of a bottle of sangria, then was given a tranquilliser by doctors, has been spared jail after attacking her husband on an easyJet flight. Sharon Simmonite, 46, was arrested at John Lennon Airport, Liverpool, after she lost control of her emotions while jetting home from a holiday in Mallorca. A court heard that events began to get out of control soon after the couple arrived at Palma airport around 9pm on April 13. Simmonite made a trip to the loos and when she came back five to 10 minutes later her husband, Martin, noticed a change in her behaviour. He believed that she had finished off the contents of the bottle of sangria, which he had earlier seen in her bag - although she denied this. Soon after she fell, and doctors called to the scene to treat her bruising decided to give Simmonite, who was said to be upset and angry, a tranquilliser to calm her. The couple later boarded the flight with one of their young children, where, according to the prosecution, she seemed relaxed. But it turns out it was the calm before the storm, Liverpool magistrates heard.

Mile high drama Drunk mum â€˜attacked husband in front of childâ€™ When cabin crew came round offering refreshments Simmonite asked for four glasses of wine. When she was refused service, with crew explaining easyJet does not serve alcohol on the Mallorca route, she became angry, according to the prosecution. She then accused her husband of telling staff not to serve her booze before rummaging through galley lockers in a search for alcohol. Crew intervened and asked her to to go back to her seat. On her return she struck her husband on the arm with a clenched fist five or six times, the court heard. Cabin crew once more intervened and moved Mr Simmonite

and the coupleâ€™s son to seats at the front of the plane. Simmonite, of Middlewich, Cheshire, admitted being drunk on an aircraft and assaulting her husband. For the defence, it was said she had been a heavy drinker for years and suffered from an eating disorder. The court was told she had not eaten for 10 days and was drunk on arrival at Palma air-

port. The defence said she had shown remorse and that she was a vulnerable woman. Magistrates sentenced her to eight weeks jail, suspended for two years. She was also handed a rehabilitation order.

FLIGHTMARE: The incident took place on an easyJet flight.

NEWS

Balcony plunge horror AN 18-year-old student from South Wales has fallen to his death from a walkway at an apartment complex in Mallorca while celebrating completing his A-levels. Thomas Channon plunged 70-feet to his death at the Eden Roc apartment complex in Magaluf where Natalie Cormack and Tom Hughes died earlier this year. Thomas is believed to have become separated from his friends during a night out and got lost as he made his way home at about 4am to the Hotel Florida, which is next door to the Eden Roc apartments. In April Natalie Cormack from Scotland died after falling the equivalent of seven floors from the apartment block. And last month Tom Hughes, aged 20, from North Wales also died at the Eden Roc complex. British diplomats have recently had an emergency meeting with Spanish officials to try and cut the number of balcony falls in the resort.

18 EWN

19 - 25 July 2018

www.euroweeklynews.com

RUSSIAN PRESS

PITCH INVASION: Pussy Riot (inset) said the protest was against police tactics.

Band storms pitch in police protest MEMBERS of a punk rock band were taken into custody after invading the pitch at the World Cup final between France and Croatia in Moscow. The four activists, from the Pussy Riot group, stormed the field dressed as police officers in protest against what they claimed were heavyhanded tactics from authorities including imprisoning opposition figures.

Business figure dies A BUSINESSMAN tried alongside a political opposition leader in a 2013 embezzlement case has died after being concussed. Pyotr Ofitserov, who was injured in the head, stood trial alongside Alexei Navalny when the two were handed suspended prison sentences. Navalny said Ofitserov was a ‘real honest man.’

Downed plane claim FOREIGN MINISTERS from G7 countries have issued a joint statement calling on Russia to ‘account for its role’ in the downing of a plane

Bad beehive-our POLICE in southern Russia were unable to reach the scene of a road accident after swarms of bees attacked them from knocked over hives. Officers were called out to the crash in the Krasnodar region after a lorry carrying the hives hit an off-road vehicle, with no human casualties said to have occurred as a result. Social media buzzed with jokes about the incident including Winnie the Pooh references. BUZZING: The bees stopped police from getting to the scene.

over Ukraine in 2014. The officials claimed there was ‘compelling’ evidence Russia had a hand in the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash. Moscow called the claims ‘unfounded.’

Spy death vote ‘link’ BRITISH investigators probing the alleged poisoning of a former spy and his daughter claimed a Russian military agency was behind that and disrupting the 2016 United States presidential election. Anonymous officials claimed agents from the GRU were involved in both the March 4 attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal and vote meddling.

EU conflict call A SENIOR European Union official has called on Russia, Europe, the United States and China to work together to prevent ‘conflict and chaos.’ Donald Tusk, the European Council President, said the countries had a shared responsibility to make the world better and to stop trade wars turning into ‘hot conflicts.’

E W N www.euroweeklynews.com

STAT OF WEEK PM vows to up defence spend SPANISH Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has pledged to raise defence spending to 2 per cent of gross domestic product by the year 2024. The move will see the count r y ’s o u t l a y b r o u g h t i n t o l i n e with its NATO-agreed goal, the leader said during a press conference at a Brussels summit. It comes after US President Donald Trump’s latest call for N ATO m e m b e r s t a t e s t o m e e t their targets, with only the United States, Britain, Poland, Greece and Estonia currently hitting the mark.

€93 billion

19 - 25 July 2018 The amount of social security money the new socialist Spanish government claims was ‘squandered’ by the previous conservative administration headed by ex-Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

FINANCE

business & legal

Storms boost green energy

Ryanair staff confirm strikes BUDGET airline Ryanair is facing more disruption after staff announced a new round of industrial action. It comes after a trade union announced that Ireland-based pilots will strike for 24 hours tomorrow (Friday) and next Tuesday. Cabin crew are also set to strike for 48 hours in Spain, Portugal and Belgium and 24 hours in Italy next Wednesday. The news follows a one-day strike by pilots in protest at their pay and conditions last week after the carrier bowed to pressure from staff to

by Matt Ford recognise unions. It was forced to cancel 30 flights between Ireland and the UK as a result. Complaints include a seniority row, plus allocation of base transfers, the structure of promotions and annual leave. Ryanair apologised in a statement for the ‘regrettable disruptions’ and pledged to minimise impact on holidaymakers flying to Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Greece. But the Irish Pilot’s Association announced the two additional days of ac-

tion in the midst of the strike. It added that while some agreement had been reached in talks a day earlier, there remained a difference of opinion over the terms of reference for a working group to study the pilots’ concerns. Ryanair’s chief people officer Eddie Wilson described the meeting as constructive but very frustrating, according to Irish media, adding that the company was available for further discussion. Last autumn the carrier cancelled hundreds of flights after a rostering blunder saw it left with a lack of crew.

ALMOST half of Spain’s electricity was generated from ren e w a b l e e n e rg y s o u r c e s o v e r the first six months of 2018. Wind, hydro and solar power together accounted for 45.8 per cent of the country’s demand, according to a report by national grid operator Red Electric de España. It comes after hydropower soared by 74 per cent compared to 2017 in the wake of a wet spring, with the storms also driving a 10.4 per cent surge in wind power, the summary said.

UK imports salad as heatwave hits crops

» BUSINESS EXTRA

Market leaders BANKING group Santander and textile firm Inditex are the only two Spanish brands in the 2018 PricewaterhouseCoopers global top 100 of companies with the highest market capitalisation, which is headed by Apple, Google parent Alphabet and Microsoft.

Cashed in TIP OF THE ICEBERG: A lettuce field in Almeria. THE UK is flying in lettuce from Spain and Poland after warm weather hit crops and increased the demand for salad. Tony Clemence, general manager of wholesaler Total Produce in Bristol, said the company is importing around 40 per cent of its iceberg lettuce and 40 per cent of celery from the two countries, when all supplies are normally sourced from British growers

during the summer. “Spain is mainly growing for its local markets at this time of year, so there is not enough to go around and some will have to look further afield,” he said. Wholesale prices have reportedly soared by more than 30 per cent after the recent blast of heat added to problems in March when the ‘beast from the east’ wave of cold weather delayed planting.

THE Spanish government has revised its 2018 budget deficit forecast from 2.2 to 2.7 per cent of gross domestic product in order to boost pensions, improve health care and take over toll-motorway concessions, Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero has announced.

High spies SPANISH utility Iberdrola is using manhole cover-sized drones to spot faulty solar panels and wind turbines more quickly than telescope-wielding engineers on the ground and bringing down the cost of green electricity, according to innovation and sustainability officer Agustin Delgado.

Bank bags top Euro award BUSINESS and finance magazine Euromoney has named Spain’s Santander as the best bank in Western Europe in its prestigious annual awards. Editor Clive Horwood said: “[Santander] is already one of the few big banks to prove that internationally diversified retail banks can be more profitable, and more stable, than domestic-

focused peers. Now it is in its rightful place, not just Spain’s biggest bank, but also the one with the biggest domestic share, too.” Santander Group CEO Jose Antonio Alvarez said, “Our goal is to help the people and businesses we serve to prosper, and I am proud of the work our people do every day to support that goal and earn the loyalty of our customers.”

