Mallorca 6 - 12 December 2012 Issue 1431 by Euro Weekly News Media S.A.

ISSUE NO. 1431

6 - 12 DECEMBER 2012

WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

Island reality hit MILLIONS of North American TV viewers were stunned by the beauty of Mallorca when a top reality show featured the island. The Amazing Race follows teams around the world who have challenges to surmount. Sunday night’s episode, which was watched by about 10 million viewers in the US and a further two million in Canada, was advertising gold for the island. It featured the city walls around Palma Cathedral, Bellver Castle, Palma Bullring, the Campanet Caves, the windmills at Sa Pobla and the tennis

REALITY TV: Chippendale friends Jaymes, left, and James must find The Devil at D'Alt Murda. centre of Manacor. Some viewers tweeted their impressions of Mallorca, with all wowed by the island’s ‘beauty’, ‘coolness’ and ‘fun’.

One viewer, Courtney Ní Duinnín, tweeted: “They are in Mallorca on Amazing Race. No fair; what a freakin awesome place!!!” Megan Schneider said:

“Seeing the beautiful island of Mallorca on Amazing Race last night was pretty cool... makes me miss it SO much!” While another viewer was bemused by a performance of demons from a traditional Nit del Foc dance on the programme. Cherie Michaux said: “Devils, strange but looks like fun Mallorca.” Filming of the show took place in June, with Mallorca glistening in the early summer sun. This is the 21st season of The Amazing Race, which has a cult following in the US and Canada. Tourist chiefs will be hoping it raises the profile of the island in both countries.

British couple arrested for ‘prostituting’ their daughter THE parents of a 15-year-old British girl have been arrested on suspicion of forcing their daughter to work as a prostitute for at least five years. A 76-year-old man who allegedly paid between €15 and €20 to have sex with the girl was also arrested, but released for health reasons. The girl is one of four children who

had been taken into care by Mallorca’s Social Services department after their neglect came to its attention. It appears the parents were able to extract the girl from care and take her to the elderly man’s hostel, where he would abuse her. He would pay the girl, who would then hand the money over to her parents.

FRONT EXTRA

Ninety not out THE number of people aged 90 or over has increased by a quarter in the past decade. There are now more than 6,900 nonagenarians in Mallorca, with 2.54 women for every man in the age group

Angola train TEN brand new trains that have lain idle in Palma because of a lack of funding could be sold to Angola for €10 million.

Home plans PALMA City Council plans to house families that have had their homes repossessed. The council has 354 properties which it will rent out at low cost or free of charge.

Carer arrest A CARER who looked after an elderly patient in Valldemossa has been arrested for allegedly using the pensioner’s chequebook to write cheques for himself to the value of €12,000.

Food stolen TWO tons of food for the poor have been stolen from a warehouse in Palma. The staple goods including milk, pasta, rice and tinned food, had been donated by the EU.

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ONE of the best-known ASIO NAL TOP ICS cartoonists in Britain has joined EEK LY ROU ND - UP OF REG ULA R AND OCC the editorial ranks of Euro XPAT EXTRA Weekly News. d driven to drink! Fantasising, an Peter Maddocks, who worked As I see it... as a London freelance in Fleet Street for about 40 years up MADDOCKS' VIEW ON LIFE until the early 1990s, will COMMENT Cataluña through his famed style provide huns UDI a weekly lighter look at life, often focusing on local and UK life. An expatriate in Spain for the last 12 years, he is keen to keep Foul es police his cartoons ‘upbeat and funny, Alligator guard surpris ... J rather than tackle the serious subjects’. “There’s enough depression about, so let’s all have a smile,” says Peter, who lives in Alhaurin INSIDE: Today’s EWN Maddocks’ El Grande, near Malaga, on the cartoon on Page 21. Costa del Sol. Before retiring to Spain, Peter’s work regularly appeared in various publications, including and London Evening News, as the now defunct Daily Sketch well as The Express, the Sunday Costa Blanca North

ecember 2012

weeklyn ews.com

R, they just aren´ t Blind dates two and ave been utter and e disasters. rst guy was wearing emble I could only was bought from the hinese shop, and only to after I was unable before being seen. I spent the entire

LETTERS LEAPY HEALTH & BEAUTY

Mr Perfect-D ate as a much from seemed to be used m from last week. give distractio n mechanis I’m going to call and dull In his mind-num bingly him another chance. a was personality. it on comparis a in working after all. I’m sorry, but g wonderfu l evening chicken farm separatin it. I was too quick to judge. I was going to need females is just was males from The sparks will develop The second date it. was not going to cut your over time. arranged swiftly and exiting Nor does living with was I as And cats. equally as painful. my meal-forwas mother. And six too Hipercor with The dress sense – the Maybe I was asking but one and bottle of gin eccentric but bearable, last one was finished after Mr Chicken-Farmer into – I bumped, literally, a drop-dea d gorgeous

Ana Jefferson-Smith takes an singleton expat in Spain

g evening quietly fantasisin tonic about the ice cold fridge bubbling away in my it would and how fantastic Gordon’s taste coupled with finest.

PETS FOOD TV TIME OUT HOMES & GARDENS

irreverent look at life as a

badly affected by heavy flooding Many parts of England have been

following stormy weather throughout

usually impassive ano Rajoy looked joyful Cataluña decided not to overwhelmingly for pendence in the regional tions. The message was ertheless received with assivity by regional is sident Artur Mas, who for pushing his ependence although He, U party lost 20 seats. ore than anyone, should e that a strong national ly entity is an insufficient a rong foundation for heralding ferendum hodesia-style UDI.

T is untrue that no-one a wants to invest in Spain, Last nancial expert argued . Spain year, as wounded mped further into recession, more ts companies received nvestment from sovereign EU funds than any other Put country except the UK. looks that way, the picture less depressing. Norway’s Fund, Government Pension Global and Qatar Holdings good are reluctant to throw faith money after bad. Their is country the in commendable.

a DETECTIVES called to Washington, US, home discovered 15 marijuana by plants being guarded used banned or artificial alligators. They were substances. Moustafa called to the house after arm Ismail's reports of a shooting. circumference measures *** 79cm (31in), or as much A BODYBUILDER from as the waist of a lean record the set has Egypt man. for the world's biggest *** arms, but has denied

UST FANCY THAT

A CHICAGO woman has racked up 678 parking tickets with fines totaling more than $105,000 (€81,445) on a car she does not even own. Fitzgerald's Jennifer former boyfriend bought

the UK.

man. Reminisce nt of a scene my from the movies, was Louis Vuitton classic my knocked out of hands, though thankfully , the gin was unharmed dispersing the contents the througho ut supermar ket. After turning the colour ve-thenever-lea of my Chanel house-wi thout Rouge Allure lipstick, also which subseque ntly the scattered across n floor, the gentlema my collect kindly helped of things, and right out to the blue asked exchange numbers! that does When happen in real life? Apparent ly he had of seen me stumbling out at Puerto Banus bars few some ungodly hour a times. that’s Apparent ly

the used car and registered it in her name , without her knowledge she claims. *** A SOUTH AFRICAN Air Force pilot has been suspended from flying a after he borrowed in plane to visit a friend neighbouring Botswana.

sexy?! I shall live up to the wait ‘girly’ standard and the for him to call, all my checking while five every iPhone it minutes making sure and works still will wonderin g when he call. What will next week bring? to I for one cannot wait find out.

Express, The Mirror, The Star, The Sun, the Mail on Sunday, The Telegraph, the Evening Standard, and in Private Eye. Peter - a true professional who takes being funny very seriously indeed - has also created and produced three animated children’s series for the BBC during his extensive and varied career, and since moving to Spain has written and illustrated numerous children’s books including Family Ness, Jimbo and the Jet Set, and Penny Crayon, which are now sold worldwide.

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Firemen fined for jeering TWO firemen who jeered Balearic President José Ramón Bauzà during his visit to the town for the Dijous Bo fiesta are to be fined by the central government’s delegation to the islands.

Penny dropped A PHONE booth mechanic has been arrested on suspicion of manipulating a booth in Artà so that he could siphon off up to €900 for himself. The phone company became suspicious and used marked coins to catch him out.

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Dole queue gets longer in highest increase yet MORE than 9,000 people joined the dole queue in the Balearics last month, an increase of 10.6 per cent. The figures released by the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security show that there are 96,337 unemployed in the Balearics, which is 1 per cent

lower than in November of last year. However, jobless figures in Spain show dramatic divergences depending on which public body publishes them. For example, the figures for October from the ministry showed 87,151 jobless in the islands but the national

statistics institute said that there were 122,600 signing on. The 10.6 per cent monthly increase is the highest of any Spanish region. The second region, La Rioja, had a rise of just 4 per cent. Only one region saw unemployment fall, Valencia, by half a per cent.

Knock down WORKERS have begun demolishing 209 of the 535 rooms at the Robinson Club hotel in Cala Ferrera declared illegal three years ago. They exceeded the planning permission granted.

SEXY SECRET: Difficult economic times are putting a dampener on sex lives, despite clear signs of togetherness.

Hard times sadly proving a turn-off to sex lives

T’S OFFICIAL! The sex lives of many Spanish are suffering. And the nation’s financial situation is to blame, with ongoing problems proving a turn-off to sex, according to the Pfizer 2012 European Survey of Sexual Satisfaction. Thirty-four per cent of Spaniards claim that facing up to possible unemployment, lack of income or fear of being fired, seriously affects their libido and puts their sex lives under threat. But even so the average Spaniard has sex twice a week, lasting for 20 minutes per sexual encounter, which is a little longer than the European average. Only the Italians claim that their love-making

Quote of the week

‘

Wine prize A MALLORCAN wine has been awarded a gold medal at the 12th MundusVini Grand Prix in Germany. The Es Pujol de María red was singled out from 6,019 wines tried by judges from 44 countries.

Green light

Worker jailed

UNICEF claims one in three Balearic children is undernourished. The UN children’s fund report said the high proportion, which was slightly above the national average, was linked to poverty.

Nwatch ews

A MAN who built an 18sqm sandcastle on Albertcutx beach in Pollença has been fined €2,163.64 for building it without a permit.

THE Serra de Tramuntana ranks as Spain’s second most dangerous mountain range, with more than 100 accidents so far this year. Only the Pyrenees, with 258, have caused more injuries. Overall, the mountains have claimed 67 lives since January.

More food

Mallorca

Fine sands

Mountain danger

A CAFÉ worker at Palma airport has been jailed for nine months for sabotaging security cameras overlooking the till. He even cut the wires of a camera that had been trained on the security camera in a bid to discover the saboteur.

‘THE PSOE Socialist Party has lost the confidence of the majority of Spain. It must seek it and look at society with a spirit of consensus.’ Former Prime Minister and PSOE President Felipe Gonzalez, during the 30th anniversary of the first Socialist Party government in Spain.

sessions last longer. Back in 2010 when the economic concerns of today were still not fully apparent, the average Spaniard claimed to spend two hours per week having sex. Now the average is down to just 34 minutes. But sex remains an important part of life to Spaniards, helping improve their general outlook, especially in times of stress. The Pfizer survey also reveals that 96 per cent of Spaniards consider good sexual relationships to be important and 82 per cent would like to improve their sex lives. However, survey figures also spell out that in general more men say they are sexually satisfied than women!

Number of the week

fewer than 2010 is €6,300 million the budget allocated for

Education by the state government and the regional governments in 2013. The Ministry of Education alone will cut spending by 37 per cent. The 2010 budget was the highest ever recorded.

CALVIÀ Council will rezone 17.7 hectares of land at Santa Ponsa. The plot, which mostly belongs to Habitat Gold Santa Ponça with a smaller proportion owned by the council, will now be open to private development.

Trial starts THREE Georgians have gone on trial accused of a 15-day burglary spree in Palma, Manacor and Inca during which they allegedly broke into 13 homes and stole goods estimated at €83,000.

Photo arrest POLICE in Menorca have arrested a 59year-old man for allegedly taking photos of naked teenage girls, some as young as 14, that he would ply with drink.

and finally... FIFTY volunteers have removed 13,500 cigarette ends from the Malvarrosa and Cabanyal beaches in Valencia City. Beach-cleaning machinery can easily fail to pick up filter tips, which take up to 20 years to biodegrade.

