Euro Weekly News - Mallorca 3 - 9 July 2014 Issue 1513 by Euro Weekly News Media S.A.

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3 - 9 JULY 2014

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Start of season sees upswing in flights THE first ‘big summer weekend’ has seen 1,990 flights in and out of Son Sant Joan Airport. It has registered an upswing of flights during the beginning of the summer season, according to data released by Aena (Spanish airport authority). The 1,990 flights mean a total of 340,000 seats and the biggest day was July 1, with 716 flight and 123,000 seats. At a national level, Spain’s airports registered 15,573 flights Turn to Page 4

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THIS WEEK IN

EWN News 1 - 22

Finance 23 - 28

Letters LIFTED LOOT: underage criminals caught

Police catch pint sized burglars

TWO minors have been detained in Mallorca for burgling the houses of their schoolmates. The National Police detained the pint sized burglars for stealing their classmatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; house keys and then burgling their homes. Investigations began last month when the police noticed a spate of three very similar burglaries, all in Palma, in which cameras, Hi-Fi equipment, games consoles, computers and cash were stolen. Initial inquiries revealed the identity of

two minors; a boy of 14 and a girl of 13 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the girl cannot be prosecuted due to her age. The MO of the young criminals was always the same: they would steal the house keys of one of their classmates and then go round after school, when they had checked that the family would be out, and steal anything which took their fancy. The two budding criminals admitted to their crimes as soon as they were interviewed by the child services of the National Police.

Leapy Lee 37

Daily TV 40

Time out 48 - 49

Classifieds 57 - 59

Sport 64

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Green route PRESIDENT the Govern (regional government), Ramon Bauza, has been out to inspect the works on the Manacor to Arta ‘green route’, which follows the old rail lines through beautiful countryside.

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THE Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands are the only two regions in Spain in which the population grew in 2013. In both cases the growth was minimal; in the Balearics is was only 0.47 per cent – on January 1, 2014, there were 1,115.374 residents which, in absolute terms, means there was an

increase in population of 5,259 people, according to data released by the INE (National Institute of Statistics). This increase in the amount of population is far away from how it was growing at the beginning of the century when there was a yearly growth of around 30,000 people per year. Ten years ago,

Cannibal strike MORE than 10 police officers were needed to subdue a drugged tourist on Magaluf beach who was biting other beach-goers. Police suspect that he had taken the new cannibal drug MDVP. Parasailing accident THREE British youths who were parasailing behind a boat off the beach of Son Matias were injured when they were hit by a metal bar which had come loose due to the wind. Fatal hug AN Alcudia youth, 13, died when one of his friends gave him an extra strong bear hug as part of a game they were playing. The emergency services were unable to save him. Jockey not to blame THE woman who was run over by a horse at the Jocs des Pla festivities has died in the Son Espases hospital. The jockey has been exonerated of all blame.

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Running the bulls… A

Quote of the Week The Popular Party (PP) is the least popular party.’ Pablo Iglesias, leader of the Podemos political party.

take their bulls to market. The bull running dates back to the 17th century when it was first reported, with concern for the excessive drinking and ‘dissolute behaviour’ associated with the fair.

Number of the week

3,300

people took out membership of the new bicycle hire scheme in Madrid only to find that hackers had inserted photos of a naked man with an erect penis on the touch screens that people have to use to rent the bikes.

DO you have a story to tell? Are you part of a club, society or charity with an event coming up? If you would like coverage of your latest news we want to hear from you. As part of the local community the Euro Weekly News wants your expatriate news. Brief reports and photos are always welcome. They could be about anything from upcoming fetes to local sporting club results, club trips to charity shows. Please email any stories, with photos attached as a JPEG file, to: editorial@ euroweeklynews.com.

Hard rock

AGE-OLD TRADITION: The running of the bulls in Pamplona.

T midday on Sunday, July 6, the official ‘chupinazo’ (firework) will be set off, marking the start of one of Spain’s most internationally known festivities: the San Fermin, or Sanfermines, as they are known locally. People from all over the world go to Pamplona, Navarra, to test their mettle in the age-old tradition of the running of the bulls. This is 849 metres, or two or three minutes, of pure adrenalin for those who take part, trying to outrun the beasts which have never been known to show mercy. The festivities go back several centuries but have become of world interest since Ernest Hemingway gave them so much publicity in his book ‘The Sun Also Rises’. Apparently, he was intrigued by the fair when he first went to it in 1923 and returned many times up until 1959. San Fermin, the patron saint of Pamplona, was the first bishop of Pamplona in the third century and the festivities associated with him came when cattle merchants arrived in the town to

the population increase was not just attributable to births as there were a lot of foreigners arriving on the islands and now the reverse is happening with lots of foreigners leaving the islands to return home and a considerable amount of natives also leaving the islands to look for work elsewhere.

Nadal out RAFA NADAL, world tennis number one seed, fell out of Wimbledon in his match against 19-year-old Australian Nick Kyrgios, who is seeded 144 in the world.

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Islands see population rise

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Bad behaviour A GROUP of technicians with the Balearic emergency services have been denounced for recording a group of disabled people and making fun of them.

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THE hard rock band Extremoduro will be playing a concert in Palma on July 26. The band has had a hard core following since the mid-90s.

Student support MORE than 250 people came out on Wednesday to support the 44 students who are about to stand trial for occupying the educational council building in protest at education cuts.

Multitalented ON July 5 Rafa Nadal will be the musical and artistic director of a benefits concert for the Pojecte Home; he is also rumoured to be the pianist as well.

And finally... Party island Ibiza is suffering a spate of ‘cannibalistic attacks’ due, possibly, to a new drug which induces extreme violence in its users. MDVP was originally one of the chemical components in bath salts

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Shoplifters caught GUARDIA CIVIL officers have detained two Polish women, 37 and 41, for alleged shoplifting at Palma Airport.

Great race MORE than 400 people took part in the Cursa de Sa Galleta race last weekend.

Airport arrest A ROMANIAN and a Chinese national were detained at Palma Airport as they had arrest warrants against them.

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Cannibal drug found for the first time on Mallorca THE zombie apocalypse could well be upon us but who would have thought that the first zombie would speak English and that the apocalypse would be called MDPV? Or that police officers would be the first to be bitten? Guardia Civil officers in Mallorca are on the lookout for a dangerous substance very similar to cocaine which can be smoked, like synthetic marijuana, snorted or injected. It is said to cause extreme paranoia, psychosis, violent reactions, suicidal tendencies and an uncontrollable urge to bite. Methylenedioxypyroval erone (MDPV), which

MALLORCA CLUBBERS: Many are unaware of the dangers of MDPV. was first legally sold in Spain as bath salts, is now the prime suspect. Head of the local AntiNarcotics Police Force in Mallorca warned against the presence of a substance on the island that has caused “an

outbreak of extreme violence in patients hospitalised for drug use for the last three or four days” at a local hospital. He went on to say that it seems to be one of the many substances that “arrive on the islands to

be tested before they’re sold for consumption around the world.” “One of the patients was extremely aggressive and he was handcuffed. Many police officers were trying to hold him down on the

Unemployment falls again for 10th month in a row UNEMPLOYMENT in the Balearic Islands has gone down by 7.75 per cent. In June there were another 5,259 people finding employment on the islands; this is the biggest upswing in the whole country.

According to data released by the SOIB (Balearic Islands Employment Service) there are now only 62,578 people looking for work. The average drop in unemployment for Spain is one of 2.68 per cent, which is miles away from the 7.75 per cent on the islands. The data means that unemployment in the Balearic Islands has now fallen for 10 consecutive months. The sectors which From Front Page have seen the greatest just between June 30 and July 2 with a total of drops are the service 2.45 million seats. This last weekend marked the sector and the beginning of not only the international holiday construction sector, season but also one of the weekends when the followed closely by Spanish, traditionally, begin their holidays. industry and agriculture. On Monday, the number of flights nationally was 5,203 with a total of 821,000 seats available; Tuesday saw a total of 5,171 flights and Wednesday 5,199. Madrid’s airport, Barajas, was Spain’s busiest with a total for the period - between June 30 and EVERY adult on the July 2 - of 3,106 flights. This was followed by Balearic Islands has an Barcelona’s El Prat with 2,733 flights for the period. average of €17,826 in the Malaga came in third with a total for the period of bank and owes an average 1,022 flights. of €29,777, according to the Bank of Spain.

More flying into Son Sant Joan

Money matters

stretcher and he fell to the floor,” said one of the nurses at the hospital. “He bit one of the police officers on his hand but he only caused a bruise because the officer was wearing gloves.” she added. The officers had to call for reinforcements to subdue the patient. The hospital personnel are not surprised by the recent outbreaks of violence. “Every night we attend to six or seven tourists who have been attacked by young Brits with bottles and glasses.” said a nurse. The effects of five milligrams of MDPV can last for up to one week. Users feel outside their body and are said to feel no pain, not even fractures.

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Pickpockets collared GUARDIA CIVIL have caught three pickpockets who were using the bustle of Palma airport as a cover for their activities.

Small bags A MAN has been arrested in Son Felanitx for crimes against public health. He had more than 10 grams of cocaine in his pocket, all in small bags.

Dope thieves LOCAL POLICE in Manacor have detained three people; two for trying to steal a marihuana plantation and the third for being the owner of the plantation.

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Police success in anti-drugs bust THE Guardia Civil have dismantled a sales point for drugs in Cala Rajada. Two men have been detained on suspicion of crimes against public health and drug trafficking.

Beach death A 64-year-old man has drowned in the waters off the Can Pastilla beach. The victim was retrieved from the water as he was having a heart attack and, despite the efforts of the emergency services trying to revive him, he died at the scene. The incident took place in the waters in front of the hotel Brasilia.

When the police became aware of the existence of a sales point for drugs in the area they immediately set up a surveillance operation and quickly identified two men, both of Spanish nationality and aged 28 and 46, who seemed to be in charge of sales and distribution of hashish in the area. At the time of their detention the two men

had little on them, but a search of their residences produced 40 grammes of hashish, already prepared for sale in small, zip lock bags, â&#x201A;Ź720 in cash, a vehicle suspected of being used to transport the drugs and a motorbike. Investigations have come to a close as the police consider all illegal drug activity in the area has ceased.

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Sore arm of the law A LOCAL POLICE officer in Calvia has been bitten in the commission of an arrest. During a routine traffic control the officer had stopped a car with four Senegalese passengers when one of them bit him on the hand before his colleagues could come to his help. At the traffic stop the officers recognised the man in the front passenger seat as being known to them as a small time drug dealer and they asked him to exit the car so they could search him â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from the time

FLICKR BY TYMTOI

ROUTINE TRAFFIC: stop resulted in a bite the car was stopped the man looked nervous and as though he was trying to

swallow something. The officers tried to get him to voluntarily open his mouth but he refused and at this point the officer held his jaw so that he would not be able to swallow and it was then that he turned and clamped down hard on the agentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thumb. His fellow officers immediately tried to help him and subdue the aggressor who then turned even more violent and

started punching and kicking the officers. As soon as the suspect was subdued the officers were able to see a small, white, plastic baggie fall out of his mouth. The man was arrested for aggressive behaviour towards an officer of the law and for crimes against public health. He is on remand until the courts in Palma can hear his case.

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Solidarity in Calvia CALVIA council has donated €16,000 to the elderly. The mayor of Calvia, Manuel Onieva, and the councillor for the elderly, Cristina de Leon, presented the cheque which will be earmarked for various associations throughout the municipality to help with their costs and to go towards activities. Among the recipients of this donation are The elderly of: Es Capdella, de Galatzo, de Palmanova and de Magaluf.