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LONDON - FTSE 100

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US See our advert on previous page

C LOSING P RICES J ULY 16

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY Anglo American 1,649.10 -8.10 Associated British Foods 2,455.00 -9.00 Admiral Group 1,918.50 -29.50 Ashtead Group 2,366.00 11.00 Antofagasta 946.20 1.60 Aviva 490.50 0.90 AstraZeneca 5,518.00 16.00 BAE Systems 674.30 2.90 Barclays 189.83 0.15 British American Tobacco 3,911.00 -14.50 Barratt Developments 520.40 3.20 Berkeley Group Holdings 3,624.00 4.00 British Land Co 656.80 0.40 BHP Billiton 1,644.30 -5.90 Bunzl 2,308.00 6.00 BP 569.65 -1.15 Burberry Group 2,113.00 5.00 BT Group 222.70 0.30 Coca-Cola HBC 2,753.00 5.00 Carnival 4,318.00 2.00 Centrica 161.10 0.95 Compass Group 1,667.50 1.50 Croda International 4,940.50 7.50 CRH 2,686.00 -5.00 DCC 7,270.00 115.00 Diageo 2,815.75 11.75 Direct Line Insurance Grp 338.55 0.85 Evraz 520.90 -1.10 Experian 1,916.50 9.50 easyJet 1,632.75 2.75 Ferguson 6,241.50 3.50 Fresnillo 1,094.00 -3.00 Glencore 310.68 -2.32 GlaxoSmithKline 1,575.20 -0.80 GVC Holdings 1,098.00 -2.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 2,003.00 -54.00 Halma 1,375.50 8.50 HSBC Holdings 708.50 0.20 International Conslidtd Airl Grp 672.40 4.20 InterContinental Hotels Grp 4,888.50 8.50 3i Group 907.30 -0.10 Imperial Brands 2,876.00 7.00 Informa 860.30 1.30 Intertek Group 5,811.00 49.00 ITV 175.55 0.45 Just Eat 849.60 9.20 Johnson Matthey 3,689.00 24.00 Kingfisher 308.75 0.25 Land Securities Group 948.50 2.20 Legal & General Group 265.55 -0.45

% CHG. NET VOL -0.49 23,313.57 -0.37 19,649.35 -1.51 5,564.91 0.47 11,441.35 0.17 9,340.01 0.18 19,374.16 0.29 68,830.51 0.43 21,331.20 0.08 32,423.54 -0.37 90,074.35 0.62 5,164.89 0.11 4,854.73 0.06 6,438.90 -0.36 34,997.03 0.26 7,734.80 -0.20 114,209.28 0.24 8,565.87 0.13 22,190.34 0.18 10,083.35 0.05 7,755.89 0.59 9,053.01 0.09 26,115.46 0.15 6,472.89 -0.19 22,482.58 1.61 6,163.21 0.42 68,530.84 0.25 4,617.25 -0.21 7,326.39 0.50 17,620.50 0.17 6,432.79 0.06 14,251.76 -0.27 8,161.10 -0.74 45,800.67 -0.05 78,197.27 -0.18 6,394.22 -2.63 9,789.94 0.62 5,178.31 0.03 141,823.56 0.63 13,487.78 0.17 9,186.48 -0.01 8,810.70 0.24 27,682.22 0.15 10,750.74 0.85 9,205.86 0.26 7,068.62 1.09 5,762.80 0.65 6,928.50 0.08 6,581.35 0.23 7,020.14 -0.17 15,829.42

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

Lloyds Banking Group ORD 62.69 London Stock Exchange Grp 4,519.50 Micro Focus International 1,227.00 Marks & Spencer Group 315.45 Mondi 2,029.00 Melrose 220.75 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 256.90 National Grid 856.20 NMC Health 3,698.00 Next 6,105.00 Ocado Group 1,038.50 Paddy Power Betfair 8,455.00 Prudential 1,722.50 Persimmon 2,488.00 Pearson 914.70 Reckitt Benckiser Group 6,488.00 Royal Bank of Scotland Grp 246.50 Royal Dutch Shell 2,649.25 Royal Dutch Shell 2,733.50 RELX 1,709.75 Rio Tinto 4,023.75 Royal Mail 488.00 Rightmove 5,148.00 Rolls-Royce Group 995.50 Randgold Resources 5,468.00 RSA Insurance Group 646.30 Rentokil Initial 352.35 Sainsbury (J) 329.85 Schroders 3,154.50 Sage Group (The) 622.10 Segro 676.70 Shire 4,363.50 Smurfit Kappa Group 3,137.00 Sky 1,541.50 Standard Life Aberdeen 310.20 Smith (DS) 483.30 Smiths Group 1,748.00 Scottish Mortgage Invstmnt Trst 550.00 Smith & Nephew 1,349.00 SSE 1,388.25 Standard Chartered 671.40 St James's Place 1,176.75 Severn Trent 1,940.50 Tesco 256.30 TUI AG 1,643.25 Taylor Wimpey 176.03 Unilever 4,200.00 United Utilities Group 734.80 Vodafone Group 181.63 WPP Group 1,242.00 Whitbread 4,013.50

CHANGE(P) 0.28 -0.50 -51.50 0.95 0.00 1.15 0.60 -0.40 8.00 -1.00 9.00 20.00 -3.50 6.00 5.90 23.00 0.80 3.75 2.50 7.25 -15.75 0.90 42.00 4.70 -12.00 -0.30 2.55 0.45 -6.50 2.70 2.70 23.50 -9.00 6.50 -2.40 -6.60 13.00 -0.27 4.00 1.25 0.40 -1.75 -0.50 0.90 1.75 0.03 2.00 0.80 0.13 -3.00 13.50

% CHG.

NET VOL

0.45 -0.01 -4.03 0.30 0.00 0.52 0.23 -0.05 0.22 -0.02 0.87 0.24 -0.20 0.24 0.65 0.36 0.33 0.14 0.09 0.43 -0.39 0.18 0.82 0.47 -0.22 -0.05 0.73 0.14 -0.21 0.44 0.40 0.54 -0.29 0.42 -0.77 -1.35 0.75 -0.05 0.30 0.09 0.06 -0.15 -0.03 0.35 0.11 0.02 0.05 0.11 0.07 -0.24 0.34

44,850.06 15,711.60 5,330.01 5,088.83 7,477.02 10,366.32 6,031.37 28,915.63 7,603.85 8,461.16 7,104.88 7,096.41 44,696.85 7,773.87 7,102.57 45,899.41 29,576.46 120,927.66 102,214.33 17,662.07 53,130.97 4,855.00 4,629.63 18,527.57 5,258.26 6,663.66 6,436.92 7,214.59 7,112.93 6,776.51 6,796.24 39,631.66 7,424.72 26,558.82 9,307.92 5,204.21 6,811.05 7,781.95 11,758.31 14,121.27 22,303.79 6,227.34 4,560.93 24,995.97 9,709.51 5,742.37 50,475.85 5,011.88 48,769.96 15,469.29 7,417.93

0.88352

1.13243 Units per €

US dollar...............................................................1.168811 Japan yen.............................................................131.488 Switzerland franc..............................................1.17008 Denmark kroner...............................................7.45479 Norway kroner .................................................9.47587

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 J ULY 16

COMPANY 3M AMERICAN EXPRESS APPLE BOEING CO CATERPILLAR CISCO SYSTEMS COCA-COLA DOWDUPONT EXXON MOBIL 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 VERIZON COMMS VISA WAL-MART STORES WALGREENS BOOTS WALT DISNEY CO

PRICE 201,180 100,5000 191,330 350,790 140,750 41,780 44,74 66,36 83,31 226,41 198,6900 145,90 52,2200 106,3600 125,9300 158,5100 62,89 105,430 77,38 37,5300 79,310 51,41 139,42 87,7000 65,17 110,0000

CHANGE% +0,93% -0,64% +0,16% +1,38% +0,95% -4,13% +0,16% +0,17% +0,75% -0,36% +0,37% -0,38% -0,25% -0,46% -1,43% -0,38% +0,37% +1,19% +0,01% +0,03% +0,53% +0,33% -0,34% +1,36% +2,02% +1,62%

CHANGE 1,860 -0,6500 0,300 4,760 1,330 -1,800 0,07 0,11 0,62 -0,81 0,7400 -0,55 -0,1300 -0,4900 -1,8300 -0,6100 0,23 1,240 0,01 0,0100 0,420 0,17 -0,48 1,1800 1,29 1,7500

VOLUME(M) 119.439,01 86.449,19 940.413,35 204.363,58 84.161,43 196.486,41 190.380,45 153.984,20 352.720,75 85.519,15 229.197,58 133.931,58 243.345,20 362.132,07 337.763,14 124.458,47 169.220,12 810.039,57 99.254,83 219.534,40 199.432,88 212.379,48 248.937,65 258.789,05 64.675,48 163.527,69

M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES J ULY 16

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced SIGA Technologies Inc. InflaRx N.V. Magenta Therapeutics, Inc. Ovid Therapeutics Inc. Yangtze River Port and Logistics Limited Zogenix, Inc. Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. ObsEva SA AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Educational Development Corporation TransGlobe Energy Corporation

$ 7.35 $ 33.84 $ 13.36 $ 11 $ 11.81 $ 61.35 $ 10.55 $ 16.33 $ 3.20 $ 18.90 $ 4.05

1.11 ▲ 17.79% 3.53 ▲ 11.65% 1.28 ▲ 10.60% 1.05 ▲ 10.55% 1.11 ▲ 10.37% 5.45 ▲ 9.75% 0.90 ▲ 9.33% 1.37 ▲ 9.16% 0.25 ▲ 8.47% 1.45 ▲ 8.31% 0.29 ▲ 7.71%

$ 2.51 $ 4.04 $ 4.41 $ 10.53 $ 23.01 $ 3.38 $ 12.14 $ 10.28 $ 17.09 $ 4.85 $ 2.77

0.49 ▼ 16.33% 0.78 ▼ 16.18% 0.61 ▼ 12.15% 1.16 ▼ 9.92% 2.31 ▼ 9.12% 0.33 ▼ 8.89% 1.15 ▼ 8.65% 0.96 ▼ 8.54% 1.56 ▼ 8.36% 0.40 ▼ 7.62% 0.2274 ▼ 7.59%

Most Declined China TechFaith Wireless Com Tech Limited Gogo Inc. Emmis Communications Corporation MeiraGTx Holdings plc CytomX Therapeutics, Inc. Ascent Capital Group, Inc. Spero Therapeutics, Inc. Clearside Biomedical, Inc. Pattern Energy Group Inc. Salem Media Group, Inc. Internet Gold Golden Lines Ltd.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 July 2018

