Euro Weekly News - Mallorca 26 May - 1 June 2016 Issue 1612 by Euro Weekly News Media S.A.

ISSUE NO. 1612

26 May - 1 June 2016

MALLORCA

YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION

A city worth saving By Matthew Elliott Forces from the Spanish mainland will be drafted in to help their colleagues in the Palma police contend with violent disorder as the island gears up for a record breaking influx of tourists. The move comes in the aftermath of a disgraceful brawl between inebriated German tourists and a large group of African street vendors on the Playa de Palma, which disrupted business and tarnished the city’s hard earned reputation as one of Europe’s premier destinations. From June until late October, an additional 170 police officers will join a well prepared Mallorcan contingent patrolling the historic capital, the Paseo Maritimo, and the notorious Ballermann district on the playa. Central to the dilemma posed to the authorities is the unpredictable deluge of tourists, numbering in the mil-

lions, many of whom will be first time travellers to the island, more likely to be caught up in, or cause, trouble. Environmentalist groups have warned that overcrowding could lead to stress and frustration, while greatly impacting ecology and maritime habitats. The efforts will likely be welcomed by the island’s growing expatriate and native

population, and local businesses, which together have transformed Mallorca into a vibrant and cosmopolitan Mediter-

ranean stronghold with a diverse foreign population highly protective of their community’s future sustainability.

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LOCAL NEWS

Briton hit by car A BRITISH tourist in her late 60s died on Saturday night May 21 while crossing th e MA- 2 2 0 0 r o ad joining Pollensa and the Port of Pollensa.

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An unexpected stop

The tragedy occurred just before midnight near Cala San Vicente. Despite the quick response and efforts of emergency services, she died at the scene.

flickr by Graham

Poisoned dogs THE Guardia Civil is investigating the death of two Lhasa Apsos poisoned in their home in Sa Pobla. The owner of the dogs reported to the Guardia Civil that, according to the post mortem examination performed on the animals, one died from rat poison and the other died 10 days later from snail poison.

Rainfall down ACCORDING to the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), cumulative rainfall in Mallorca only reached three quarters of its normal level in mid-May. Since the beginning of this hydrological year which runs from October 1, 2015

to September 30, 2016, cumulative rainfall in the Balearic Islands didn’t reach 75 per cent of the normal amount until May 17. The national level, however, exceeded the normal level for the same period by 7 per cent.

UNEXPECTED: Disruptive passengers caused the Palma-bound flight to make an unplanned stop in France. By Sandra Galo ROWDY passengers caused an easyJet flight flying from Glasgow to Mallorca to make an unplanned landing in France. A spokesman for the airline explained that the flight “from Glasgow to Palma on May 21 diverted to Toulouse due to

the disruptive behaviour of a group of passengers on-board” pointing out that the safety and well-being of the airline’s customers and crew is always a priority. Upon landing in Toulouse, the 24 troublesome passengers were escorted off the plane by police and the carrier then continued on its way to Palma. The delay, however, meant that the crew

were unable to operate the return flight because it would exceed their legal operating hours and passengers had to remain overnight in Palma. easyJet, which provided meals and accommodation for the affected passengers booked on the return flight, apologised for any inconvenience caused by the diversion.

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EWN

Your papers, your views

Featured News 3

Russian Press 22

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The composer’s forgotten house By Sandra Galo

Finance 23 - 28

Stocks 24

Leapy Lee 29

Vicki McLeod 30

Daily TV 32

Letters 34

Time Out 36 - 37

Health & Beauty 38

Social Scene 40 - 41

Property Special 42 - 45

Homes & Gardens 46

Pets 47

Classifieds 48 - 49

Boats 51 - 52

Motoring 54

Sport 55 - 56

THE validity of the building licence of Oscar-winning British composer John Barry’s unfinished mansion is being challenged in Santa Margalida. An unnamed citizen recently requested that the licence which was granted in 1974 be revoked. Barry, whose mansion sits atop a hill with beautiful views of the bay of Alcudia, never lived in the unfinished Californian-style mansion. The building licence was granted without a specific expiration date, so according to the administration, it is still valid. The anonymous citizen claims that the licence

flickr by molair

UNFINISHED MANSION: The validity of John Barry’s building licence is being challenged.

should be declared expired. Though the licence is still valid, it was granted under a planning legislation that has changed. Today, it is impossible to legally build a mansion similar to the one planned by Barry decades ago on a 12,000 square metre plot of land. John Barry, who died in 2011 at the age of 77, was known for composing music scores for various films including Born Free, Dances with Wolves, Out of Africa and 11 James Bond films. Barry stayed in the small Mallorcan village of Santa Margalida in the early 1970s. The house, which is very deteriorated, has been burglarised several times over the years.

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26 May - 1 June 2016 / Mallorca

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Referendum update MORE than 120,000 in Spain have clicked on the voter registration web page. British expatriates who have been registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years have until Tuesday June 7 to apply for a proxy vote in the EU Referendum. That is the final deadline for registering to take part in one of the most historic decisions that the British people will make for a generation. The deadline for registering for a postal vote has now passed, but you can still appoint someone you trust in the UK to vote for you. Simon Manley, British Ambassador to Spain, said: “Although the deadline for expats to vote by post in the EU referendum has now passed, you can still register to vote by proxy, as long as you do so by June 7. We all know how important the referendum will be, for us, for our children, and for our country. “Whether you think we

Burglar sentenced A 60-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced to prison for committing at least 15 burglaries in Camp de Mar located in the municipality of Andratx. According to a press release from the armed service, investigations began after several complaints were filed of burglaries in hotel rooms and establishments in the area. The perpetrator was identified as a Tunisian national who gained access to the rooms by climbing onto the balconies and forcing his way into the rooms. In some cases, he broke into safes and was able to steal a large amount of cash and jewellery. During a search of his home in Santa Ponsa, officers found various objects that had been stolen including jewellery and watches.

REFERENDUM VOTE: The deadline for registering for a postal vote has passed, but you can still vote by proxy. should leave or remain, I would encourage those who have not yet registered to vote, and who are eligible to do so, to avail themselves of this final opportunity to have their say on June 23.

“I am well aware that expatriates who have lived overseas for more than 15 years are ineligible, and I know that many are frustrated about that. The government will bring forward the Overseas Elector Bill to abolish

this arbitrary time limit, but it must undergo full Parliamentary scrutiny and debate, so unfortunately it cannot be passed before the referendum.” More than 120,000 people with Spanish IP addresses have

now visited the website: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote since the beginning of the year. And thanks to the online registration system, more than 180,000 expatriates worldwide have so far completed their

registration to vote, nearly double the number for last year’s General Election, which was itself a record figure. The process is easy and takes just five minutes. Go to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote or search for ‘UK register to vote’ on www.gov.uk. You need only your National Insurance number and passport. If you did vote in the general election last year, don’t assume you are still on the electoral roll: just as in the UK, you must renew your registration every year. You have until June 7 to go online and make sure you can have your say. If you were last on the electoral roll in Northern Ireland then you need to act quickly. The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland says that if you are appointing a proxy to vote at the EU Referendum, the deadline for sending in your application is 5.00pm on June 3.

NEWS

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More obstacles for the solar park project By Sandra Galo AMICS DE LA TERRA (Friends of the Earth) and the Balearic agricultural association ASAJA have presented arguments against the Solar Park project in the municipality of Llucmajor. The environmental organisation Amics de

Funding for water system ABAQUA is receiving €9.3 m i l l i o n f r o m th e Balearic Council to improve t h e wa t e r i n f ra structure. Abaqua (the Balearic Water and Environmental Quality Agency), will receive the funding over a three-year period from 2016 to 2018. Government spokeswoman Pilar Costa explain e d d u r i n g a p r es s conference that the investment will go to water supply and desalination. This year, around €660,900 will be allocated to the agency. The amount for 2017 is €3.7 million and €5 million in 2018. The investment will be used to start up the nine production lines of the desalination plant in the Bay of Palma as well as to connect the desalination plant of Santa Eularia del Riu in Ibiza to the water supply. The funds will also be used to implement a bypass between sa Marineta and s’ E st r e m e r a a llowing the water supply to be sent in both directions. Chlorination facilities in Muro, Son Pacs, Santa Maria, Andratx, Soller and Son Sant Joan will be improved and the project an d wo r k o n S o n S itges i n Sa Ma r i n e ta will be implemented. The m o n e y wi l l a l s o go towards the refurbishment of the Soller water purif i c a t i o n p l a n t a n d will be used to improve water supply in Coll de s’Alemany (Andratx).

la Terra explained that it considers the solar park “totally disproportionate for a limited insular territory” and understands that “the impact on the landscape would be enormous,” especially when another installation is projected on 25 hectares in the same area. Amics de la Terra pointed out the solar park is producing electricity near a “wooded

area of high environmental value” inhabited by protected birds as well as other species of plants and wildlife of special interest like the Mediterranean turtle. ASAJA-Balear’s manager Joan Simonet explained that the agrarian group supports a more sustainable model respectful to the conservation of the landscape which would allow

for no more than four hectares linked to farm use rather than mega parks which affect the visual impact of the landscape. Simonet said that the photovoltaic park is not integrated into any agricultural infrastructure and doesn’t benefit the agricultural sector, but rather causes it direct harm because it changes the use of the land.

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Hotels for local milk

NEWS

Dog scanning

THE Hotelier’s Association of Santa Ponça, presided by Antoni Roses, has launched a campaign to promote the consumption of Mallorcan milk. The campaign aims to alleviate the difficult economic situation facing the dairy farming sector. Establishments belonging to the Gran Isla Hoteles group have joined the initiative. In Santa Ponça, three tourist accommodations including Pirates Village, Plazamar Serenity Resort Apartments and Jutlandia Family Resort Apartments will only buy milk from local providers.

flickr by Loadmaster

MICROCHIPPING: Son Servera is scanning dogs in the area to see if they are microchipped. By Sandra Galo THE Son Servera Town Hall has initiated a campaign to monitor dogs in the municipality. The campaign aims to pro-

mote microchipping the animals for identification purposes according to regulations approved in 1999 for dogs from three months of age. Councillor for the Environment Miquel Espases ex-

plained that checks will be carried out weekly in different areas of the municipality. Dog owners will be stopped while walking their pets so that authorities with a scanner can check if the animals have been microchipped and also inform the owners of relevant issues concerning their pets including obligatory rabies vaccinations, collecting dog mess in public areas, and keeping animals on a lead in public places, as well as the obligation of having a licence for potentially dangerous animals and registering dangerous breeds in the municipality. The Council of Environment recommends that dog owners check to make sure their pets are listed in the Balearic Register of Companion Animals on the Colegio de Veterinarios de las Illes Balears (the Balearic Islands Veterinary College) website www.covib.org to ensure that lost animals can be easily returned to their owners.

E W N 26 May - 1 June 2016 / Mallorca

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Blue invaders blown in the wind By Sandra Galo BATHERS in Cala Egos were surprised to find hundreds of velellas stranded on the beach last weekend. Incidents such as this are not uncommon as, under certain wind conditions, large numbers of these creatures, which are commonly called sea raft, by-the-wind sailor, purple sail or little sail, may

be stranded on beaches. According to Wikipedia, velella is “a cosmopolitan genus of free-floating hydrozoans that live on the surface of the open ocean” and are related to the Portuguese man o’war. The creatures are usually deep blue in colour with their most obvious feature being a small stiff sail that catches the wind and propels the velella over the

surface of the sea. Tentacles hanging underneath are used to catch prey which is usually plankton. Although the creatures may be mistaken for jellyfish, they are harmless to people because their tentacles cannot penetrate the skin. They may, however cause minor problems if they come into contact with a wound or eyes.

Religious freedom attacks ATTACKS on religious freedom increased last year in the Balearic Islands according to a study by the Observatory for Religious and Conscience Freedom (OLRC). The ‘Attacks on religious freedom in Spain’ report prepared annually by OLRC also noted an increase in other areas of Spain including Murcia, Andalucia, Aragon, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluña, Ca-

nary Islands, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla, Navarra, Basque Country and Valencia. Asturias and Galicia showed a decrease. According to the study, 187 attacks on religious freedom were recorded last year in Spain, more than double than in 2014. It also revealed types of violence against people of faith included attacks on places of worship, harassment, ridicule and marginalisation of religion.

E W N 26 May - 1 June 2016 / Mallorca

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Dynamic advertising restrictions THE Calvia Town Hall has established conditions regulating the public relations people popularly called ‘tiqueteros’ who distribute flyers and tickets for bars and

nightclubs. The administration advocates that this dynamic method of advertising should be based on clear and thorough regulation in the popular nightlife areas of Pal-

manova and Peguera especially in the ‘hot spots’ of Magaluf and Santa Ponsa where record numbers of tourists are expected to visit this summer. The resolution signed by

the deputy mayor of Tourism, Trade and Planning demarcates the geographical area where the ‘tiqueteros’ can advertise, as well as times this activity can be undertaken.