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Helping a good cause DIME, an association of Palliative Care volunteers in the Balearic Islands, has organised a solidarity concert to be performed by the University Choir of the Balearic Islands. The choir will perform Requiem by Brahms, and will be accompanied by two pianists. This event will take place on July 5 in the beautiful surroundings of Torre de Canyamel which is in Capdepera. The owners have altruistically offered the use of this wonderful space. Volunteers from DIME

TWO PIANISTS: will accompany the concert dedicate their time to supporting patients and their families who are

Auto checks at Sant Joan PALMA airport is to debut a new automatic control system which will make passport control much quicker. The ABC (Automatic Border Control) system recognises travellers through scanning their facial characteristics and later scanning their travel documents and finger prints to make sure all are in

accordance with each other. The system, first instituted in Malaga airport, will soon arrive in Mallorca at a cost of €822,800. State Secretary for Security, Francisco Martinez, was the first to use the system and demonstrate how it worked at its inauguration at the airport of Malaga.

facing chronic incurable illness. DIME also strives to bring awareness to the public at large of all citizens’ right to have and make use of the professional and humanitarian attention which is available through palliative care. The proceeds derived from this event will be used by DIME to train new volunteers and to provide ongoing training

for veteran volunteers. Another association Ángeles sin Alas will also benefit from the proceeds. The group helps improve the lives of families of children suffering from serious illnesses. It also provides support to the professionals who look after them. More information at: www.cuentacon nosotros.es

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Union’s Sunday moans... THE employees of the Corte Ingles on Jaime III Avenue are not paid for working on Sundays or national holidays. According to UGT trade union sources: “The company does not pay for those days but compensates them with days off that are always unilaterally assigned” Founded in 1888, UGT is a major Spanish trade union with close to 1,000,000 members. Since the Corte Ingles opens on non-working days and the company does not hire enough staff during the peak season, more than 250 employees have to work longer hours during the week. Furthermore, UGT says there are employees who work 11 hours four times a week.

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Beating cancer MALLORCA scientist Joan Massague predicts we will have conquered cancer in less than 50 years. According to him, just like doctors in the twentieth century discovered how to

fight and stop infections by learning what caused them, they will have learned to control cancer before the year 2064. Massague asked society to “educate itself” and to understand mankind is “leaving obscurantism behind” to enter a period of knowledge and science. As stated by the scientist, the great revolution in the ongoing fight against cancer UP to 439 Inca families will benefit from cuts in started a few years ago thanks to genomics. the rates. The turning point was While most families will enjoy a 55 per cent cut, the council will cut the rates of large the sequencing of the families by 90 per cent. This means that every human genome, which could allow doctors to family will save, on average, €200. Around 509 tax relief requests were submitted understand tumours and to the Inca Council and a decision has been treat them with the appropriate kind of made in 86 per cent of the cases. Most of the approved requests were submitted therapy. Massague thinks by pensioners (117) – six more than in 2013 – beating cancer is 10 times followed by 115 from large families. The number of requests from unemployed more difficult than putting families increased from 11 to 22 and from a man on the moon, since cancer is the result of a impoverished families from 74 to 90. The tax relief policy followed by the Council is very complex process. Cancer kills 95,000 based on a solidarity premise: those who have people in Spain annualy. less should pay less.

Tax relief for Inca families

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Cheats jailed MORE than £5 million (€6.26 million) of UK taxpayers’ money lost to benefit fraud abroad is now being recovered by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) investigators in Spain. The team in Madrid has investigated more than 1,250 cases of benefit fraud by British residents over the last five years. ‘Abroad fraud’ is now the fourth largest type of

benefit fraud, up almost 90 per cent in the last three years – and Spain is the top of the list, with 769 cases investigated last year alone. The free and confidential hotline to use in Spain to report suspected benefit cheats is 900 554 440. The top three benefit fraudsters in Spain who have been convicted so far this year had

claimed some £217,000 (€270,180) between them. Janice Purdie, 62, from Hove, received a 12month prison sentence. Jimmy Rickner, 72, from Exeter, was jailed for six months. Thomas Wadham, 73, of Aylesbury, was sentenced to six months in jail in January and ordered to pay back all the money.

Foreign tourists love Spain THE tourism sector ran a €7.8 million surplus in the first four months of 2014. This represents a 5.8 per cent increase compared to 2013, according to Europa Press. The millionaire surplus is due to the sector’s income, estimated at €11.2 million – 5.6 per cent more than the €10.6 million in 2013. It is estimated that until May, 21.4 million foreign tourists had visited

Spain, this represents an 8.2 per cent increase compared to 2013. Moreover, foreign tourists spent more than €20 million. Thanks to this trend, three million foreign tourists are expected to visit Spain in the year 2014 and some go so far as to predict that 72 million foreign tourists could come to Spain by 2020. Spanish hotels had 26.7 million overnight stays in May – 1.4 per cent more than in May 2013.

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Please mind the gap A DRUNKEN British tourist had to be rescued by several emergency services when he fell down between some rocks just two hours after arriving on the island. For unknown reasons the drunken tourist, 24 years old, fell down a three-metre deep gap between some rocks in the Cala Castellot area of Santa Ponca. Fortunately this is near a hotel swimming pool and other tourists heard his calls for help and then alerted the local emergency services. Due to the inaccessibility of the spot where he fell, the Local Police, the Guardia Civil, the Mallorca Fire Brigade and three ambulances had to participate in the rescue. The young Brit had only been on

MAINTENANCE: The plan includes checking electrical and air conditioning systems. SANTA PONCA: Area where incident happened the island for two hours but seemed to have achieved a high level of drunkenness in that short time period which, according to emergency services, was fortunate as he may have hurt himself less

due to being â&#x20AC;&#x153;so relaxedâ&#x20AC;?. The young man survived the fall with only some scrapes and bruises and will continue enjoying his holiday without having to cut it short.

Maintenance for public schools

INCA Council and IBISEC are working on a comprehensive maintenance plan for public schools. The council has put together a total of 61 initiatives to be carried out in local schools, including Miquel Duran i Saurina, Poniente and Levante. The plan foresees checking electrical and air conditioning systems, repairing leaks, painting classrooms, changing doors, window glasses and locks, as well as doing maintenance work to taps and laying floor tiles. This plan complements the more than 200 maintenance measures the council has carried out in different schools throughout the year.

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Visitors need to be covered... MAKE sure visitors have adequate travel insurance when they visit you if you don’t want to risk hefty medical bills Travelling abroad uninsured can cost thousands if a trip goes wrong. Yet according to new research issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Association of British

Travel Agents (ABTA), more than one in three young Brits think it is unnecessary to take out insurance when they travel overseas, often leaving their families to pick up the pieces. The findings from research conducted by ABTA come as the British Embassy urges expats living in Spain to encourage their young visitors to be fully prepared for their visits to Spain and ensure they are properly covered. Costs arising from uninsured accidents abroad can be significant, and it is often parents who are presented with an unexpected and large bill with no hope of reclaiming the money. One in five young people think that a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) acts as a full insurance policy when abroad. In fact, an EHIC only provides access to state medical care in the MISSING MAN: found alive and well European Economic Area. It’s important to realise that it excludes any other costs such as getting an individual back to the UK, which can run into thousands. Consular Director for A DIVER who disappeared the scene the Guardia Spain, Will Middleton, from the waters off the Civil combed the area but said: “If you have friends Mortitx beach area has could find no trace of the or family coming to visit, been found alive and well. missing man. The search especially youngsters, The GEAS (Special Sub- had to be called of when make sure that they take aquatic Activities Group), darkness fell but was out adequate insurance a helicopter and three continued at first light before they arrive. It is Guardia Civil patrol boats which is when they found also important that they were all sent out as soon the man on some nearby check that the policy as the call came in about cliffs where he had spent covers them for the missing diver who had the night. everything they want to He is said to be in good do while on holiday and left the port of Soller in a boat, with a friend, at health and not to have that they have declared around midday on suffered unduly from any medical conditions – spending the night at the or the insurance could be Tuesday. After anchoring the mercy of the elements. invalidated.” boat both men went free diving in search of fish but, after a while, the friend lost sight of the missing diver and returned to the boat. On seeing that he was not there he looked for him for around 45 minutes and, when he couldn’t find him, called the emergency services. When they arrived on

Missing diver is safe and well

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Princess Cristina is to appeal PRINCESS CRISTINA the sister of King Felipe, has formally appealed against charges of money laundering and tax fraud levied against her in court last week.

It is understood that lawyers acting on behalf of the Infanta will seek to overturn the charges put to her by the investigating judge, Jose Castro, in Mallorca last week. The

charges have been brought against her and her husband Inaki Urdangarin, alongside other suspects, and relate to the suspected embezzlement of millions of Euros from public funds. The prosecution has stated that Cristina knowingly benefited from the dealings.

If the case does reach court, the princess will be the first member of the royal family to be charged with a crime. The court advised journalists yesterday, via a text message which stated: "Princess Cristina's defence has lodged an appeal with the Court of Palma."

The princessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lawyer, Miquel Roca, protested his clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s innocence to representatives of the media stating: "It is not a problem of optimism or pessimism; it is a question of absolute conviction of the innocence of our client." Felipe VI succeeded his father, King Juan Carlos,

last month after his fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s abdication; neither the princess nor her husband attended the ceremony. This latest scandal has not helped the popularity of the royal family which is said to have fallen to an all-time low. Republican demos have been held throughout Spain.

Drive hammered, get nailed A DRIVER has lost his licence after being arrested on seven different occasions for driving under the influence. The night he was last caught the accused had crashed into two parked cars on La Vileta while drunk; after being breathalysed, which he tried to avoid, he was found to be four times over the legal limit. The 36-year-old man will lose his licence and could go to prison for up to six months after accumulating seven arrests for drunk driving

DRUNK DRIVER: was caught seven times since 2001 when he was 24. His defence tried to appeal the sentence but the judge said that his

history was against him and his drunken behaviour at the wheel could be considered a pattern.

E W N 3 - 9 July 2014 / Mallorca COSTA DEL SOL

Ticket to ride A TICKET on the Malaga underground system will cost €1.35 to get anywhere; this is only five cents more than the bus fare.

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Scandalous!

BENALMADENA has hosted the fourth Taekwondo championship in the Pabellon Mayor of Arroyo de la Miel; more than 300 competitors took part in the annual championships.

Even cleaner MARBELLA has begun a new campaign for an even cleaner town. The initiative aims to make residents more aware of the need to recycle and keep the town looking good.

COSTA BLANCA NORTH

Favourite names THE Valencian Community registered 101,152 dogs between January and June. The most popular names were Luna (18,000) and Linda (9,000) although there were 13 Rajoys and one Camilla Parker Bowles.

Licence snub BENIDORM council intends to revoke Enrique Ortiz’s permit to develop the unbuilt Armanello area. Ortiz failed to spend a promised €17.5 million on infrastructure and services, the town hall claimed.

Theatre praised

INTERNATIONAl ballet star Angel Corella recently gave master classes in Teulada’s auditorium. Its “continuing and ambitious cultural offer” and equipment make it one of Spain’s best, Corella said.

Body identified A DISMEMBERED body found in Pego belonged to a 45-year-old Gandia man who disappeared in early May. Investigators were led to his body by

Hate crime RICARDO, 68, and his partner Luis Guillermo, 54, were attacked by a father and son as they sunbathed during International LGBT Pride Day at Cabo de Gata.

BERJA has become the next town in Almeria to get orange bins for the recycling of household oil. Eight bins are in the town, with a free collection service for the disabled.

Fire damage

City social council

Taekwondo event

COSTA DE ALMERÍA

Oil recycling

THE mayor of Malaga, Joaquin Villanova, has termed the Junta’s (regional government) airport village plans as “scandalous” - the plans would leave many homes at risk of repossession by the government.

THE formal constitution of the Marbella City Social Council took place at the Hospital Real de la Misericordia and the mayor, Angeles Muñoz, qualified the project as important to the future of Marbella.