Fine mess for mobile users DRIVERS CAUGHT ON PHONE TO PAY MORE DRIVERS caught using their mobile phones in Spain are set to face heavier fines. It comes after Pere Navarro, the new head of the national traffic authority (DGT), announced plans to reduce the number of fatal accidents on the country’s roads. The DGT is hoping to change existing laws so that offending motorists also receive more than the current three penalty points on their licence if caught chatting or texting. Financial penalties for recurring or infractions considered dangerous will also be stiffened, but are set to be reduced for less dangerous offences. Drivers told to take refresher courses will also be handed eight penalty points rather than the current four. Distractions at the wheel are the leading cause of fatalities on Spanish roads ahead of drink driving and speeding, the official said. “We’re going to update the pointbased licence. After 12 years, my own roadmap says we need to stop, take stock and use our accumulated experience to update and review the system,”

GOOD CALL: New DGT chief Pere Navarro has big plans. he added at a press conference discussing fatal traffic accidents in 2017. Navarro was previously in charge of the DGT under former socialist leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, between 2004 and 2012, when the points-based penalty system was

first introduced in Spain. He last week accepted an offer from Pedro Sanchez’ new government to reassume the post in the wake of Mariano Rajoy’s conservative People’s Party being ousted from office. “When it comes to road safety, our

indicator is very visible: the death toll. The figures set our path for us,” he said. “We need to do something about secondary roads, we need to do something about motorcycles, we need to do something about cities, about distractions, about pedestrians.” The official pointed out that 46 per cent of those who died on Spanish roads last year were pedestrians, cyclists or motorcycle riders. He added: “This trend is on the rise, which means that in two to three years there are going to be more deaths among these vulnerable groups than among drivers of four-wheel vehicles.” The points-based system came into effect on July 1, 2006, with 75 per cent of Spanish drivers failing to pick up a single point over its first decade. Spain currently ranks eighth in the European Union for road safety, three places lower than last year, although the death rate of 39 per million inhabitants is beneath the bloc’s average of 50. “It’s true that we’re on the good side of the European average,” said Navarro. “We’re very good at road safety.”

EWN 23

Airlines’ merger unveiled IRISH carrier Cityjet and Spain’s Air Nostrum have announced a deal to create the largest pan-European regional airline group. The two airlines will cooperate closely under a new umbrella holding company, according to a Cityjet statement. Between them, the pair will have a combined fleet of almost 100 aircraft and annual revenues of around €700 million. Cityjet employs 1,250 people across nine European countries and its regional network includes provision of services via wet lease contracts with Air France, Brussels Airlines and SAS. Its fleet includes more than 40 aircraft including 22 new Bombardier CRJ900 regional jets. Air Nostrum has more than 1,250 employees, is the regional operator for Iberia and flys to more than 60 destinations in Europe and Africa.

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19 - 25 July 2018

FEATURE

If only snowflakes would melt away … LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT ONE of the real problems with the social media is that it allows the snowflakes and bordering nutters to seek each other out. Whereas, at one time someone with totally offthe-wall ideas would hardly come across any likeminded individuals, they can now contact them at the touch of a button. It stands to reason, if you can air your views to everyone in and around your vicinity, or indeed the whole country, you are going to find more supporters than standing on a street corner banging a drum and handing out leaflets. Although there seems to be a positive glut of gaggle heads these days, there are in fact no more than there ever were, they are just a bit more linked up that’s all. Solo individuals have now turned into ‘minority groups’ and we all know they are a part of the ‘flavour’ who seem to get all the preferential treatment these days! This latest bunch are a glaring example. Drunk with the power of getting national media coverage to get wolf whistles classed as a criminal offence, they are now advocating that ANY praise by male of the species, including reference to articles of dress or attire, be classed as a misogynistic ‘hate crime.’ I say Miss, ‘What a lovely pair of

GIVE ME A BREAK: Is a man complimenting a woman really committing a hate crime? shoes your wearing. Where did you get them?’ ...... ‘Help. Police. Hate Crime. Hate crime in progress.’ Doo da, doo da ..... give us a break. I suppose praise from a female is ok? Well be a bit careful lady, the woman admiring your hat at Ascot could be a gender bender; another load of codswallop dreamed up by these people.

To be honest I’m surprised most of ‘em even have the courage to walk out of their own front doors. Some of their projects can be very dangerous indeed. They all seem to have completely one-track minds and, because they all appear to suffer complexes of inferiority and inadequacy, are com-

pletely unable to accept, or even listen to any other points of view. One example is their ongoing insistence that babies, and young children, who show a tendency to play with toys or enjoy dressing up and indulging in the games of their opposite sex, should be immediately and relentlessly encouraged to grow up in that sexual gender. This was recently shot down by one eminent psychiatrist who, on examining a young boy who showed a great deal of interest in feminine toys, etc, had in fact a younger sister who suffered from a debilitating illness. This led to the parents showing her more attention than they had the older lad. In the little boy’s mind he interpreted this as a favouritism towards girls. He thought that if he acted more like a girl, he would attract the same attention as his sister. It had nothing to do with his gender whatsoever! Oh yes, these sorry snowflakes are dangerous alright. And terrible wasters of our most precious possession: Time. Why don’t they all stick on a burka and move into areas where they will not be noticed by anyone? And certainly not listened to! Dream on Leapy. Keep the faith. Love Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com

Leapy Lee’ opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

26 EWN

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19 - 25 July 2018

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

ALBERT RIVERA, the pro-Constitution leader of Ciudadanos and one of the 50 per cent of Catalans who do not want independence slated Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for receiving Quim Torra in the Moncloa. Rivera dismissed Sanchez as a populist and condemned him for receiving someone who was not a democrat. Better look for another stick to beat Sanchez with. Successive Spanish presidents have received dodgy visitors without a murmur, the last of whom was the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Less of a tyrant than his grandfather, admittedly, but no shining example of democracy. Poor Albert! He’s still smarting because Pedro Sanchez stole his presidential thunder, wrong-footing and outsmarting him to get into the Moncloa with that amazingly successful vote of no confidence.

Victory of the German doctor

Lie of the land WITHIN a day or so, either Soraya Saenz de Santamaria or Pablo Casado will be chosen to lead the Partido Popular now that Mariano Rajoy is tending his garden in Santa Pola. To Casado’s irritation, people keep harping on about the master’s degree he picked up so effortlessly in 2008 without attending one lecture. “It’s rather a coincidence that just as I presented my candidature something that happened 10 years ago should acquire so much media, academic and legal importance,” he said with hurt surprise. Not very perceptive of him. Nobody gives two hoots about Casada’s academic record. What they care about is the fact that he could be lying about it and if he can’t see what’s wrong in that, he’s even worse than the usual run of politicians.

Nora Johnson

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

A TREND unforeseen, even by hard-bitten crime fiction detectives, crime novels have beaten general fiction for the first time since book charts were compiled. Anxious about volatility in the real world, readers now seek reassurance in stories where baddies get their just desserts. Thriller writer David Baldacci said readers turned to his crime novels to see the good guys win: “When times are stressful and it looks like the bad is winning out over the good, along comes the genre of crime novels to put the balance back in life. People inherently don’t like folks who do bad to get away with it. In real life they do all the time, because of a variety of factors. But in novels, evil’s punished, and the good guys mostly win, after solving the puzzle.” The Girl in the Woods, the latest in my own psychological crime thriller series featuring investigative journalist Alice Myers, traces the increasing trauma of the Walker family who fall apart when their 17-year-old daughter, Kezia, fails to return home from a night out. As the hours pass and the police investigation builds, this just-published novel puts every parent’s worst nightmare scenario

FEATURE

BITTER?: Albert Sanchez.

Ain’t we got fun SPAIN’S economy looks good on paper but seems not to have reached everyone’s pockets. The country’s statistics office INE found that the 20 per cent who are Spain’s lowest earners are 15 per cent worse off than they were before the crisis. The 20 per cent who earn most are only 1 per cent worse off, INE said, while the top layer of affluent households earned 6.6 times more than the lowest-income families. Disraeli reputedly said, ‘There

PASCUAL MARAGALL was the socialist mayor of Barcelona between 1982 and 1997. In the 1999 regional elections, he was the most-voted presidential candidate but owing to the way the electoral system distributes seats, Jordi Pujol was again invested as Cataluña’s president. Maragall finally made it, with the help of Esquerra Republicana and the largely forgotten ICVEUIA in 2003 and remained president until he resigned in 2006. In 2007, Maragall admitted that he had Alzheimer’s. Echoing Cervantes, he joked: “The German doctor whose name I do not care to remember will win the

are lies, damn lies and statistics’ but the 20’s song that maintained, ‘There’s nothing surer, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer’ was nearer the mark, then and now. The big difference is that in 2018

Readers turning to crime (ERR, crime novels!) Deadly secrets THE latest in the psychological crime thriller series featuring investigative journalist Alice Myers, The Girl in the Woods depicts the unimaginable pressures faced by the Walker family when their 17-year-old daughter goes missing after a night out. As the hours pass and the police inquiry builds, it explores every parent’s worst nightmare. A teenager vanishes in woodland. Parents torn apart by secrets, guilt and jealousy. Barbara Forster, the complex DI heading the enquiry, faces a race against time, following a treacherous path that leads all the way to a dark and explosive climax. An action-packed thriller on several levels, the stories unfold, adding an unexpected triple twist at the end. Tense and gripping throughout, The Girl in the Woods is highly recommended.