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Fewer flights Open doors at Bronze Age home in Calvia HOTELIERS have warned that the massive reduction in winter flights from large cities on the mainland will have knock-on effects for the local economy. Mallorca has already suffered in the past few winters by the lack of flights from many important continental cities. Now, the tendency is spreading to Spain, with Ryanair scrapping its Madrid and Barcelona routes. Across all airlines, the frequency of flights on the Madrid route is down by 37 per cent, while on the Barcelona route it has fallen by a fifth. More dramatic are the numbers of flights from Seville and Alicante, which are both down by half. Inmaculada de Benito of the Mallorcan Hoteliers’ Federation said just 14 per cent of the island’s hotels were open this month, and they were operating on a “moderate occupancy”.

HOME VISIT: Bronze Age site open to visitors.

THE oldest home in Calvia has opened to the public following a meticulous restoration. Located at the site of the old casino between Magaluf and Sol de Mallorca, archaeologists estimate the Bronze Age structure to be about 3,800 years old. It is thought it was home to a sizable family.

Jobless refused their medication UNEMPLOYED immigrants with transplanted kidneys have been refused medication by the Balearic health service. Three cases have been brought to light by Médicos del Mundo, with claims

there have been more than 90 similar incidents in the Balearics since the central government reformed healthcare entitlements. The restrictions are being most strictly applied in the Balearics and Madrid, the charity said. One immigrant, a Chilean, was working at the time of the kidney transplant but has since lost his job and his social security entitlements have expired.

When he went to an IBSalut health centre for his prescriptions, he found he was no longer eligible for the medications he requires so the new organ adapts to his body. These medicines cost up to €500 per month, well beyond the patient’s means. In another case, the family of an immigrant patient who died was sent bills for €20,000 to cover the costs of his treatment.

BRITISH

PRESS

Stories making headlines from the United Kingdom

Old bill called AN ESCAPED emu has been captured by police after running through a town and attempting to enter people’s homes. Two officers found the fourfoot-tall bird after they were called by residents in North Devon.

Boyle awarded FILM director Danny Boyle has won an Evening Standard Theatre Award for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.

Secret pigeon A SECRET Second World War message attached to the leg of a dead pigeon has left code-breakers flummoxed. Experts from UK intelligence agency GCHQ were alerted to the message found on a pigeon’s skeleton in the chimney of a Surrey home.

Bizarre name NEW parents, the Jamesons have named their child Hashtag, in homage to social media site Twitter. The pair announced the arrival of their baby daughter on Facebook.

Well hidden

LIGHTS ACTION: Brigitte Yague with Mayor Mateo Isern.

Olympic medallist lights up Palma OLYMPIC silver medallist Brigitte Yague was the toast of Mallorca yet again when she lit up Palma’s Christmas lights. The 31-year-old taekwondo star was accompanied by Mayor

Mateo Isern as she pressed the switch from a balcony overlooking the Passeig del Born. Yagüe was the only Mallorcan to win an individual medal at the London Olympics.

SERIAL burglar Aaron Bradford was jailed for five years after he was interrupted by his victim mid-raid and hid in her wardrobe for 13 hours before fleeing. He went unnoticed as police searched the house in Devon three times.

Tired babies SCIENTISTS say they have conclusive proof that unborn babies yawn repeatedly in the womb. The study was led by the University of Durham.

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GERMAN

PRESS

Stories making headlines from Germany

Airport hub costly

FAREWELL: Mountie shakes hands with Paul Abrey.

Consul says goodbye THEY say that the Mounties always get their man, and there were two on hand at Paul Abrey’s farewell lunch to make sure he didn’t have second thoughts about leaving Mallorca. The expatriate community – including two in Canadian Mounted Police costumes – said goodbye to the now former British Consul to the Balearics

during an emotional and nostalgic afternoon at Mood Beach on Saturday. Speeches by Calvià Councillor Angie Guerrero and journalist Frank Leavers left Paul and his Mallorcan wife, Mar, in no doubt that they will be greatly missed. Paul told EWN that what he will most miss about the island is the community spirit.

Local weather for next 7 days MALLORCA TODAY AND TOMORROW ALCUDIA POLLENÇA INCA

CALA MILLOR

CALVIA PALMA

CALA d’OR

ANDRATX

LLUCMAJOR MAGALLUF ALCUDIA POLLENÇA INCA

CALA MILLOR

CALVIA PALMA

CALA d’OR

ANDRATX MAGALLUF

S Sun,

LLUCMAJOR

Cl Clear,

Sh Showers,

Alicante TODAY: CLOUD, Fri - 18 9 Cl Sat - 17 6 S Sun - 16 4 S

Madrid

MAX 17C, MIN 11C Mon - 16 12 C Tues - 16 11 C Wed - 15 11 S

TODAY: CLOUD, Fri - 16 10 Sh Sat - 18 11 S Sun - 15 9 C

MAX 13C, MIN 7C Mon - 14 6 Cl Tues - 14 6 Cl Wed - 13 8 S

TODAY: CLEAR, Fri - 16 8 Cl Sat - 14 7 S Sun -14 7 S

MAX 17C, MIN 7C Mon - 17 6 Cl Tues - 17 6 C Wed - 17 7 S

TODAY: CLEAR, Fri - 17 7 Cl Sat - 17 4 S Sun - 15 3 S

MAX 9C, MIN 1C Mon - 9 -1 C Tues - 9 -1 C Wed - 8 2 S

Malaga MAX 16C, MIN 8C Mon - 14 8 C Tues - 14 8 C Wed - 14 9 Cl

Mallorca MAX 14C, MIN 8C Mon - 16 8 Cl Tues - 15 7 Cl Wed - 17 7 Cl

Murcia

Benidorm TODAY: CLOUD, Fri - 19 9 Cl Sat - 18 6 S Sun - 17 6 S

Th Thunder

TODAY: CLEAR Fri - 13 3 Sh Sat - 11 0 S Sun - 10 -1 Cl

Barcelona TODAY: CLEAR Fri - 16 7 Cl Sat - 13 6 S Sun - 13 6 Cl

Sn Snow,

C Cloud,

MAX 17C, MIN 7C Mon - 16 4 C Tues - 16 6 C Wed - 16 7 Cl

Almeria TODAY: CLOUD Fri - 17 12 Sh Sat - 18 12 Cl Sun - 16 12 C

Fog,

MAX 16C, MIN 4C Mon - 16 3 C Tues - 16 4 C Wed - 16 6 S

BERLIN’S new airport, which is due to open in October 2013 according to the federal government, will end up costing an extra €250 million, the Bild said.

Cop tattoos TRAINEE police officers in the North Rhine-Westphalia region are allowed to wear tattoos if they are covered by long sleeves, a local court ruled.

Talk local A TURKISH woman, 61, speaking no German after living 30 years in Karlsruhe was ordered by a local court to take language courses, which she appealed.

Train tipple ALMOST 80 per cent of those surveyed nationwide by Die Zeit newspaper stated they would like drinking alcohol to be allowed on trains.

Boys panic TWO boys aged 13 and 14 who snuck out of their house in Bergkamen panicked when they saw a police car, ran away and jumped head first through a shop window.

Tunnel task THE Bavarian government will invest part of the €2bn needed for the new commuter train tunnel underneath the centre of Munich.

Slow death A 55-YEAR-OLD man who shot a Dachau public prosecutor to death was sentenced to prison for life, despite dying of diabetes as he refused the treatment.

6 - 12 December 2012

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Criminal gangs control muggers POLICE in Playa de Palma believe that muggers posing as prostitutes in the resort are being controlled by criminal gangs. Local authorities have been investigating why over the past few years prostitutes have taken to mugging clients, and in some cases just random passers-by. The police suspect that they are possibly being coerced into doing so by criminal gangs based in Palma, while social workers have theorised that the women are also suffering the effects of the recession and are looking to maximise their income. During the summer, 49 prostitutes were arrested in Playa de Palma for ‘thefts involving force.’ The police are convinced the real figure is much higher, but that many victims feel ashamed and don’t report the crimes. The local police registered 30 prostitutes in the resort during the summer, mainly from Nigeria but also a few from Bulgaria and Romania. The Nigerians are allegedly responsible for the overwhelming majority of the muggings. Over the past few years, local businesses in Playa de Palma have complained to the council about the problem. Mayor Mateo Isern has taken a pro-active role and visited the resort with his police chief a number of times. The problem is also prevalent in other municipalities but businesses there lament that their councils and police aren’t doing more.

Mallorca

Making sweet music THE Music Makers have added a venue to their Concert of Christmas Carols and Songs. They will perform tomorrow (Thursday) at the Casa de Cultura in Alcudia and on Saturday at The Vecinos Rooms in Puerto Pollensa, both at 7.30pm. All proceeds will go to charity. FESTIVE SPIRIT: Music Makers in rehearsal.

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Royal surprise for Harry’s PORTALS NOUS had an unexpected royal visit when Her Royal Highness Princess Birgitta of Sweden visited Harry’s Bar to attend the launch of an exhibition. The bar is showcasing 52 photos taken at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival over the past four years by Swedish photographer and local resident Wictor Forss. Princess Birgitta is no stranger to Mallorca; her son Prince Hubertus married Uta Köning in Palma 12 years ago. More than 50 people went to the opening. The walls of the bar/restaurant and the Pavarotti Room provided the backdrop for the photographs. The exhibition will run throughout December and can be viewed during restaurant hours: Tuesday-Sunday: 1pm until late. All the photographs are available to purchase.

ROYAL VISIT: Princess Birgitta popped into Harry’s Bar.

WOMEN ON THE FRINGE by Wictor Forss.

End credits roll for film commision THE island’s cultural community is mourning the end of the Mallorca Film Commission, the latest victim of cutbacks in public spending. The blow followed the closure of the Mallorca Tourism Foundation, which oversaw it. The two bodies worked hand in hand promoting the island as a filming location. They both received their main funding from the Council of Mallorca. The commission had some success in attracting Hollywood to the island, with Cloud Atlas, starring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry, partly shot here, as well as the Pierce Brosnan movie A Long Way Down, which was filmed here in October. A body called Mallorca Plató will now cover the functions previously carried out by the two defunct organisations. But the local film industry claims it will not be as successful or useful as the Mallorca Film Commission was. In a joint manifesto, the Association of Producers (APAIB) the Cinema Associations (ACIB) and the Audiovisual Cluster (CLAB) said the ‘calamitous decision was a lethal blow to the only platform supporting the local film industry’. Both scrapped bodies still have a large number of outstanding debts and who pays those remains unclear.

NEWS EXTRA

Wrong way A MAN arrested after a high-speed car chase through central Palma claims he lost the plot because he forgot to take medication for his bipolar disorder. He allegedly drove on the wrong side of the road for much of the chase. A breath test showed no traces of alcohol.

Rape acquittal A ROMANIAN beggar has been acquitted of twice raping a tourist with mental disabilities. They met outside a supermarket where he was begging and they went back to his squat. The man claimed he hadn’t noticed her condition and that she had consented.

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Briton glassed in bar attack A MAN has been arrested for allegedly smashing a glass jug in the face of a fellow Briton in a bar. The attack was witnessed by an off-duty police officer, who intervened to protect the 38-year-old victim, who ended up needing 30 stitches to facial wounds.

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It appears the attack arose after the victim reproached a group for skipping the queue at a late night bar on Palma’s Paseo Martitimo. Initially, the matter was resolved in a jovial manner, with the men toasting together before going their separate ways. But one of the group, a 26year-old man, decided the matter wasn’t over and returned to the victim. He allegedly grabbed a glass jug and smashed it in the face of the older man. He then slashed his victim in the face with a shard of glass, it is claimed. The off-duty policeman rang for help, and when the police arrived, they found that the aggressor was still drinking in the bar. A man was arrested and released on bail of €6,000. CHARITY MATCH: The cheque is handed over. He claimed to have been so drunk he could remember nothing. The victim, who lives on a boat moored in Palma marina, was treated at Son Espases hospital, A FOOTBALL match has raised €1,500 for a where doctors were children’s cancer charity. The match, which was confident he would not be organised by volunteers Gilly, Kelly, Malek and badly scarred. Sofia with the help of staff at Harry’s Bar, was played at the Santa Ponsa football pitch. The Cala Nova Cancer Shop chose the Asbanob children’s cancer charity as the beneficiary. The shop is a collection point this Christmas for nonperishable goods for Age Concern.

