ISSUE NO. 1434
27 DECEMBER 2012 - 2 JANUARY 2013
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Happy New Year
Homeless in Spain have little to cheer! CHRISTMAS - and the rapidly approaching New Year - are bringing some added cheer to the estimated 30,000 people living rough on the streets of Spain. Some local shelters over the Christmas period scheduled in special arrangements, providing in some cases hot festive meals, while frequent queues continued to form throughout the month at the soup kitchens where often a little added seasonal cheer was on offer from the volunteer helpers. And this will be ongoing over the New Year and start to 2013. But given the ongoing economic challenges facing the whole of Spain, 2013 will hardly be rung in with much enthusiasm as a joyous
time of hope for those within the local community who have few - if any - close friends, and no home or family to go to each night. In November, Global Aid Network España launched a campaign to collect warm clothes and blankets and other items, including sleeping bags, and these have in recent days been distributed among the homeless in the major cities. The reality of modern life in every community now all too often includes homeless - the vast majority expatriates and men - frequently forlorn-looking, and forced to beg to eek out survival at street level. For them, the roof over their head is all too often an open sky, as
BY RUTH JONES
Time to remember
Briton ‘JR’ Fraser has been homeless for the last two years following a career as a chef in the UK, which he was forced to give up through sickness. After travelling widely he settled in Spain. He survives through occasional money from his mother, food hand-outs and odd coins from passers-by. But for ‘JR’, who chooses not to beg
they grab sleep on park benches, in sheltered doorways, in rubbish containers, and others in cardboard boxes in alleyways.
None offer much protection, especially during the colder winter months, though accompanying stray dogs that have fondly become their closest friends, often huddle nearby, providing a little extra warmth and company. Many of Spain’s homeless have serious mental health problems and infectious diseases. As a result their death
rate is four times higher than for the general population. It is estimated one homeless person dies every five days in Spain, 27 per cent of them from attacks, 14 per cent from burns from fires lit to keep them warm, and 8 per cent from hypothermia. Other frequent causes of death are poisoning, drowning, heatstroke, falls, road accidents and being crushed after sleeping in rubbish containers. Only a quarter of the homeless die from natural causes. The average age of the victims is 47 and one in 10 is a woman.
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Mallorca
NEWS EXTRA
Man held for theft of fuel A MAN has been arrested in Manacor for stealing 8,000 litres of fuel, with most now recovered.
PRIVATE VANS: Carrying passengers without the proper authorisation.
Illegal shuttle vans service ACCORDING to Tourist Transport Association President Rafael Roig, private vans with seven to eight spaces are carrying tourists between Palma airport and hotels without the proper authorisation. This was one of the topics raised at a meeting between the association and Biel Company, Head of the Balearic Government’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Territory. At the meeting, the company made a
commitment to start a campaign of inspections next year, in which licence plates will be checked so that any vehicles regularly present at Son Sant Juan airport without public service status can be further investigated to see if they are making illegal transports. But, according to Roig, due to the current economic crisis, there has been a rise in the number of illegal taxis, something which many taxi drivers have already reported.
Debt plan PALMA Council’s water company Emaya and the local public funeral company are planning to advance €3.6 million to the council to help cover outstanding wages and other debts.
Killer dogs A GOAT and six sheep were killed, and three further sheep critically injured, at Can Barraca farm in Calvia, by two dogs, which have since been taken to the local kennels.
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27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013
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Car chase A TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD Moroccan man was arrested by National Police in Manacor after a car chase for nine alleged thefts from parked vehicles in the town.
More beds JOAN MARCH Hospital in Bunyola will soon have 16 beds dedicated to patients with multiple illnesses.
New hotel
Mallorca
Chubby seducer arrested CHUBBY, balding, 31-year-old Juan MMF has been arrested, accused of seducing a string of women to gain their trust before stealing from them. National Police described the man, who found his victims on internet dating sites or on trawls of bars and clubs in Palma, as “not terribly handsome.” His latest victim is a 33-yearold woman from whom the man
allegedly borrowed €5,000 worth of jewellery claiming he needed it for a photo shoot. She also lent him a laptop and some cash, but found herself dumped before she could recover the items, police allege. Now law enforcement officers claim they know of six other women who have lost cash and valuables after affairs with the man.
In 2007 a 20-year-old woman lost €3,000, some mobile phones and had to face a €900 mobile phone bill allegedly incurred by the man; in May 2011, it is claimed he stole the bank card of another of his conquests and emptied the account, and a few months later another victim is said by police to have had a substantial amount of money and jewellery stolen.
ILLES BALEARS University received the annual award by the Black Pig Breeders Association for its genetic research on Mallorca’s indigenous pigs.
Noisy works GUARDIA CIVIL have arrested a 34-year-old Moroccan man in Ses Salines’ Colonia de Sant Jordi district for allegedly trying to stab two construction workers, who were at his neighbour’s house, for their noisy work.
CIUTADELLA Mayor Jose Maria de Sintas has granted a 7.30am closing time extension to bars and clubs in the town for Christmas Eve as well as for New Year’s Eve.
CAPITAL CELEBRATION: Puerta del Sol in Madrid, the focus of Spain’s national New Year celebrations.
Savings bid
I
Bar attack
Ringing in New Year with grapes and red underwear N the UK the chimes of Big Ben in London ring in the New Year. At the same time millions of British expatriates dotted around the world, including in Spain, tune into UK television and radio - whatever the time difference - for a ‘back home’ touch to the celebrations. Here in Spain the main focus is on the capital Madrid where the chimes of the clock in Puerta del Sol annually see the New Year in, with the event broadcast on television. Nationally it is traditional to eat 12
Quote of the week
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A PALMA judge has imposed a restraining order against a Guardia Civil officer after he allegedly beat up his wife.
Extension
German visit
A TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced at Palma Provincial Courts to three years in prison for having a greenhouse dedicated to growing marihuana at his home.
Unlawful force
BALEARES received €26 million from Europe’s Common Agricultural Policy for 2012 while the Canary Islands received €263 million, 10 times more.
Product pride
Jail term
Nwatch ews
Cash subsidy
LOCAL Hotel Group HM Hotels opened Hotel Balanguera in Palma last week, the chain’s second in the city.
SANT LLORENC Mayor Mateu Puigros attended an open doors day at the Westmunster Land Reiseüburo travel agency in Sathlon, Germany due to the popularity of Cala Millor among the German town’s residents.
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What happened with airports and trains also happened to Health Care in Spain. Too many centres were open with no planning, not meeting the real needs.
Jose Maria Valderas, Spanish-born Senior Research Fellow at the London School of Economics and co-ordinator at the Health Services and Policy Research group, University of Oxford.
grapes for good luck to welcome in the New Year, with each one swallowed to the chime of the midnight clock and washed down with a champagne toast. This is believed to have originated in Elche, Alicante, 103 years ago after an excessive grape harvest, and has remained since, although documentation also refers to the event dating back slightly earlier to 1897. Many Spanish men and women - and some longer-term expatriates - also don new red underwear on New Year’s Eve which they later burn for good luck.
Number of the week
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days is the average delay time for surgical treatment in Spanish public health centres, the Ministry of Health reported. Latest data corresponds to June 30.
THE Mallorca Regional Government has temporarily approved the private management of the Can Boi (Deià) and Pont Romà (Pollença) mountain refuges in a bid to save up to €256,800 a year.
GUARDIA CIVIL and Local Police in Alcudia have arrested a Moroccan man who fled in a car after allegedly stabbing two customers in a bar at the Mississippi del Port Alcudia apartment complex area.
and finally... SPANISH anchorwoman and actress Pilar Rubio has been fired from Telecinco television channel. When hired in 2010, she was presented as a star, but since then all programmes she was involved in had poor viewing rates or were cancelled.
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27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013
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Mallorca
An expensive ‘free’ demolition CAMPOS Town Hall has set aside €200,000 for the demolition of 68 illegal beach apartments, even though it hopes it won’t cost them a single euro. The plenary session at Campos Town Hall approved the assignment of the money to demolish the illegal apartments at Ses Covetes. The Balearic High Courts ordered that the
demolition must be carried out on May 15 2013, at the latest. Even though the town hall’s government team (Popular Party and Accio) is hoping not to spend a single euro on the demolition, there is a fear that the council may end up having to pay to comply with the order. The sentence states that the demolition project, which is reported by the council to be free, has to be submitted before January 15. All the documents needed for the work must be submitted before March 15 so the actual demolition can begin, and by May 15, before the tourist season starts, not a trace of the 68 beach front apartments must be left.
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‘Strangler thief’ suspect arrested A MAN has been arrested by National Police for allegedly robbing women after choking them into unconsciousness. The 42-year-old Spaniard, Juan Sebastian RP, was arrested after allegedly being spotted by police taking a shoulder bag from a car which had stopped at traffic lights in the Pere Garau market area of Palma. Once in custody, police claimed that he was ‘an extremely violent and dangerous criminal who robbed women after strangling them’, and that he had recently been released from Palma prison after a 10-year sentence for multiple offences.
Police allege that he was the man responsible for a strangulation assault on December 12, when a 19-year-old woman was choked unconscious after being approached from behind in Calle Lladoner in the Rafal neighbourhood. Her backpack was stolen. He is also accused of a second assault two days later when he allegedly entered a Chinese-run clothes store on Calle Capitan Villa wearing a hood and dark sunglasses. Police claim he approached a Moroccan woman from behind, choked her until she fainted, and took her handbag.
Concerns over labour ward WOMEN going into labour at Son Espases Hospital, Palma, are reduced to using urine sample bottles filled with stones as makeshift rattles to attract nurses’ attention. According to internet Ultima Hora, daily pregnant women in the birth section’s dilation room do not have any bells or a proper callingsystem to get the midwives’ attention. As an alternative, women in labour shake the jars filled with stones to be heard at the nurses’ station 30 metres away.
PRESS
Stories making headlines from the United Kingdom
Royal land A SLICE of Antarctica has been named Queen Elizabeth Land. The 169,000-square mile area is twice the size of the UK and is populated by penguins, seals and various bird species.
Famous face THE BECKHAMS’ middle son Romeo is the new face of Burberry. The 10-yearold son of football star David and ex-Spice Girl Victoria has filmed the campaign with Mario Testino, who also shot William and Kate’s official engagement pictures.
Night owls
CABLE DANGER: Ward floor is a ‘minefield’. On top of that, the floor is a minefield of electrical cables and, on more than one occasion, women about to give birth have have vomited over them causing short-circuits And, the internet site
claims, oxygen points in the dilation room at the Palma hospital are more than two metres away from the beds, which makes connecting oxygen very difficult should it be needed in emergencies.
Taxes ‘maim’ finances AN ever-increasing number of taxes could hit tourism and ‘maim’ household finances. That is the claim of representatives of the food and drink, packaging, distribution, catering, trading and container waste management industries. Now they have complained to the central government about the number of new taxes being applied to their sectors. As an example, they mentioned the proposed
BRITISH
Balearic tax on drink containers, which they say is aimed at raising cash to balance accounts, rather than for any ecological reason. Foods and Drinks Industries Spanish Federation President Horacio Gonzalez said that there is no legal or environmental justification for introducing a tax on drinks containers. He added that regions throughout Spain are also raising new taxes on large business properties and
setting ‘unjustified’ taxes on food and drink. He warned that “this increase in regional taxes penalises consumers at an extremely delicate moment for the economy. “Measures being taken by certain regional governments will severely maim every household’s finances as well as having a severe impact on entrepreneurial activity and tourism, which will end up affecting productive sector jobs and domestic consumption.”
HALF of British workers are classed as night-owls, only seeing daylight on their lunch break during the winter months. As the sun rises at 8.02am and sets at 3.52pm, many only catch a glimpse of daylight between October and April.
Bank refund NATWEST and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) are set to pay out £10 million (€12.3 million) to 300,000 customers who forgot to take their money from a cash machine. Other banks automatically credit people’s accounts when leaving money behind, but RBS, until recently, diverted the money into its own reserve accounts.
Cereal slang A SCOTTISH slang term for male genitalia has been used on cereal boxes. Weetos packets feature a range of cartoon moustaches with a variety of labels, one of which is Big Baws.
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GERMAN
PRESS
Stories making headlines from Germany
Late post LETTERS posted by German soldiers occupying British island Jersey 71 years ago are finally being delivered.
More buyers HELP PLEA: Postal workers staged demonstrations to support a UNICEF campaign.
Posties help malnourished children THOUSANDS of Correos postal staff gathered outside their work centres last week to simultaneously textmessage UNICEF to raise funds for the
New jobs website AN employment website has been created jointly between the University of Islas Baleares and those in Las Palmas de Gran Canarias, Huelva, Vigo, Girona and Almeria. The Porta Laurea project aims to promote and improve the employability of graduates of the participating universities, for which a special agency will be created. Apart from the six current universities, more can join the project. Porta Laurea will enable the access of the best curriculums by companies as well as nationwide specialised job vacancies by graduates.
treatment of severelymalnourished children in third world countries. Also, postal workers held numerous ‘flashmobs’ to attract the attention of passers-by and raise awareness about a problem affecting 20 million children worldwide below the age of five. In the Balearic region, around 1,200 postal workers participated in the mass UNICEF textmessaging initiative and a further 25 took part in ‘flash-mobs’ where the participants perform a rehearsed dance or song apparently spontaneously. The campaign, which denounces that in many parts of the world children celebrate days going by, rather than whole years, due to low life expectancy, will be in force until next February. Anybody interested in joining the cause can do it by sending a text message containing the word “UNICEF” to 28028, costing €1.20, which will help finance a single day of treatment for acute malnourishment in children. An entire course of treatment lasts between four and six weeks.
PROPERTY firms Accentro, IVG and Engel & Volkers reported a rise in Spanish, Greek and Italian buyers in Berlin, which they linked to putting their money somewhere safe.
Out of prison MORE than 1,000 prison inmates across Germany who have proven good behaviour will get the traditional seasonal amnesty, to spend Christmas with their families.
Pony travels PASSENGERS on a Berlin S-Bahn train were surprised to be travelling alongside a pony named Seppi. The 16-year-old owner said she had taken it on a day-long excursion.
