Issuu

ISSUE NO. 1499

27 MARCH - 2 APRIL 2014

WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

EWNFRONT EXTRA

Death in Palma NATIONAL POLICE are investigating the death of a 44-year-old man in Palma. As yet they are unsure if it was murder or suicide.

Traffic jams INCA motorway was one massive jam after a serious crash near Son Fuster and Son Castello. Fortunately it did not take place during rush hour.

Summer hope THE Madrid government has approved the project to invest €700,000 in the Cala Banyalbufar with the hope of it opening before the summer season begins.

Late trains THE train service has been suffering delays of around 10 to 40 minutes due to a fault in the signalling system thought to be caused by an electrical surge.

Demolition threat homes are saved THOUSANDS of homeowners including many expatriates - are breathing a sigh of relief after their seafront homes had a cloud of uncertainty lifted from them. Owners will be allowed to bequeath or sell homes and businesses that infringe Spain’s previous Coastal Law. The law was announced last year and the text has now been made public. New regulations annul a clause in the 1988 law warning that buildings on the 100-metre strip measured

from the high tide mark would be demolished in 2018. Under the new law the Environment Ministry confirmed that concessions are safe for another 75 years and authorisations for four more years. The right to remain in these properties is now transferable to third parties as a legacy or through a sale, with the proviso that Environment Ministry authorisation is obtained first. The ministry also has the right to widen the state-owned strip to 200

metres and veto construction of new homes or hotels. The idea behind the original legislation was to protect coastal areas from unchecked development, but it also affected properties which had previously been built legally. The Ministry of the Environment will be able to fine the owners of illegal buildings up to €1.2 million. Local councils will be able to levy a fine of up to €12,000. The hope is that the heavier fines will discourage illegal construction.

E W N 27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

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THIS WEEK IN

EWN News 1 - 16

Finance 17 - 22

Letters 23

NATURAL BEAUTY: The Sa Calobra de Escorca beach.

Four best beaches in the Balearics A LIST, compiled by newspaper 20 minutos, has catalogued the best beaches in the islands. Coming in at number one is the Playa de Es Trenc de Campos, in Mallorca. This is Mallorcaâ€™s longest beach found in a rustic setting and a little out of the way - it is almost virgin.

In at second place is the Playa de Sa Calobra de Escorca, also in Mallorca. This is a bay beach surrounded by the steep foothills of the Tramontana mountain range. A beach from Menorca makes it in at number three, Cala Macarella. This is one of the most famous

beaches of the island and appears in many postcards due to its extremely turquoise waters. Fourth on the list of most appreciated beaches was Cala en Turqueta in Menorca. Famed for its clear waters this beach is hidden behind a line of pine trees and has parking available.

Daily TV 26

Leapy Lee 28

Time out 32 - 33

Classifieds 43 - 45

Sport 47-48

NEWS Cala Gamba finished AFTER two years the works on the Cala Gamba have finally finished. The protective wall, to stop people falling into the sea, has been built in replacement of hand rails. Police accident A GUARDIA CIVIL patrol car crashed into another car when it went through a give way sign, apparently without the driver looking, in the Port of Pollensa.

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27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

Last hope for Munar THE ex-president of the Consell de Mallorca, Maria Antonia Munar, has launched a last ditch bid to avoid a jail sentence over the Can Domenge illegal land sale case. The case was heard earlier in the year and involved accusations of bribery for selling the Can Domenge land. Although the vice-conseller, Miquel Nadal, admitted in his confession that he and Munar both accepted cash for the deal, Munar never confessed to this.

Munar was jailed for six years for the illegal sale of the land and has now launched a last appeal to the High Court requesting a reversal of the decision of the three judges of the Audiencia de Palma who considered her to be responsible for the sale. She will not attend the hearing, instead she will wait in her Palma prison cell for the outcome. Jose Antonio Choclan, Munar’s lawyer and an expert in appeals, failed to win the appeal on her other case which does not augur well for the outcome of this one.

Confiscated potatoes POLICE in Palma have confiscated 2,500 kilos of potatoes which were being sold to the public, without a licence, from the back of a car. The potatoes were donated to charity.

READY-MADE: Traditional dishes to make life easier for Spanish housewives.

Seagull rescued THE fire brigade in Palma rescued a seagull which was trapped in a wire fence for two days. Laughing lawyers A COURT in Palma was in fits of giggles when an accused man denied that his voice was on a recording only to hear himself give his full name 10 seconds later. Telephone cocaine NATIONAL POLICE in Palma have found nine bags of cocaine, weighing a total of 100 grammes, in a public telephone exchange. The two Dominican women who run the shop were arrested. Five years COURTS in Inca have condemned a man to five years in prison for hitting and spitting at his wife in front of their children. She was eight months pregnant at the time. House fire A GERMAN resident of Palma, 55, must face the courts after he allegedly set fire to the house he had just been evicted from. The house was razed to the ground.

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EWN

ews watch

Time change

THIS Sunday, March 30, the clocks go forward one hour. At 2.00am the clocks will go forward to 3.00am. This means one hour less in bed!

No malls thank you SHOPKEEPERS in Soller do not want large commercial centres to move into the area. They are protesting to the council which is thinking of renting space to the malls.

Violent husband A MAN, 63, is facing five years in prison for allegedly beating his wife with a dog leash in Palma and punching her, causing her to lose three teeth.

Bird theft

Tasty treats made easy

IMES are changing and whereas Spanish housewives used to have time to prepare elaborate dishes, working women now need mealtimes to be quick and easy. However, the food industry is well aware of this and is coming up with ways to prepare traditional dishes which make life easier. One of the main components of the Spanish diet is ‘tortilla’ (Spanish omelette) but it takes time to prepare, which many don’t have. However, many companies already sell the ingredients in packets, ready to use, so that all that is required is to add some egg and prepare the omelette in a frying pan. If even this is too time-consuming, there are the ready-made versions, which can be prepared quickly in the pan or microwave. A popular treat for breakfast is ‘churros’ and Basque chef Andoni Luis Aduriz has come up with the idea of selling the dough pastry in spray form.

Quote of the Week “It depends on the Ministry of Public Works, but I think it’s a good idea,” mayor of Madrid, Ana Botella, regarding the possibility of naming the Madrid-Barajas Airport after recently deceased Adolfo Suarez, Spain’s first democratically elected Prime Minister after the Franco era.

The can then has to be shaken and goes straight into a frying pan with hot oil, and within minutes a family can be sitting down to enjoy a plate-full of churros with a mug of thick hot chocolate. The traditional cold soups ‘gazpacho,’ ‘ajoblanco’ and ‘salmorejo’ can be found in many supermarket cold cabinets in cartons and ready to consume. Elsewhere in the cold cabinet you may find ‘boquerones en vinagre’ (filleted fresh anchovies in vinegar), ready cut Manchego cheeses or Iberian ham, roast meats ready to serve, microwaveable ‘paella’ and even the refreshing ‘tinto de verano’ (red wine with lemonade) ready mixed and bottled. These are not only ways of making life easier for those in charge of preparing meals in Spanish homes, but also a way of obtaining more sales and making products easier to export, as the products become more accessible to a wider market.

Number of the week per cent of Spaniards shower for more than 10 minutes every day according to a study, which is well above the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of showering for less than five minutes, followed by only 9 per cent of the population.

A MAN, 23, was arrested for stealing 38 birds, including canaries and exotic breeds, from houses in the Llevant area of Mallorca and selling them to pet shops.

No bullying NATIONAL POLICE have ruled out bullying at school as the cause which led a 13-year-old girl to commit suicide in Palma and are now questioning her family.

Hiker rescued A HIKER, 35, had to be airlifted to hospital by the Guardia Civil after falling and breaking his ankle when he was in the Cala Santanyi area.

And finally... THE mayor of El Pedroso, Sevilla, Manuel Melendez, has been charged with a crime against moral integrity for forcing a Local Police officer to wash his car, shouting insults at him, and taking his weapon, as well as cutting his salary.

E W N 27 March - 2 April 2014 /Mallorca

Stronger defences SPAIN has strengthened its security forces at its North African Melilla border after hundreds of people recently stormed the perimeter in one go. The latest wave of immigrants was the biggest group of people trying to get into Spain over recent years. On Tuesday and Wednesday Madrid sent 100 more police officers, raising the total at the point to 150, a source at the Interior Ministry said. They also plan to reinforce the rapid response unit, increasing it by 20 more personnel, bringing the total to 80. Immigrants from all over Africa - such as Mali, Togo and the Ivory Coast regularly attempt to cross the razor-wire fences of the Spanish exclaves Ceuta and Melilla, which are surrounded by Moroccan territory and sea.

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Controversy over a doctorate for Nadal THE rector of the Universidad de las Islas Baleares (UIB), Llorenc Huguet, has lamented that

the controversy, generated by some members of the community arguing about errors in protocol, has frustrated his attempts to give an honorary

UNCERTAIN FUTURE: Observatory closure looms.

Observatory at Calar Alto under threat THE closure of the observatory at Calar Alto could cost almost €40 million. Worries about the observatory are at an all time high as, if it closes, the loss to the scientific community would be huge. Ricardo Hernandez, UGT delegate to Almeria, said dismantling the observatory could cost up to €40m as the government would be responsible for taking down the building and for restoring the environment.

doctorate to Rafael Nadal. The number one tennis seed in the world renounced the honour yesterday commenting that he did not want to find himself embroiled in the argument. Huguet commented that it was curious that on Nadal’s home island they were at war over the matter while in Paris they were giving him the golden keys to the city. Huguet went on to say that in Nadal they had the best possible ambassador for Mallorca and he deserved for the UIB to recognise this. He recognised Nadal’s contribution to charitable causes through the foundation that has carried his name since he was 21-years-old. Huguet first made the proposal to Sebastian Nadal, Rafael’s father, who said that his son would be happy to receive such an honour. The university council then made the proposition formally in a meeting in which nobody opposed the idea. As soon as the proposal was made public the disagreements started. Huguet has expressed surprise at the reactions given that they were not expressed through the correct channels - in the university council meetings.

Riot police needed at Madrid protests SPANISH police clashed with protesters during an anti-austerity demonstration in Madrid that drew tens of thousands of people. Police have confirmed in a statement that six officers were injured during the clash and 12 people were arrested. Demonstrators from across Spain were protesting against government measures they claim have eroded Spain’s civil

rights. Six columns of protesters, each one from a different region, arrived at the outskirts of the city before heading for Colon square. The demonstrators carried banners bearing the slogan ‘Marching for dignity.’ By evening the city’s main boulevard, Paseo del Prado, was packed with people chanting against the government’s austerity policies and cuts.

Near the end of the demonstration, during one of the final speeches, protesters attempted to break through a police barrier. It is believed that they intended to head towards the nearby headquarters of the governing conservative Popular Party. Since 2011, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his government have brought in numerous austerity-driven tax hikes and cuts to government services in an attempt to slash the budget deficit. Protestors were throwing bottles and not backing down. This provoked riot police to charge the protesters and to use their batons to beat them back. Reports indicate that one police vehicle and a bank were damaged by protesters.

E W N 27 March - 2 April 2014 /Mallorca

Controller of the cyclists

A MOTORIST came dangerously close to running over some cyclists while driving on the Valldemossa road. The Opel Corsa cut them off and as he went past the driver shouted out “I have you under control!” The astonished cyclists informed the police of the incident who then stopped the motorist and asked what was going on. He drunkenly replied that he “had to control the cyclists.” Police then breathalysed him, the results of which were positive, and informed him that he should have controlled himself and not the cyclists.

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Head to head crash

FOUR people were hurt in a traffic accident in Marratxi on the Inca motorway. Two cars had a head to head collision and although all the passengers were hurt, having gone through the windscreen, the 19-year-old front seat passenger of one of the cars is in a serious condition.

She was not wearing her seat belt. Emergency services, assisted by the Guardia Civil and the Mallorca fire brigade, were called immediately and arrived promptly. The other passengers; a six-month-old baby, it’s mother, 37, and another youth of 22 were all released from hospital.

Franco’s grandson appears in court for ramming a police patrol car A GRANDSON of former dictator General Franco has appeared in court. Francisco Franco MartínezBordiu, 59, stands accused of deliberately ramming a police patrol car following a high-

speed chase. Martínez-Bordiu, the oldest grandson of the late dictator, is charged with dangerous driving and an attack against authority. The businessman, a regular in Spain’s gossip columns, is

charged with dangerous driving and an attack against authority. According to a court spokesperson Martínez-Bordiu was questioned by a judge in the town of Calamocha in north eastern Spain for two hours.

NEWS

Policemen on the bus

PASSENGERS on route 15, going through the centre of Palma, were surprised to see a uniformed policeman board the bus. They immediately suspected that he was pursuing a criminal on the bus and this made them nervous. Apparently the policeman was just on his way to the centre and, rather than using his patrol car, thought that the bus would be the fastest way in. Plain clothes police often ride the buses as this is the easiest way to catch pickpockets who often target tourists on that line.

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NEWS EXTRA

Out of control TWO bonfires, which got out of control, caused forest fires in Palma and Sa Pobla, destroying 8,000m2 of bushes and canes.