Booze cruises By Sandra Galo BOOZE cruises are continuing to set sail in Magaluf in record numbers despite recent regulation to cut down on illicit drinking in the area. Formerly known as party boats, booze cruises are becoming increasingly popular. Tickets for these alcoholic parties can be easily bought online at various websites including feelsummer.com and magallufboozecruise.com among others. Booze cruises are expected to comply with

maritime law requirements as well as regulation governing land based bars, restaurants and nightclubs regarding health and safety, noise levels, the quality of food and drink and the number of people allowed on-board at any one time. However, many of these party boats do not comply with the regulation governing these events. Last year the Sun Sea Magaluf Booze Cruise made around 74 trips and the noise could be heard on the island. Early booking is encouraged because the tickets sell out very fast.

Islamic classes requested THE Islamic Commission of Spain (CIE) has begun talks with the Councils of Educa-

tion of the autonomous communities in Spain to request that Islamic religion be of-

fered at schools. The CIE is asking that the classes be offered in all the stages of education and that teachers be recruited to teach the subject. The Balearic Islands with a total of 7,660 Muslim pupils hasn’t got any Islamic religion teachers contracted. CIE believes that there is sufficient demand and claims that the problem is that many schools do not give parents the form with the option of choosing this subject.

FEATURE

26 May - 1 June 2016 / Mallorca

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Advertising Feature

Euro beaten by dollar and pound Commentary by Moneycorp

EUR weekly currency update The euro was left in the shadows by the US dollar and the British pound. It did nothing wrong and the economic data were entirely reasonable: inflation for the euro zone came in exactly in line with forecast at -0.2%; Euroland’s trade surplus widened; Germany’s economy expanded by 0.7% in the first quarter. The sensation is that the euro zone economy is at last getting into gear even if inflation remains stubbornly low. Yet the heroes of the week were the pound and the US dollar. The dollar gained ground as a result of warnings by the Federal Reserve that interest rates could go up again next month. The pound took the top slot after an opinion poll put the Remainers in a 55-37 lead for the EU referendum.. So the euro lost one and three quarter US cents and went down by three and a quarter cents against sterling. USD weekly currency update It could have been a winning week for the

dollar. Just about everything went in its favour. US retail sales figures were stronger than expected. Consumer confidence was well ahead of forecast. Core inflation was on target at 2.1%. Crucially, a string of Federal Reserve leaders warned that interest rates are likely to go higher in the next couple of months. The minutes of last month’s monetary policy meeting drove home that point, with the word ‘June’ mentioned half a dozen times. However, sterling was the overall winner. It took the lead after an opinion poll put the Remainers 18 points ahead of the Leavers for next month’s EU referendum. And the pound increased its advantage the following day as a result of much better than expected UK retail sales data. So the dollar strengthened by a cent and three quarters against the euro but lost a cent and a half to the pound. CAD weekly currency update The Canadian dollar put in an average performance, in that it was unchanged on average

Clarisse Musselwhite is Moneycorp’s Account Manager for Mallorca

She can be contacted on Tel: +34 902 887 243 Mobile: +34 687 932 472 Email:mallorca@moneycorp.com

902 887 243 mallorca@moneycorp.com against the other dozen most actively traded currencies. A paucity of Canadian ecostats meant that, just as there were no dodgy data to trip it up, neither did it have chance to shine. Manufacturing shipments and wholesale sales were both lower on the month in March, as expected. Higher oil prices were offset by a flare up of the wildfire in Alberta. The Loonie had no chance of keeping pace

with the US dollar or the British pound. Sterling was boosted by an opinion poll which put the Remainers 18 points ahead of the Leavers for next month’s EU referendum. The Greenback’s advantage was a series of warnings by the Federal Reserve that interest rates will go up in the next month or two. As a consequence, the Loonie lost one and a half US cents and fell by five and a half cents against sterling. AUD weekly currency update With the exception of the South African rand, which is beset by economic and political woes, the Australian dollar has been the weakest performer over the last month, falling by -9.5% against sterling and by -7% against the US dollar. This week was not particularly unkind to it but it still lost two thirds of a US cent and fell by four cents against sterling. That was not the fault of the Reserve Bank of Australia, which poured cold water on expectations of an imminent rate cut, or the Australian employment data, which were decent enough.

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Graffiti clean up THE Municipal Waste and Sewage Company (Emaya) has started removing the anti-tourist graffiti on historic buildings. After cleaning around 100 messages off private buildings removal has started on protected structures. Graffiti on sandstone requires special treatment and, once the method of removal is established, the delicate clean up will begin.

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Coaches safety concerns By Sandra Galo MORE than 80 per cent of the current fleet of coaches in the Balearic Islands haven’t been updated since 2010. Affected coach companies argue that one of the main reasons preventing them

from updating their fleets is that tour operators haven’t raised the prices of contracts in five years and business costs have increased by 40 per cent. The Balearic Entrepreneurial Transport Federation (FEBT) affirmed that safety is of upmost importance but

would be much more improved with an updated fleet of coaches. Coach companies are very aware of safety issues and renew their fleets depending on available financial resources as costs have increased in the last five years due to rising fuel prices.

Useful new visitors guide THE Arta City Council has published a new booklet for visitors to get know the municipality including its more emblematic spots. The booklet contains descriptions of the most characteristic places to visit and a map of Arta, Colonia de Sant Pere, s’Estanyol and Betlem. It also contains a section dedicated to the town’s beaches, a festive calendar, a list of accommodation and recommen-

dations on how visitors can help conserve the environment, keep the area clean and prevent forest fires. The booklet is published in five languages: Spanish, Catalan, French, German and English. Eight thousand printed copies are available in the Museu Regional D’Arta, in the Ses Païsses Talayotic village and at the Tienda d’Arta craft centre situated in the old train station.

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Conservation concerns By Sandra Galo THE Balearic Ornithological and Defence of Nature Group (GOB) is demanding that the regional government grant conservation of protected areas the importance it deserves. The environmentalists are denouncing the situation of two of the most important parks of the island: S’Albufera and the Serra de Tramuntana. The GOB criticised the government regarding the situation of S’Albufera where reforms on the water treatment plant of Sa Pobla have not been made a high priority. The group criticised the fact that limitations have not been placed on the extraction of water by the Fuente de San Juan company nor have green methods been implemented. The GOB also pointed out that no plan has been made to combat carp introduced into the area. With regard to the Serra de Tramuntana, the GOB pointed out that the nature reserve has very serious shortcomings in key management areas including information and attention to visitors, installation and the maintenance of infrastructure for public use as well as moni-

Flickr by Jesús.

S’ALBUFERA: Environmentalists are demanding higher priority. toring of the evolution of natural habitats and security. In addition, the GOB claims that the management team which was dismantled in the past legislation has not been restored.

The environmental group is asking the Balearic government provide a sufficient budget to “dignify management” of the six natural parks in the region as well as the two natural reserves and monuments.

Hospital taxi service THE daily bus which connects different parts of Marratxi with the Son Llatzer Hospital will be replaced by a taxi service starting on June 1. The new experimental ser-

vice will offer three daily trips Monday to Friday until the month of December. The taxi will carry a maximum of four residents per trip from specified pick-up points. Mayor of Marratxi Joan

Francesc Canyelles explained that users of the service will only have to pay €2, the price of a bus ticket, and the town hall would pay the rest. To take advantage of the offer, residents must request the service at least 24 hours in advance by phoning a special number set up by the town hall. The service can be cancelled up to two hours before the pick-up time. If the cancellation is not made, the user must pay the full price to be able to use the service again. Information regarding the service and number will be distributed to all households in the municipality. Departure times from Marratxi are 9am, 10.30am and 12pm. From the hospital to Marratxi, the times are 10.15am, 11.30am and 1pm. According to the councillor for Contracting Miquel Cabot, the elimination of the hospital bus service due to lack of users will save the municipality €10,000 per month.

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26 May - 1 June 2016 / Mallorca

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Caring for the urban cats By Sandra Galo THE Palma City Council has approved 15 urban colonies of cats to be added to the 100 already existing. The council acknowledged that this is a high number of new colonies, but explained that it is due to bureaucratic

issues and noted that there are more requests now because from March the animals have been breeding. The Palma City Council has developed protocol for maintaining a sustainable number of cats which form part of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban fauna. The protocol is dependent on

collaboration between the people who feed the felines and the town hall and ensures that the cats forming part of the colonies are to be healthy and their numbers are to be monitored and controlled. The area they use must also be maintained in optimum conditions of hygiene and

No thanks to alcohol ACCORDING to a study made by the Premap Safety and Health consultancy firm, only 2.7 per cent of the working population in the Balearics are habitual consumers of alcohol. This is the third lowest percentage in Spain where the national average is 4.1 per cent. For those Balearic workers who report only drinking at weekends, the percentage increases to 4.6 per cent and is closer to the national average of 5.3 per cent. The study noted that Balearic workers drink more at weekends than they do on a daily basis using their leisure time to consume alcohol. However, around 60 per cent of workers in the Balearic Islands say that they only drink alcohol from time to time and not every weekend.

One of out of three employees in the Balearics say that they are teetotallers

which is below the state average (33 per cent compared to 37.8 per cent).

safety. Each colony usually consists of around 10 animals. It is estimated that there are about 4,000 cats in Palma of which around 1,000 form part of urban cat colonies.

EWN

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Severe stings halt challenge By Sandra Galo

BRITISH endurance swimmer Anna Wardley was prevented from finishing the firs t le g of he r B a le a ric Swim Challenge after suffe ring s e ve re je llyfis h stings. After months of training in the U K a nd M a llorc a , Wardley finally set off from the is la nd of M e norc a a t 4.30pm la s t We dne s da y (May 18) accompanied by

her support crew. Unfortunately her swim was halted after about 12 hours in the sea due to severe jellyfish stings which resulted in her having to be airlifted to hospital where she remained overnight. After being discharged, a det er m i ned War dl ey emerged with plans to complete the swim from Menorca to Mallorca when she is feeling better. The swimmer is recovering in the UK.

NEWS

Dispute for beachesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; services THE Balearic Ornithological and Nature Defence Group (GOB) is requesting that the Coastal Authority does not grant requests for facilities and activities on certain beaches this year. In a press release, the GOB claimed that authorisation procedures do not comply with coastal regulations regarding facilities and seasonal activities. It pointed out examples of non-compliance and irregularities in the processing after seeing requests by individuals and companies in the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official bulletin. The environmental group believes this should be put out to tender. The GOB has requested that the Coastal Authority refuse requests not following the procedures set down by the General Regulation since granting them could result in malfeasance.

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Forecast for exceptional tourism season By Sandra Galo HOTELIERS in Palmanova-Magaluf and the town hall of Calvia are expecting an exceptional season for tourism.

According to the Hoteliers Association of Palmanova-Magaluf, occupancy in the area is expected to be around 7 per cent more than last year with prices from 3 to 9 per cent higher.

The announcement was made with the collaboration of the Guardia Civil and the British Consulate. “Magaluf is preparing for a record number of tourists with a higher quality offer and

priority being placed on security.” Crime in the area has decreased and officials believe that the area will benefit from additional security measures. Regarding quality tourism, it was

pointed out that €37 million has been invested since 2015 for renovation of 18 establishments and there has been more collaboration between the public and private sectors in recent years.

Prevention of dog disease THE Balearics is one of the regions of Spain most affected by canine leishmaniasis. According to a statement by the pharmaceutical company MSD Animal Health, the Balearics, along with Cataluña, Madrid and Andalucia, are among the areas most affected by this disease whi ch aff ect s t housands of dogs each year. Climate change in recent years is one of the main reasons f or t he i ncr ease i n

num ber s of sandf l i es, a transmitter of the disease. MSD Ani m al Heal t h notes that the increase in t em per at ur es m eans t hat there is risk throughout the year of dogs being infected in many parts of Spain. The use of repellent collars with the active ingredient deltamethrin significantly reduces the chances of dogs bei ng bi t t en by t he sandfly. Leishmaniasis is a serious disease caused by a parasite transmitted through the bite of a sm al l yel l ow i nsect called a sandfly. Dogs can also be infected when bi t t en by a sandf l y that has bitten another infected dog. The incubation period for the disease may be several months or even years and treatment is long and complicated.

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RUSSIAN P RESS

Speed demons

HYPERLOOP: A futuristic development in high speed travel. RUSSIAN RAILWAYS, the vast state monopoly that is one of the world’s largest employers, is interested in bringing high speed Hyperloop trains developed by technology pioneer Elon Musk to the country. Yet to be developed the Hyperloop proposes transportation through pressurised air capsules, with analysis suggesting speeds to easily exceed 1,000 kph.

Vanishing privacy FINDFACE, a mobile phone application that allows users to upload images of strangers and identify them on Russian social media site Vkontakte, is attracting millions of searches and now serious government attention. The technology has huge implications for the security forces and has also been used to identify and shame porn actresses.

NEW APP: Potential risk to security.

Battle Royale THE spectre of ethnic tension reared its ugly head after three Tajiks were killed during a huge cemetery battle in the Moscow hinterlands. Hundreds of people wielding Kalashnikovs, shovels and crowbars fought among the gravestones, with the antagonists thought to be Russians from the North Caucasus region angry over migration from Central Asia.

Feeding fear A FORMER deputy NATO Commander and British General claimed that the West and Russia are on course for war in 2017. Though tensions have certainly escalated, Sir Alexander Richard Shirreff ’s musing should be taken with a grain of salt as he conveniently has a new book to publish.