Tax fraud THE German owner of top-visited porn websites YouPorn, Pornhub, Fabian Thylmann, was held for alleged tax fraud after a Cologne court issued a warrant.
Higher fines CAR parking fines for exceeding the time limit could be doubled in Germany, according to Tranport Ministry plans, Saarbrücker says Zeitung newspaper.
Firms invest AROUND 70 per cent of those surveyed by the Bertelsmann Foundation said the immigrant community in Germany encourages international firms to invest in the country.
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Mallorca
FAMILY LINE-UP: Michel and Steven with family members. MALE DOMAIN: Michel with male members of the EWN team.
A grand party night A
S parties go, it was something very special. Hosted by Euro Weekly News Publishers Michel and Steven Euesden, it was held to mark the staff annual Christmas dinner, as well as to celebrate Michel’s 50th birthday, and her parents George and Irene Mole’s earlier Golden Wedding anniversary. And part of the underlying theme to the black-tie event at the Valparaiso Restaurant in Mijas - closed to the public for the night was the local community. The more than 160 people attending the party, which began with a Champagne and canapé reception, included diplomats, top corporate
PRIZE LINE-UP: Michel and Steven with EWN award winners.
EWN Awards 2012 • Exceptional Services Award – Clive Jacques • Most Promising – Gemma Quinn • Best Newcomer – Laura Bruce • Best Design Manager – Beatriz Barroso • Best Department Manager – Amalia Calle • Most Progressive Manager – Marcos Poyastro • Best Media Buyer – Esteban Molina
• Most Competent Accountant – Silvia Gutierrez • Most Loyal (1999-2012) – Jose Valentin • Colleague of the Year – Kim Hermansen • Extraordinary Employee – Fiona Rooney • Employee of the Year – Mary Garden • Best Salesperson – Benjamin Wickham • Platinum Award – Nicki Burgess
clients, family and close friends of Michel and Steven, as well as EWN staff from the various offices including Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca, Mallorca and Almeria, plus freelance columnists. English soul band The Real Thing topped the entertainment bill during and following the seven-course dinner. Other performers included tenor Stephen Lloyd-Morgan, 2004 X-Factor finalist Rowetta, Pablo the Saxophonist, Magician Al and Dan the Compere. There was also a grand firework display at midnight that lit up the Mijas skyline.
27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013
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EWN 9 Mallorca
Awards for leaders in community
FEMALE DOMAIN: Steven, with female members of the EWN team.
to remember
DURING an impressive presentation ceremony, several key community figures received EWN recognition for their untiring support and effort on behalf of the local expatriate population. The awards were: • Most Informative Association; British Consul and staff. • Best Foreigners Department; Mijas Town Hall. • Expatriate Agency of the Year; PLC Advertising and Marketing. • Best Fundraiser Recognition; Patti Senker. • Spain’s Expatriate Entertainer of the Year; Rowetta. All winners received an engraved plaque and flowers presented by Michel and Steven. British Consul Steve Jones said he and his team were delighted by the award. “They are dedicated professionals working hard at one of the world’s three busiest British consulates,” he said. The Best Foreigners Department Award was received by Mario Bravo and Anette Skou. “I am pleased that the hard work of all the Mijas staff is publicly recognised through this award,” said Mario, the department’s councillor. Philip Langley, Managing Director of PLC, after receiving, along with staff members, the Expatriate Agency of the Year Award for providing dedicated service to the Costa del Sol for more than 20 years, said: “We were amazed to win considering such strong competition. We work very hard to meet our clients’ objectives, so to be nominated and win this award is the cherry on the cake to our exceptional year.” Patti Senker, who has dedicated more than 20 years to fundraising for charities – many of which need help more now than ever before – said the award was “totally unexpected but gratefully received.” Hours after receiving Spain’s Expatriate Entertainer of the Year Award, Rowetta flew to the UK to support British alternative rock band The Happy Mondays. Presentations to key EWN staff were then made by Michel and Steven, who said their personal thanks went to “not just the award winners, but to all the totally dedicated and hard-working EWN family.” And they ended by adding: "And 2013 will be even more special.”
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Mallorca
Grandfather jailed for child rape A GRANDFATHER has been jailed for raping his two granddaughters in Felanitx. The sixty-eight-year-old man was sentenced to five years and six months in prison for raping the girls while they were in his care.
The sentence also imposes a €2,000 compensation for each of the girls as well as a five-year restraining order. A Palma court heard that the girls were abused repeatedly between 1999 and August 2002, by Joaquin SB.
Charges against the children’s parents and grandmother were rejected by the court. The mother was cleared of hitting the children, and father and grandmother were acquitted of allowing the abuse of the girls.
SCANDINAVIAN PRESS Stories making headlines in Denmark, Norway and Sweden
Mayor abuse NORWAY - The now ex-mayor of Vågå, Rune Øygard, aged 53, resigned after being jailed for four years for repeatedly abusing a 13-year-old girl.
Sex sentence
CHARITABLE: Members of the Rotary Club of Calvia support local organisations.
Charities benefit from clubs DONATIONS of more than €15,000 were made to seven charities dedicated to helping children in Mallorca. The Rotary Club of Calvia made
presentations to the charities; Allen Graham 4kids, Nuevo Futuro,
RANA, Respiralia, Salvation Army, Scouts and Ses Miñones.
Tests for Mallorcan ‘Unabomber’ MALLORCA’S alleged ‘Unabomber’ has been sent for more psychological tests. The twenty-one-yearold had allegedly planned to bomb the Islas Baleares University campus on April 20 2013, It will be the anniversary of the Columbine High School Massacre (Colorado, United States) in which 12 students and a teacher were shot to death. He was arrested on October 3 this year at his house in Palma, after being under police investigation for months. Police claim he was about to pick up 140 kilogrammes of chemical substances he had bought on the internet to be used as explosives. A judge remanded him in custody, and he has been locked up ever since, except for two brief trips out of jail for psychological tests. The first psychological exam took place on
November 14, in which he was made to open a parcel with an electric ‘picklock’ seized by police when they searched his house. He intended to use the picklock to build the cylindrical bombs as well as to force locks to steal other items he would need for his plan, claim police. The forensic psychologist said: “The tests have gone well and he will do more soon, I cannot say anything else.” His lawyer said that the results of the psychological tests will be conclusive towards determining whether or not her client suffers from a personality disorder. The Unabomber, Theodore Kaczynski, was once the most wanted criminal on the American FBI’s list. He killed three and injured 21 in a string of bombings. He is serving life without parole.
SWEDEN - A 37year-old woman was sentenced by a Gothenburg court to probation and psychiatric treatment for using human bones for sexual purposes
Sloppy job DENMARK Copenhagen police admitted that they improperly used Google’s online tranlation service when accusing a Kurdish resident of financing terrorism.
Angry mob SWEDEN - 27 youths were held in a series of riots in Gothenburg. They were protesting about a student who allegedly labelled local teens as ‘sluts’ and ‘whores’ in hundreds of internet pictures.
Danish wolf DENMARK - The National Nature Agency confirmed that a dead animal found in a Jutland national park was a wolf, the first in nearly two centuries to be spotted in Denmark.
Tunnel fire NORWAY Thousands of commuters were forced to use alternative transportation after a fire closed a main railway tunnel under Oslo.
27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013 www.euroweeklynews.com
Stat of week Electricity bills could increase 5 per cent from January 1 following a request by power companies to the Spanish government.
Finance,
business
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legal
A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 8 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION
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Ringing up most moans Mobile operators head the complaints league MOBILE PHONE operators are the most complained about businesses in Spain. And complaints regarding charges for services which clients have not asked for are on the rise. Forty-seven per cent of mobile phone users claim their company has charged them for a service they have not
Internet links lagging behind THERE are fewer houses in Spain with internet access than the European average. Although internet connections have improved in the past six years, the official EU statistics service, Eurostat, reports that 68 per cent of Spanish homes have internet access, against a European average of 76 per cent. However, while in Holland, 94 per cent of homes are on the internet, in Greece and
Romania, the number is 54 per cent. When it comes to broadband connections, Spain is also below the EU average with 67 per cent compared to 72 for the EU as a whole. In Spain, 74 per cent of internet users mainly read the news, 61 per cent post on social networking sites and 58 per cent book trips and services. Forty-five per cent use online banking and only 12 per cent create blogs or websites.
requested at least once, and 32 per cent claim to have been charged for calls they haven’t made, according to consumer group Facua-Consumidores en Accion. More than 50 per cent of people who have complained to their mobile company have said their problem was not solved.
B
usiness extra
Job keyword THE most searched-for keyword on Yahoo! search engine in 2012 was Infojobs, one of Spain’s major job search sites, established in 1998.
Work worry FORTY per cent of Spaniards admit that the problem which worries them most is lack of work, according to a survey by the Sociological Research Centre (CIS).
Real Christmas surprise GERMAN supermarket chain Lidl will have to pay €200,000 in Christmas dinners after a generous offer got out of hand. The company offered to hand out tomato soup, chicken vol-auvents with potatoes, ice cream cake and chocolates as a Christmas dinner at soup kitchens in Belgium. It launched the offer on its Twitter page, saying it would give out four servings for each ‘tweet’ mentioning the hashtag
#luxevooriedereen (luxury for all). Lidl had estimated 1,000 servings at €20 each, but the local press got hold of the offer and within 24 hours, 1,500 people had ‘tweeted.’ Lidl had to hand out 7,500 Christmas dinners. However, far from complaining, The company rounded the total up to 10,000 and said the campaign had been a success, although it added it was not sure whether it would repeat the promotion in 2013.
FUMING: Mobile phone companies get most complaints.
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When it is just too late to put new item on agenda Q. IN an earlier column you explained that the Horizontal Law gives property owners the right to request that items be placed on the official agenda of the forthcoming AGM of the Community of Property Owners. This I did by email and confirmed by letter the following day. The request was made more than four weeks before the meeting. My items did not appear on the agenda and I was told that the agenda had already been compiled and my items arrived too late. The agenda was published and distributed three weeks before the meeting so they had a week to fit my items You and the in. I can find no reference in the Horizontal Law to a time Law in Spain By David Searl limit. Perhaps you could comment. R P, Costa del Sol A. YES, Article 16 of the Law of Horizontal Property says that any owner may request that items be placed on the agenda for the Annual General Meeting (AGM). It states clearly that the president shall place such items on the agenda when requested. There is no time limit specified. The only time limit mentioned is that the AGM must be convoked at least six days in advance. So it seems that we have here a borderline case. Perhaps the agenda had been carefully prepared and sent to the printer just before your letter arrived and perhaps it already contained a number of complex items, so the president decided to leave yours out for this time. This is a defensible position. Or perhaps the president preferred not to bring up the points you mention at this time, so he rushed the agenda into final form in order not to include them. This would be an abuse of his powers. In either case you have the right to go to court to claim that you have been deprived of your right to place an item on the agenda. Your letter was in proper form and seemed to be well in time. However, the president can surely claim that it really was too late for changes. 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
27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013 Mallorca
Nissan steers towards bigger future NISSAN is investing £250 million in its Sunderland factory, directly creating 280 jobs. This year the Japanese company has built 500,000 cars at the plant.
£££
BOARDROOMS at science and engineering companies have the lowest proportions of women, a study by the Royal Society of Edinburgh found. Some academic societies have as few female members as one for every 75 men.
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ritish usiness riefs £££
TELECOMS regulator Ofcom has said that seven companies have qualified to bid for superfast 4G mobile broadband airwaves. BT, firm MLL Telecom and Hong Kong’s PCCW Limited can enter bids, as
well as EE, Vodafone, O2 owner Telefonica and Hutchison, which owns Three.
£££ THE new boss of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, is to be paid £874,000 (€1 million) a year. A generous £250,000 (€307,000) housing allowance comes on top of £480,000 (€590,000) salary and £144,000 (€177,000) worth of pension contributions.
The killer smog that made politicians clean up city air THERE’S been a lot of reporting lately in the British media concerning the Great Smog of December 1952 which, as a 22-year-old electrician, I experienced first-hand. Dense fogs had long been London’s particular badge of infamy, but the Jim ‘Great’ version Collins was literally, a POLLUTION: Exploiting resources too much is dangerous. killer. Figures vary, Costa Blanca depending upon the source, but all agree smog finally cleared, Unfortunately, this ancient deposits of that the directly taking down those new isn’t quite the case. The petroleum whilst at the attributable deaths were curtains, now with a dense particles of the same time uncovering numbered in thousands. dirty black stain along Great Smog have been huge areas of longIt lasted throughout the tops, to wash them. replaced by invisible, buried and frozen the weekend, bringing But they fell to pieces in but just as deadly, vegetation. traffic to a standstill as her hands, rotted away nitrogen dioxide, As it defrosts, it buses were stuck in their by the chemicals we’d all emitted by the countless decays and releases depots and the drivers been forced to breath. motor vehicles now massive quantities of of London’s black cabs London’s dense fogs clogging the capital’s methane, a greenhouse stayed at home. I’m not had for a century or thoroughfares. gas far worse than CO2. exaggerating when I tell more been a cause for It has been said that, Undersea exploration you that it was concern, but it took if one wishes to breathe is also taking place in impossible to see past thousands of deaths to truly clean air, it can be the Antarctic, destroying one’s knees. It was like force politicians’ hands, found in the frozen fish stocks and the wading through a dense, resulting, in 1956, with wastes of the Arctic and natural habitat of yellow-brown, foul- the passing of the Clean Antarctic, or in the penguins and other tasting vapour-bath that Air Act. depths of the dense birds, whilst Argentina stung one’s eyes and Recognising that the Amazon jungle. again beats its warthroat. killer smog was caused by Would that this were drums. My mother had only smoke from millions of true today, but in these We are not the that week hung new domestic coal fires being modern times, with owners of this planet, curtains in the living- trapped beneath a the Earth’s population merely its custodians. room, the sash window thermal inversion, soft increasing exponentially, We have no right to of which was stuck with coal was prohibited and, latest figures show this exploit its resources as a three-inch gap at the lo! this did the trick. Smog to be only a dream. we do. It’s dangerous top, and a memory that has never returned, and The Arctic permafrost and makes no sense. has remained in my to the eye, London’s air is is being destroyed by oil But who is going to stop mind is of her, when the pure and clean. companies searching for it?
