Euro Weekly News - Mallorca 11 - 17 December 2014 Issue 1536

ISSUE NO. 1536

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11 - 17 DECEMBER 2014

Jail threat for Duke of Palma

THE Duke of Palma, Iñaki Urdangarin (pictured), is facing 19 years and six months behind bars and a €3.5 million fine.

The Anti-corruption Public Prosecutor’s Office will reportedly ask for a combined prison sentence of more than 100 years for all the defendants in the Noos Case, including 19 years and six months for Iñaki Urdangarin – the husband of the Infanta Cristina – and 16 years and six months for his former associate Diego Torres.

They stand accused of allegedly diverting public funds and misappropriating up to €5.9 million.

Urdangarin faces charges of embezzlement, fraud, money laundering, tax offences, false statement on a public document and false statement on a mercantile document, among others.

However, it appears the Public Prosecutor has found no proof that the Infanta Cristina – Duchess of Palma and sister of Spanish King Felipe VI – has committed any crimes. It is believed, however, that she may have benefited from the funds diverted by her husband and could be asked to repay up to €600,000.

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INDEX

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News 1 - 22 Finance 23 - 28 Letters 29 Leapy Lee 30 Daily TV 38 Time Out 40 - 41 Health & Beauty 42 - 43 Food 45 Homes & Gardens 46 Property 47 Classifieds 48 - 49 Boating 50 - 51 Motoring 52 Sport 56

CRASHING: Strong winds caused waves up to five metres high.

Islands on alert for strong winds

THE strong winds that hit the Balearic Islands on Tuesday, December 9, left a trail of destruction.

Emergency services responded to 108 weatherrelated incidents on the islands, half of which were reported in Mallorca.

Gusts reached speeds of up to 132 kilometres per hour in Alfabia, causing

waves almost five metres high, broke branches off trees and scattered them on roads and threatened to blow down trees and street signs. The strongest gusts were registered in Capdepera (119kph), Porreres (96), Palma (81) and Portocolom (70).

Local Police, fire crews and the emergency services

were on standby and high alert throughout the day given the large number of incidents reported, none of which was serious.

The State Meteorology Agency (Aemet) expected weather conditions to improve yesterday, Wednesday 10, though a large part of the island was kept on a state of alert.

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Winter uniforms SPANISH Trade Union Comisiones Obreras lodged a complaint against Emaya Aguas with the Labour Inspectorate because it reportedly failed to provide workers with their winter uniforms back in October.

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A joint common power grid THE ambitious €225-million project to create an electrical interconnection between Mallorca and Ibiza is currently under way and will be a reality by late 2015.

Its goals are to guarantee a stable and quality electricity supply for the Pityusic Islands - Ibiza, Formentera and S’Espalmador, and other small islets in the Mediterranean - and find a solution

to the islands’ energy ‘isolation’ by combining the two existing power grids (Mallorca-Menorca and IbizaFormentera).

The works to lay the first of the two submarine power cables between the two islands concluded earlier this week and were carried out by Norwegian ship Skagerrak.

There will be a 126-kilometre cable system connecting Mallorca

and Ibiza (132 kV AC). The submarine stretch will be the longest (118 kilometres) and deepest (depths of up to 800 metres) AC cable in the world, while the land stretch will include a 3-kilometre underground power cable in Mallorca from the sea to the Santa Ponsa electrical substation, and a 5-kilometre cable to the Torrent substation in Ibiza.

PHOTO: NATHAN RUPERT

Against exploitation THE MALLORCA Pensioners and Retirees Associations will hold a demonstration against the exploitation suffered by many workers on Tuesday, December 16 at the Balearic Regional Parliament.

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Tourism centre SELVA Council is giving the finishing touches to the municipality’s first tourism and rural development centre of the Serra de Tramuntana, which will be located on the Plaça Major.

Price increase PRIVATE housing prices on the islands registered a 0.5 per cent increase during the third quarter of the year compared to 2013, said the National Statistics Institute earlier this week.

Helping out FIFTY per cent of all Balearic grandparents look after their grandchildren, but the percentage increases to a staggering 70 per cent during the holidays, said the Balearic Family Police Institute.

Hiking routes THE Insular Council of Mallorca has reportedly earmarked €404,200 out of its 2015 budget to be invested in a project to maintain and improve the hiking routes of the Serra.

Overnight stays STAYING at a hotel on the Balearic Islands in December costs on average €154 per night. This represents a 41 per cent increase compared to last year when the average price was around €109.

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New cooperatives THIRTY-NINE new cooperatives were created on the Balearic Islands between 2010 and 2013 with 161 workermembers, according to the Balearic Cooperatives Federation. There are a little over 200 cooperatives (2,500 members) in the autonomous community.

Luxury properties SALES of luxury properties on the Balearic Islands increased by 21 per cent up to October of this year compared with figures for 2013, said real estate agency Engel & Volkers.

Most buyers are from Germany, the UK and Scandinavian countries.

Be considerate

SPECTACULAR VIEW: Granada’s Alhambra Palace at dusk.

Google ‘Street View’ of historic sites

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VER wanted to see the outstanding Moorish architecture of Granada’s Alhambra Palace, the Gaudi-designed La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Galicia’s ancient Roman Tower of Hercules lighthouse or the famous Las Medulas in Leon?

Now – thanks to Google’s ‘Street View’ service – you can visit 50 of Spain’s most iconic, important, historical and architectural wonders, all from the comfort of your own home. Normally reserved for, literally, viewing streets on your computer, Google’s Street View has taken to some of Spain’s most beautiful sites – several of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites – in order to give armchair travellers a taste of the real thing and the chance

Quote of the Week I wouldn’t want you to think I am lazy,’ said Spanish artist Antonio Lopez ahead of the official unveiling of his portrait of King Juan Carlos I and his family, 20 years after he accepted the commission for the painting from Spain’s National Heritage agency.

to forward-plan any site visits they might like to make when in Spain.

According to Spanish daily 20 Minutos, the images were captured using a 360-degree camera on top of a backpack, meaning the camera operator could capture images inside buildings which are only accessible on foot. The traditional Street View method records images from a camera affixed to a car rooftop.

UNESCO product manager for special collections, Magdalena Flak, said the sites were chosen due to their importance to Spain. “We wanted to work in these areas because they are searched for not only

by Spaniards, but also on an international level,” she said.

CREDITlev radin / Shutterstock.com

Number of the week

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is the amount of times that Vladimir Putin allegedly snuck into Spain illegally during the 1990s in order to visit Russian oligarchs living in the south of the country, according to a new book about the Russian Prime Minister.

SANT JOAN Council has put up posters reminding dog owners that they must pick up after their pets or face a €700 fine.

Neighbours have reportedly complained about some dog owners not complying with the municipal ordinance.

Extended hours RETAILERS have been given permission to extend their opening hours on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve by two hours. The decision will help offer people a better service during the festivities, said the deputy mayor for Urban Planning and Housing.

Renovation works THE renovation works of the Teatre Principal de Inca, scheduled to be done next year, will cost a little over €4 million, said Inca Mayor Rafel Torres. Half of the project will be funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

And finally...

A WOMEN’S theatre group in Madrid is selling pornographic magazines as a way of getting around a sales tax hike. Instead of theatre tickets, which have a sales tax of 21 per cent, they are selling old porn magazines for €16 that come with a free theatre ticket. Magazines only have a sales tax of 4 per cent.

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Children suffer from deprivation OVER 14 per cent of Balearic children suffer from severe deprivation and have no access to an adequate diet, heating, or a washing machine, according to a UNICEF report.

As many as 63,500 Balearic children under 14 years of age (31.4 per cent) are at risk of poverty, which means they live in a household whose level of income is 60 per cent, or lower, than the national average, estimated at €17,039 a year, said UNICEF. Moreover, data shows that 57.8 per cent of children live in households that are unable to afford at least a one-week holiday a year, and 46.8 of them in families that cannot handle unexpected expenses.

UNICEF coordinator for the Balearic Islands Silvia Casanovas called upon regional authorities to come up with a

SEVERE DEPRIVATION: 14.2 per cent of Balearic children have no access to an adequate diet. concrete strategy and measures to fight the scourge of child poverty.

Charity Christmas lunch THE Cala Nova Cancer Charity Shop is inviting everyone to its Christmas lunch and market.

It will be held on Friday, December 12 at

Hotel OD Port Portals. Doors will open at 12.30pm. There will be a buffet lunch with wine, a glass of cava on arrival and live entertainment. Cost €30. Call 971 708 664.

Woman smuggled drugs A WOMAN has been detained for smuggling illegal drugs into prison.

The 64-year-old Ecuadorian was placed under arrest after she purportedly gave her son - who is serving time in Palma - hashish pellets on a visit on October 27.

The man, aged 45, was sentenced last week to six years behind bars for running a drug trafficking ring.

The drugs were found after prison guards became suspicious of the man’s strange behaviour after the visit.

He was taken to Son Espases hospital where an X-ray showed he had swollen 45 hashish pellets weighing 74 grams.

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King’s gift ban a sign of his intent

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HE decision by King Felipe VI to forbid members of the royal family from accepting expensive gifts and favours has to be applauded.

In an effort to clean up the royal household’s image, the king has decided it would not be fitting that the family be seen to receive the kind of gifts that “could jeopardise the dignity of their institutional tasks.” In other words, the king has quite rightly decided that his household should not be presented with free bling while almost a quarter of the country is out of work and a multitude of politicians and top officials are either in prison or under investigation for corruption.

This magnanimous gesture paints the royal family in a more down-toearth light and makes the ordinary Spanish citizen feel more like a

contemporary and less like a ‘subject.’

During his inaugural speech, King Felipe VI said that “the crown must constantly earn citizens’ appreciation, respect and trust.

Today, more than ever, citizens are rightly demanding that public officials lead by example.”

His gift ban is a perfect way of showing that he is in tune with public sentiment. After all, most people balk at the idea that the very people who can afford to pay for these expensive gifts are the ones who get them for free.

Much like the way Prince William and Prince Harry have helped give the British royal family a more ‘normal’ veneer, King Felipe VI is already showing that after just a few months in charge, he is anxious to close the gap between royal and citizen.

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Birth rate on the up

THE Balearic birth rate registered a slight increase in the first half of the year.

Provisional figures released by the National Statistics Institute show that there were 5,068 births on the islands (+1.4 per cent) between January and June.

The trend was also witnessed in the rest of the country, with the national birth rate registering a 1 per cent increase – the first in the first half of a year since 2010 – totalling 209,482 births in the same sixmonth period.

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And a partridge in a pear tree...

THOUSANDS gathered in Montuïri for the 36th Fira de sa Perdiu.