Two jobs? A JUDGE in Baleares is to investigate whether the president of the Govern Balear, Jose Ramon Bauza, can hold the presidency and the licence to a pharmacy at the same time.

Child abuse A MAN has been detained for ill treating his six-yearold son; his wife has also been detained for justifying her husband’s actions.

Veteran prisoner A 73-YEAR-OLD man has gone to prison in Palma, for six months, for not paying maintenance to his ex-wife. He claims he cannot afford the €600 per month.

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27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

EWN

Don’t forget it’s Mother’s Day Sunday March 30 THIS may be a reminder of the exact date for some of us, but every son or daughter knows that Mother’s Day exists. But how many of us know the history of Mother’s Day? Firstly Mother’s Day is celebrated in as many as 46 countries around the world at anytime from March through to May. It is celebrated from Afghanistan to Japan and

Bulgaria to Sri Lanka and many more. Millions of people across the globe take the opportunity to thank their mothers for the efforts of giving them life, raising them and for their constant support and having their best interests at heart. The history of Mother’s Day is centuries old and the earliest celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honour of Rhea

the mother of gods. As far as England is concerned it was during the 1600’s the early Christians in England celebrated a day to Mary, mother of Christ. By a religious order the holiday was later expanded to include all mothers and named as Mothering Sunday. It is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter), to honour the mothers of England.

During this time many of England’s poor worked as servants for the wealthy. As most of the jobs were situated a long way from home the workers lived in servant quarters in their employer’s homes. On the day many of the servants were given the day off and encouraged to return to their homes and spend the days with their mothers. A special cake called the mothering cake was baked as a gift to provide a festive touch. As Christianity spread through Europe the celebration changed to honour the ‘Mother Church,’ the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday festival therefore people began honouring their mothers and the church together.

Spring brings snow, strong wind and storm alerts to Mallorca ANOTHER 10 centimetres of snow has fallen on the Serra de la Tramuntana, in Mallorca, adding to the four centimetres already there. Maria Jose Guerrero, territorial delegate for the State Meteorological Agency (SMA), has commented that this is the biggest snowfall this year and the MA-10 motorway (km29 to 39) has had to be cut because of it. In the next few days more snow is expected to fall above 1,100 metres and below that height there will be cloudy skies,

A faster train to Manacor

MALLORCA RAIL SERVICES (MRS) has announced a new train service to connect Manacor and Palma. The journey time for this new service will be only 59 minutes, reducing the old time by 10 minutes. The aim of the MRS is to improve the rail service for users from Manacor and other villages on the coast. This new service is still in the experimental stage but if the results are positive it will become a fixture and may even increase the number of runs per day. The MRS has also renewed its Tannoy systems in readiness for the summer. Mallorca Transport Consortium (MTC) will start up another seven bus lines to connect with the rail services and it will expand the timetables of another 17 lines in order to absorb the extra demands made on the system by the arrival of tourists for the summer season. Details of the new lines and timetables can be found on the MTC’s web page www.tib.org.

SNOW: A total of 14 centimetres has fallen on the Tramuntana mountains. winds of over 80 kilometres per hour and storms. The SMA has declared a Yellow alert for the moment and is warning

islanders of strong north easterly winds, heavy seas and snowfall. Temperatures are also expected to fall with the arrival of the winds.

The island is frequently on Orange or Yellow alert due to the rapidly changing weather conditions that often prevail.

E W N 27 March - 2 April 2014 /Mallorca

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NEWS

Mallorca’s Got Talent second heat AROMA Restaurant in El Toro has held the second of six heats of the immensely popular talent contest Mallorca’s Got Talent and again over 120 people turned up to watch and judge the live talent on show. There were a couple of bonuses this week when the show was opened up by last year’s winner, Jessica Sofie, who performed two popular songs and nearly brought the house down. During the break last week’s winner, Albie Davies, performed two songs much to everyone’s delight.

There were four acts with over 62 years difference in the age groups of the contestants, there was also the youngest contestant so far: a great little boy called Victor Eriksson who, at only nine-years-old, was an amazing singer. There was also a little girl called Tabitha Clarke, 10years-old, who also had a fantastic voice and was very brave on stage in front of a full house. There weren’t just singers there was an amazing blues guitarist and song writer Carsten Hubner AKA ‘Gus’ or ‘Chilli Con Carsten’ performing on

both electric and acoustic guitar, he was preceded by Van ‘the Man’ Johnson who performed and sung two songs, one of which was from Van Morrison!! It was a tense evening

A TENSE TIME: It was a very close competition. and a very close competition, there was no runaway winner this week

and only a few votes separated all the contestants. The results were counted and verified and the winner

on the night was Blues Guitarist ‘Gus’ who was run very closely by 10-year-old Tabitha and both go through to the grand Final and a chance to win €1,000 on Saturday, April 26. There are still a few places for the coming weeks and excitement is building as the competition progresses, all potential new contestants are advised to pick up a registration form from Aroma restaurant in El Toro or download a form from Mallorca’s Got Talent Facebook page or alternatively contact mark@aromaeltoro.com. Also please be aware the next heat will be held on Friday March 28 and not Saturday as normal. Good luck to everyone, you have to be in it to win it!!

Spanish tourist naked in Florence

HAPPY FACES: Business networking is a chance to meet and mingle with interesting people.

Global Clubs International has found the secret to success THERE is a networking club that really brings the idea of business networking for all ages together with the chance to meet and mingle with interesting people in a relaxed atmosphere. On arrival there is a welcome drink followed by nibbles and some great entertainment by Liam Live at the Nassau Beach Club in Palma. There was a productive meeting with some existing clients and then an evening getting to know new people and potential clients. This club offers discounts for all members to enjoy, something clearly

explained in the welcome speech by the club’s host Donna Suarez. As it is free to be a lifetime member anyone can enjoy these member benefits not only in Mallorca but globally as the company is aiming to expand to 12 more countries within the next 12 months and is already in LA and Marbella. The next event is being held in Pollensa tonight (Thursday) at Real Club Nautico. The events are known as Business Networking Cocktail parties and are from 7pm until midnight and the business networking is mainly

focused between 7pm and 9pm. The founder of the company, Peter Redrin, originally started Scandi Club in Jan 2013, which is still going strong, and holds its Cocktail Parties at the Hotel Feliz each month in Palma. The club for the German Expats moves its location throughout Mallorca following the same success as the English speaking Expats club. The newest club is the Yacht Crew Club was launched in January 2014. Contact Joanne on 691 469 605 joanne.calf@globalclubsinternational .com or www.expatsclub international.com.

A SPANISH tourist, 25, caused a stir on social networking sites and in the press after undressing before a Botticelli painting in Florence, Italy. The unknown Spaniard was reported for ‘obscene acts’ and later released with charges after entering the Galería degli Uffizi in Florence and undressing before the painting of The Birth of Venus on Saturday. He entered just like any other tourist, but once in front of the painting, he undressed, kneeled down and threw rose petals,

according to witnesses. Museum guards immediately called the Carabinieri, who covered him with a blanket and took him to a station while he shouted “Freedom, freedom.” The museum director, Antonio Natale, confirmed that he had caused no problems and that nothing was damaged. The Italian press is questioning whether the Spanish tourist went mad or whether it was a demonstration of Spanish ‘art.’

Time to dress up DON’T forget on Saturday night a fun event at Mood, Puerto Portals, will raise money for the Calanova Cancer Charity. Called Casino Royale, it is a casino event with tickets costing €15 (€10 going to the charity). You will get a welcome complimentary cava and canapés. You can get your tickets from info@moodbeach.com or from the charity shop. The event starts at 7pm. Dress code is James Bond style glitz and glamour.

E W N 27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

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Minor detained for naked photo POLICE in Palma have detained a 15-year-old for distributing a photograph

of a naked classmate, also a minor. The case came to light

because the accused put the picture on his WhatsApp profile. Investigators have discovered another two boys, both 13, who are involved in the matter. It seems one of them got hold of the victimâ€™s mobile phone and stole the photograph directly. Although the 15-year-old has been arrested the other two, because they are underage, cannot be arrested. The 15-year-old has been accused of corrupting minors. The victim was unaware of the crime until she saw her picture on the popular app. She then went to the police to denounce the matter. The investigation was carried out by the Economic Delinquency and Technological Crimes Group of Palma.

NEWS Formentera vulnerable THE idea of tropical sands and unspoiled countryside is becoming just that in Formentera: an idea. The population has doubled in just 15 years from 6,000 people to 12,000. Formentera is at risk due to its success. Its peaceful countryside is being invaded by massive summer tourist occupation and encroaching real estate projects. Since the year 2000 its population has doubled meaning that there isnâ€™t enough water in summer and the quadrupling of its residents at that time of year generates nearly 9,000 tonnes of rubbish. Native islanders are now fighting back, through the courts, to set up natural reserves in the area.

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Caritas wants cleaning and hygiene products for those in need CARITAS charity has asked the public for home cleaning supplies and personal hygiene products.

Dental health for Balearic kids THIS year a total of 111,559 children will be able to go to the dentist free of charge thanks to the Programme for Childrenâ€™s Dental Attention (PADI). PADI is a programme started in 2005 aimed at children between the ages of six and 15. They offer a wide variety of dental services including dental cleaning and cavity filling. Dentists from PADI also give children advice, like not eating too many sweets and how to best avoid having to come back to see them.

With much of its donations coming in the form of non-perishable foods, Caritas has pointed out that there is a distinct need for non-food items as well as it tries to raise awareness of the larger picture of the overall need. Included on the list of items are laundry detergent, washing up liquid and bleach as well as basic hygiene supplies like shower gel, shampoo, toothpaste and toilet paper. Vileta distribution centre head Ana Bel Reche explained how financial donations are used to buy what is most needed in the moment, and that sometimes means avoiding buying more food when other things are actually needed. Since opening just over a month ago, the Caritas centre in Vileta has assisted some 75 families from Son Roca, la Vileta, Son Cotoner, Son Espanyolet and Son Dameto. The pioneering initiative has pleasantly surprised its beneficiaries as they are allowed to choose goods off the shelves rather than being given a bag of prepackaged items.

27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

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E W N 27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

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Pedestrian breath tests are on the way BREATH tests for pedestrians, higher motorway speed limits and a total ban on speed camera detectors are just some of the new road laws passed by Spain’s Congress. Also on the cards is the compulsory wearing of cycle helmets for under 16s in urban areas and new rules to force foreign residents to register their vehicles. But not all the regulations are being tightened - rules

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NEW RULES: Drivers fined without being stopped. that restricted the right of cancer patients to drive are being relaxed. At the moment doctors have to

specifically take up a cancer patient’s right to drive with the traffic authority (DGT), but those restrictions are due to be relaxed. Jay walking pedestrians will, under the new regulations, find themselves liable to take a drugs and/or alcohol test. Up until now they could only be made to take a test if they were in an accident. Congress decided to bring in new rules setting out deadlines for the

registration of foreign registered cars, as it was proving difficult to track down owners to pay fines. Police will also be able to fine drivers for offences without having to pull them over. If the rules are ratified, they are due to happen in June. Speed camera detectors are totally banned - if a car’s sat-nav has the facility it must be ‘disabled.’ The maximum speed limit on motorways would go up to 130 kph. But an anomaly which meant a minimum speed restriction (where drivers cannot travel below 50 per cent of the speed limit) applied to cyclists will be removed. It is said that steep hills were turning cyclists into law breakers on a regular basis. Editor’s Note: Page 16.

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Duelling priests in Palma court THE courts in Palma are hearing two cases against a local priest. The first is accusing Alfredo Miralles, ex-rector of Sant Sebastia, of attacking fellow priest, Joan Darder, on the

31 years for 10 attacks THE courts in Palma have sentenced two men to a total of 31 years for attacking 10 people in only three days on the island. ‘El Rafita,’ one of the most wanted delinquents on the police’s wanted list, and his partner in crime attacked 10 people in just three days in April of 2011. The attacks took place in Petra, Felanitx and Porto Cristo. The attackers, 22 and 24 respectively, covered their faces and assaulted their victims at knifepoint.

abuse. Although he does terrace of a cafeteria. The second is a case of not yet know the contents sexual abuse which, of the accusation he supposedly, took place suspects that it came from a man in his three years ago congregation who Miralles denies “invented” this vehePriest stories about mently. accused sexual abuse This conflict to minors and came into the of sexual women. He public domain abuse thinks Darder last week when persuaded the there was an man to present the altercation between the two in a well known case. He goes on to claim cafeteria on Avenida Alexandre Rossello. that he has never abused Mirelles admits that he anybody and that now he was overtaken by will have to go through emotion when he insulted the hell of defending and pushed Darder. He himself to clean his name attributes his state of and reputation. mind to the constant Darder denies any stress of references to his involvement in the sexuality in the Diocese. reporting of the sexual According to Miralles, abuse case. The bishopric of Palma Darder is behind the accusations of sexual has declined to comment.