27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
www.euroweeklynews.com There are various reasons why people return ‘home’. Sometimes it is because they miss their family, or their family need them nearby, or because as they get older they would feel more secure in the UK. Maybe they just feel it is time to move on. Many people return after their spouse has died. You too may find yourself returning to the UK one day, even if you do not expect to right now. Perhaps you are already considering or planning to move back. The most important tax tip I can give you is that you need do careful planning in advance of your return. To make sure you do not miss out on any tax-saving opportunities, you should complete any necessary arrangements in the UK tax year (6th April to 5th April) before you return. So let us say you are moving back to Britain in September 2013, you should carry out the necessary changes to your wealth management by 5th April 2013 at the latest, and preferably as soon as you have made the decision. This is a complex area, and not one for do-it-yourself tax planning. You need to seek expert advice from a tax planning and wealth management firm like Blevins Franks which specialises in both UK and Spanish tax planning and how the two regimes interact.
EWN
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Mallorca
Returning To Blighty? Make Sure You Plan Ahead. Part 1 by Bill Blevins, Financia l Correspondent, Blevins Franks
UK tax on investible assets Once you are resident in the UK, you would normally be liable to UK taxes on your worldwide income and gains. This includes any income or gains in offshore trusts in which you have an interest. Trusts are a complex area so you need to seek specific advice for your circumstances. If you carry out the appropriate planning while still non-UK resident, you may be able to benefit from tax advantages when you return which are not ordinarily available to UK residents. It is often possible to arrange your investible assets in a manner where you can enjoy tax-free growth and income as a UK resident, irrespective of how much money you invest, but you need to start your planning early enough.
Capital gains tax The five-year trap often catches returning expatriates out. If you had sold any UK assets after you left the UK ( investment property, shares, etc), or made any other gains (including gains on nonUK assets which you purchased before leaving the UK) while you were resident overseas, these gains escape UK capital gains tax if you remain non-UK resident for five complete and consecutive UK tax years. If you return before the five years are up, you will have to pay tax in the UK on the gain you made. It is not proportionate to the time you spent outside the UK, so you would pay the same tax rate, and on the same amount of gains, if you returned after four-and-a-half years as you would if you returned after one (or even if you are away for over five years, but this period does not span five complete and consecutive tax years).
The amount of time you have owned the asset does not make a difference either. If you are in this situation, there may be a window of opportunity for you to take steps to avoid being faced with the tax when you return to the UK, but since this would depend on your circumstances you need to take personalised advice. At the same time, if you are selling your current property, you also need to consider what your local tax liabilities are on any gain made. The same applies for gains you made on the sale of any other assets which you may have to pay tax on locally if they are chargeable assets. If you are also liable to tax in the UK because you are returning within five years, you will get a tax credit in the UK for the tax paid in the other country. Income tax Under proposals that are due to be introduced from April 2013,
besides capital gains tax, if you have not been non-UK resident for at least five consecutive UK tax years, you could also be liable to UK income tax on large dividends received from a closed company while you were non-UK resident, or large chargeable gains from an encashment of a life assurance policy, so timing is of the essence if you are only leaving the UK for tax reasons. Next week I will look at UK inheritance tax and when your UK residence will start. In the meantime, if you are planning on returning to the UK, you should seek advice from an adviser like Blevins Franks who is experienced in this area and keeps fully up-to-date on both UK and international tax laws. 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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EWN www.euroweeklynews.com
27 December 2012 - 3 January 2013 Mallorca
LONDON - FTSE 100 C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. -4.30 -1.18 -8.00 -0.67 -26.00 -1.49 -14.88 -1.46 -34.50 -1.83 -11.05 -0.82 -11.50 -1.47 -13.00 -0.83 -3.00 -0.10 -1.86 -0.48 -14.00 -1.42 -6.80 -1.95 -5.35 -2.01 -5.10 -0.51 -20.50 -0.95 -5.00 -1.16 1.50 0.05 -3.50 -0.61
NET VOLUME 426.26 17.98 92.73 99.08 233.81 29.28 163.22 46.04 149.87 751.42 35.08 872.08 6,286.36 614.32 523.07 1,345.57 237.47 106.78
CU RR EN CI ES
C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 21
PRICE(P) C O M PA N Y Aberdeen Asset Mngmnt 360.85 Admiral Group PLC 1184.50 Aggreko PLC 1716.00 AMEC PLC 1001.50 Anglo American PLC 1852.50 Antofagasta PLC 1337.50 ARM Holdings PLC 771.75 Associated Brit Foods 1552.00 AstraZeneca PLC 2923.75 Aviva PLC 382.00 Babcock Intnl Group 973.50 BAE Systems PLC 341.10 Barclays PLC 261.45 BG Group PLC 1003.00 BHP Billiton PLC 2129.25 BP PLC 425.12 British Am Tobacco PLC 3111.25 British Land Co PLC 566.75
0.81347
Units per €
United States $......................................................1.32220 Japan Yen ¥ ...........................................................111.290 Switzerland Francs................................................1.20752 Denmark Kroner ....................................................7.46102 Norway Kroner.......................................................7.35710
C O M PA N Y
PRICE(P)
British Sky Broad Gr... BT Group PLC Bunzl PLC Burberry Group PLC Capita PLC Capital Shopping Cntrs Carnival PLC Centrica PLC Compass Group PLC CRH PLC
774.00 240.10 1011.50 1225.00 770.50 361.60 2393.00 338.60 735.75 1237.50
C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. -6.00 -2.30 -3.00 -22.00 -8.39 -0.10 1.00 -1.48 -7.00 -11.00
DOW JONES
NASDAQ
C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 21
C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 21
C O M PA N Y
PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME
MMM 3M Co 94.13 AA Alcoa Inc 8.70 AXP American Express Co 57.40 T AT&T Inc 34.17 BAC Bank of America Corp 11.52 BA Boeing Co 76.20 CAT Caterpillar Inc 89.50 CVX Chevron Corp 110.38 CSCO Cisco Systems Inc 20.24 DD E. I. du Pont de Nemours and C... 45.33 XOM Exxon Mobil Corp 88.89 GE General Electric Co 21.05 HPQ Hewlett-Packard Co 14.43 HD Home Depot Inc 61.97 INTC Intel Corp 21.03 IBM International Business Machine... 194.77 JNJ Johnson & Johnson 70.75 JPM JPMorgan Chase and Co 44.53 MCD McDonald's Corp 90.04 MRK Merck & Co Inc 42.16 MSFT Microsoft Corp 27.68
+1.11 +0.06 +0.61 +0.26 +0.33 +0.69 -1.29 +0.47 -0.0297 +0.48 +0.4536 +0.04 +0.05 +0.20 -0.0707 -0.31 +0.12 +1.00 +0.33 -1.50 +0.37
+1.19% +0.69% +1.07% +0.77% +2.95% +0.91% -1.42% +0.43% -0.15% +1.07% +0.51% +0.19% +0.35% +0.32% -0.34% -0.16% +0.17% +2.30% +0.37% -3.44% +1.35%
3.3M 14.9M 5.6M 25.4M 184.5M 4.6M 6.9M 5.9M 29.9M 4.6M 15.8M 50.8M 17.4M 8.4M 34.0M 4.2M 11.8M 25.0M 4.3M 33.6M 52.6M
1.22929
C O M PA N Y
Most Advanced Roma Financial Corporation Eloqua, Inc. Atlantic Coast Federal Corporation ReachLocal, Inc. Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Gaiam, Inc. The Hackett Group, Inc. SORL Auto Parts, Inc. PC Mall, Inc.
-0.77 -0.95 -0.30 -1.76 -1.08 -0.03 0.04 -0.44 -0.94 -0.88
PRICE
NET VOLUME 42.86 1,117.66 25.32 53.26 33.55 83.09 231.37 375.60 179.87 150.82
CHANGE NET / %
$ 15.15 5.89 / +63.61% $ 23.66 5.74 / +32.03% $ 2.52 0.5621 / +28.71% $ 12.74 1.55 / +13.85% $ 6.2204 0.7304 / +13.30% $ 3.03 0.30 / +10.99% $ 4.46 0.44 / +10.95% $ 2.51 0.23 / +10.09% $ 6.32 0.52 / +8.97%
Most Declined Amicus Therapeutics, Inc. Optical Cable Corporation Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. MISONIX, Inc. Bona Film Group Limited Arctic Cat Inc. Durata Therapeutics, Inc. American Railcar Industries, Inc. Mellanox Technologies, Ltd.
$ 3.06 $ 3.68 $ 9.14 $ 7.62 $ 4.28 $ 33.36 $ 8.46 $ 33.11 $ 58.6103
2.71 / -46.97% 0.70 / -15.98% 1.54 / -14.42% 1.22 / -13.80% 0.62 / -12.65% 4.82 / -12.62% 0.90 / -9.62% 2.89 / -8.03% 4.7897 / -7.55%
C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) CHANGE Croda International PLC 2368.50 -27.00 Diageo PLC 1809.50 -38.50 Eurasian Nat Resources ... 273.35 -7.10 EVRAZ PLC 259.70 -7.40 Experian PLC 990.50 -8.50 Fresnillo PLC 1847.50 -31.00 G4S PLC 258.80 -1.50 GKN PLC 228.20 -1.10 GlaxoSmithKline PLC 1346.00 -6.50 Glencore Intnal PLC 348.02 -1.69 Hammerson PLC 494.55 -0.30 Hargreaves Lansdown PLC 687.75 -5.04 HSBC Holdings PLC 644.30 -6.00 IMI PLC 1088.00 -12.00 Imperial Tobacco Gr PLC 2376.00 -20.25 InterContinental Hotels 1701.50 -9.00 International Consldtd 184.85 -1.17 Intertek Group PLC 3130.00 -6.00 ITV PLC 106.35 -0.70 Johnson Matthey PLC 2374.00 -33.00 Kazakhmys PLC 757.00 -9.50 Kingfisher PLC 282.55 -0.50 Land Securities Gr PLC 822.00 -1.50 Legal & General Gr PLC 147.10 -0.80 Lloyds Banking Gr PLC 48.89 -0.39 Marks & Spencer Gr PLC 392.75 -3.66 Meggitt PLC 387.60 -6.00 Melrose Industries PLC 228.55 -2.90 National Grid PLC 703.00 1.00 Next PLC 3711.50 -19.00 Old Mutual PLC 177.75 -1.80 Pearson PLC 1195.00 -5.00 Pennon Group PLC 650.00 13.62 Petrofac Ltd 1652.50 -12.00 Polymetal Intnl PLC 1153.50 -6.00 Prudential PLC 886.25 -9.00 Randgold Resources Ltd 6017.50 54.22 Reckitt Benckiser Gr PLC 3897.00 -12.00 Reed Elsevier PLC 639.75 -4.00 Resolution Ltd 254.15 -2.70 REXAM PLC 438.65 -3.60 Rio Tinto PLC 3460.50 -34.00 Rolls-Royce Holdings 882.00 -1.00 Royal Bank of Scotland 314.40 -3.14 Royal Dutch Shell PLC 2184.50 -15.00 RSA Insurance Grp PLC 126.60 -0.82 SABMiller PLC 2843.00 -2.50 Sage Group (The) PLC 293.20 -2.90 Sainsbury (J) PLC 351.45 -1.32 Schroders PLC 1696.50 -15.00 Serco Group PLC 539.50 -5.00 Severn Trent PLC 1587.50 17.90 Shire PLC 1914.00 -11.00 Smith & Nephew PLC 682.50 -1.38 Smiths Group PLC 1179.50 -1.00 SSE PLC 1449.50 -3.00 Standard Chartered PLC 1572.50 -11.00 Standard Life PLC 336.10 -2.02 Tate & Lyle PLC 770.50 -6.50 Tesco PLC 339.18 0.52 Tullow Oil PLC 1233.50 -12.75 Unilever PLC 2410.00 -11.00 United Utilities Grp PLC 686.25 12.00 Vedanta Resources PLC 1132.50 -22.00 Vodafone Grp PLC 155.38 -0.45 Weir Group PLC 1861.50 -1.00 Whitbread PLC 2481.50 -40.00 Wm Morrison Suprmrkts 264.65 0.00 Wolseley PLC 2891.50 -12.00 Wood Group (John) PLC 733.75 -13.00 WPP PLC 887.25 -4.50 Xstrata PLC 1037.50 -5.50
% C H G. -1.13 -2.08 -2.53 -2.77 -0.85 -1.65 -0.58 -0.48 -0.48 -0.48 -0.06 -0.73 -0.92 -1.09 -0.84 -0.53 -0.63 -0.19 -0.65 -1.37 -1.24 -0.18 -0.18 -0.54 -0.79 -0.92 -1.52 -1.25 0.14 -0.51 -1.00 -0.42 2.14 -0.72 -0.52 -1.01 0.91 -0.31 -0.62 -1.05 -0.81 -0.97 -0.11 -0.99 -0.68 -0.64 -0.09 -0.98 -0.37 -0.88 -0.92 1.14 -0.57 -0.20 -0.08 -0.21 -0.69 -0.60 -0.84 0.15 -1.02 -0.45 1.78 -1.90 -0.29 -0.05 -1.59 0.00 -0.41 -1.74 -0.50 -0.53
VOLUME 18.91 1,063.32 317.30 357.55 64.32 119.89 107.33 135.68 631.29 656.53 42.80 18.15 1,947.08 26.49 152.69 109.91 433.63 12.27 957.05 16.44 31.76 257.48 77.72 453.82 14,202.44 169.81 70.37 111.56 564.51 13.14 386.86 57.36 386.70 61.79 18.13 274.04 26.11 40.83 170.26 107.47 75.16 406.27 140.69 1,613.87 276.94 1,478.20 283.45 58.25 164.56 13.36 35.96 64.63 52.96 48.94 33.15 75.19 296.78 237.20 38.51 666.64 173.96 88.61 579.28 42.08 5,685.92 45.66 63.49 247.69 55.64 83.92 351.74 253.15
27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
EWN
Mallorca
www.euroweeklynews.com
‘Spain for us’ - Mercadona
FRUIT AND VEG: Mercadona spends €15 bn a year on Spanish produce.