This time around the traditional stands were located on Calle Vanrell, Calle Jaume II and Plaza Vieja, with the Avenida and Plaza Es Dau being reserved for the ‘concurs de cant des perdius’ (partridge singing contest) and an exhibition. The winner of the contest was David Martinez.

The fair, which took place

Schools to get aid LOCAL schools are to benefit from financial aid provided by the regional government.

The Regional Education, Culture and Universities Department will allocate €226,561 in financial aid to Balearic public primary schools, including 45 municipal nursery schools.

The funds have been earmarked for the development of educational services, activities and programmes to help families with children under three years of age.

POPULAR: Partridge singing contest. last Sunday, December 7, was attended by Mayor Jaume Bauça and President

of the Balearic Regional Government Jose Ramon Bauza.

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Flickr by MARIA ROSA FERRE

Second-hand drop SECOND-HAND homes on the islands are now cheaper than seven years ago. Since it peaked in April 2007, the price of second-hand homes on the Balearic Islands has dropped by an average of €75,476.

Back then, potential homebuyers had to pay an estimated €220,960 (€2,762 per sqm) for an 80-square metre second-hand home. As of November 2014, that same property would cost them €145,484 (€1,819 per sqm). This is a drop of 34.2 per cent in seven years.

SERRA DE TRAMUNTANA: Received first snowfall of the winter.

The first snows

WITH Christmas just around the corner, Serra de Tramuntana received its first snowfall over the weekend.

Falling temperatures led to the accumulation of up to four centimetres in the mountain range, that has a height above 1,200 metres, said State Meteorology Agency Aemet.

Bus baby A NIGERIAN woman gave birth on a bus in Palma last Thursday.

The 38-year-old, who was almost due to give birth, was riding the bus from Son Llatzer to Can Pastilla and el Rafal when she started feeling upset.

The bus driver called the emergency services but the woman gave birth to a three-kilo baby before they arrived. The bus driver and passengers assisted the woman during labour, and both mother and baby are reportedly in good health.

They were taken by ambulance to Son Llazter hospital.

Arrested for throwing stones A YOUNG man was arrested last Tuesday for allegedly throwing stones on motorways in Palma and Inca.

After receiving two complaints, Local Police officers in

plainclothes used bait-cars to drive under the bridges where stones had been thrown. One of the police cars was hit by a stone thrown from Cabaneta bridge.

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Christmas spending on the islands NO region in Spain will spend more on Christmas gifts than the Balearic Islands.

A survey on Christmas spending conducted on the island shows that every Balearic household will spend an average of €333 on Christmas gifts, which is €58 more than in the rest of the country.

However, figures indicate that Balearic Islands’ residents will spend less on food (€253) during the festivities than the average Spaniard (€268).

Data shows that 74 per cent of respondents think that when it comes to spending money, there is nothing more important than Christmas Eve

CHRISTMAS GIFTS: Highest average in Spain. dinner and Christmas lunch, followed by gifts (72 per cent) and New

Tragic car accident A WOMAN has died in a tragic accident after being thrown from a car during a collision.

The accident occurred in Son Cladera in the early hours of last Sunday (December 7), when the Seat Cordoba the woman was travelling in drove onto the pavement and crashed into a tree.

The car rolled over several times before coming to a stop. The 41year-old woman, who

police believe was in the passenger seat, was thrown through the windscreen and landed several metres away. The driver, aged 40, was trapped inside the car and sustained serious injuries.

They were both taken to the Son Espases hospital, where the woman died from her injuries. Local Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.

TV thief arrested A MAN has been detained for stealing at least 50 televisions.

Guardia Civil officers arrested a man accused of stealing at least 50 televisions from Palma Nova hotels in Calvia. It’s believed that the man specifically targeted hotels that had closed for autumn and winter.

According to the police, the detained lived in Palma Nova, so he knew which hotels had closed. He would sell the stolen televisions on the black market, said the police.

Year’s Eve dinner and New Year’s lunch (56 per cent).

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Cave dweller death A 59-YEAR-OLD homeless man who was living in a cave next to the sea in Son Veri Nou has died of hypothermia.

The draught inside the cave was very cold and the humidity levels were very high, said the police.

Injured hiker GUARDIA CIVIL officers rescued an injured hiker in La Male in Pollensa on Sunday (December 7) afternoon. He was taken to Son Llatzer hospital. The other hikers he was with told the rescue services exactly where he was using their mobile phones.

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Mischievous teens TWO teenagers were caught by a driver after they threw an object at his car on a bridge. They claimed it was a piece of chewing gum, but the car had a dent. They were not arrested, but their parents were called.

Not guilty A WOMAN accused of killing her boyfriend in August 2011 was found not guilty by a jury. The Public Prosecutor had asked for 15 years in prison for the defendant and said there was no doubt that she was the perpetrator of the crime.

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Three pose as policemen to commit robbery THREE men who impersonated police officers in order to commit a robbery have been arrested by the National Police.

The detainees and another suspect, who is still at large, reportedly broke into a house on Calle Mon Lueri in Palma wielding knives and two guns and told the inhabitants to hand

BOGUS OFFICERS: Three arrested in Palma. over “the drugs and the money”. A fight broke out

between the suspects and their victims when the

Nuns killed in car accident TWO nuns have died following a tragic car accident in Felanitx.

The accident occurred on the Campos-Felanitx carriageway.

One of the nuns, 79, died at the scene, while the other victim, 93, succumbed to her injuries at a Palma clinic on Monday (December 8). Two more people

sustained serious injuries.

For reasons yet to be determined, their car swerved into the wrong lane, drove some 50 metres before crashing against a small bridge. The carriageway was cut off to traffic for about an hour while local rescue services tried to get the survivors out of the car.

intruders realised they were not going to get what they wanted.

Police arrived on the scene after being alerted by neighbours to the loud voices and the noise coming from inside the house.

A Brazilian was arrested on the spot by police, while the rest of the bogus officers fled the scene in a vehicle.

An investigation launched into the thwarted robbery led police to identify the other two suspects: a Spaniard and another Brazilian.

They suspects face charges of forced entry and aggravated robbery. Police hope to arrest the fourth suspect soon.

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Tragedy averted A WOMAN was saved by police during an altercation with her roommate.

National and Local Police in Palma saved a Spanish woman from being stabbed to death by her roommate.

Several calls were made to the police emergency telephone number last week saying there was a full-blown shouting match between a man and a woman in a flat on Calle Gabriel Maura.

When the officers arrived on the scene and broke down the door, they found the 35-year-old woman bleeding on the floor and her attacker – a Uruguayan – on top of her holding the knife he had just used to stab her.

The woman had cuts to her hands and a deep wound to her neck. The man, 45, was arrested and the victim taken to Son Llatzer hospital.

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Civil war victims honoured CLOSE to a hundred people – including local residents and descendants of the victims – gathered in Alaro to pay tribute to the approximately 20 people killed by fascists in the municipality during the Spanish Civil War (19361939).

This is the ninth year in a row that the ceremony has been held to lay wreaths to honour the dead.

Author Llorenç Capella was one of the guests of honour at the official ceremony, organised by Alaro per la Recuperacio de la Memoria Historica, (dedicated to preserving the historical memory).

He encouraged those present to keep the victims’ memories and ideals alive.

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Local lad signs for Real Madrid A YOUNG Mallorca-born footballer will have the chance to play with one of the best clubs in the world after signing for Real Madrid.

The Balearic football club made the official announcement on its

Twitter account last Friday, December 5.

“RCD Mallorca and Real Madrid reached an agreement for the transfer of Marco Asensio, who will continue playing on the island at

least until the end of this season,” said the tweet.

Making the move to Real Madrid will give young Asensio the opportunity to play with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, and fight for the coveted UEFA Champions League trophy, which they won last year.

After fighting for a place in his club’s starting line-up, the 18-year-old Asensio has undeniably been one of the sensations of Liga Adelante (Second Division) this season, so his talent has not gone unnoticed. Football giants FC Barcelona also tried to sign him during the summer football transfer window but to no avail.

Asensio made his professional debut with Mallorca B during the 2013BICYCLE PATH: Could cost between 2014 season. €6 and €7 million.

€6m bicycle path proposed to traverse Capdepera A SINGLE bicycle path will traverse the entire Capdepera municipality.

Capdepera Council is to reportedly invest millions in an ambitious project to create a single bicycle path which will cross Canyamel, Sa Font de sa Cala, Cala Mesquida, Cala Rajada and Capdepera.

“The bicycle path has not been mapped out yet, but we are planning on using the existing road system,” said Mayor Rafel Fernandez, adding that the cost would be between €6-€7 million.

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Carmina Burana AUDITORIUM DE PALMA is presenting Carmina Burana this Saturday, December 13, at 9pm. Tickets are €35. Phone 971 73 47 35 for information.

Paying tribute TEATRE PRINCIPAL is staging a violin and piano concert dedicated to the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range on Tuesday, December 30, at 8pm. Tickets are €20, €15 and €10.

Carol concert THE Balearic Islands University choir’s Xmas concert is at Auditorium de Palma on Sunday, December 14, at 12pm. Tickets €16.

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FOOD DRIVE: Helping to fight hunger.

Food drive at an end A FOOD drive aimed at fighting hunger and malnutrition among children will end this

Taxman is watching the hotels TAX authorities routinely conduct inspections in Balearic hotels in order to stamp out tax evasion.

For the last couple of years, regional and national tax authorities have made sure that the modernisation and restructuring projects being carried out in Balearic hotels are consistent with the original ventures presented before the councils, in an effort to determine whether there has been any sort of tax evasion.

The inspections have caused uneasiness among entrepreneurs, according to sources.

week. Organised by Hospital Comarcal in Inca, the drive has been running since December 9 under the slogan ‘Not a single child without breakfast in our region.’ The drive ends on December 11 at 8pm.

All the food items that are collected will be donated to charity Caritas

Diocesana in Inca, which manages a local soup kitchen and provides food to impoverished families.

Some of the most needed food items include: sugar, milk cartons, cookies, dehydrated soups, as well as canned fruits, sardines, tuna and tomatoes.

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Newborn lambs saved from cold A GROUP of concerned Andratx residents came to the rescue of several neglected animals at a country house in Cami del Prat.

“We could not let the newborn lambs starve or die from the cold,” they told the media. “When we got

to the country house, we found more than 100 sheep, five donkeys and a horse out in the open, with no shelter, water or food.”

They contacted Seprona - the environmental branch of the Guardia Civil - and the Local Police to denounce the state of

Concern for trees BALEARIC wildlife officers fear the Agricultural Law is a little too permissive.

The officers released a statement voicing their concern over the permissiveness of the law, saying it makes it legal for anyone to cut down any unprotected tree species in “absolutely disproportionate quantities.”