Tough call THREE editors have resigned from one of Russia’s last major independent news outlets. Foreign journalists claim political pressure was behind the resignations at RBC, which saw the offices of its billionaire owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, raided recently. Prokhorov ran against Putin in the 2012 election and RBC has reported heavily on the president’s family.

Touching tribute AN ITALIAN seeking election to the Varese Council will strive to name a street or square

in the Lombardy town after Alexander Prokhorenko, a Russian soldier killed during the liberation of Palmyra in Syria. The 25-year-old called in an air strike on his own location after being surrounded by Daesh terrorists.

Neighbourhood watch AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL has ranked Russia bottom of 27 countries rated on the extent to which their citizens welcome refugees. Only 26 per cent of Russians thought their government should do more to help those fleeing, compared to 86 per cent in China and 70 per cent in the UK.

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Short-haul savings speculation By John Smith THERE is some speculation that British Airways (BA) passengers could be charged for meals and drinks on short-haul flights as the airline continues to fight so-called budget rivals. Although denied by the airline, there are rumours that it is already in discussion with Waitrose over possi-

is the level of operating profit made by BA in 2015.

FANS: Enduring demotion and possible sale of club.

Aston Villa sold to China AMERICAN billionaire Randy Lerner has agreed to sell recently demoted Aston Villa Football Club to minority shareholder Chinese businessman Dr Tony Xia for £60 million (€78 million) and a spokesman for the club said that Mr Lerner had “sought the right owner to take care of the club and restore fortunes.” Although the sale is subject

ble food to be offered for sale. The current policy of including juice and a wrap or sandwich must be costly so if savings help to cut fares, this will most likely be welcomed by passengers, especially as a large percentage of many fares go to the government to cover insurance. The new head of BA, Spaniard Alex Cruz, has been transferred from sister airline Vueling which

People coming from North America and South East Asia are fearful of coming to Europe at all and would rather go elsewhere altogether,” Eurostar Chief Executive Nicolas Petrovic on drop-in passengers.

Credit Dom Fellowes Wikimedia

Quote of the Week

£1.4bn (€1.8 bn)

to Football League approval, the new chairman will have to find a new manager and decide how to spend the estimated £90 million (€117 million) ‘parachute payment’ payable over three years if the club remains in the lower league, although this is a miniscule amount compared to the share of TV rights that Premier League clubs receive.

BUSINESS EXTRA

Vodafone losses VODAFONE has posted losses after tax of €5.14 billion for the year to the end of March 2016 due mainly to the revaluation of its investments in Luxembourg, yet share prices rose thanks to confidence in its long-term growth and investment plan.

EU helps Rajoy THE leader of Spain’s largest union, the CCOO, Ignacio Fernández Toxo, has effectively accused the European Commission of timing its decision to delay any fine for missing EU GDP targets as being a definite benefit to Mariano Rajoy and the interim government. He suggests that the delaywill hurt opposition parties, especially if a new government inherits both the current deficit and a significant fine after the forthcoming general election on June 26.

Bankia shares offer news THERE are reports that the Bankia Group has received nearly 200,000 applications from shareholders for refunds after the ruling that the public launch of shares was misleading. It has made provision for eventual refunds of up to €1.2 billion although its dayto-day activities continue to be profitable.

2.1 million is the number of EU nationals currently working in the UK – a triumph for the economy according to government and a disaster according to those supporting the Brexit.

STAT OF WEEK

business & legal

EWN

In further news, a Spanish judge has put one of the world’s largest accounting firms Deloitte on notice that he is investigating that company’s role in the possibly irregular auditing of Bankia prior to the share offer and representatives of the company will be called to appear before him in late June.

merged with his low cost airline Clickair in 2009 so he has a definite understanding of the cheaper end of the market. BA has already introduced cheaper fares for those without hold baggage. With its wide range of services across Europe it often goes head-tohead with other airlines including easyJet and Ryanair so any financial saving it can make will be welcome.

IBEX 35

-0.80%

C LOSING P RICES M AY 23

Peugeot investment THE PSA Group (Peugeot Citröen) has announced that it will invest €700 million in Spain over the next four years, mainly on the manufacture of a new model at its Vigo factory. The company has not yet revealed details but the model is speculated to be a new Peugeot SUV which will help to secure around 6,000 jobs in Vigo. Funds will also be channelled into its Madrid factory which builds the Citröen C4 Cactus.

E W N 26 May - 1 June 2016 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

LONDON - FTSE 100

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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C LOSING P RICES M AY 23

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY 3i Group PLC 507.75 2.30 Admiral Group PLC 1883.00 10.00 Anglo American PLC 577.65 -22.80 Antofagasta PLC 425.70 -3.40 ARM Holdings PLC 966.75 22.50 Ashtead Group PLC 968.50 3.50 Associated British Foods PLC 2923.00 3.00 AstraZeneca PLC 3886.50 -8.00 Aviva PLC 434.50 -2.40 Babcock International Group... 992.00 5.00 BAE Systems PLC 480.10 -3.30 Barclays PLC 176.40 0.55 Barratt Developments PLC 578.75 -2.00 Berkeley Group Holdings 3222.00 20.00 BHP Billiton PLC 797.80 -20.10 BP PLC 359.20 -2.40 British American Tobacco PLC 4134.25 -12.50 British Land Co PLC 744.75 3.50 BT Group PLC 442.82 -0.20 Bunzl PLC 2031.00 6.00 Burberry Group PLC 1088.50 -7.00 Capita PLC 1075.50 -2.00 Carnival PLC 3564.50 31.00 Centrica PLC 201.60 0.10 Coca-Cola HBC AG 1377.00 11.70 Compass Group PLC 1280.50 2.00 CRH PLC 2050.50 8.00 DCC PLC 6550.00 65.00 Diageo PLC 1829.50 -8.50 Direct Line Insurance Group 367.90 -0.10 Dixons Carphone PLC 438.80 -0.30 easyJet PLC 1476.00 7.00 Experian PLC 1268.00 3.00 Fresnillo PLC 1080.00 0.00 GKN PLC 274.20 -1.10 GlaxoSmithKline PLC 1435.75 0.00 Glencore PLC 126.17 -2.65 Hammerson PLC 570.00 2.50 Hargreaves Lansdown PLC 1271.50 8.00 HSBC Holdings PLC 427.38 -1.90 Imperial Brands PLC 3693.50 -6.00 Informa PLC 669.25 2.50 Inmarsat PLC 734.75 -20.00 InterContinental Hotels Gr 2570.00 10.00 International Consolidated. 518.00 1.50 Intertek Group PLC 3298.50 6.00 Intu Properties PLC 288.20 1.70 ITV PLC 211.80 -1.10 Johnson Matthey PLC 2881.50 6.00 Kingfisher PLC 359.90 -1.30

% CHG. 0.45 0.53 -3.80 -0.79 2.38 0.36 0.10 -0.21 -0.55 0.51 -0.68 0.31 -0.34 0.62 -2.46 -0.66 -0.30 0.47 -0.05 0.30 -0.64 -0.19 0.88 0.05 0.86 0.16 0.39 1.00 -0.46 -0.03 -0.07 0.48 0.24 0.00 -0.40 0.00 -2.06 0.44 0.63 -0.44 -0.16 0.37 -2.65 0.39 0.29 0.18 0.59 -0.52 0.21 -0.36

NET VOL 275.61 33.75 1,420.95 194.71 1,279.62 104.62 29.01 137.31 311.07 54.22 293.80 3,889.30 367.92 50.26 1,221.93 1,575.43 272.71 371.37 1,687.48 24.33 166.66 43.42 26.77 927.55 40.59 140.25 56.22 12.25 196.33 188.83 86.80 101.73 105.25 106.54 204.32 295.63 5,068.41 56.72 29.21 2,470.62 204.40 126.24 475.53 87.46 353.56 14.95 178.49 736.91 19.48 427.43

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) Land Securities Group PLC 1183.50 8.00 Legal & General Group PLC 225.50 0.10 Lloyds Banking Group PLC 70.56 0.22 London Stock Exchange Gr. 2614.00 16.00 Marks & Spencer Group PLC 438.90 -5.80 Mediclinic International PLC 850.00 3.50 Merlin Entertainments PLC 416.30 0.10 Mondi PLC 1338.50 -1.00 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 191.75 -1.20 National Grid PLC 986.70 0.10 Next PLC 5330.00 -15.00 Old Mutual PLC 168.80 -0.90 Paddy Power Betfair PLC 8782.50 30.00 Pearson PLC 817.50 1.00 Persimmon PLC 2093.00 3.00 Provident Financial PLC 2866.00 15.00 Prudential PLC 1327.50 -6.50 Randgold Resources Ltd 6117.50 85.00 Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC 6811.00 -7.00 RELX PLC 1236.00 3.00 REXAM PLC 628.50 0.50 Rio Tinto PLC 1923.25 -29.00 Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC 637.25 -6.00 Royal Bank of Scotland Grp 233.50 1.70 Royal Dutch Shell PLC 1672.50 -16.50 Royal Mail PLC 509.50 17.60 RSA Insurance Group PLC 480.70 0.00 SABMiller PLC 4250.25 0.00 Sage Group (The) PLC 597.00 6.50 Sainsbury (J) PLC 259.55 -1.10 Schroders PLC 2569.50 -6.00 Severn Trent PLC 2211.50 -2.00 Shire PLC 4270.50 -10.00 Sky PLC 945.00 2.00 Smith & Nephew PLC 1155.50 4.00 SSE PLC 1521.50 -14.00 Standard Chartered PLC 519.50 -6.70 Standard Life PLC 330.65 -0.90 St James's Place PLC 896.75 0.00 Taylor Wimpey PLC 204.45 -1.07 Tesco PLC 162.82 -1.50 Travis Perkins PLC 1865.50 6.00 TUI AG 1038.50 0.00 Unilever PLC 3064.25 -16.50 United Utilities Group PLC 956.00 1.00 Vodafone Group PLC 228.12 -0.95 Whitbread PLC 4264.00 -16.00 Wolseley PLC 3997.00 24.39 Worldpay Group PLC 264.60 0.40 WPP PLC 1581.50 -1.00

% CHG. 0.68 0.04 0.31 0.62 -1.30 0.41 0.02 -0.07 -0.62 0.01 -0.28 -0.53 0.34 0.12 0.14 0.53 -0.49 1.41 -0.10 0.24 0.08 -1.49 -0.93 0.73 -0.98 3.58 0.00 0.00 1.10 -0.42 -0.23 -0.09 -0.23 0.21 0.35 -0.91 -1.27 -0.27 0.00 -0.52 -0.91 0.32 0.00 -0.54 0.10 -0.41 -0.37 0.61 0.15 -0.06

NET VOL 163.80 1,020.59 10,566.53 17.31 726.56 55.77 63.07 98.45 412.83 317.25 23.31 330.44 2.37 98.74 75.35 22.59 315.66 72.74 76.34 174.07 112.95 381.79 285.10 787.63 250.75 566.64 133.17 153.62 107.38 533.06 12.32 14.33 160.08 206.14 87.91 161.05 519.41 131.63 50.18 1,966.50 653.35 43.94 43.45 154.38 106.52 2,464.11 128.02 46.02 440.41 236.75

Kleinwort Benson Elite PCC Ltd

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1.29451 Units per €

US dollar .....................................................................1.12149 Japan yen ................................................................122.907 Switzerland franc ......................................................1.11117 Denmark kroner...................................................7.43655 Norway kroner ......................................................9.35071

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DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES M AY 23

COMPANY MMM 3M AXP American Express AAPL Apple BA Boeing CAT Caterpillar CVX Chevron CSCO Cisco KO Coca-Cola DIS Disney DD E I du Pont de Nemours and Co XOM Exxon Mobil GE General Electric GS Goldman Sachs HD Home Depot IBM IBM INTC Intel JNJ Johnson & Johnson JPM JPMorgan Chase MCD McDonald's MRK Merck MSFT Microsoft NKE Nike PFE Pfizer PG Procter & Gamble TRV Travelers Companies Inc UTX United Technologies UNH UnitedHealth VZ Verizon V Visa WMT Wal-Mart

PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 165.01 -0.10 -0.06% 1.7M 63.92 +1.18 +1.88% 5.3M 95.22 +1.02 +1.08% 32.0M 127.39 -0.69 -0.54% 3.3M 69.87 +0.44 +0.63% 5.7M 99.79 -0.06 -0.06% 4.7M 27.97 +0.40 +1.45% 32.7M 43.95 -0.37 -0.83% 12.9M 99.78 +1.37 +1.39% 7.3M 65.75 +1.34 +2.08% 3.9M 89.74 -0.37 -0.41% 13.2M 29.56 +0.20 +0.68% 35.0M 154.51 -0.19 -0.12% 3.2M 131.85 +0.12 +0.09% 5.1M 147.25 +2.32 +1.60% 3.7M 30.15 +0.52 +1.75% 22.8M 112.64 -0.21 -0.19% 7.4M 63.51 +0.12 +0.19% 11.9M 122.56 -2.73 -2.18% 9.7M 55.11 +0.53 +0.97% 8.6M 50.62 +0.30 +0.60% 23.9M 56.48 -0.56 -0.98% 13.7M 33.74 +0.36 +1.08% 34.6M 80.02 -0.17 -0.21% 6.5M 111.89 +1.79 +1.63% 1.8M 99.10 +0.59 +0.60% 4.3M 130.94 +0.94 +0.72% 2.5M 49.66 +0.03 +0.06% 15.3M 77.67 +0.79 +1.03% 6.3M 69.86 +0.66 +0.95% 16.7M

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M AY 23

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced Ocean Rig UDW Inc. PTC Therapeutics, Inc. Otonomy, Inc. Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc. SunEdison Semiconductor Limited Applied Materials, Inc. EV Energy Partners, L.P. Ovascience Inc. Genocea Biosciences, Inc. AveXis, Inc. Destination XL Group, Inc.