under the microscope. Focusing on the disappearance of an apparently captivating teenager, what follows is part whodunit, part police-procedural and part examination of the effects of the pressures on her parents, friends and acquaintances. When the police are called in, it soon becomes apparent she had secrets of her own and, as the investigation continues, suspicion shifts from one parent, friend and acquaintance to another. Inevitably tension rises and tempers fray as Kezia’s parents have different ideas how to proceed. Her father becomes obsessed with pursuing his own investigation while her mother bottles up her emotions, trying to keep her family together and marriage intact. The very real anguish of a family torn apart by secrets, guilt and jealousy, as the gradually building nightmare gathers steam, keeps you guessing right up to the explosive triple-twist climax. Nora Johnson’s thrillers ‘The Girl in the Red Dress’, ‘No Way Back’, ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.net) Amazon (€0.99) and iBookstore. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity. columnists@euroweeklynews.com

game in the end.” Not long ago Maragall’s daughter Cristina told an El Mundo interviewer: “If my father were well, perhaps we wouldn’t have arrived at this in Cataluña.” Maragall himself, like many Catalan socialists, possibly had a yen for independence but it remained latent and rational. Eleven years later Maragall no longer knows who he is or was and the ‘German doctor’ is winning. Like Maragall, many Catalan politicians are unsure of their identity, the least rational of whom is the self-exiled Carles Puigdemont, but unlike him there is no excuse for them.

no-one would willingly agree that ‘In the meantime, in between time, ain’t we got fun.’ Frankly, we ain’t. columnists@euroweeklynews.com

LEGALLY SPEAKING Yet still more on wealth tax I read your comments on wealth tax with interest as I have an apartment in Los Boliches and have been paying wealth tax on this for the last 35 years. I am non-resident as I live in England. I would appreciate your thoughts. CG (Costa del Sol) Spain’s tax on David Searl capital assets, You and the Law the so-called ‘wealth in Spain tax’ (Impuesto sobre el Patrimonio) was passed into law in 1977 by the new government of Spain after Franco died. Spaniards and residents had exemptions on the value of their principal residence and on the first portion of any other assets. Non-residents however had no exemptions and had to pay from the first peseta of valuation. The tax is quite low, starting at .002, or two-10ths of 1 per cent. If your flat was worth €100,000, your annual wealth tax would be €200. From 2008 to 2010, the government passed tax relief of 100 per cent, so no one had to pay. In 2011 the tax relief was cancelled. Since 2016, non-resident property owners share in the resident exemption on the first €700,000 of value, so you should not be paying it any more.

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

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TV LISTING

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Flog It! Secrets of Silicon Valley Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Inside the Factory Golf Shankly: The Man Who Changed Football Idris Elba King of Speed Countryfile

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Madagascar Antiques Road Trip Eggheads Great British Railway Journeys Back in Time for Tea Nadiya's Family Favourites University Challenge Versailles QI Newsnight

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Madagascar Antiques Road Trip Eggheads Great British Railway Journeys Back in Time for Tea Inside the Factory The Five Billion Pound Super Sewer Live at the Apollo Newsnight Antiques Road Trip Eggheads Great British Railway Journeys Back in Time for Tea Hairy Bikers' Mediterranean Adventure Picnic at Hanging Rock Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Newsnight

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Judge Rinder Tenable Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale The Voice Kids Our Shirley Valentine Summer ITV News

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The £100k Drop Come Dine with Me The Simpsons The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News George Clarke's Old House, New Home Prisión Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back

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Channel 4 News Formula 1 Inside Bentley: A Great British Motor Car Great Canal Journeys Kingsman: The Secret Service The Visit Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA The Big Narstie Show

6:10pm

The Boxtrolls Bang on Budget Homes by the Med Location, Location, Location Channel 4 News Formula 1 The Handmaid's Tale Artist in Residence: The Sex Clinic Stonehearst Asylum

5:15pm 6:15pm 6:20pm 7:05pm 8:05pm

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Mamma Mia! Tipping Point The Chase Paul O'grady: For the Love of Dogs ITV Evening News Regional News and Weather Vera Unforgotten ITV News

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The Chase Regional News and Weather ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Give it a Year Coronation Street Lewis ITV News at Ten and Weather

6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:40pm

Come Dine with Me The Simpsons The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Dispatches How to Get Rich Quick Our Guy in Russia Who is America? 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

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Judge Rinder Tenable Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Love Your Garden Long Lost Family - Australia ITV News at Ten and Weather

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The £100k Drop Come Dine with Me The Simpsons The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Ackley Bridge 999: What's Your Emergency? Gogglebox 24 Hours in A and E

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Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Best Walks with a View with Julia Bradbury Coronation Street The Bletchley Circle ITV News at Ten and Weather

Countdown A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun The £100k Drop Come Dine with Me The Simpsons The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Live Well for Longer 24 Hours in A and E Stath Lets Flats

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

7:30pm 7:45pm 8:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

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11:00pm 12:05am 3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

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11:00pm 12:05am

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5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight Police Interceptors Bad Tenants, Rogue Landlords Eamonn and Ruth: How the Other Half Lives Inside the Murder Prison

6:00am 7:00am 7:30am 9:30pm 10:00pm 12:00am 1:00am 2:00am

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Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away! Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away! Blind Date Before They Were Stars 5 News Victoria Wood: Her Life as Seen on TV Victoria Wood: Live

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Nanny McPhee Access Nanny McPhee Wonderful World of Puppies Chuckle Time with the Chuckle Brothers 5 News Funniest Celeb Talent Show Moments Ever 21 Jump Street News Update

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QUICK

KAKURO

Across: 1 Dachshund, 5 Musty, 7 Bison, 9 Seek, 10 Sailor, 12 Attain, 13 Wash, 15 Large, 16 Obeys, 18 Potassium.

Down: 1/17 Dim sum, 2 Stye, 3 Upbeat, 4 Monarch, 6 Shelter, 8 Salvage, 9 Swallow, 11 Silent, 14 Lots.

CODE BREAKER

Energy levels go up and down and you seek to ration yours by not going all-out physically. It is still possible to be quite dynamic while planning. Indeed, your clear vision impresses a colleague. If you are due for promotion then some good news is likely. Blow your own trumpet rather than wait for others to do it for you.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) The changes affecting you for the past few weeks continue but you are now getting better at managing

QUIZ: FILM FUN 1. Which rock star played the title role in the 1970 film Ned Kelly? 2. Which famous American actor sang I Talk to the Trees in the 1969 film Paint Your Wagon? 3. Coalminer’s Daughter was the title of a film concerning the life of which country singer? 4. From which classic 1941 film does the following line come, ‘I guess Rosebud is just the piece in a jigsaw’? 5. According to the 1968 film, who was the father of Rosemary’s Baby?

6. In the 1963 film The Great Escape, what were the names given to the three tunnels? 7. What was title of the 1980 sequel to Every Which Way but Loose? 8. In 1989 film version of The Wizard of Oz, which character was searching for courage? 9. Which 1940 full-length Walt Disney cartoon featured the songs Give a Little Whistle and When You Wish upon a Star? 10. From which 1969 film does the Bacharach and David song Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head come?

their direction. Someone wanting you to take a logical action should not be allowed to push you forward. When to act will be clear to you.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Someone who has been unhelpful in the past suddenly steps forward. Could you have been wrong about them? Probably not. Keep a clear mind when with them. Saturn influences you to be more organised before a bout of indecision strikes.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) The influence of Venus and Jupiter brings you the influence and status that you deserve. It's not that you haven't worked towards it but now you start to see the benefits. There is an urge to improve your appearance and surroundings to fit in with the 'new you'.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) During the past few weeks you may have gained a different perspective on life. Your need for a close attachment and harmony in your life should not be underestimated or denied in the name of practicality.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) To be truly happy you need to build on your partnerships. Keep these in balance and everything else will fall into place. Life has taught you some rather harsh lessons recently. The upshot of that is you now feel more in control and more secure.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) There is an all-consuming need to see some reward for all your efforts. There will be those who will tell you that you need to push harder for success. Perhaps you need to be with more like-minded people. Certainly being with the wrong colleagues can bring your spirits down.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) When needed you are sure to be positive this week. On a project, ‘striking while the iron is hot’ springs to mind. There is much fun to hand but it must be 'work first' at the moment. Some opportunities do not come twice and you need to be aware of them when they present themselves.

Answers: 1. MICK JAGGER, 2. CLINT EASTWOOD, 3. LORETTA LYNN, 4. CITIZEN KANE, 5. THE DEVIL, 6. TOM, DICK AND HARRY, 7. ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN, 8. THE LION, 9. PINOCCHIO, 10. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID.

OUT

19 - 25 July 2018

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32 EWN

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19 - 25 July 2018

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.

Tourist tax will alienate many visitors MY wife and I have just returned from a holiday in Mallorca (first went to Mallorca in 1999 and every year since apart from a three-year gap). Before anything else at the hotel we were asked to pay the tourist tax which had doubled from last year, so having paid nearly €80 without any benefit to us at all and without any previous information as to what the Tourist Tax was likely to be, it set us thinking. Where are the monies? How much has accumulated since the tourist tax was instigated? What are the monies being used for? The pavements in Palma Nova are in a terrible state, you cannot walk for more than 25 metres and I am being generous here, before you meet cracked paving, misaligned paving, crumbling concrete, raised iron rings around the trees, depressed areas of pavement. We do not own any property in Mallorca, but I am quite sure that the rental ban on apartments will be a devastating blow to the economy, several friends of ours have sold up and come back to England.

HAVE YOUR SAY

People of Mallorca unite and vote for a mayor and president who are not blind to the devastating effect that this tourist tax and rental ban will do to the Mallorcan economy. My wife and I will not be returning to Mallorca in this present situation. Peter Higgins, Pontefract, West Yorkshire

Why can’t councils control noise?