It reportedly allows for the felling of up to 10 cubic metres of trees, equivalent to 6,000 kilos of holm oak wood. “It does not impose restrictions on felling in protected natural areas either.” Unsupervised felling of trees, they warned, could affect protected bird species.

neglect of the animals. It appears the animal welfare organisation Salvem Andratx have already lodged complaints with local authorities against the owner of the house.

“The donkeys approached the fences looking for food,” said Amalia, one of the complainants.

“A neighbour filled some buckets with water and the animals rushed towards them as if they had never had anything to drink.”

The owner, however, accused one of the women who had helped the dying lambs of stealing his animals. She started to cry inconsolably. “I have not stolen anything. Here are your animals. I have only saved their lives,” she reportedly told him.

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‘Ni-ni’ generation on the increase TWO in 10 youths between 16 and 24 in the Balearic Islands belong to the ‘ni-ni’ (neither/nor) generation, in which the youths neither work nor study.

The number of ‘ni-ni’s’ living on the islands amounts to 21,522 youths, or 21.4 per cent of the population aged 16-24, estimated at 100,402 people, according to data from a report issued by the Balearic Labour Observatory (OTIB). Furthermore,

their percentage has increased by 17.5 per cent compared to 2007.

As much as 61 per cent of ‘ni-ni’s’ are unemployed and actively looking for work, while their percentage was 38.4 per cent seven years ago. This means that there is a direct relationship between the increasing unemployment figures and the number of youths who neither study nor work during the crisis.

New system ALCUDIA Council will build a sewage system in sa Marina.

The project was given the go-ahead earlier this week at a plenary meeting, in which local authorities also green-lit a proposal to extend the water treatment plant.

“The project will be carried out thanks to a cooperation agreement signed by Alcudia Council, Portvi SA and the developer sa Barcassa, which will help finance the drinking and waste water network of Can Cap de Bou,” said Mayor Coloma Terrassa.

The council will reportedly invest €376,212 in the construction of the sewage system.

School meal agreement SANTANYI Council has signed a cooperation agreement with La Caixa to subsidise the school canteen meals of students attending public schools.

The initiative will benefit elementary and primary schoolchildren whose families are registered on the local register.

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Ministry of Health regulate chemists THE Ministry of Health will regulate the 22,000 chemists of Spain to combat illegal exportation of medicines with a fixed price.

For the past number of years this practice has caused supply problems of those medicines which do not count

as a generic substitute, affecting patients who suffer from cancer, epilepsy, or who have undergone a transplant.

The initiative is set to cross the information of the businesses’ product orders with the sales being made

afterwards. This way, the authorities could determine whether some of the medicines are being illegally sent abroad.

It is the medicines financed by the state that are being sold abroad by criminal groups, since they are

cheaper. Pharmacists then receive a commission for participating in the fraudulent activity.

It is estimated that criminal groups make a staggering 800 per cent benefit by selling the components of illegal medicines at exorbitant prices.

Retirees favour Spain SPAIN is the top European destination for people seeking to retire abroad.

A new report by retirement experts International Living has ranked Spain fifth in the world for the best places to retire to, but ahead of any other European destination.

The report particularly praises the Costa del Sol, saying that “thousands of English-speaking expats� in the area makes it much easier for retirees to fit in.

A number of factors make Spain attractive to retirees, including the laidback lifestyle, the mixture

RETIRING ABROAD: Spain is top European choice. of beaches and mountains, vibrant cities, golf and fantastic climate.

Only Costa Rica, Malaysia, Ecuador and Panama scored higher than Spain in the study, but

given that International Living Magazine is an American publication, the proximity to the US of the top four retirement destinations is an important factor.

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Christmas aeroplane A SPECIALLY designed Christmas plane belonging to Air Berlin touched down in Palma earlier this week. Painted by Thies Schwarz, the aircraft features a snow-covered fairytale village and will fly between Mallorca and Germany this Christmas.

Thief caught POLICE in Manacor arrested a young Romanian for stealing several expensive liquor bottles from a local supermarket.

The detainee reportedly used a powerful magnet to disable the alarm system of the stolen items.

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No one blamed for death NO charges will be brought against the doctors who failed to provide medical assistance to a man at Barajas airport because they thought he had Ebola.

The incident took place on October 18, when the Nigerian man passed out on the airport’s floor after the illegal drugpackets he was carrying inside his body ruptured.

The medical staff of the airport watched the man from a distance for 50 minutes, and did not provide him with assistance that could

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EBOLA SCARE: Medical assistance was not provided. have potentially saved his life because they

thought he could have Ebola.

The man was assisted after that by a unit of Sanidad Exterior (Foreign Health).

The staff confirmed that they did have safety suits for an Ebola intervention, but they were under no obligation to react in such a case.

The man had just arrived from Turkey, a country which is not atrisk from Ebola.

According to representatives of the airport, the man’s death has not changed the protocols to follow if a similar case was to take place.

Spanish inequality widens more THE latest recession has hit the entire world, but in Spain the blow has been particularly hard.

Spain is the country where inequality has increased the most since 2006, according to the Global Wage Report conducted by the

International Labour Organisation.

The wages in Spain have dropped for four years in a row, between 2010 and 2013. As a result of this negative trend, Spanish families have lost an average of 17 per cent of their purchasing power

between 2006 and 2010.

But the crisis has not treated everyone equally. While those with higher wages have only seen their purchasing power reduced by 4 per cent, citizens with lower salaries have lost up to 43 per cent.

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No more money for son A SEVILLA judge has cancelled maintenance payments a divorced father was expected to pay each month for his 24-year-old son.

Juan Manuel Gabella Ventura had applied for a reduction in maintenance payments as the oldest of his three children gave up his studies in 2012, had a number of jobs and was also receiving unemployment benefits.

Although the other party argued that the son was financially dependent, was unable to complete his studies, lived at home and had only had brief sporadic jobs, the judge declared him perfectly capable of working and therefore not eligible for maintenance.

The judge explained that youngsters sometimes take advantage of the law to not bother trying.

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‘Armed’ burglar targets pensioners GUARDIA CIVIL detained a 49-year-old man who broke into an Alaro home and robbed two elderly siblings with a fake gun. He reportedly made off with €300 in cash after locking them up in a room.

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Manhunt on for British murder suspect in Spain A HUNT for a man wanted for questioning over the torture and murder of a Briton in Spain has been launched.

The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) is appealing to the public to help in the search for Paul John Scott, aged 32, from Liverpool.

Scott is also wanted for questioning in connection with a plot to import 40 tons of cocaine from South America hidden inside tins of fish and wooden pallets.

WANTED: Paul John Scott, aged 32.

The Guardia Civil in Spain want to talk to Scott about the murder The body of Brennan was found of Francis Brennan in Alicante taped up in a bin bag washed up earlier this year. on an Alicante beach in April. He

Fewer foreign workers THE number of foreign workers on the Balearic Islands totalled 62,407 people in October, which represents an 11.2 per cent decrease compared to the same month last year (70,259).

Similar falls were registered in all Spanish Autonomous Communities between 2010 and 2014.

had sustained a head injury and numerous other wounds which appeared to have been caused by a knife, as well as gunshot wounds, said Guardia Civil.

The 25-year-old had been kidnapped by men wearing Spanish police uniforms in January.

Brennan, from Liverpool, UK, had been on the run after leaving Britain before sentencing for a crime of wounding.

Scott is believed to be in Europe and has links to Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

If you have information on the whereabouts of Scott police are asking you to contact the NCA or Crimestoppers anonymously.

Anyone in Spain with information can call a special freephone number - 900 555 111 - which will be answered in the UK by Crimestoppers’ call agents.

A translation service is available upon request.

20

E W N 11 - 17 December 2014 / Mallorca AXARQUIA

All lit up THE Christmas lights in Velez-Malaga were turned on last Friday (December 5). This year, there are 1,468,600 sources of LED light, which have reduced the energy consumption from 277,843 watts to only 73,430.

www.euroweeklynews.com

News from our editions With six editions and read by more than half a million people, EWN is Spain’s largest free local English-language newspaper

Carols contest SALOBREÑA Radio Station will host a Christmas Carols contest for schoolchildren from Costa Tropical. The finale gala will take place on December 18 and the first prize will be €300.

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH

Car sales up NEW car sales in Murcia have increased and are up 18 per cent compared to last year. November saw 1,569 new vehicles registered.

Snow patrol THREE HUNDRED tonnes of salt is being prepared to deal with snowfall this winter across the Valencia Region, which will be distributed when forecast alerts are activated.

THE Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning has increased surveillance in Cabo de Gata with the installation of video cameras as part of its drive to prevent environmental violations.

PSOE plea

Burglars arrested

THE Sports Department of Motril Council held sailing courses for primary and secondary school pupils. The students received basic sailing knowledge as well as practical classes on a 12-metre boat.

Increased surveillance

THE search for 23 immigrants lost off the coast of Cabo de Gata has been halted.

Marine rescue saved 28 people, but those rescued said there had been 51 on board.

NERJA is the Spanish town where residents have to put in more effort to get a home, a study says. The residents need to spend the equivalent of 10-anda-half years’ salary for a property.

All aboard

COSTA DE ALMERÍA

Search abandoned

Harder effort

A CRIMINAL gang responsible for more than 10 thefts in the area of Malaga was dismantled by a National Police unit last week. The authorities found €87,000 in cash after conducting a house search.

NEWS DESK

ALMERIA’s Socialist party (PSOE) has submitted motions in the 102 municipalities to prevent utility companies from cutting off services to vulnerable families during the winter months.

WHERE’S EVE? Benissa mayor Juan Bautista Rosello and officials at the site.

All about Eve in the Stone Age

BENISSA has its own ‘Eve.’ Just a few centimetres tall, she is outlined in a Stone Age shelter in Pinos and was painted 6,000 years ago. She is depicted standing with her hands on her hips in what archaeologists believe is probably one of the first depictions of a female figure in the Valencia Region.

The Pinos site contains some of the most important examples of prehistoric art in Alicante Province. Now more paintings have been found during

restoration work. Some are geometric motifs but there are human figures, too, and ‘Eva Pinera’ is clearly no longer alone.

Drawn in the stylised outlines typical of Levante rock art, the discoveries show a larger person followed by four smaller figures.

“They give the impression that they are hand-in-hand,” said Ruben Vidal, the archaeologist in charge of restoration at the site.

High fliers

Caravan fire

MORE than €40,000 is to be given to the universities of Alicante and Elche for high performance programmes aimed at college students who demonstrate superior skills.

A MOTORHOME parked near Denia’s courthouse was destroyed by fire while its German owners were absent.