NEWS DESK

RESCUE: Rod and the team from EHCRC try to save the starved mare.

Horse rescue comes too late

THE rescue of an abandoned and starving horse in the Campo de Guardamar came too late. Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre (EHCRC) in Rojales received a request for help from Seprona, the Guardia Civil’s animal welfare arm, and rushed to the property. “We found a very young horse starving and completely dehydrated,” said EHCRC co-founder Sue Weeding: “She was lying in full sun and had had nothing to eat or drink for four to five days. She was far too weak to get up.” After constant attention and assistance from EHCRC vet Dorothea, it was decided that nothing more could be done but put the horse out of its misery. EHCRC also discovered six starving dogs locked in dark cages on the property. All are now being cared for by the Cats n Dogs Aid Association in Quesada. EHCRC is continually looking for volunteers and donations to cover the cost of feeding and caring for the 82 horses, ponies and donkeys that live at the centre. For more information call 652 021 980 or email info@easyhorsecare.net

FIRE destroyed eight hectares at the weekend between the towns of Roquetas de Mar and El Ejido. The blaze happened a year to the day since the last one in the area which is normally unaffected by forest fires.

Bell tolls? AGUADULCE church Nuestra Señora del Carmen has asked its parishioners for their opinion on the construction of a bell tower. So far the response it has received has been positive.

New square WORK begins in the Carboneras area of Llano de Don Antonio with the construction of a new square. An amount of €200,000 has been invested in the project, designed by Maria Hernandez Jodar.

AXARQUIA

Sport activities

amounting to €1.93 million will now be paid for municipal services.

CLOSE to 1,000 children from the municipal sports schools in Almuñecar participated in a myriad of activities celebrating the end of the 2013-2014 school year.

Little extras

Yecla crash

Playground upgrade

TWENTY Benidorm families requested places in the social dining room for pupils during the school holidays. Children will also receive packed meals to ensure that they eat over the weekend.

A BIKER, 39, died after colliding with a car in Yecla on the N-344. The two car occupants suffered minor injuries.

ALMUÑECAR Council has provided funds, estimated at €100,000, to pave the playground at the Las Gaviotas public school.

three recently-arrested sources revealed.

suspects,

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH

Drug spending PRESCRIPTION drug spending fell by 0.4 per cent in May in the Murcia Region. The figure is 14.03 per cent lower than the same month in 2012.

Payments approved TORREVIEJA has had all invoices approved indicating the proper provision of services. Previous outstanding bills

School investment

Shopping spree

CARTAGENA is investing €300,000 to improve the municipality’s schools with work being carried out throughout the summer. The main investment will be focused on replacing toilets and repairing electrics.

IN an effort to stimulate the commercial sector, Almuñecar Council and local stores have organised three ‘shopping nights’ (July 5, 19 and August 2 from 8pm to 2am).

Guilty verdict

Paying homage

A JURY has found a man guilty of murdering his ex-partner in Catral in 2010 after their five-year relationship ended. The prosecution has called for a 20-year prison sentence.

ALMUÑECAR paid homage to English poet Laurie Lee (191 –1917). Lee lived in the city between 1936 and 1952 and immortalised it in ‘A Rose for Winter: Travels in Andalusia’ (1955).

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Are under-qualified English teachers taking over in Spanish classrooms? JUST because they are native speakers it doesn’t mean they have the ability to teach the language. Some teaching unions are

extremely angry with the government’s announcement that it wants to hire more native English teaching assistants for the 2014/2015

academic year. Their role would be to help teach English, even though they are not qualified. The unions are saying that

the native speakers are getting an unfair advantage as they are not required to have the same teaching qualifications as a Spanish

7 million ecstasy tablets ONE ton of PMK glycidate, enough to make seven million ecstasy tablets, has been found in Barcelona Port. The shipment arrived from Shanghai, China, and was intercepted at the port from where it was bound for Maastricht in Holland. PMK glycidate is a precursor compound used in the fabrication of MDMA (ecstasy). So far five people have been arrested; three Dutch, one Bulgarian and one Spanish. This is the biggest find of its kind in Spain and investigations started in August of 2013 when several international law enforcement agencies became aware of a large shipment of the controlled

MASSIVE FIND: 25 vats were found in a lorry substance, believed to be bound for Europe. Inquiries were centred on finding the company responsible for the

importation and this was rapidly identified as being in El Papiol in Barcelona. The representative of this company, a Dutchman, was in contact with another company in China, which was producing the substance and arranging for its transportation to Europe disguised as a pigment for paints. Police located the lorry carrying the 25 vats, weighing 40 kilos each, which was supposed to go to a company in Benalmadena, Malaga, but was really going to Holland. Police investigations are ongoing as they suspect there are more people involved in such a large operation. The five people arrested have all been sent to prison where they will remain on remand until their case can be heard.

national to teach English; also they aren’t required to speak any Spanish. Carlos Iglesias, head of the primary and high schoolteachers’ union (FSIE) commented that there are six million unemployed in Spain; among them many teachers who would be more qualified to teach than a native speaker. He added that although the native speaker may speak the language better, this does not automatically qualify them to pass on the skill to others. “English teachers in Spain sometimes don’t even have TEFL qualifi-cations. “They have never taught before and just because they are native-born speakers, it doesn’t mean they should take the jobs of more qualified people,” commented a spokesperson for an associationof teachers.

E W N 3 - 9 July 2014 / Mallorca

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Stories making headlines in Europe

S CANDINAVIAN P RESS

GERMAN PRESS Speeding horse

BRITISH PRESS Twiplomacy

Royal selfie

Green Devon

NORWAY - Prime Minister Erna Solberg is the most likely Western politician to reply to a tweet from a follower; 74 per cent of her tweets are replies.

A CHEEKY teen named Jack took advantage of the relaxed security on the Queen’s visit to Belfast and managed to snap himself and the monarch in a selfie shot.

THE golden sands of some Devon beaches have turned bright green due to the massive amounts of seaweed currently floating in the waters and washing up on the beaches. Preston beach has been particularly hard hit.

Bite bet NORWAY - A football fan has won 5,600 kroner (€700) after making a bet that Luis Suarez would bite somebody during the World Cup in Brazil. The bet was paid out at 175/1.

Racism worry SWEDEN - Four out of five Swedes are concerned about the increase in racism in Sweden. They are worried about other people’s attitudes towards immigrants and refugees.

Bomb threat SWEDEN - A man who shut down central Stockholm with a bomb threat said he did it as a move to protest against the government’s stance on the asylum process his application for refugee status was rejected.

400m kroner DENMARK - Mogens Jensen, the trade and development minister, has announced the government’s intention to raise aid for educating the world’s poorest children of 400m kroner (€536m).

Hellish neighbour RESIDENTS of Cornwall Drive in St Paul’s Cray, London, have had to put up with a giant mound of rubbish for three years now. The 40ft-high mound is part of a tip which cannot be moved due to a council battle with the company responsible.

Expensive tea

Scratch and sniff POLICE are distributing A5 sized scratch and sniff cards as part of a national campaign against growing marihuana. The cards emit the smell of growing cannabis, although they do not contain any active element of the plant.

WIMBLEDON bosses have banned spectators from bringing Thermos flasks into the club due to terrorism worries; the concession stands are selling cuppas for £2.20 (€2.75).

EXPENSIVE CUPPA: Tea at Wimbledon.

Kinky secrets in library

KICKED OUT: Pensioner for smoking.

No clients

MORE than 70 Russian universities are being checked on amid rumours of students being locked out of their dorms at night and having to bribe their way back in or sleep on the streets.

DESPITE a bumper grain harvest in the Crimea nobody is buying. Agriculture minister Nikolai Polyushkin commented that international buyers were being banned.

Hate crime

Less addicts

A FOREIGN tourist has died in the Crimean town of Yevpatoria. Police are investigating the death as a possible homophobic crime as the victim was not of ‘traditional sexual orientation.’

ALTHOUGH the number of drug addicts has stabilised for the first time in years in Russia, incidences of HIV are on the rise which suggests that the battle against drug abuse is still not over.

THE university of Twente received a gift of $7.5 million (€5.51 million) from the Bill Gates fund in order to execute a 20 month research project to improve smallscale agriculture in Asia and Afrika.

Road death A KNIFE-wielding man was run down on a motorway in western Germany. The unidentified man was thought to have attacked at least three people, one of whom is fighting for his life.

Not qualified

Smoked out

Poor students

Gates’ €5.1 million gift

A HORSE was snapped by a speed camera in Eppstein, Hesse, but he was not going at 59kph as some reports have suggested - the camera was set off by a car behind the horse.

THE man who designed the fire safety system at the scandal ridden Berlin airport has admitted that he is not a real, qualified engineer. The system is the main reason for the delays to the blighted project.

RUSSIAN PRESS

ACROSS the road from the Kremlin is Russia’s kinkiest secret: a pornographic treasure trove library. The library was founded by the Bolsheviks as a store for the aristocracy’s erotica collections it is off limits to the general public.

EUROPEAN PRESS

DUTCH PRESS Car found

Young abuse

World Heritage

SPANISH police have found the burnt out car of Dutchman Martin Verfondern, who has been missing from Petin in Galicia since 2010. Some human remains were also found.

A 14-YEAR-OLD boy in Hardinxveld-Giessendam is being interrogated suspected of abusing a seven-year-old girl in the Westpark. He allegedly forced her into sexual acts.

THE Van Nelle factory in Rotterdam, built in the 1920’s by entrepreneur Cees van Leeuw with the concept of ‘light, air and space,’ has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

A PENSIONER has been evicted from his home of 40 years for smoking. Friedhelm Adolfs, 75, must leave his rented home after neighbours complained of the constant fumes from his cigarettes.

Plane crash ONE person has been declared dead and another missing after a plane went down in Sauerland. The aircraft crashed into a Eurofighter on exercises over central Germany.

Home garden socialism STATE Secretary for Social Affairs Jetta Klijnsma of the Labour Party (PvdA) has advised pensioners to grow their own fruit and vegetables as the value of their pensions diminishes.

NEWS

www.euroweeklynews.com

Too much telly could be deadly WATCHING telly for more than three hours a day could double the risk of premature death. This is one of the terrifying conclusions that arise from a recently conducted study at the University of Navarra. Its results are in fact consistent with previous studies suggesting that there is an inherent link between mortality and the number of hours people watch TV. “Watching television is a popular sedentary behaviour. There is an increasing tendency towards a sedentary lifestyle,” said Miguel A Martinez-Gonzalez, co-author of the study. The researchers looked at 13,284 healthy Spaniards holding undergraduate degrees, 60 per cent of whom were women and whose ages averaged 37 years. The study aimed at determining the relationship, if any, between the risk of death and three common sedentary behaviours, namely watching TV, working on the computer and driving.

The subjects were followed for 8.2 years and there were 97 deaths during that period: 19 for cardiovascular diseases, 46 for cancer and 32 for other reasons. When analysing the data, researchers found that the risk of death was twice as high in those subjects who watched three or more hours of television a day, compared to those who only watched 60 minutes or less. However, they found no link between the risk of premature death and the number of hours spent behind the wheel or working on the computer, but still say more studies should be conducted to confirm these findings. “As people get older, their sedentary behaviour becomes more frequent, which increases many of the health problems associated with ageing,” explained Martinez-Gonzalez. He said adults should increase physical activity and avoid watching more than one or two hours of television a day.

3 - 9 July 2014 / Mallorca

EWN

E W N 3 - 9 July 2014 / Mallorca

A note from the

www.euroweeklynews.com

Editor

Thanks and brickbats… T

HE fire season has well and truly started. Already there have been forest and bush fires right across Spain. The latest of these has just hit the beautiful area around Competa in Andalucia, where 500 people had to be evacuated and five homes were destroyed. While everyone’s sympathy should go to the owners of those homes, our thanks should go to the brave emergency workers who tackle these fires on a regular basis. And make no mistake it is dangerous, with firefighters having been killed when an unexpected change of wind left them trapped. In Competa, 200 men and women on the ground and 18 aircraft combined to tackle the blaze. Thankfully no one was hurt as an emergency plan was put into action.