Building consents

WHEN is Calpe Council going to protect the residents of the town from the noise of private building work at all hours of the day? We have endured three months of non-stop extremely high pitched continual noise from angle grinders and electric drills. This is on top of constant banging from hammers and bolsters and the grinding of a cement mixer all day. This starts from the bawling of work men at each other when they first arrive at eight o’clock in the morning and commence work with the tools and continue until they depart at 6.30pm in the evening. This goes on five days a week, week after week. There is totally no consideration from this non-resident in what is a normally peaceful residential area. Appeals to moderate the inconvenience are met with a refusal to comply. The noise is such during this time

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.

Credit: MyImages Micha Shutterstock

IRRITATING: The constant building noise. that you cannot hear the radio, TV, or concentrate to use a computer. Surely Calpe Council can provide regulation of the hours in which this type of activity can be conducted and offer its residents some relief from this unacceptable behaviour. Peter Gallagher, Calpe

Readers who have missed correspondence can see all letters - which can be edited before publication - posted on: www.euroweeklynews.com.

Brit survives 7-floor fall from Mallorca hotel after row It’s past time that these hotel balcony rails were properly inspected for correct height! We know the last two we stayed in were not totally safe! Ian

Outrage over ‘looky looky’ men in southern Spain If the police were empowered to confiscate the items they were selling that would soon stop them. Authorities are so often scared to act though for fear of being accused of being racist. John

Comments from EWN online When they say ‘racism’ what they really mean is the ethnic-European’s right to promote his ethnicity and to secure it. Every race prefers its own kind but only the whites are condemned for doing so. Michael Walsh

Confiscate all illegal pirate versions, and the problems will fade away very quickly. Joona

Borrell hints that Spain could try to block Gibraltar from Brexit transition

If people didn’t buy off the looky looky men then they would have to pack up and leave. Julie

This won’t happen. Spain needs the UK more than the UK needs Spain. Ken Clarke

Claims that Amazon may serve as a platform for racist products

Ryanair pilots announce another 24-hour strike this week

Censorship, plain and simple. Those who accuse the ‘Nazis’ of book burning do so in far greater numbers. Thousands of book titles openly sold in the latter decades of the 20th century have been quietly moved.

What are Ryanair playing at?? Don’t they know that happy staff make good staff? Not only losing staff but customers too! We are looking for alternative flights in the future,

those with one cost, no hidden extras.

Karen Goode Why oh why are people still booking Ryanair??? I will never use them again. They cause so much heartache to oh so many people!!!! Maggie Hayes

Drivers using mobile phones to receive heavier punishment in Spain Needs to be at least a €1,000 fine and banned for at least three/four years. Lynne Utting With all the technology we have and hands free there’s no excuse. Paul Gilding Everyday I must see 10-15 people with a phone to their ear, I drive a Ford Transit with Bluetooth and it’s 2011. Most of these people would have Bluetooth in their cars, they just need to understand how to use it. Nick Earl Hobbs Ainley They need to start stopping them first, no good increasing the fine when they seem to do nothing to stop it in the Estepona area. Kevin Airey

SEVERAL months ago a friend in the UK wrote to ask me if it was true that the chiringuitos at Punta Prima beach had been closed down, apparently over licensing problems. I replied that it did appear to be the case, according to press reports. However, at the time I thought it was rather strange and was possibly just an excuse for something else. I recalled that a builder had fairly recently tried for planning permission along that stretch of coastline and the request had been turned down partly due to the fact that there are Civil War bunkers there and also that the land was not considered suitable for building on. The next thing that we hear is that the chiringuitos are illegal, etc, etc and have got to close whilst the matter is resolved. Many people thought I was being cynical and that the chiringuitos would soon reopen. Well we all know how that situation has been handled! Now I have seen an article in the press saying that a builder has offered to refurbish the bunkers and maintain them which is all very nice of them. Oh, and he is also seemingly going to be allowed to now build two skyscrapers along that bit of coast. No mention of course about the reopening of the chiringuitos. Barry Weston Playa Flamenca

Paloma Park IN response to Joe and Janet Calton, I live near Paloma Park and during and after the San Juan Feria held close by, plus the recent strong westerly winds has created this unfortunate situation with plastic bags being blown into the lake. I can assure them that Benalmadena Council gardeners keep the park welltended and a pleasure to visit. Brian Johnston, Benalmadena Costa

HEALTH BEAUTY

EWN

19 - 25 July 2018

TO READ MORE

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

Worth a punnet! SCIENTISTS confirm the benefits of eating raspberries to help avoid the risk of heart disease. Research carried out by Kings College London and funded by the National Processed Raspberry Council have confirmed that eating raspberries can lessen the risk of heart disease and aid circulation by keeping blood vessels healthy. Experiments were carried out where identical looking drinks were given to a group of participants, only some containing fresh raspberry juice. Beforehand the group underwent both b l o o d a n d u r i n e t e s t s . Wi t h i n t w o hours of taking the drinks they were tested again. The people who had the drink containing raspberry juice showed a significant increase in FMD (flow mediated dilation) aiding the flow of blood through the widening of the arteries. Author of the report Dr Ana Rodriguez Mateos said this effect was still present 24 hours later. Tom Krugman Executive Director of the Council that funded the research said, â€œwe are excited about

BERRY GOOD: Raspberries could help reduce the risk of heart disease.

these findings.â€? Red raspberries are known to contain strong anti-oxidants such as vitamin C, quercetina and Gallic acid that fight against cancer, heart and circulatory disease and age-related decline. They have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. The oil from raspberries is creating interest in the cosmeceutical market

due to the richness of vitamin E and Omega-3 fatty acids. These are a sun protection factor. A previous study by the US Department of Energy Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that men over the age of 44 with the largest intake of Vitamin C had 20 per cent less damage to their sperm DNA than men who did not eat foods containing the vitamin.

Just the veganning? SUPERFOODS and the vegan trend are dominating the latest food fads in magazines and trendy new restaurants, but are we willing to sustain such a limited diet in the future without the need for bacon butties or cheeseburgers? The fashionable plant-based diet, proven to result in younger looking skin, boost energy levels and reduce the risks of certain life-threatening diseases like diabetes and cancer is slowly pushing aside meat-based foods in the hope of a healthier lifestyle and less obesity - but is it sustainable in this modern age? Experts agree that a truly vegan lifestyle, although difficult to plan out and maintain can reduce weight but they also look at the potential downfall of going totally plant-based. Calcium, omega-3, fatty acids and Vitamin B12 are all key nutrients that a vegan diet can lack. Over a length of time, these key elements to keep the body strong can result in loss of bone and muscle mass and inefficient running of the nervous

UNSTOPPABLE RISE: Veganism is on the up. system. Vitamins and supplements can only be taken in small doses otherwise they can cause toxicity in the body. The bottom line, say experts is to avoid fad diets that are pro-

moted on the internet, try to balance out the pros and cons of becoming a vegan, but most importantly stick to a healthy regime that gives your body good healthy food.

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19 - 25 July 2018

TV COUCH CRITIC by Adam Whalley-Lewis WELL, we did it. Whether you watched the World Cup and/or Wimbledon, or if you did your best to avoid them, Sunday saw them both conclude - unfortunately at about the same time. I think a lot of us were flicking between Moscow and SW19 last Sunday trying to keep up . Now, you know I can’t explain the off-side rule and I can’t play tennis for toffee, but I did get caught up in the football and in the latter stages, the tennis too. I might have missed the Men’s final if lovely friends from London, Ray and Louise, hadn’t sent me a copy of a well-known newspaper and jogged my memory via its sports section! I enjoyed the tennis. I liked the genuine affection the Ladies’ finalists showed for each other and for once, Djokovic dropped the arrogant act and was nice about his opponent too. It is a shame that British competitors who made it through to the finals in the wheelchair doubles, mixed doubles and in the Boys competition were difficult to follow, just because there was no BBC visibility of when these matches were being played or if, or when, the BBC were showing them. The British pair won the wheelchair match and got hardly a mention anywhere. Oh and France won the World Cup. Felicitations La France.

FEATURE

France, Kerber, Djokovic and singing kids Photo credit BBC/ITV

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THE VOICE KIDS: Judges Danny Jones, Pixie Lott, Will.i.am and presenter Emma Willis. If you are a fan of The Voice (if you are, worry not, there is help out there, no really there is) you probably found yourself watching ITV’s The Voice Kids. The show kicked off last Saturday and is running across eight consecutive days. It broadly follows the format of the adult show, with three music industry heavyweights and of course, Emma Wills hosting.

Will.i.am is the only judge to make it over from the adult show. He is supported by Pixie Lott, you might remember her from Strictly and Danny Jones. I had to Google Danny. He was in a Boy Band, McFly, apparently. You have to admire the courage the kids have to be able to sing on national TV. The Voice Kids, ITV, continues Thursday-Saturday this week. ITV treated us to the opening episode of series three of Unforgotten on Sunday night. Now, I’ve friends who are ex-police officers, hola Jimmy and Keith, but brilliant as they are, I’m not sure even they could pull together a six-part mystery, of a Sunday night, with only a piece of hip bone to start their investigations. Sanjeev Bhaskar and Nicola Walker star as detectives Sunny and Cassie who test the friendship of, to be honest, a random group of people who seem to be in the frame for the crime. This is solid Sunday night viewing though and you can keep up with what is happening on ITV, Sunday at 10pm. GENUINE AFFECTION: Angelique Kerber and Serena Williams.