Firemen quickly extinguished the blaze but police are investigating whether arson was involved.

COSTA BLANCA NORTH

December flower LOS VELEZ botanical gardens have named their flower for December. The Seseli Montanum, a very small perennial flower with purple or white petals, is found on limestone mountains across Andalucia.

Pulpi extras PLAYA MAR SERENA at San Juan de Los Terreros was swarmed by 130 extras filming for a commercial. It is part of a campaign by Qatar to promote their bid for the 2022 World Cup.

COSTA DEL SOL

More births THE Malaga birth rate registered its first increase since the outbreak of the crisis (+0.8 per cent), said the National Statistics Institute. There were 7,498 births in the first half of 2014.

New bins MALAGA Council will install 50 bins adapted to the needs of wheelchair users throughout the city. Most of them will be located in Bailen-Miraflores, Cruz de Humilladero and Carretera de Cadiz.

Third abuse death

Light scam

PLANS have been submitted for two new hotels in Torrevieja; one in La Mata, the other in the centre of the city.

A WOMAN in Valencia has become the third person to die at the hands of her partner in Spain this week. He shot her before killing himself at the Paterna home they shared with their two children.

POLICE and Iberdrola staff have tracked down more illegal electricity hook-ups in Elda-Petrel.

Forty-one properties including a factory were found to be bypassing meters, bringing the total to 127.

THIRTY local businesses took part in Hecho en Mijas (made in Mijas) Golden Minute project, which offers a free minute’s advertising in English to local businesses which will appear in local Mijas media.

Sludgy state

No grapes gripe

No case

Ambulance needed

THE PSOE in Vega Baja has denounced the appearance of tons of sludge and stagnating water in the Segura River passing through the centre of Orihuela, which they say is ‘unhealthy and creating bad odours.’

RESIDENTS of Villajoyosa’s old town fear they will miss the televised 12 strokes of midnight on New Year’s Eve. The town hall has not updated its repeater to the new digital format, they complained.

A SANTA POLA resident’s case against Teulada’s mayor and town hall officials has been dismissed. There was no evidence of contract or traffic fines’ irregularities, the Public Prosecution Department ruled.

CASARES is at risk of losing its emergency ambulance service unless the Junta de Andalucia regional government approves purchase of a new vehicle to replace the current ambulance, which is old and reaching the end of its lifespan.

Hotel proposals

Golden minutes

FEATURE

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11 - 17 December 2014 / Mallorca

EWN

21

Advertising Feature

Relief rally for euro Commentary by Moneycorp

EUR Ahead of the European Central Bank’s monetary policy meeting on Thursday investors had seen a slim possibility that the bank’s president might win the Governing Council’s backing for a programme of money-printing to bring inflation up to its 2% target. He did not, and at his press conference Sig. Draghi made clear that the matter would not be up for discussion again until late January.

The news led to a relief rally for the euro which allowed it to recoup some of its earlier losses. On the week it was just about unchanged against the pound and it added one and a third Australian cents. It was still lower against the US dollar though, to the tune of three quarters of a cent.

USD The dollar was the strongest performer among the major currencies. It strengthened by three quarters of a cent against the euro and the pound. The win was not an overwhelming one; the dollar got lucky, having changed direction half a dozen times.

Economic data from the States were

neither particularly numerous nor particularly good. The purchasing managers’ index reading for the US manufacturing sector beat expectations and the equivalent measure for the services sector was a couple of points higher, but the rest of the data were, at best, pedestrian. Even so, they were good enough to make most of the opposition look shabby by comparison.

In the next seven days the most important statistic will be the monthly change in US nonfarm payrolls. An increase of 231k is predicted, which would be a little above the 2014 monthly average.

CAD The Canadian dollar was roughly unchanged on the week against the pound, the euro, the Swiss franc and the Japanese yen. All were lower against the US dollar, the Loonie losing a third of a US cent. Last Friday’s gross domestic product data got the Loonie off to a good start.

They showed the Canadian economy growing by 0.7% in the third quarter, a better result than the forecast 0.5% expansion. The purchasing managers’

Clarisse Musselwhite is Moneycorp’s Account Manager for Mallorca

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

902887243 mallorca@moneycorp.com index readings were up there too, showing continued strength in manufacturing activity and across the private sector as a whole.

Those numbers were reflected by the Bank of Canada governor when he announced that the central bank’s benchmark interest rate would remain at 1% for another month. His upbeat economic assessment sent the Loonie higher.

AUD The Australian dollar had a slightly better week than the South African rand but lost ground to the other major currencies. It was down by a cent and three quarters to sterling and a cent and a third to the euro.

The Aussie lost one and a quarter US cents.

There was no single point of failure for the Aussie. Its retreat was a mostly orderly process, driven by concern about generally lower commodity prices.

That made investors more conscious of the Aussie’s particular Achilles heel: the price of iron ore, Australia’s biggest export. It has fallen by 40% since the beginning of the year.

But the Australian dollar took a more serious hit from the gross domestic product data. They showed Australia’s economy growing by just 0.3% in the third quarter, less than half the predicted 0.7% increase.

22

E W N 11 - 17 December 2014 / Mallorca

S CANDINAVIAN P RESS

EUROPEAN PRESS

www.euroweeklynews.com

Stories making headlines in Europe

GERMAN PRESS Taking off

BRITISH PRESS

Civil war skeletons DENMARK - Fifteen 500-year-old skeletons have been unearthed in Aalborg. They are assumed to be the skeletons of soldiers who died fighting in the Danish civil war.

Election date SWEDEN - A general election has been announced for March, 2015

by Prime Minister Stefan Lovfen. The announcement comes just three months after the last general election.

Bus crash SWEDEN - One person died and 40 more were injured when a tourist bus bound for Copenhagen flipped over on a motorway near Tranemo in western Sweden.

THOUSANDS of trees are to be planted on an estate in West Sussex to replace ones that were cut down to supply materials during the First World War. Volunteers are planting 13,500 saplings to create a 185-acre woodland.

Leafy crossing

L Skywalker

Medals exempted

RUSSIAN PRESS Corruption ranking RUSSIA is one of the most corrupt countries in the world according to Transparency International.

The country ranked 136th out of 175, with 175th being the most corrupt country (North Korea and Somalia).

HIV increase

NORWAY - A Russian jet narrowly missed colliding with a Norwegian NATO jet in the skies over Norway. A video clip of the near miss has been put up on YouTube.

BY the end of 2015 more than one million Russians will be HIV-positive, according to news reports released on World Aids Day. Around 200 new cases of HIV are registered every day in Russia.

NORWAY - At least 16 Norwegian MPs claim they have been physically assaulted or that somebody has tried to attack them.

Others said that they have received offensive letters or harassing phone calls, according to a study.

improve the Russian army’s military capabilities.

New weapons will also be tested during the exercises.

Lottery win

AROUND half a million Russians die each year from alcohol abuse, a study has found. According to the World Health Organisation, Russia is the fourth heaviest-drinking country in the world behind Belarus, Moldova and Lithuania.

MORE than 4,000 military drills will be carried out in 2015 in order to test and

BERLIN ZOO: Animals won’t hibernate.

Bond villain

ACTOR Christoph Waltz has been named as James Bond’s latest nemesis in the new Bond movie, Spectre.

Filming is expected to begin this December in a number of locations and is due for release in November 2015.

Anti-Nazi app A FREE ‘anti-Nazi’ app has been launched in Berlin that allows anti-Nazi protestors to know where extremists are planning demonstrations. They can then use the information to rally big crowds of protestors to thwart extremist rallies.

Staying awake

A FACTORY worker in Siberia has won more than 18 million roubles (€290,000) on the state lottery.

The 58-year-old winner said that he is going to build a house for himself in the city of Omsk.

Drink deaths

War games

NEW data shows that more Germans than ever are travelling abroad for holidays, despite national strikes, the global financial crisis and overseas conflicts.

Figures for this year are up two per cent.

AROUND £500,000 (€631,000) worth of counterfeit Frozen, Peppa Pig and Angry Birds toys destined for the Christmas market have been seized by police in Manchester.

The fake toys were discovered CHRISTOPH WALTZ: New at a wareBond villain. house in hair. Salford. ed Alzu y Wale

PLANS for a ANGRY BIRDS: ‘garden bridge’ Counterfeit over the river toys seized.

Thames have been unveiled. The £175 b Photo million (€221 million) pedestrian bridge will be lined with trees, flowers, walkways and greenery, ESSEX woman Laura Skywalker Matthews has had and is due to open to the public in 2018. her passport cancelled because her middle name has been deemed ‘frivolous’ by the Passport Office.

She added Skywalker to her name in 2008 “for a bit WAR medals won by veterans have been of fun.”

Near miss

MP threats

Fake toys

Photo by Dave Challender.

DENMARK - A grey, wet and windy Christmas is predicted all across Denmark this year. The last time the country had a white Christmas was in 2010.

Forest replanting

Photo by Zadi Diaz.

No white Christmas

exempted from inheritance tax. The medals include the Victoria Cross, the George Cross and the Military Cross. Until now, medals were counted towards a person’s wealth when they die.

ANIMALS at the Berlin Zoo are not going into hibernation at the right time thanks to a warmer than usual winter this year, according to zoo keepers.

Hero mourned HUNDREDS of mourners turned out for the funeral of Tugce Albayrak in Waechtersbach. The student was assaulted in an apparent revenge attack after she went to the aid of two girls being harassed in a McDonald’s restaurant.

She went into a coma and died two weeks after the attack.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

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

11 - 17 December 2014 / Mallorca

business & legal

Discount chain does well out of Carrefour deal DIA supermarkets will make a €265 million net gain from the sale of its French subsidiary to Carrefour.

The deal, which was originally announced last July, was closed at the end of

November following approval from France’s competition authority.

The Spanish discount chain received €282.2 million for the entire share capital of loss-making DIA France and €361.5 million to

Spain not such an attraction AS the unemployment rate in Spain stays stubbornly high, the country is seeing a reduction in the number of permanent immigrants.

In a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on member countries’ migration statistics, Spain has shown a ‘marked reduction’ in the inflow of migrants, despite there being a general 1.1 per cent rise across OECD countries.

The 2014 Migration Outlook shows that Spain and Italy, which had the second or third largest percentages of permanent immigration compared to population between 2007 and 2011 are now in

seventh and eighth positions. In hard figures, permanent immigration into Spain has fallen from 691,000 in 2007 to 209,800 in 2012.

Many immigrants from South American countries came to Spain for the prospect of work – the construction sector being one of the main employers.

But with the Spanish unemployment rate being 23.67 per cent, and the jobless figures for foreigners standing at 36.5 per cent, the country is a less attractive proposition for migrants.