$ 2.22 $8 $ 13.76 $ 3.50 $ 5.07 $ 22.66 $ 2.40 $ 8.67 $ 4.01 $ 38.61 $5

0.41 ▲ 22.65% 1.35 ▲ 20.30% 2.07 ▲ 17.71% 0.48 ▲ 15.89% 0.64 ▲ 14.45% 2.75 ▲ 13.81% 0.28 ▲ 13.21% 1 ▲ 13.04% 0.41 ▲ 11.39% 3.93 ▲ 11.33% 0.50 ▲ 11.11%

Most Declined Liberty Media Corporation $ 2.52 Destination Maternity Corporation $ 5.49 Ignite Restaurant Group, Inc. $ 2.37 Shoe Carnival, Inc. $ 21.27 DHX Media Ltd. $ 4.89 Quality Systems, Inc. $ 13.29 ATA Inc. $ 4.88 region $ 3.02 John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. $ 50.43 ProShares UltraPro Short NASDAQ Biotechnology$ 31.90 USA Truck, Inc. $ 18.65

0.49 ▼ 16.28% 0.64 ▼ 10.44% 0.25 ▼ 9.54% 2.12 ▼ 9.06% 0.48 ▼ 8.94% 1.13 ▼ 7.84% 0.38 ▼ 7.22% 0.21 ▼ 6.50% 3.37 ▼ 6.26% 2.06 ▼ 6.07% 1.20 ▼ 6.05%

E W N 26 May - 1 June 2016 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

Takeover could see unholy alliance THE German drug and chemicals-maker Bayer, known as the creator of aspirin and the first commercial marketer of heroin, has announced that it has made an unsolicited offer to buy agricultural giant Monsanto in a deal that could create the world’s biggest supplier of seeds and pesticides although no financial details have been released. Despite the fact that the war ended in 1945, there is still some significant antipathy against the company which was then known as IG Farben for their activities working hand in glove with the Nazi administration, so it is more than likely that any decision to amalgamate will be heavily scrutinised. Monsanto has had its own flock of headlines and naysayers mainly with regards to perceived dangers of genetic adaptation of agricultural crops but the company continues to be successful and has an estimated worth of €37 billion whilst Bayer is valued at €80 billion. There has been a great deal of activity around the world with an attempt by

Michael Comerford flickr A

By John Smith

BAYER: Aiming to become the world’s biggest agricultural product supplier.

many large corporations to merge, sometimes for tax reasons and other times in order to dominate world markets, but a number have failed either due to a change in tax regimes or by government refusal to allow such huge conglomerates to be formed. Although not considered to be an attempt at a hostile takeover, the approach was not invited and the board of Monsanto has indicated that it will make no comment until such time as it has had an opportunity to consider the offer. There are problems with general low prices for many basic agricultural products which has resulted in a general reduction in the price of seeds, fertilisers and pesticides which raises the question of why Bayer would want to make such an acquisition now. Even if the board of Monsanto decide that they wish to recommend acceptance of the offer, there is every chance that American regulators will block it due to the strength that the combined business would have within the important US farming sector often referred to as the ‘breadbasket of the world.’

Credit European Parliament

Spain and Portugal let off THE European Commission has deferred disciplinary proceedings against Spain and Portugal for failure to meet deficit targets until after the Spanish general election on June 26, it was announced on Wednesday May 18. Spain is required to take measures worth more than €8 billion to reduce its debt below the 3 per cent of GDP target before 2017, despite Mariano Rajoy vowing to reduce taxes if he is re-elected as Spanish Prime Minister less than 24 hours earlier, on Tuesday May 17. EU Economic Commissioner, Pierre Moscovici, said that the Commission do not consider this an appropriate time economically or politically to follow through with the threat of sanctions with the Spanish election among the factors mentioned. “New deadlines are proposed for both countries to correct their excessive deficits and they would receive one extra year only thus the new deadline for Portugal will be 2016, and for Spain 2017,” he said. This is the fourth time that Spain’s deadline has been extended and it may still be fined in July should the Commission consider it prudent, with the postponement representing one last political favour for Rajoy before the upcoming elections. Spain ended 2015 with a fiscal shortfall equivalent to 5.1 per cent of GDP, failing to comply with EU targets for the umpteenth time since the recession began.

LinkedIn hacker

ANTONIO COSTA: Prime Minister of Portugal with Martin Schulz.

THE business equivalent of Facebook, LinkedIn is rather embarrassed that an internet hacker is offering to sell a supposed 100 million LinkedIn login details which were apparently secured when the company website security was breached four years ago. At that time, the company reset the accounts of the members they thought had been compromised and believed any problem had been resolved but either it was incorrect or the person advertising the sale of these details is a scammer. “We are taking immediate steps to invalidate the passwords of the accounts impacted and will contact those members to reset their passwords,” a spokeswoman for the company told the BBC. Readers using the same login details for LinkedIn and any other site, especially one of a financial nature, are advised to change their login details immediately.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Photo credit: Pete Souza Wikimedia.

Spanish industry giants to pitch for Cuban trade

VISIT: President Barack Obama with Cuban President Raul Castro in Havana. IT has been reported that Spanish electricity providers, including Gamesa, Acciona and Gas Natural, sent emissaries to Cuba in order to establish trade opportunities and connections for business development now that the US has removed its long-standing sanctions and trading embargo with the neighbouring country. The Cuban Government has apparently decided to concentrate on finding new methods of obtaining and maintaining renewable energy sources in order to minimise external influence generated from importing electro-power, preferring to produce their own. The emphasis on finding energy production sources that can be generated from wind or sun is linked to the supposition that Cuban fuel is considered to be of rather low quality, as well as in short supply. A further 55 enterprises from Spain are visiting Cuba during this official trip, organised by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce. The Cuban market, now open after the removal of the American trade and commerce blockade, has attracted massive international interest and many companies headed there in order to cement their position on this emerging economical podium. Amongst the first US companies travelling to conquer new territory were Marriott, Google and AT&T, after US leader, Barack Obama’s historical visit to Havana, closely followed by a state visit from French President, Francois Hollande; the first European leader to make the step. The exciting opportunities come with Cuban President’s Raul Castro’s policies for liberalisation and modernisation of the previously isolated state.

Modesto Pineiro, who is the Vice President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce as well as the Chairman of the Bilateral Business Committee, has stated that, “Spain has a very competitive position in Cuba - it is the third largest presence on the island - and must move to maintain its weight amongst increased competition and interest from other countries.”

38 per cent increase in exports to Cuba, a fast growing market, in 2015.

He believes that Cuba is a fast growing market and that Spain and its companies should take a leading role in Cuba’s development process. Considering that export to the island grew 38 per cent in 2015, reaching a record 964 million, it is not surprising that many countries are interested in sharing Cuba’s expanding commercial platform. Business opportunities for Spanish companies are not just limited to renewable energy products, but also to the island’s plans to develop their shipping industry and trade ports, warranting a visit from Urbas and other real-estate firms, who develop ports such as Ineco and Port of Barcelona. Furthermore, companies such as Productos La Constancia, Roser and Germina, who specialise in the installation of equipment for the food industry, are aiming to improve Cuba’s food tourism sector.

26 May - 1 June 2016 / Mallorca

EWN

FEATURE

26 May - 1 June 2016 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

EWN

How am I the sane one here? LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

I’m beginning to believe this could truly be the case

OTHERS THINK IT

I CAN honestly say that never in my wildest dreams would I ever consider myself the voice of sanity. However, with the ever increasing madness that seems to be prevailing on this asylum of a planet, I’m beginning to believe this could truly be the case. A first example is a group of men and women who should be the undisputed bastions of reason and responsibility, namely our esteemed judges. Instead, with monotonous regularity, we read of judgements being made by these people that truly should earn them a one way ticket to the local establishment of lunatics. This week was no exception. One of our twirling top knots actually ruled that a one-legged, self-confessed Albanian double murderer, who has a four-bedroom council house plus £2,000 (€2,587) a month

ESTEEMED JUDGES: Most of these maniacal rulings originate from the European courts. in benefits, and reputedly makes a fortune selling cocaine, should receive legal aid to fight extradition from the UK, under (you’ve guessed

it) the Human Rights Act! You will, I’m sure, note that most of these maniacal rulings originate from the European courts. Yet more reason we

should be breathing sighs of relief and good riddance next month! In yet more insanity, this week Tony Blair announced he would help

three million Albanians get the right to work in the UK! This traitor, who in my opinion is responsible for practically all our immigration problems, is still working to undermine the UK. And last, but by no means least, the Judge’s decision to gag the media in the celebrity ‘ménage a trois’ affair. The identity of this couple has been all over the Scottish Press, is rife in the American media and the Internet. In a highly expensive court proceeding Judges ruled that the British media should be banned from revealing their identity! Well, all I can say is how delighted I was to recently read they were one of the most happily married couples in show biz. Keep the faith Love Leapy, leapylee2002@gmail.com

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All change at Globelink It’s goodbye from David – and hello to Christina David Deverson GLOBELINK INTERNATIONAL Insurance correspondent david@globelink.co.uk

AS Globelink Travel Insurance celebrates its 20th anniversary it’s now time for me to hang up the phone and to enjoy some travelling myself. I will certainly miss the friendly banter, and hearing about your fantastic holiday experiences, and I have fond memories of meeting some of you personally at our Roadshows in Malaga, Alicante and Estepona. Many of you have regularly arranged your travel insurance with us since our early years and it is a special pleasure when I see your names year after year. I thank all of you for your support, friendship, funny stories, and even some of your constructive criticism! It doesn’t feel like 20 years ago when I started Globelink from my spare room, and

CHRISTINA SHARP: Is ready to take over.

we have come a long way since then. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I am very proud that Globelink has become the leading travel insurer for people who live in Spain with a dedicated team focused in continuing the highest level of customer service. Many of you will be on first name terms with Tracey, Sarah, Jordan, Hayley or Alex in our Customer Service Team. Now I am pleased to introduce to you Globelink’s newly appointed Managing Director, Christina Sharp who has considerable experience in the insurance industry and joined us in January from ACE European Group. We have been working closely together to ensure a smooth handover and I know that she is

looking forward to carrying on our philosophy of treating our clients in the same way we would expect to be treated ourselves. Goodbye from David Christina has announced the first of a series of competitions to celebrate our 20th anniversary which she hopes you will participate in by sending us your favourite holiday snap. Just visit www.globelink-20th-anniver say-photo-contest for further information. I encourage you to enter and wish you luck in this chance to win a Kindle or one of many other exciting prizes. For an instant travel insurance quote or to arrange cover securely online, enabling you to print your policy documents immediately, visit www.globelink.co.uk or you can telephone Globelink on 00 44 1353 699082 or their Spanish link lines on 966 265 000 or 951 242 434.

E W N 26 May - 1 June 2016 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

OPINION & COMMENT

Government Windfall a Timely Reminder to Check Your Estate HM Revenue & Customs collected over £4bn in UK inheritance tax for the 2015/16 tax year – up 21.6 per cent from last year. As an expatriate you may think that UK inheritance will not affect you. However, it is where you are domiciled that determines whether you are liable, not where you are resident. Even after living in Spain for many years, you could still be seen as a British domicile in the eyes of HMRC and therefore fully liable for UK inheritance tax. To make sure your legacy goes to the right place it is crucial to understand the ins and outs of the rules in both the UK and your country of residence. Why did HMRC enjoy such a bumper revenue crop this year? First, quite simply, there was a marked increase in the number of deaths, partly due to the aggressive flu virus last year. Second, the increase in house prices generally has brought more households over the £325,000 tax threshold (£650,000 for couples). The number of family estates paying inheritance tax has quadrupled since 2010, say the Office for Budget

By Peter Worthington, Senior Partner, Blevins Franks Responsibility (OBR), to more than 40,000 this year. The Treasury expects this number to double over the next five years. Is there relief on the horizon? Next year the government will introduce more breathing space as it begins phasing in higher allowances on property for homeowners. Starting with an additional £100,000 from April 2017, the new allowance will peak in 2020 at £175,000. For couples, this will mean they can potentially leave up to £1m worth of property tax-free, but only five years from now. By then, the financial impact of the proposed changes will most likely be dampened by the

continuing trend for soaring house prices. In addition, the new allowances may not apply at all for estates worth over £2m. Other complex conditions for eligibility are also likely to limit who can benefit; allowances look set to only apply to property that you have lived in and left to direct descendants. The new reforms have been labelled overly complex and unfair by many commentators. With a 40 per cent rate on anything over the current (relatively low) threshold, it is easy to see how inheritance tax has caught out so many people and given such a boost to the Treasury coffers. The complicated and limiting new allowance structure is unlikely to reverse this upward trend in the years to come. Why should you care? Remember, even if you no longer live in Britain, you can still be affected by UK inheritance tax. Domicile law is extremely complex and there are a number of ways in which your

domicile status can be assessed for inheritance tax liability. It is essential to get professional guidance to make sure everything is in place for your estate to be distributed as you wish and ensure your heirs avoid paying unnecessary tax. Involving inheritance taxes and succession law of more than one country further complicates matters. You should speak to an adviser with specialist knowledge of both countries to help you understand how UK inheritance tax interacts with Spanish succession tax. By taking steps now to secure your estate, you can make sure your legacy ends up in the right hands without paying more tax than necessary. Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices, which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual is advised to seek personalised advice.