Cancer children’s football cheer

No flag waving

THE Balearic government may be facing a winter of discontent as it deals with general strikes, 20 per cent unemployment and the trauma of its €355 million bail-out request. But it still has time to come up with quirky pieces of legislation. One such is a proposed new law concerning the islands’ flag. Like most areas where Catalan is spoken, the flag is based on the arms of the medieval kingdom of Aragon: four scarlet and five golden stripes, with a purple ensign and a castle. Under the PP government’s plans, it will be punishable by fines of up to €12,000 to use the flag on public buildings unless authorised by a minister.

Mallorca

SCANDINAVIAN PRESS Stories making headlines in Denmark, Norway and Sweden

Holocaust apology NORWAY – The National Police publicly apologised 70 years later for their role in deporting 100s of Jews to Donau concentration camp during World War II.

Xmas fall SWEDEN – A man aged 69 died in Pitea after he fell from the basket of a loader alongside a tree he was cutting for Christmas.

Pot raids DENMARK – More than 354 kgms of marijuana have been seized by a special police unit at Copenhagen’s Christiania area, since September.

Ship home NORWAY – The ship used by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen will be rescued by experts from the Canadian Arctic and brought to Norway for a new museum.

Law ruling SWEDEN – A man accused of raping a woman in Karlstad a year and a half ago was acquitted after the court ruled she did not resist the attack enough.

Struck dead DENMARK – An unidentified man was found dead near Nordhavn Station in Copenhagen. Police are investigating whether he was struck by a train.

Over board SWEDEN – A 22-yearold woman who went missing during an Aland to Stockholm ferry trip is believed by the Police to have fallen overboard.

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Stat of week

RYANAIR will cut flights from Spain by 12 per cent next summer due to increasing air taxes, leading to a €25 million revenue drop for Spanish airport authority AENA.

Finance,

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A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 8 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION

Banks and toll roads fight on DESPITE huge losses, many banks and toll roads in Spain continue in business. They stand apart from the majority of heavily losing businesses that have no option but to cease trading. However, even though some banks and

toll roads are millions of euros in debt, the government continues to find solutions that prevent them from having to close. In the case of banks, the decision is made by the EU and by the countries which have lent Spain billions of euros and want to recover their money. Although the Spanish Government may not always agree with this, it has created the so-called ‘bad bank’ which plans to take responsibility for VISITORS to Spain spent €49.866 billion this year up the mistakes made by banks until the end of October, an increase of 6.4 per cent on now in trouble. the same period last year. The British were the biggest Meanwhile, there are at spenders outlaying €10.2 billion. least 10 toll roads in Spain that have never had the expected traffic flow and constantly lose money. They now owe more than SPAIN is to overhaul its banking sector after €3 billion. European Union regulators approved Some were opened in areas restructuring plans. Bankia has said 6,000 jobs where building was planned will go and it will make a loss of €19 billion. while the real estate boom lasted, but with property development almost halted, now run parallel to free roads which do not get heavy traffic. THERE is little hope of a quick economic recovery for However, due to a clause Spain, which has faced a shrinking economy for 15 that if companies running months, says a report by think-tank the OECD, which them went bankrupt, it was up expects the recession to last until the end of 2013. to the Spanish State, or taxpayer, to maintain them, the government continues to subsidise them and provide IBERCAJA and CAJA3 savings banks have started low interest loans so they can merger talks that could create a bank with a book of remain open. €1.04 billion worth of business.

PAY UP: But many toll roads constantly lose money.

Spanish Business News

British top spenders

Fear for 6,000 jobs

Gloom set to remain

Merger on the cards

Curtain rises on biggest film flop ‘O APOSTOLO’ (The Apostle) is this year’s biggest box office disaster in Spain. The animation film shot in Galicia cost €5.2 million to make and has taken just over €37,000 at the box office since its October 31 premiere. Despite receiving awards at international festivals, the public debut of the film was a flop, although according to

Fernando Cortizoto, the director, this is because only 25 Spanish cinemas have screened it. The team who put together ‘O Apostolo’ has launched an online petition to demand more support from Spanish cinemas, as they claim the distributor, Aquelarre, signed a contract to show the film in at least 80 cinemas.

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Flying in the face of European laws

Having read your article in the EWN (Issue 1427), I was alarmed to note your response which suggested that expatriates holding Certificate of Registration as EU citizens are required to renew them after five years. As my certificate will soon be five years old, I thought it wise to seek advice. I was told that, yes, the rules have changed for new applicants, who must now demonstrate that they have financial means and health insurance, but there is You and the no requirement for present holders of the EU Certificates Law in Spain By David Searl to renew them after five years. I think we need some further clarification. MR, Costa del Sol Let’s try to keep it simple. 1. The Spanish authorities now require the renewal of the EU Certificate of Registration after five years. 2. On application for this renewal they will require evidence of financial means and health insurance. 3. When renewing the certificate after five years, an application can be made for a ‘permanent’ certificate. Many EU citizens in all parts of Spain have already been through this procedure, in place since July. The Spanish National Police website clearly states the EU Certificate of Registration lapses after five years. This contradicts the EU legislation and the certificate contains no expiry date. Nevertheless, residents are required to comply with the laws of the country they live in. UK pensioners can present their pension document or evidence of payments, and they are already entitled to Spanish Social Security healthcare. Some people will need private medical insurance. Then they will have a ‘permanent’ certificate, which I suppose will have to be renewed in another five years.

David will respond to queries but reserves the right to select letters which will be of interest to the greatest number of readers. You can also consult David through lawyers Ubeda-Retana and Associates in Fuengirola. ask@lawtaxspain.com or call 952 667 090.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

6 - 12 December 2012 Mallorca

Rolls-Royce out to break records ROLLS-ROYCE is aiming to sell more cars in Thailand, Vietnam, China and Chile. The Goodwood, England, based manufacturer is increasing its network of dealers by 14 per cent in a bid to break last year’s record of 3,538 cars sold.

£££ BANK OF ENGLAND King has demanded raise another £35 billion) in capital. He

boss Mervyn British banks billion (€43 claims banks’

ritish usiness riefs

figures are ‘dishonest’ because Britain’s accounting rules are faulty.

£££ ELECTRICAL retail store Dixons is hoping for a boost from the demise

of rivals Comet. The group’s chief executive Sebastian James said it would be ‘helpful from a market share perspective’.

£££ A LACK of investment and riskaverse founders are preventing London from competing with the world’s leading technology cities, Telefonica Digital research found. London firms raise 81 per cent less venture capital than USA firms.

Global-warming propaganda such a waste of our money THE longer I live (and I’ve been on this planet for some years now) the more disillusioned I become by the antics of those occupying high office, be it in politics or big business. I’m spending a few weeks in the UK, but the goings-on here are much like those you will find anywhere in the world. Westminster governments, Conservative and Labour, since the mid-90s, have wasted countless billions of pounds on globalwarming propaganda, almost ordering us to take this or that precaution, to install this or that energysaving insulation or device, generally at our own expense They have paid little regard to the fact that climate change has always occurred, cyclically, over the aeons, and no doubt always will, until the Earth becomes like Mars and humanity dies out or moves to another planet, orbiting another sun. How much better it would have been if the governments had faced up to the inevitable and spent that money - our money, after all - on facing the truth that weather patterns are changing, and that, as

Jim Collins Costa Blanca

SMALL ISLANDS: Britain could become a series of archipelagos. predicted back in the 70s by a world-famous climatologist, 2050 will see the British Isles becoming an archipelago of small and medium-sized islands in a shallow sea. One only has to consider the flooding, once a fairly rare phenomenon that appears now to be an almost everyday occurrence. Flood control measures have been - belatedly put in place in some areas, but being hastily designed to cover past events, have not been

terribly successful in managing the inundations of these past weeks, and indeed, months. Why, one might ask, were these steps not taken earlier? The answer that springs to mind is that politicians cannot bring themselves to consider that some events might be outside their control, no matter how many new laws and regulations they cobble together. Nothing to do with the above, but it was reported on TV that during the

second day of unsuccessful EU budget negotiations Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, offered €2.5 billion to Spain’s representatives as a ‘sop’ if they would agree the proposals, a saving I suppose on the €20 billion that Spain might otherwise have lost over the years until the next budget. But from where could Van Rompuy have suddenly produced this money? After all, the EU doesn’t have a manufacturing base, doesn’t produce anything saleable, doesn’t export goods and services and yet can offer Spain this ‘bribe’. If the EU doesn’t work on a financial surplus, it follows that any money offered like this must come from other sources, the British and German taxpayers, I suppose. Spanish Foreign Ministry representatives went to Mali, perhaps the poorest country in Africa, to meet members of that nation’s government who were all well-dressed and well-fed. Years ago places like Mali were infested by bandits who impoverished the people to enrich their bandit chiefs. Not much has changed, it would seem.

6 - 12 December 2012

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com No sooner was the US Presidential election done and dusted than attention turned to the looming “fiscal cliff ”. Over in the US it is big news, with the financial markets and commentators following the story closely. It is also causing concern here in Europe, since damage to the US economy could have worldwide implications. Stockmarkets do not like uncertainty, so there may be some volatility as the political debates progress. Having said that, markets have known about this 31st December deadline for two years but now it is just a month away. What is the fiscal cliff? The term was coined by Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) Chairman Ben Bernanke to describe the coincidental impacts of: 1. The scheduled increase in tax rates, partly related to the expiration of the Bush-era tax rates; 2. Spending cuts tied to the automatic $1.2 trillion in cuts over 10 years. The 2013 cuts will amount to around £100bn, with the main areas targeted being defence, medicare and unemployment benefits. At the same time there will be £380 billion of tax rises; £110 billion of which from the sunset of the Bush era rates.

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All Eyes On The US Fiscal Cliff plan by November 2011 to find $900 billion in federal spending cuts over 10 years. If it failed to reach an agreement, drastic cuts of $1.2 trillion would be implemented over 10 years. The result? It failed. by Bill Blevins, Financia l Correspondent, Blevins Franks

Taxes In the early 2000s President Bush introduced tax cuts, including lowering the marginal tax rates for individuals, particularly higher earners. He intended this to be a permanent reform, but had to compromise and make them temporary. They should have expired in 2010, but President Obama and Congress extended them for two years because the economy was too weak to handle tax rises. Spending One of the resolutions of August 2011’s tense debt ceiling negotiations called for the creation of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, with equal representation from both Democrat and Republican parties. It was charged with forming a

Can this be resolved? Most analysts believe that these issues will be addressed, though it will probably be tough going along the way. With the unemployment rate near 8% and the US economy growing at around 2%, it is hard to imagine that elected officials from either side will allow these issues to move completely over the fiscal cliff. The Republicans and Democrats have promised to work together to reach an agreement. Congressional leaders of both parties have already had a meeting with President Obama. President Obama was clear during his election campaign that he wants to raise tax rates on individuals earning over $250,000, while letting the lower rates remain at 2012 levels. The Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Speaker Boehner, has since stated publicly that he will consider increased revenues if it is part of lowering marginal rates and broadening the base.

President Obama and Speaker Boehner reportedly came very close to a ‘grand bargain’ in summer 2010 on these same topics, so there is some type of blueprint to work from. However the last meaningful tax reform in the US was back in 1986, and that took almost a year to work out. It is hard to imagine that the US will introduce any meaningful tax reform between now and 2013, but it may take steps forward. There could be agreement to move the marginal rates now and look at tax reform next year. Changes to the tax rates could happen early 2013, and not necessarily by end 2012. There is no denying the spending cuts are tough. Again there have been previous discussions that could aid today’s negotiations. It is likely that in the end there will be less than $100 billion of cuts in 2013 - but still significant cuts - and both sides could agree on reforms for the coming years. What next? An agreement that changes the trajectory of the growth in the US national deficit, and shows real commitment to addressing fiscal imbalances, could be very empowering for the US and global economies.