Those residents and tourists most at risk were taken to safety as the flames approached and the brave firefighters managed to save many homes. The authorities had a plan, and they used it well, for which we should all be grateful. But elsewhere things are not quite so rosy. In Andalucia, people left homeless after a massive blaze swept through Mijas, Alhaurin el Grande and Ojen two years ago are still waiting for the help promised them by the Junta de Andalucia regional government. So there we have it, on the one hand a rapid response to a fire, on the other Spanish officialdom moving with the speed of a sloth. Thanks go to the authorities for their immediate action, and brickbats for their inaction and disinterest after the event.

NEWS

Expats flee as forest fire rages MORE than 500 people, including expats and holidaymakers had to flee a forest fire that swept towards an urbanisation in Southern Spain. The blaze, which broke out near Competa, Andalucia, was fanned by stong winds and high temperatures and swept towards las Colmenillas urbanisation, said

Andalucia’s Emergency Service. Infoca – a service put in place by the Junta de Andalucia to combat forest fires – reduced the alert level from 1 to 0 after the fire in the Axarquia had been brought under control. Around 500 people from las Colmenillas and Cruz del Monte had been evacuated as 100 hectares of forest land was destroyed. The majority of homes evacuated were holiday homes, with the occupants taken to the Balcón de Cómpeta hotel while the blaze was fought. The critical point of the fire was reached at around 4.30pm when the flames reached Urbanisation Cruz del Monte and came COCAINE: Part of multi-billion-euro illegal trade. perilously close to three houses. In total 18 firefighting aircraft – including two amphibious aircraft of the Ministry of the Environment and two helicopters – and 200 members of the DRUG-TRAFFICKING in Spain is a €6-billion business. emergency services on the As recently stated by Minister of the Interior Jorge ground, divided into 16 Fernandez Diaz in a press conference, G6 countries different groups, were and the United States will work together to beef up drafted in to fight the fire. their ongoing war on the illegal drugs trade. By 6pm the flames were Established in 2003 with the purpose of dealing with under control with fireimmigration, terrorism and law and order issues, the fighters remaining on the G6 comprises six European Union member states: scene in case the high Poland, Spain, United Kingdom, France, Italy and winds fanned the fire back Germany. to life. One of their main Minister Diaz talked to the media following an concerns was keeping the intensive meeting of G6 Ministers of the Interior in flames from fully Barcelona to convey the results of the session. spreading to the Sierras According to some studies conducted by the United Tejeda Natural Park and Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, drug-trafficking is Almijara. a €300-billion business worldwide, which gives an idea The cause of the fire is of how big of a threat illegal drugs trade really is, said still unknown and five Minister Diaz. homes were reportedly In Spain, drug-trafficking is a €6-billion business – destroyed by the flames in €18 million a day. Cruz del Monte. Minister Diaz said that 40 per cent of the cocaine and This was the worst fire to 75 per cent of hashish seized in the European Union by break out in the law enforcement officials is confiscated in Spain. municipality in the last 40 years.

Spain’s €6-billion illegal drugs trade

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inance F A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 6 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION // WWW.EWNBUSINESS.COM

3 - 9 July 2014 / Mallorca

business & legal

EWN

STAT OF WEEK NON-RESIDENT foreign buyers acquired 15,402 Spanish properties – 20 per cent of all sales – between January and April. Britain bought most (13.8 per cent) followed by France (10.5 per cent) and Russia (8.4 per cent).

Good timekeeping by Spanish airlines SPAIN’S Air Europa and IAG are the world’s third and fourth most punctual airlines. Just over 89.6 per cent of Air Europa flights were on time in May, according to the report on scheduled passenger airlines compiled by FlightStats each month.

Iberia was close on its heels in third place, with 89.3 per cent punctuality. The Russian airline Aeroflot was the best timekeeper in May on 91.1 per cent, followed by the Scandinavian SAS with 90.8 per cent. Lufthansa, after months

Santander goes Scandinavian BANCO SANTANDER will buy GE Money Bank AB, the Scandinavian consumer finance division of General Electric. The transaction, which is expected to cost approximately €700 million, should be completed during the second half of this year subject to regulatory approval, said Santander. GE Money Bank has loans of €2.35 billion, corresponding to direct loans and credit cards, the bank stated. Sweden accounts for 55 per cent of the loans, Norway for 26 per cent and Denmark for 19 per cent. Santander Consumer Finance, meanwhile, leads in financing vehicle purchase, with a total volume of €8.9 billion in loans.

“Acquiring GE Capital’s business in Sweden, Denmark and Norway is an important step in Santander Consumer’s growth strategy,” said Santander chairman Emilio Botin. This would increase its geographical diversification and reinforce its position as Europe’s foremost consumer finance provider, he added. Santander is looking to benefit from the economic recovery by boosting returns from lending. It agreed to pay approximately €140 million for 51 per cent of El Corte Ingles finance unit last October and is now negotiating with PSA Peugeot Citroen to sell loans and create a joint venture to boost the manufacturer’s finance network.

amongst the leaders at the top of the list, fell to 19th place. Taiwanese Eva Airways’ 52.77 per cent punctuality record was the second worst while China Airlines with 51.33 per cent was at the bottom of the heap.

usiness extra

Cars bring jobs CAR factories created 1,800 jobs last year, said the Anfac manufacturers’ association. The trend continued this year, with a further increase of 6,000 new jobs between January and April.

Gas goes KUTXABANK has sold its 5 per cent holding in Enagas, which owns Spain’s natural gas grid, for €274 million. The Basque bank’s holding has now been reduced to 0.018 per cent.

More foreigners paying social… BY last May 1,608,221 foreigners were registered with Spain’s Social Security system. This was 44,600 more than in April, but 43,169 fewer than during the same month last year. Of these, 855,356 were male and 752,875 female. Most Social Security contributors – 960,895 in all – are from outside the EU, while the remaining 647,326 come from EU member states. The majority were General Category

workers, who accounted for 1,369,005 of the total and included 212,465 from the agricultural sector while 216,641 were domestic workers. Romanians and Moroccans were the most numerous in this category. There were 234,566 self-employed foreigners, of whom the majority were Chinese. A further 4,356 foreigners worked in the maritime sector and 294 were employed in Spain’s mines.

Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com

PUNCTUAL: Air Europa third best at keeping to schedule.

E W N 3 - 9 July 2014 / Mallorca

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

LONDON - FTSE 100 MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US

C LOSING P RICES J UNE 30

C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) 3i Group PLC 404.35 Aberdeen Asset Mngmnt 447.25 Admiral Group PLC 1544.50 Aggreko PLC 1653.50 Anglo American PLC 1438.50 Antofagasta PLC 762.00 ARM Holdings PLC 879.25 Ashtead Group PLC 875.25 Associated British Foods 3051.00 AstraZeneca PLC 4381.00 Aviva PLC 513.25 Babcock International 1158.50 BAE Systems PLC 431.95 Barclays PLC 215.60 Barratt Developments 373.95 BG Group PLC 1243.75 BHP Billiton PLC 1889.00 BP PLC 518.65

C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. -1.50 -0.37 0.00 0.00 5.00 0.32 11.00 0.67 7.50 0.52 -2.50 -0.33 -2.50 -0.28 2.00 0.23 9.00 0.30 11.00 0.25 0.82 0.16 0.00 0.00 0.60 0.14 -0.35 -0.16 -0.70 -0.19 -2.50 -0.20 -24.00 -1.25 3.87 0.75

NET VOLUME 53.45 152.70 17.76 35.05 258.03 35.41 133.55 37.95 18.97 97.18 283.91 66.15 272.26 4,441.95 292.30 219.36 598.43 725.48

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Units per €

US dollar.................................................................1.36547 Japan yen..............................................................138.439 Switzerland franc ................................................1.21547 Denmark kroner ................................................7.45638 Norway kroner ...................................................8.38081

currenciesdirect.com/mallorca • Tel: +34 687 906 226 C O M PA N Y

PRICE(P)

British Amercn Tobacco British Land Co PLC British Sky Broadcasting BT Group PLC Bunzl PLC Burberry Group PLC Capita PLC

3473.75 707.50 902.50 388.00 1635.00 1483.00 1139.50

DOW JONES

NASDAQ

C LOSING P RICES J UNE 30

C O M PA N Y MMM 3M Co AXP American Express Co T AT&T Inc BA Boeing Co CAT Caterpillar Inc CVX Chevron Corp CSCO Cisco Systems Inc DD E I du Pont de Nemours and Co XOM Exxon Mobil Corp GE General Electric Co GS Goldman Sachs Group Inc HD Home Depot Inc INTC Intel Corp IBM International Business Machine... JNJ Johnson & Johnson JPM JPMorgan Chase and Co MCD McDonald's Corp MRK Merck & Co Inc MSFT Microsoft Corp NKE Nike Inc PFE Pfizer Inc PG Procter & Gamble Co KO The Coca-Cola Co TRV Travelers Companies Inc UTX United Technologies Corp UNH UnitedHealth Group Inc VZ Verizon Communications Inc V Visa Inc WMT Wal-Mart Stores Inc DIS Walt Disney Co

PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 143.69 94.93 35.41 128.54 108.78 130.36 24.70 65.44 101.21 26.43 166.78 81.13 30.93 181.71 104.99 57.53 101.46 57.53 42.25 77.68 29.67 79.02 42.19 93.92 116.58 82.00 49.32 209.28 75.34 85.30

-0.04 +0.63 +0.15 +0.52 +0.26 -0.56 +0.05 -2.26 -0.82 +0.14 -1.23 +0.38 +0.15 +1.34 -0.66 +0.14 -0.05 -1.00 +0.53 +0.82 +0.08 +0.40 +0.16 -0.49 +0.83 -0.29 +0.11 +0.32 +0.43 +0.85

-0.03% +0.67% +0.43% +0.41% +0.24% -0.43% +0.20% -3.34% -0.80% +0.53% -0.73% +0.47% +0.49% +0.74% -0.62% +0.24% -0.05% -1.71% +1.27% +1.07% +0.27% +0.51% +0.38% -0.52% +0.72% -0.35% +0.22% +0.15% +0.57% +1.01%

2.0M 3.6M 20.9M 3.7M 3.6M 8.7M 35.0M 16.2M 15.1M 35.2M 3.1M 5.0M 30.8M 4.6M 6.5M 10.2M 2.8M 17.3M 74.6M 9.1M 30.7M 9.0M 18.7M 4.1M 9.1M 4.8M 12.4M 3.2M 14.0M 17.9M

1.24620

0.80243

C O M PA N Y

C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. -2.50 0.29 8.50 -1.00 7.00 8.00 2.00

-0.07 0.04 0.95 -0.26 0.43 0.54 0.18

NET VOLUME 173.52 78.67 184.27 558.35 23.29 31.80 24.46

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

$ 17.46 $ 7.74 $ 6.50 $ 35.76 $ 2.51 $ 9.96 $ 5.14 $ 3.439 $ 4.97 $ 27.79 $ 42.89

4.01 ▲ 29.81% 1.01 ▲ 15.01% 0.82 ▲ 14.44% 4.42 ▲ 14.10% 0.31 ▲ 14.09% 1.11 ▲ 12.54% 0.54 ▲ 11.74% 0.3585 ▲ 11.64% 0.49 ▲ 10.94% 2.73 ▲ 10.89% 3.98 ▲ 10.23%

Tarena International, Inc. $ 12.21 Parnell Pharmaceuticals Holdings Ltd $ 6.95 Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation $ 25.18 Learning Tree International, Inc. $ 2.28 Pain Therapeutics $ 5.47 Empire Resorts, Inc. $ 7.06 First Mid-Illinois Bancshares, Inc. $ 20.38 Gibraltar Industries, Inc. $ 15.30 Trade Street Residential, Inc. $ 7.07 VisionChina Media, Inc. $ 16.95 Clearfield, Inc. $ 17.23

1.74 ▼ 12.47% 0.85 ▼ 10.90% 3.03 ▼ 10.74% 0.2475 ▼ 9.79% 0.59 ▼ 9.74% 0.66 ▼ 8.55% 1.85 ▼ 8.32% 1.31 ▼ 7.89% 0.60 ▼ 7.82% 1.42 ▼ 7.73% 1.30 ▼ 7.02%

Most Advanced Amedisys Inc Argos Therapeutics, Inc. Aware, Inc. GoPro, Inc. Intermolecular, Inc. Dyax Corp. TGC Industries, Inc. BTU International, Inc. Trevena, Inc. Qunar Cayman Islands Limited China Biologic Products, Inc.