The report went on to say the skills of immigrants were being wasted across the OECD countries.

repay inter-group debt.

DIA has been involved in several deals during 2014, acquiring its Spanish rival El Arbol for a symbolic €1 in return for taking on its debt of approximately €150.8 million.

B

usiness extra

Motoring on CAR sales increased by 17 per cent to 65,122 units in November, the 15th month of consecutive rises. A total of 781,868 vehicles were sold this year, 18 per cent more than in 2013.

Job creation ALMOST half of Spanish employers believed they would create employment this year and in 2015. Fifty-one per cent expected this to happen in 2016 and 2017, according to a survey by KPMG.

International corruption ratings SPAIN has been ranked 37th out of 175 countries in the 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index.

Written by Transparency International, the index is based on experts’ opinions on public sector corruption. Spain is three places higher than last year (the higher up the list the less corrupt it is).

But Transparency International notes that it does not include

political party corruption – the very thing that has had many Spaniards up in arms after a series of scandals.

Least corrupt nations were Denmark, New Zealand and Finland, with Somalia and North Korea being the most corrupt.

In Europe, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Romania all did badly in the index.

EWN

23

STAT OF WEEK A SPANISH senator earns a basic salary of €2,813.87 a month.

Those from outside Madrid are paid a €1,823.86 ‘indemnity’ while senators who represent the capital receive an extra €870.56.

DEAL: Carrefour buys DIA French subsidiary.

24

E W N 11 - 17 December 2014 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

LONDON - FTSE 100

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US

C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 9

C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) 3i Group PLC 457.05 Aberdeen Asset Mngmnt 463.25 Admiral Group PLC 1274.00 Aggreko PLC 1557.00 Anglo American PLC 1257.25 Antofagasta PLC 732.25 ARM Holdings PLC 948.50 Ashtead Group PLC 1097.50 Associated Brit Foods 3261.00 AstraZeneca PLC 4747.50 Aviva PLC 507.00 Babcock International 1143.50 BAE Systems PLC 481.35 Barclays PLC 248.75 BG Group PLC 910.25 BHP Billiton PLC 1455.75 BP PLC 422.90 British Amrcn Tobacco 3739.50

C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. -0.50 -0.11 -4.30 -0.92 -4.00 -0.31 -2.00 -0.13 -11.00 -0.87 0.00 0.00 2.00 0.21 -3.00 -0.27 -23.00 -0.70 7.70 0.16 1.00 0.20 -1.00 -0.09 -0.30 -0.06 -0.70 -0.28 2.90 0.32 -18.50 -1.26 -1.70 -0.40 -6.50 -0.17

NET VOLUME 48.88 147.92 10.71 14.82 322.64 95.46 283.30 36.73 36.42 75.46 279.45 26.83 205.71 1,258.00 289.64 661.04 1,430.70 103.85

See our advert on page 27

Units per €

US dollar.................................................................1.22563 Japan yen..............................................................148.679 Switzerland franc ..............................................1.20265 Denmark kroner.................................................7.43923 Norway kroner ...................................................8.78257

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

PRICE(P)

British Land Co PLC BT Group PLC Bunzl PLC Burberry Group PLC Capita PLC Carnival PLC Centrica PLC

771.00 419.25 1821.00 1675.50 1052.50 2817.00 285.15

DOW JONES

NASDAQ

C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 9

C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 9

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 KO The Coca-Cola Co DIS Walt Disney Co 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 IBM International Business Machine...

INTC Intel Corp 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 TRV Travelers Companies Inc UTX United Technologies Corp UNH UnitedHealth Group Inc VZ Verizon Communications Inc V Visa Inc WMT Wal-Mart Stores Inc

PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 162.27 92.65 33.94 132.21 98.78 110.87 27.50 43.53 93.76 73.07 93.82 26.01 195.45 99.64 163.27 37.67 108.51 62.70 96.31 61.49 48.42 99.33 31.99 90.38 105.20 111.29 100.33 48.61 263.35 84.12

+0.01 +0.82 +0.03 +0.89 -0.89 -1.41 -0.27 +0.03 +0.53 +0.70 -0.55 -0.08 +3.50 +0.69 -0.78 +0.21 +0.95 +1.32 +0.65 +0.57 -0.42 +0.28 +0.32 -0.20 +0.10 +0.08 +0.66 -0.17 +2.21 -0.64

+0.01% +0.89% +0.09% +0.68% -0.89% -1.26% -0.97% +0.07% +0.57% +0.97% -0.58% -0.31% +1.82% +0.70% -0.48% +0.56% +0.88% +2.15% +0.68% +0.94% -0.86% +0.28% +1.01% -0.22% +0.10% +0.07% +0.66% -0.35% +0.85% -0.76%

1.7M 2.9M 18.9M 2.6M 3.6M 7.7M 26.7M 12.5M 5.2M 3.4M 11.8M 22.4M 3.6M 4.6M 3.0M 20.5M 6.4M 20.1M 6.2M 11.2M 27.3M 1.7M 24.9M 6.4M 1.7M 3.0M 3.1M 15.5M 2.0M 6.6M

1.26865

0.78823

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

C O M PA N Y

-4.67 -0.67 8.00 -1.32 -3.00 14.00 -0.80

-0.60 -0.16 0.44 -0.08 -0.28 0.50 -0.28

NET VOLUME 58.84 570.96 36.80 42.75 9.47 61.41 240.09

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

$ 6.555 $ 15.09 $ 6.60 $ 42.19 $ 6.89 $ 5.73 $ 18.33 $ 5.94 $ 20.09 $ 14.11 $ 4.40

3.055 ▲ 87.29% 3.53 ▲ 30.54% 1.20 ▲ 22.22% 6.07 ▲ 16.81% 0.90 ▲ 15.03% 0.73 ▲ 14.60% 2.26 ▲ 14.06% 0.69 ▲ 13.14% 2.21 ▲ 12.36% 1.47 ▲ 11.63% 0.45 ▲ 11.39%

$ 37.60 $ 2.30 $ 5.74 $ 6.40 $ 6.15 $ 8.55 $ 20.15 $ 2.81 $ 2.19 $ 4.75 $ 2.85

5.25 ▼ 12.25% 0.32 ▼ 12.21% 0.67 ▼ 10.45% 0.73 ▼ 10.24% 0.605 ▼ 8.96% 0.84 ▼ 8.95% 1.7533 ▼ 8.00% 0.2329 ▼ 7.65% 0.18 ▼ 7.59% 0.39 ▼ 7.59% 0.23 ▼ 7.47%

Most Advanced Actuate Corporation Francesca's Holdings Corporation Foamix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. FRP Holdings, Inc. Silicon Image, Inc. Arrowhead Research Corporation ProQR Therapeutics N.V. Egalet Corporation Alder BioPharmaceuticals, Inc. uniQure N.V. Zions Bancorporation

Most Declined Five Below, Inc. Atlanticus Holdings Corporation Vimicro International Corporation Sphere 3D Corp Rex Energy Corporation Mid-Con Energy Partners, LP Vanguard Natural Resources LLC Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. Supertel Hospitality, Inc. CTC Media, Inc. Quotient Limited

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

C O M PA N Y Coca-Cola HBC AG Compass Group PLC CRH PLC Diageo PLC Direct Line Insurance ...

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

PRICE(P) 1425.00 1100.00 1571.00 1960.00 291.55 443.20 1733.50 1057.50 723.50 380.15 274.95 355.90 1473.00 313.65 620.50 977.75 637.85 1213.00 2865.50 2627.00 483.95 2332.50 348.10 212.70 3391.50 326.25 1182.50 246.20 80.47 2239.50 489.20 514.50 1086.00 185.65 927.00 6687.50 196.10 1221.50 1612.00 778.25 1538.75 4256.00 5227.50 1111.00 2878.00 896.50 402.10 2225.25 399.45 449.45 3381.00 451.20 242.55 2760.50 1991.50 4595.50 942.50 1110.00 1138.00 694.50 1674.50 969.35 423.65 819.75 188.62 1833.00 451.80 401.10 2714.00 901.00 229.30 1816.50 4654.50 3682.50 1358.50

CHANGE -5.00 -4.00 -9.00 -11.50 -0.30 -0.80 -28.85 2.00 3.50 -0.28 -1.30 -0.70 2.50 -2.95 -3.50 -13.00 -5.40 -7.00 -13.00 -10.00 -2.60 14.00 -2.60 -0.60 -18.00 -2.00 -4.00 -0.80 -0.41 -13.00 -7.70 -4.00 -16.00 0.75 -3.00 35.00 -1.60 1.00 0.00 1.50 -11.50 66.00 -30.00 2.00 -20.00 -3.50 -1.50 -4.50 -5.00 -2.94 -41.00 3.30 4.30 -9.00 -1.00 -6.00 -6.00 -4.00 -7.00 -5.40 -4.00 -3.90 -2.50 -1.50 -1.00 -6.14 1.70 5.00 -15.00 1.00 -1.35 -22.06 -19.00 -9.00 -8.25

% C H G. -0.35 -0.36 -0.57 -0.58 -0.10 -0.18 -1.64 0.19 0.49 -0.07 -0.47 -0.20 0.17 -0.93 -0.56 -1.31 -0.84 -0.57 -0.45 -0.38 -0.53 0.60 -0.74 -0.28 -0.53 -0.61 -0.34 -0.32 -0.51 -0.58 -1.55 -0.77 -1.45 0.41 -0.32 0.53 -0.81 0.08 0.00 0.19 -0.74 1.58 -0.57 0.18 -0.69 -0.39 -0.37 -0.20 -1.24 -0.65 -1.20 0.74 1.80 -0.33 -0.05 -0.13 -0.63 -0.36 -0.61 -0.77 -0.24 -0.40 -0.59 -0.18 -0.53 -0.33 0.38 1.26 -0.55 0.11 -0.59 -1.20 -0.41 -0.24 -0.60

VOLUME 2.77 105.17 12.14 126.97 44.25 213.71 72.63 34.78 48.08 113.93 79.69 63.78 476.43 1,189.42 22.34 50.67 837.90 9.35 60.92 13.74 416.92 18.52 34.00 1,093.94 12.15 182.01 26.97 544.47 3,187.01 12.50 325.97 25.37 68.35 441.41 170.46 18.32 380.00 68.88 34.67 77.26 99.66 33.33 29.19 97.96 239.27 170.75 418.92 183.87 232.19 54.50 112.05 166.96 1,425.34 5.84 16.70 33.13 135.97 100.35 23.68 571.47 66.76 113.70 81.83 36.01 1,090.82 3.49 97.80 292.95 85.68 288.27 2,897.27 29.09 15.42 27.26 160.68

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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11 - 17 December 2014 / Mallorca

EWN

25

Don’t let festive frenzy-buying drag your finances into the red!