With politicians from both parties needing to avoid the fiscal cliff, we expect some sort of agreement to be formed. However we can also expect negotiations to be fraught, as they were in summer 2011. From an investment point of view, the December negotiations may lead to stockmarket volatility, as happened with the debt ceiling debate last year. Short-term declines should not however detract from the long-term potential of stockmarket investing. For advice on investing in the current climate speak to a wealth management advisory firm like Blevins Franks. Blevins Franks specialises in providing personalised wealth management advice to British expatriates living here in Spain. The tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual should take personalised advice. To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on our website www.blevinsfranks.com

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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6 - 12 December 2012 Mallorca

LONDON - FTSE 100 PRICE(P) 337.85 1127.00 2240.00 1062.00 1741.75 1300.00 779.50 1483.00 2970.00 350.35 1000.50 329.95 246.78 1077.25 1977.75 431.93 3272.25 534.75

C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. -0.30 -0.09 8.00 0.71 7.00 0.31 18.00 1.72 9.00 0.52 11.00 0.85 5.00 0.65 5.00 0.34 4.00 0.13 -0.10 -0.03 0.00 0.00 2.50 0.76 0.80 0.33 7.34 0.69 16.00 0.82 0.30 0.07 -2.00 -0.06 0.00 0.00

NET VOLUME 1,357.18 26.59 15.09 93.72 341.10 52.31 435.57 23.77 119.70 797.76 .00 284.36 1,918.65 609.69 316.31 2,480.26 192.41 .00

CU RR EN CI ES

C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 3

C O M PA N Y Aberdeen Asset M PLC Admiral Group PLC Aggreko PLC AMEC PLC Anglo American PLC Antofagasta PLC ARM Holdings PLC Associated Brit Fds PLC AstraZeneca PLC Aviva PLC Babcock Intnl Group BAE Systems PLC Barclays PLC BG Group PLC BHP Billiton PLC BP PLC British Am Tobacco PLC British Land Co PLC

0.81245

Units per €

United States $......................................................1.30292 Japan Yen ¥ ...........................................................107.208 Switzerland Francs................................................1.20586 Denmark Kroner ....................................................7.46014 Norway Kroner.......................................................7.38417

C O M PA N Y

PRICE(P)

British Sky Broadcstng BT Group PLC Bunzl PLC Burberry Group PLC Capita PLC Capital Shopping Cntrs Carnival PLC Centrica PLC Compass Group PLC CRH PLC

766.00 232.65 1043.00 1282.50 765.25 346.30 2527.50 328.35 725.50 1136.50

C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G.

DOW JONES

NASDAQ

C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 3

C O M PA N Y

PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME

MMM 3M Co 90.95 AA Alcoa Inc 8.41 AXP American Express Co 55.90 T AT&T Inc 34.13 BAC Bank of America Corp 9.86 BA Boeing Co 74.28 CAT Caterpillar Inc 85.24 CVX Chevron Corp 105.69 CSCO Cisco Systems Inc 18.91 DD E. I. du Pont de Nemours and C... 43.14 XOM Exxon Mobil Corp 88.14 GE General Electric Co 21.13 HPQ Hewlett-Packard Co 12.99 HD Home Depot Inc 65.07 INTC Intel Corp 19.57 IBM International Business Machine... 190.07 JNJ Johnson & Johnson 69.73 JPM JPMorgan Chase and Co 41.08 MCD McDonald's Corp 87.04 MRK Merck & Co Inc 44.30 MSFT Microsoft Corp 26.62

+0.30 +0.01 -0.02 +0.20 +0.03 +0.16 -1.01 -0.10 -0.10 -0.40 +0.02 0.00 +0.10 +0.83 +0.035 -1.46 +0.51 -0.14 +0.55 -0.41 -0.335

+0.33% +0.12% -0.04% +0.59% +0.31% +0.22% -1.17% -0.09% -0.53% -0.92% +0.02% 0.00% +0.78% +1.29% +0.18% -0.76% +0.74% -0.34% +0.64% -0.92% -1.24%

2.3M 12.2M 5.7M 36.2M 108.7M 3.9M 5.7M 6.7M 45.2M 7.2M 15.5M 37.9M 23.6M 9.3M 51.4M 4.9M 13.5M 20.1M 7.4M 15.0M 83.7M

1.23083

C O M PA N Y

Most Advanced Mitel Networks Corporation Tellabs, Inc. Five Below, Inc. First United Corporation DragonWave Inc Forbes Energy Services Ltd Mannatech, Incorporated Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. Array BioPharma Inc.

6.65 -0.90 14.00 -4.00 2.70 0.70 3.00 2.50 4.00 -5.00

0.88 -0.39 1.36 -0.31 0.35 0.20 0.12 0.77 0.55 -0.44

NET VOLUME 224.98 1,485.10 25.29 115.58 45.74 40.61 11.24 684.54 310.06 123.80

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

$ 3.31 $ 3.56 $ 37.15 $ 7.87 $ 2.43 $ 2.32 $ 7.74 $ 6.23 $ 3.91

0.75 / +29.30% 0.61 / +20.68% 5.76 / +18.35% 1.07 / +15.74% 0.32 / +15.17% 0.225 / +10.74% 0.6749 / +9.55% 0.52 / +9.11% 0.32 / +8.91%

Most Declined NTELOS Holdings Corp. $ 12.90 Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $ 7.99 VeriSign, Inc. $ 34.15 Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. $ 11.12 Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. $ 2.41 Groupon, Inc. $ 4.145 Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $ 25.90 Star Bulk Carriers Corp. $ 6.83 Providence and Worcester Railroad Company $ 13.74

3.27 / -20.22% 1.84 / -18.72% 5.19 / -13.19% 1.30 / -10.47% 0.28 / -10.41% 0.395 / -8.70% 2.27 / -8.06% 0.59 / -7.95% 1.16 / -7.79%

C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) CHANGE Croda International PLC 2392.50 12.00 Diageo PLC 1867.50 11.00 Eurasian Nat Resources 272.05 2.00 EVRAZ PLC 232.25 -2.20 Experian PLC 1042.50 5.00 Fresnillo PLC 2005.00 19.00 G4S PLC 247.55 0.39 GKN PLC 220.85 -1.10 GlaxoSmithKline PLC 1337.75 3.50 Glencore Intnl PLC 346.47 0.85 Hammerson PLC 470.75 -0.10 Hargreaves Lansdown PLC 744.00 -13.50 HSBC Holdings PLC 636.75 -0.90 IMI PLC 1057.50 0.00 Imperial Tobacco Gr PLC 2494.00 -3.00 InterContinental Hotels 1672.00 3.00 International Conslidtd 169.10 0.60 Intertek Group PLC 3116.50 27.00 ITV PLC 99.55 0.65 Johnson Matthey PLC 2407.00 8.00 Kazakhmys PLC 723.25 9.00 Kingfisher PLC 277.70 -0.26 Land Securities Grp PLC 812.25 4.50 Legal & General Grp PLC 145.85 0.20 Lloyds Banking Grp PLC 46.51 0.01 Marks & Spencer Grp PLC 390.40 -0.10 Meggitt PLC 392.70 3.18 Melrose Industries PLC 215.40 2.30 National Grid PLC 701.25 -3.58 Next PLC 3663.50 3.00 Old Mutual PLC 171.80 0.50 Pearson PLC 1185.50 8.00 Pennon Group PLC 620.25 1.32 Petrofac Ltd 1639.00 12.00 Polymetal Intnl PLC 1073.00 11.00 Prudential PLC 905.50 0.95 Randgold Resources Ltd 6737.50 70.00 Reckitt Benckiser Gr PLC 3953.50 29.00 Reed Elsevier PLC 657.50 15.00 Resolution Ltd 238.30 0.00 REXAM PLC 439.50 1.80 Rio Tinto PLC 3131.50 38.50 Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC 899.75 8.65 Royal Bank of Scotland 295.80 0.60 Royal Dutch Shell PLC 2157.25 2.80 RSA Insurance Grp PLC 118.80 1.30 SABMiller PLC 2826.75 -0.50 Sage Group (The) PLC 313.85 2.20 Sainsbury (J) PLC 337.65 -3.70 Schroders PLC 1650.00 54.00 Serco Group PLC 549.50 2.50 Severn Trent PLC 1617.00 2.00 Shire PLC 1805.00 -1.00 Smith & Nephew PLC 659.75 2.00 Smiths Group PLC 1093.00 -2.00 SSE PLC 1431.00 5.00 Standard Chartered PLC 1471.00 15.50 Standard Life PLC 321.60 1.50 Tate & Lyle PLC 770.75 -2.00 Tesco PLC 325.30 0.15 Tullow Oil PLC 1392.00 15.00 Unilever PLC 2405.50 3.00 United Utilities Grp PLC 684.00 2.74 Vedanta Resources PLC 1086.50 15.00 Vodafone Group PLC 161.10 -0.06 Weir Group PLC 1881.00 -9.00 Whitbread PLC 2401.50 1.00 Wm Morrison Supkts PLC 267.95 -0.90 Wolseley PLC 2917.00 20.00 Wood Group (John) PLC 782.25 5.50 WPP PLC 857.75 2.00 Xstrata PLC 1036.00 1.60

% C H G. 0.50 0.59 0.74 -0.94 0.48 0.96 0.16 -0.50 0.26 0.25 -0.02 -1.78 -0.14 0.00 -0.12 0.18 0.36 0.87 0.66 0.33 1.26 -0.09 0.56 0.14 0.02 -0.03 0.82 1.08 -0.51 0.08 0.29 0.68 0.21 0.74 1.04 0.10 1.05 0.74 2.33 0.00 0.41 1.24 0.97 0.20 0.13 1.11 -0.02 0.71 -1.08 3.38 0.46 0.12 -0.06 0.30 -0.18 0.35 1.07 0.47 -0.26 0.05 1.09 0.12 0.40 1.40 -0.04 -0.48 0.04 -0.33 0.69 0.71 0.23 0.15

VOLUME 25.18 405.21 268.38 191.97 88.02 23.77 85.75 238.62 1,588.29 728.90 89.18 160.47 3,124.55 .00 141.18 33.54 188.15 15.64 1,245.76 23.42 128.09 737.53 88.81 724.88 10,839.93 301.76 22.97 393.13 527.96 19.15 337.88 84.63 70.16 35.3 22.90 335.57 20.60 60.65 918.62 .00 89.25 545.85 514.15 1,026.50 433.70 1,217.85 153.41 158.03 530.88 43.59 35.71 25.58 66.00 87.31 83.90 162.25 292.20 450.85 57.22 1,571.03 215.04 266.45 105.89 64.42 4,807.20 47.10 17.71 284.61 97.29 71.11 333.27 364.40

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

6 - 12 December 2012

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Own-brand labels could be shelved CHEAP, own-brand products could disappear from supermarket shelves. The Spanish Government is

considering new laws about how foods are produced and priced. Now consumers and distributors fear the laws would restrict how

cheaply own-brand products could be sold. The Ministry of Agriculture has put forward regulations which aim

to control the differences between brands used by distribution companies and the manufacturers’ products. The distributors can afford to put their prices down and tend to promote their own products more, meaning that many people become a world leader in opt for own brands. Just 10 years ago ownexploration and has made five of the most important brands only accounted for a hydrocarbon discoveries small part of the market, but now they are preferred in the world. In addition, the by most shoppers. Supermarkets have taken company has recently developed the largest advantage of the situation industrial project in Spain, by introducing more and which has placed its more of their own products. According to a report by downstream area at the forefront of European Commercial Risk Integral Management Agency, refining systems. In 2004, Repsol was Cesce, this year household awarded the ‘best purchase, which accounts engineering project of the for 60 per cent of national year’ for the technology spending, will fall by 0.72 developed for the per cent to around €83,161 Prestige oil recovery, also million. recognising its solidarity This is because the and altruism, despite not average family has less to having any relationship spend and prices have risen with the ship or its cargo. due to increased VAT.

Repsol chairman is named top boss REPSOL Chairman and CEO Antonio Brufau was named Chief Executive Officer of the Year at the Platts Global Energy Awards. This annual award, held in New York, recognises industry leadership, innovation and excellence in the energy industry. Antonio Brufau was honoured for his strategic vision and leadership in maintaining and promoting the company’s successful growth while managing the fallout from the confiscation of its Argentinian off-shoot in April 2012. Brufau was

WINNER’S PODIUM: Repsol Chairman Antonio Brufau (centre), Larry Neal, Platts Chairman (left) and David Ducharme, VP of Energy Services at Capgemini. selected from nearly 200 nominations by a committee of industry experts.