27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

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E W N 27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

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1,000 participate in ‘Yes to Life’ demo NEARLY 1,000 people showed up in Palma for a demonstration organised by the ‘Yes to Life’ platform to defend the rights of unborn children, the role of motherhood

and the right to life ‘in all circumstances.’ Beginning in Palma’s Plaza Mayor, participants travelled the streets of the city centre until reaching the doors of the Balearic Government where a manifesto was read. Organisers said the chosen motto for the day was ‘Yes to Life, For Life, Women and Motherhood.’ The manifesto claimed that the 21st century should be IN 2013 the Baleares Health Service (BHS) registered considered the century of a total of 436 violent acts perpetrated on health care “commitment to life, one that staff; this is a 7 per cent reduction on the previous overcomes the culture of death year. characterised by the 20th Overall aggressive acts were down 60 per cent while century’s totalitarianism, wars, eight out of 10 aggressions were verbal. genocides and abortions.” Mallorca continues to register the highest number of After a reminder that the aggressive acts although the number has gone down falling birth rate is in essence ‘a a little since last year. demographic bomb’ of the The most common aggression is verbal; rudeness, current period, demonstrators threats, shouting et cetera. Second most common is asserted that ‘support for physical violence, pushing, spitting, hitting and so on. motherhood is one of There were more aggressions towards nurses than requisites for justice and an any other healthcare professional. absolute necessity in order for The Government of the Baleares has put in place a the future of Spain and plan to try and prevent these incidents; among them Europe.’ increased security presence and more cameras.

Aggression down in the health service

E W N 27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

10 Calvia drivers reported for improper seat belt use LOCAL POLICE in Calvia finished a safety belt control campaign last week ending in 10 drivers being found guilty of improper safety belt use. This figure only accounted for about 1 per

cent of those stopped, however. Of the 906 drivers who were inspected, only 10 were found guilty of breaching the law. The overwhelming majority of front seat

Facing ten years for robbery with violence PROSECUTORS are asking for a sentence of 10 years and 10 months for a man who tried to stab the female owner of a villa in Port d’Alcúdia who interrupted his burgling of the residence. According to the public ministry the suspect, a 42year-old Argentinian, used extreme violence during the attack; pulling the woman’s hair and throwing her to the ground before putting a knife to her neck, near the jugular vein. He stabbed her once in the throat. The victim, 56, shouted and tried to escape, fortunately she was heard by a neighbour who called the police and an ambulance, which took her to hospital. The man stands accused of robbery with violence and attempted homicide during the course of a crime.

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passengers were also found in compliance, with only one out of 293 of those stopped being reported. The percentage of back seat passengers failing to comply was significantly higher, at around 7 per cent. The campaign was carried out between March 10-16 in partner-ship with the General Traffic Department (DGT). In addition to seat belt checks, safety officers also checked the compliance of child safety restraints in vehicles travelling with children younger than 12. At over 90 per cent, such general compliance figures from the overall campaign indicate a high overall level of road security consciousness on the part of Calvia residents.

A note from the

Editor

Take care... W

ATCH out if you like a drink. Proposed new traffic laws will give police the power to breath test jay walking pedestrians. Up until now police could only do that if the pedestrian was involved in a road accident. But now anyone crossing the road where they shouldn’t will be liable to take a test for alcohol and drugs. That is a step too far (excuse the pun). Surely there are enough laws against drunkenness and unruliness without having to resort to alcohol tests at the drop of a hat. There is no need to suspect someone of being drunk - just taking a step onto the road would be enough to have the police descend with their alcohol meters. And on the crowded and often narrow pavements found in many Spanish towns and villages it can be nearly impossible to avoid stepping into the road. It is a charter for harassment of

people who have done nothing wrong and a sign of officialdom’s instinct to criminalise otherwise law abiding people.

Coastal good news THOUSANDS of owners of beach front properties built within 100 metres of the high water mark blighted with the threat of demolition, can sleep a little easier now. The new coastal law means they can now sell or pass on as bequests their homes, and removed the imminent threat of demolition (slated in for 2018). The old law had effectively made those homes - many already built quite legally - illegal. So some good news, but why do the Spanish authorities insist on putting many innocent people in such a distressing position in the first place? It is bad for tourism, bad for investment, and bad for the country.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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

business & legal

WATCH sales rose by 17 per cent just before March 19, Father’s Day and also the feast day of Josefas and Joses. The sector sold 23,000 watches, producing a €2.2 million turnover, said watchmakers Ayserco.

Slurry disposal plants may shut

not only wind and solar energy but also the slurry plants, many which could now close. Pig farmers will soon be faced with a “serious problem,” said the mayor of Langa de Duero (Soria). European regulations limit the amount of slurry that can be dumped. Having to go to plants further afield will reduce already slim margins and livestock, farmers said.

Ono says yes to Vodafone VODAFONE has finally pulled off its deal with Spanish telecommunications’ company Ono. The €7.2 billion that the UK-owned company hands over for Ono is the largest acquisition by a foreign company in Spain since 2008. Ono, with 1.9 million clients in 12 autonomous regions, is the country’s largest cable company and has its own high-speed fibre optic network. Based on both companies’ figures in late 2013, Vodafone’s presence on Spain’s broadband market will grow from 7.5 per cent to 21 per cent. Acquiring Ono’s 1.1 million

mobile clients will increase its share of this market from 24.8 per cent to 26 per cent. Between them Telefonica, Vodafone and Orange will now control 90 per cent of Spain’s broadband and mobile market and up to 80 per cent of its customer base. Vodafone, which earned $130 billion (approximately €93 billion) from the sale of its US division last year, is also rumoured to be on the verge of making another big purchase. This time it is looking towards the UK with TalkTalk, the no-longer state owned BT Group and BSkyB possibly in its sights.

usiness extra

Posh addresses PROPERTIES in Monaco, Hong Kong and London are the world’s most expensive. Prices rose last year by 5 per cent in Madrid, ranked 29th, but fell in Sotogrande, Marbella, Mallorca and Barcelona.

Pay rises SALARIES in Spain’s Public Administration rose by 17.7 per cent in the last quarter of 2013, compared with 2012, thanks to delayed payment of that year’s civil servants’ bonus.

Catalan cava is still fizzing CATALUÑA’S desire for independence might be unpopular but its cava sales remain buoyant. Despite boycott calls, global sales of Catalan cava fell by only 0.77 per cent to 241.3m bottles in 2013 with a €970 million turnover similar to 2012. Sales in the domestic market fell by 0.47 per cent, an improvement on 2012 when they dropped by

6.28 per cent. The effects of the politically-inspired boycott outside the region have diminished, sources said. The crisis, they continued, exerted a greater influence on sales and although two out of every three bottles are sent abroad, falling exports, particularly to the UK - were important. CAVA: Sales buoyant.

STAT OF WEEK

A pig of a problem SPAIN’S pig farmers have a problem. Usually they send slurry to 33 government-subsidised plants where it generates electricity by cogeneration while converting the waste into dried fertiliser pellets. This will change following the government’s announcement of cuts to sustainable energy subsidies. This affects

EWN

PIG FARMING: Cuts could mean reducing livestock further.

E W N 27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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

C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 24

C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) Aberdeen Asset Mngmnt 364.65 Admiral Group PLC 1464.50 Aggreko PLC 1490.00 AMEC PLC 1101.50 Anglo American PLC 1438.50 Antofagasta PLC 804.00 ARM Holdings PLC 978.50 Ashtead Group PLC 925.00 Associated British Foods 2757.50 AstraZeneca PLC 3887.75 Aviva PLC 479.35 Babcock International 1374.00 BAE Systems PLC 406.25 Barclays PLC 235.72 BG Group PLC 1069.00 BHP Billiton PLC 1802.50 BP PLC 471.00 British Am Tobacco PLC 3210.75

C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. 1.30 0.36 -2.12 -0.14 -15.00 -1.00 -3.00 -0.27 -1.00 -0.07 -2.40 -0.30 -16.75 -1.68 2.00 0.22 -1.55 -0.06 -42.00 -1.07 -0.80 -0.17 -14.42 -1.04 -4.70 -1.14 -0.20 -0.08 7.17 0.68 -7.00 -0.39 2.25 0.48 -28.50 -0.88

NET VOLUME 1,024.78 76.96 217.76 288.36 792.09 329.12 710.04 357.55 128.33 702.73 2,568.23 78.83 1,548.26 11,136.71 1,363.69 1,356.40 5,325.99 681.68

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0.83489

Units per €

US dollar.................................................................1.37699 Japan yen ...............................................................141.1134 Switzerland franc................................................1.21989 Denmark kroner .................................................7.46491 Norway kroner ...................................................8.35272

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

PRICE(P)

British Land Co PLC British Sky Broadcasting BT Group PLC Bunzl PLC Burberry Group PLC Capita PLC Carnival PLC

658.25 947.00 384.45 1571.00 1375.00 1097.50 2455.00

DOW JONES

NASDAQ

C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 24

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

PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 133.12 91.52 34.30 122.58 97.39 115.63 21.64 66.98 94.31 25.40 166.95 80.42 25.17 186.67 95.93 60.17 95.47 54.66 40.16 75.21 32.18 77.88 38.44 83.78 114.57 81.34 46.91 223.37 76.10 80.35

+0.69 -0.17 +0.21 -1.15 +1.18 +0.12 -0.19 +0.40 -0.27 +0.13 -2.27 +0.33 -0.255 -1.23 +1.81 +0.06 -1.13 -0.93 -0.17 -4.06 +0.27 -0.44 -0.01 +0.55 +0.80 -0.19 -0.30 +1.55 +0.72 -0.46

+0.52% -0.19% +0.62% -0.93% +1.23% +0.10% -0.87% +0.60% -0.29% +0.51% -1.34% +0.41% -1.00% -0.65% +1.92% +0.10% -1.17% -1.67% -0.42% -5.12% +0.85% -0.56% -0.03% +0.66% +0.70% -0.23% -0.64% +0.70% +0.96% -0.57%

5.9M 6.7M 51.0M 8.0M 8.3M 14.9M 97.4M 6.8M 24.5M 55.2M 4.8M 10.1M 56.9M 12.5M 24.0M 35.2M 12.6M 23.4M 80.7M 15.9M 62.7M 21.3M 19.2M 6.5M 10.3M 11.8M 38.9M 9.5M 17.2M 7.8M

1.19775

C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. -1.56 1.50 -2.95 -5.00 -15.78 -11.00 -9.00

C O M PA N Y

-0.24 0.16 -0.76 -0.32 -1.14 -0.99 -0.37

PRICE

NET VOLUME 385.93 926.61 2,771.36 53.16 428.29 153.94 139.37

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced Endocyte, Inc. $ 28.17 Dex Media, Inc. $ 9.71 Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. $ 5.93 Biota Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $ 6.62 CommScope Holding Company, Inc. $ 24.37 Books-A-Million, Inc. $ 2.47 AirMedia Group Inc $ 2.64 ProShares UltraShort Nasdaq Biotechnology$ 16.59 NTELOS Holdings Corp. $ 14.02 China TechFaith Wireless Comm Tech Lim $ 2.02 The9 Limited $ 2.90

13.53 ▲ 92.42% 1.50 ▲ 18.27% 0.56 ▲ 10.43% 0.61 ▲ 10.15% 2.24 ▲ 10.12% 0.22 ▲ 9.78% 0.22 ▲ 9.09% 1.35 ▲ 8.86% 1.08 ▲ 8.35% 0.15 ▲ 8.02% 0.19 ▲ 7.01%

Most Declined Zions Bancorporation Geospace Technologies Corporation Arrowhead Research Corporation Symantec Corporation China Mobile Games and Ent Grp Lim Zions Bancorporation Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Atlanticus Holdings Corporation Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. Auspex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Bona Film Group Limited

$ 4.33 $ 62.85 $ 20.70 $ 18.20 $ 22.18 $ 6.50 $ 36.98 $ 2.27 $ 23.70 $ 29.65 $ 6.36

0.92 ▼ 17.52% 11.20 ▼ 15.12% 3.11 ▼ 13.06% 2.705 ▼ 12.94% 3.18 ▼ 12.54% 0.8501 ▼ 11.57% 4.735 ▼ 11.35% 0.29 ▼ 11.33% 2.995 ▼ 11.22% 3.61 ▼ 10.85% 0.73 ▼ 10.30%