Gun move US GUN retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods, one of the biggest in America, has suspended the sale of militarystyle semiautomatic rifles similar to the one used in the Newtown school massacre.
SPANISH supermarket chain Mercadona has come forward to dispel rumours that it was selling produce marked as Spanish but which had been sourced abroad. The group Boicotmercadona published an extensive report claiming that Mercadona imported oranges from Argentina all year, but claimed they were from Valencia. It also complained that
Instagram worries mount CONCERNS have been mounting on social networks since Facebook announced changes to the terms of the photosharing service known as Instagram. Facebook provided few details about the changes, but users of Instagram, which was introduced in 2010 and bought by Facebook last
17
year, are concerned that their photos could end up being used as advertisements. Kevin Systrom, cofounder of Instagram, wrote a blog post saying the company would change the new terms of service to make it clearer what would happen to users’ pictures. Instagram offers a free
online service, but Facebook wants to make a profit from it, and has said it will introduce the changes from January 16. They added that this would not affect any photographs previously uploaded. However, users are threatening to take their photos elsewhere, including to Yahoo’s Flickr.
Mercadona’s Hacendado brand olive oil is of poor quality and comes from Portugal, the same, it claimed, as their milk. Mercadona published a press release denying each of the accusations. The company says it only imports oranges from the end of July to November, and pointed out that it bought 110 million kilos of Spanish oranges in 2011. It also claimed that the milk is sourced from 1,400 national farms. Against accusations that it doesn’t spend enough money in Spain, Mercadona said that in 2011 it spent €15 billion on Spanish produce, making it the company which spent the most. The company, owned by Juan Roig, has become Spain’s most profitable retailer, beating El Corte Ingles this year.
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LOBAL IZ
Game of brews TV SHOW Game of Thrones, shown on Sky, has had a beer named after it. The Ommegang Brewery, New York, USA, has come up with the Belgian style brew as part of a series inspired by the Home Box Office channel.
Poles to join DESPITE the Euro crisis Poland could adopt the currency in January 2016, says Roman Kuznar. The governmental advisor stressed President Bronislaw Komorowski was a “strong supporter of Poland’s accession to the economic and monetary union.”
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
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EWN www.euroweeklynews.com
27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013 Mallorca
Cardboard cut-out groom shows ways in which money is wasted HAVE you ever wondered where your money goes? Well for some girls in the US, part of their savings have gone on helping to raise money for a woman to marry a cardboard cutout of Twilight movie star Robert Pattinson. The lucky bride-to-be of a cardboard Pattinson raised over $1,000 (€756) from the public. The money will be spent on the ceremony, dress, invitations, a cake and all the other frills needed for the wedding on January 23, 2013 in Las Vegas. Those who donated more than $35 (€26.50) to the bride and groom will even receive a custommade postcard from their honeymoon. Sounds crazy? That’s because it is. But it does highlight just how stupid
Loose change A look at finance for females Jane Plunkett jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews. com
REAL THING: Would you pay towards cost of marrying cut-out figure? we can be with our money. On a slightly less insane basis, let’s talk about other unnecessary things we spend money on. My guilt lies with lip balm. I am addicted. From lip balms to lip-gloss, lipstick, lip shine, lip matt,
lip repair or lip rescue. I have bundles of these little containers or tubes lurking around the bottom of my handbags. I buy them, love them, use them a few times and then move onto the next on the market.
A senseless waste of money I know. So I have decided to reform my ways. Pick one and stick to it. Another crazy waste of cash is a gossip magazine.
They may only cost €1.50 and it takes all of two minutes to flick through them, but the consequences of reading these glossy pages can be fatal for our finances, not to mention our intellect. We see a snap of Sara Carbonero in new ankle boots or an expensive top, and even though we don’t earn her salary we suddenly need these items. Better for our wallets and for the sake of forests to leave these magazines on the shelf. So in the run up to New Year, over a glass of mulled wine or a stroll in the chilly sunshine, maybe it’s time to reflect on the stupidity of our spending and make a New Year’s Resolution to change our ways in 2013.
Crisis adds up to meat off the menu THE eating habits of the Spanish have changed due to the financial crisis. People are now buying cheaper products, which is affecting their diet, doctors say. Money is tighter than ever in many households with 25 per cent of the population unemployed, and many families buying only the necessary products to survive. More chicken is being bought, with sales rising 3 per cent a year, while many can’t afford beef or pork, which have seen sales drop as much as 15 per cent from 2008. More dairy products, fruit and vegetables are consumed, while sales of fish are dropping. The Spanish Consumer Union reveals that
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USINESS IZ
Fees rise DRIVERS will have to pay 2.4 per cent more to use Spain’s toll roads from January 1. This will not apply to the Soller tunnel in Palma de Mallorca.
Roca closure SPANISH bathroom fittings manufacturer Roca has announced the closure of its factory in Alcala de Guadaira, in Sevilla, which will see 228 people lose their jobs.
Talks halted CYPRUS has halted talks for offshore natural gas drilling rights with a FrenchRussian consortium. Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou claimed progress had been unsatisfactory.
Share buy AMERICAN car giants General Motors, will spend $5.5 billion (€4.15 billion) to buy back 200 million shares from the US treasury.
More help
RAW DEAL: Meat consumption falling as Spain faces tough economic times. meats are one of the first products to be cut out of the diet in times of hardship. The total spend on food throughout Spain amounted to €67.5 million between October 2011 and September 2012.
Five years ago, an average family spent €4,300 per year on food. However figures now show that they are spending €100 less than in 2007 and mainly on own brand products, which account for 40 per cent of sales.
CATHOLIC charity Caritas has handed out €1 million in aid this year in the region of Aragon alone. This is 35 per cent more than was donated during last year.
Blackberry missing Whatsapp FREE messaging service Whatsapp has confirmed it will not be available on the new RIM Blackberry 10 phone. The Blackberry 10 is due to be launched in January 2013 and is aimed at regaining users who had, in recent years, opted for iPhones and other
Android phones. However, the fact that Whatsapp will be unavailable on the new phone may put many people off, and buyers will have to find an alternative way of sending messages, photos, videos and calls for free.
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27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013
EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
Mallorca
W EEKLY
ROUND - UP OF REGULAR AND OCCASIONAL TOPICS
E XPAT EXTRA
LETTERS LEAPY HEALTH & BEAUTY
FOOD TIME OUT HOMES & GARDENS
PETS TV
Cristal and walnut whips for Xmas
SO, Christmas Day didn’t exactly turn out as planned, with Crispin turning down my request for a truly romantic time of festive togetherness. Turns out his mother and father were over for the holidays and so he spent it with them.
COMMENT
As I see it... Ana Jefferson-Smith takes an irreverent look at life as a singleton expat in Spain Having not struck me as coming from a particularly close family, wanting to spend
MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE
Christmas with his parents did come as a bit of a shock. But wishing to enjoy their
company was actually a really sweet thought, even though I just wanted him for myself! Selfish, but that’s truly how I feel. I had earlier visions... in fact in truth lusting fantasies... of us enjoying a Champagne breakfast in bed, opening presents
TV satellite changes planned in 2013 set to hit some UK channels received free by thousands of British expats.
No miracleworker “THE Spanish did not vote for us for everything to continue as it was,” said Mariano Rajoy. “They wanted a profound change.” Spanish voters wanted a miracle and a reversal of the crisis but instead got austerity, rising unemployment, evictions and millions threatened by poverty. In fact, the story would be the same whoever was in government, but that is little consolation to voters or to Rajoy himself.
Taxpayers who don’t pay FINANCE MINISTER Cristobal Montoro is threatening to name and shame tax evaders, avoiders and late payers. “It’s a matter of making people pay,” he announced. The list will make no allowance for social prominence, he promised, although this is something of a joke. Hacienda regularly does just that, and the only taxpayers who pay up, grin and bear it are those on modest incomes who can least afford to.
Police hunt after driveway stolen US police have appealed for witnesses after a 300square-foot driveway was stolen from outside a house in Florida one morning, with the brick slabs dug up while the householder was at work. *** A JAPANESE waste disposal worker found $120,000 (€91,000) in unscathed notes in a stream of pulverised rubbish. There were also 2,300 fragments of destroyed banknotes. ***
JUST FANCY THAT... TWO US bank robbers have escaped from a Chicago prison after scaling a 200-foot wall with makeshift ropes and stuffing their beds with sheets to resemble bodies. *** A GOLDEN EAGLE swooped down on a small child it mistook for prey and carried him a few feet before releasing him only slightly injured.
***
A MISS USA contestant has been ordered to pay $5 million (€3.8 million) for defamation after falsely and maliciously claiming the event headed by billionaire Donald Trump’s pageant was rigged. *** A DANISH church now allows couples to marry dressed however they wish with any music of their choice.
*** BRAZIL football great Ronaldo has lost 38 pounds in three months as part of a television reality show, with the former striker facing gruelling exercises and dietary re-education on the Ideal Measurements show. *** FIVE Japanese highschool girls have been wrestled to the ground and had their left sock ripped off over the last three months by a mystery attacker.
together, struggling to cook a decent turkey lunch as we fumbled around the kitchen – tipsy of course after our morning tipple – watching Christmas films, kissing underneath mistletoe and falling asleep on the sofa in each other’s arms. My Christmas fantasy was, however, sadly all too premature. So how was Christmas Day for me? Well I spent the entire day in my pyjamas, watching the Queen’s Speech and later the Downton Abbey special. But the day was not without a highlight, consuming the bottle of Cristal I had bought for our boozy breakfast, as I devoured walnut whips. My thoughts have now turned to asking Crispin to spend New Year’s Eve with me, but what if he thinks I am getting too keen... especially after once being pushed aside for his parents? I actually found myself sitting there on Christmas night wondering if perhaps ‘spending the day with my family’ was even all a ruse. Is there really an ‘us’ or am I seeing Ana and Crispin as more than we really are? I need to take it one step at a time, and not push it even though things were so dreamy, especially after our romantic previous weekend twosome in the snowy Sierra Nevada. I don’t normally rush into things, but these last few weeks have been romantically perfect. Anyway, I really just need to be brave and ask him to share New Year’s Eve with me... to see in 2013, one of the biggest nights of the year. Let’s just hope he says yes... and we can even make our New Year resolutions together! How romantic...
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27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013
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Mallorca
Health care confusion as cover lost CANCELLATION of health cards to Residents department in the Alicante foreigners is growing around Spain since Provincial Government told EWN they new regulations came into force. are not entitled to provide information on Last week the Euro new health regulations to Weekly News reported foreign residents. 14,000 cases in She said the Valencia Torrevieja, Alicante. On Health Department (Conselltop of that, 52,229 cards eria de Salud) is in charge of have been cancelled in that. Unfortunately for A weekly focus aimed the Canary Islands, and expatriates who do not at keeping expatriate readers 4,810 in Cantabria. speak Spanish, information informed on various aspects of The health authorities in English is not provided. Life in Spain say if you are a taxpayer EU citizens who have lost resident, there is no their right to a regional By Raul Candela reason to worry, everyhealth card will still be thing stays the same. covered, according to EU Most of those losing laws. Residents who are cover are non-EU residents for whom receiving a state pension (or long-term being listed on the municipal register incapacity benefit) from their EU home (padron) is no longer enough. country need to apply for an S1 form. However, there is some confusion For British expatriates, this is done at surrounding it, not only for users but also the UK’s International Pension Centre. Once they have received it, they need in the administration. For example, Esther Ponzola from the Foreign to show it at a Spanish Social Security
office, along with the Certificate of Residence and the ‘padron’ certificate. They should be given a document that proves their right to a Health Card, which they need to take to their local health centre to register. Temporary residents, or holidaymakers, can use the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). It is free of charge and can be applied for online at the NHS website (for British nationals). Although terms of cover may vary depending on the region, some treatments are not covered by the EHIC. The E112, E121, E106 and E109 forms give access to more complete medical assistance, depending on the case. Who can receive a Health Card? According to the Royal Decree 1192/2012, of August 3, 2012, the following EU citizens have the status of an insured person and beneficiary, and COVERED: A pregnant woman in the have the right to apply for a Health Card: Hospital of Torrevieja, Alicante. a) Enrolled in the Social Security: employed or self-employed people paying contributions; Social Security system pensioners; others receiving any other SS benefit (unemployment benefit and allowance); persons WATCH out tomorrow, Friday, a mocking way: who have exhausted their December 28, as it is Spain’s ‘Inocente, inoc- unemployment benefit or Why in December? equivalent to April Fools’ Day. ente!’ (Innocent allowance or other similar Pranks, practical jokes and one, innocent benefits and are unemployed INNOCENTS’ DAY takes place in hoaxes will be carried out one!). and are not able to establish December rather than the Northern between friends, workmates, Another unoffic- their status as insured persons European style April Fool because its schoolmates and relatives. ial tradition is the in any other way. origins are different. ‘Innocents’ Day’ or ‘Holy media hoax. In b) If not enrolled, nationals of The first references to April Fools’ Innocents’ Day’ – as it is called newspapers and the European Union who are Day are found in literary documents here – is held nationwide television news registered with the Central such as The Canterbury Tales, says Wikipedia. within the Christmas programmes there Register of Foreign Nationals Innocents’ Day, however, has its festivities. So, just like during is often a hidden (Certificado de Residencia). roots in a not-so-funny Christian the night of December 24 prank in the shape Only if their annual income is episode, the Massacre of the Innocents. (‘Nochebuena’), children in of a funny, not more than €100,000 and do In this biblical story, King Herod ordered Spain traditionally knock on sarcastic or not have compulsory health care all young male children in Bethlehem to the door, singing Christmas improbable fake coverage by some other means. be executed, so as to prevent Jesus carols and asking for sweets, news item. c) Minors under the care of the Christ from being born. This happened, cookies or a small ‘fee’. For example, authorities will always have the the Catholic Church decided, on But, unlike Christmas Eve, back when David status of insured persons. December 28. Initially a way of honouring the ‘holy they will be carrying bangers, Beckham played d) Beneficiaries: The spouse of innocent’ martyrs, it eventually became eggs, flour and similar for Real Madrid, an insured person, or cohabiting corrupted into a funnier tradition in ‘weapons.’ Unfortunate magazines repor- partner in a registered partnerSpanish-speaking countries. householders who do not give ted he was ship; a divorced or legally anything may end up with participating on a separated spouse who is a their front door being dancing talent- dependant of an insured person; bombarded. show for Spanish television. children, sisters and brothers of A soft and very traditional INNOCENT!: Watch your back or you may find ‘something’ planted. Last year a newspaper said the an insured person or their prank consists of sticking a Spanish Royal Family was spouse (or dependent exwhite man-like paper cut-out longer the victim does not laughs. When he/she finally afraid of being evicted from spouse), even if they are legally on a person’s back. The notice it, the louder the realises, do not forget to say in the Royal Palace. separated.