Platts highlighted the transformation registered in Repsol in recent years, during which it has

LOBAL IZ

Mouldy grapes THE French Champagne grape harvest is down 40 per cent after vineyards were struck by hailstorms, wet weather and fungus. But lovers of the bubbly drink need not worry as there is enough Champagne stockpiled to last three years.

Trade deal EUROPEAN UNION foreign ministers have agreed to open free trade negotiations with Japan ‘within the next few months’. EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht says an agreement would generate about 400,000 jobs in Europe and boost GDP by 0.8 per cent.

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6 - 12 December 2012 Mallorca

Keep that smile throughout the holidays with a savvy plan OK, so many may have a smile on their faces because it’s the start of the month and their salary has arrived. But those grins could quickly disappear once the A look realisation sets in at finance that it’s December for females and that means Christmas presents Jane Plunkett and a whole load jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews. of unexpected com expenses. So how to make December budgets stretch until the end of EXPENSIVE: Keep control of Christmas spending with a budget plan. the month? It’s all about savvy subtracting usual costs amount of money Gifts should never be planning. Spending like rent and bills they can allocated to each. And bought on credit. If blindly is a big no-no this work out what’s left to then the budget should people don’t have cash to month. People should sit play with over Christmas. be stuck to. There is no pay for something then down with a pen and A list of people who point getting carried away they should not buy it. No calculator and work out a need presents should be with generosity that true friend will want the bank manager breathing proper budget. After made and a certain cannot be afforded.

Loose change

down a pal’s neck to pay off overdue loans for the sake of receiving a woolly jumper or a scented candle. If there are friends and family to see after Christmas, then the savvy will hold back on buying their presents and get them something in the sales when everything will be ridiculously reduced. Remember, some might appreciate an alternative gift like a tin of homemade biscuits or even a few festive drinks at home to say Merry Christmas. The options are limitless but people’s salaries are not. If they plan carefully they may make it to the New Year with a bit of change in their pockets.

Free calls and texts as new app launched SPAIN is the first country to launch an ‘enriched communication solution’ (RCS), with the arrival of the joyn application for mobile phones. Spain’s major mobile phone operators, Movistar, Orange and Vodafone, have launched joyn to compete with the popular Whatsapp application downloaded by many smartphone users. Joyn allows them to make calls and exchange texts, images and videos with other users for free. It can be downloaded free and will come preinstalled on smartphones from next year.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Arduous negotiations lead to cut in Greek debt AFTER several rounds of arduous negotiations at the end of November, the IMF and EU reached an agreement (well, we could say compromise!) regarding the management of the Greek debt. The two key elements of the agreement were the increase of the term of the loans given to Greece in 2010 to 30 years as well as a 1 per cent reduction of the interest rate applicable. On top of these revised terms, the repayment of the interest owed on loans offered by the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) has been pushed back by 10 years. Finally, Greece will receive the next €44 billion slice of aid it needs in the short term. This means that the Greek debt has in effect been reduced from 144 per cent of its 2020 GDP to 124 per cent. Whilst all these measures are a breath of fresh air for Greece, they are deemed to be far from enough by Christine Lagarde, Head of the IMF. This is a work in progress and we can expect more discussions in the coming weeks and months to make the debt more bearable and support Greece back to its feet.

Ask the expert with

Peter Loveday of Contact me at euroweekly@ currenciesdirect.com

Cyprus, a collateral victim of the Greek crisis, also turned to the IMF for urgent support. Finance Minister Vassos Shiarly reported that Cyprus needs close to €17 billion financial aid, which is about equivalent to its GDP! Cyprus is the fifth EU country placed under support. Meanwhile, Spain received some positive news with the EC approving the banking sector restructuring plans which involves four nationalised Spanish banks: Bankia, Novagalicia, CatalunyaCaixa and Banco de Valencia. This approval was a critical step, conditioning the release of

€37 billion financial support payment via the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism (EFSM) out of €40 billion which could eventually be released to support the Spanish financial sector. Bankia, which notoriously kicked off the financial rescue bid in May, will receive €18 billion, whilst CatalunyaCaxia will get €9 billion, Novagalicia €5.5 billion and Banco de Valencia (which will be taken over by CaixaBank for €1) €4.5 billion. The objective for these banks is to fully restructure their activities within five years and refocus their business on retail clients and SMEs in the regions they operate in.

Bankia has already announced a major redundancy plan with 6,000 jobs or just under 30 per cent of its workforce being cut. There is no doubt the five-year-plan to restructure and clean up the balance sheets of these banks will be painful but is there any other choice when the bad debt levels are reaching historical records? In the rest of Europe, mixed news keeps coming out with France being downgraded from its top triple A credit rating by Moody’s and unemployment reaching record highs, whilst UK GDP figures showed a 1 per cent increase in the third quarter this year. Since the figures indicate an emergence from a double dip recession, the British Pound surged to levels over 1.60 against the dollar, but struggled to keep momentum. UK public finance figures showed that the government borrowed much more than expected in October, reducing the chances that the UK will hit its deficit reduction target in 2012-13. Overall GBP, EUR and USD levels are still strongly influenced by appetite to risk and experience short-lived surges and drops whilst their average variation ranges remain pretty tight.

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

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Fantasising, and driven to drink!

OH DEAR, they just aren’t working. Blind dates two and three have been utter and complete disasters. The first guy was wearing an ensemble I could only assume was bought from the local Chinese shop, and only noted after I was unable to dip out before being seen. So I spent the entire

As I see it... Ana Jefferson-Smith takes an irreverent look at life as a singleton expat in Spain evening quietly fantasising about the ice cold tonic bubbling away in my fridge and how fantastic it would taste coupled with Gordon’s finest.

COMMENT Cataluña shuns UDI

I was going to need it. The second date arranged swiftly and equally as painful. The dress sense eccentric but bearable,

was was was but

seemed to be used as a distraction mechanism from his mind-numbingly dull personality. I’m sorry, but working in a chicken farm separating males from females is just not going to cut it. Nor does living with your mother. And six cats. Maybe I was asking too

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE Many parts of England have been badly affected by heavy flooding following stormy weather throughout the UK.

THE usually impassive Mariano Rajoy looked joyful after Cataluña decided not to vote overwhelmingly for independence in the regional elections. The message was nevertheless received with impassivity by regional president Artur Mas, who is still pushing for independence, although his CiU party lost 20 seats. He, more than anyone, should see that a strong national identity is an insufficiently strong foundation for a referendum heralding Rhodesia-style UDI.

True friends? IT is untrue that no-one wants to invest in Spain, a financial expert argued . Last year, as wounded Spain limped further into recession, its companies received more investment from sovereign funds than any other EU country except the UK. Put that way, the picture looks less depressing. Norway’s Government Pension Fund, Global and Qatar Holdings are reluctant to throw good money after bad. Their faith in the country is commendable.

Alligator guard surprises police DETECTIVES called to a Washington, US, home discovered 15 marijuana plants being guarded by alligators. They were called to the house after reports of a shooting. *** A BODYBUILDER from Egypt has set the record for the world’s biggest arms, but has denied

JUST FANCY THAT... using banned or artificial substances. Moustafa Ismail’s arm circumference measures 79cm (31in), or as much as the waist of a lean man. ***

A CHICAGO woman has racked up 678 parking tickets with fines totalling more than $105,000 (€81,445) on a car she does not even own. Jennifer Fitzgerald’s former boyfriend bought

the used car and registered it in her name without her knowledge, she claims. *** A SOUTH AFRICAN Air Force pilot has been suspended from flying after he borrowed a plane to visit a friend in neighbouring Botswana.

much from Mr Perfect-Date last week. I’m going to call and give him another chance. In comparison it was a wonderful evening after all. I was too quick to judge. The sparks will develop over time. And as I was exiting Hipercor with my meal-forone and bottle of gin – the last one was finished after Mr Chicken-Farmer – I bumped, literally, into a drop-dead gorgeous man. Reminiscent of a scene from the movies, my Louis Vuitton classic was knocked out of my hands, though thankfully the gin was unharmed, dispersing the contents throughout the supermarket. After turning the colour of my never-leave-thehouse-without Chanel Rouge Allure lipstick, which subsequently also scattered across the floor, the gentleman kindly helped collect my things, and right out of the blue asked to exchange numbers! When does that happen in real life? Apparently he had seen me stumbling out of Puerto Banus bars at some ungodly hour a few times. Apparently that’s sexy?! I shall live up to the ‘girly’ standard and wait for him to call, all the while checking my iPhone every five minutes making sure it still works and wondering when he will call. What will next week bring? I for one cannot wait to find out.

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Mallorca

Registering an imported car in Spain T Life in Spain A weekly focus aimed at keeping expatriate readers informed on various aspects of Life in Spain

By Raul Candela raul@euroweeklynews.com

KEEP IT RUNNING: It is better to hire a consultant when registering a plate in Spain.

HERE are no official estimates or records about the number of cars with a British (or other EU country) plate in Spain. But it is commonly known there are lots. One of the first differences between Britain and Spain is that the MOT test is annual and many garages are granted a certificate to carry it out. In Spain, the equivalent (ITV) is done every two years if the car is four to 10 years old; and every year if it is older than 10. We are speaking about private cars here (‘turismos’ in Spain), not motorbikes, trucks or vans. It is known that some expatriates use their contacts back at home to get an MOT certificate without having to take the vehicle back to Britain every year. This is obviously an illegal practice and doing it exposes the driver to the danger of a fine, or even having the car seized. In Spain, ITV offices are run by the public administration, and there are far fewer test centres than in the UK. So although its possible that an ITV technician could ‘do a

favour’ it is definitely very difficult and rare. Some expatriates think they can use the ‘I am on holiday’ trick if they are caught by the Police. That works for rented cars - or basically those with a Spanish plate - but not when importing a car. When bringing a car to Spain the paperwork must be started within a period of 30 days. The law is clear about it and, since the 2011 regulations, the authorities have become stricter about it. The protocol for Police and Guardia Civil when catching a foreign car is the following: a) Non-residents: They can drive a foreign car for up to 90 days. The officer records the plate. If it is caught again after that time, the driver is requested to apply for a Residence Certificate and a Spanish plate in a period of 30 days (60 if they have a Green Plate), paying the IEDMT taxes. If caught again, they are given five more days to do it. After that, those who did not register are fined €500 and the car is seized until proceedings are done. b) Residents: They are given 30 days to apply for a Green Plate or a permanent plate when caught the first time. The rest is the same as above.

Sorting out the padron paperwork from home SIGNING on to the municipal register (padron) at the town hall does not usually take much longer than 10 minutes. However, there are also online and phone alternatives to sort out the paperwork from home. Online registration through a personal computer can be done using the Digital Signature (Certificado Digital). It takes a while and some computer knowledge to get it, but it is worth it as it can be used in multiple CONNECTED: Using the computer administrative processes. These the town hall. are the four steps: Those already registered who just need the padron certificate 1) Apply online at the Royal (which is actually the paper to be Mint’s website (click produced when choosing a doctor, ‘obtencion’): registering a car or renewing a

www.cert.fnmt.es. A persona code will be provided. 2) Go to a Registry Office (‘oficina de registro’) for personal accreditation. Show your NIE and the code. 3) Download and install the Signature to your personal computer. 4) Save a copy of the personal pass and Signature (optional).

or phone can save a visit to passport, can sometimes get their ‘volante de empadronamiento’ online at their town hall’s website. For example: Alicante: http://goo.gl/uYeKj

Q AND A A friend told me not to sign the local padron until I am ready to start the plate registration process, as this will save me paying the import tax. Is it true? No. Signing up to the municipal register (padron) is a must when registering a car plate in Spain. It is requested, along with the

Malaga: http://goo.gl/z7Fdn There is also a national phone number providing information about the municipal register. It works every day, all year round, and usually English translation is provided. It does not work for registering, but they can provide the padron certificate and send it to your home. They also provide information on whether a person has to renew the registration or not. Besides the padron, it can also provide information on other local authority paperwork (paying fines and taxes, queries about public services, etc) as well as leisure activities. Call: 010. And remember, December 31 is the deadline for registering.