C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) Centrica PLC 333.75 Coca-Cola HBC AG 1464.00 Compass Group PLC 903.75 CRH PLC 1628.00 Diageo PLC 1807.00 easyJet PLC 1596.00 Experian PLC 1064.00 Fresnillo PLC 877.00 G4S PLC 236.25 GKN PLC 383.30 GlaxoSmithKline PLC 1605.00 Glencore Xstrata PLC 305.23 Hammerson PLC 547.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1399.00 HSBC Holdings PLC 609.45 IMI PLC 1460.00 Imperial Tobacco Group 2422.00 InterContinental Hotels 1912.00 International Consldted 411.75 Intertek Group PLC 2996.50 ITV PLC 194.15 Johnson Matthey PLC 3129.00 Kingfisher PLC 409.10 Land Securities Group 1026.50 Legal & General Group 207.10 Lloyds Banking Group 78.47 London Stock Exchange 1967.00 Marks & Spencer Group 458.50 Meggitt PLC 465.10 Melrose Industries PLC 291.15 Mondi PLC 1018.00 National Grid PLC 817.25 Next PLC 6705.00 Old Mutual PLC 192.60 Pearson PLC 1006.50 Persimmon PLC 1317.50 Petrofac Ltd 1409.00 Prudential PLC 1326.50 Randgold Resources Ltd 4771.00 Reckitt Benckiser Group 4829.00 Reed Elsevier PLC 914.00 Resolution Ltd 315.65 REXAM PLC 493.50 Rio Tinto PLC 3205.75 Rolls-Royce Holdings 1083.50 Royal Bank of Scotland 299.30 Royal Dutch Shell PLC 2292.00 Royal Mail PLC 586.25 RSA Insurance Group PLC 93.40 SABMiller PLC 2828.75 Sage Group (The) PLC 426.50 Sainsbury (J) PLC 310.20 Schroders PLC 2603.00 Severn Trent PLC 1859.00 Shire PLC 3061.00 Smith & Nephew PLC 915.75 Smiths Group PLC 1297.50 Sports Direct Intrntional 837.50 SSE PLC 1483.00 Standard Chartered PLC 1207.75 Standard Life PLC 366.90 Tate & Lyle PLC 646.50 Tesco PLC 294.35 Travis Perkins PLC 1804.50 TUI Travel PLC 435.90 Tullow Oil PLC 769.50 Unilever PLC 2413.50 United Utilities Group 792.50 Vodafone Group PLC 225.15 Weir Group PLC 2453.00 Whitbread PLC 4151.50 William Hill PLC 333.45 Wm Morrison Sprmrkts 212.75 Wolseley PLC 3347.50 WPP PLC 1209.50

CHANGE -4.20 -12.00 -3.88 -6.00 7.23 -26.00 1.00 -8.50 -2.72 -0.70 -12.00 1.60 -1.00 -16.00 3.80 -2.00 -19.00 -25.00 -8.90 -4.00 -1.80 -19.25 -3.93 -6.00 1.10 1.10 -12.00 -1.30 -6.30 -1.06 -17.00 -5.50 5.00 -1.60 -4.89 -15.00 3.00 -11.50 -60.00 1.50 -1.00 -1.64 -1.04 -1.00 3.64 0.40 -6.50 4.94 -0.29 -3.50 2.10 0.77 -26.00 -29.00 -3.00 -6.00 -25.26 1.50 -26.69 7.50 0.97 -3.00 3.45 -23.00 0.20 -6.00 -6.70 -12.39 -2.06 13.30 -46.00 -5.60 1.52 -45.00 -9.00

% C H G. -1.24 -0.81 -0.43 -0.37 0.40 -1.60 0.09 -0.96 -1.14 -0.18 -0.74 0.53 -0.18 -1.13 0.63 -0.14 -0.78 -1.29 -2.12 -0.13 -0.92 -0.61 -0.95 -0.58 0.53 1.42 -0.61 -0.28 -1.34 -0.36 -1.64 -0.67 0.07 -0.82 -0.48 -1.13 0.21 -0.86 -1.24 0.03 -0.11 -0.52 -0.21 -0.03 0.34 0.13 -0.28 0.85 -0.31 -0.12 0.49 0.25 -0.99 -1.54 -0.10 -0.65 -1.91 0.18 -1.77 0.62 0.27 -0.46 1.19 -1.26 0.05 -0.77 -0.28 -1.54 -0.91 0.55 -1.10 -1.65 0.72 -1.33 -0.74

VOLUME 4,112.60 62.74 449.60 454.92 877.19 226.01 352.46 190.39 693.64 1,466.57 1,372.19 5,247.84 182.52 202.79 10,724.66 109.81 449.20 235.43 2,177.37 111.43 1,753.51 116.40 1,363.29 280.62 10,848.47 24,462.76 33.06 670.29 451.07 482.34 596.32 1,015.41 75.57 1,907.38 467.82 278.10 140.94 883.14 151.74 178.04 642.69 1,016.71 371.31 930.69 722.88 2,234.68 670.73 320.42 2,297.78 450.26 503.25 3,366.53 55.82 155.58 376.75 337.67 375.28 498.44 893.77 1,904.75 1,493.96 285.34 4,776.98 251.07 504.39 411.12 656.78 375.82 12,241.68 174.10 48.03 2,734.25 3,276.09 85.46 632.22

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

Private money for Renfe STATE railway operator Renfe is looking for private money for its freight service. An investor will be sought through public tender, announced minister of Public Works, Ana Pastor. This will be a ‘positive step’ for all types of freight transport, Pastor maintained, while optimising Spain’s network of steadily improving track and its good geo-strategic position. Opening the door to private investment will arrive once the state operator makes the transition to a holding of four subsidiaries: the Renfe Viajeros passenger service, Renfe Mercancias (freight), Renfe Fabricacion y Mantenimiento (manufacture and maintenance) and Renfe Alquiler de Material Ferriviario. This fourth division which is due to be created in April will lease trains to private operators, Pastor explained. These will eventually compete with Renfe both for the passenger and freight service, she confirmed.

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EWN

How to close the sale

LOSING a sale is stressful for most salesmen and women. Many sales books claim to offer the key to unlocking the secrets of closing a sale. These tend to confuse the reader and make matters worse. Many a grown man loses it when they come to ask for the order. I was able to reach the close in 30 minutes unless the client asked questions. However, I could not figure out why one sales person was taking up to two hours to explain his product. He couldn’t close. The best advice I ever received on closing a sale could have been written on the back of my business card. ‘Ask for the order.’ Closing the sale really is that simple, so why make a dog’s breakfast out of it. There is, however, one trick that will substantially increase your success rate when closing. Clients are as hesitant of making a decision as the salesman is in asking for the

Talking shop Mike Walsh Professional copywriting content editing service.

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order. Often a decision to buy will be put off and ditherers have their excuses ready. Once they say no or that they have to think about it the sale is not going to happen. Never ever ask outright for

CLOSING: Best to use the ‘either this or that’ method. the order but use instead the ‘either this or that’ close. When asking for an appointment the best approach is to suggest, “I have an hour Monday morning or Wednesday afternoon. Perhaps an hour in the evening might be better?” It is difficult to say no to that proposal. The order pad should be on the desk long before you reach this point.

Chasm separates rich and poor THE gulf between Spain’s rich and poor is growing wider. In January, Spain’s Oxfam-Intermon warned that Spain’s 20 greatest fortunes are worth €77 billion equivalent to the earnings of the country’s poorest 20 per cent. The following month Fundecas, the Cajas de Ahorro (savings banks) think-tank, drew attention to the northsouth divide between Spain’s richest and poorest regions.

In the third month of the year comes a third alert, this time from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The effects of the economic crisis on the richest and the poorest 10 per cent are more marked in Spain than in any other OECD member country, the organisation announced recently. The wealthiest 10 per cent barely noticed Spain’s double dip recession, with a 1 per cent drop in annual earnings between 2007 and 2010. Wages for the poorest 10 per cent fell by 14 per cent a year during the same period. The OECD report placed Italy’s rich-poor divide as the second-greatest after Spain’s but while its wealthiest 10 per cent also saw incomes fall by 1 per cent, they fell by only 4 per cent each year for the lowest earners. Spain’s high incomes were 13 times greater in 2010 than the lowest, the OECD found, compared with a 9.4 average. In contrast, the organisation compared the Spanish figures with Iceland’s where the earnings of the richest 10 per cent shrank by an annual 12 per cent and the poorest by 8 per cent. The OECD did not hesitate to identify the root of Spain’s problem. Public aid is not directed towards those most affected by the crisis, according to the report. “Social spending destined for relatively prosperous families is higher than in most other EU countries,” it claimed.

The same rules apply when asking for the order. Always have an Option B to hand. “I think this plan would best suit your needs but the cheaper plan B is a good deal too. Which do you prefer?” That close is also difficult to say no to. I have seen salespersons double and treble their sales simply by using the ‘either this or that’ close.

Wine industry must look abroad to grow THE SPANISH wine industry needs to look abroad if it wants to grow. That is according to a report by Rabobank called La Mancha in the Middle. It says that recent EU support programmes have improved the efficiency in Spanish wine production, but oversupply remains an issue. “While Spain has seen marked improvements in its wine production efficiency as a result of EU subsidies, it still struggles to build penetration in non-EU markets”, states Rabobank analyst, Stephen Rannekleiv. “In conjunction with grubbing-up subsidies, Spain was also a major recipient of vineyard restructuring funds which

has raised yields and is expected to lead to an increase in wine in the market. “A pressing concern for many is that much of this increased production is destined for markets already dealing with their own oversupply issues, such as France and Italy.” While these EU markets will remain important destinations for Spanish bulk wine, the industry must focus efforts on building market demand outside the EU, he added. Spain will need to build stronger brands in international markets, and adopt a more consumer-driven marketing focus which will require continued improvement of grower and brand owner alignment, said the report.

E W N 27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

How happy are you with your financial situation?

Going under

A look at finance for females

FAGOR ELECTRODOMESTICOS failed after months of negotiations to reach agreement with its creditors. The appliances firm has now applied to the San Sebastian (Guipuzcoa) courts to go into liquidation.

Jane Plunkett

French money

Loose change

jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews.com

FAMILY: Will bring you a wealth of happiness. How many rich and famous people have overdosed on drugs or thrown themselves from buildings? So many! Singer Amy Wine house, fashion designer Alexander McQueen, actor Heath Ledger - it’s not as though these people were out begging on the street, quite the opposite, they had loads of money, but that didn’t seem to mean that they were happy.

A documentary film called ‘Happy’ released in 2011 explores what makes people happy and it discovers that happiness most often comes from experiences that have nothing to do with money. The film, for example, follows a rickshaw driver from India who lives in the

Are Dashcams legally allowed? Q. Following on from your article regarding surveillance cameras. I have You and the fitted in my car a ‘Dashcam,’ videoing traffic to the front and rear of my car. I Law in Spain have captured many examples of bad By David Searl driving, including a large motor-cycle doing a ‘wheelie’ at speed through a red light, a fully loaded coach going through a red light, and cars overtaking on solid white lines. These incidents were recorded onto a memory chip, and transferred to my laptop, which was viewed by friends and family. My aim was to set up a Facebook page to show incidents of bad driving. The images would also be evidence if I am involved in any ‘incident.’ Is any part of the above illegal? T.H. (Torrevieja) A. Yes, practically all of it is illegal. Spain’s law of data protection is quite strict, as we mentioned. There is no law against having the cameras mounted in your car. However, if you record the images and show them to anyone in any form, you have committed an invasion of privacy under the law and you can be subject to severe fines. Further, these images are not admissible as evidence in court. The only strictly ‘legal’ cameras are those fitted in some new cars which basically act as expanded rearview mirrors. Many experts feel these Dashcams would be very useful and are opposed to the law as it stands. Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.

slums and earns a minuscule wage. He has nothing of material value in life, but says he feels like the richest man in the world as he has a son, a lovely family and neighbours. Meanwhile, another character documented in the film, a successful European banker, leaves

everything to go work as a volunteer in a hospital because he says he wasn’t happy within his rich and successful life. Wealth can be a vicious circle, where the more one has, the more one wants. Therefore those that might be considered wealthy aren’t always happy.

THOMAS MEYER, founder of Barcelona clothing chain Desigual, sold a 10 per cent stake in the company to French venture capital firm Eurazeo, owner of Europcar and shareholder in Danone, Accor and Elis.

Shares offer TROUBLED frozen fish company Pescanova has offered creditors up to 65 per cent of the company to try to stave off liquidation. Most lenders would have to accept losses of between 60 and 90 per cent.

Madrid landmark could go to China’s richest man SANTANDER BANK, owners of Edificio España, hope to sell the iconic Madrid building. According to El Mundo newspaper, Wang Jianlin, China’s richest man, has offered €260 million for the 1953 tower block that was once Spain’s tallest building. Wang Jianlin is president and founder of the Dalian Wanda group, a Chinese real estate, hotels, tourism and entertainment conglomerate. He is worth €16.630 billion and showed interest in Edificio España during a recent visit to Spain at the invitation of Atletico de Madrid football club. The building, which formerly included an hotel, shopping centre, apartments, offices and a rooftop swimming pool, was bought by Santander in 2005 for approximately €389 million. Plans to demolish all but the principal facade and replace the original with luxury flats and shops were later shelved. Investors from China, Brazil and Mexico are also rumoured to be interested in the 1953 building, sources close to the sale process maintained. No firm offers have been received, they added, and

Luis Garcia

MAYBE it’s the sunshine and nicer warm afternoons we’re experiencing, but as winter turns to spring, isn’t there a general sense of happiness in the air? According to a report just released, happiness is definitely growing and the reason could be financial insecurity is beginning to abate. This would suggest that money, it seems, might buy happiness, with the report stating that financial security is more important than good health in making people content. I whole-heartedly agree that financial security does offer peace of mind and in certain terms a sense of happiness, but is a secure financial situation a deciding factor when it comes to a person disposition towards happiness?

BUSINESS EXTRA

EDIFICIO ESPAÑA: A 1953 tower block. prospective buyers are still gathering information. Neither was it impossible that a dearth of tempting offers could persuade Santander to return to its original plan, they said.