Life in Spain
December Fools’ Day
Q AND A
AS I understand it, to sign on the municipal register, or ‘padron,’ you need a Certificate of Residence. To have it you must spend more than 182 days a year in Spain. If you spend longer in Spain you are a tax resident and must declare your worldwide income to the Spanish
tax authorities. How can you be on the padron and not be a tax resident? The Certificate of Residence is not actually needed to sign on to the ‘padron’, and the ‘padron’ does not indicate legal residence. In general, town halls advise the ‘padron’ is for
habitual residents, or those owning a property in Spain who regularly visit. But there is no deadline. The December 31 date alluded to is to ensure bigger grants for 2013. Even if that date is missed, individuals will benefit from town hall services as soon as they register.
Send your questions to: raul@euroweeklynews.com
ARE YOU FED UP
with the hassle of organising your regular payments from the UK to Spain? Relax with a more convenient way of making regular transfers from the UK to Spain. Whether you need to send funds to pay a mortgage in Spain, or transfer private pension funds to cover your living expenses, our Regular Payment Plan is a convenient and efficient way making regular transfers. It is fully automated but with the flexibility for you to set your own payment schedule. Payments are made from your UK bank account by direct debit, which we arrange on your behalf. The euros are transferred into your Spanish bank account, on the day you arrange with us. We send you notification of each transfer.
In the meantime, simply enjoy more time to relax.
If you want to hear more, call us on +34 902 887 243 or contact mallorca@moneycorp.com Please quote Euro Weekly News Mallorca
L etters OPINION & COMMENT
24 EWN
yoursay@ euroweeklynews.com
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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
Electricity bill adjustments are a total mystery WE have all probably suffered price adjustments from electricity suppliers, but has anyone been able to fathom how these adjustments have been calculated? I asked customer services at Iberdrola and sent them figures relating to what I thought the calculation should be. At various offices I was repeatedly referred to the reverse of my invoice. I can find no relation to the rates I paid and pay nor to any formula by which they calculate the price adjustments. With my simplistic but logical calculations I believe that at present levels I will have been charged almost three times what I think I should be. Do any of your readers know how the calculations were made and do any think that they are being overcharged? Richard Oats (by email)
Cycle menace I WELCOME the decision to grant restaurants and bars in Javea a four-month breathing space before having to comply with new terrace laws. But I disagree that tables and chairs on the Paseo de la Marina Espanola are making life difficult for pedestrians. To make it a more pleasant area for pedestrians, the town hall should take action against the cyclists who
Snapped! By John Weatherer of Alicante
27 December 2012- 2 Jauary 2013
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
AT this time of year many of the sunrises and sunsets are particularly colourful. Reader John Weatherer of Cabo Roig sent this in, with the admission that when he took this sunset photograph, just one word sprang to mind... ‘inferno’.
WHEN YOU WRITE
All letters, whether by email or post, should carry the writer’s postal address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published. Letters may also be edited. Readers who have missed earlier correspondence can see all letters posted on:
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consistently ride at speed and ring their bells loudly in order to intimidate you and order pedestrians out of their way. Nancy Elliott, Pedreguer (Alicante)
Money matter FOLLOWING queries over where monies raised in Spain go to for the Poppy Appeal, I received the following confirmation from Chris Wyatt, Chairman, The Royal British Legion in Spain, District North. Dear Ian, All the monies raised in Spain are used here for our beneficiaries. At the end of each year, whatever surplus is left in our Welfare Fund is returned to the UK as it earns much higher interest there. This is the same for all Overseas Branches around the world, however, that money is always available for us should we need it. Obviously, it
Mallorca
would not make sense to keep building up a huge surplus here. For instance, last year we raised over €134,000.00 and to date have given out around €80,000.00 so when this year’s collection is added in, the surplus from last year is returned to the UK. Although the majority of beneficiaries here are elderly, there have been a sprinkling of younger claimants. Please thank your members for all their hard work and efforts in collecting for the Poppy Appeal this year. I will be announcing the Poppy total in January but it already looks like another record-breaker. Chris Wyatt Thank you in anticipation. Ian C Wilson, President, Ex Servicemen’s Association of Mazarrón District (ESAMD).
Power alert A MAN who said he was from Eiffage Energia claimed he needed to update and replace the electricity meter outside with a digital meter. He said the ICP was no longer needed, removed it, and took it away. The man did not leave any receipt or information. Our Spanish advisors think we have been conned and will have to have the ICP replaced. We are in the process of switching to Iberswitch and they do not know anything either. Should I go to the police? Dorothy, Moraira (Alicante) Editor’s note: It is important to always seek proof of identification from visiting tradesmen and officials from companies.
David Petrie’s letter (Issue1432) about winter fuel payments to British pensioners drew a chilly response from our readers…
Justice ruling
Fair share
IF David Petrie rather admirably refuses to claim his winter fuel allowance (Issue 1432), then he is refuting the recent European Courts of Justice ruling that we are all entitled to claim what is and always has been rightfully ours as British pensioners. Furthermore, some pensioners in Spain already receive the allowance and some do not, which is ridiculous! Brian Johnston (by email)
THE winter fuel allowance is a payment to help pensioners with the ever-rising fuel costs and not taken from the pension contributions but from the chancellor’s tax collections. I have certainly paid in my fair share of taxes in my working life. If Mr Petrie feels that his finances are so adequate that he doesn’t need the payment, he can always give it to one of the organisations in the UK that collects such payments to redistribute to very
poor pensioners. If I was still living in the UK I would be claiming tax credits, which we don’t get here. John Dale, Torrevieja (Alicante)
Not guilty MY husband has claimed his allowance this year for the first time and I am very glad he did so. I will certainly be claiming mine next year. There are people in the UK that have never contributed a penny to the system and claim whatever is
going. I will not feel guilty about claiming the allowance. Maggie, Orihuela Costa (Alicante)
Send it back IF David Petrie is not happy receiving the fuel allowance, then reject it, send it back. I have a friend in France who is of a similar mind and some years ago, under the cover of a polite letter to the relevant department, they returned their allowance and they haven’t been bothered
since. Simple! Dave Pollard, Torrevieja (Alicante)
First payment I THOUGHT you might like to know that I have just received my first winter fuel payment from the UK. This letter is just to give other expatriates hope. Next stop is to try to and get back-payments from my entitlement age of 60. I am just about to order some logs! Phil Walker (by email)
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
26 EWN
27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013
www.euroweeklynews.com
Poll results are light at end of the tunnel L L UKIP is an intelligent, utterly lawful, competentlyled party, which is not afraid to voice its opinions on a whole spectrum of policies that worry the British people. It is in fact the voice of reason. Stricter border control and a freeze on all immigration. It’s not rocket science to see that this ‘all welcome’ policy is destroying the NHS and bankrupting our Social Services. It’s not the colour of skin, it’s the colour of money doing the damage.
Slithering surprise A BOX of deadly snakes has been found in a child’s wardrobe in Australia. Three-year old Kyle Cummins found eggs in his garden and left them in the warm confines of his cupboard.
Psy oh Psy?
EAPY EE SAYS IT
OTHERS THINK IT Out of Europe We never needed Europe. We had a Commonwealth market remember that mouthwatering NZ lamb and Australian fruit we enjoyed so much? How jealous was the EU as it saw us gathering the harvest of our considerable endeavours. Our Commonwealth cousins were bewildered when we
POLL RESULTS: Gains for UKIP.
betrayed them and moved all our purchasing power to the Europeans, many of whom were only interested in the late fruition of Adolf Hitler’s ambitions. We should put our caps in our hands, admit we made a mistake and beg forgiveness of all our war and peace allies. Although I know this sounds a bit like a party political broadcast, I can assure you it is not.
I only know something has to change, before our children are left holding a baby that is so controlled by a ‘big brother’ that sheer bewilderment will either put them in early graves or in lines of robots akin to the brain-dead citizens of North Korea. A very happy New Year to you all. Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com
GANGNAM STYLE has been chosen as one of Collins Dictionary words of the year. It is the title of Korean singer Psy’s signature song.
END COLUMN
WONDERFUL, wonderful UKIP! At last a party which echoes the thoughts and aspirations of the majority of the British public is finally getting some of the recognition it deserves. This week’s great party poll results were, to my mind, the first pinpoint of light at the end of an extremely long tunnel. A tunnel crammed with denials, dithering, downright subversives and politicians petrified to speak out in case they lose their positions of pontificating privilege. Prior to UKIP there was only the BNP. The problem with the BNP is that despite echoing the thoughts of many Brits, its past record was always against it. Although many of its policies are in complete accord with the majority of the British public, there has always been the - often to my mind unjustified - stigma of thuggery and racism in their political representations. Well, UKIP doesn’t wear this mantle of menace.
Mallorca
Sister act AN Argentine woman has married the convicted killer of her twin sister. Victor Cingolani is serving a 13year sentence for murdering girlfriend Johana Casas in 2010.
TV
27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013
LISTINGS
EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
BBC2
4:05pm Secretariat 5:55pm Nature's Weirdest Events 6:55pm The Cockleshell Heroes 8:30pm Dad's Army 9:00pm Racing Legends: Stirling Moss 10:00pm World's Most Dangerous Roads 11:00pm Mock the Week 12:00am Dragons' Den 1:00am QI 1:30am Hebburn 2:00am Twenty Twelve 2:30am This Land Is Mine World War II drama. 4:10am BBC News
ITV
5:30pm Downton Abbey 7:30pm London Tonight 7:45pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm All Star Family Fortunes 9:30pm Emmerdale 10:00pm Panto! 11:30pm ITV News and Weather 11:45pm The Holiday 2:20am Jackpot247 4:00am ITV Nightscreen
Channel 4
4:25pm Deal or No Deal's Big Christmas Dinner 5:25pm Celebrity Come Dine with Me Christmas Special 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm Hollyoaks 7:30pm Channel 4 News 7:55pm 4thought.tv 8:00pm Mary's Bottom Line 9:00pm The Hoarder Next Door 10:00pm The Restoration Man 11:00pm Dorian Gray 1:10am The Girl Who Played with Fire 3:25am The Good Wife 4:10am The Good Wife 4:50am Sunset Boulevard
Channel 5
5:20pm It's Christmas, Carol! 7:10pm World's Biggest Pets 8:05pm Eddie Stobart: Christmas Delivery 9:00pm World's Strongest Man 2012 10:00pm Dirty Dancing 12:05am You Don't Mess with the Zohan 2:05am Super Casino 4:55am House Doctor 5:20am HouseBusters 5:45am The Great Artists
BBC1 6:10pm Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers 6:40pm Pointless 7:30pm BBC News 7:45pm BBC London News 8:00pm Celebrity Mastermind 8:30pm The One Show 9:00pm Holby City 10:00pm Restless 11:30pm BBC News 11:45pm BBC London News 11:55pm The National Lottery Friday Night Draws 12:00am Take That 1:20am Weatherview 1:25am Tamara Drewe 3:05am James May's Toy Stories 4:05am Countryfile 5:05am BBC News
BBC2
5:30pm The Four Feathers 7:30pm Nature's Weirdest Events 8:30pm Blackadder the Third 9:00pm Racing Legends: Jackie Stewart 10:00pm World's Most Dangerous Roads 11:00pm QI 11:30pm Andy Parsons Gruntled Live 12:30am Never Mind the Buzzcocks 1:00am Hebburn 1:30am Twenty Twelve 2:00am Twenty Twelve 2:30am Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd 3:40am BBC News 12:30am Never Mind the Buzzcocks 1:00am Hebburn 1:30am Twenty Twelve 2:00am Twenty Twelve
ITV
5:30pm Peter Pan 7:35pm London Tonight 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm You've Been Framed! 9:30pm The Corrie Years 10:00pm All New It'll be Alright on the Night 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:15pm Gremlins 1:15am Jackpot247 4:00am Dave 5:50am ITV Nightscreen
Channel 4
5:30pm The Simpsons 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:25pm Hollyoaks 7:00pm Hollyoaks 7:30pm Channel 4 News 7:55pm 4thought.tv 8:00pm My Big Fat Gypsy Christmas 9:00pm Jamie and Jimmy's Food Fight Club 10:00pm The 50 Funniest Moments of 2012 12:05am Friday Night Dinner 12:40am 2012: Mashed 1:45am The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest 4:10am Niagara
Channel 5
8:05pm Eddie Stobart: Trucks and Trailers 9:00pm World's Strongest Man 2012 10:00pm The Mentalist 11:00pm Castle 12:00am Castle 12:55am Inside Hollywood 1:00am Super Casino 4:50am Motorsport Mundial 5:20am Divine Designs 5:45am The Great Artists
SATURDAY DECEMBER 29