Residence Certificate or NIE, when applying for the temporary Green Plate. And of course, it is again requested when applying for the permanent Spanish car plate. Anyone planning to move as a resident in Spain and bringing their vehicle with them, should remember to put the padron as a top priority. And so should those who are already living here.

Send your questions to: raul@euroweeklynews.com.

So, those who want to do things right, should first apply for a Green Plate (Placa Verde) at their nearest traffic office (Jefatura de Trafico). Green Plates are valid for 60 days and cost €19.20. They are temporary because they are meant to give you enough time to get a permanent Spanish plate. When requesting the permanent plate, it is advisable to hire a consultant agency (gestoria), otherwise get ready for lots of paperwork. The original car papers, municipal register (padron) and NIE have to be produced. Once they start proceedings, “it takes around three weeks to be done,” Lucia from Gestoria Administrativa Los Boliches in Fuengirola said. “That is to say, if all the proceedings are OK and the ITV does not find any car engine or part problem. With British cars, they most commonly need their headlights replacing, because they are not valid here. This adds around 10 days to the process, so we advise you to get them fixed first,” Lucia added. “The overall costs of registering the car plate - the socalled import tax, ‘impuesto de matriculacion’ - can range from €0 to more than €12,000. “This depends on the brand, the model, how old it is, and the volume of CO2 emissions,” Lucia pointed out. To calculate the costs, visit: www.coche.es/impuestomatriculacion.

Are you Buzzing around trying to find a better insurance quote? Why Bother? Ibex guarantees to beat your motor renewal quote

Call Ibex Mallorca: 971 677 733 or email mallorca@ibexinsure.com

6 - 12 December 2012

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Help to feed our feathered friends in your garden I WAS interested to see the lovely photos of birds by Val Hicks (Snapped! Issue 1430). Wild bird populations are on the decline largely due to human activities which have decimated the countryside. Happily, there are things we can do to help, such as putting bird-feeders in the garden or even suspended from a gutter. We have half a dozen feeders in our garden, and it’s most rewarding to watch the birds feasting. All the feeders are placed on trellises or suspended beneath the eaves to prevent crows and magpies getting at the nuts and birdseed. A bird-bath in the garden is also a boon to our feathered friends. This web site gives some useful advice: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/178296 20. We have a cat, which is a bird’s enemy number one. However, Pixie now knows she’s not allowed to chase birds in the garden. CH, Garrucha (Almeria)

UK licence alert THE Police in Mijas Costa are targeting UK driving licence holders and fining them 250€ (which goes up to 500€ if not paid within the month), for not transferring their licences to a Spanish one. This happened around the same time last year and a few appealed the fine and had it quashed. As long as your UK licence is in date and has the European stars on it is legal to use in Spain. Alan Goldsborough (by email)

A sad delay Letters for Your Say should be emailed to yoursay@ euroweekly news.com, posted to Euro Weekly News, C/Moscatel 10, P-62, Polígono Industrial, Arroyo de la Miel, 29630 Benalmadena, Málaga, Spain or faxed to 0034 952 440 887

IN February this year my son was convicted of a traffic offence and lost his Spanish driving licence for eight months. He has returned to the UK to find work and it was left to me to recover his licence. I have visited the Malaga Justice offices several times, lastly on the day after his ban was lifted. They said they would telephone when the licence was available for collection. A week later I contacted my lawyer who visited the prosecutor’s office, only to find a mountain of files

L etters OPINION & COMMENT

Snapped! M R Fuengirola

P pub hotog r l em icati aphs pho ail w on sh for p o ton ews ith a f uld b ossibl e es @e ull e c uro wee aptio nt by klyn n to ews : .com

EWN

Mallorca There is only one fully licensed shop which accepts goods, clothes, etc, the proceeds from which go to the upkeep of the dogs at kennels in Dolores. If you want the profits from the sale of your unwanted items, be they clothes, furniture, bric a brac or electrical items to go directly to SAT, then please bring them into the SAT shop on the corner right by Hyperber in Almoradi and speak to Julie. Sue Rose Almoradi (Alicante)

Fuel query

My wife and I were amused when we spotted this sign on a recent drive along the coast. It will probably only be appreciated by English-speaking people identifying with the word ACHE outside a clinic.

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

www.euroweeklynews.com

awaiting attention. Despite his request a fortnight later the licence is still not available for collection. Surely everyone has the right to their driving licence back at the end of a ban, and inefficiency at the Ministry of Justice cannot be tolerated. John Attenborough, La Capellania, Benalmadena (Malaga)

Good people I FEEL the need to add my voice to those who defend the Spanish as neighbours. We moved to the campo of Yecla in 2005. Even before our furniture arrived we were being welcomed by the folks of Los Pinillos, our chosen hamlet. They gave us a lot of help when we were settling in and they are still there for us. We exchange excesses of produce

and, being a nurse, I have been helpful in health matters. We have been to a wedding and a Christening, and are regularly entertained in their homes. I have felt every bit as much of a neighbour here as I did in England.. Helen Green, Yecla (Murcia)

Payment woes HAVING sold my two apartments earlier this year I cancelled both insurance policies. I also cancelled the direct debits at the bank. I was therefore surprised when one payment went through the bank. The insurance company had asked the bank for payment of one policy but were refused. However a second request was submitted with a changed reference number and on this occasion the bank did pay. Despite a request for a refund none has been forthcoming. Is this a new scam, resubmitting an invoice under a different number? Regards Kathleen Scott (by email)

Shop confusion THERE seems to be confusion as to how many charity shops there are in Almoradi, which support solely the SAT charity for abandoned dogs.

I WONDER where your reader, (Letters Issue 1429) N Speed, buys his fuel? At my local station this morning the cheapest petrol was the same price as the most expensive diesel. Allen Everington, El Chaparral,Torrevieja Editor’s note: Mr Speed bought the petrol in Fuengirola, Malaga.

Shrinking puzzle My husband and I pick up the EWN every week and enjoy reading it all but our favourite page is the puzzle page. However for the past three weeks your Hexagram puzzle has been printed in a really tiny format. I find this tiny print a huge struggle and end up with a headache. Please will you revert to the original size for this puzzle. Gillian Watson (by email)

Specs not enough The Hexagram has now become so small that there is barely room to write the letters in the spaces. As my eyes are 74 years old it is doubly difficult even with glasses. Peter Rogers, Benimeli, Marina Alta (Valencia)

Editor’s note: The Hexagram has now been enlarged to overcome problems identified in recent weeks. We apologise to all our readers.

Laugh loudly NORA JOHNSON’S article regarding Ryanair was brilliant. I have not laughed so much for a long time. Keep up the good work Nora. Regards, Moira Bartle

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

OPINION & COMMENT

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Long live free Press, down with PC brigade laws to regulate the free Press would result in a never-ending chaos of lawsuits, court cases, decade-long appeals, parliamentary time and legal mayhem, which will have the lawyers of the land rubbing the very skin from their flaky palms. I simply cannot believe that our esteemed leaders cannot envisage the manifestation of this nightmare scenario, when to this old 60s’ pop singer it’s as plain as daylight itself! Should such a law prevail it

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT will result in one of the biggest wastes of time ever perpetrated on the British public. Time, which in the current climate, we cannot afford to squander on even more PC and pumped-up, holier-than-thou pillocks, who already permeate our society like parasites.

Santa school

UNDER THREAT: Right of free speech. Personally, I think the closing of a national publication and the imprisonment, with possibly more to come, of some the industry’s most powerful journalistic figures, should be quite enough to make future owners and editors think more than twice before stepping out of line. Let the Press continue to regulate itself, with firm

guidelines of just how far it can go; not introduce even more laws into a society already awash with legal eagles getting rich by interpreting the ridiculous slurry of legal pot-pourri the country is embroiled in. Keep the faith Love Leapy Leapylee2002@gmail. com

A SCHOOL in Tokyo teaches how to be the perfect modern Father Christmas. Students at the Santa Claus Academy are taught magic tricks and how to answer difficult questions children pose, including “My house doesn’t have a chimney and we have a security system, so how will you deliver my presents?”

END COLUMN

URING my existence on this wonderful, but oft troubled planet, I have been lucky enough to traverse it fairly extensively. Each time I stepped back on to British soil I was always overwhelmed by an enormous sense of relief and the pure elation that I was back home, in a country where I could say what I liked and give my opinions on any subject without fear of retribution. Well, those heady days of Hyde Park Corner orations and ‘soapbox’ freedom of speech are long gone; well and truly stifled by the PC brigade. But we still have freedom of the Press. If we lose that we may as well curl up in a fetal ball and dish out football boots to all the politicians and particularly the PC brigades, whose committees and organisations will, I can assure you, sprout up like cress on blotting paper. This column would go for a start (I can hear the cries of elation from here!). New

Mallorca

Out of gas TOKYO Disneyland has stopped selling helium balloons shaped like Mickey Mouse and other characters because of a worldwide shortage of the lighter-than-air gas.

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Support local businesses and crafts WOW, how did it get to be December? That snuck up on me! This is the season of Christmas markets in Mallorca and we’ve got some nice ones coming up. Already last Sunday La Gidg spent the afternoon helping out on the cake stall run by her Synchronised Swimming team at the Andratx Christmas Market. She loved it, well what’s not to love really? It’s cake and it’s playing shop. A perfect combination. There was a time when I used to have a little salon and I loved playing Mallorca shop too, I loved arranging Vicki Mcleod the products and talking to my customers. It was a very innocent period in my life, looking back. Things HOME MADE: Much better than buying something from an automated computer. were very much simpler then, there was a purity about it. You want this thing that I have? You pay me, you can You can’t, it’s far too embarrassing. Keep the money moving in your local have this thing. Easy peasy. And we must make sure that we economy and look after the people in There is a dangerous side to fairs support our local businesses and your community, it’s vital. though. You always run the risk of craftspeople especially at Christmas. I imagine that selling on a market buying something that you love at the Please don’t buy online, get down the could be a hard way to make your time, but then regret instantly high street and buy something from an living, but I bet it’s fun. I could see afterwards, but you can’t take it back actual real life person and not some myself as a chirpy cockney type selling can you? NO. automated computer. discount ladies underwear, or perhaps I

Family Matters

could be a mysterious Arab with fine spices and exotic silks. As it is, I am writing this from bed, it is too cold in my house to be anywhere else but here. If I am such a wuss that I can’t deal with a bit of cold in my own home how do we think I would manage rising at 5am and setting up a market stall? Yep, disaster. Which is why the “Last Minute Handmade Christmas Market” which I am organising at Mood Beach for December 22 and 23 will start at 11am and finish at 4pm, a healthy time during the day. If you want to have a stall then please get in touch at vicki@moodbeach.com. Also coming up there is the Calvia Christmas fair which is not in Portals anymore, but has moved to Santa Ponsa, that is on December 9 and will feature the choir in their debut performance! (They’re also going to perform on December 22 at Mood). Then there is one at Santa Ponsa Country Club the next weekend on December 15 and 16, and the same weekend sees the return of the Alaro Christmas Market as well. In the meantime I am planning my takeover of the world from under the duvet, at least for today. www.familymattersmallorca.com.