Erratum - Balearics succession tax 2016 Our article on May 19 listed the new Balearics succession tax rates for 2016 for Group I and II beneficiaries. It incorrectly stated that these rates apply to both inheritances and gifts, whereas in fact they only apply to inheritances. Different rates apply for gift tax in the Balearics. The tax on gifts could be effectively 7 per cent for spouses, descendants and ascendants (with exceptions for smaller gifts) after the application of the corresponding reduction. Please contact us on 971 719 181 or mallorca@blevinsfranks.com if you require more information. To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on our website www.blevinsfranks.com

Hey speedy, what’s the hurry? Vicki McLeod

Family Matters IT’S my 11th wedding anniversary today. And it’s all going a bit too fast for my liking. My daughter is already 10 and almost as tall as I am. Soon enough she will be grown. Instead of everything speeding up, I’d like it to slow down. A lot. Obviously I can’t make that happen, time flies at the same time whether I sit still or run about. But I can make my experience of the time change. I can start by being less ‘busy’. It’s a common problem for a self employed person. We’re always going to be making a list or trying to squash one more thing into the day. But I’m in control of my time, just like you are. Everything starts with a choice. And I, and maybe you, have to make different choices now and again. No one notices, or cares about the trivial stuff you might think is important. You can stop paying attention to the inconsequential details and find space in time. Where I might be harassing my kid to clean up her stuff maybe I should try spending more time with her instead of getting

TIME BANK: The clock is ticking, no time to waste. wound up about the housework. If we’re submerged in details we can’t al-

ways see the bigger picture. What sucks time out of your life? Time that

you could spend in a different way? For many of us it’s the hours we spend

trawling on Facebook, when maybe we could be using that time to exercise, or cook a nice meal with our loved ones. Time is finite though for us mere mortals. How much have we got left? Let’s be optimistic and say that I will live to be 90 years old, that’s 44 years left. I’m going to spend eight hours a day for the next 44 years sleeping and another eight working, until I retire around the age of 65. All those hours added up come to 21 years of my life, busy doing mostly necessary stuff. That leaves only 23 years. But then I have to factor in all the actual other things: that housework I hate, the driving, the cleaning, all of those boring jobs. Take all that out and I’ve only got about 11 years left of time to do the things I dream of doing, the things I want to go and do. We can’t afford to mess around with things which are not important enough to us, that don’t allow us to reach our goals. We have to be smarter about the way we spend our time, and use it very wisely. It’s a priceless resource. What are you going to do to reclaim your life? Do it today, don’t waste any more minutes. mallorcamatters.com.

E W N 26 May - 1 June 2016 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

TV LISTING

THURSDAY 26 MAY

7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm 12:45am

FRIDAY 27 MAY

8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 10:30pm 11:00pm 11:25pm 11:35pm

28 MAY

SUNDAY 29 MAY

MONDAY 30 MAY

31 MAY

WEDNESDAY 01 JUNE

8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:15am 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

7:00pm 8:00pm

12:20am

Michael Mcintyre's Big Show The National Lottery: In It to Win It Casualty The Musketeers BBC News Weather Peter Kay's Comedy Shuffle Live at the Apollo

6:50pm 7:35pm 7:50pm 7:55pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:30pm 11:50pm 11:55pm 12:00am

Pointless BBC News Regional News Weather Countryfile Antiques Roadshow Wallander BBC News Regional News Weather Room 101

7:00pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

8:30pm

RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016 EastEnders A Midsummer Night's Dream BBC News Regional News Weather Have I Got a Bit More News for You The Graham Norton Show

6:15pm 6:45pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

Regional News The One Show EastEnders Holby City In the Club BBC News Regional News Weather All in the Mind The Truth About Alcohol

8:00pm

8:00pm 8:50pm 9:40pm 10:30pm 11:30pm 11:45pm 11:50pm

9:00pm 9:30pm 11:00pm 11:15pm 11:20pm 11:25pm 12:10am

TUESDAY

6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm

The One Show Chelsea Flower Show EastEnders Would I Lie to You? Have I Got News for You Love, Nina BBC News at Ten BBC London News The Graham Norton Show Witless

12:20am

SATURDAY

BBC London News The One Show EastEnders How Should I Vote? - the EU Debate The Truth About Alcohol BBC News at Ten BBC London News Question Time This Week

7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:40pm 11:45pm 12:30am

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:40pm 11:45pm

BBC News Regional News The One Show Living in '66 Lose Weight for Love The Big c and Me BBC News Regional News Weather Alan Shearer's Euro 96: When Football Came Home

11:00pm 11:30pm 12:05am

8:30pm 9:30pm 10:00pm

11:30pm 12:00am

11:05pm 11:35pm 12:25am 12:45am

11:00pm 11:30pm 12:15am

9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:10am

6:15pm 6:55pm

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:30pm 11:30pm 12:10am

Bargain Hunt Eggheads Countryfile Spring Diaries Antiques Road Trip Chelsea Flower Show Peaky Blinders Mock the Week Newsnight Horizon

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

Bargain Hunt Eggheads Countryfile Spring Diaries Antiques Road Trip Chelsea Flower Show The World's Biggest Flower Market Mum Newsnight No Such Thing as the News

6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm

Golf Nick Baker's Wild West RHS Chelsea Flower Show Dad's Army The Secret of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony Artsnight The Prestige Golf Rugby Union Top Gear Battle of Jutland: The Navy's Bloodiest Day QI Stupid Man, Smart Phone Flat TV Later... with Jools Holland Eggheads Bargain Hunt Springwatch Top Gear Springwatch The Great British Sewing Bee Upstart Crow The Real Versailles Caravanner of the Year World War One Remembered: The Battle of Jutland Springwatch Britain and Europe: For Richer or Poorer? Later Live... with Jools Holland Newsnight Weather

Bargain Hunt Referendum Campaign Broadcast by the Stronger in Europe Campaign Eggheads Springwatch Antiques Road Trip Springwatch Versailles Newsnight Weather

11:35pm 11:45pm 12:45am

11:15pm 11:45pm 11:55pm 1:00am 4:50pm 7:00pm 7:10pm 7:25pm 8:30pm 11:00pm 12:00am

7:40pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 11:00pm 11:20pm 12:20am

8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:15pm 1:05am 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:40pm 12:10am 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm

8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

ITV Evening News Emmerdale Britain's Got Talent Coronation Street Britain's Got Talent ITV News at Ten and Weather ITV News London Las Vegas with Trevor Mcdonald Murder, She Wrote

6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am

The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale International Football Live ITV News ITV News London International Football Highlights Murder, She Wrote

9:00pm

Kindergarten Cop Local News and Weather ITV News and Weather Bang on the Money Britain's Got Talent Let's Do it: A Tribute to Victoria Wood ITV News and Weather

2:30pm 5:15pm 6:15pm 6:45pm 8:30pm

ITV News and Weather Where are They Now? The Reunions The British Soap Awards 2016 ITV News and Weather Perspectives Aviva Premiership Rugby Highlights

6:30pm 6:45pm 9:00pm

Emmerdale Coronation Street Wild Australia with Ray Mears Coronation Street Britain's Busiest Airport - Heathrow ITV News at Ten and Weather Class of 92 Murder, She Wrote

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

Local News and Weather ITV Evening News Emmerdale Fierce Myleene Klass: Single Mums on Benefits ITV News at Ten and Weather On Assignment Columbo

7:30pm 8:00pm 8:55pm

Local News and Weather ITV Evening News Emmerdale Popular long-running soap opera, set in a Yorkshire village. Coronation Street Tonight at the London Palladium The Secrets of Growing Old

10:00pm 11:00pm 11:35pm 12:35am

Shipping Wars The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Kirstie and Phil's Love it or List it 24 Hours in Police Custody Undercover How to Get a Council House George Clarke's Amazing Homes on Wheels Gogglebox The Windsors Very British Problems Rude Tube

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:30pm 1:00am

10:00pm 12:10am 2:30am 4:35am

10:00pm 12:30am 1:30am 3:05am

11:30pm 12:20am

9:00pm

10:00pm 11:00pm 12:05am 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:55pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:05am

Channel 4 Racing A Place in the Sun Channel 4 News Formula 1 Guy Martin: Last Flight of the Vulcan Bomber Red 2 End of Days Hollyoaks Omnibus Posh Pawnbrokers Channel 4 News Formula 1 Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon Channel 4's Comedy Gala 2016 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown The Two Faces of January Come Dine with Me Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Big Spring Clean Food Unwrapped 24 Hours in A and E An Immigrant's Guide to Britain Secret Life of the Human Pups 24 Hours in Police Custody Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Referendum Campaign Broadcast Obsessive Compulsive Country House Cleaners How to Get aCouncil House Gogglebox First Dates Four in a Bed Shipping Wars The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Referendum Campaign Broadcast The Supervet 24 Hours in Police Custody Seventy with a Six Pack 24 Hours in A and E

7:55pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

11:45pm 1:15am 9:00pm 10:00pm 12:00am

12:45am 2:30am 4:10am 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am

9:00pm 10:00pm

11:00pm 12:00am

12:45am

7:00pm 7:30pm 7:55pm

8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am

Home and Away 5 News Tonight Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways Inside Britain's Biggest Mosque On Benefits: Life on the Dole Britain's Flashiest Families Up Late with Rylan Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight Cricket on 5: England v Sri Lanka Kitten's Got Talent Ant and Dec: Their Story Britain's Best Loved Double Acts Super Casino 5 News Cricket on 5 NCIS: Los Angeles NCIS The Championship Final Football League Tonight. The 80s: The Best of Bad TV Super Casino

6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:15pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 11:30pm 12:00am 4:00pm 8:30pm 11:30pm 12:00am 12:15am 12:30am 12:45am 1:00am 2:30pm 3:00pm 5:00pm 9:00pm 12:30am 12:45am 1:00am 1:30am

Egypt: Secrets of the Sphinx 5 News League 1 Final: Football League Tonight Crank 2: High Voltage Super Casino The KKK: Behind the Mask

12:00pm

Home and Away Police Interceptors Cricket on 5 Police Interceptors: Fast and Furious Can't Pay Special: Big Family Bust Up Gotham League 2 Final: Football League Tonight

2:45pm 3:00pm

The Yorkshire Vet Inside the World's Scariest Prison: Exposed and Uncut Party Pensioners: Sex, Drugs and Bingo Up Late with Rylan UK version of a late night chat show. Can't Pay Special: Big Family Bust Up

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

Home and Away 5 News Referendum Campaign Broadcast by the Stronger in Europe Campaign. Police Interceptors: Fast and Furious GPs: Behind Closed Doors The Hotel Inspector Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords Up Late with Rylan

6:00pm 6:30pm

2:00pm 3:00pm 6:30pm 6:45pm 7:00pm 12:00am

6:30pm 8:30pm 10:30pm 11:30pm 12:00am 12:30am

11:30pm 12:00am

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

Football's Greatest Barclays Premier League World Boxing Gold Boxing Gold Boxing Gold World Rugby Live Super League Barclays Premier League World Bpl 100 Club Live Indian Premier League Live Super League The F1 Show: Monaco Special Football Gold Football Gold Football Gold Football Gold Super League Highlights Premier League 100 Club Live Super Rugby Live Championship Play-Off Final Live Fight Night Super League Highlights Boxing Gold Boxing Gold Boxing Gold The Premier League Years Championship PlayOff Final Highlights Live League 1 PlayOff Final Football Gold Football Gold Live Fight Night League 1 Play-Off Final Highlights Football Gold Live League 2 PlayOff Final BPL Legends Live Elite League Speedway League 2 Play-Off Final Highlights BPL Legends BPL Legends Elite League Speedway Boxing Gold Boxing Gold Boxing Gold Live Horse Racing BPL Legends BPL Legends MLS Goals Round Up Show Premier League 100 Club Boxing Gold Football's Greatest Football's Greatest Teams Boxing Gold Sporting Triumphs Sporting Triumphs Premier League 100 Club Live Elite League Speedway Sky Sports Originals BPL Legends

E W N 26 May - 1 June 2016 / Mallorca

LETTERS

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OPINION & COMMENT

YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION

Letters for Your Say should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments straight on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com