Hammering it home Mike Senker In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man DO any of you watch a BBC programme called Homes Under the Hammer? I do, and it amazes me how they buy a property for usually silly money and most people have never bought an investment property before. How it works is the presenters show the viewers some dump that needs a total refurb then they show you the punter buying it at an auction. They go to the house together and you get told that they are going to put in a new bathroom, new kitchen, rewire, put in new heating, rip a lean-to out and replaster basically everything. ‘What’s your budget and time frame?’ they are asked and this is what flabbergasts me. ‘Yeah, I’ve got a six grand budget and I’ll do it in a month.’ WHAT? HOW? I don’t understand how they do it. They buy the house for say 50 grand. They go back a month later and BOOM the place now looks like a palace. Then they’re asked, ‘Did you stick to your budget?’... ‘Well no, I spent an extra three quid because we needed a new roof.’ I’m being sarcastic now! Then they get the estate agent back and get a new valuation. Now the house is worth 90 grand and the

rental income will give them 8 per cent. Simple isn’t it? Well let me tell you it isn’t that simple. I wish they would show you the horror stories too. The ones where the punters get it all wrong like what happens in real life. Because I know that it isn’t that easy. Sure if you are a builder and you can do stuff yourself it’s OK but once you get tradesmen in it can be a nightmare. I’m going to suggest to the Beeb a show called ‘Horror Houses Under The Hammer (The Nightmare Continues)’ where they buy the gaff, get ripped off by the builder and can’t sell it. They do their brains and have it repossessed by the building society. You know, just like real life. There’s always one isn’t there? You know the one that tells you, ‘tomatoes are actually a fruit not a vegetable.’ Err yeah, I know that! smart a**e ‘And so are cucumbers, bell peppers and avocados plus a few others. Did you know strawberries and raspberries aren’t berries?’ OK stop now mate, you are getting on my nerves. But still they carry on. ‘Mountain goats aren’t really goats and killer whales never kill much at all and definitely not humans. White rhinos aren’t white at all, not even remotely white.’ I walk away when he gets on to Sperm whales! mikesenker@gmail.com

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19 - 25 July 2018

Mallorca

Update on food, drink, entertainments, what’s on and weekly happenings

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Learn about Rioja THOSE who enjoy wine know that some of the finest Spanish wines come from the Rioja region. History tells us that in the Middle Ages, Mediterranean wine culture was closely linked to the monastic life and their major promoters were the monks. The Rioja area is no exception and there is a great deal of local pride in the fact that Gonzalo de Berceo, the first poet who wrote in the Romance language, mentioned wine in the verses he wrote from his retreat in the Suso Monastery in San Millán de la Cogolla. The first document to make reference to protecting and ensuring the quality of Rioja wines dates from 1650, but even earlier, in 1102, King Sancho of Navarra legally recognised the quality and importance of these prestigious wines.

The Royal Economic Society Rioja Grower was created in 1787 with the aim of promoting the cultivation of vines, wine production and trade development. By the early 20th century, in 1902, a Royal Decree was issued which defined the ‘origin’ for application to the wines of Rioja. Then 1926 saw the creation of the Control Board whose mission was to identify the area of Rioja, control the issuance of the ‘seal of guarantee’ and recommend when appropriate, legal action be taken against infringers and counterfeiters of the name ‘Rioja.’ It wasn’t however until 1945 that the agency was given a legal status. Finally, the Control Board was constituted in 1953, and thus began to lay the foundations for a modern and efficient performance by the

Eat Well

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growers. Highly important in the evolution which led to the present Rioja wine is the approval in 1970 of the Rules of the Appellation of Origin and its Regulatory Board. In the same year the agency acquired a well-defined structure and clear functions described as ‘The defence of the Denomination of Origin, implementation, monitoring and promoting the quality of the wines covered were mandated, first, the Control Board.’ After several amendments to the Regulation Governing the Control Board, which have been adapted to the needs raised in recent years, quality control systems have been perfected and there has been an enhancement of the promotion of the brand. Following a long process in which the Denomination of Origin ‘Rioja’ always concentrated on the quality and con-

Flavoursome lamb

by Andrew Harding I THOUGHT I would talk about vitamins and minerals over the next few weeks, why we need them and what they actually do. There are 13 vitamins that are essential to maintain health in humans: Vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins: Thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyroxidine (B6), biotin (B7), folate (B9) and cobalamin (B12). The four fat-soluble vitamins-A, D, E, and K-are stored in the body’s fatty tissues, which is why some fat in the diet is necessary. Vitamin A, also known as retinol, has several important functions. These include ensuring the immune system works properly, helping vision in dim light and keeping skin and the lining of some parts of the body, such as the nose, healthy. Foods that contain vitamin A include dairy products, eggs, oily fish, liver and liver pate. The body can synthesise Vitamin A from a compound called beta-carotene which is found in non-fatty foods such as yellow, red and green (leafy) vegetables, such as spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes and red peppers and yellow fruit, such as mango, papaya and apricots.

The exquisite aroma and taste of Rioja wine. trol at source, this effort received recognition as on April 3, 1991 a Ministerial Order granted the status of Qualified Denomination of Origin to ‘Rioja’ which was the first and only in Spain to receive this recognition. To find out more about the range of Rioja wines, visit https://saberquieneres.riojaw ine.com.

SUNDAY BEST: Rack of lamb with garlic and herb crust. Vitamin A is toxic in large quantities and pregnant women should avoid pate due to possible harm to the unborn baby. Here is a recipe that will provide plenty of vitamin A and flavour: • Roasted Vegetables Serves 4 - 4 whole carrots, sliced - 6 tablespoons olive oil - 1 large red onion, quartered - 6 whole garlic cloves, peeled - 2 whole green peppers - 2 small cauliflower florets - 2 whole leeks sliced - 7 large mushroom caps, sliced - 2 small broccoli florets Put carrots and olive oil into an oven proof dish, coat carrots with oil and cover with foil or lid. Place in oven pre-heated to 180 Celsius (fan) 200 Celsius (conventional) for

10 minutes. Add cauliflower, onions and stir to coat with oil. Cover again and put back in oven for 5 minutes. Add leeks, garlic, green pepper, mushrooms and broccoli stir again to coat with oil and cover bake for 20 more minutes. Serve • Rack of Lamb with a Garlic and Herb Crust Serves 4 - 4 racks of lamb - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard - 6 whole garlic cloves, skinned and chopped - 2 cups bread crumbs - 2 teaspoons dried parsley - 2 teaspoons dried tarragon - 2 teaspoons dried sage - salt and pepper, to taste Make sure the lamb has all the fat removed. Coat in a mixture of garlic and dijon mustard. Mix the herbs and salt and pepper with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the mustard coating on the lamb, where they should stick. Place in a preheated oven at 200 Celsius (fan) 220 Celsius (conventional) for 1/2 hour (very rare) 3/4 hour (medium) 1 hour (well done). Serve.

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Juan Carlos I in property scandal Princess Corinna, an adviser to Prince Albert of Monaco, was named in the Spanish press as the then king’s lover after she was seen in his company during a secret 2012 ele-

phant hunting trip in Botswana. It is an incident that is widely seen as the beginning of the fall of Juan Carlos I, who abdicated in 2014 at the

age of 76. Princess Corinna claimed the properties had been put in her name not ‘because he loves me a lot, but because I reside in Monaco,’ where

such assets do not have to be publicly declared. The Spanish palace has not commented on last week’s reports, and Alvaro Orleans de Borbon has denied the claims. Credit: Aleph/Wikimedia

into ‘money laundering.’ The 53-year-old princess, who obtained her title from her second marriage, also claimed that that Juan Carlos I held bank accounts in Switzerland in the name of his cousin, Alvaro Orleans de Borbon. The allegations are the latest controversies to spring from the long-reputed relationship between the Monacobased princess and Juan Carlos I, who has an estimated fortune of up to €2 billion.

ROYAL SCANDAL: The allegations are an embarrassment for Juan Carlos I.

Ortega makes €680 million Adelphi bid THE Spanish billionaire and founder of Zara is set to buy the Adelphi - a Grade II listed building in central London for about €680 million, weeks after losing out on buying another prominent building in the capital. Amancio Ortega, 82, founder of the Inditex fashion empire that includes the retailer Zara, is understood to be the preferred bidder for the 330,000 sq ft office building by the Strand. At the moment it is home to the music-streaming service Spotify, as well as Conde Nast, The Economist, and Finsbury, the public relations company. Mr Ortega is the ninth richest person in the world, and is worth €58.7 billion, but no final decision to sell the proper-

Credit: Roger/Flicr

THE former king of Spain, Juan Carlos I, bought multiple overseas properties through his alleged lover Princess Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, according to claims made by her in a leaked recording. In a 2015 conversation with a former Spanish police officer in London, Princess Corinna alleged that the king’s lawyers put her name on overseas properties without her permission, complaining that she was being drawn

FASHIONABLE PURCHASE: The sale would be a significant move from Mr Ortega. ty to him has been taken. The building is owned by Blackstone, America’s largest private equity firm, which bought the site in 2012 for

€294 million. The 1938 building has been restored to its art deco glory with Travertine marble surfaces and etched glass panels,

while the four sculptures that frame the Adelphi and which were designed by the sculptor Gilbert Ledward, remain in place. Pontegadea recently made a €1.13 billion bid for Goldman Sachs’ London headquarters but missed out to South Korea’s National Pension Service, a sovereign wealth fund. Blackstone put the Adelphi up for sale in April after completing full occupancy of the building last July when Shiseido Group, the Japanese cosmetics company, took the remaining space. The private equity group has completed a huge refurbishment of the site, which is one of the largest single office buildings in the West End with panoramic views over the Thames.