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Wrong even when right H

ERE is today’s riddle: When are you always wrong, even if you know you are right? I reckon that almost all of you, astute readers, will have answered correctly: When you are a customer in Spain. In fact, the term ‘customer’ is a bit of a misnomer, it sets the wrong tone entirely for the battlefield that is ‘customer service’ here. We are the ‘necessary evil’, plain and simple. There are of course formidable exceptions to the rule, or the odd rogue service supremo amidst the chorus of Bah Humbugs. When I stumble upon them, I feel almost teary in appreciation of being treated with dignity. Sadly, these are mere exceptions. The worst offenders are the utilities, one phone company springs to mind. Our landline cut out a while back. Surprisingly, a technician turned up within a couple of days. He concluded it was all our problem since it was on our land, which, after two solid days of excavation, turned

marathon by running relays around the restaurant, Swedish-born Ulrica is a freelance journalist living in Mallorca with her chucking cups of family. Her debut novel $Expat Wives is available on Amazon and iBooks. coffee discus-style To comment on any of the issues as they pass. raised in Ulrica’s column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/ So if it is so bad, ulrica-marshall why not just leave? ULRICA MARSHALL Well, there are still ulrica @euroweeklynews.com those stellar excepout not to be the case. To tions which I patronise as cut a long story short, we often as possible. were finally reconnected to And there are all the the world five weeks, 20 other reasons, which lured odd (mobile) phone calls us to Spain in the first and hours of call waiting place; the climate, the later. beauty of the country and “Es normal,” claim the lifestyle. But for me, in Spanish friends. particular, it has been a In shops, you are culture shock. Our last port typically ignored in favour of call was Tokyo, Japan, of chatting to a colleague or where a shop assistant mate on the phone and if wraps even the smallest you manage to make a purchase to perfection and successful purchase, do not then bows deeply until you expect a “gracias” or are halfway down the “adios,” certainly not street. There are more than delivered with any a handful of expressions for conviction. Smiles, ‘thank you’, which are used especially, are hard to come at every opportunity, as by. well as ‘sumimasen’ and Restaurants are not a ‘gomenasai’, which mean whole lot better; waiters ‘sorry’. darting around like pinballs In Spain, these words are in the machine and if you’re so rarely used, I am not quick you’ll miss your starting to think the chance. Perhaps the government has introduced relative absence of tipping a tax on them. is one reason. Or they are Maybe these tormented secretly training for the employees actually just feel

Expat Strife

FRUSTRATION: Customer Service seems not to exist in Spain.

unloved and are in need of a hug? Next time the waiter unceremoniously dumps the plate of food in front of you without a word or smile, perhaps a little hug is what he needs? Or the lady at the call centre - who will transfer you into cyber-oblivion because she doesn’t have a clue what you are trying to explain and is off for a bocadillo - send a little telepathic hug to her, too, before she cuts you off. Maybe this way - one hug at a time - we can introduce the concept of customer service to the otherwise wondrous country of Spain.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

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6 - 12 December 2012

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Mallorca

No change is good news THEY say a change is as good as a rest, but when it comes to our hair, it seems we don’t like too many changes.

The British seem pretty unadventurous and evidence of our reluctance to embrace the new comes with the news that a third of us have had the same hairstyle our entire life. A study, carried out by energy company EON, found that 27 per cent of Brits admit they simply don’t like change in their life. More often than not it’s a case of better the devil you know. And 35 per cent say they have had the same hairstyle and 43 per cent said they saw no reason to change it. More than 60 per cent of men say they will die with their current hairstyle. Meanwhile, two thirds (64 per cent) admit they have never moved their bank account and 53 per cent of those questioned said they had never changed job. As a result, 56 per cent confessed that they feel their lives are stuck in a rut.

INNOVATIVE: Three-dimensional resin model of foetus.

Hold your baby before it is born JAPANESE inventors have devised a way to transform a pregnant woman’s ultrasound scan into a threedimensional resin model

of the foetus for expectant parents. The nine-centimetre model encased in a transparent block in the shape of the mother’s

Transplant pioneer dies THE surgeon who performed the first ever successful organ transplant has died. Dr Joseph Murray suffered from a stroke and died at the age of 93. Murray and his team completed the first human organ transplant in 1954, taking a kidney from one identical twin and giving it to his brother, opening a new field in medicine. He later went on to win a Nobel Prize for his medical work.

body, is fashioned by a 3D printer after an MRI scan. FASOTEC, the company offering the ‘Shape of an Angel’ model, even offers parents a miniature version. The company says there are also medical benefits as medics could use the models to see any problems and predict difficulties in the birthing process. The ‘Shape of an Angel’ costs 100,000 yen, (€940).

6 - 12 December 2012

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Congratulations on a good job A

T this festive time of the year shopping centres arrange competitions for the best-dressed windows. Many communities vote for entertainment artistes. Why aren’t service providers given a similar opportunity to gauge their popularity or lack of it? It was Rabbie Burns who surmised: “The Mike Walsh greatest gift that God can give us; is to see vwww.michaelwalsh.es ourselves as others see International Journalism Europe Broadcaster Commentator International Radio us.” Awarded ‘Writer of the Year’ It was poor performMobile 0034 662 067 490 To comment on any of the issues raised in ance of car showroom Mike’s column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/ sales staff that inspired mike-walsh the mystery shopping phenomenon. This introduced the dark arts of retail therapy BEST DRESSED: Shop windows compete when large retailers engaged mystery shoppers to spy on sales staff. As it cost me to pull the duvet up to my nose and much more to attract a new shopper than write it off under the heading ‘stuff retain an existing one, the retailers needed happens’. to see their business through customers’ As I was about to drop the lid on my eyes. laptop, the email arrived: “Oh, Michael! Satisfaction should never be the mere Where will I find a person like you? ability to earn an income. The icing on the Sometimes in life, we walk in the street and cake is a client’s beaming approval. Having meet so many people, but there are just a endured an iffy day it would be a relief for few that leave a mark and make a

at Christmas time. difference in your life. I must confess you are one of them. “If you lacked interest or integrity you wouldn’t have bothered if I finished the manuscript or not! Real friends don’t come by accident! You’ve always believed in me from day one. What you might not realise is that writing this book also serves as therapy to me.”

The letter was written by Betty Musole. Born into terrible poverty in the heart of Africa she had endured one of the toughest upbringings imaginable. Befriended by Italian missionaries, she fought tenaciously for an education that would help her escape grinding poverty and being sucked into a vortex of early death. Her achievements were against all odds; her moral courage propelled her to a better life in the West with her Italian husband. Betty never trampled over anyone to achieve it, never took an unearned penny. She is one of life’s givers and when eventually she leaves this world she will leave it in far better shape than most people do. She is an inspiration for all mankind. Her thankful thoughts will last much longer than her payment to me. To be paid for a service provided is satisfying. If on the other hand it is earned at the customer’s expense, because you took advantage of their trust or good nature, you are not richer, you are poorer. Yes, you survive another day but at what cost to yourself and your client? That is a price far too high and you delude yourself that it has been a successful day. In fact, you failed not only your customer but you failed yourself.

EWN

LISTINGS

6 - 12 December 2012 Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com THURSDAY DECEMBER 06

BBC1 5:00pm Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 5:30pm Pet School 6:00pm Newsround 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Young Apprentice 10:00pm Who Do You Think You Are? 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm Question Time 12:35am This Week 1:20am Skiing Weatherview 1:25am Panorama 1:55am Countryfile 2:55am Planet Earth Live

BBC2

7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 8:00pm Snooker 9:00pm MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00pm Great Continental Railway Journeys 11:00pm Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am Snooker 1:10am Dara O Briain’s Science Club 2:10am The Culture Show 2:40am An Island Parish 3:10am BBC News 5:00am Young Legal Eagles

ITV

6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm London Tonight 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Tonight 9:00pm Emmerdale 9:30pm Emmerdale at 40 10:00pm Madeley Meets the Squatters 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:35pm Dirty Britain 12:35am The Late Debate 1:05am Jackpot247

Channel 4

6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:55pm 4thought.tv 9:00pm Kirstie’s Vintage Home 10:00pm Jamie and Jimmy's Food Fight Club 11:00pm The Fear 12:05am Alien Investigations 1:10am Embarrassing Fat Bodies 2:05am The Aristocrats 3:00am Unreported World 3:25am Dispatches 3:55am Time Team 4:50am Deal or No Deal 5:45am Countdown

Channel 5 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways 9:00pm World’s Strongest Man 2012 10:00pm Cowboy Builders 11:00pm Under Siege 1:05am Super Casino 5:00am Nick’s Quest 5:25am House Doctor 5:50am Divine Designs

FRIDAY DECEMBER 07

BBC1 6:00pm Newsround 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Nigel Slater’s Dish of the Day 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Outnumbered 10:00pm Have I Got News for You 10:30pm John Bishop’s Big Year 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm The Graham Norton Show 12:20am The National Lottery Friday Night Draws 12:30am Live at the Apollo 1:00am EastEnders Omnibus 2:55am Weatherview

BBC2

6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 8:00pm Snooker 9:00pm Mastermind 9:30pm An Island Parish 10:00pm Westminster Abbey 11:00pm QI 11:30pm Newsnight 12:00am The Book Review Show 12:50am Snooker 1:40am Phantoms 3:10am BBC News

ITV

5:00pm Britain’s Best Bakery 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm London Tonight 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Island Hospital 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm 100 Years of the Royal Variety Performance 11:30pm ITV News and Weather 12:10am Basic Instinct 2:20am The Store 3:55am Columbo 5:30am ITV Nightscreen

Channel 4

5:00pm Deal or No Deal 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:30pm Unreported World 8:55pm 4thought.tv 9:00pm Come Dine with Me 10:00pm Peter Kay - In Conversation 11:00pm Alan Carr: Chatty Man 12:05am 4funnies: Brian Gittins 12:35am Full English 1:10am British Comedy Awards Nominations Show 2012 2:05am The Ricky Gervais Show 2:35am My Name is Earl

Channel 5

6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm Cowboy Builders 9:00pm North Pole Ice Airport 10:00pm The Mentalist 11:00pm Castle 11:55pm Law and Order: Criminal Intent 12:55am Inside Hollywood 1:00am Super Casino 4:55am Motorsport Mundial 5:25am House Doctor

SATURDAY DECEMBER 08

BBC1 5:30pm Final Score 6:10pm BBC News 6:20pm BBC London News 6:30pm A Question of Sport 7:00pm Pointless 7:50pm Strictly Come Dancing 8:55pm Merlin 9:40pm The National Lottery Awards Show 10:20pm Casualty 11:10pm BBC News The latest national and international news from the BBC. 11:30pm Match of the Day 12:50am The Football League Show Manish Bhasin presents all the action from the Football League, where the featured match is Derby v Leeds.2:05am Weatherview Detailed weather forecast. 2:10am BBC News

BBC2

5:30pm Snooker 6:30pm Flog It! 7:30pm Dad’s Army Classic wartime sitcom. 8:00pm Snooker 11:00pm QI XL 11:45pm Led Zeppelin Live in London 2007: Celebration Day 12:45am The Relic 2:30am Day of The Dead

ITV

4:55pm Back to the Future 7:00pm London Tonight 7:15pm ITV News and Weather 7:30pm You’ve Been Framed! 8:00pm The Mcfly Show 9:00pm The X Factor 11:00pm The Invention of Lying 12:05am ITV News and Weather12:20am The Invention of Lying 1:05am The Store 3:10am In Plain Sight 3:55am ITV Nightscreen

Channel 4

4:55pm The Simpsons 5:20pm Come Dine with Me 5:55pm Come Dine with Me 6:25pm Come Dine with Me 6:55pm Come Dine with Me 7:25pm Come Dine with Me 7:55pm Channel 4 News 8:25pm 4thought.tv 8:30pm Heston’s Fantastical Food 9:30pm Stephen Fry: Gadget Man 10:00pm Predators 12:15am 30 Days of Night 2:20am The Girl Next Door

Channel 5

8:10pm A Grandpa for Christmas 9:50pm 5 News Weekend 9:55pm Tommy Cooper's Christmas 11:00pm International Boxing: James DeGale v Kenny Anderson 1:00am Super Casino 5:00am Michaela’s Wild Challenge 5:25am The Great Artists

SUNDAY DECEMBER 09

BBC1

MONDAY DECEMBER 10

BBC1

4:30pm Call the Midwife 5:30pm Songs of Praise 6:05pm Nigel Slater’s Dish of the Day 6:35pm BBC News 6:50pm BBC London News 7:00pm Countryfile 8:00pm Strictly Come Dancing 8:40pm Antiques Roadshow 9:40pm Rome’s Lost Empire 11:00pm BBC News 11:15pm BBC London News 11:25pm Match of the Day 2 12:35am The Graham Norton Show 1:20am Annapolis 2:55am Weatherview 3:00am Film 2012 3:30am Holby City 4:30am Paul Martin’s Handmade Revolution 5:15am BBC News

BBC2

7:00pm Flog It! 7:20pm Fawlty Towers 8:00pm The Most Courageous Raid of WWII 9:00pm Snooker 12:00am Never Mind the Buzzcocks 12:30am Keeping Up with the Steins 1:50am BBC News

ITV

5:15pm Midsomer Murders 7:15pm London Tonight 7:25pm ITV News and Weather

5:00pm Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 5:30pm Pet School 6:00pm Newsround 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Inside Out 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Panorama 10:00pm New Tricks 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm Have I Got a Bit More News for You 12:20am Hart’s War 2:20am Weatherview 2:25am Richard Hammond’s Miracles of Nature

BBC2

5:30pm Breakaway 6:15pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 7:00pm Celebrity Eggheads 7:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 8:00pm The Hairy Bakers’ Christmas Special 9:00pm University Challenge 9:30pm MasterChef: 10:00pm Inside Claridge’s 11:00pm Never Mind the Buzzcocks 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am Westminster Abbey 1:20am BBC News 5:00am The Code 5:30am Ecomaths: Key Stage 3

ITV

12:15am

- SUNDAY

Nutty Professor II: The Klumps.