Loose change A look at finance for females

Jane Plunkett

SOLD OUT: The ‘musthave’ Frozen child’s bicycle.

jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews.com

HAVE we all forgotten that when it comes to Christmas presents, it’s the thought that counts, not the cost of the present?

With Christmas having become so commercial, it seems the average shopper believes that unless a present is shiny, sparkly and expensive it’s not a good present.

Obviously, retailers have not helped the situation, as they are guilty of pushing overpriced presents down our

throats by bombarding us with fancy adverts and emotive commercials. A practice that definitely doesn’t help us to feel happy about buying a small, but thoughtful, gift.

My mother-in-law came

back from the shops in a state of panic the other day. The expensive ‘Frozen’ bicycle that she HAD to get her granddaughter had sold out.

Her granddaughter is four. It seems crazy to me that she is

Should glass wall come down?

Q. In our community of 100 apartments, one apartment with a large terrace has placed a You and the glass wall to protect against the strong winds.

Law in Spain This wall was installed in 2006 without the

By David Searl permission of the meeting. No reactions were made at the time. In 2012, the wall was removed and the wooden floor was prepared to remount the wall. In 2014, a new owner put up the glass wall on the new floor. At the AGM of October, 2014, one owner complained on the official agenda about the glass wall and demanded that it be removed. The issue was voted and a majority favoured removal.

Is the board obliged to execute the decision of the AGM or is this case extinguished under statutes of limitation?

P S (Costa Blanca) A. In this case no statute of limitations applies. The community members have expressed their decision by voting at the AGM and it must be enforced. The ‘Statute of Limitations’ means that some legal actions lapse after a certain time period has passed. Here, however, the community has just voted for the first time on this issue.

But if one member feels he has been seriously prejudiced by a legal decision

of the community, he can go to court and explain the reasons why he thinks the decision should be reversed.

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

nearly giving herself a heart attack over this Christmas present. The child will be delighted with any pretty little girl’s bike. Put a few ‘Frozen’ stickers on an economically priced bike. Will a four-yearold really know the difference?

According to a recent survey, it’s British people who will spend more money on Christmas presents this year than any other nation in Europe. But they are also more likely to get themselves into debt while doing so.

The average Brit plans to spend €450 on festive gifts, which averages out at 17 per cent of their wages - a figure €140 higher than those in the next nearest countries, France and Luxembourg.

In Spain, the Christmas spend is nearly as high as in Britain, with Spaniards

BUSINESS EXTRA

Coal-black FORTY-TWO of the 68 delegates newlyelected by coal miners employed by stateowned Hunosa belong to SOMA-UGT. Union members later said they were undeterred by the discovery that during the 2012 fiscal amnesty their historic leader Jose Angel Fernandez Villa legalised €1.2 million held in a Swiss account.

Fast work RAIL operator Renfe earned €1 billion from the AVE highspeed rail network in the first 10 months of this year, 6 per cent more than in 2013. The number of passengers, attracted by Renfe’s low prices and special offers, rose 20 per cent to 14.6 million during the same period.

spending 15 per cent of their wages just on presents.

Often in conversation, we turn to places like the Netherlands as an example of a place, where things are done properly.

Where education works.

Where corruption is almost unheard of. Guess how much the average Dutch person spends on Christmas presents? €25.

That’s 1 per cent of their salary.

You can bet they aren’t getting themselves into debt over ‘Frozen’ bicycles, overpriced designer perfume or unnecessary fancy gadgets.

Enjoy Christmas, spend time with people you love, eat well, but remember if you can’t afford to buy the world and its granny a present, that’s OK. It’s the thought that counts.

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www.euroweeklynews.com

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

The business of body language LEARNING body language is likely as important as speaking a second language. Victor Hugo, the great French novelist, advised: “When a woman is talking to you, listen to what she says with her eyes.”

I have yet to meet a woman who disagrees. Men lie and are often evasive but their true feelings can also be read from their body language.

As a salesman, my territory included Liverpool and Manchester, rural towns like Wrexham, and back o’beyond Welsh farming communities. In the cities, a close, grasp handshake, shoulder touches and ‘invasion of body space’ were perfectly the norm. In smaller towns, you kept your distance

Bottling it

Plum deal INDRA will provide radar systems to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The contract will bring the Spanish company more than €34 million.

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

www.michaelwalsh.es • 966 786 932

and it was a straight-arm handshake.

In the farming communities, there was no touching at all. A wave was greeting enough.

The Japanese invade body space, Americans don’t. There was some amusement when a Japanese–

American business meeting was filmed. As Japanese businessmen entered their counterparts’ body space their American guests backed away.

When speeded up the video footage gave the appearance that the two cultures were waltzing around the room.

If a man enters a room fiddling with his cuffs or tie he is unsure of himself.

Prince Charles was notorious for doing so. Hands at ease behind the back suggest a relaxed frame of mind.

Gripping the wrist higher up suggests tension; higher up, high tension.

If a client covers their mouth with the hand when talking, chances are they are telling porkies; likewise, if

they scratch their noses. If a client’s feet are pointing away, they desperately wish to end the conversation. Eye evasion suggests deceit; eye pupil enlargement - the client is excited.

The perfect place for studying body language is said to be an airport; I prefer a restaurant. Having said that, I recall a couple of behavioural psychiatrists being employed at New York John Kennedy Airport. Neither was aware of the other’s presence.

Each was briefed to identify passengers who appeared to be uncomfortable, shifty-eyed and agitated. They arrested each other. I rest my case.

New exit tax on shares aimed at the wealthy

BUSINESS EXTRA

COCA-COLA Iberian Partners will not reopen any of the bottling plants closed earlier this year but has offered to relocate 350 laid-off workers at other Spanish plants. Last April the High Court invalidated the company’s redundancy plans and it now awaits a decision on this latest proposal.

Talking shop

A NEW exit tax on shares owned by people departing Spanish shores has been brought in.

It will only target the wealthy, mainly people moving to tax havens, but will see shareholders taxed on ‘gains’ on shares’ value whether they sell them or not.

Mariano Rajoy, President of the Spanish Government, is forging ahead with next year’s promised fiscal reforms which come into effect on January 1. The new exit tax applies to those who were tax residents for 10 of the last 15 years and possess stocks and shares worth more than €4 million or €1 million, should this represent a

PM Rajoy, left, greets Finance Minister Cristobal Montoro. holding of more than 25 per cent.

They will now pay the difference between purchase price and current value even though the holdings are not sold.

This new regulation applies only to stocks and shares and is aimed at the large fortunes that invest in Spain before moving on to seek more favourable fiscal conditions elsewhere. Spain’s Finance

Less spending this Christmas A SURVEY has revealed that one in three Spaniards expects to spend less money this Christmas than last year and half expect to spend the same.

The survey by the Consumers and Users Confederation reported that just 16 per cent of people questioned foresaw spending more than last year.

The main reason given by people who want to spend less was financial difficulties due to reduced income or unemployment, although it was only given by 38 per cent of people questioned compared to 51 per cent in 2013.

Therefore, although a third intend spending less this year, the

survey shows signs of a slight improvement in families’ financial situations.

Regarding amounts, the majority expected to spend less than €500, yet 30 per cent foresaw spending between €500 and €1,000 and 15 per cent said they would spend more than €1,500.

Ministry pointed out that it is similar to others in Holland, France, Germany, Denmark and the US. To divest the exit law of punitive overtones, the tax will be waived when the move is made to another EU country. If, 10 years later, the taxed stocks and shares have not been sold, Spain’s tax authorities will also repay the amount paid. Nor will the new law affect taxpayers who relocate for employment reasons on condition that the move is not to a tax paradise.

Taxpayers of more modest means will receive an average reduction of 12.5 per cent on what they now pay, although Hacienda will feel the pinch and collect 8.6 per cent less in 2015 and 4.7 per cent in 2016. This will reduce its IRPF income to below 2010 levels.

The principal corporation tax will fall from the current 30 per cent to 28 per cent and capital gains tax, and tax on savings will be reduced to between 19 and 23 per cent. Tax bands have been modified and even higher investments should feel some benefit.

November turnaround for jobless SPAIN bucked its usual November employment trend by reducing the number of jobless.

A total of 4,512,116 people were registered for unemployment benefits last month while those out of work fell by 14,688, the Ministry of Labour announced.

The number of people paying into the Social Security system grew by 5,232 to 16,695,752 contributors, the first time this has happened in November since 2007.

As the summer season with its work opportunities came to an end, the steadily improving employment figures began to falter but have picked up once again.

It is important not to forget that the labour market tends to behave erratically as it emerges from economic crisis and this always affects statistics, experts warned.

Tomas Burgos, Junior Social Security Minister, nevertheless called last month’s figures “a dramatically positive change.”

OPINION & COMMENT

Goodbye to a beloved friend, Sacha I WOULD like to thank David the Dogman for all the help he gave us with our gorgeous German Shepherd/Rottweiler/Black Lab cross from March 2003.

He may not remember Sacha but last Tuesday we had to say goodbye to the most wonderful dog in the world. Gentle and polite, he never damaged anything, never stole food, respected babies and was always happy to be with us. All our family, friends and neighbours have said what a special dog he was.

We are devastated that at almost 12 years old we had to let him go.

We have David’s book which has been our ‘bible’ during Sacha’s years with us and would like to thank him for coming to our house in the first 24 hours when we had done all the wrong things.

He helped us have almost 12 wonderful years with our gorgeous boy.

Anita Simcox (by email)

Cause of concern BRIAN WARMAN wrote about a lady sleeping in the doorway of the BBVA bank in Los Boliches.

He stated that he told Age Concern about her and nothing had been done.

Age Concern has not received any referral from him by phone or email; possibly he contacted Age Care?

Perhaps he could contact me and tell me who he spoke to.

Eileen Dry, president Estepona and Manilva Age Concern.

Not-so-fast work WE have just found out why it costs so much to renew our passports from Spain.

My wife and I put our old passports (with consecutive numbers) into a single envelope with the forms completed and paid for online. They were sent recorded delivery and arrived in three days at the Belfast office.

I then checked on the tracker

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Letters YOURSAY@EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

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T

our aRUST dvert isers

WE D

O!

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

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

I TOOK this photo of a camel during the Christmas celebrations in Jativa (Valencia) last year. If he could talk, would he be saying “Bah! Humbug!”?

Cora Mason, Onteniente (Valencia)

EWN

29

40 years now and seen the good times and now the bad. If you like to play golf or bowls this is the place for you but if you want to enjoy life to the full, forget it!

The Costa de Sol is controlled by old people (mostly rich) who for the most part are just passing their last years and don’t want anyone else to enjoy themselves as they did when young.