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Vitalise your meals with minimal effort GRAEME TYRRELL MOST gardeners and chefs are aware of the importance of herbs for flavouring and spicing-up meals to give a taste that is both exotic and interesting. Herbs also give a bundle of nutrients that most vegetables do not provide. Garnishing and seasoning adds a touch of class to even simple meals but having fresh herbs is always a challenge unless you have space and time for a herb garden. It is a bother to have to find time to go to markets and find out that the not so fresh herbs wilt even more by the time they are taken home and added to the meal. The easier thing is to add dried herbs, but these are never as good as freshly picked herbs. The easiest way to have fresh herbs is to have a window or planter box as near to the kitchen as possible and grow the herbs there. A simple tray with the herbs in pots in a place with plenty of light can allow you have fresh herbs right in your kitchen. Even if you do not have green fingers you can have the advantages of fresh herbs by buying ready-grown

Credit: Oliver Hoffmann Shutterstock

FRESH HERBS: Easy to grow and add flavour to food. plants and just pick the leaves you need as they keep growing. When the plant cannot produce sufficient for your needs, or has passed its time, just buy another. The herbs in pots are generally not

expensive in comparison to buying bunches of fresh picked leaves that deteriorate so quickly after you buy them. It is better in general to buy the growing plant and use it fresh to add

vitality to the meal. If you have used fresh herbs direct from plants you will know the difference. I prefer to harvest herbs just when they are to be added to a meal so having them growing nearby is important.

If you have time, space and interest you can grow many from seed in a very small area and save yourself the need to buy the plants. There is a a lot of satisfaction in growing your own if you can. The best herbs to grow are of course the ones that you would use the most and that will grow in small containers. Some herbs, such as lemongrass, are too big for small containers but are fine if you have a place for large containers. The most suitable herbs for small containers in a Mediterranean zone include basil, chives, thyme, lemon balm, oregano, parsley, various mints, coriander (Cilantro), rosemary, sage, tarragon, stevia, camomile, dill, fennel, lemon verbena and marjoram. If you buy the plants, the pot they come in is often sufficient to last a couple of months. If they are still growing strong after this time, it is a good idea to repot them into a larger container to allow them space to continue to grow. If you select plants of a good size you can harvest fresh herbs at home with a minimum of fuss for weeks at a time.

Watering your garden in summer DRYING OUT: The best time of the day to water plants is 5-9am.

PERMACULTURE EDUCATION SUSTAINABLE DESIGN Telephone: 666 33 33 35 info@permamed.org http://permamed.org/

NOW that the heat and humidity have arrived on the coast, previsions for watering the garden need serious consideration in order to keep it thriving through the hot summer months. These are the hot tips from local gardening professionals: The best block of time to do any work in the garden would ideally be between 5am and 9am. The cooler temperatures at these hours of the day allow the plants to absorb water before the heat of the sun burns off the moisture. If watering the plants at

this time of the morning is impractical, apparently the next best time advised by the experts to water plants out in the sun is three hours before sunset. Plants need time to dry off before sunset otherwise mildews and other issues will arise in them. It is advised to only water shaded gardens in the early evening if desperate. Watering the grass is a difficult balance. Whilst wanting to keep the grass alive, wasting water so that it looks like a golf course isnâ€™t necessary. Healthy turf that goes dormant with a

brown appearance will bounce back when temperatures cool down. For best results they recommend watering heavily and less frequently rather than lightly and more often. One inch of water is the general rule of thumb, a good gauge is to place an empty tuna can on the grass as you water and when it is full the grass is fully watered. Unlike plants, the best time to water grass is at night. Sprinkler timers are available in most hardware stores or garden centres up and down the coast.

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19 - 25 July 2018

Nick Horne The Rich Pick Freelance correspondent, London, England SOTHEBY’S the auction house has just sold my childhood memory. Actually they have not, they have however auctioned a series of inspired drawings by the illustrator EH Shepard at their recent sale, the ‘English Literature, History, Science, Children’s books and illustrations.’ Sketches drawn for AA Milne’s story of the Hundred Acre Wood ‘The House at Pooh Corner.’ The history of Winnie the Pooh and his friends, Eeyore, Piglet, Roo and Tigger. My imagination was fired at once by the Map of the Hundred Acre Wood, happy memories of childhood spent in imagination walking through the wood. Then in the late 1960’s the Disney movie arrived ‘Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.’ The map was animated and brought to life by Disney’s artists so as to magically transport us to the wood itself. I was much older by then but affection is difficult to leave behind. Someone out there agrees with me! He or she has bought arguably the most famous map in English literature for the princely sum of £430,000. Unseen by the public in the original for at least 50 years this 1926 sketch was expected to fetch £100,000 to £150,000, however the buyer was clearly determined. A further four sketches by EH Shepard were also auctioned, among them the illustration showing Christopher Robin and Pooh walking hand in hand ‘to an enchanted place on the very

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HONEY POT LUCK: The map and other sketches fetched hundreds of thousands. top of the forest’ to make their final goodbye. An emotional farewell which is closed by AA Milne with, ‘whereever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way in that enchanted place at the top of the Forest, a little boy and his

bear will always be playing.’ Two of the sketches illustrated that most famous of games, Poohsticks at Poohsticks Bridge, one comic image that of Eeyore floating lugubriously by from beneath the Bridge.

Photo credit Sotheby’s

The final sketch of the five auctioned may be a description of friendships; it depicts Christopher Robin, Piglet and Pooh leaning over Poohsticks bridge. The five original illustrations were sold for £917,500 (€1,038,260).

Palm honey is worth a gold medal LETTERS FROM CANARIES By Barbara Belt barbarabelt@gmail.com SINCE my last missive, we’ve sung, dressed up, danced traditional dances, eaten and drank too much, and generally enjoyed Canaries Day, as we do every May 30. It’s a celebration of all things Canarian, marking the Canary Island parliament’s first session, which was on May 30, 1983, since which time the islands have constituted one of Spain’s autonomous regions. The then Provisional Parliament had to choose a date for Dia de Canarias which: ‘Has a historical, but at the same time contemporary, significance, with a future focus (!).’ This, understandably, created lots of argument and near fracas for the fledgling parliament. Commemorating the date of the first Canarian Parliament then saved the day. Politicians like a bit of immortality. Dia de Canarias has become an institution, featuring national dress that’s rocketed in popularity over the last 35 years, with each island boasting its own. There are romerias, fiestas, sporting events, concerts, school parties as well as performances of Canarian legends and history. To mark the date, worthy Canarians are award-

GUARAPEROS: The palm sap tradition lives on.

INSTITUTION: Canaries Day celebrations. ed the Canarian Gold Medal. The list of winners is long and dignified, but let’s skip to the ‘Los Guaraperos de La Gomera, for keeping alive a 500-year-old tradition’ award. These guaraperos (palm sap tappers) climb tall, swaying palms to work with sharp tools at the top. It’s risky. The award, sadly, comes too late for father-of-three Jesus, a leading guarapero who was found dead under a palm tree in March. “On the islands, the indigenous population made honey from palm trees. This liquid looks like cloudy lemon water and has a very agreeable flavour. When concentrated by boiling, it pro-

duces a syrup known as miel de palma (palm honey) used in the confection of desserts and sweets,” said A J Benitez in Historia de las Islas Canarias. When the Spanish arrived in the 15th century, the native populations of all seven islands were tapping guarapo and drinking it, or boiling it down to make palm honey, and had done so for millennia. Since then, the practice has disappeared everywhere but La Gomera. The guarapero climbs to the top to clean off greenery and expose the crown. He uses a chisel to gradually form a hollow there, inserting a

horizontal length of cane to drain the guarapo off into a bucket suspended below. Early next morning, it’s collected and filtered. Once a palm’s been tapped, the delicate, exposed area needs protecting from sunlight. New fronds quickly sprout. The palm mustn’t be tapped again for three or four years. The guarapero’s work is sustainable. Palms aren’t harmed. Today, guarapo is poured into stainless steel cauldrons, slowly cooked for several hours and gradually becomes thicker, darker and sweeter. When a thin, continuous string of boiled guarapo falls from a spoon, it’s miel de palma and is left to cool before bottling for sale. Try some if you can get it. It’s delicious! Congratulations to all Canarian Gold Medal winners, especially Los Guaraperos de La Gomera. Rest in peace Jesus.

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Fancy dog-sitting in the UK for a change of scene? LOVE dogs? Then we need your help. We are always looking for pet lovers and especially dog and cat lovers who are happy to house-sit and care for the family pets while they are looking after the owner’s property. It’s an exchange of services like old-fashioned barter. As a sitter you get free accommodation and you give your time house and pet-sitting for free. It’s a win-win! Dog-sitters give peace of mind. Many dog owners, especially, like the pets to maintain their routine during the day and for someone caring to be with them at night in their own home. So a live-in house-sitter is the best choice for them while they are away. As a pet-sitter what do you get? As a house-pet-sitter you enjoy the op-

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memories. I live on my own and the companionship of pets when their owners go on holiday is a brilliant idea! Sonya Piggot - House-sitter How we work. All new members register to join our online HouseSitMatch network. On registration we ID check every new member to ensure we know who you are, and in addition house-sitters and pet-sitters are police checked by us. We charge for membership to ensure that there is a commitment from both parties and that we can afford to manage our network online professionally. How you benefit as a home and petowner. Our membership offers you 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. If you join as a Premium member we can also help you at each stage of the process to get you started and to manage your account. How you do join? Please register online via our website www.Housesitmatch.com. • Choose a membership plan. • Standard (DIY option) = £49 pa. • Premium (with support at each step) = £79 pa.