OPINION & COMMENT

The little things that mean so much IT is very rare for someone to stand out in such a busy environment as this. However, I feel you ought to know that you have an outstanding employee within your organisation. I do not know the name of this gentleman but I am sure you will be able to work out who delivers the newspapers to our school. There are three things that make this gentleman stand way above all others. He ALWAYS smiles. I only had to ask him once to pass me one of the papers and he does this every single time without asking! He always removes the white plastic strips that keep the papers together. This makes all the difference as people don’t have to struggle with these strips which normally tear the papers. I shall say to you as I said to the gentleman this morning: at Laude, we all look forward to our Euro Weekly News! It’s the small things in life that make a huge difference. Thank you. Gail Summerfield, Reception/School Secretary Laude San Pedro International College

Movistar moans SHEILA SKINNER is not alone. My friend returned to England last July. Her internet provider was informed and standing orders cancelled. Unfortunately, at this moment, we do not know when Movistar was informed as I visited her house in September and discovered that the telephone line was still connected. Movistar were then informed by an interpreter so that no-one misunderstood the situation. The line was finally disconnected in October! In her absence two bills have been received, dated November and December. Our interpreter contacted Movistar again and was told that the number was now allocated to a different person and probably the two

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Letters Letters for Your Say should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com, posted to Euro Weekly News, C/Moscatel 10, P-62, Polígono Industrial, Arroyo de la Miel, 29631 Benalmadena, Málaga, Spain or faxed to 0034 952 440 887

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I WAS very amused when I saw these young men on the beach in Los Boliches, who appeared to be enjoying an evening game of volleyball with the moon.

Colin Smyth, Fuengirola, Malaga.

Big time fraud WELL said Nora Johnson! How refreshing to see an article which tells it like it is, not as most of the media and the current UK government portray it. It is high time the spotlight was turned on the very wealthy tax evaders/avoiders, also private landlords. They are costing the economy billions more than those on benefits, the majority of whom are in low paid jobs which do not pay a living wage.

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

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It is also worth noting that only £1 billion of benefits are lost to fraud compared to £70 billion lost through tax evasion/ avoidance. Thank you Nora, keep up the good work. M. Brannigan, Vera Playa (Almeria)

Double meaning I’VE just noticed that the Ryvitastyle crispbread that I’ve been enjoying recently as a low calorie substitute for ordinary bread is, in fact, called Knackerbrod. Now I confess to not having a great knowledge of the Teutonic tongue but I do know that ‘brod’ means bread in English and many German words are similar to ours. So just what have I been eating? Perplexed, Valencia

Editor’s note: The cinema is due to open within a couple of months, but details of programmes are not yet available.

YOURSAY@EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

bills should have been sent to him/her. Would she make further contact in 15 days to confirm or otherwise? Movistar were contacted again but, naturally, a different staff member took the call and said that €25.31 had been credited in error to my friend’s bank account and they (Movistar) tried to reclaim it but the bank had refused. Movistar stated that the bills were sent direct to my friend’s address as they had no other means of reclaiming any money. No refund is shown on her bank statement. Our interpreter has now been told that €23.19 should be paid to Movistar but for what and as a result of an error by whom? P H, Almayate, (Malaga)

EWN

All at sea THE municipal indoor swimming pool in Huercal Overa (Almeria) closed on July 31, 2013 and I read in your newspaper a few weeks ago that the mayor there was hoping to get it reopened very soon. I was a paid-up member of the pool and used it at least three times a week for therapy after having several bone problems. There is absolutely nowhere near us that has an indoor pool and goodness knows when, or if ever, the brand new one in Albox will open. Work restarted on this one two weeks ago and then the Guardia Civil shut the works down. Again, no information anywhere and in the town hall the staff just shrug their shoulders. Tina Turpie (By email)

Opening date GREAT news about the reopening of Cine Paz in Gata (Alicante). We spent many a good Wednesday evening there. Have you any more details regarding the opening? Hopefully they will have a website where we can check the programme. Ray and Wendy, Alcalali (Alicante)

Unsackable IN ‘Lessons to be learnt’ (Issue 1497) Mr McBride fails to understand the underlying cause of Spain’s high unemployment. Spain, along with France, has stringent employment regulations which have created an inflexible labour market. Put another way, Spanish companies cannot lay off employees as easily as UK companies. The French in particular argue that job security is fundamental to safeguarding family life and the social structure of the country. A legitimate argument, some might say, especially for those already in work but not so good if you are looking for employment. It means that companies must be absolutely certain of their future prospects before recruiting new staff because of the difficulties of dismissing them should their business take a downturn. Spanish companies are therefore reluctant to take the same risks as they would in the UK and USA. Much is said of freeing up the labour market here but precious little has been achieved. Ken Bethell, Puerto de Mazarron (Murcia)

On the track IT’S not rocket science and it’s not brain surgery (although it would seem that the latter is needed). Regarding the vanishing Malaysian airline, two things come to mind. Why isn’t every aircraft fitted with a small, floatable electronic device (in case it ditches in water) that breaks away and emits a signal that satellites pick up, pinpointing the position of the incident within 50 metres or so? Secondly, all aircraft are fitted with a device that shows where it is in the sky. What reason should there ever be for it to be disabled by anyone on board the aircraft? This is a stupendously stupid arrangement and no-one can convince me that it is necessary. Keith Hallam, Blackpool (UK)

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 27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

Vicki Mcleod

Family Matters

www.euroweeklynews.com

Living the Good Life

UR back garden has gone wild. The cats are thrilled: finally they’re getting to be the big scary cats they pretend to be. They’re stalking each other, birds, bugs, leaves and (hooray!) mice. I’m not very comfortable with rodents, which may be in part why we have five cats. It’s a good idea to keep them a little bit hungry, it keeps them edgy. It also keeps them close. So close in fact that I wake up every morning with at least one of the cats sat on my head, waiting patiently for that woman with thumbs to get up and get on with the most important meal of the day. I call them my breakfast escort. I do love them; they are great fun to have around. And in my opinion less isn’t more, more is more. So what other animals could we have in our house that wouldn’t upset my furry babies?

OPINION & COMMENT

Could we dig up our garden and start growing our own food?

WAKE UP: Every morning one of my cats is sat on my head. Occasionally we look after a friend’s dogs whilst they go away: the two boy cats do a runner whenever the dogs are staying, but the three girl cats steadfastly hold their ground and give the dogs a thing or two to think about. But we can’t commit to having dogs all the time in our house; we just

don’t have the time to walk them. Recently we almost (almost) ended up with rabbits, it was one of those ‘the owners are leaving the country, and they can’t take their dog/ cat/donkey/rabbit/duck with them’ situation. But my husband talked me down off the ledge explaining

that cats quite like catching things that run, and hop and that he feared for the safety of the bunnies. So, failing bunnies, what about chickens? Could chickens fight back I wondered? We have a garden which is overgrown and needs to have some attention paid to it. Could we do ‘A Good Life?’ Could we dig up our garden and start growing our own food, keep some chooks, collect eggs? You don’t have to look far in Mallorca to find someone who knows a thing or two about chickens and the general consensus from my

‘Chook Coaches’ is that they scare the bobs off of cats and could probably hold their own. But we need a chook house and, well, chickens of course. Then there’s the crucial question: who’s going to be Margot and Jerry, and Tom and Barbara? Apparently I have already committed the first sin which is to give the chickens names (we think Laverne and Shelley would be funny). We’re hoping to get them from a battery farm, yes they do exist here in Mallorca, and we have a contact that is active in rescuing farmed chickens. And we have to secure the perimeter of our garden properly, we don’t want any of those ‘why did the chicken cross the road’ situations. It’s got to be safe.

So in this case we know what comes first, not the chicken but the hedge. www.familymattersmallorca.com

E W N 27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

Thursday

Friday

SATELLITE CHANNELS - SkyMoviesAction//

BBC1/

4:00pm Escape to the Country 4:45pm More Creatures Great and Small 5:15pm Flog it! Trade Secrets 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Room 101 9:30pm EastEnders 10:00pm MasterChef 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm Question Time

4:00pm Escape to the Country 4:45pm More Creatures Great and Small 5:15pm Flog it! Trade Secrets 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Do You Trust the Police? 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm MasterChef 10:00pm New Tricks 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm Joanna Lumley Meets Will.I.Am

BBC2/ 4:25pm Cagney and Lacey 5:15pm 'Allo, 'Allo! 5:45pm 'Allo, 'Allo! 6:15pm Antiques Roadshow 7:00pm Revenge of the Egghead 7:30pm The Voice: Louder on Two 8:00pm Antiques Road Trip 9:00pm Lambing Live 10:00pm Salting the Battlefield 11:30pm Newsnight

ITV/ 4:00pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Tonight 9:00pm Emmerdale 9:30pm Ade at Sea 10:00pm Dangerous Dogs 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:35pm Edge of Heaven

CH4/ 4:30pm Deal or No Deal 5:30pm Four in a Bed 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:55pm The Political Slot 9:00pm The Hoarder Next Door 10:00pm Mayday: The Passenger Who Landed a Plane 11:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

ITV2/ 4:05pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:10pm The Real Housewives of New Jersey 6:05pm The Millionaire Matchmaker 7:00pm Dinner Date 8:00pm You've Been Framed! 8:30pm You've Been Framed! 9:00pm Two and a Half Men 9:30pm Two and a Half Men 10:00pm The Big Reunion 11:30pm Celebrity Juice

ITV/ 4:00pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Student Nurses: Bedpans and Bandages 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Edge of Heaven 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather

CH4/ 4:30pm Deal or No Deal 5:30pm Four in a Bed 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 10:00pm Gogglebox 11:00pm Alan Carr: Chatty Man

ITV2/ 5:10pm The Real Housewives of New Jersey 6:05pm The Millionaire Matchmaker 7:00pm Dinner Date 8:00pm You've Been Framed! 9:00pm Two and a Half Men 10:00pm The Bourne Supremacy

TV LISTING

www.euroweeklynews.com

11:00pm Sunday •Uma Thurman •David Carradine •Lucy Liu •Vivica A. Fox •Daryl Hannah •Michael Madsen

Saturday BBC1/ 5:15pm Final Score 6:15pm Shrek 7:40pm BBC News 7:50pm Regional News 7:55pm Weather 8:00pm The Voice UK 10:10pm The National Lottery Live 10:20pm Casualty 11:10pm BBC News

BBC2/ 6:30pm Mountain Gorilla 7:30pm Flog It! 8:30pm Dad's Army 9:00pm The Perfect Morecambe and Wise 9:30pm The Plantagenets 10:30pm QI 11:00pm Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle 11:30pm We Need to Talk About Kevin

ITV/ 6:30pm Local News and Weather 6:45pm ITV News and Weather 7:00pm You've Been Framed! 8:00pm Saturday Night Takeaway 9:25pm The Cube 10:25pm Law and Order: UK 11:25pm The Americans

CH4/ 5:20pm Come Dine with Me 6:05pm Come Dine with Me 6:50pm Channel 4 Racing 7:35pm Channel 4 News 8:05pm Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 9:00pm Hostages 10:00pm The Mechanic 11:45pm Beverly Hills Cop III

ITV2/ 5:50pm Honey 6:40pm The Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor 7:40pm FYI Daily 7:45pm The Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor 8:50pm Whip it! 9:50pm FYI Daily 9:55pm Whip it! 11:00pm Celebrity Juice

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (Film, 2003) After waking up from a coma, a female contract killer known only as The Bride (Uma Thurman, pictured) is devastated to learn that she is no longer pregnant with the child she carried before the incident that landed her in hospital. Switching between flashbacks and the present day, the film follows The Bride's mission for revenge.