Most Declined

C O M PA N Y Carnival PLC Centrica PLC Coca-Cola HBC AG Compass Group PLC CRH PLC Diageo PLC easyJet PLC Experian PLC Fresnillo PLC Friends Life Group Ltd G4S PLC GKN PLC GlaxoSmithKline PLC Glencore PLC Hammerson PLC Hargreaves Lansdown HSBC Holdings PLC IMI PLC Imperial Tobacco Group InterContinental Hotels International Consldtd Intertek Group PLC Intu Properties PLC ITV PLC Johnson Matthey PLC Kingfisher PLC Land Securities Group Legal & General Group Lloyds Banking Group London Stock Exchange Marks & Spencer Group Meggitt PLC Mondi PLC Morrison (Wm) Sprmrkts National Grid PLC Next PLC Old Mutual PLC Pearson PLC Persimmon PLC Petrofac Ltd Prudential PLC Randgold Resources Ltd Reckitt Benckiser Grp Reed Elsevier PLC REXAM PLC Rio Tinto PLC Rolls-Royce Holdings Royal Bank of Scotland Royal Dutch Shell PLC Royal Mail PLC RSA Insurance Group SABMiller PLC Sage Group (The) PLC Sainsbury (J) PLC Schroders PLC Severn Trent PLC Shire PLC Smith & Nephew PLC Smiths Group PLC Sports Direct Interntnl... SSE PLC Standard Chartered Standard Life PLC St James's Place PLC Tesco PLC Travis Perkins PLC TUI Travel PLC Tullow Oil PLC Unilever PLC United Utilities Group Vodafone Group PLC Weir Group PLC Whitbread PLC Wolseley PLC WPP PLC

PRICE(P) CHANGE 2236.00 12.00 314.10 1.37 1360.50 7.00 1014.00 -2.28 1514.50 -6.00 1868.25 20.00 1400.00 -60.00 985.00 -0.50 856.25 1.00 314.40 2.10 253.55 -0.20 368.15 1.00 1572.50 -1.50 325.28 1.15 580.25 -1.50 1260.00 -2.00 595.30 -1.78 1496.50 0.00 2628.00 -4.00 2414.00 17.00 383.55 0.00 2729.00 -2.00 311.15 0.70 178.00 1.83 3078.00 16.00 362.70 2.50 1042.00 2.00 225.85 -0.30 75.17 -0.19 2002.50 11.00 431.15 -0.70 507.00 0.00 1070.00 -2.00 183.20 -0.70 840.50 3.00 6532.50 50.00 197.10 1.10 1136.50 1.50 1274.50 -5.00 1211.00 3.00 1341.75 3.00 4868.00 -24.00 5117.50 30.00 936.00 0.50 533.00 5.50 3120.25 -3.00 1063.00 -5.00 330.25 3.30 2559.00 8.00 499.80 0.00 480.10 0.15 3391.75 26.00 385.50 0.80 315.50 -1.36 2513.50 9.00 1930.50 14.00 4650.50 80.00 1038.00 3.00 1308.50 13.00 717.50 -6.50 1567.00 2.00 1194.50 2.50 375.00 0.10 773.50 1.50 283.18 -0.63 1644.50 -9.00 404.05 0.70 857.50 4.15 2644.50 7.00 884.50 4.00 197.47 1.25 2649.50 10.00 4405.00 28.00 3230.00 19.00 1280.50 14.00

% C H G. 0.54 0.44 0.52 -0.22 -0.39 1.08 -4.11 -0.05 0.12 0.67 -0.08 0.27 -0.10 0.35 -0.26 -0.16 -0.30 0.00 -0.15 0.71 0.00 -0.07 0.23 1.04 0.52 0.69 0.19 -0.13 -0.25 0.55 -0.16 0.00 -0.19 -0.38 0.36 0.77 0.56 0.13 -0.39 0.25 0.22 -0.49 0.59 0.05 1.04 -0.10 -0.47 1.01 0.31 0.00 0.03 0.77 0.21 -0.43 0.36 0.73 1.75 0.29 1.00 -0.90 0.13 0.21 0.03 0.19 -0.22 -0.54 0.17 0.49 0.27 0.45 0.64 0.38 0.64 0.59 1.10

VOLUME 43.99 536.29 6.35 84.77 52.21 369.45 598.47 57.85 47.57 161.48 134.36 163.98 252.07 801.69 61.77 46.24 1,506.09 11.26 47.56 28.22 144.65 12.58 36.07 933.70 7.74 290.75 22.16 433.59 7,299.93 21.47 80.72 69.78 98.69 350.81 286.42 17.98 132.85 166.98 38.75 19.97 131.37 8.95 47.26 162.79 107.04 210.30 128.53 443.33 95.37 110.28 38.63 101.67 187.61 188.80 7.88 8.51 1,125.83 64.96 72.69 101.30 87.11 245.39 122.42 52.06 864.57 22.16 787.39 50.42 86.18 61.80 4,824.52 12.34 8.82 10.58 144.22

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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3 - 9 July 2014 / Mallorca

EWN

Sterling soars to a high as Euro collapses JUNE has seen the euro weaken massively as Sterling - Euro saw record highs in 18 months surpassing the 1.25 mark. This commenced due to a good run of UK economic data, also showing that the unemployment rate had fallen to a five year low. However, the biggest news in the Eurozone came from the European Central Bank (ECB), finally announcing major moves in interest rates and starting on the long path to eliminating fears of deflation. Having experienced just 0.2 per cent growth in the first quarter of 2014 and falling inflation levels - from 0.7 per cent in April to 0.5 per cent in May pressure mounted on the ECB at the start of the month to finally take a long-awaited action. On June 5, The European Central Bank announced a set of measures to promote growth and soften deflationary pressure currently affecting the Eurozone economy. These involved the cutting of all interest rates.

Ask the expert Peter Loveday Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com

In a milestone move, the ECB lowered the main refinancing rate from 0.25 per cent to 0.15 per cent and cut the deposit rate for banks from 0 per cent to -0.1 per cent. This is the first time the central bank has set a negative rate. This means that banks in Europe will be required to pay the ECB for the right to park their reserves with the central bank. By charging banks interest it hopes to motivate them to lend to businesses, which should help stimulate growth in the Eurozone economy. This is an extraordinary move that has never been tested before on such a large scale and it is the boldest step that the ECB has taken, so far, to stimulate growth and inflation in the region’s economy.

JUNE: Overall a dismal month for the Euro. Mario Draghi, the President of the European Central Bank, also introduced €400 billion of cheap credit in the form of Longer-Term Refinancing Operations (LTRO) and suspended sterilisation of government bonds previously bought, which should inject about €170 billion into the economy. Although the ECB has not gone as far as introducing a quantitative easing programme (as implemented by the US Federal Reserve), Draghi stated that the

central bank is willing to consider more measures to raise inflation, if necessary, by stating “we are not finished,” hinting very clearly that more stimulus was possible and that Quantitative Easing might follow shortly. Mid June - we saw the GBPEUR rate increase further by hitting the 1.25 mark as Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, warned that UK interest rates could increase sooner than the market had expected.

Meanwhile, the Euro has continued to tackle its problems, which were highlighted in manufacturing readings from Germany, France and the broader Euro region on June 23 as they fell short of expectations, adding to current weakness in the shared currency. ECB chief Mario Draghi has also hinted that interest rates are likely to stay at record lows for at least another 18 months as inflation rates remain at a dismal 0.5 per cent way off the targeted 2 per cent level. On a more positive note for the Euro - we saw Sterling weaken slightly against the single currency towards the end of June as Mark Carney met with the Treasury Select Committee where it was mentioned that stimulus would not be removed as there are risks to economy and rates will continue to rise. Overall, a dismal month for the Euro - one of the worst months to sell Euros and best months in 18 months to purchase Euros!

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Many happy advertising returns Talking shop Mike Walsh Mike Walsh was for 20 years Regional Assessment Manager for the Guild of Master Craftsmen, Britain’s biggest quality assurance body for businesses.

www.michaelwalsh.es • 966 786 932

MOST of us realise the importance of advertising in newspapers. A tried and tested partnership, the relationship between newspaper and business seems unassailable. If newspapers were to lose advertising revenue the cover price could be as high as €5 per copy. Advertisers subsidise our weekly read. We owe their community a great deal. Cynics point out that advertisers are powerful enough to influence editorial. I know this to be true with mainstream media. The heavies are dependent upon government infrastructure for both advertising and news feed. Government can kill a newspaper or television broadcaster simply by withholding advertising or re-

ADS: Can let a business down. directing news content. Owners and advertisers of independent regional newspapers don’t give a tinker’s cuss about political influence or commercial one-upmanship. All they want is reader response when setting their stall out. Advertising departments are managed by geniuses. Mind reading is an essential on the CV, as is multi-tasking, empathy, marketing nous, graphics, debt collection, taking the blame,

foregoing kudos and much else. Advertisers often let themselves down. They rarely change the content of their advert. Many pay little attention to content then blame the ad’ department for a poor response. Remember to give clear contact details to make sure new customers can find you. So many times I have to ask locals where a place is. Customers want to know if parking is available, booking a table or appointment is necessary, an idea of prices, child or wheelchair friendly. It is not enough to blandly advertise your business. Give readers a clue as to why your business should be favoured over rivals. A special offer, the ambience: Is entertainment available and if so whom? I have seen world-class performers billed merely as ‘flamenco.’ Artistes have their fans who do follow them to your restaurant or watering hole if you have the nous to put their name in lights and sex up their performance. The difference to the till can pay the artiste’s fee and your advertising.

Amazon sales in Spain - no one’s saying a word AMAZON is tight-lipped Spain’s version of regarding its Spanish Companies House. internet sales which are Turnover rose to €17.46 billed through million last year, Luxembourg and enjoy compared with €10.59 low taxes. million in 2013, a 65 per The online giant has cent increase. Outlay on two Spanish subsidiaries, personnel rose from €4.8 Amazon Spain million to €7.5 and Services, and its Amazon million assets logistics division has two increased by Amazon 206 per cent to Fulfilment Spanish €16.7 million. based in San branches Amazon Fernando de Fulfilment finished Henares (Madrid). 2013 with a net profit This delivers to Spain as well as to clients of €43,877. Amazon Fulfilment and outside the country for whom the San Fernando Amazon Spain Services paid centre is the nearest respectively distribution point. €256,893 and €295,868 While Amazon discloses in corporation tax. “Amazon pays its taxes nothing regarding its Spanish website sales, in all countries in Amazon Fulfilment accordance with local accounts are available at legislation,” a spokesman the Registro Mercantil, intoned.