Supporting a worthy cause I SAW an article in the latest edition (Almeria) about Nick Ainsworth of Zurgena raising money for a local child with Perthes disease. My own daughter suffered with this condition and is now a successful lawyer who also does rock climbing, skiing, kayaking etc. I would like to contact someone involved to give support and encouragement, knowing the process and the results that can be achieved. Is it possible to either provide contact details for the charity or pass on my email to someone involved so they can contact me? Regards Stan Redfern EDITORS’S NOTE: We have put Stan in contact with Nick Ainsworth

Photographs for possible publication should be sent by email with a full caption to: photonews@euroweeklynews.com

Many hands make light work

Sadistic sport WE live in central Andalucia in a small, typically Spanish village, where hunting is the winter ‘sport.’ We have three Spanish rescue dogs and one is an Orito Podenco Español who was roaming the village two years ago with a length of rope tied tightly around his neck. Our vet said she thought that he had been hung and we believe that, as he was a young dog (six months no more) he got the rope between his sharp juvenile teeth and severed it and escaped. He now lives a contented life as a member of our 'family'. Some Spanish believe that a quick death by the gun is a waste of a bullet. Peter Stott

I WAS moved by your article prompted by a 91year-old pensioner living on the Costa del Sol. When my wife and I retired to Spain in 1996 we wished to live in peace and tranquillity. The Second World War was a traumatic experience for us, and, although neither of us was old enough to engage in the hostilities, we saw first-hand the tragedy of war, its effect on families and everyday life. Europe since then has started to work together with the EU encompassing more nations and play-

ing a major role in bringing European countries together in peaceful trading and security. Germany divided is now one nation and many other nations labouring under the yoke of communism have cast it aside and joined the EU. The newer members of the EU need the help and experience from the more developed ones. What price peace and security? Let us all bury our differences and join together to build a Europe of which we can be proud. Robert Peake, Mijas

Dogs suffer TERRIBLE, we have a ‘neighbour’ here in Benissa, Alicante with six hunting dogs chained-up and incarcerated in a small 2 x 2m tin roofed hole... the temperatures in the summer go more than 50 degrees, the dogs suffer terribly, cry and bark day and night and live in the sheer hell of their own ‘mess’... My wife and Mother-in-law are traumatised by this cruelty, complained to the town hall and after eight months they replied saying what did we expect living in the countryside... Have taken photos of these dogs and their suffering but not sure what to do with them as nobody here seems to want to know! Toni

Air affair GREAT to know that the blue flag is back in Alicante Province but are you sure that the air people breathe is good? Do you know that people still burn their green waste in this province? Some days the fumes are even blocked under a cloud of mist all over Albir! Every morning people are allowed to burn until 11am (with a permit) but too often they just let the fire burn and die out which might take another hour or two! The problem gets even worse when they not only burn green waste but add plastic, polystyrene etc. The beautiful orange groves are

some days inundated by particle pollution. There are regulations that date from 1997 and it’s high time that they update them and adapt them with the rules dictated by the Spanish Government as well as the European Union. Thank you for passing on the message so people will choose to go to beaches where the air and water are healthy! Micheline Berger

Up the ante THE Nonogram isn’t as challenging as it was before. I appreciate that you brought it back, but I’ll have

you know that I was the Basingstoke Crossword Champion for four years running before the Muslims knocked down our local Bingo Hall and replaced it with a curry house. In 2003 I was invited to Japan to participate in the Suzuki Sudoko Speed Contest and came in fifth place, although customs took my medal away. So stop patronising your readers and give us a real challenge. Gordon

Swing voters MY other half and I were deliberating on whether to write in, but de-

cided it might be of interest to some of your readers to know that we have each arranged a proxy vote in the UK for the upcoming EU referendum. Now here’s the rub, neither of us can make up our minds and, since we are both of shall we say an advanced age, have decided to ask our friends, families, and the greater public for advice on how they think we should vote before instructing our proxies. To be frank we don’t think it’ll make much difference either way but feel slightly guilty because we do have a vote, unlike many expats, and think it should be used properly. We know that, barring some miracle, the result will not really affect us in any way. We’re comfortable and secure in Spain, and have no dependents who will suffer/enjoy the consequences of our decision. We’d be especially interested in hearing from anybody who can’t vote but has a real stake in the outcome, perhaps due to children in the UK or Spain, and a very strong opinion! Philip & Vera, Palma de Mallorca

Marbella madness I FIND it astonishing that the Coastal Authority can just suddenly ‘find out’ that the land on which the chiringuitos stand is their property. A further fine example of the incompetence of Spanish bureaucrats and then of the high-handed way in which they deal with a problem they created themselves... I suppose noone will lose their job for this infringement oversight? But the chiringuito staff will presumably lose theirs and the owners will have to cough up compensation for the staff in the usual draconian way. Mike via web

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

www.euroweeklynews.com

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.

E W N 26 May - 1 June 2016 / Mallorca

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EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREA

Word Ladder

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

Weather

for next 7 days

Alicante

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

HALF

TIME

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TODAY:

Madrid

SUNNY

MAX 26C, MIN 18C MAX MIN

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX MIN

Mon - 26 18 S Tues - 25 18 S Wed - 25 18 S

25 18 C 26 19 C 29 18 Cl

Fri Sat Sun -

Almeria TODAY:

MAX 27C, MIN 18C

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 24 18 S Tues - 26 19 S Wed - 26 19 S

28 19 Cl 27 17 S 24 18 S

seek help. Even if you don’t agree with the reply, you will feel that you have made a step in the right direction.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) As you are in the middle of a plan, it would be a shame to stop now. Yes, I realise that you have given it lots of time and thought. Even so, the events midweek bring a new perspective.

(May 22 - June 21)

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Are you being asked to open your heart? What are you most afraid of about that? On the other hand, what would the rewards be if you did? Sometimes, we have to take a chance that others will not let us down or, at least that if they do, they will let us down gently.

is all that it is though, irritation. See it as a big dilemma and it throws up all sorts of anxieties. Let’s not go there. LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) You are being shown a great deal of affection which may be taken for granted. Even you are capable of putting people’s backs up. As you dislike making enemies, I suggest that you take a little more time with family and loved ones.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Something has come to your attention and, quite frankly, you don’t understand what is going on. It is possible that, if you don’t react, the situation will just go away. Equally, you may want to influence the outcome and fear that it will not be to your advantage.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Sometimes you wonder why people make promises when they find them so hard to keep. However, losing your temper with someone midweek will not help at all because the person you are dealing with is not very sensitive. Patience will pay off and, by the weekend, a weight will have been lifted from your mind.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) As you try to control someone else’s life, it could be that your own is slipping past you. Have you recently given up on a relationship or job that you dearly would have loved?

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) By deciding now that you will not rise to the bait on a certain matter you are taking the best option. Much as you would like to confront someone head on, it is possible that this is just what they want you to do. Be a little bit canny here.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) You seem to be in a ‘plodding’ situation that is starting to cause you some irritation. That

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Don’t ask a question unless you want to be told the truth this weekend. Go on, you’re a big person and you can take it.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Somehow you seem to be going every which way round a situation but getting nowhere. Rather than burn yourself out and fray your nerves, just stay still. At the end of the day, someone else wants to solve this dilemma as much as you do.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Are you still in a very positive frame of mind? Okay, then. It is time to decide what is to be done about that problem. If you really can’t see a way round this then

IRISH LOTTO

Saturday May 21

BONUS BALL

EURO MILLIONS Tuesday May 17

27 36

32 39

LUCKY STARS

LA PRIMITIVA

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

Saturday May 21

Sunday May 22

Friday May 20

14 41

30 45

LUCKY STARS

Mon - 25 14 S Tues - 25 15 S Wed - 26 15 S

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 25 19 S Tues - 25 19 S Wed - 25 18 S

25 19 C 26 19 Cl 27 19 Cl

S Sun,

CLEAR MAX 31C, MIN 18C

TODAY:

Cl Clear,

F Fog,

Sh Showers,

Sn Snow,

MAX MIN

32 19 C 33 19 Cl 30 18 S

Mon - 30 17 S Tues - 31 17 S Wed - 30 17 S

C Cloudy, Th Thunder

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

Nonagram

TARGET: • Average: 5 • Good: 7 • Very good: 11 • Excellent: 14

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION cedi code deco dice dine dive done dove iced node vend vide vied void coned video coined conned voiced connived CONVINCED

Sudoku

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

LOTTERY UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

MAX MIN

26 16 Cl 27 16 C 25 16 S

Murcia

SUNNY MAX 25C, MIN 18C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

It’s not so difficult this week to get exactly what you want. Being sure is another matter, however, there are plenty of people who will cast doubts on where you are going and what you are aiming for. What do they know?

GEMINI

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 24 17 S Tues - 24 17 S Wed - 24 17 S

Benidorm TODAY:

MAX 27C, MIN 16C

MAX MIN

25 17 Cl 25 18 C 24 17 Sh

CLEAR

TODAY:

REINTEGRO

12 17

14 24

REINTEGRO

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

YOUR STARS

‘THE TURNER PRIZE RESULTS HAVE TURNED HIS HEAD’

Mon - 27 17 S Tues - 28 17 S Wed - 27 17 S

Answers 1. AER LINGUS, 2. SEVEN (1970, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996), 3. The highest PEAKS/MOUNTAINS in Ireland, 4. HIBERNIA, 5. GIVE IRELAND BACK TO THE IRISH, 6. PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON, 7. SHERGAR, 8. CORK, 9. MARY ROBINSON, 10. BALLET/DANCE

Solution HALF HALT HART (HILT) HURT (HINT) HUNT AUNT

AUNT BACK

MAX MIN

29 18 Cl 28 17 S 25 16 Cl

Mallorca

CLOUDY MAX 24C, MIN 17C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 24 11 Cl Tues - 26 14 S Wed - 28 14 S

SUNNY MAX 29C, MIN 18C

TODAY:

Barcelona TODAY:

MAX MIN

26 13 S 23 11 Cl 21 11 C

Malaga

SUNNY MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

CLOUDY MAX 25C, MIN 13C

TODAY:

OUT

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26 May - 1 June 2016 / Mallorca

AK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

page

Enjoy filling in the following puzzles and check the answers in next week’s edition

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS CRYPTIC

Code Breaker

Quick Across 1 Enlisted person (7) 5 Swimming stroke (5) 8 Apartments (5) 9 Spectacles (7) 10 Outermost (7) 11 Wait on (5) 12 Sharp or severe (5) 14 Normal (5) 19 Seashore (5) 21 Vast (7) 23 Increases in scope, range or area (7) 24 Peers (5) 25 Revolves (5) 26 Toilers (7) Down 1 Endure (6) 2 Little beyond all others (5) 3 Look over carefully (7) 4 Feel remorse (6) 5 Marine decapod crustaceans (5) 6 Mountainous European country (7) 7 Endured (6)

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Crossword

EWN

Across:

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 1 represents B and 13 represents Z, so fill in B every time the figure 1 appears and Z every time the figure 13 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.

1 Tester, 4 Stand, 8 Agent, 9 Remains, 10 Echelon, 11 Onus, 12 Err, 14 Edge, 15 Ever, 18 Doe, 21 Warn, 23 Sheathe, 25 Emulate, 26 Afire, 27 Siege, 28 Behest. Down: 1 Teased, 2 Seethed, 3 Extolled, 4 Same, 5 Avian, 6 Disuse, 7 Prune, 13 Relegate, 16 Entwine, 17 Owners, 19 Essen, 20 Defect, 22 Route, 24 Babe.

QUICK Across: 13 Small talk (7) 15 Resembling (7) 16 Consider true (6) 17 Interlocking puzzle (6) 18 Stops (6)

English - Spanish

Down:

The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.

Across 1 Castillo (6) 4 Kiss (4) 8 Fiesta (reunión) (5) 9 Place (5) 10 Periódico (diario) (9) 14 Hedgehog (5) 15 Lack (5) 16 Fácil (sencillo) (4) 17 Poetry (6)

1 Reads, 2 Swollen, 3 Smoothly, 4 Tailor, 5 Raid, 6 Argue, 7 Several, 11 Magazine, 12 Support, 14 Raising, 15 Equate, 17 Rapid, 19 Maybe, 20 Solo.

ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Agradable, 7 Nogal, 8 Traje, 9 Granjeros, 13 Llave, 15 Fresa, 16 Everybody.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Down 1 Glass (for wine, sherry, champagne) (4) 2 Cirugías (9) 3 Law (legislation) (3) 5 Stars (in sky) (9) 6 Bears (animals) (4) 7 Island (4) 11 Lento (ritmo, movimiento, caída) (4) 12 Boss (4) 13 Spade (tool) (4) 15 Ugly (appearance, person) (3)

Hexagram

1 Rises, 4 Threats, 8 Apologising, 9 Solution, 10 Fear, 12 Single, 13 Patrol, 16 Park, 18 Aquarium, 21 Probability, 22 Tadpole, 23 Eagle.

20 Melodies (5) 22 Person trained to care for the sick (5)

Down: 1 Aunt, 2 Regar, 3 Delante de, 4 Butterfly, 5 Esa, 6 Chew, 10 Obeso, 11 Flag, 12 Lazy, 14 Ace.