Sunday BBC1/ 5:15pm Escape to the Country 5:45pm Songs of Praise 6:20pm Pointless 7:05pm Blandings 7:35pm BBC News 7:55pm Regional News 7:58pm Weather 8:00pm Countryfile 9:00pm Antiques Roadshow 10:00pm The Musketeers 11:00pm BBC News 11:15pm Regional News 11:20pm Weather 11:25pm Match of the Day 2

BBC2/ 6:00pm Flog It! 7:00pm The Hairy Bikers: Restoration Road Trip 8:00pm Great Barrier Reef 9:00pm Border Country - The Story of Britain's Lost Middleland 10:00pm Louis Theroux's LA Stories 11:00pm QI XL 11:45pm Top of the Pops 1977

ITV/ 6:35pm Local News and Weather 6:50pm ITV News and Weather 7:00pm Catchphrase 8:00pm Surprise Surprise 9:00pm Endeavour 11:00pm ITV News and Weather 11:15pm Piers Morgan's Life Stories

Monday BBC1/ 5:15pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Bang Goes the Theory 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Panorama 10:00pm Silk

BBC2/ 5:15pm 'Allo, 'Allo! 5:45pm 'Allo, 'Allo! 6:15pm Antiques Roadshow 7:00pm Revenge of the Egghead 7:30pm The Voice: Louder on Two 8:00pm Antiques Road Trip 9:00pm University Challenge 9:30pm Mary Berry Cooks 10:00pm The Plantagenets

ITV/ 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm I Never Knew That About Britain 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm The Widower

CH4/

5:30pm Deal or No Deal 6:30pm Home Alone 8:30pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm The Dambusters' Great Escape: Secret History 10:00pm The Woman in Black 11:50pm Orphan

5:30pm Four in a Bed 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:30pm Nigel Farage: Who are You? 9:30pm Shop Secrets: Tricks of the Trade 10:00pm One Born Every Minute

ITV2/

CH4/

5:35pm Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway 7:00pm Casper 8:00pm FYI Daily 8:05pm Casper 9:00pm Two Weeks Notice 10:00pm FYI Daily 10:05pm Two Weeks Notice 11:00pm The Only Way is Essex4:00pm Escape to the Country

5:10pm The Real Housewives of New Jersey 6:05pm The Millionaire Matchmaker 7:00pm Dinner Date 8:00pm You've Been Framed! 9:00pm Two and a Half Men 10:00pm Mom 10:30pm Mom 11:00pm American Pie Presents Band Camp

Tuesday BBC1/ 4:00pm Escape to the Country 4:45pm More Creatures Great and Small 5:15pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Holby City 10:00pm Shetland 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:30pm Weather 11:35pm George Michael at the Palais Garnier, Paris

BBC2/ 4:00pm Cagney and Lacey 4:45pm Himalaya with Michael Palin 5:45pm 'Allo, 'Allo! 6:15pm Antiques Roadshow 6:55pm Party Political Broadcast by the Labour Party 7:00pm Revenge of the Egghead 7:30pm The Voice: Louder on Two 8:00pm Antiques Road Trip 9:00pm The Great British Sewing Bee 10:00pm Horizon 11:00pm The Sarah Millican Television Programme 11:30pm Newsnight

ITV/ 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm UEFA Champions League 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:35pm UEFA Champions League

CH4/ 4:30pm Deal or No Deal 5:30pm Four in a Bed 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Kirstie's Best of Both Worlds 10:00pm New Worlds 11:10pm 8 Out of 10 Cats 11:55pm Alan Carr: Chatty Man

Wednesday BBC1/ 4:00pm Escape to the Country 4:45pm More Creatures Great and Small 5:15pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 9:00pm MasterChef 10:00pm Monkey Planet 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:30pm Weather 11:35pm Panorama

BBC2/ 4:15pm Planet Earth 5:15pm The Great British Bake Off 6:15pm Antiques Roadshow 7:00pm Revenge of the Egghead 7:30pm The Voice: Louder on Two 8:00pm Clegg v Farage Debate 9:00pm Collectaholics 10:00pm Kim Philby - His Most Intimate Betrayal 11:00pm W1A 11:30pm Newsnight

ITV/ 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Regional News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Big Star's Little Star 10:00pm Law and Order: UK 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:35pm The Holiday

CH4/ 4:30pm Deal or No Deal 5:30pm Four in a Bed 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Secret Eaters 10:00pm Dead Famous DNA 11:00pm First Dates

E W N 27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT

DO get fed up with people telling me I’m merely being paranoid when I discuss the decline of the UK and its society. These people (and I’m delighted to say there are now far fewer than in the past!) seem to forget, that in my dual role as a working entertainer and columnist, I speak and am contacted by a tremendous number of so called ‘ordinary folk,’ from all walks of British life. I can tell you quite categorically, they are all now totally peed off with what is happening to our once great country. They are sick of the leniency shown toward criminals, they are sick of the laws and ‘human rights’ favouring ethnic and other minorities. They are sick of the ghettos, embedded like cancerous tumours in most of their great cities. They are sick of piddling bureaucrats.

OPINION & COMMENT

www.euroweeklynews.com

Because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you...

IN DECLINE: The attitude of the British public is changing. They are sick of being ruled by decisions made in other countries and they are heartily sick of Islamic bigots who seem to be able to get away with just about anything. The tolerant mood of the British public is undoubtedly changing. People are

beginning to speak out. Most have been quiet up to now; almost afraid to air their views in case of being accused of bigotry or racism. Well no more. And why shouldn’t they, when the ranting of their enemies (and believe me, they

are enemies) are not only allowed to be aired just about anywhere, but even when they contain blatant, hate provoking anti-British rhetoric, are punished by a mere slap on the wrist? If that level of incitement was aired in public by a member of the BNP they would be undoubtedly thrown in jail. In my cabaret spot, I have a couple of fairly light digs at the ‘changing face’ of Britain. When I first used the remarks they were met mainly by an almost fearful silence. As time went on the odd chuckle was the result. Over a period the chuckles turned into unchecked laughter. The same remarks are now greeted not only by laughter, but often applause.

A more accurate barometer for the changing attitude of the British public would be hard to imagine. I think one of the reasons for the disquiet is because, even with Cameron’s declarations, not much has changed. I suggest Dave and the team start speeding up the instigation of a few of their election promises, before a thoroughly fed up British public begin to take to the streets. If that happens then the prophecies of Enoch Powel may finally come to pass, coupled with finding Mr Farage and colleagues posing on the steps of number 10! Have a good week. Try to lend a helping hand. and whatever ya do. Always keep the faith Love Leapy. Leapylee2002@gmail.com

There is no such thing as a miracle diet Vicki Mcleod

Health Matters IN the UK 64 per cent of adults are now classed as either overweight or obese. This goes hand in hand with a huge increase in heart attacks, strokes and diabetes. The Overseas Development Institute says that this is due to changing diets and a shift from eating cereals and grains to the consumption of more fats, sugar, oils and animal products. Basically our lives have changed: we are not as active and we are eating a load of food which is not good for us. It is simple when you look at it like that isn’t it? Humans are a strange bunch. Instead of addressing this simple fact we complicate matters by inventing impractical diet regimes which are supposed to allow us to lose weight without any effort at all. The Cabbage Soup Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Atkins Diet, the Paleo Diet, the 5:2 Diet, on and on we go. There are literally thousands of diets out there. It’s very big business. But in my experience any

SUPER FOODS: Do you want to turn your vegetables into a smoothie? of these diets require elaborate preparation and planning in advance. It is completely impossible to maintain a restrictive diet if you don’t eat every single meal in your own kitchen. You are setting yourself up to fail. If you work full time, are a busy parent, have to go to lunch meetings, or just aren’t very organised then you are going to be disappointed. The key

to making any of these diets work is organisation and shopping lists, it’s not whether the Atkins is better than the 5:2 or vice versa, it’s about choosing a plan and sticking to it. But then does being thinner automatically mean that you are eating healthily? Recent reports say that a high protein diet (eg Atkins), despite being a great way to put your body into

an altered chemical state and therefore burn more fat, may not be the healthiest way of living. Plus it’s expensive, time consuming and impractical. If you are cooking for your family as well as yourself, how many different meals would you be preparing every day? And what the hell are Super Foods? Smoothies? Vegetable juices? I bought myself a juicer and a blender and got busy with a lot of green vegetables: kale, spinach, celery, broccoli, cucumber. They all went in the juicer and then were transformed into “Super Juice.” It was a dark scary green colour, it tasted the way I imagine that Bin Juice may. This was accompanied by a flash back to my childhood and my grandmother making me eat sprouts. Holding my nose, I downed the Bin Juice, and then tried to get my daughter to do the same. Not. A. Chance. Is there a way to make vitamins and nutrition more appealing? Why does chocolate have to be so damn tasty? We already know there is no such thing as a miracle diet. Could it really be that simple? Just burn more calories than you eat. Move more, eat less? Questions, questions. www.healthmattersmallorca.com

HEALTH & BEAUTY

www.euroweeklynews.com

27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

EWN

ealth & beauty H TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.EWNLIFESTYLE.COM

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E W N 27 March - 2 April 2014 /Mallorca

CROSSWORDS

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Time Out EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREAK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

Mallorca weather

NEW ON DVD MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

for next 7 days

Saving Mr Banks John Lee Hancock directs this biographical drama starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson as Walt Disney and P.L. Travers respectively. It tells the story of the development of the Mary Poppins film from when the struggling author arrives in Los Angeles to finally meet Walt Disney who, at his daughter’s request, has been seeking to acquire the rights to the film.

TODAY

ALCUDIA

POLLENÇA

CALA MILLOR

INCA

CALVIA

CALA d’OR

PALMA ANDRATX

LLUCMAJOR MAGALLUF

ALCUDIA

POLLENÇA

TOMORROW CALA MILLOR

INCA

CALVIA

CALA d’OR

PALMA

Run time is 125 minutes and is rated PG 13.

ANDRATX LLUCMAJOR

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) You will see the advantage of working towards a new location, or even a specific makeover for your domestic scene. Either way, wait for a further green light, especially where money’s concerned. CANCER (June 22 - July 23) Refuse to be miffed by whatever disagreements or difficulties clutter your world. The

1. By what stage name was the British teen idol, singer and actor, who was born in Acton in June 1940 and originally named Terence ‘Terry’ Nelhams-Wright, better known? 2. In which Indian city did Mother Theresa found her famous Mission of Charity in October 1950? 3. Manchester United in 1908 and Liverpool in 2001, were the first and last winners, respectively, of which annual football trophy? 4. To what did John II of Portugal rename the mountainous promontory south of Cape Town, South Africa, near the southern extremity of Africa, originally known as the Cape of Storms (Cabo das Tormentas)? 5. Which Antiguan-born, British boxer won the world (WBC) lightmiddleweight boxing title in March 1979, knocking out the champion Rocky Mattioli in Sanremo, Italy in the ninth round?

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Move forward on this week’s positive waves of optimism. Treat yourself, but don’t over-indulge your temptations. The planets aren’t dancing to all your wants and desires. If certain situations or individuals seem complicated, wait until the dust settles, then follow your hunches.

MARQUINAM FROM FLICKR

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) Scanning the rest of the star-signs, you’ll see that you have many things in common this week: challenging influences at work and play, and during other clogging capers. SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) You’re not the only member of the zodiac who’ll have to toughen up. It’ll pay you to chill on Tuesday, be

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.

UK THUNDERBALL

IRISH LOTTO

EURO MILLIONS

Saturday March 22

Friday March 21

18 29

BONUS BALL

THUNDERBALL

BONUS BALL

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

17 10 C 18 9 Sh 19 11 S

Mon - 19 11 C Tues - 19 12 C Wed - 19 11 Sh

30 39

LUCKY STARS 5

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

REINTEGRO 25

20 37

Fri Sat Sun -

S Sun,

MAX MIN

16 13 C 17 13 Sh 17 13 C

Mon - 17 14 C Tues - 17 14 C Wed - 18 14 C

Madrid CLOUDY MAX 14C, MIN 3C

TODAY:

MAX 18C, MIN 10C

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 18 10 C Tues - 19 11 C Wed - 19 11 Sh

MAX MIN

16 5 C 12 5 Sh 17 3 C

Mon - 16 5 C Tues - 18 7 C Wed - 17 7 Sh

Murcia

MAX MIN

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 18 12 C Tues - 17 12 C Wed - 18 12 Sh Cl Clear,

SUNNY MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun Fog,

Sn Snow,

MAX 21C, MIN 8C MAX MIN

20 11 C 21 10 C 22 10 C

Mon - 22 9 C Tues - 23 11 C Wed - 21 11 Sh

C Cloud,

Sh Showers,

Th Thunder

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

TARGET:

Average: 18

Very good:33

Good: 23

Excellent: 40

peer, peri, pier, pore, prof, prow, ripe, rope, weep, wipe, power, prier, prior, repro, riper, roper, wiper, prefer, ropier, FIREPOWER

Word Ladder NEAR

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

30 44

REINTEGRO 2

MAX MIN

Mon - 18 11 S Tues - 17 11 C Wed - 17 12 Cl

CLOUDY MAX 14C, MIN 7C 17 11 C 18 11 C 18 11 Sh

Mon - 19 12 C Tues - 21 13 C Wed - 20 13 Sh

SUNNY MAX 16C, MIN 13C

TODAY:

Mallorca Fri Sat Sun -

MAX MIN

19 12 C 18 12 Sh 19 12 C

Benidorm

MAX MIN

Sunday March 23

Saturday March 22

37 42

LA PRIMITIVA

Fri Sat Sun -

Malaga

TODAY:

MAX 18C, MIN 11C

MAX MIN

CLOUDY MAX 15C, MIN 8C 15 11 C 15 12 C 16 11 Sh

SUNNY

TODAY:

Barcelona TODAY:

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) The full moon in your own sign is a powerful ally against this week’s planetary fracas. Speak from the heart and reject any ambiguous emotional games. It's the only way to clear the air and truly know where you're heading.

AQUARIUS (January 21 February 19) Your emotions, extra expenses and other domestic pressures are on the boil. Put off major decisions until next week. Meanwhile, loosen up, walk into some creative space, and if necessary, talk to someone who understands your ups and downs.

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

17 12 C 19 11 C 19 11 S

CLOUDY

LOTTERY 1

Fri Sat Sun -

TODAY:

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) It’s both a vertical and horizontal week. What goes right somewhere could easily go wrong elsewhere. Sensitive Venus conspires with touchy Mars to trigger tensions and troubles. If you're aware of where others are coming from, you'll be fine.