BBC1 4:00pm Olympics 2012 4:30pm Sport Relief 2012 5:30pm Final Score 6:25pm BBC News 6:35pm BBC London News 6:45pm Celebrity Mastermind 7:15pm A Question of Sport 7:45pm Superstars 2012 7:15pm The National Lottery: Secret Fortune 10:10pm BBC News The latest national and international news from the BBC. 10:30pm Mrs. Brown's Boys 11:00pm Mrs. Brown's Boys 11:30pm Match of the Day
SUNDAY DECEMBER 30
BBC1
5:30pm Great Continental Railway Journeys 6:30pm University Challenge 7:00pm Climbed Every Mountain - The Story Behind The Sound of Music 8:00pm Catch Me If You Can 10:10pm Julie and Julia 12:05am Jools' Annual Hootenanny 2:40am Best Bits @ Hackney 2012 3:40am Reading Festival 2012 - Highlights
1:00am The Football League Show 2:15am Weatherview 2:20am BBC News
BBC2
4:05pm Escape to the Country 5:05pm Flog It! 6:05pm John Le Mesurier: It's All Been Rather Lovely 7:05pm Clive Dunn: A Tribute 7:45pm Dad's Army 9:15pm Climbed Every Mountain - The Story Behind The Sound of Music 10:15pm The Duchess 12:00am QI XL 12:45am God Bless Ozzy Osbourne 2:20am Carry on England
ITV
ITV
Channel 4 4:30pm Deal or No Deal's Big Christmas Dinner 7:05pm Celebrity Come Dine with Me 7:35pm Channel 4 News 7:45pm 4thought.tv 7:50pm Stephen Fry: Gadget Man 8:20pm The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 12:10am Wuthering Heights 2:35am Chocolat 4:40am 90210
Channel 5
4:10pm Grounded 5:55pm Richie Rich's Christmas Wish 7:30pm Snow White 9:10pm 5 News Weekend 9:15pm World's Strongest Man 2012 10:15pm Stephen King's Bag of Bones 1:20am Super Casino 5:00am Michaela's Wild Challenge
4:10pm The Sound of Music 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:15pm BBC London News 7:30pm Celebrity Mastermind 8:00pm Top Of The Pops New Year's Eve 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 11:15pm BBC News at Ten 11:30pm The Graham Norton Show 12:40am New Year Live 1:15am John Bishop: The Sunshine Tour 2:25am Scary Movie 4 3:40am Weatherview 3:45am BBC News
BBC2
Sunday 11:00pm Moon
5:00pm Midsomer Murders 7:00pm London Tonight 7:15pm ITV News and Weather 7:30pm 30 Years of CITV 8:30pm I Love You've Been Framed 9:30pm Dale's Great Getaway 10:30pm Love Actually 11:30pm ITV News and Weather 11:45pm Love Actually 1:20am Parenthood 3:25am Jackpot247 4:00am In Plain Sight 4:40am ITV Nightscreen
MONDAY DECEMBER 31
BBC1
4:30pm Call the Midwife 5:50pm Songs of Praise 6:30pm Wild Weather in 2012: London 7:00pm BBC News 7:20pm BBC London News 7:30pm Celebrity Mastermind 8:00pm Countryfile
Sam Rockwell
BBC1 4:25pm Monsters vs Aliens 5:50pm Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury 6:15pm Wallace and Gromit: A Grand Day Out 6:40pm Pointless 7:30pm BBC News at Six 7:45pm BBC London News 8:00pm Celebrity Mastermind 8:30pm Have I Got News for You 9:00pm EastEnders 10:00pm Restless 11:30pm BBC News at Ten 11:45pm BBC London News 11:55pm Coldplay 12:55am Point Break 2:55am Skiing Weatherview Detailed weather forecast. 3:00am Snow Babies 4:00am Wartime Farm 5:00am See Hear 5:30am BBC News
FRIDAY DECEMBER 28
Mallorca
BBC2
THURSDAY DECEMBER 27
27
9:00pm Antiques Roadshow 10:00pm Ripper Street 11:00pm BBC News 11:15pm BBC London News 11:25pm Match of the Day 2 12:25am Sport Relief 2012
BBC2
8:00pm James May's Toy Stories 9:00pm Dara O Briain's Science Club 10:00pm Neil Armstrong - First Man on the Moon 11:00pm Moon 12:30am Blade Runner
ITV
8:00pm Super Famous Animals 9:00pm Wild at Heart 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:15pm A Night with Beyonce 12:30am Rugby Highlights
Channel 4
8:00pm Come Dine with Me 9:00pm The Hotel 10:00pm Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2012 12:05am The Last Leg of the Year 1:10am Alan Carr: Chatty Man
Channel 5
8:55pm 5 News Weekend 9:00pm World's Strongest Man 2012 10:00pm An Audience with Ken Dodd 12:00am The Man Who Sued God 2:00am Super Casino 5:00am House Doctor
4:35pm Just Henry 6:35pm London Tonight 6:45pm ITV News and Weather 7:00pm Wild at Heart - Filming with Animals 8:00pm Emmerdale Cain goes to extreme lengths to win Moira back. 8:30pm Coronation Street Tyrone struggles to get away as Fiz's life hangs in the balance. 9:00pm You've Been Framed! 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm 2012: A Funny Old Year 11:00pm Bridget Jones's Diary 12:45am ITV News and Weather Mary Nightingale with the latest headlines from around the world. 1:05am Fletch 2:40am Pushing Daisies 3:25am ITV Nightscreen
Channel 4
5:00pm Deal or No Deal 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:25pm Hollyoaks Mitzeee and Maxine try to keep a manic Chez Chez under control. 7:00pm Hollyoaks As New Year strikes, friendships are lost in a cocktail of betrayal, deceit and judgement. 7:30pm Channel 4 News Includes sport and weather. 7:55pm 4thought.tv 8:00pm Come Dine with Me 10:00pm Alan Carr's New Year Specstacular 12:05am 8 Out of 10 Cats 12:50am House Party
Channel 5
4:10pm Cheyenne Autumn 7:00pm The All New Gadget Show 8:05pm Eddie Stobart: Trucks and Trailers 9:00pm World's Strongest Man 2012 10:00pm Britain's Funniest Comedy Characters 12:55am NCIS 1:55am Super Casino 5:20am Divine Designs 5:45am The Great Artists
TUESDAY JANUARY 01
BBC1 5:00pm The Princess and the Frog 6:35pm BBC News 6:50pm BBC London News 7:00pm Celebrity Mastermind 7:30pm Up 9:00pm EastEnders 10:00pm Miranda 10:30pm Mrs. Brown's Boys 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:15pm BBC London News 11:25pm Match of the Day 12:45am The Graham Norton Show 1:50am Weatherview Detailed weather forecast. 1:55am BBC News
BBC2
4:35pm Great Continental Railway Journeys 5:30pm Final Score 6:25pm The Archbishop of Canterbury's New Year Message 6:30pm Goodbye to Canterbury 7:30pm University Challenge 8:00pm Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight 9:00pm Nature's Weirdest Events 10:00pm Queen Victoria's Children 11:00pm Charlie Brooker's 2012 Wipe Out 12:00am QI 12:30am I'm in a Boy Band 1:30am Hebburn 2:00am Twenty Twelve 2:30am Count the Hours
ITV
4:45pm Elizabeth: Queen, Wife, Mother 5:50pm Les Miserables Movie Special 6:45pm ITV News and Weather 7:00pm River Monsters 7:30pm Emmerdale 8:00pm Royal Babies 9:00pm Celebrity Who Wants to be a Millionaire? 10:00pm Gary Barlow and Friends 11:15pm ITV News and Weather 11:30pm King Kong 2:40am Jackpot247 Join the presenters live and play roulette on your telly. 4:00am Pushing Daisies 4:45am ITV Nightscreen Text-based information service.
Channel 4
4:30pm Deal or No Deal 5:30pm The Wizard of Oz 7:25pm Channel 4 News 7:30pm Deal or No Deal 8:30pm Frankie Howerd 10:00pm Robin Hood 12:45am Rude Tube 1:50am The Last Leg of the Year 2:45am Bug 4:30am St. Elsewhere A dream comes true for Dr Craig, while Rosenthal may regret striking a rival nurse. 5:15am Smallville Drama series following the teenage years of the future Superman, Clark Kent.
Channel 5
6:40pm The Dam Busters 9:00pm World's Strongest Man 2012 10:00pm 50 Shocking Facts About Diet and Exercise 12:05am The Craft 2:05am Super Casino 4:55am House Doctor 5:20am Divine Designs 5:45am The Great Artists
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 02
BBC1 4:45pm Perfection 5:30pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News The latest news, sport and weather from London. 8:00pm Celebrity Mastermind 8:30pm Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death 9:00pm Holby City 10:00pm Africa 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm A Question of Sport 12:05am Match of the Day 1:10am Disturbia 2:45am Weatherview 2:50am Rome's Lost Empire 4:10am Inside Claridge's 5:10am BBC News
BBC2
4:15pm The Cheyenne Social Club 6:00pm Great Continental Railway Journeys 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm University Challenge 8:00pm Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight 9:00pm Nature's Weirdest Events 10:00pm Queen Victoria's Children 11:00pm Mock the Week 12:00am Never Mind the Buzzcocks 12:30am I'm in a Girl Group! 1:30am Hebburn 2:00am Twenty Twelve 2:30am The Big Steal
ITV
5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm London Tonight 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Midsomer Murders 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:35pm 2012: A Funny Old Year 12:35am Safari Vet School 1:05am Jackpot247 4:00am Bonnie and Clyde 5:55am ITV Nightscreen
Channel 4
5:00pm Deal or No Deal 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:55pm 4thought.tv 9:00pm Gok's Style Secrets 10:00pm One Born Every Minute 11:00pm Secrets of a Good Marriage with Sharon Horgan 12:05am The 50 Funniest Moments of 2012 2:05am Rosemary's Baby 4:25am Destination Moon
Channel 5
6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Emergency Bikers 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm Eddie Stobart: Trucks and Trailers 9:00pm World's Craziest Police Pursuits 10:00pm Elektra 12:00am Wind Chill 1:45am Forensic Files 2:15am Super Casino 4:55am House Doctor 5:20am Divine Designs 5:45am The Great Artists
28 EWN
27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013
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For solutions: http://www.euroweeklynews.com/puzzle-answers.html
Time Out
It's a better week for travel with less likelihood of delays. Should you be feeling a little lethargic and sorry about recent events, just count your blessings. Consider raising some money and having fun by indulging in a garage or car boot sale.
AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Spirituality seeps right through the week. As you are feeling particularly sensuous, invite someone special to dinner or on a trip. Visit garden centres and plan ahead. The colours and perfumes will be particularly pleasing.
PISCES (February 20 - March 20)
Satisfaction with your love life is paramount this week, and the opinion of others seems important to you. Perhaps you are looking for an excuse to
Expat writer Michael Walsh’s poetry is unique; people actually like, understand and draw inspiration from it; a sentiment that crosses continents and social status. Diamonds Last Forever is the third in a trilogy of his poetry and is typical of his work. The collection includes verse that will appeal to all ages and social groups. In fact, it is two collections in one; the second is
IF ITʼS YOUR BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK Possibly you did not imagine how active the New Year would be. You are already needing to pull in the reins. Be careful what you wish for because this year it could come true.
Y our S tars
colleague brings insights into how others live and it is quite an eye-opener. Friendships are particularly important this week.
ARIES (March 21 - April 20)
TAURUS (April 21 - May 21)
A conversation with a
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.
There is something in you that
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Joan Manuel Serrat, born December 27, 1943. He is a Spanish singer and songwriter, considered by society and musicians as one of the most influential figures in popular Spanish and Catalonian music, with a discography of more than 30 albums. He is currently on tour with another popular singer, Joaquin Sabina.
GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Being very much in demand for your talents this week means less time to spend socially, so it's important to make time for loved ones at the weekend. Someone seeking your advice may simply be seeking your approval for an action they are going to take anyway. .
CANCER (June 22 - July 23) There may be some opposition to your ideas as Pluto turns this week. Perhaps your natural charm just doesn't seem to be working. As you have helped others in the past, make it clear that you expect a bit of co-operation.
LEO (July 24 - August 23)
VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Although you have perhaps been looking to money-making ideas to progress finances, think also of alternatives. Perhaps there are areas of your lifestyle where money could be saved. Items that are not used could be sold for a profit and rid you of clutter.
LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) Having suffered a bit of a setback last week, you may be feeling less confident. Revving up your social life will certainly help to bring spirits up again. Be with people who liven or inspire you in some way.
AND THE WINNER IS THE winning number of this year’s El Gordo lottery was drawn at 10.07am and the majority of winning ‘decimos’ (tenths) had been sold in Alcala de Henares, Madrid, although there were winners throughout Spain.
Identify the original ‘sources’ of the following famous/infamous ‘political’ quotations. The year that they were first used has been given in brackets as a clue.
1. ‘A week is a long time in politics’ (1964) 2. ‘I did not have sexual relations with that woman’ (1998) 3. ‘I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed’ (1963) 4. ‘I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a King of England too’ (1588) 5. ‘Indeed, let us be frank about it. Most of our people have never had it so good’ (1957) 6. ‘Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning’ (1942) 7. ‘Read my lips: no new taxes’ (1998) 8. ‘There can be no whitewash at the White House’ (1973) 9. ‘To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the U-turn, I have only one thing to say: You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning!’ (1980) 10. ‘Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is Ich bin ein Berliner!’ (1963)
needs a creative outlet. Perhaps you would like to write a book: memoirs, for instance, take up a craft or paint.
This is a week when progress is fast and plans run ahead. Try new ideas and seek information to hone your knowledge. An organisation that is new to you offers insight and social involvement. An offer that thrusts you into the limelight might be avoided at first but would be to your advantage.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
Just joking
beautifully illustrated. Expect intense romantic feelings, along with verse that lovers of nature will find enchanting. Don’t be surprised to find his personal favourites, ‘The Cattle in the Lea’ and ‘Where Skylarks Sing’ sharing company with ‘Homage to the
make a change. It is possible that a change is not required so much as a different approach. It is not essential to put all your eggs in one basket.
SU DOKU
A man asks his friend for a cigarette. His friend says ‘I thought you made a New Year’s resolution to quit smoking?’ The man says ‘I’m in the process of quitting. Right now I’m in the middle of phase one.’ ‘What's phase one?’ asked his friend. ‘I've quit buying,’ he replied.