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Loose change A look at finance for females

Jane Plunkett jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews.com

IT’S that time of year. Holiday time - where here in Spain the sun is shining,

BUSINESS EXTRA

FCC go-ahead FCC shareholders ratified the construction and services’ refinancing plan, agreed last March. The plan includes a €450 million convertible bond issue and refinancing the group’s €4.51 billion bank debt.

Fewer births ONLY 425,390 babies were born in Spain last year, 6.4 per cent fewer than in 2012. This was the fifth consecutive fall in births, following 2008’s record 519,779.

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

Friends are saving money by staying at yours - but are you? the sardines are slow cooking on wood fires and chunky ice-filled goblets of Gin and Tonic are being enjoyed as the last rays of sunshine disappear into the evening sky. Having a ‘place’ in Spain is a beautiful thing, but so much so that guests from cooler climates are prone to pop over for a holiday. Depending on your own disposition and how close you are to these potential house guests it can either be an enjoyable experience or a complete nightmare. Good friends may be a delight to have for a couple of nights but distant family or friends who decide to arrive on your doorstep and take advantage of your life and home in Spain can be hard work to tolerate and entertain.

HARD WORK: Entertaining house guests.

The trouble with house guests is that, however good friends they might be, they cramp your style and privacy. You can’t sleep in till midday, walk around in your underwear, shout at the television or slouch on

Is Plus Valia Capital Gains Tax? Q. I have digested your book ‘You and the Law in Spain’ and other material. All agree that You and the foreign owners resident in Spain, over 65 years Law in Spain of age and having lived in the property for By David Searl more than three years as principal residence, are exempt from Plus Valia tax. A friend is selling his house. He satisfies the above conditions, but the Ayuntamiento says he will have to pay about €50,000 in Plus Valia. The cadastral value is raised periodically, so this official rated value now exceeds the real market price. Is it normal? A. In fact, I do not say in my book that these older sellers are exempt from Plus Valia tax. I say that they are exempt from Spanish Capital Gains Tax, the Impuesto sobre el Incremento de Patrimonio, and I bet your other sources say the same. On page 147 of the 2013 edition, in the discussion of Plus Valia, I remind readers not to confuse the two taxes. The full name is Arbitrio sobre el Incremento del Valor de los Terrenos, which is why it is always shortened to Plus Valia. You pay this tax to the town hall and the Transfer Tax when property is sold. Later, you declare and pay your Capital Gains Tax on the profit you have made. You are right to point out that the Cadastral Value, the Valor Catastral, which is the rated value, has increased

to more than the real value in today’s depressed market.

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

the couch and watch TV all night if Cousin Mary and Uncle Fred from America are lurking in the wings. And on top of all this house guests are expensive to host. The fridge needs to be filled and we often end

up buying pricey patés, fancy cheeses and hams to show off the local cuisine. The drinks cabinet needs to be restocked and if the corners are fraying on the bedlinen some of us might be tempted to buy new

covers – even if our budget doesn’t allow it. Because we don’t want to look bad! Then there’s entertaining. A relaxed weekend reading and going for a walk won’t suffice for guests, so lunches out, taxi rides home and loads of cash spent on ‘enjoyment’ is usually the norm. For the host this can be a big drain on finances. So what should we do if we can’t afford unwanted guests landing on our doorstep? Well, first off, don’t ever advertise that you have a spare room. Make up a nice excuse to keep them away - “we are having terrible problems with the plumbing at the moment!” Or just be brutally honest. It might just be rude enough to keep them away for good.

Brussels eyes Spain’s tax cuts with caution SPAIN’S knuckles were rapped for lowering income and corporate taxes in 2015. Brussels should have been consulted first, the European Commission (EC) complained, despite conceding that “some aspects” of Mariano Rajoy’s tax cuts are acceptable. Generally speaking, however, Spain’s initiative was not applauded. Spain had ignored its recommendation of increasing the VAT added-value tax in order to reduce workers’ social contributions, Brussels lamented. It also criticised the increased number of tax breaks, a move that directly challenges targets for simplifying tax structures. And by no means last,

the EC believes that the reductions will make it harder for Spain “to fulfil its fiscal consolidation targets.” This last objection directly refutes the claims of Spain’s Finance Minister Cristobal Montoro, who insisted that lower taxes will not entail reduced revenue. On receiving fuller details of the Spanish government’s reforms Brussels will “carefully analyse” the implementation of tax objectives, sources said. Meanwhile, Spain is also counting on France and Italy to ease the fiscal pressure imposed by Brussels, government sources revealed. It is confident that economic recovery will continue and offset the lost revenue.

“The time has come to lower taxes for everybody, for the Spanish to receive compensation for the efforts they have made during the crisis,” Montoro declared. He is convinced that the reform can raise national output by up to 0.55 per cent over the next two years, he said. Brussels sees things differently. Some EC sources made no attempt to hide what they readily described as “scepticism” regarding the reasons for the tax cuts. “Elections are looming,” they said. The same sources also warned that if revenue diminishes, Spain could once again have problems owing to its hefty deficit.

SUMMER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

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3 - 9 July 2014 / Mallorca

Summer Special A fun guide for the summer months

It’s time to go alfresco!

S summer approaches it is time to think of alfresco dining. For many that means a family favourite – the picnic. And Spain is certainly the country for that, with the Spanish having turned a simple event into a bit of an art form. Not for them a curled-up sandwich washed down with some warm fizzy drinks, they know how to organise a sumptuous feast. Every weekend in the summer months wherever you go on the beaches or in the countryside, you are likely to see large groups of extended family enjoying the summer weather with a seemingly never-ending supply of food and drink all day long. The extended family, from grandparents to toddlers, often with tables, chairs, and tent-like sun canopies, are pastmasters at organisation to get all their gear together for a day out. So how do they do it? Here are some tips on planning that perfect family picnic. Advance planning is essential for the Spanish style picnic. Pack a picnic basket. Include all necessary paper products for your picnic. Make sure you include plates, plastic cups, cutlery and plenty of napkins. Make sure you have enough food and drink! Children having fun expend a lot of energy and tend to get even hungrier than normal, so prepare enough snacks, and pack more than enough food for the day.

Plenty of water is essential under the Spanish sun, not just fizzy drinks and booze for the adults. Think of the young and the PICNIC: The elderly. Leaving Spanish have young children turned this and babies in the full glare of the summer sun is a big no-no. pastime into Make sure to take an art form. sun umbrellas or and outdoor tent for shade. Don’t forget first aid essentials. Pack a bag with any items you may need including sticking plasters, insect repellant, sunscreen, wet wipes, extra napkins, antiseptic cream, and antisting cream. Take your rubbish home with you. Leave the site in perfect condition for the next family to enjoy.

EWN

E W N 3 - 9 July 2014 / Mallorca

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We are sailing... E

SUMMER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

GREAT HOBBY: There is no excuse for not taking up sailing in Spain.

VER thought other vessels need a licence or about sailing ‘titulo de recreo’. ON THE WAVES: as a hobby? An International There are If so you Certificate of tremendous have no excuse for Competence (ICC) or a not taking it up in Yacht Master Certificate conditions and Spain. is considered sufficient many marinas on Now is the time to proof to skipper most offer. investigate and look into foreign-flagged the possibility of learning vessels in Spain. But the sport with the summer the ICC is not a qualification months upon us making for ideal that is recognised for a Spanishconditions for all things boating. flagged vessel. It is a hugely popular sport along the Anybody resident in the Costas and islands, and so it should be country, or who has a Spanishwith the tremendous conditions and flagged vessel, must many marinas on offer. have the correct licence To get a sailing licence in Spain a the ‘titulo de recreo’. Failure medical certificate is needed and the to have the licence may result licence must be issued by a training in the vessel being school recognised by the authorites. confiscated and/or a There are schools throughout the hefty fine. country. Most offer the basic security For more details get in and navigation procedures course, touch with a practical courses and preparation for the local sailing examination. school or Some can also convert and validate yacht club. foreign licences. Some foreign licences are recognised in Spain, including the RYA Yacht Master Certification and the International Certificate of Competence. There are different rules for different regions so this must be checked with the local authority. In Spain it is not necessary to have a licence for motor boats up to 3.5Kw, boats with a maximum power of 10Kw and up to four metres long or sailing boats up to five metres. The above may only be used during daylight hours in Spanish waters. All

SUMMER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

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SUMMER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

OPINION & COMMENT

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3 - 9 July 2014 / Mallorca

EWN

Grunters are a real turn-off…

OMETHING really must be done about those appalling grunters at Wimbledon. Frankly, the orgasmic screams from the women and the Neanderthal grunts of the men are really starting to get to me. I mean what on earth is it all about? I have always been a tennis fan. In the good old days (mine that is) when I could get on Centre Court and into the bar, I didn’t miss a single day of this wonderful competition. At no time during that period do I recall the likes of Chris Evett, BillieJean King, Jimmy Connors or any of those wonderful past champions, screaming like banshees or imitating the mating call of chimpanzees to achieve a successful outcome. What do these spoiled, extremely fortunate people think when they see recordings of their matches and hear themselves uttering these primitive ejaculations? Personally, I would be extremely embarrassed; some of their utterings almost seem like too much information - if you get my drift! I saw an article the other day from someone who had recently watched a number of players practising,

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT particularly Sharapova - to my mind one of the worst offenders. This person reported that there was no sign of the noise projected during their actual matches. By this token it must imply the whole phenomenon is a part of the player’s strategy and completely intentional. In this case the noise limiters must be brought into play and anything over an agreed level penalised by loss of points or a number of warnings that could culminate in fines or even disqualification. Come on, you tennis authorities, show some teeth so this ol’ boy can turn the sound back on and enjoy the commentary, without suffering what sounds for all the world like a backing track of London Zoo! I know Cameron’s stand in the recent EU presidential elections has just about been done to death, but can anyone tell me who the alternate

candidates were? As far as I can discover there was actually no one else to vote for. I dunno, perhaps it’s me. I’ve no doubt somebody will write in and enlighten me! As far as I’m concerned, disgraced footballing animal Suarez should have been banned for life for his recent biting incident. It was his third offence and it should be without question three bites and you’re out. But he won’t be, will he. No, I’m afraid in the world of the beautiful game, money speaks far louder than words - as certain wealthy Qataris have also discovered! And that’s about it. Unfortunately, lost another friend this week. Estelle Hatt, long-time resident of Mallorca and one of life’s true characters, passed on. RIP Estelle. Sadly missed. Thanks for all your mail. Love the feedback. I can take it. Have a good week and, whatever ya, do always keep the faith. Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com WORST OFFENDER: Maria Sharapova.

In search of good news Ulrica Marshall

Expat Strife Swedish-born Ulrica is a freelance journalist living in Mallorca with her family. Her debut novel $Expat Wives is available on Amazon and iBooks. To comment on any of the issues raised in Ulrica’s column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/ulrica-marshall

ulrica@euroweeklynews.com

T’S always the same, isn’t it? You have to brace yourself when picking up a newspaper, because they generally leave you with the certain conviction that the world as we know it is coming to an end. War, violent crime, accidents, and natural disasters literally spill out of the pages and I often find myself shielding some articles from the curious eyes of my children or quickly flicking past photos of out-of-focus war corpses. Of course, there is good news: lots of it, but it is rarely reported unless it involves some national sporting triumph. Remember the extensive coverage of motor

GOOD NEWS: A product of hard work.

racing champion Michael Schumacher’s ski accident? Of course you do, even if you didn’t know who he was beforehand. Well, last week he finally came out of his coma, yet this was conveyed in a 40-word News-inBrief, a long way into one of the UK’s leading newspapers. Journalist Charles Moore explains that bad news - the usual kind - typically happens suddenly and is as such ideal news material, while good news tends to be the product of hard work over a period of time. But I suspect this is only half the story. They say that happiness is strongly linked to how we feel about ourselves in relation to others and reading of their misery may well leave us relieved and thankful for what we have. On the other hand, do you cheer jubilantly when reading about a lottery winner scooping millions or do you mumble under breath; “That should have been

me!” Yep, thought so. Add to this the fact that newspaper reporter was voted the worst job last year in a survey by CareerCast.com - pay is relatively low, stress is high, hours are long and often involve shift work, and that is before they send you off to Afghanistan. So, these long-suffering reporters may be forgiven for venting doom and gloom ahead of jolly little feel-good stories. Attempts to redress the balance by highlighting good news stories have rarely ended well. Veteran journalist Martyn Lewis has longsince stoically attempted to promote good news, yet he turned down the opportunity to present a show dedicated to good news. He argued that news, be it good or bad, should be part of a whole. He also said often good news is found as additional reporting online or on Twitter, but less so in traditional media. If we readers really wanted the good news, it would be readily available. Good news, it seems, is no news.