Eddie Murphy.

7:40pm Celebrity Who Wants to be a Millionaire? 8:40pm The X Factor Results Show 10:40pm Rod Stewart’s Christmas 11:55pm ITV News and Weather 12:15am Nutty Professor II: The Klumps 2:05am The Store

Channel 4

5:25pm Deal or No Deal 6:20pm Elf 8:20pm Channel 4 News 8:50pm 4thought.tv 8:55pm The Political Slot 9:00pm How the Bismarck Sank Hms Hood 10:00pm Homeland 11:00pm Peep Show 11:30pm G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra 1:45am American Football Live

Channel 5

7:05pm 5 News Weekend 7:10pm The Dirty Dozen 10:00pm The Expendables 12:05am Full Metal Jacket 2:25am Super Casino 5:00am House Doctor

6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm London Tonight 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Little England 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm The Poison Tree 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:35pm Mercury Rising 1:35am Jackpot247 4:00am UEFA Champions League Weekly 4:25am ITV Nightscreen 5:35am The Jeremy Kyle Show

Channel 4

6:30pm Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:55pm 4thought.tv 9:00pm Dispatches 9:30pm Stephen Fry: Gadget Man 10:00pm The Real Man’s Road Trip: Sean and Jon Go West 11:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats 11:50pm Full English 12:25am Alan Carr: Chatty Man 1:30am The Good Wife 2:10am The Good Wife

Channel 5

6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm North Pole Ice Airport 9:00pm The All New Gadget Show 10:00pm Mr. & Mrs. Smith 12:25am Catwoman 2:15am Super Casino 4:55am Nick’s Quest 5:25am HouseBusters

TUESDAY DECEMBER 11

BBC1 5:30pm Pet School 6:00pm Newsround 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Holby City 10:00pm Last Tango in Halifax 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm Imagine... 12:50am A Simple Plan 2:45am Weatherview 2:50am Vikings 3:50am Natural World 4:50am Great British Food Revival

BBC2

6:15pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 7:00pm Celebrity Eggheads 7:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 8:00pm Lorraine’s Last Minute Christmas 9:00pm MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00pm Cuba with Simon Reeve 11:00pm The Sarah Millican Television Programme 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am Inside Claridge’s 1:20am BBC News 5:00am Andrew Marr’s History of the World

ITV

5:00pm Britain’s Best Bakery 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm London Tonight 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm The Martin Lewis Money Show 9:00pm Inside Guinness World Records 10:00pm On the Run 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:35pm 100 Years of the Royal Variety Performance 1:05am Jackpot247 4:00am ITV Nightscreen

Channel 4

6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:55pm 4thought.tv 9:00pm Is Our Weather Getting Worse? 10:00pm Heston’s Fantastical Food 11:00pm Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:05am Homeland 1:10am Pokerstars.Co.UK and MonteCarlo Casino Ept Grand Final 2:10am KOTV Boxing Weekly

Channel 5

6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm Highland Emergency 8:30pm Highland Emergency 9:00pm Murder Files: The Sketchbook Killer 10:00pm Body of Proof 11:00pm CSI: NY 11:55pm CSI: NY 12:55am CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 1:50am Super Casino 5:00am Nick’s Quest

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 12

BBC1 5:30pm Pet School 6:00pm Newsround 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 9:00pm Miniature Britain 10:00pm Traffic Cops 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm The National Lottery Wednesday Night Draws 11:45pm Film 2012 12:15am The League Cup Show 1:00am Heist 2:40am Weatherview 2:45am See Hear 3:15am DIY SOS 4:15am Inside Claridge's 5:15am BBC News

BBC2

5:30pm Breakaway 6:15pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 7:00pm Celebrity Eggheads 7:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 8:00pm The Hairy Bikers’ Christmas Party 9:00pm MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00pm The Hour 11:00pm The Culture Show 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am Great Continental Railway Journeys 1:20am BBC News 5:00am How to Build... 5:30am How to Build...

ITV

5:00pm Britain’s Best Bakery 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm London Tonight 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Weight Loss Ward 10:00pm The Town 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:35pm The Fugitive 2:00am Jackpot247 4:00am Columbo 5:40am ITV Nightscreen

Channel 4

5:00pm Deal or No Deal 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:55pm 4thought.tv 9:00pm Sarah Beeny’s Selling Houses 10:00pm British Comedy Awards 2012 12:05am Micky Flanagan’s Out Out Tour 1:10am Abbey Road Studios: In Session with VW Beetle 1:40am Mr Jack’s Birthday 1:55am The Killers 2:20am Angel

Channel 5

6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm World’s Strongest Man 2012 9:00pm Did We Land on the Moon? 10:00pm Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways 11:00pm The Expendables 1:00am The True Story 2:00am Super Casino 4:55am Nick’s Quest 5:20am HouseBusters 5:45am Great Scientists

34 EWN

6 - 12 December 2012

www.euroweeklynews.com

Mallorca

For solutions: http://www.euroweeklynews.com/puzzle-answers.html

Time Out Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) struggles to become a star while overcoming issues that are tearing her family apart. From an affluent Detroit area and daughter to a single mother (Whitney Houston), she tries to balance a new romance with music manager, Stix (Derek Luke) while dealing with the unexpected challenges her new life will bring as she and her two sisters (Carmen Ejogo and Tika Sumpter) strive to become a dynamic singing group during the Motown-era. 1h 56m Director: Salim Akil Starring: Jordin Sparks, Whitney Houston, Derek Luke, Mike Epps.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Travel arrangements may have to be changed at the last minute. Do not fret, however, because success is more likely later in the month. During a dream, or when reading a book, an idea comes to you. Can this really make a difference to your future? You may need to act quickly to start a new project but progress will require patience.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20)

The need to plan ahead is frustrating when you know exactly what ought to be going on. Patience is something that you need to cultivate, or you risk upsetting someone close. Spending time with a colleague makes you realise how good things could be, but a lot of effort is involved. Pushing ahead does not guarantee results.

BOOKS books@euroweeklynews.com

Fallyn and the Dragons is the first book in a trilogy written by Costa Blanca resident Kathy Rollinson, member of creative writing group WorldPlay Writers Forum. Allan and his twin sister Eileen, together with their best friend Martin, are persuaded by a mysterious figure called Dorius, the Keeper of Dreams, to go to the aid of King Rudri of Outha, on the Island

IF ITʼS YOUR BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK: Social life is important because friendships will be made that last a long time. Your popularity should not be taken for granted, but built on. As you need other people, they also need you. AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19)

of Nashta. In the subconscious dream world, they are known as Lord Fallyn, Lady Eila and Lord Merlin. In the ‘real’ world, Allan and company are aware of their visits to Nashta, and are able to use their conscious thoughts to aid their subconscious personas to overcome

Y our S tars

It is difficult to avoid repeating mistakes made in the past. Your approach to certain situations has not changed and therein lies the problem. Someone who blames you for a mistake shows ignorance but that does not make it less upsetting.

the problems encountered in their adventures in the dream world. The battles between the opposing dragons and Prince Bato’s sea invasion make exciting reading and the interweaving of the two worlds produce a magical adventure. Kathy will be signing copies of her book on Saturday between 11am and 1pm at BookWorld in Habarneras, Torrevieja.

Ana Pastor, born December 9, 1977. She is a Spanish journalist and anchorwoman. She worked for Cadena SER, covering international affairs, then for TVE and is now conducting interviews for CNN.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20)

ARIES (March 21 - April 20)

Who is trying to push you into a corner? Maybe it is being done so subtly that you have not even noticed. Who wants a decision from you? Appear to take pressure lightly and not give in to an irritation.

A rather slow start to the week leads you to feel bored but be assured that the weekend will be far from dull. A recent conversation or correspondence with an old friend leads to unexpected contact.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Everything on the home front is emphasised and there will be a flurry of activity. Get others involved in any changes. Work in the garden or painting is much more enjoyable and half the work if you enlist the help of someone you get on well with.

SU DOKU

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21)

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

When discussing a holiday with others, be aware that agreement is not always easily met. Although you are not inclined to compromise, it is necessary to go with the majority decision.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23)

After the 2nd it is much easier to see the path ahead. This is particularly true of a financial situation, so there's no sense in fussing until you understand what needs to be done.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Your attention is needed on more than one front, and some decisions are at odds with your personal thoughts and attitudes. Being reminded that 'business is business' does nothing to relieve your conscience. You may have to upset someone by telling the truth, which may affect your longer-term finances.

1. Which South American city has a name that means ‘January River’? 2. Which South American country’s name is derived from the Latin for ‘silver’? 3. The name of which Canadian province comes from the Latin for ‘New Scotland’? 4. Which US state capital has a name that means ‘red stick’ in French? 5. Which large collection of African townships to the southwest of Johannesburg in South Africa is an abbreviation of ‘South Western Townships’? 6. Which country in Central America’s name means ‘rich coast’ in Spanish? 7. Which area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London has a name that is believed to have derived from an old English hunting cry? 8. Which former republic of the Soviet Union has a name that means ‘White Russia’? 9. Which South African city has a name that comes from the Dutch for ‘fountain of flowers’? 10. The name of which republic in West Africa is derived from the Portuguese for ‘lion mountains’?

TARGET: Average: 7 Good: 9

Very good: 14 Excellent: 17

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

alit, alto, fail, filo, flan, flat, flit, foal, foil, ilia, lain, lift, lino, lint, lion, loaf, loan, loft, loin, loti, nail, noil, tail, toil, aioli, aloft, final, flint, float, folia, talon, tonal, finial, fontal, antlion, tinfoil, INFLATION

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

Word ladder

Are you willing to take a risk on someone who has let you down before? Looking into their recent past is likely to tip the balance. What you find shows clearly if there has been a change of heart on their part or if they are trying to pull the wool over your eyes.

LOTTERY

UK NATIONAL UK LOTTERY THUNDERBALL

IRISH LOTTO

EURO MILLIONS

Saturday December 1

Friday November 30

Saturday December 1

10 18

26 31

BONUS BALL

THUNDERBALL

LA PRIMITIVA Saturday December 1

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA Sunday December 2

24 42

BONUS BALL

40 LUCKY STARS

47 REINTEGRO

REINTEGRO

CASH

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) A disagreement with a friend upsets you but is short-lived. To avoid such a situation in the future, look at how you should have dealt with it. There is always something to know that guides us to a better position. It will make you smile someone has taken you for a fool as you have the last laugh.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22)

A great feeling of joy comes over you more than once in the week ahead. Your inner child has been set free, and this is likely to be because of recent restrictions, which are now lifted. Do not feel guilty about this because it is a choice that will serve you well in the future.

CROP

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

CASH CAST COST COOT COOP CROP

The police arrested two youngsters the other day for drinking battery acid and eating fireworks. One of them was charged and the other they let off.

PLACE NAMES

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23)

Just joking How does a monkey toast his bread? On a gorilla Trev Boss, Almeria

10-star quiz

Nonagram

Changing people’s perceptions

Sparkle Musical prodigy,

1. RIO DE JANIERO, 2. ARGENTINA, 3. NOVA SCOTIA, 4. BATON ROUGE, 5. SOWETO, 6. COSTA RICA, 7. SOHO, 8. BELARUS, 9. BLOEMFONTAIN, 10. SIERRA LEONE

NEW ON DVD

6 - 12 December 2012

EWN

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Mallorca

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