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POLITICALLY CORRECT
Nonagram
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20)
BOOKS
Female Tummy.’ Another favourite was his thought provoking; ‘I Gave my Son Away Today’ and perhaps drawing on his own experiences, ‘I Saw a Tall Ship Sailing By.’ Those who love Spain will like ‘It Was Christmas Day in the Casa.’ Available on Amazon Kindle £2.59.
TARGET: Average: 10 Good: 13
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
ante, anti, cant, cent, cite, emit, etna (gas burner), item, mate, meat, meet, mete, mint, mite, neat, tame, team, teem, teen, time, tine, actin, ament, antic, eaten, emmet, enact, enate, matin, meant, tinea, cement, emetic, enatic, entice, inmate,mantic, centime, matinee, MINCEMEAT
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 B) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.
Word ladder COAL
SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Thoughts come to you, perhaps in dreams, that are creative and energy boosting. Someone who recently moved out of your sphere is sadly missed but is in some ways still a part of you. A person at work who has been causing you concern needs investigation.
SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) A strong and exciting romantic feeling flows through the week, which is fitting as Valentine's Day comes round again next month. Someone returning from a trip makes you smile and boosts your spirit. People who have been a little bossy finally
Very good: 19 Excellent: 23
SEAM
Move from the start word (COAL) to the end word (SEAM) in the same number of steps as there are rungs on the Word Ladder. You must only change one letter at a time.
COAL COAT CHAT CHAM SHAM SEAM
It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act. But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. 2h45 Director: Christopher Nolan Starring: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
10-star quiz
COAL FOAL FOAM ROAM REAM SEAM
Harmonising heart, mind and
The Dark Knight Rises
1. Harold WILSON, 2. Bill CLINTON, 3. Martin Luther KING, 4. ELIZABETH I, 5. Harold MACMILLAN, 6. Winston CHURCHILL, 7. George H W BUSH, 8. Richard NIXON, 9. Margaret THATCHER, 10. John F KENNEDY
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Crosswords CRYPTIC Across 1 Look, draw different job (8) 7 Loud stringed instrument or wind instrument (5) 8 Latin sago mixture induces yearning for things past (9) 9 Pig or plant (3) 10 Rosemary, perhaps enthralled by Christopher Biggins (4) 11 Moderate Conservative nonsense thatʼs bad in the House (3,3) 13 Cocktail you might need before a screwdriver (6) 14 Just a bit of fun about a new Scottish town (6) 17 In which women are secluded, hard up, distressed (6) 18 Insect that used to be quiet (4) 20 Sign seen in middle of the road (3) 22 Spaceman: a prelude to Saturn, strangely (9) 23 Quick, itʼs cold (5) 24 Cutlery item a pet soon destroyed (8) Down 1 Young girl hid in Halesowen churchyard (5) 2 Mrs Rout damaged platform (7) 3 Conduct heavy metal (4) 4 Fishes in corners (6) 5 Search for some cheque stubs (5) 6 Group of people in employment at computer? (7)
ENGLISH - SPANISH The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English. Across 13 Plum (7) 1 Libro (4) 14 Ganso (ave) (5) 3 Ciego (5) 15 Soup (thick) (4) 8 Inglaterra (7) Down 9 Té (3) 10 Regla (para trazar 1 Remolacha (8) líneas) (5) 2 Proud (person) (9) 11 Joke (practical joke, 4 Mariquita (8) hoax) (5) 5 Nitrogen (9) 12 Gold (metal, comm- 6 Factories (8) odity, currency) (3) 7 Pumpkin (8)
Co d e B r e a ke r 7 Striking distance from tee to green? (7) 12 Listeners hidden in the hay only to get rumours (7) 13 Good to everyone, little creature being brave (7) 15 A singing style, a laugh, an
Down 1 Forbidden (5) 2 Annoy (3) 3 Cleaning up (7) 4 Dreary (6) 5 Courageous (5) 6 Incorporate (9) 7 Spire (7) 11 Easily nauseated (9) 13 Seedless raisin (7) 15 Jumper (7) 16 Put in (6) 18 Temperate (5) 19 Exhausted (5) 22 Anthropoid (3)
CRYPTIC - Across: 1 Statistics, 8 Earlier, 9 Again, 10 Pens, 11 Beds, 12 Sir, 14 Clever, 15 Mended, 18 Arc, 20 Team, 21 Dime, 23 Learn, 24 Trumpet, 25 Celebrated. Down: 1 Strange, 2 Asia, 3 Israel, 4 Transfer, 5 Class, 6 Respectable, 7 Ingredients, 13 Sentence, 16 Dripped, 17 Batter, 19 Crane, 22 Hurt. QUICK - Across: 1 Stairs, 5 Eggnog, 8 Hall, 9 Eyeliner, 10 Rheostat, 11 Tray, 12 Broken, 14 Thrill, 16 Barn, 18 Fidelity, 20 Toboggan, 21 View, 22 Weekly, 23 Stress. Down: 2 Teacher, 3 Igloo, 4 Sweeten, 5 Event, 6 Glitter, 7 Opera, 13 Kinfolk, 14 Tidings, 15 Letters, 17 Adore, 18 Foggy, 19 Lover. ENGLISH - SPANISH Across: 1 Desfilas, 5 Joy, 7 Pastor, 8 Rojo, 9 Bed, 10 Navidad, 11 Elf, 12 Angels. Down: 1 Diciembre, 2 Ivy, 3 Seasoning, 4 Snowball, 6 Oro, 7 Posada, 8 Red.
1.Unscramble the name of a famous London landmark (two words): DEPLORES LATE ACNE 2. Unscramble the name of a 1961 Walt Disney film (three words): TENTH ART PAPER
Play on Words ALLWORLD
WHERE FRILLY
Answers: It’s a small world after all, Frilly underwear
Funagram
Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 8 represents J and 12 represents V, so fill in J every time the figure 8 appears and V every time the figure 12 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS
QUICK Across 1 Distorted (7) 5 Euphoria (5) 8 Cooked in an oven (5) 9 Surprise suddenly (7) 10 Stubborn (9) 12 Opening (3) 13 Dark mark (6) 14 Get away (6) 17 Grassy field (3) 18 Foolish (9) 20 Affable (7) 21 Deal (5) 23 Loathe (5) 24 Anguish (7)
Indian (7) 16 Keep chess piece (6) 17 Puppy without you, we hear, but with love, will give you a flower (5) 19 Climbing aid with special point (5) 21 Oneʼs ill for considerable periods (4)
Quote
‘
‘All of us every single year, we're a different person. I don't think we're the same person all our lives.’ Steven Spielberg (1946 - ) American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
Hexagram The purpose of the Hexagram puzzle is to place the 19 sixletter words into the 19 cells. The letters at the edges of interlocking cells MUST BE THE SAME. The letters in the words must be written CLOCKWISE. The word in cell 10 (MELLOW) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.
BAREST
LUSTED
SPARKS
BOOTHS
MELLOW(10)
TALLER
BORROW
METRES
WHEELS
DINNER
MORTAR
WILDER
EITHER
NOISES
WRITHE
HASTEN
PATROL
LONGER
SHRUNK
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Reward, 2 Sherry, 3 Uncork, 4 Church, 5 Donkey, 6 Orient, 7 Amuses, 8 Prince, 9 Barmen, 10 Skiers, 11 Spices, 12 Season, 13 Misers, 14 Adorns, 15 Actors, 16 Alarms, 17 Banter, 18 Chairs, 19 Creche
FUNAGRAM SOLUTION 1. CLEOPATRA’S NEEDLE 2.THE PARENT TRAP
30 EWN
27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013
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Pantomimes falling victim to politically correct obsession LOOKING back over the past few years, you really couldn’t credit the number of examples of extreme political correctness in Britain. Like the teachers at one Scottish school who banned children from cheering their team on sports day in case those who came last felt humiliated. Or the Birmingham primary school, where parents weren’t allowed to attend sports day at all, to spare their children from embarrassment if they lost. And what about the Christmas concert when children were ordered to change the traditional lyrics of the Christmas song about the little donkey said to have carried the pregnant Mary to Bethlehem because they were deemed “too religious.” Instead of “Little donkey, carry Mary safely on her way”, the
Breaking Views NORA JOHNSON Nora, who has lived on the Costa del Sol for a number of years, is the author of psychological suspense and crime thrillers. To comment on any of the issues raised in Nora’s column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/ nora-johnson
youngsters were instructed to sing “carry Lucy” for fear of offending non-Christians. And the good old British pantomime – the traditional panto season is now in full swing in the UK - hasn’t been spared either. Old favourites like Robinson Crusoe and Sinbad are being cast aside for fear their representation of cannibals and natives is racist Likewise the age-old tradition of the Principal Boy performed by a girl is
TOO RELIGIOUS?: Traditional nativity scene. disappearing for fear her relationship with the female lead is construed as a lesbian one. Shows that have survived tend to be updated with loaded messages. Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk, for instance, deal with gay rights,
waste recycling and school bullying. Pantos such as Hansel and Gretel and Babes in the Wood, which traditionally included scenes of child abduction, have had to be massively tinkered with to avoid brickbats in this post-Savile era.
Tommy Cannon, one half of the Cannon and Ball comedy duo and a popular panto performer, says: “You’re getting to the stage where you’re frightened to do anything as a joke. We used to do Babes in the Wood a lot and we’d play the robbers who kidnap the children and whisk them away in a pram. “But people actually believed something was happening to the kids on stage and we’d get complaints. People forget this is panto and that sort of censorship is so wrong. These pantos are disappearing and they aren’t coming back.” I couldn’t have put it better myself. And, you may have noticed, I didn’t! Nora Johnson’s thrillers Soul Stealer & The De Clerambault Code (www.nora-johnson. com) from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.89;£0.77) and iBookstore. Profits to Cudeca.
27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013 www.euroweeklynews.com PERIODONTITIS is an inflammatory disease affecting the tissues that surround the teeth. Typical symptoms may include bleeding of the gums, spitting out blood after brushing teeth, bad breath or gingival recession. The last consequence of an untreated periodontitis is losing the teeth. Dentists and dental hygienists measure this disease using a device
HEALTH & BEAUTY
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Periodontitis called periodontal probe. Periodontitis is very common and is widely regarded as the second most common disease worldwide. The primary cause of periodontitis is poor oral hygiene, which leads to the accumulation of a bacterial
matrix. Smoking is another factor that increases the occurrence of this illness. The initial therapy includes the removal of microbial plaque by scaling and root planing. This therapy is pain free as it is done with local anaesthetic.
Once the therapy has been successfully completed a periodontal maintenance is required: This involves regular check-ups and detailed cleanings every three to four months. The best prevention is brushing the teeth properly
on a regular basis, flossing daily, using an antiseptic mouthwash and regular check-ups in a dental office getting a clinical examination and evaluating the patient’s X-ray films. Specialists in the
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Cambridge 800 consultants in Spain reward for excellent work THE staff and a number of Cambridge 800 consultants from Spain were flown over to attend the annual Cambridge Weight Plan, UK Conference, in November, which was held to celebrate the successes of dieters and consultants alike. The theme this year was ‘your time to shine’ in the spirit of the Olympic torch. As ever Cambridge rewarded slimmers who had lost significant amounts of weight in the face of adversity and consultants who had gone above and beyond the call of duty to support their customers. Not only did Cambridge throw a great party, but there were many interviews with slimmers with both before and after photos and it was difficult to hold back the tears when they told their stories about the monumental challenges they had managed to
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From left to right: Some of the members of the Spanish team Gilly Speleers Spain Consultant, Torrevieja, Alicante; Lynda Gibson Spain Consultant, Orihuela Costa, Alicante; Sarah Hawes, Director Cambridge 800 Spain; Ann Bridges Spain Consultant, Mojacar, Almeria; Lauren Shakespeare Spain joint Consultant with mum Lynda Gibson. At the front: Vicky Anderson, Support Administrator for Cambridge 800 Spain. overcome, and how their life had changed for the better after they had lost their weight and had managed to maintain it. Every customer and consultant is a winner in the eyes of Cambridge and the party after the conference was a well deserved reward to all those who had made life
changes to themselves or someone else. The consistent comments from all the customers of Cambridge, was that without the vital support of their Cambridge consultants this would not have been possible. If you would like to get in contact with your local
Cambridge 800 consultant in Spain and find out how you can get your life and health back on track, take the first step and call now: 952 586 324 or 952 475 954. Email: admin@cambridge800.es www.cambridge800.es www.facebook/cambridge 800
treatment of periodontitis are called ‘periodontists’.
FOOD
32 EWN
27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013 Mallorca
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Healthy splash DRINKING a healthy amount of water is vital to your health. Not only is it a natural cure for headaches, it can also curb appetite. People continually confuse thirst with hunger, so end up eating extra calories when an ice-cold glass of water is what’s really needed. Other benefits of keeping hydrated are the affect it has on skin. Water has many attributes and can help to replenish skin.
Cheese good for you
Counting the calories at Christmas THE average woman gains five pounds over Christmas. But rather than denying yourself all those festive treats, there are some ways to cut the calories and ensure you can still fit in your jeans come January. Here are five tips: 1. If at a party try and ensure you eat before you go so you don’t arrive at the buffet table hungry and fill up with high-fat foods. 2. Christmas lunch is, in theory, very healthy, with lean protein from the turkey and vegetables. It’s the additional extras you need to be careful with. Mini sausages add 60 calories, more if wrapped in bacon, Yorkshire puddings add around 100 calories and stuffing 231 calories. 3. Grazing is often the biggest downfall; a mince pie alone can contain 240 calories. But you can
save calories with a few clever swaps. A couple of handfuls of Twiglets contain 192 calories, compared to a handful of Pringles that contain 279. Say no to cream on your pudding and you’ll save hundreds of calories. 4. When it comes to leftovers, leave the roast potatoes alone and pick at Top tips for keeping weight gain at bay. the turkey as it is full of lean protein and fills you up more helps reduce your hangover and quickly than carbs. weight gain. 5. With New Year upon us it is Steer clear of creamy liquors, easy to rack up the calories such as Baileys which has 180 consuming alcoholic beverages. calories and eight grammes of fat Drinking a glass of tap water per glass, and stick to champagne; between every alcoholic drink 111 calories and zero fat per glass.