MAX MIN

patient on Wednesday, and put your potent insights into orbit throughout the weekend. Although certain set arrangements are liable to veer off track, some discussions and shared commitments are slowly but firmly improving.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Almeria

SUNNY MAX 18C, MIN 9C

Fri Sat Sun -

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) There’s a financial theme to many of your plans and ideas. Above all, spend with care and examine all offers carefully. Rely on your sixth sense, especially where close-to-you matters are concerned.

Sudoku

Alicante TODAY:

MAX MIN

rain, it pours, so keep an umbrella of humour to hand. April is around the corner, and with it, a much happier trend for your workaday, social and financial prospects.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) There's a saying that if it doesn’t

5-Star Quiz

FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY

sooner you get on with things, the better for your peace of mind. Even this week's affrays and dismays are simply passing clouds.

EAST

VEST VAST EAST

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Don’t jump from one financial frying pan into another. Take it easy on all fronts, especially where your money, emotions and other people's moods are at odds with your ideas.

Your Stars

March 28: Duquesa de Alba. Aristocrat. Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva is the 18th Duchess of Alba de Tormes. Best known for her outspoken attitude, she is the third woman to carry the title in her own right. According to Guinness World Records she has more recognised titles than any other noble in the world.

EAST or NEAR NEAT NEST

IF IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK: Important things are signalled by the stars. There are gains to be made in many different areas. Just keep believing things will work out for the best for you and they will.

NEAR PEAR PEAT PEST PAST

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Your efforts to get your message across might be best delayed for seven days. Fickle Venus and flighty Mercury will cross swords with other planets, so keep your ideas and emotions grounded.

MAGALLUF

1. ADAM FAITH, 2. CALCUTTA, 3. CHARITY SHIELD, 4. CAPE OF GOOD HOPE (Cabo da Boa Esperança), 5. MAURICE HOPE.

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Let’s brighten up the apartment blocks Dick Handscombe

Gardening Corner By Dick Handscombe Spain’s best known expat gardening author about to start his 26th winter cut back.

HEN I first came to the Spanish costa for a holiday in 1960 the number of tourists and apartment blocks were rather fewer than today, as were the prices of restaurant meals and drinks. Indeed the unexciting hotel tourist food was forgotten each evening to enjoy real Spanish hospitality in small family run restaurants largely patronised by local Spaniards. Coming from the UK everywhere seemed to be filled with colourful flowering plants at ground level and on the balconies of two to five storey buildings. There were no Benidorm type skyscrapers in those days. While dining, the only interruption, sometimes two or three times during the evening, was the offer of stems of quality fresh perfumed roses for my then wife by elegantly dressed Spaniards making a few pesetas from adding pleasure to the dining experience.

BALCONIES: Used to be filled with colourful flowering plants, enhance yours now. One was not pestered with substandard named brand Chinese copies of leather goods, sunglasses, CDs by recent immigrants who may well have earlier in the day sold the sad plastic flowers in vases that sit on many tourist restaurant tables these days. Wandering back to one’s hotel very replete, one did not get the modern day impression that you were walking past prison block A, B, C and D, as someone described a

coastal resort the other weekend. Recognising this trend a few years ago I wrote, with Clodagh my wife, the book ‘Apartment Gardening - Mediterranean style’ to hopefully stimulate more apartment owners to make better use of their balconies and terraces by converting them into colourful, perfumed and perhaps productive patios in the sky. Fortunately some apartment owners, resident and non-

resident, have taken note and there are now more delightfully looking apartment blocks in expatriate and Spanish neighbourhoods. But so much more could be done. The book includes many photographs illustrating vividly what can be done and the roles plants, ceramic pots and tiles, modern and antique artefacts can play in producing the concept of a home in the sun. That’s not such a stupid idea

as largely unused balconies and terraces range from four to 40 and 400 square metres for roof tops. Yes, there is the sun to contend with, but blinds and awnings can immediately change the climate whether apartments face east, south, west or north. Clodagh took a long time sorting out 120 or so plants most appropriate to planting in full, partial or semi shade and the few that genuinely enjoy the full summer suns. The block of photos illustrate the range of possibilities without being very creative. You may be amazed by some of the photos in the book taken of real situations. So if you have an apartment do have a go this spring. If you live in a villa, buy the book as a present for friends who do. I will have some copies of the book at the Calpe Homes, Gardens and Lifestyle Show next week. It’s easy to turn a current storage space into your garden home to immediately enhance your Spanish lifestyle. Come and have a chat on Stand 66.

Best blooms for Mother’s Day MOTHER’S DAY is on Sunday and flowers are the traditional gift to give on Mothering Sunday. If you haven’t already ordered your bouquet, try taking into consideration

the significance of each flower and create a truly meaningful display: Roses Roses are not just about true love, they have long been associated with motherhood, as they were sacred to the Greek goddess Isis, who was seen as the ideal mother. Lilacs Lilacs are known to signify the love between a mother and child. Irises The iris symbolises affection and warmth,

and some Christians associate the flower with the Virgin Mary. Carnations According to Christian legend, pink carnations are believed to have first grown from the ground where the Virgin Mary shed tears over Jesus’s death. Many believe carnations are a symbol of a mother’s eternal love and an ideal choice for

Mother’s Day. As well as the meaning of a flower take into account your mum’s personal choice of her favourite flower in her favourite colour.

ROSES: Associated with motherhood.

OPINION & COMMENT

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27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

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As another new season begins, enjoy it before the circus comes to town again NOTARIM/FLICKR

Ulrica Marshall

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

ulrica@euroweeklynews.com

T’S that time of year again. The sun is starting to warm enough to expose some bare skin, beaches are slowly becoming populated by more than dog walkers, while rural roads are becoming practically impassable as cyclists in their skintight gear ride four in a row. It is, of course, the start of the tourist season again. While I appreciate that this is, on the whole, a good thing for the communities that we live in, it is with some trepidation that some of us hand over the mantle of those

BEACHES: Not so beautiful in the summer months. beautiful beaches, rugged landscapes and city streets to the hoards of holidaymakers that are about to descend over the coming months. The usual errand sprint around town becomes painfully slow as aimless, map-wielding crowds block

my race pace, that is if I manage to find somewhere to park in the first place. Even if I can zip past them, the touts will be out in force with all those designer knockoffs that last about two minutes and will probably get seized in customs on the

unsuspecting tourist’s return journey. Then there are those chirpy restaurant people who attempt to persuade you to eat or drink in their establishment, practically blocking your path and mistaking lewd comments for an appropriate marketing campaign. Sadly, none of us need a crystal ball to foretell the summer’s newspaper headlines; more balconing death falls, more destruction of property by the drunken and disorderly and Magaluf becomes officially reclassified as a zoo. It’s enough to make you nostalgic for ‘las calmas de enero’ (a meteorological expression but seems fitting in this context, too). The calm before the storm. Of course, you can’t judge all tourists by the same yardstick, many are delightful - in

fact, most of my friends and family spend their holidays on these southern shores. Tourism accounted for nearly 11 per cent of Spain’s economic output in 2012, a figure which rises dramatically in the coastal and island regions, and provides more than 900,000 jobs. In 2013 Spain had 60.6 million international visitors and hoteliers are reporting good bookings for 2014. So it might be worth taking the opportunity now, while there is still time and a quiet spot on the beach, to enjoy the best of what our adopted home country has to offer. Enjoy those quiet walks in the hills, get a same day reservation at your favourite restaurant and go see a concert or other performance. Do it soon - before the circus comes to town again.

EVERY now and again you get a little reminder that the years are moving past quicker than expected. One of them is when going through the monotonous process of filling in a form, especially online. The ‘drop down’ list of years to choose your date of birth now involves a long trawl past decades until you reach your year of arrival on the planet. (Can people born after the millennium read? Surely they are all still in nappies!) The other is the vague but unmistakable realisation that you are losing touch with the acts in the music charts. Hands up if you have Neon Jungle, Kill the Noise and Fatman on your iPod? Despite working in radio for almost 30 years I have recently moved back to presenting television and I am becoming less and less aware of who is top of the pops. At least Kylie is still there and George Michael is showing the young guns how to sit on top of the album chart in style despite being over 50-years-old. Refusing to ever resort to the words “music was much better in my day” or “the original version was so much better than this,” I did allow myself a

Penn to Paper Laura Penn aura@spectrumfm.net. Laura is the Station Manager and Breakfast Show Presenter of Spectrum FM Mallorca 88.6FM

wry smile when I heard that ‘Don’t you Want Me Baby’ by the Human League is topping the Scottish Chart this week (yes there is such a thing) thanks to a campaign by fans of Aberdeen Football Club. The 1981 hit is popular with the club’s supporters, who change the lyrics of the chorus to ‘Peter Pawlett, baby’ after the club’s 22-year-old midfielder. I was also reasonably pleased that I am at least on nodding acquaintance with most of the acts announced in the new line up for Mallorca Rocks this summer. Lily Allen, Ed Sheeran and Bastille are all artists that I have at least heard of, and heard their music too. The nutty Madness boys return to the Magaluf venue in August and hopefully they will be punctual this

time. If you were at their last appearance at Mallorca Rocks you will know that they arrived on stage an hour late. So it looks like the island is set for another great summer of music with a good mixture of new, current and retro performers lined up and if you don’t know who Clean Bandit or Gorgon City are just keep moshing and enjoy the music. … which reminds me of many years ago when the family used to gather every Thursday to watch the muchmissed ‘Top of the Pops’ programme on telly. My auntie became quite concerned about the outfits that the The Bay City Rollers were wearing. “Cant they afford shirts?” she asked as Les McKeown flashed his waxed chest at teenage female fans. “And his trousers are far too short, he needs new ones,” she added. If you were born after 1975 you may have to ask someone older what that is all about! Laura Penn is a presenter on the Holiday & Cruise Channel 284 on SKY TV. GEORGE MICHAEL: He can still top the album charts at 50.

Mark III Photonics / Shutterstock.com

Times they are a changing…

E W N 27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

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Luxury property prices nearing bottom LUXURY residential property prices in Spain appear to be edging towards the bottom and should remain stable during 2014 and beyond. The latest Spanish property market reports by estate agency Lucas Fox suggest that sales prices across all regions where the company operates appear to have steadied and may have bottomed out. Prices in most areas are

between 30-40 per cent below their peak in 2007, although in some areas there is still a considerable margin between asking price and the final sales price. The reports cover the company’s key areas: Barcelona, the Costa Brava, Marbella, Ibiza and Mallorca. Spain’s prime residential property market is still being driven by international buyers,

attracted by the country’s low prices, investment opportunities and lifestyle, said the reports overview. These are the strongest signs yet that the market is about to reach the bottom, with official figures showing prices decreasing just over 1 per cent overall in 2013 compared to 2012. Sale prices in the second half of 2013 for luxury properties in

Marbella averaged between €4,500/m2 to just over €6,000/m2. There has been significant growth in interest in prime residential Marbella property amongst Scandinavian, Asian, Middle Eastern and Russian buyers. In 2013, Lucas Fox saw a three-fold increase in the number of enquiries and property viewings over 2012

levels in Mallorca. International buyers are most interested in villas, rural estates, vineyards and equestrian properties in close vicinity to the island’s best golf courses, marinas and yacht clubs. Palma de Mallorca is giving the strongest signs yet of stabilising prices, ending 2013 on an average of €1,870/m2, down just €85 from average asking prices at end of 2012.

SPAIN: The housing market may well be poised to start on an upward trend again.

Record growth in 2013 NOW could well be the time to get on the property market in Spain, as latest figures show a global up-turn in the property market. Whilst Southern Europe may be propping up the latest Knight Frank Global House Price Index in terms of property inflation, the world-wide trend is on the up. That could mean the Spanish housing market may well be nearing the bottom and be poised to start on an upward trend again. There is evidence that the fortunes of even the most embattled housing markets can change, and change swiftly. Prices in Ireland, the US, and the UK rebounded in 2013. Between 2009 and 2011 Ireland occupied the index’s bottom ranking on no fewer than seven occasions. Ireland now ranks in 19th position in terms of house price growth, above Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The index, rose by 8.4 per cent in 2013 compared with 4.6 per cent in 2012. That made it the highest annual rise since the index was first set up in 1995. The headline global index is now weighted according to each country’s GDP, which means that the movement of house prices in the US and China will have a greater bearing on the index’s performance than that of locations

such as Malta or Jersey. Dubai, China and Taiwan recorded the largest annual rise in mainstream house prices ending the year 35 per cent, 28 per cent and 15 per cent higher respectively. Despite Dubai’s stand out performance in 2013, mainstream prices remain 25 per cent below their 2008 peak. Improving employment prospects and the continuation of low interest rates in Europe and the US are together fuelling buyer confidence. Thirty nine countries recorded positive annual price growth in 2013, a year earlier only 27 countries fell into this category. Several emerging markets, despite their economic wobble in 2013, still recorded a strong performance. Turkey, Brazil, Indonesia and Colombia are ranked in the top 10 in terms of annual price growth, each having recorded double digit growth. Europe continues to dominate the lower half of the table but the rate of decline is slowing in countries such as France, Spain and the Netherlands. In 2013, Ukraine, Croatia and Greece were the weakest housing markets. Here, house prices ended the year 26 per cent, 14 per cent and 9 per cent lower respectively.