Cryptic The purpose of the Hexagram puzzle is to place the 19 six-letter words into the 19 cells. The letters at the edges of interlocking cells MUST BE THE SAME. The letters in the words must be written CLOCKWISE. The word in cell 10 (GARNER) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.

ASSIST CORRAL CRINGE DESERT FILTER GARNER (10) GENIAL GENIUS PUPATE

RELIEF RENAME REPEAL SHODDY SPECIE TEENSY TENSER TWEEDY UMPIRE UPTAKE

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Assent 2 Ersatz 3 Behest 4 Beadle 5 Coarse 6 Yearly 7 Sacred 8 Touchy 9 Delete 10 Couple 11 Scanty 12 Resent 13 Poncho 14 Twenty 15 Locals 16 Decade 17 Teller 18 Schema 19 Splash.

Across 1 Burglar tried urn by mistake (8) 4 Little sister follows one goddess (4) 8 Spread out the feline in Wisteria Centre (7) 10 Little orphan girl is hiding in the pannier (5) 11 Lively dance can go wrong (5) 12 Old Testament book figures (7) 13 Scary extremists stalk organisation (6) 15 Rushes off for shows (6) 19 Attack artist in a flatboat (7) 21 Philosopher who started philosophising late and too obscurely (5) 23 Fear some Territorial Army recruits (5) 24 Investigate old African dictator taking a boat (7) 25 Cast returns in Orson Welles’s ‘Othello’ (4) 26 Copy lass arranging West Indian music (8) Down 1 Creature’s scent is disguised (7) 2 Prepare for a procession (5) 3 Queen's angry outburst is wrong (6) 5 Wrong church about to be free from

pretence (7) 6 Appears to understand the manuscript (5) 7 Still in nautical miles (4) 9 Swap jazz key (5) 14 Hair highlights for unsteady skaters (7) 16 Colour that is constant in the main (5)

17 Wet forecast for bridal parties? (7) 18 Organised seance for a philosopher (6) 19 Creature spotted in the Danube? A stag perhaps (5) 20 Highest point of lilac meadow (4) 22 Boxer has a Sunday nickname (5)

E W N Mallorca

26 May - 1 June 2016

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OPTICAS SANTA PONSA: A wide selection of designer frames on offer. OPTICAS SANTA PONSA is a well-established optician’s offering clients 20 years of experience, excellent service and quality products at affordable prices. The shop offers a wide selection of quality frames in an array of colours and styles including designer brands Oakley, Ray Ban, Marc Jacobs, Dior, Diesel, Swarovski, and Varilux and a variety of different types of contact lenses in several colours. For 20 years, Opticas Santa Ponsa has been serving clients in the Santa Ponsa area offering personalised attention

and quality service. Owner Maribel and Esther happily answer questions and assist with choosing the perfect frames or contact lenses. Maribel, Opticas Santa Ponsa’s in-house optometrist, provides free eye tests to determine which type of corrective lenses may be needed. Maribel and Esther have years of experience in helping clients find the perfect corrective lenses for their individual styles and lifestyle needs. Offers and promotions are available throughout the year and can be seen along with photos of products on the Opti-

cas Santa Ponsa Facebook page. Currently, a discount of 30 per cent is being offered for prescription glasses. For the purchase of progressive lenses, clients also receive a pair of sunglass lenses free of charge. The shop, which is located at Calle Rio Sil 10 opposite the Post Office and Medical Centre in Santa Ponsa, is currently being remodelled and will soon have a new even more attractive look to add to the pleasant experience clients are sure to remember. English and German, as well as Spanish and Catalan, are

spoken so clients can ask for assistance in the language they feel most comfortable speaking. Opticas Santa Ponsa is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 2pm and, in the afternoons, from 4.30 to 8.30pm. On Saturdays, the shop is open in the morning from 10am to 2pm. For a free eye test or to have a look at the great selection of corrective lenses available, visit the shop or phone for information at 971 692 335. Maribel and Esther will be happy to assist you with any questions you may have.

SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte. THIS week Dr Perez Belmonte wishes to respond to a letter received from a reader in response to a recent column: Dear Dr, Just read a letter from a 60-year-old. Having being quite sick over the last 15 years with all the respiratory conditions known to man, I overcame it with ‘Salt therapy’. My heart goes out to anybody with a respiratory condition, because for the last 20 years the same dose of antibiotics are put forward as the solution. I have spoken to many surgeons and they all agreed with me, however they cannot endorse it because it does not come under any medical solution. I think salt therapy, otherwise known as ‘halotherapy’ in eastern European countries, is the ONLY solution for this illness. Basically, it’s a matter of breathing in the salt vapour for an hour each day to clear the lungs of the mucus that is catching, thus the coughing. I will leave it with you.

The doctor replied: Halotherapy or therapy based on the properties of salt is a form of alternative treatment with limited scientific and methodological evidence. However, it is being used quite successfully in many countries. It has mainly been used to treat patients with respiratory conditions and has had mixed results. In my case, as a scientist (Specialist in Internal Medicine and Research) I must exercise caution in suggesting a therapy with limited recommendations, but if a patient is already being treated and is having clearly beneficial results with no adverse side effects, I will not be the one to refuse it outright. What is really needed is an exhaustive study on a large number of patients undergoing this type of therapy, as analysis of this data would provide us with valuable information.

If you have any questions for Dr Perez Belmonte, please send them to: jefemedico@helicopterossanitarios.com

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26 May - 1 June 2016

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HM the Queen’s 90th tea party By Sandra Galo AGE CONCERN MALLORCA is celebrating HM Queen’s 90th birthday with a special Royal Celebration Tea on Monday June 6 at 3pm. There will be a patriotic sing-a-long accompanied by live music plus a Royal quiz. The tea party will take place

in Palma at Colman Hall, Calle Nuñez de Balboa 6 located underneath the Anglican Church. Everyone is welcome. Booking is essential. To reserve a place, please contact Jackie on 678 352 040 or 971 231 520 after 10am weekdays or by email at mallorca@ ageconcern.org.es.

Young talented musicians THE Deia Music Festival with the collaboration of the Folkwang Musik Hochschule of Essen (Germany) will feature young talent on June 2. The concert will be performed by Phillip Graham from Germany on cello and Heidi Luosojarvi from Finland playing accordion. The duo will be performing works by Bach, Bragato, Bela Bartok, Graham, Kuusisto and Piazzolla. General entrance is €20 with a reduced price of €10 for students. The concert will take place in the Casa Museo de Son Marroig in Deia at 8.30pm. For more information, visit http://www.dimf.com.

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BIGBANDDUO open air concert ON Wednesday, June 1 2016, Fincahotel Can Estades in Calvia present BIGBANDDUO open air on the terrace. The Cuban Juan Antonio Gil (guitar, vocals) and Naile Sosa (drums & percussion) play songs of Buena Vista Social Club and other Cuban Repertory, like Latin jazz and his own compositions with much charisma and a unique sound. Interaction with the audience and humour are the specialty of the small band with special guests also expected. Again, we serve delicacies from the versatile buffet. Reception: 8pm Concert starts: 8.30pm Buffet: from 9pm Entrance fee per person: € 16 (concert only) plus € 23.50 for full buffet and drinks (total € 39.50) Reservations at 971 670 558 or info@can-estades.com. Seats are limited! CONCERT: A great night out not to be missed.

OCIAL

Spring party SPRING fair electricity is in the air in the town of Manacor which will be celebrating its annual springtime festivities from May 27 to June 5. According to the Manacor’s Councillor of Festivities Mateu Juan, this year’s event will include changes to enhance the town’s appeal, all concerts during the celebrations free. Manacor Mayor Pedro Rossello added that it will be more like a showcase including sport, culture, music, business offers and gastronomy and the town’s deeply rooted traditions. The festivities kick off on Friday (May 27) with the town’s traditional dance of the Cossiers. Various activities will be offered during the course of the celebrations including various expositions of animals, sport and art. There will also be a tapas evening and a cooking day to show off the gastronomy of the municipality. On June 3, is the great circus with schoolchildren transforming the town into an enormous circus. More information about the festivities and fair can be found at www.manacor.org.

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26 May - 1 June 2016 / Mallorca

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Pianino 2016 concert series

PIANINO: Similar one displayed at Valldemossa. By Sandra Galo THE 9th International Classical Music Festival Pianino 2016 will host a series of concer t s f r o m Ma y to July. After the successful inauguration of the festival at the beginning of April, the celebration continues with five m o r e c o n c e r t s in Valdem o ssa ’s C e l d a d e F.Chop i n y G. Sa n d d e la Cartoix a ( C a r t h us ia n monastery). The first of the concerts will take place on May 28 with renowned pianist Tobias Koch playing an 1838 Pleyel Pianino which will be transported from Paris for the event and is similar

to th e o n e o n d is p la y in Valdemossa. Koch will be p e rfo rmin g w o rk s by Chopin. O n M a y 2 9 , F re n ch pianist Lidie Solomon will als o b e p la y in g o n a P leye l Pianino from 1838 in a tribute to Julian Fontana. Two concerts will be held in June. Ukrainian pianist Danylo Saienko, last year’s winner of the Maria Canals P ian o Co mp e titio n in Ba rc e lo n a , w ill p erform works by Mozart, Chopin, Ravel, Schumann and Ginastera on June 18. A week later (June 25), Trio Dopico composed of Cris tin a A lle s o n p iano, Lisa Rösseler on cello and Nora Scheidig on violin will

perform works by Chopin and Schubert. The series concludes on July 10 with Polish pianists Karolina Nadolska and Piotr Paleczny, renowned classical pianist and third prize winner of the International Fre de ric k C hopin Pia no Competition in 1970. N a dols ka w ill pe rform w orks by M oz a rt, Pa de re w s ki a nd C hopin. Pa le c z ny w ill finis h the concert performing works by Chopin. All concerts begin at 8.30pm except for Lydie Solomon who will perform at 12pm on Sunday May 29. For ticket information, visit http://www.pianino.es.

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26 May - 1 June 2016

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Summer living gardens Dick Handscombe

Gardening Corner By Spain’s best known expatriate gardening author living in Spain for 25 years.

WAY before having our own property in Spain parts of many summers were spent in friends’ properties in La Carihuela and Montemar south of Torremolinos (Costa del Sol) going back to before the Benalmadena port was even started. Temperatures soared into the upper 40’s but features of old villa gardens that made it bearable still stick in the mind and influenced the development of our own garden. • Shade is a must. The best is under spreading old trees with a thick canopy of overlapping leaves. The second best is a covered terrace stretching out from the house. Next is a gazebo covered with a thick growth of climbers and lastly come umbrellas and sails. • If you don’t acclimatise in the early years in Spain by taking siestas in a hammock or on a sun bed in deep shade rather than indoors with the air conditioning set below 25 degrees centigrade one will never enjoy the realities of

SOLAR COOKER: A tasty alternative to the barbecue for cooking al fresco. Spanish summers. • Plant with drought resistant plants that put down deep roots which within a few years can be weaned off constant watering. That is why bougainvilleas, lantanas, hibiscus, aeoniums, false acacias, chorisias, palms, cordylines and yuccas were so popular. The plant lists in our books ‘Your Garden in Spain’ and

‘How to use less water in your garden’ include Botanical Spanish and English names and indicate the drought resistance of some 400 plants. By the way, if you want to grow vegetables through the summer give them shade. Even tomatoes don’t need to be in full sun to ripen. Once the sun becomes low al fresco

GARDENS

dinners are a great thing in Spain with rather less flying insects to put up with compared with on a balmy evening in the UK. Like most we started by barbecuing but became bored with the smoky taste and found more pleasure in cooking in tagines purchased from Marrakesh, a Mexican oven, a paella pan and gas ring, and the best of all slow cooking with a solar cooker. Kits for various sizes are available from www.alsol.es. Thinking about summer insects do spray if you have to with ecological products, now widely available and safer for people, pets and nature than most chemical sprays and powders. We remain amazed at the number of chemical insecticides and fungicides in garden centres and many agricultural cooperatives when most problems can be solved by not co-planting drought resistant and thirsty plants, not overwatering and feeding, using neem oil, garlic or ecological soap sprays as insecticides and natural sulphur powder, not copper sulphate, and propolis as fungicides. (c) Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com

Top stylish home tricks IF you’ve always drooled over stylish homes pictured in glossy you may well need these five top tricks to bring some style into your own home. Lose the clutter: declutter making sure you have plenty of good, well-thought out storage to keep everyday items close to hand but safely out of the way. Think about displays: shelves and mantelpieces benefit from carefully arranged accessories of different heights. Clever with colour: choose an accent colour from curtains, cushions and bedding and pick out accessories in complementary tones. Break and soften: add colour to a plain bathroom or break up an expanse of monotonous kitchen units with texture and soft furnishings. Say it with flowers: a bunch of flowers can create a focal point and lift a room.

Prickly customers THE hot climate of Mediterranean Spain provides an ideal environment to grow cacti and other succulents which would have to be grown indoors back in

Blighty. There is an enormous variety available, and they are particularly useful for those lacking green fingers or who only spend part of the

year here, since many demand relatively little care and attention. Choose a humus-rich, free-draining, gritty or sandy growing medium, and try not to place them in areas where moisture collects, since they tend to fare badly if roots become waterlogged. They can be planted in window boxes, rockeries, raised beds, or pots, so you can easily build up an interesting collection on a terrace or rooftop if you don’t have a garden. Better still, small plants can usually be picked up very cheaply from garden centres, and the weather favours quick growth, so you can easily experiment with the plants’ often remarkable forms. Do bear in mind that some cacti can have pretty vicious spines, so if children frequent your garden the more prickly varieties should be avoided.