OVER-INDULGED this Christmas? Try not to feel too bad, particularly if it’s cheese that has taken your fancy, as some cheeses could be good for your heart. Scientists have found that Roquefort has anti-inflammatory properties which could help protect against heart disease. As it ripens, a process occurs that is good for a healthy gut, helps slow arthritis and can slow the signs of aging, according to a Cambridge-based biotech company. It says Roquefort’s properties could be extracted and used in pharmaceutical and anti-aging products.
HEALTHIER: Diners prefer to know how many miles they have to walk rather than carolie intake.
Walk to burn calories RESTAURANTS that state how far you will have to walk to burn off the calories consumed in the meal could help in the battle of the bulge. Researchers from the University of North Carolina in the US found diners are more likely to choose a healthier fast
food snack if the menu states how many miles they have to walk to get rid of it than if it just has details on calorie intake. They recruited 800 volunteers and split them into four groups testing their meal choices giving no nutritional information at
all, details of calorie content, the number of minutes walking needed to burn those calories off or number of miles needed to walk to achieve the same outcome. Eighty two per cent said they preferred physical activity-based menu labels.
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27 December 2012 - 2 Jannuary 2013
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Challenging time for gardeners Gardening Corner L OOKING back on the year’s gardening it has been a challenge in a number of ways. Perhaps, after the disastrous frost of 2005 when many gardens and garden centres lost many plants, it was the most challenging since starting to experience Spanish gardening in the 1970’s and having our own property since the 1980’s. Climatic challenges The three climatic challenges have been the very long dry spell from winter to autumn, the sharp but not long night frosts of February/March and the heavy autumn rains. These have highlighted the common sense of ensuring that your main plantings are both drought and frost resistant. Also make sure all steps are taken to reduce the amount of water required to sustain an attractive and productive garden. Since such issues are often insufficiently recognised and acted upon, we wrote the idea packed
By Clodagh and Dick Handscombe
Spain’s best known gardening authors who have lived and gardened in Spain for 25 years. www.gardeninginspain.com
SAGE ADVICE: Spectacular display after Autumn rains. booklet ‘Making Waterless Gardens A Practical Reality Worldwide’. This is published as an Amazon Kindle E-book and as a limited hard copy edition available at talks such as the Costa Blanca Gardeners Circle on February 6, Homes Gardens and Lifestyle Show in Algorfa on May 29/30 and Axarquia Garden Club on June 11. Coaching plants to dig deep The long dry conditions have been ideal for coaching plants to put down deep roots into the soil. Many areas of our established garden were
not watered all summer and others only when plants showed signs of stress. We could have watered even less than we did if it was not for conserving an area of autumn flowering sages which this year have been exceptional after the autumn rains. Let nature take its course THE year has been marked by the need to do what gardening is essential and let the rest follow nature. Adapt the garden to accept and integrate the free and unexpected plants created by unplanned germination.
Interestingly most can be incorporated into the garden and not looked upon as weeds. As emphasised before, good mulching is essential reducing the time spent watering and weeding. A good mulch should be five to 10 centimetres thick whether home-made compost, stone chippings or bark chippings. Happy New Year and Los Reyes. We will discuss New Year gardening resolutions next week and the one after, the winter cutback.
(c) Clodagh and Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com December 2012
34 EWN
PROPERTY
27 December 2012 - 2 January 2013 Mallorca
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Mallorca property sales on the rise PROPERTY sales in Mallorca are rising. An increase of 32.3 per cent has been recorded for the sale of property on the Balearic Islands. According to a new report by The National Statistics Institute, 901 property sales were made in August, with 56 per cent of those for previously owned homes, representing a 61 per cent increase year-onyear. Also, in October, there were 683 property sales in the Balearics, which represents an increase of 30.1 per cent over the same period in 2011, where there were 503 property transactions. There was also a drop of 14 per cent in house prices in the third quarter. The annual rise in house sales in October is higher than the figure of 9.1 per cent, recorded in August. This puts the Balearics in second place for highest number of property sales behind the mainland region of Castilla La Mancha. New house prices fell by 13.6 per cent and corresponds to 56.2 per cent of sales. Second hand house prices fell by 16.4 per cent, corresponding to 43.7 per cent of sales in October 2012. The number of farms being sold increased by 20.5 per cent since the same time in 2011. New banks are also reducing their exposure
ON THE RISE: A 32 per cent increase has been recorded in property sales. on the real estate market. Savings banks reduced their exposure by €500 million during the first eight months of 2012, which corresponds to the sale of 5000 properties. Nationwide, Spanish property sales reached a total of 27,708 transactions in August, which represents an increase of 3 per cent, compared to the same month in 2011. This is the first time sales have risen since February of the same year. This was largely being credited to the government’s decision to cut VAT on new homes by 50 per cent. Mallorca characterises a resilient market with a good reputation, with prices maintaining their stability and top properties in prime locations selling for the right price. The German market is to
thank for part of this, with interest from buyers the strongest in 10 years. As with most locations throughout Europe, real estate prices began to slide on Mallorca in 2008, and continued to drop through 2009 and 2010 by 15 to 20 per cent. Apartments with outside space in the old town of Palma de Majorca which had been selling for €4,800 per square metre, or about $600 per square foot, can now be bought for €3,850 per square
metre. At the top of the market, prices fell 30 per cent and much more in some cases.
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LLUCMAJOR: Small chalet with 2 bedrooms, shower room, lounge with fireplace and kitchenette. No electricity, water by tanker delivery, living area about 45m2. Plot 1,500m2. €370 / month. Inmobiliaria Llucmajor. Tel 971 662 402 (204788)
NICE cultivated townhouse in Pto Pollenca / Mallorca.100m2 living space, 40m2 living room with fireplace, 2 terraces, 2bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1shower, 1 bath) heating with gas, fitted kitchen, 105m2 property. Price 232,000€ Tel. +34 971 866 026 (200867)
LLUCMAJOR: 2 bedroom apartment of 65m2, 1 bathroom, lounge with American kitchen, community pool. €475 pm Inmobiliaria Llucmajor. Tel 971 662 402 (204788) TOLLERIC: Furnished apartment of 50m2 plus 8m2 terrace. 1 bedroom, bathroom, lounge with American kitchen. €550 pm Ref 2807A. Inmobiliaria Llucmajor. Tel 971 662 402 PALMANOVA studio, fully furnished/equipped, satellite tv, terrace, sea view, pool, parking, private rental, €385, tlf 693 971 990 (200562)
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XXX Relaxation READERS OF A SENSITIVE DISPOSITION MAY FIND SOME OF THE ADVERTISEMENTS IN THIS SECTION OFFENSIVE.
Removal/Storage THE Man & Van Island wide removals & storage. Cheap Cheerful and most importantly LEGAL. Tel: 626 792 037 (201062) VAN MAN Island Wide Removals. At exceptionally good rates. 638 478 204 (201081)
Rubbish Clearance DARRAMAR Excavation, demolition, overgrown gardens cleared, ponds and swimming pools, reforms prepared, tree felling & landscaping. 608 790 007 (204845)
Telecoms FED UP PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MOBILE PHONE CALLS? THEN CONTACT TELITEC TODAY. CALLS TO SPAIN 7C PER MINUTE INCLUDING MOBILES. CALLS TO UK 5.3C PER MINUTE. NO MONTHLY FEES, NO CONTRACT. WWW.TELITEC.COM TEL: 902 889 070 (0)
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EXUS is currently launching a new version of its flagship LS in Europe. With over 730,000 units sold during its 23 year history (the majority of which are still on the road), the LS has grown and evolved with the times. The new LS delivers numerous improvements including design, packaging and driving dynamics enhancements. Base price will be €50,500. Brake pedal feel and operation have been improved to offer better brake response and effectiveness. And a new Drive Mode Select system features up to five switchable driving modes to optimise the driver’s preferred combination of economy, comfort, performance and handling characteristics. All LS F Sport models offer steering wheel mounted, paddle shift manual override transmission control. Unique to rearwheel drive LS 460 models, the paddle shift incorporates automatic throttle on downshifts for a highly engaging driving experience.
ENGAGED: An Active Stabiliser system is exclusive to full hybrid F Sport models.
A sporty and agile driving experience The electric power steering and the air suspension system incorporating enhanced Adaptive Variable Suspension have been
When E really stands for efficient WITH new, efficient engines, new assistance systems and a new design idiom, Mercedes-Benz has modernised the E-Class.
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In both the Saloon and Estate models no less than 11 new or optimised assistance systems from the future S-Class celebrate their world premiere. They combine a host of comfort and safety features, all of which Mercedes-Benz refers to as ‘intelligent drive’. They include systems which for the first time can help to prevent accidents with vehicles or pedestrians crossing in front, active Lane Keeping Assist which can help to prevent
revised to improve steering feel and response. Lexus’ new LS F Sport extends both the equipment specification
and performance of both V8 petrol and full hybrid models. Its more aggressive and bolder design includes a mesh-pattern spindle grille with a black-finish surround, larger cooling openings and simple round fog lamps. It is also equipped with 19’’ wheels. The lowered rear bumper incorporates a chrome-plated bar running along the bottom edge.
HARMONISED: Front view of the Mercedes-Benz EClass, E 350 4MATIC. accidents with oncoming traffic, or anti-glare continuous high-beam headlamps. Prices will start at €40,150. The new E-Class makes a step forward when it comes to efficiency and ecology too. This comes courtesy of new, powerful BlueDIRECT four-cylinder petrol engines featuring sophisticated direct injection technology. Both the E-Class Saloon and Estate are available with a particularly broad range of powerful and efficient petrol and diesel
engines. All are fitted with ECO start/stop system. The interior has also been visibly reworked and harmonised with the expressive exterior. High-quality materials and refined, subdivided areas with precise joints and sharp curves underscore the high-quality overall impression of the generous interior. Mercedes’ latest range is already fitted with a comprehensive series of appointments as standard.
HOLDERS of a Spanish driving licence could be forced to pass a theory exam in order to renew it. National traffic authority (DGT) managing director Maria Segui proposed this during the 42nd International Driving School Convention in Burgos. She argued that the current requirements for renewing the licence, which consists of a medical and eye exam, are not enough to confirm that drivers are up to date with traffic rules. Drivers of passenger cars have to renew their Spanish licence every 10 years when younger than 65. Those older have to do it every five years. In the meantime, the practical test will be changed nationwide on January 19, 2013. Besides the present driving tests, those examined will also be asked to check one of the vehicle’s elements, such as the tyre pressure,
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Lionel Messi Gerd Muller Pele Zico Cristiano Ronaldo Zlatan Ibrahimovic Roger Milla Mario Kempes Romario Marco van Basten
SPORTS SCENE By Tony Matthews A former football player and the world’s most prolific author of football books (more than 100 published), Tony is also the sports reporter for Spectrum Radio and lives in the Cabrera mountains.
goals came in intermediate fixtures.
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NOTE - FIFA has received statistical information appertaining to the scoring records of Godfrey Chitalu and the Brazilian duo of Zico and Pele. One source says that Chitalu scored 107 goals in 1972 when playing for Kabwe Warriors and Zambia, but it’s believed that several of his
Top 10 players who have scored most first-class goals in a calendar year since 1945:
IN ACTION: Sutil says ‘I have paid for my error’.
Sutil’s hope... Formula 1: Former Force India driver Adrian Sutil, who was found guilty of grievous bodily harm and fined €200,000 (which was donated to charity) after a nightclub brawl, still wants to feature in Formula 1. The German said: “I did something wrong which I have now paid for. I hope I can continue driving in Grand Prix.”
Barcelona/Argentina Bayern Munich/Germany Santos/Brazil Flamengo/Brazil Real Madrid/Portugal Inter Milan/Sweden Leopard de Douala/Cameroon Rosario/Valencia/Argentina Flemengo/Brazil Ajax/Holland
Likewise one report states that Zico scored 89 times in 1979, and once again, it’s thought that quite a few of his strikes were in friendly matches. And the writer of Pele’s autobiography indicates that the Brazilian scored a staggering 127 goals in 1959, half of which, may have come at a noncompetition level. On December 18 Messi agreed a new contract with Barcelona which will keep him at the Nou
2012 1972 1965 1979 2011 2008 1988 1978 1995 1986
Camp until 2018. It is believed he will earn over £60m in the next five years, that’s £250,000 a week, £1million a month and £12.5million a year. GOAL KING: Messi who has now netted 90+ times this season.
Champions/Europa League draws for the quarter finals THE quarter-finals of the Champions League has paired Manchester United with Real Madrid, meaning a return to Old Trafford for Cristiano Ronaldo. Arsenal will play Bayern Munich and Celtic take on Juventus. The five other fixtures are PortoMalaga, Barcelona-AC Milan, Valencia-PSG, Shakhtar DonestkBorussia Dortmund and Galatasaray-Schalke. The two game ties
will be played on February 12/20 and March 5/12. The four English teams in the Europa League - Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle and Spurs - have drawn Sparta Prague, Zenit SP, Metalist Kharkiv and Lyon respectively. These two legged ties will be played on February 14/21. League Cup: The semi-finals of the FLC are Bradford
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EVERY serious football supporter knows that Lionel Messi beat Gerd Muller’s 40 year-old record of 85 goals in a calendar year. The Barcelona superstar has now netted 90+ at first-class level (for club and country) in 2012. And I don’t think this record will ever be surpassed! Alan Shearer, with 49 goals for Blackburn Rovers/England in 1984 is England’s top marksman, followed by Andy Cole, Thierry Henry, Robin van Persie and Michael Owen.
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Marvellous Messi, super star on top of the world
RETURN: Cristiano Ronaldo due back for Old Trafford clash at his former club.
City v Aston Villa and Chelsea v Swansea. The two legged clashes will be staged on January 8/9 and 22/23. Top man: Manchester City’s Yara Toure has been voted African ‘Player of the Year.’ Racism: The FA will soon announce plans, punishment and sanctions relating to any fans or players involved in racism, at games or otherwise. RIP: George Showell, who took over from Billy Wright at Wolves and gained an FA Cup winners’ medal in 1960, has died at the age of 78.
Did you know? Aston Villa have had more players capped by England than any other club: 72.