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TECH FOR THE TIMID I’M showing my age, but a catchphrase in the classic Goon Show was often: ‘Have a gorilla,’ and its stock response, ‘No thanks, I’ve just put one out.’ These days we carry a gorilla in our pockets - at least if we have a reasonably new smartphone. Gorilla Glass is what’s often on the front, supposedly tougher than the bourgeois stuff and designed to resist anything from the average drop (yeah, dream on) to the steady build-up of fingerprint residue or coin and key scratches. Sadly, as we spot that first heart-wrenching gouge, it doesn’t. A gung-ho friend insists he buys gadgets to use them. Given that he makes a more honest living than I do, producing physical stuff where I just describe it, after a month of unforgiving use his new phones look like they came straight off a Bangalore e-waste dump. Like choosing to coddle or not coddle your phone with a fancy genuine imitation leather case, cosseting your Gorilla Glass with a screen protector is a personal preference. That gives rise to one of the great existen-

Gorilla in our pockets A touch of glass or plastic fantastic, asks Terence Kennedy

OOPS: ‘Scream’ protector needed! tial questions of our time: glass or plastic? Plastic screen-protector films are refreshingly cheap, last longer than their glass equivalents, and will actually give the device a tiny bit extra impact resistance. And they’re reusable. On the downside they may give

your finger a slightly rougher ‘slide’ on the screen because they’re not as smooth. You need to clean them more often and longer than their glass counterparts. The deal-breaker for me: if anyone insists they have a foolproof way of putting one on which won’t leave

bubbles, they’re probably lying. Tempered-glass protectors are (much) more expensive than those cheap-as-chips plastic films, they look great, they’re slightly thicker, they’re unlikely to affect the screen’s clarity and your finger gets a smoother ride. They are also slower to accumulate fingerprints. Most boast so-called 9H hardness, with their adspeak claiming only a diamond will scratch them. Believe that and I have a bridge to sell you. They will indeed resist minor scratching, but on the downside if you drop the phone they are prone to cracking. As on a car’s windscreen, a crack will often spread inexorably. And once a glass protector is on your phone you’re unlikely to get it off without snapping it. The bottom line: plastic lasts longer, glass looks better. Or you could just adopt my manual-labouring friend’s cavalier attitude summed up in that Cat Stevens song from the 60’s: The First Cut is the Deepest. After that, who cares?

Screen test SADLY, if you have one of the growing number of curved-edge smartphone screens, few screen protectors can cope with the curvature. You’re generally left with bare edges which may lift slightly or collect fluff over time. Like the screens themselves, glass protectors come as either tempered, or Gorilla which is also tempered but has been chemically treated to make it stronger. Every decent screen protector has an ‘oleophobic coating’ for fingerprint resistance, sprayed on (for the cheapies), or applied statically. But here’s the kicker: neither coating lasts more than a few months at best. Then again, if you believe some pundits, neither will the coating on your actual smartphone screen. If that bothers you, buy a touchscreen stylus and never put digit to screen again.

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THE performance prowess of the new Ford Fiesta ST is demonstrated by a new film that features an amazing driving location - 400 metres below ground in one of Europe’s largest salt mines. Shot at a secret location with World Rally Championship driver Elfyn Evans at the wheel, the Fiesta ST is seen slipping, sliding and jumping in the dirt. The sound of the 200PS 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine is amplified by its surroundings as it tackles a highspeed drop through the narrow, entrance tunnel. “The salt is actually like fine gravel to drive on, quite slippery to be honest, especially on road tyres,” said Evans. “You expect it to be claustrophobic but actually it’s quite the opposite, a great place to really enjoy the new Fiesta ST.” A series of stern tests have taken place in some of the most stunning environments across the continent - from the Arctic Circle in Norway, to the sunny climes of Mallorca. Until now,

ROAD TEST by Nick Fletcher KEY sales factors in the SUV sector are model practicality, style and image, so you have to give Suzuki great credit for coming up with a small and more radically de-

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In Mexico, it isn’t necessary to take a driving test since anyone over 18 can buy a licence for 626 pesos (£28). There are more than four million cars in Mexico City alone.

Underground, overground ... Fiesta ready for a challenge Photo credit: Ford Media Centre

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STERN: The new Fiesta ST has undergone rigorous tests.

all the locations have been above ground. Ford chose the secret salt mine location for a new TV advert that sees the car put through its paces within the mine’s 60kilometre network of tunnels, where temperatures are a constant 16ºC and safety precautions required that a skeleton crew was used for the three-day shoot amid strict safety precautions. “The drama of the tunnels and the chance to show off Fiesta ST’s ability on a different type of surface were a big part of choosing this unique location,” said Leo Roeks, Ford Performance director. “It wasn’t a typical race track, it was somewhere we could drive this great car to its full potential.”

Robot car technology improved AN autonomous car has used artificial intelligence to improve its driving skills within 20 minutes. The team at Wayve showed how a Renault fitted with the technology used trial and error to correctly follow a lane, without the use of sensors and engineered rules as other self-driving cars work. Wayve co-Founder and chief executive Amar Shah said: “The missing piece of the self-driving puzzle is intelligent algorithms.”

Five-star blaze A MINIVAN pulled away from a petrol station in St Louis, Missouri with the fuel hose still attached. The result was an enormous spray of petrol which ignited and turned a nearby blue Lamborghini Huracan’s hot-running V10 engine into a fireball.

Suzuki Ignis signed SUV which really stands out. The new Ignis is the size of a small city car but its high-up stance, flared arches and funky looks

earn it top marks for visual charisma. It is also amazingly roomy inside, seating four adults with ease. With prices starting at just €11,325 (£9,995) it is no surprise it has made an immediate impact. There is only one engine, a 1.2 litre 89 hp petrol, but it is also available with the option of a more economical mild-hybrid system, and there is also a four-wheel-drive option for those needing more grip. The engine gives a 0100 kph time of 11.5 sec-

RADICALLY DESIGNED: Stand out from the crowd. onds and top speed of 165 kph (103 mph). Fuel economy is very good at 21.2 kpl (60.1 mpg) and emissions quite low at 106 g/km. Three trim levels are available and my test model was a top-spec SZ5 with AllGrip four-wheeldrive and the hybrid system and priced at €17,555 (£15,499). Standard kit is generous and includes colour touchscreen, sat nav, Bluetooth, DAB radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring. You also get four powered win-

dows, roof rails, alloy wheels, air con, auto lights, rear parking camera, cruise control with speed-limiter as well as hill-hold and hill-descent controls. On the move, Ignis is nimble thanks to its lowdown weight and short wheelbase and is fun to drive. The engine is more quiet than most in the smallcar sector, the five-speed gearbox slick and the suspension set-up gives decent ride quality. The two-tone cabin

looks attractive, and is well laid out. Trim materials are not top grade but do look durable. The 260-litre boot is bigger than in most city cars and the split-fold rear seats also slide back and forth so passenger and load space can be varied and with the seats down, load space is increased to a surprising 1,086 litres. Ignis is a nicely-created package aimed at those who want a lot of car for their money and a standout image.

19 - 25 July 2018 JOE ROOT’S gritty century laid the foundations for England’s series-levelling victory over India in the second one-day international at Lord’s. Root made 113 as England won by 86 runs, to take the series to a decider.

Golden boy Kane is the second Englishman to end as the top scorer in a World Cup after Gary Lineker scored six goals in 1986. He had 14 shots in the tournament and scored with all six of his shots on target.

Credit: @HKane/Twitter

ENGLAND captain Harry Kane won the Golden Boot after finishing as the World Cup’s top scorer with six goals. Croatia’s midfield maestro Luka Modric took home the Golden Ball, a deserving award as player of the tournament.

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC: Kane will only get better in an England shirt.

SPORT www.euroweeklynews.com

Joshua to square up to Povetkin BRITAIN’S Anthony Joshua will defend his world heavyweight titles against Russian Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium on September 22. The 28-year-old unified the WBA, IBF and WBO world heavyweight belts with a unanimous points win over New Z e a l a n d e r J o s e p h P a r k e r i n C a r d i ff i n March. Unbeaten in 21 professional fights, he now faces 38-year-old Povetkin, the WBA champion from 2011-2013. Povetkin knocked out Liverpudlian David Price on the Joshua-Parker undercard in Cardiff. The experienced Russian has suffered only one defeat since his professional debut in 2005, losing by unanimous decision to Wladimir Klitschko in Moscow in 2013. The bout will also be a meeting of two former Olympic champions, Povetkin

PACKING PUNCHES: Joshua is seeking global domination of his sport. taking super-heavyweight gold at the 2004 Athens Games and Joshua the same title at London 2012. “ I c a n ’t w a i t t o g e t b a c k i n t h e r i n g , the end of March feels a long time ago now,” said Joshua. “Povetkin has serious pedigree and only a fool would underestimate what he brings to the table.” The Russian was banned in March 2017 after failing a second drug test in a year but was cleared to resume fighting nine months later.

Oui are the champions France win second World Cup crown France drove the dagger deeper with two crisp strikes in six minutes from Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe, either side of

the hour mark. Croatia, however, showed the spirit that got them into the final, refusing to give up and

even clawing a goal back when Mandzukic pounced on a poor error from France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

But France saw out the win to make manager Didier Descamps only the third person to lift the trophy as a player and Credit: @FifaWorldCup/Twitter

FRANCE won the Fifa World Cup for the second time after beating Croatia 4-2 in a thrilling final in Moscow. A Mario Mandzukic own goal from a free kick (18 mins) got France on the board, but Ivan Perisic replied 10 minutes later with a well-taken left foot strike into the corner. Croatia then felt they were on the wrong end of another controversial VAR decision, shortly before half time. Referee Nestor Pitana contentiously awarded a spot-kick for a handball by Perisic, after consulting pitch-side replays, which Griezmann calmly converted. In a high-octane second half,

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VIVE LA FRANCE: The French team celebrates a deserved World Cup triumph.

manager, following Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer. Meanwhile, England’s campaign in Russia ended with a 20 defeat by Belgium that meant the Three Lions finished in fourth place. Thomas Meunier put Belgium ahead after just four minutes when he slid in ahead of Danny Rose to divert Nacer Chadli’s cross past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. England had chances to level in the second half as Toby Alderweireld cleared off the line from Eric Dier, while Harry Maguire also headed wide from a good position. Eden Hazard wrapped it up for Belgium with eight minutes left when he got the better of Phil Jones to drive past Pickford, who had just saved smartly from Meunier. In some ways it was a game neither side really wanted, but to finish the tournament in fourth place is a proud achievement for Gareth Southgate’s young side.