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Mallorca

26 May - 1 June 2016

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Uses of dog harnesses Henry can be a poorly hound House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting and the experience and checked sitters get free accommodation! To find a pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on +44 (0)1865521508.

David THE Dogman Listen to David on TRE every Saturday 10am to 11am Costa del Sol (Gibraltar/Sotogrande) 98.7fm (San Roque to Calahonda) 91.9fm (Calahonda to Motril) 88.9, Costa Calida 92.7fm Costa Blanca (Torrevieja to Elche) 105.1fm (Elche to Calpe) 88.2fm, (Calpe to Gandia & Ibiza) 104.6fm, (Denia to Valencia) 95.3fm Mallorca 103.9fm

IT seems now that most dogs wear a harness. I am unable to understand why. If one goes to a proper school they will not allow them. When a dog is being trained I do not object to using one. A dog harness is similar to harness tack for horses. There are various designs. Harnesses can be used on Seeing Eye dogs in assistance of a disabled person, on working dogs that haul a cart or sled, in sporting events such as the Scandinavian practice of skijoring and pulka, and by non-working dogs for training purposes. Assistance dogs will sometimes wear a harness if part of their job requires guiding or providing physical mobility for a disabled person. Generally, the harness design includes a built-in handle for the person to grip. This type also offers reinforcement to the handler as

DOG HARNESS: Can be used for training purposes. well as a padded breast plate for the dog. The sturdiness depends on whether the dog is gently leading, acting as a brace, or physically pulling a wheelchair. Sled dog harnesses vary depending on the purpose of the animal; the two basic duties of a sled dog is hauling freight or racing. Harnesses come in three main types: the freight, the Hback, and the X-back. Dog sports are growing and more types of harnesses are being developed, including the Y-back

style and distance harness. The freight harness is often an H-back harness that forms a ladder-like effect across the back with a wide chest band and sometimes extra padding. The construction distributes the weight across the chest and over the shoulders because of the broadness of the area; it is designed to help the dog pull heavy weights efficiently. They may also feature a spreader bar behind the wheel dogs and before the sled or cart. Racing harnesses are often

lighter and shorter than freight harnesses. The X-back harness gets its name from the straps that form an ‘X’ across the back of the dog. It is used more frequently than the H-back, with short versions that ride further forward on the dog’s body recently gaining popularity. The Y-back is a hybrid that is similar in appearance to the Hback. The tugline attaches to the harness on top of the dog’s back and stretches parallel to the ground or upwards to whatever is being hauled.

Help your pets live longer WHILE just 20 or so years ago larger breeds of dog like Labradors could be expected to live to the age of nine or 10, nowadays they can be with us for 15 or 16 years thanks to improved care. Dr Robin Downing, from the Downing Center for Animal Pain Management in the US gave five key tips to keep ageing pets comfortable and help them remain healthy: 1. Routine is all Pets feel safe, and are healthier, when they have regular routines. These should include check-ups with the vet and a good diet. 2. Protect and prevent

Older dogs and cats should visit their vet at least twice a year. “The most dangerous words in the English language are ‘Let’s just watch it’,” Downing said. While we may think it’s normal for our four-legged friends to slow down and age over time, early detection is critical. 3. Chubby is not healthy Obesity is the most frequent preventable disease in cats and dogs in the US, Downing said. Pets should be fed the correct type and amount of food for their age. 4. Keep an eye on science Investigators are making breakthroughs all the time, so tomorrow there may well

be something that can be done for your pet’s problems that wasn’t possible last week. 5. Ease and comfort We can adapt our homes to cater for our pets as they age. Carpet-covered steps or

ramps can be put in place to help aging hips move from one level to another, nonskid carpets or rubber mats can be put down to avoid slips and falls and food and drink bowls raised to avoid straining backs.

SINCE he was a puppy Henry has had a delicate constitution. Wendy, his owner, rescued him from a puppy farm and believes that something in his early life had given him difficulties with his constitution and on top of that he gets separation anxiety. On the one occasion she left Henry for a week at a kennels he lost so much weight that he had to be under supervision for several months after her return. Now, Wendy chooses house-sitters with a lot of dog-sitting experience who can come to care for Henry in his own home. She has written ‘How to care for Henry at home’ guide for his routines and medications, complete with maps for nearby vet surgeries. Henry is happier at home, his anxiety is dramatically reduced because all his favourite things are around him, the smells are of home and his special diet is the same. Wendy chose Hous-

HENRY: Feeling a little under the weather. eSitMatch because of the customer service they can offer her and the guidance regarding available sitters. House-sitting can be a winwin for both parties, free house and pet-sitting and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register now with a 50 per cent off introductory offer using coupon code SPECIAL50. To find a pet-sitter go to the website which is: www.HousesitMatch.com.

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26 May - 1 June 2016

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MOTORING www.euroweeklynews.com

“Everything I have ever bought is in my car. People say it’s a skip and disgusting, and refuse to get in there. That’s one advantage. Another is that last week, I needed a headache pill and it was simply a case of rummaging under the seat until I found one.” Some might say...

A manual revolution By Matthew Elliott IT’S a strange feeling to hear a manual gearstick described as vintage, but that’s the direction Aston Martin have taken their classic V12 Vantage S in, reconfiguring the powerful model

with a third pedal and a proper gearstick. Something of an anachronism in the modern quest to make life faster, more streamlined, but above all easier, the bold move

from the British manufacturer will capitalise on that atavistic demand for serious, old-school, clutch battering driving. The new V12 Vantage S manual doesn’t sacrifice speed for gear shifting interaction. It can hit 100kph in 3.9 seconds, boasts a maximum 330kph, making

ASTON MARTIN: The classic V12 Vantage S.

it Aston Martin’s fastest series production car, helped along by a 6.0-litre engine powering 421kW and 620Nm of torque. Indeed the V12 Vantage S manual is old-school in its entirety, in its very fabric. It stands almost in defiant opposition to contemporary trends towards elegance and sophistication. Not this model – this is a loud, aggressive throwback to times past, a physically confident car that bellows, roars and curves and demands attention. So it makes perfect sense that it would abandon paddle-shifting automatic transmission in favour of a seven-speed Graziano gearbox with the

first six gears positioned as you’d expect, while the seventh is stuck in at the top right in what old-schoolers would call a dog-leg. A definite nod to enthusiasts and hardcore motorheads, the question is whether, at €170,000 there is a significant market of determined car lovers who would take the time to appreciate this beast, or whether those who can afford the model are generally the type to opt for smoother, sleeker, sexier cars they can take around town. Aston Martin has indicated that future production cars will also see manual transmissions incorporated, with automatic backup for those who have forgotten the lost art of proper driving, so the dog-leg might still have its day.

A T-plate tangle CONCERNED Kiwis have launched a petition to force tourists to disp l a y ‘ T- p l a t e s ’ o n their cars so that they can be more easily identified and given a wider berth. “I started it because I think there needs to be a change in the conditions for letting overseas drivers onto our roads,” said the campaign organiser before unleashing the head scratching statement that “over the last five years there have been 13.6 fatalities involving overseas drivers. Fourteen people that could have survived if overseas drivers were more informed.” New Zealand has seen record numbers of tourists in recent years, more than three million in 2015 alone, and menacing mountainous terrain, but tourism chief Chris Roberts said it was a “stupid idea” that “will never happen,” pointing out that “only a very small per-

T-PLATES: Petition launched in New Zealand. cent of overseas drivers are bad drivers, just like a small per cent of New Zealanders are bad drivers.” Detractors of the campaign have pointed out that labelling vehicles used by tourists so blatantly would

make them easy targets for criminals and ultimately discourage visitors. Less than 6 per cent of serious incidents from 2010 to 2014 involved foreign drivers, with short-term tourists likely to make up an even smaller fraction.

Motoring shorts

Brexit brakes MOTORISTS are often left out of the debate on how a Brexit would affect everyday life for British nationals. Though it is impossible to be sure exactly how driving affairs would unfold should Britain leave the EU, the examples of Norway, Iceland and Switzerland are something to go on. Freedom of travel and health insurance would likely continue, albeit with slightly modified rules, while an AA report has suggested a short-term rise in petrol prices in Britain, traditionally higher than on the continent. The cost of cars could change depending on the details of any future trade deal. BMW has already warned that UK staff could see jobs threatened, impacting manufacturing, while new tariffs could come into play for anyone buying an imported car.

Practice makes perfect BRITISH parents are letting their children get a head start on driving, with more than one third claiming they allowed their youngsters to drive before reaching the legal age of 17. A survey conducted by Voucher Codes Pro saw 35 per cent of parents admitting to it, with the vast majority arguing that they were helping their children prepare before they embarked on official lessons. More than half claimed they allowed their children on public roads, with 23 per cent confessing that they weren’t always present.

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26 May - 1 June 2016 ROSSI: Roared on by a partisan crowd, Valentino Rossi’s Italian MotoGP dream went up in smoke when his Yamaha malfunctioned on lap nine.

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Mallorca’s best guide to local sport

Young teams on tour THE younger teams from El Toro RC spent the weekend on the mainland at the invitation of CAU, one of the top teams in Valencia. The youngsters in the under eights, 10s, 12s and 14s teams had a great time playing short friendly matches with a high level of rugby, enjoying the hospitality of CAU and also had the opportunity to visit the impressive ‘city of art and science.’ Under 16 National Club Championships The teams from El Toro RC and RC Ponent travelled to Murcia at the weekend to participate in the Spanish National Club Championships. An exciting tournament was enjoyed by all and the local players appreciated the chance to experience rugby as it is played on the mainland. ‘Terra de Retrobament’ tournament Teams from Badalona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, and the Baleares, came together to compete in the fourth edition of the trophy, sponsored by the Balearia Foundation. This is a competition organised to develop sporting links between the islands and peninsula for young people, through the values of rugby. Every year the competition attracts more sponsors and clubs from the Valencian and Catalan provinces.

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Well done all to cup winners Tony Matthews International Sports A former player and now the world’s most prolific author of football books with almost 150 published since 1975, Tony is also the sports correspondent for Spectrum Radio and lives on La Pilica in the Sierra Cabrera Mountains overlooking Turre. Costa de Almeria

FOOTBALL • L a s t S a t u r d a y, 8 8 , 6 1 9 f a n s a t Wembley saw Manchester United win the FA Cup for a joint record 12th time, beating Crystal Palace 21 with a Jesse Lingard goal in extra time. United had Chris Smalling sent off in what is said was Louis Van Gaal’s ‘last game’ as United’s boss… his replacement, the ‘Special One’ himself, Jose Mourinho! • N o r t h o f t h e b o r d e r, a n e a r51,000 crowd saw Hibs net twice in the last 10 minutes to defeat Rangers 3-2, to lift the Scottish Cup for the first time since 1902. However, there were appalling scenes after the game when Hibs supporters invaded the pitch and certain Rangers players were assaulted. The

SFA is investigating the incident. • Elsewhere, there were cup final wins for Bayern Munich (Pep Guardiola’s last game in charge), Juventus, Barcelona (2-0 over Sevilla) and PSG… and therefore each team completed their domestic double. • A t We m b l e y, H a l i f a x b e a t Grimsby 1-0 in the Trophy final and Chris Swailes (aged 45) scored in Morpeth Town’s 4-1 Vase final win over Hereford. • Last Sunday, England edged past Tu r k e y 2 - 1 i n a p r e - E u r o 2 0 1 6 warm-up friendly before 45,000 fans at The Etihad Stadium. Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy scored the goals but Kane also missed a penalty. • E x - I n t e r M i l a n b o s s , Wa l t e r Mazzarri (54) has become Watford’s eighth manager in four years; Brendan Rodgers is Celtic’s new head c o a c h ; P a u l Tr o l l o p e i s o v e r a t Cardiff City and Neil Warnock has left Rotherham.

• James Anderson took 10 wickets in the match (5-16 and 5-29) while Yo r k s h i r e w i c k e t - k e e p e r J o n n y Bairstow claimed nine catches and scored 140. • Anderson’s figures were the best by an English bowler against Sri L a n k a , b e a t i n g G r a e m e S w a n n ’s haul of 10-181 in 2012 and Bairstow is the first Englishman to strike a century and take nine catches in the same Test. South Africa’s AB De Vi l l i e r s h o l d s t h e r e c o r d w i t h 1 0 dismissals and a hundred in a single match. • Crowds of 9,122, 13,039 and 21,393 attended the three days of the Leeds Test.

CRICKET • England (298) crushed Sri Lanka (91 and 119) by an innings and 88 runs in the first Test at Headingly.

GOLF • Top golfer Rory McIlroy has, at last, won the Irish Open Championship.

RUGBY LEAGUE • Warrington, Catalan Dragons, Hull FC and Wigan, who outclassed the reigning champions and bottom club Leeds 40 points to eight on their own patch, stand 1-2-3-4 in the Super League.