You have the perfect place to bring your dog as dog parks and beaches are provided (that’s if the dog can wait that long, if you know what I mean).

The oldies are quick to the phone if they hear any music played in the local bar as it is bed time for all at 10pm unless they are having a little drinks party.

Yes, the oldies are happy but the young at heart have to suffer for these people. I love Spain but when it is controlled by smallminded people who don’t even make the effort to speak Spanish or permit other people to live, it’s time to move on.

D Thompson, Marbella (Malaga)

No-win situation as to what was happening. They were both being worked on after five days and the next we knew was a phone call from the courier saying he was at our house and where were we?

We met up later that day and signed for my wife’s passport only. I checked the tracker and mine was still being worked on, 15 days after sending them.

Next day the courier delivered my wife’s old passport with the corner cut off. After three weeks my passport has arrived but not the old one. So it will have taken four visits from the courier and my new one runs out four weeks before my wife’s although it was worked on last. Guess we were lucky they turned up before we needed them at Christmas!

Dick Prowse (by email)

Seesaw prices WHEN the price of oil goes down, the price at the pump goes down but not the price of butane gas.

The prices in the supermarkets never go down, either.

When the price of oil goes up we are told that the price of most

WHEN YOU WRITE All letters, whether by email or post, should carry the writer’s postal address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published.

Letters may also be edited.

Readers who have missed earlier correspondence can see all letters posted on:

www.euroweeklynews.com

things will rise, so why does it not follow that most things should go down when the price of oil decreases?

I think it is unfair of the oil companies and supermarkets to make more money out of the general public when things are already very difficult for most people. Also I think it would help if the government put some kind of control on prices until things improve.

Ron Chivers, Busot (Alicante)

Take care A SHORT letter to inform your

readers about a spate of attacks which focus on the elderly and disabled.

Last week I was attacked by two females aged between 18 and 25 years while sitting on my disability scooter in the central square of La Cala de Mijas. I was grabbed and pulled in front of the La Cala grill.

One woman kept pulling on my left wrist until my watch was pulled off and the other held my right arm. I suffered severe shock and bruises on both lower arms.

They ran off across the square before driving away in a Volvo V40 according to a witness. The car was blue with a licence plate starting with a D and had broken tail lights.

Apparently attacks are initiated after asking for the time of day (in my case) or trying to sell flowers.

Name and address supplied

Have a heart!

HAVING lived on the Costa de Sol for 18 months I think it is time to note it’s not a place for the young at heart!

I’ve lived in Spain for more than

POSSIBLY three months ago I related how a friend had returned to England (now 16 months ago) having taken necessary action re cancelling her telephone.

Movistar decided that she owed the sum of €23.19 and although there was no entry on her bank statement they also stated that money had been credited to her bank account in error which they had tried to reclaim.

Two different members of staff were contacted by telephone and various explanations were offered. A detailed letter was sent to Movistar by an interpreter and statements ceased but a letter has now arrived from Movistar solicitors demanding payment of the €23.19 within a week.

My friend’s first reaction was to contact her own solicitor but having slept on the problem she decided to give in rather than incur a much higher bill than €23.19. One wonders how many false debts Movistar claims and wins. Clients beware.

P H, Malaga.

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

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OPINION & COMMENT

There’s a time and a place LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT

S

ORRY, ladies, as broad-minded as I consider myself to be, in this instance I really feel I must agree with Mr Farage.

I really don’t want to be in a restaurant, contentedly enjoying a little intimate company and sipping a glass of wine, only to have a Mother Earth sitting at the next table suddenly whip out a breast and commence squeezing its contents through the pursed lips of her hungry tot.

As wonderful as this act of nature can be, to my mind there is a time and a place for everything. Although maybe this was the time, I certainly do not consider it the place. In fact, in my opinion it is downright rude. Out of sheer respect for her fellow diners, the mum in question could at least have withdrawn to a more discreet area. No, I’m afraid this lady’s action has a distinctive ring of ‘women’s lib’ about it. To not consider

NATURAL ACT: But please don’t breast-feed at the dining table! the feelings of her fellow diners, some possibly not so broad-minded or liberalthinking, who could easily be embarrassed by the sight of a bared breast at the adjoining table, is I feel selfpropagating in the extreme. However, before the next mum I meet on the street leaves me writhing on the ground with a slightly higher-pitched voice, I’m only talking about public dining areas. I

have no problem on public transport or in parks, etc. For me it just isn’t right in a restaurant. All right, gals?

Yet another ‘big name’ under the sexual abuse periscope again this week.

Bill Cosby must now endure Lord knows how long in an agony of indecision, suspicion and possible ruination. I really don’t know if the man is guilty or not, but the one thing that does strike me is the

evidence that the young lady he is actually accused of abusing was 15 years old and attending a party at the Playboy mansion. Assuming she wasn’t abducted and taken there against her will, what on earth was she doing at this undoubtedly notorious location in the first place? I dunno, irrespective of the outcome of these high-profile abuse cases, there always seems to be a whiff of jealousy and antagonism toward people who have achieved celebrity status. Still, let’s hope that the truth and subsequent justice will finally prevail in all these cases.

I also advise the celebrity youngsters idolised by their young fans in this present day and age to request ID before making any moves in that direction - or they themselves could be seen fighting for their reputation and freedom in about 50 years’ time Just a few places left for this Saturday’s Flying Curry Circus Christmas party. All info on 689485956.

Have a good week, dust off the baubles. Here it is again!

Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

“What is the funniest thing that has happened to you this year?”

S

ERVING holidaymakers all year round but actually not having a holiday himself is a funny observation that Scott Grey, from the Scottish Butcher in Fuengirola, made about this year.

Scott says with a smile, “There hasn’t been a particularly funny thing that has happened to me this year

Scott Grey Jeet Singh

STREET TALK but I have only managed to make it back to Scotland for four days and that has been the extent of my holiday time. I was too busy over the summer, happily I might add, with serving my local residents whilst they had holiday time and holidaymakers here for their vacations.

Perhaps next year I may actually have a holiday too!”

Jeet Singh, waiter at Haweli Indian Restaurant in

Albir, said this year he had a couple who walked out of the restaurant without paying.

He said it wasn’t funny at the time as he had to cover the bill, but he can find it amusing now: “They were sat on the terrace outside and what was strange was that they actually asked for the bill so I went in to get it and they quickly left!

“It’s the second time it’s happened to me in three years. Another couple did it in a restaurant I worked at in Camposol.”

Kirsty Holliday, who works at PN TV Services, Pinar de Campoverde, said there is not one funny thing she can point out but her nine-month-old son Adrian continually makes her laugh: “He already knows what he wants, and when he doesn’t want something he shakes his head but he does it in such a determined and forceful way, it is really funny.”

Steve Holgate from Storage Solutions in the Albox Steve Holgate /Arboleas area said that one of the funniest things that happened to him this year was that, “the alarm kept going off in the warehouse, every night without fail but we couldn’t work out why.

Then one day we spotted some bird poo.

“We looked up and there in the rafters was a tiny owl, blinking at us. He’d been the Kirsty Holliday culprit all along. Such a small creature yet it could cause so much disruption.”

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RS E IS R T E R RNE V A D CO

’

SPOTLIGHT

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Advertising Feature

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The company is enjoying a successful first year, which Jason accredits to customer service alongside the product

WAY FORWARD: TVMed Mallorca set about perfecting the future of television with IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) and a policy of building lasting customer relationships.

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OPINION & COMMENT

Cabgate and our smug governing elite A Costa del Sol resident for a number of years, Nora is the author of psychological suspense and crime thrillers.

To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/nora-johnson

M

RTA INM ENT

DAVID MELLOR: Who does he think he is?

ENTE

Nora Johnson’s thrillers ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.com) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.89;£0.79) and iBookstore. Profits to Cudeca.

PRES

S

ELLOR and Mitchell. Well, what a couple of s**ts.

But this is a family newspaper, after all, so I suppose I’d better tone it down a bit and refer to them as a couple of M&Ms (US-style Smarties!). I’m talking, of course, about David Mellor and Andrew Mitchell.

Caught on tape telling his cab driver to “f*** off” in a row over the route, and slagging him off as a “sweaty, stupid little s**t,” the ex-Tory minister David Mellor subsequently apologised on his

swears by them. And as for Mellor, it won’t be long before the Portillo-style media rehabilitation programme kicks in and the BBC finds him a nice cab journey series around the world.

Meanwhile, bet he still won’t get a London cab...

he was. Kids on council estates get Asbos and worse for less offensive behaviour.

But really, it’s way too late for apologies. Much like Plebgate’s Andrew Mitchell and Labour’s “White Van Man” Emily Thornberry, he’s amply demonstrated what he really thinks of the man in the street.

I imagine that in Mr Mellor, Mr Mitchell and Ms Thornberry is encapsulated the view of the political class towards the UK electorate in general.

Just “plebs” to be pandered to come election time and then ignored. Hardly surprising that some 40 per cent never vote, and that new parties like UKIP can trade on the dissatisfaction felt by so many with the LibLabCons.

A final thought. If Mitchell’s now given up that bike of his, he can always take a cab – Mellor

TER STO CK. COM

Breaking Views

LBC show for his foul-mouthed tirade, claiming he didn’t know what “possessed” him.

Well, I know what “possessed” him: his own sense of selfimportance... and believing that nobody would ever find out! And booze. Lots of it.

Boasting about his career in a way that made me flinch and rock to and fro with my eyes closed while calling for Nursie, he added: “You think that your experiences are anything compared to mine?” And there was I thinking that, as we got older, we were meant to become more mellow!

Like many of his kind, Mellor doesn’t understand that it’s not necessarily the swearing at the cabbie that’s the most damaging, but the arrogance, snobbery, demeaning attitude and pomposity in telling the driver who and what he thought

SHUT

Nora Johnson

matthi Shutterstock com

Rajoy reaps what he sowed in Cataluña Cassandra Nash

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

S

PAIN’S president Mariano Rajoy said that no-one could speak for Cataluña and that’s where the problem lies.

Catalans are Catalans first, not Spanish, and they don’t want Rajoy or anybody outside the region speaking over their heads.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that they all want to split from Spain, but outside the region all the old historic fears resurface once independence is mentioned.

Every coin in Franco’s time bore the legend “One, Great and Free” and it’s not accidental that the word “One” came first. There is a tendency outside bilingual regions to fear that Spain will fall apart if nationalism is given its head.

If Cataluña’s 2010 Statute conceding more autonomy had gone ahead, possibly none of this would have happened. Instead it

MARIANO RAJOY: Old objections haunt him in government. was met with handwringing horror and diluted by an appeal from the PP, then in opposition, that was upheld by the Constitutional Tribunal.