E W N 27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

First sea kayak race

THE Royal Nautical Club of Palma (RNCP) and Obra Social La Caixa dominated in Spain’s first sea kayak race. The race, in which 20 teams participated, took place in Sant Antoni de Portmany in Ibiza. A total of 27 paddlers from the RNCP took part in the K2-juniors category, cadets, seniors and veterans winning 18 medals: five gold, five silver and five bronze.

Unforgiving in final of Sofia trophy JOAN CABRER’S Airlan Aermec and Eduardo Horrach’s Servicharter confirmed their status as favourites in the 45 SAR Sofia de Cruceros y Monotipos Trophy final with some authority. The final leg of the trophy was characterised by the intensity of the north-easterly Mistral wind which blew steadily at around 25 knots but reached around 30 knots in the bay of Palma. Boats in the ORC division completed their coastal race of 19.9 miles while the monotypes (Flying Fifteen, Dragon and J80) could only complete a windward / leeward test. Fifty boats and 250 sailors took part in the 45 Princess Sofia Monotype Trophy. The prize-giving ceremony, sponsored by Sushigo, took place at the Royal Nautical Club of Palma’s installations.

OOKING for your dog to be happy and stress-free while you are away? Floyd’s Finca provides peace for you and your canine companion while you travel. Owner Jennifer has been on the island for 43 years. After a lifetime of looking after dogs, it is now a business that is backed by veterinarian Nick Murgatroyd of Bendinant, one of the best vets on the island who recommends Floyd’s Finca to his clients. Floyd’s Finca is qualified to give medications and injections and has cared for dogs requiring special care including diabetes, liver disease and incontinence. Floyd’s also has experience with the quarantine process and the paperwork required for UK travel. Grooming is handled, too: “They might come with knots but they don’t leave with knots!” said Jennifer. Young puppies from four months on are given training and socialisation. Jennifer was passionate in describing how dogs are handled at Floyd’s Finca, saying, “There are no kennels. No chains. All our dogs here are

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First glimpse of Bentley SUV BENTLEY MOTORS has given a taster of its much anticipated SUV, due to hit roads in 2016. It will be the most luxurious and powerful SUV on the market, setting it apart from any other SUV, true to the brand hallmarks of luxury, performance, quality and craftsmanship, says the Crewe based car maker. Dr Wolfgang Schreiber, Chairman and Chief Executive at Bentley Motors, commenting at a press conference in London, said: “It will create a completely new segment in the SUV market.” The SUV forms part of Bentley’s £800 million investment in new model and facilities development in the next three years. The company anticipates a minimum annual sales volume of 3,000 SUVs.

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Getting to know you... V

OLVO - already known for being at the forefront of driver safety - is developing systems for cars to ‘get to know their drivers.’ The ‘driver sensors’ they are developing could detect when a driver is tired or inattentive, and take measures to keep the car and its occupants safe. Examples of this include technology that detect closed eyes or what the driver is looking at. “This will enable the driver to be able to rely a bit more on their car, and know that it will help them when needed,” explains Per Landfors, engineer at Volvo Cars and project leader for driver support functions. By placing a sensor on the dashboard to monitor aspects such as in which direction the driver is looking, how open their eyes are, as well as their head position and angle, it is possible to develop precise safety systems that detect the driver’s state and are able to adjust the car accordingly. This also means that the car will ensure that it does not stray out of the lane or get too close to the car in front when the driver is not paying attention, as well as being able to wake a driver who is falling asleep. “Since the car is able to detect if a driver is not paying attention, safety systems can be adapted more effectively. For example, the car’s support systems can be activated later on if the driver is focused, and earlier if the driver’s attention is directed elsewhere,” Per Landfors explains.

DRIVER SENSORS: Could detect when a driver is tired or inattentive. Some of the current systems that can be included are Lane Keeping Aid, Collision warning with full auto brake and Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist. The technology is based on a sensor mounted on the dashboard in front of the driver. Small LEDs illuminate the driver with infrared light, which is then monitored by the sensor. Infrared light is just outside the wavelengths that the human eye can see, which means that the person behind the wheel doesn’t notice it at all. Driver sensors are also opening up other possibilities. By monitoring eye movements, the car would be able to adjust both interior

and exterior lighting to follow the direction in which the driver is looking. The car would also be able to adjust seat settings, for instance, simply by recognising the person sitting behind the wheel. The technology is already installed in test vehicles. Volvo Cars is also conducting research together with partners including Chalmers University of Technology and Volvo AB to identify effective methods for detecting tiredness and inattention. The analysis of the driver’s state, known as Driver State Estimation, in which driver sensors play an important role, is a field that may be key to self-driving cars in the future.

Renault Trafic range is refreshed THIS summer will see Renault refresh its Trafic range as it perpetuates the success story of one of its most popular models, with 1.6 million sales since 1980. This practical and

economical ‘Van à Vivre’ will sport a new look both inside and out, while benefiting from clever smart innovations to facilitate the lives of business customers, as well as a new range of responsive engines. The vehicle will be available with a new Renault-developed 1.6 dCi powerplant, including a twinTRAFIC: Sports a new look both inside and out.

turbocharged version that boasts fuel consumption of less than six litres per 100km. New Trafic comes with a completely new exterior design. The front incorporates the bigger, more

upright logo that is emblematic of Renault’s new brand identity. Its stance is forceful and dynamic, while its wide, slender headlights give it an expressive look.

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27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

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Marriner all at sea, more Messi magic and next F1 in Malaysia Tony Matthews

International Sports A former football player and the world’s most prolific author of football books (more than 100 published), Tony is also the sports reporter for Spectrum Radio and lives in the Cabrera mountains.

EL TORO: Superior team.

El Toro deserve to win

Costa de Almeria

THIS WEEK’S SPORT On Tuesday evening, there were full-houses for the Manchester derby and the Arsenal-Swansea PL clashes, and last night a packed Anfield saw Liverpool take on Sunderland. On Saturday it’s Arsenal-Manchester City, Crystal PalaceChelsea, Manchester United-Aston Villa and WBA-Cardiff and the big one, Burnley-Leicester in the Championship, while on Sunday Liverpool meet Spurs. The second F1 Grand Prix of 2014 takes place in Malaysia on Sunday. Nico Rosberg, who won the opening race in Australia, is hoping to double up in Kuala Lumpur where he finished fourth last year behind winner and fellow German Sebastian Vettel. FOOTBALL ROUND-UP Arsene Wenger’s 1,000th game in charge of Arsenal ended in a record 6-0 defeat at leaders Chelsea. Victory was also Jose Mourinho’s biggest win as Blues’ boss and with it went the Gunners’ hopes of winning the Premier League! However, early in the London derby, referee

THRILLER: Real Madrid v Barcelona. MESSI (left): Jubilant.

Andre Marriner wrongly sent-off Kieran Gibbs instead of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. In-form Liverpool won 6-3 at Cardiff with Luis Suarez’s third hat-trick of the season... Yaya Toure also struck a hat-trick as Manchester City whipped Fulham 5-0... Wayne Rooney emulated David Beckham’s long-range goal against Wimbledon in 1996, with a stunning 50-yard effort in Manchester United’s 2-0 win at West Ham... Austrian Alexander Tettey was another player who

DID YOU KNOW? Only eight men have managed an English football club for 1,000+ matches: Manager Club Seasons Games Fred Everiss W B Albion 1902-48 1,521 Sir Alex Ferguson Man Utd 1986-2013 1,500 Dario Gradi Crewe Alex 1983-2007 1,362 John Nicholson Sheff Utd 1899-1932 1,222 Sir Matt Busby Man Utd 1945-71 1,141 Jack Addenbrooke Wolves 1885-1922 1,124 Dave Calderwood Chelsea 1907-33 1,012 Arsene Wenger Arsenal 1996-2014 1,001 * These just fell short: Sam Allen (Swindon Town), Arthur Dickinson (Sheffield Wednesday), Bob Jack (Plymouth), Syd King (West Ham), George Ramsay (Aston Villa), Frank Watt (Newcastle) and Charles Webb (Brighton).

netted a cracking goal, in side had captain Sergio Ramos Norwich’s 2-0 win over sent off for the 19th time. This Sunderland... Everton, who leaves Atletico Madrid and have never lost a match neighbours Real level at the top against Swansea, beat the of La Liga on 70 points each; Welsh club 3-2... Spurs (2-0 Barca are third on 69 and there down) came back to beat are just nine games left. Atletico Southampton 3-2... the 100th play Barcelona on the final day of League meeting between Aston the season. Villa and Stoke resulted in a 4-1 And we can have an all-English, win for the Potters... Newcastle all-German or all-Spanish pipped Crystal Palace 1-0 with a Champions League final after the 92nd minute goal by Papiss quarter-final draw paired Cisse and Shane Long Barcelona with Atletico ‘dived in’ to help Hull Madrid, Manchester England City beat his former United v Bayern club WBA 2-0. Munich, Paris St lose to A total of 42 Germain v Chelsea New Zealand goals were scored and Real Madrid v in the Premiership Borussia in cricket last weekend and Dortmund. The first World Cup the race for the title legs are on 1/2 April, is the closest anywhere the return legs on 8/9 in the world. April. In the Championship, Derby GENERAL ROUND-UP County smashed ‘poor’ • A record crowd for a Rugby Nottingham Forest 5-0, leaders Union club match - 83,889 - saw Leicester City drew 1-1 at Saracens beat Harlequins 39-17 Blackburn and second-placed at Wembley last Saturday. Burnley beat lowly Charlton • American Matt Every (aged Athletic 3-0. 30) won the Arnold Palmer FL1 table-toppers Wolves won Invitation Classic in Florida - the 2-0 at Sheffield United and first title of his professional Scunthorpe United head FL2 after career. beating Burton Albion 1-0. • England (172-6) lost to New A world-wide TV audience of Zealand (52-1) via the DL rule 400 million witnessed a thriller at after a thunderstorm caused their the Santiago Bernabeu last first 20/20 cricket World Cup Sunday where Lionel Messi game to be abandoned. England’s bagged a hat-trick (the 26th of second group match is against Sri his career) and also set a new El Lanka today. Clasico scoring record with his • Former GB number one tennis 30th goal as Barcelona beat 10- player Elana Baltacha has been man Real Madrid 4-3. The home diagnosed with liver cancer.

From Back Page The only match that El Toro RC lost during the League phase was away to Ibiza RC which could make for a competitive and interesting final. The other semi-final took place in Ibiza between Ibiza RC and Bahia RC. The final score was 20 points to 5. In the fifth round of the Michel Rodier Trophy, El Toro RC maintained their lead in the league with wins over RC Ponent by 31 points to 7 and against Dimonis by 29 points to 5. RC Ponent won the other match against Dimonis by 27 points to 10. On a rainy Saturday, a much improved El Toro RC played RC Ponent in the fourth leg of the U16 Mallorca League. A final score of 7 points to 39 was not an accurate indication of the competitiveness of the two teams who fought hard the entire game. Three teams participated in the U14 league matches organised by Mallorca Bocs in Inca. The combined El Toro RC/Bocs, Agora Portals and RC Ponent played against each other and were also joined by a few Dimonis players who could not raise a team. Overall winners were Agora Portals followed by RC Ponent. The final of the Baleares Senior League between El Toro RC and Ibiza RC will take place on Saturday April 5.

E W N 27 March - 2 April 2014 / Mallorca

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By Lynda Demangeat A COOL, damp evening and packed to capacity stands saw Senior Regional League leaders El Toro RC take on their arch rivals, fourth place RC Ponent in a highly anticipated semi-final match to determine the team who would go through to the final. The fight began from the kick-off with both sides

intent on taking an early advantage. It was the home team’s first touchdown after only five minutes that got the supporters roaring and set the tone for the rest of the match. Fernando Etchegaray missed the conversion but made up for it a few minutes later with a drop goal to take the score to 8 - 0. RC Ponent intensified their efforts and kept

working their way into the opponents half. El Toro RC defended well and it was a brief lapse in concentration that allowed the visitors to put down a try and score their only points of the match. The conversion was unsuccessful. A penalty kick against RC Ponent took the score by half time to 11 - 5. The second half opened with El Toro RC showing even more aggression and pushed a try across their opponent’s line within the first few minutes of the restart which was converted. The home team, loudly cheered on by supporters, intensified the pressure

PHOTOS: PABLO MATEU ZELARAYAN

Well deserved win for El Toro RC

FIGHT BEGINS: An attempt to wrestle the ball away. and kept the points coming. Great teamwork, good running and quick defending made it increasingly difficult for RC Ponent to make any

ground into El Toro RC territory. Yellow cards were issued for a late tackle by RC Ponent and a protest to the referee by an El Toro RC player and shortly after

each team lost a player as the tension began to show and punches were exchanged. El Toro RC showed superiority in the scrums and also the ability to push the ball over the line for a try. RC Ponent supporters were not disappointed as their team fought hard throughout the 80 minutes, only slowing down as it became increasingly obvious that they had no chance of making up the difference in the score. A deserved win for El Toro RC and a valiant effort from RC Ponent kept the spectators entertained and animated throughout the match. Turn to Page 47