E W N 3 - 9 July 2014 / Mallorca

Disenchanted with the system that insults home owners IT made me sad to read about a recent Save Our Homes Axarquia (SOHA) meeting with politicians. As a fluent Spanish speaker I truly wish I had been present. To say “it was very gracious of them to come and listen to us” shows a great lack of understanding of the Spanish mentality because they are not gracious people. They are experts at manipulation and deceit. The responses they gave were a clear insult to the thousands who have invested in good faith. A country that will knock down a house and leave people like Len and Helen Prior living in a garage for being victims of that country’s own corruption is a country of little humanity. To say “the truth has not been told in the past” is a paltry way of referring to a practice that in any civilised society would be known as s******g on people from a great height. In Spain it has been going on for donkey’s years and will continue to go on forever. Extreme pressure must be applied to the EU and their court of human rights because the British government won’t do anything. Forget Spanish politicians, they are laughing at you. Gary Verbickas, Granada

Round trips FOR 59 years I have driven practically every vehicle you can think of. Britain has had roundabouts for nearly 100 years and we have learned how to use them. Spain has had them for five minutes - okay, about 10 years and of course they know best. Teaching drivers to stay in the inside lane when they wish to go left round the roundabout is a recipe for disaster. If I am on the outside lane on a dual carriage way roundabout, I do not want to be wiped out by some idiot coming across my bows. Spain is the only country I know that teaches this way. Bob Heaven, Busot (Alicante)

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SPAIN is different, as we know. Even privet is different, as this photo of a tree (no hedges here!) and self-seeded saplings proves. Bill Stocker, Bedfordshire and Alicante.

Policy-making I CAN’T make my mind up about Bill Campbell’s letter. Is he serious or taking the C5H4N4O3 as my biology professor was prone to exclaim? Or is he purposely trying to provoke some idiot with time on their hands into responding. Hang on... er... I meant some other idiot, not me. His letter ‘False alarms’ is either very astute or just the opposite. I mean, come on, for a start I agree with Leapy Lee when he says UKIP have no policies apart from their views on Europe. How many policies do we need? Every election we are promised policies by the bucket load. Very few, if any, are for our benefit and most are quietly binned immediately after the election. Vote for those who promise least and that way you won’t be too disappointed. If Bill Campbell believes for one heartbeat that people voted UKIP because some Busy Archer is constantly warning them not to, he deludes himself. Conway Owen Jones (by email)

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Free-for-all HOW can Desiree Bishop run down the UK health system if she doesn’t live there? At least you don’t pay there. A friend who arrived from Australia broke her foot and she said the service and the nurses were brilliant. Don’t knock the system and the UK if you don’t know it. Lily Lucy (by email).

Taxing ordeal IN late December 2013 I received two brown envelopes from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. Being retired I ignored them, but taking a second look I discovered that they had changed

the goal posts. They also informed me that I am deemed to owe them £273 back tax. I have paid tax and national insurance all my working life. Now Her Majesty’s Government wants to tax me at 65 years of age on my private pension. How many millions of pensioners are Her Majesty’s Government taxing? Having retired to Spain it seems awfully unfair that at 65 I am being asked to contribute to the British economy but I suppose someone has to pay for the immigrants and asylum seekers flooding in and sponging off the UK. This is only one voice and I can rant and rave but it won’t change a thing. How many people out there feel the same way? Allan David Duhig, Mazarron (Murcia).

Wet blankets I HOPE the people of Fuengirola, Marbella and Estepona had a better San Juan night than the people of Mijas Costa. The local police walked the beach in La Cala de Mijas and made everybody put their bonfires out. Usually the beach is crowded with Spanish families, expats and

OPINION & COMMENT tourists having a wonderful time, but not this year thanks to someone who decided to ban bonfires on the beach. I know where I will be for next year’s San Juan night: sitting at home, keeping my money in my pocket. Alex Burridge, Calahonda (Malaga)

Fracking shame I AM completely against fracking anywhere. Once a water-table is contaminated there is no way back and the companies applying for these ecological disasters know it but don’t care. There is enough evidence from the USA to show this. I’m appalled that leaders can see no further than their bank balances, and that is all this ‘rush to frack’ is. Money, and the devil take the hindmost. If it was safe, France and Germany would be on to it like a shot. What is needed is a law saying that for every frack contamination, all directors of the company involved get a mandatory 10-year jail sentence. Then we’ll see who is willing to take the chance! Keith Hallam, Blackpool (UK)

Bad impression I WRITE to bring to the attention of your readers a very nasty practice carried out by Spanish banks. If a customer tries to pay a bill of an amount in excess of the account’s daily limit, the transaction is refused by the bank with the printed explanation ‘saldo insuficiente.’ I have confirmed with Spanish friends that this suggests that the balance in the account is less than that needed to pay the invoice. In my case I had indeed exceeded the daily limit on the debit card, but had to endure the embarrassment of the trader believing I was short of the sum needed to pay for the goods or service. I cannot think of any good reason why the banks are unable to say that a transaction exceeds the daily limit on a card. At my request the bank immediately wrote a letter to the trader concerned, stating that there certainly were sufficient funds in the account. Andrew Gore, La Herradura (Granada)

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

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Thursday BBC ONE 3:00pm Wimbledon 2014 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm Regional News and Weather 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Traffic Cops 10:00pm Celebrity MasterChef 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm Regional News and Weather 11:35pm Question Time 12:35am This Week Andrew Neil, Michael Portillo and guests discuss the week's top political stories.

BBC TWO 3:00pm Wimbledon 2014 6:00pm Wimbledon 2014 9:00pm Today at Wimbledon 10:00pm The Honourable Woman 11:00pm Mock the Week 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am Hot Property: Business Boomers

ITV 3:00pm Peter Andre's 60 Minute Makeover 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Tonight 9:00pm Emmerdale 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Inside Asprey: Luxury by Royal Appointment 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:35pm We Own the Night 1:40am Jackpot247 Join the presenters live and play roulette on your telly.

CH4 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm George Clarke's Amazing Spaces 10:00pm Beauty Queen or Bust 11:00pm The Secret Life of Students 12:00am One Born Every Minute

CH5 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm World's Busiest Train Station 9:00pm Child Soldiers of WWII 10:00pm The 70-Stone Man: The Final Chapter 11:00pm Big Brother 12:00am Big Brother's Bit on the Side

SKY1 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Modern Family 9:30pm Modern Family 10:00pm Glee 11:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles

Friday BBC ONE 3:00pm Wimbledon 2014 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm Regional News and Weather 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Celebrity MasterChef 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Match of the Day Live 12:10am BBC News at Ten

BBC TWO 3:00pm Wimbledon 2014 6:00pm Wimbledon 2014 9:00pm Today at Wimbledon 10:00pm Gardeners' World 10:30pm The Machine Gun and Skye's Band of Brothers 11:30pm Newsnight 12:05am Glastonbury 2014 Highlights

CH4 3:40pm Countdown 4:30pm Deal or No Deal 5:30pm Draw it! 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm James Corden Does Deal or No Deal 10:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 11:00pm Friday Night Dinner 11:30pm The Inbetweeners 12:05am The Inbetweeners 12:40am The Inbetweeners

CH5 3:15pm NCIS 4:15pm The Trail to Hope Rose 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away! 9:00pm Flight MH370: 118 Days and Counting 10:00pm Big Brother: Live Eviction 11:30pm Big Brother's Bit on the Side 12:30am Stand by Your Man

SKY1 3:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 4:00pm Glee 5:00pm Futurama 5:30pm Futurama 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Modern Family 9:30pm Modern Family 10:00pm An Idiot Abroad 11:00pm Trollied 11:30pm Trollied 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles

TV LISTING

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Saturday BBC ONE 5:30pm Match of the Day Live 8:10pm BBC News 8:20pm Regional News and Weather 8:30pm A Question of Sport 9:10pm The National Lottery 10:00pm Casualty 10:50pm Mrs. Brown's Boys 11:20pm BBC News 11:40pm Live at the Apollo 12:30am Match of the Day 1:10am D.O.A.

BBC TWO 3:30pm Escape to the Country 4:30pm Flog It! 5:30pm Wimbledon 6:00pm Wimbledon 9:00pm Today at Wimbledon 10:00pm QI XL 10:45pm Last Chance Harvey 12:10am A Single Man 1:45am Match of the Day Highlights and reaction to all of the latest football action.

ITV 3:00pm Tour De France 6:00pm The Chase: Celebrity Special 7:00pm Off Their Rockers 7:30pm Local News and Weather 7:45pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm You've Been Framed! 8:30pm Tipping Point 9:30pm FIFA World Cup Live 2014 Qf 4. 12:15am ITV News and Weather A round-up of the latest news headlines and a national weather forecast. 12:30am Fletch 2:15am Jackpot 247

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SKY1 3:30pm Futurama 4:00pm Futurama 4:30pm Modern Family 5:30pm Modern Family 6:00pm Modern Family 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm Modern Family 7:30pm Futurama 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm A League of Their Own 10:00pm Fantastic Four 12:15am Hawaii Five-0 1:15am A League of Their Own

Sunday BBC ONE 3:00pm Wimbledon 6:45pm BBC News 7:00pm Regional News 7:05pm Weather 7:10pm Countryfile 8:10pm Antiques Roadshow 9:10pm Casualty 10:00pm Common 11:30pm BBC News 11:50pm Regional News 11:55pm Have I Got Old News for You 12:25am Sliding Doors 2:00am Weather for the Week Ahead Detailed weather report.

BBC TWO 4:30pm Racing Legends: Stirling Moss 5:30pm Escape to the Country 6:15pm Flog It! 6:45pm Wimbledon 9:00pm The Quest for Bannockburn 10:00pm A Cabbie Abroad Egypt Risk. Episode 3.

11:00pm Mock the Week 11:35pm Today at Wimbledon 12:35am Heavenly Creatures

ITV 3:00pm Tour De France 6:00pm Tipping Point 7:00pm You've Been Framed! 7:30pm Local News and Weather 7:45pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Despicable Me 10:00pm Nations Favourite Motown Song 11:30pm ITV News and Weather 11:45pm The Cube 12:45am The Unforgettable... 1:15am The Store

CH4 3:00pm The Big Bang Theory 3:30pm The Simpsons 4:00pm The Simpsons 4:30pm The Simpsons 5:00pm Deal or No Deal 6:00pm A Knight's Tale 8:35pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Johnny English Reborn 11:00pm Sean Lock 12:00am Get Him to the Greek 1:50am This Boy's Life 3:50am Swimming

CH5 3:15pm Space Jam 4:55pm A Goofy Movie 6:20pm The Fox and the Hound 7:55pm 5 News 8:00pm Rush Hour 10:00pm Big Brother 11:00pm Lethal Weapon 4 1:25am World's Scariest Plane Landings

SKY1 3:00pm Futurama 3:30pm Futurama 4:00pm Modern Family 4:30pm Modern Family 5:30pm Modern Family 6:00pm Modern Family 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm The Simpsons 9:30pm Futurama 10:00pm Hawaii Five-0 11:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 12:00am Cop Squad 1:00am Brit Cops: Frontline Crime

Monday BBC ONE 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm How Safe is Your House? 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Panorama 10:00pm John Bishop's Australia 11:00pm BBC News & Regional News 11:30pm Weather 11:35pm Guilty by Association 12:35am Commonwealth City

BBC TWO 6:15pm Antiques Roadshow 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Flog It! 8:00pm Paul Hollywood's Pies and Puds 8:30pm University Challenge Audition Shows 9:30pm The RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 10:00pm Scotland: For Richer or Poorer? 11:00pm QI 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am A Cabbie Abroad Egypt Risk. Episode 3.

ITV 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Countrywise 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm The Cube 11:00pm ITV News and Weather 11:35pm You Cannot be Serious 12:05am Ray Mears Deadly Dozen

CH4 6:00pm Couples Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Dispatches 9:30pm Jamie's Money Saving Meals 10:00pm The Armstrong Lie 12:35am Random Acts 12:40am Beauty Queen or Bust

CH5 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Skyscraper 9:00pm Police Interceptors 10:00pm Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole 11:00pm Big Brother 12:00am Big Brother's Bit on the Side 1:00am She's 78, He's 39: Age Gap Love

SKY1 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Modern Family 9:30pm Modern Family 10:00pm Trollied 10:30pm Trollied 11:00pm Fantastic Four 1:15am NCIS: Los Angeles

Tuesday BBC ONE 5:30pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Room 101 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Match of the Day Live 12:10am BBC News

BBC TWO 5:15pm Frozen Planet 6:15pm Antiques Roadshow 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Flog It! 8:00pm Paul Hollywood's Pies and Puds 8:30pm Mary Berry Cooks 9:00pm University Challenge Audition Shows 10:00pm Shop Girls: The True Story of Life Behind the Counter 11:00pm The Sarah Millican Television Programme 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am Scotland: For Richer or Poorer?

ITV 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 9:00pm You've Been Framed! 9:30pm FIFA World Cup Live 2014 12:15am ITV News and Weather

CH4 5:30pm Ultimate Dealer 6:00pm Couples Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Kirstie's Fill Your House for Free 10:00pm Embarrassing Bodies 11:00pm Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA 11:55pm The Secret Life of Students 1:00am Random Acts 1:05am Pokerstars.Com PCA

CH5 4:15pm Shattered Silence 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Whale Adventure with Nigel Marven 9:00pm The Dog Rescuers 10:00pm CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 11:00pm Big Brother 12:00am Big Brother's Bit on the Side

Wednesday BBC ONE 5:30pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 9:00pm Match of the Day Live 12:10am BBC News

BBC TWO 5:15pm Frozen Planet 6:15pm Antiques Roadshow 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Flog It! 8:00pm Paul Hollywood's Pies and Puds 8:30pm Mary Berry Cooks 9:00pm The RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 10:00pm Coast Australia 11:00pm Episodes 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am Shop Girls: The True Story of Life Behind the Counter

ITV 3:00pm Peter Andre's 60 Minute Makeover 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm You've Been Framed! 9:30pm FIFA World Cup Live 2014 12:15am ITV News and Weather

CH4 3:40pm Countdown 4:30pm Deal or No Deal 5:30pm Ultimate Dealer 6:00pm Couples Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm This Old Thing: The Vintage Clothes Show 10:00pm One Born Every Minute 11:00pm 16 Kids and Counting 12:00am Britain's Youngest Carers 1:00am Random Acts

CH5 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Cricket on 5 9:00pm Brand New House for ÂŁ5k 10:00pm The Hotel Inspector Returns 11:00pm Big Brother 12:00am Big Brother's Bit on the Side 1:00am Super Casino

SKY1 4:00pm Glee 5:00pm Futurama 5:30pm Futurama 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Modern Family 9:30pm Modern Family 10:00pm 24: Live Another Day 11:00pm A League of Their Own 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles 1:00am NCIS: Los Angeles 2:00am Hawaii Five-0 3:00am Hawaii Five-0 4:00am Road Wars 5:00am Stargate Atlantis

GUIDE WORLD CUP

EUROPEAN PRESS

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3 - 9 July 2014 / Mallorca

Friday 4th July 2014

France v Germany

Brazil v Colombia

18:00

EWN

22:00

Saturday 5th July 2014

Argentina v Belgium

Netherlands v C. Rica 22:00

18:00

Tuesday 8th July 2014

Winners Quarter Final “1” 22:00 Wednesday 9th July 2014

Winners Quarter Final “2” 22:00

World Cup 2014 On TV will be shown live in the UK on both BBC and ITV. England v Italy on TV will be shown live on BBC1 / BBC1 HD, England v Uruguay on TV will be shown live on ITV / ITV HD and England v Costa Rica on TV will be shown live on ITV / ITV HD. BBC will have 1st pick of the Second Round matches and 1st pick of the Semi Finals, whilst ITV will have 1st pick of the Quarter Finals. The 2014 World Cup Final will be shown live on both BBC1 and ITV.

E W N 3 - 9 July 2014 / Mallorca

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OPINION & COMMENT

The biter bit… was Suarez ban fair? Uruguayan star Luis Suarez has been thrown out of the World Cup, banned from ‘all football-related activities’ for four months and fined just over €82,000 for biting an opposition player. It was the third time he had been caught biting another player. Was his penalty excessive, or not harsh enough?

ULEA DAVIES of Roy Trevor Removals on the Costa del Sol said: “All I know is that if I was a professional footballer, I wouldn’t think that the fine was high enough. They are all paid an obscene amount of money.” George Rae of Complete Holiday Care, Mojacar Playa, Almeria, said: “I certainly don’t think the punishment reflected the crime. This was his third offence, and he should have been banned for years rather than

STREET TALK the slap on the wrist that he received. This was a disgrace to football.” Anthony and Tammy Bowen from The Chippy, in La Alfoquia, Almeria, were not impressed by the incident: “Suarez’s behaviour was disgusting. He should definitely have been punished more. If I could

have decided the punishment he would have faced a much larger fine and a much longer ban.” In Mallorca Nigel Singleton of Singleton International said: “I think it’s about right. You can’t go around just biting shoulders or any part of another player. I wonder if he is in any way related to Mike Tyson – as he liked to bite too!” Also on Mallorca Donna Mann of Little Britain, Alcudia, agreed the punishment fitted the crime. She

said: “I think it’s a fair punishment considering he’s done it before. The ban is right and the fine is about right, too. FIFA have to make a stand and say this is not acceptable for someone who is a role model.” Clinton Daynes of The Dog Grove on the Costa Blanca thought the penalty could have been more severe. “It needed to be harsh as at the end of the day he is a role model, and he has stepped out of line again. We are taught at a very young age – no biting, no kicking, no hitting so it’s probably not harsh enough,” Clinton believed. Lyal Taylor of the Costa Blanca’s OP Group agreed. “The ban is not long enough – plain and simple. Hand in hand with that, the fine should be more as well. It’s the third time after all,” she said.

Anthony and Tammy Bowen from The Chippy (left). George Rae of Complete Holiday Care (centre). Donna Mann of Little Britain (right).

E W N 3 - 9 July 2014 / Mallorca

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OPINION & COMMENT

Not-so-sound advice Cassandra Nash

A weekly look - and not entirely impartial reaction to the Spanish political scene

ABLO IGLESIAS whose Podemos party won five seats in last May’s European elections is losing some of his shine. He and other Podemos high-ups received at least €3.7 million from Venezuela since 2002 via their Centro de Estudios Politicos y Sociales (CEPS). This not-forprofit foundation assessed the country’s late president Hugo Chavez and still assesses his successor Nicolas Maduro who is making a ham-fisted job of holding the country together. One of the foundation’s remits is to promote the redistribution of wealth, but in Venezuela poverty is once again increasing as violence and repression grow. Not the best advertisement for the achievements of those at CEPS or for the party that wants to bring Bolivarian revolution to Spain.

What are they afraid of? THE Catalans want a referendum on the right to decide whether to remain inside Spain. Many people young and old want a referendum to choose between Republic or Monarchy. Nevertheless a Metroscopia survey found that most of those wanting a President vs King referendum would vote for the monarchy. Surveys in Cataluña show that more than half of those in favour of the right to decide do not want independence. Still fewer would back it if this meant leaving the EU. Both prospects are greeted with horror by opponents to republicanism or Catalan sovereignty who pre-suppose that no-one would vote for the monarchy or for remaining inside Spain. They can’t see that they, too, are becoming part of the problem.

A family affair

Righting a wrong FELIPE V, Spain’s first Borbon king, was hated by many. His portrait hangs upside down in Xativa (Valencia) because the town was burnt to the ground and much of the population slaughtered on his orders on June 19 1707. Like Cataluña and most of Levante the town backed the wrong side during the War of Succession. Xativa’s mayor offered to right the picture in 1995 in exchange for an apology from the current house of Borbon, but none PABLO arrived. Instead Felipe VI’s proclamation took place exactly 307 years later on June 19, a coincidence that did not

IGLESIAS: Lost some of his shine. go unnoticed in Xativa. Will Felipe mark six decide the time has come to make amends?

TEN PER CENT of employees at Tribunal de Cuentas are related to highly- placed officials there and 14 per cent related to each other. The tribunal, which audits public bodies and political parties, sets the entrance exam questions. Most of the examiners are either high-ranking officials or union representatives who also have relatives working there. The personal interviews that are part of the selection process for jobs that average €3,000 a month are also conducted by Tribunal executives. Despite the transparency laws announced soon after the present government took over, much remains as opaque as ever. And in time-honoured Spanish custom it stays in the family, too.

To fly or not to fly? that is the question… I

T’S summer and that can mean only one thing for tourists - strikes! French air traffic controllers just staged one (later calling it off) only to be joined by the Belgians. Why? To protest against budget cuts due to a Europewide reform of the air traffic control system. The Association of European Airlines strongly condemned "this unjustified industrial action which holds the entire industry to ransom during one of the busiest passenger traffic weeks of the year." French air traffic controllers had warned of “a heavy disruption of flights” during their strike. Some 17.1 million UK citizens travel to France each year, mostly during the peak summer months. However, as a large proportion of UK flights cross French airspace, British airlines travelling to Spain are also badly affected by knockon delays. Strikes like these are turning what used to be regarded as a not altogether unpleasant

Nora Johnson

Breaking Views A Costa del Sol resident for a number of years, Nora is the author of psychological suspense and crime thrillers. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/nora-johnson

experience into something of a nightmare. Flying used to be fun, but I'm talking about the '80s and even earlier. Since that time, flying’s become increasingly painful as the seat cushions in cattle class have become thinner like some absurd time lapse torture. So thinner seat cushions, less leg room and skimpy food service plus lengthy waits on the tarmac have all eroded what used to be a reasonably convenient and pleasant form of travel. You now have to arrive at the airport two hours before your flight, stand in line to check your bag, submit to inspection of yourself and your hand luggage and be subjected to one of the most wretchedly

CATTLE CLASS: Air travel not comfortable. uncomfortable places in the world: an airport terminal. Of course, if you have to change planes at one of the major hubs, you’d better hope your flight is on time and you have the energy to traverse the sprawling wasteland of said hub. And don't get me started on the squalling babies,

screaming kids, harassed parents, sick co-passengers, and the seatmate who won’t share the armrest and glares at anyone who dares to - the way Tony Soprano might, if told they’d placed their hand on his wife's thigh at Mass. This won’t be the last we’ve heard of strikes. Far from it. Looks as if air traffic controllers

are digging their err, chocks in for the, err, long haul...

Nora Johnson’s thrillers ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.com) available from Amazon in paperback /eBook (€0.89; £0.77) and iBookstore. Profits to Cudeca.

E W N 3 - 9 July 2014 / Mallorca

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