Sins come home to roost, they say, and old objections come back to haunt leaders of the opposition when they find themselves in government. Rajoy must be kicking himself now.

Bolts and stable HEALTH minister Ana Mato finally got her marching orders.

Not for her uncertain grasp on the Ebola crisis but owing to fallout from the Gurtel corruption case.

Mato is not directly implicated in Gurtel, nor is she a suspect, but her ex-husband Jesus Sepulveda was allegedly up to his neck in it when he was mayor of Pozuelo de Alarcon (Madrid).

Pablo Ruz, the investigating judge handling the Gurtel case maintained that she “personally profited” from the spoils of Sepulveda’s corrupt transactions.

Her tangential involvement via her ex was no bombshell and was common knowledge, with Mato always claiming she was unaware of her husband’s dealings.

She had to go before she could sully Rajoy’s set-piece speech in the corruption debate the day after the summons.

After all, it would not have done to see her sitting beside him on the equivalent of the Commons’ front bench, the “banco azul”.

Heaven forbid voters could suspect there was sleaze in high places.

Someone to watch over us A MEMBER of Spain’s General Council of Judicial Power (GCJP) was found entering Spain from Andorra with €9,600, rather too much for legality.

It was from her mother to

buy Christmas presents, the unfortunately named Merce Pigem explained.

She has since resigned for the good of the GCJP but it does raise the question of who watches the watchers.

Not that this is a purely 21st century question, as Juvenal once asked: “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?”

And that was a long, long time ago.

Seal of approval PODEMOS applauded Pope Francis when he addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

There is even a photo of Pablo Iglesias, the newly named general secretary of what is now a party, on his feet and clapping.

That could win him some votes in directions where he would never have thought of looking.

FEATURE

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11 - 17 December 2014 / Mallorca

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36

E W N 11 -17 December 2014 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

OPINION & COMMENT

Eyeing up an old flame from the 60s Colin Bird Each week, Colin brings his slightly off-the-wall view of the world to the pages of EWN in his own irreverent style.

I

THOUGHT I saw Wendy Templeton-Price in the supermarket on Wednesday.

Wendy Templeton-Price was a girlfriend from way back, at a time when we were experiencing the final days of the Swinging 60s and beginning to emerge into what would later be known as the glitzy glam rock days of the 70s. And despite her poncy sounding title and obvious pedigree, like her name, Wendy was also a raver of double-barrelled proportions.

That was a very long time ago and let’s face it, after four decades people tend to change out of all recognition physically.

Something I can attest to, having observed the increasingly unfamiliar stranger

who greets me from the bathroom mirror every morning.

Nevertheless, there was a certain something about this lady that rang bells and had my socks rippling with resurrected memories.

The clincher, though, was an unfortunate affliction Wendy was cursed with, because although she was a striking girl, there was a noticeable cast in one of her eyes, sometimes giving the impression that she was looking in two directions at once. Very handy for speed reading and the ability to cover two pages simultaneously, but a flaw nonetheless in her otherwise perfect features.

Anyway, there she was, or so I thought, across the pizza section of the frozen foods aisle. She had obviously seen me, because there was a half smile on her face as if she too felt that she had known me in a past life. Then after a few seconds, her face broke into a broad grin of recognition and

PAST LOVE: It’s all in the eyes. she hurried to the end of the freezer section, swerved into my aisle leaving a smouldering

skid mark on the polished floor, and headed straight for me.

On reflection it was a darn

good thing I did not open my arms to greet her, or indeed pucker up in anticipation, because ignoring me, she hurried past and grabbed two large bags of muesli from the shelf close by.

As she did, she called across to an ageing hippie wearing a Black Sabbath tee-shirt and sporting a fine display of grey nose hair. “Found it!” she informed him loudly, and proudly held up a bag in each hand.

Her look of happy recognition was obviously aimed at an elusive breakfast cereal and not at yours truly.

I still have suspicions that it could have been the real Wendy, despite the remote possibility that she too has relocated to this part of Spain.

But recalling the manner of our separation which involved a Mini Cooper on the banks of the Thames late one night; a dodgy handbrake and lots of flashing blue lights, I decided to let sleeping dogs lie.

Time for winter wonderland Vicki Mcleod

Family Matters

W

E went skating last weekend at the ice rink in Palma. I say “we,” what I really mean is that Gidg ice-walked around the rink whilst my husband and I looked on, grateful that she was over the age limit to go on without a responsible adult. Neither my husband nor I can skate with any style at all, and we really don’t want to learn either. Bless her, she tried. Her mates were all better than her, including the ones who were younger than her, but she still gave it a serious go, and wants to go back again for another stab at it.

There was quite a big group of us, 10 adults and seven kids, and after we’d been at the rink we decided we wanted to go for lunch. In Palma. On a Sunday.

Wow, that’s a tougher ask than you

CHRISTMAS FAIRS: A great place for handmade and unique items, so go along and have a look around. realise. I’d love to know where you, dear reader, would recommend for a biggish group to go on a Sunday for a reasonably priced (no Michelin stars or fancy pants required, just good decent nosh please). You can get in touch with me at www.familymattersmallorca.com.

As it was we ended up in a pizza place (nothing says Sunday more than a pizza … to be honest I felt a bit hard done by as my brain expects to see either a roast dinner, a BBQ or a paella on a Sunday) which was okay, I guess.

The company more than made up for the rather dull lunch. It was a typical Mallorca winter Sunday full of friends, kids and laughs. And it was lovely to walk in the crisp air and look at the lights (and scoff a couple of churros with Chocolate de la Taza).

The electric blankets are now on the

beds, and the wood burning stove has received its seasonal wipe down and fire up. Yes, the advent calendar (which I moaned about at length last week) is now in full swing, and I have attended three Christmas fairs already. Coming up tonight at Mood Beach (Thursday December 11) there will be the ‘In the Mood’ choir performing Christmas Carols in the bar, call 971 676 456 or email info@moodbeach.com for times and more info. Then at the weekend you have the Binissalem Christmas Fair which is not to be missed, it’s great. If you like handmade and unique items

then you have to go there for a mooch around. Of course there is also the traditional Christmas fair at Palma Nova (used to be Portals, then it was Santa Ponsa, now it’s Palma Nova, but it’s still the one organised by Calvia Council) which will be on over the weekend. And then the one in my neck of the woods in Andratx: this Saturday sees the Plaza being reopened after its facelift and we will all be in there to see what, if any, improvements have been made. See you in Ses Rosses at about 8pm on Saturday night! www.familymattersmallorca.com

FINANCE

EUROPEAN PRESS

www.euroweeklynews.com

11 - 17 December 2014 / Mallorca

EWN

37

European Banks Stress Tests 20% of banks failed “stress tests” conducted by the European Banking Authority to see if they are strong enough to withstand another financial crisis. All the major banks passed, with the results suggesting European banks are in better shape than when last tested in 2011.

The stress tests then determined how banks would cope with a simulated situation where the region’s gross domestic product fell by 7% by 2016, and EU unemployment rose 2.9%. To pass, banks had to maintain a core capital ratio of 5.5% - so hold at least €5.50 in cash for every €100 of assets on their balance sheets.

Under a normal scenario, where the economy develops as expected up, banks core capital buffer should not fall below 8%.

The results were revealed on 26th October 2014. 24 banks failed, with a combined capital shortfall of just over €24 billion.

The review was based on the banks’

By Peter Worthington, Senior Partner, Blevins Franks financial health as at the end of 2013, and 10 had since raised capital to improve their balance sheets. This left 14 EU banks which need to raise €10 billion over the next nine months.

Italian banks suffered the biggest failure, followed by Greek ones.

Banks in Portugal, Ireland, Cyprus, Austria, Belgium, Austria and Slovenia also failed the “adverse scenario”.

Although no major banks failed, several came close. 14 only had capital ratios of between 5.5% and 7%, and could face pressure to improve balance sheets.

While overall the exercise can be viewed as a success, some critics argue the tests were not realistic enough, and some analysts warn that the banking sector is not yet out the woods. Stephen Smith of KPMG told The Times: “Profitability remains a major issue. Their significant €879 billion exposure to non-performing loans, and the level of capital required to support those, is a particular area of concern and banks must seek to address this.”

There are some key strategies for protecting your wealth.

Diversification will reduce your exposure to risk. Spread your savings among different assets, as well as over funds, geographical areas, sectors etc.

Relying on the fortunes of just one or two assets is very risky.

Wherever you keep your capital, understand to what extent you are protected in the event of institutional failure. Consider all the risks to your money and take professional advice to ensure your assets are in the best place. Bank deposits are not risk free (especially when you consider the damaging effects of inflation and low interest rates over time).

In the event of a bank failure, an EU Directive ensures that every country has a guarantee scheme which is responsible for reimbursing account holders up a set limit of €100,000 per depositor per banking group.

The Channel Islands and Isle of Man (which are not part of the EU) have lower limits of £50,000 (around €64,000).

Where possible, look to ring-fence your assets, so that there is a legal separation of your assets from the financial institution holding them.

One State in Europe,

Luxembourg, provides maximum security to policyholders through its state controlled life assurance protection regime.

This ensures policyholder assets are deposited with an independent Custodian Bank, and so are held entirely separate from the life assurance company’s assets.

The Custodian Bank is required to ring fence client assets so that they are held off the bank’s balance sheet.

Investor protection varies across jurisdictions and products, so for peace of mind seek advice on what would be the best solution for you.

With specialist advice it is possible to eliminate institutional risk at the same time as benefitting from gross roll up of income and gains within tax favoured structures in Spain.

To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on our website www.blevinsfranks.com.

38

E W N 11 - 17 December 2014 / Mallorca

Thursday BBC ONE 5:30pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm BBC Music Awards 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm Question Time 12:35am This Week Andrew Neil looks at the political week with Michael Portillo and Diane Abbott.

1:20am Skiing Weatherview Detailed weather forecast. 1:25am BBC News

BBC TWO 5:25pm Andrew Marr's The Making of Modern Britain 6:25pm Antiques Roadshow 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 8:00pm James May's Cars of the People 9:00pm MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00pm The Fall 11:00pm Russell Howard's Good News 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am The Fruit and Veg Market: Inside New Spitalfields

ITV 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 Paul O'Grady: For The Love of Dogs 10:00pm The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies 11:30pm ITV News and Weather 12:10am River Monsters

CH4 5:00pm Deal or No Deal 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm Coach Trip 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm George Clarke's Amazing Spaces 10:00pm 24 Hours in A and E 11:00pm Babylon 12:05am Skint

CH5 6:30pm 5 News 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm The Gadget Show 9:00pm The Railway: First Great Western 10:00pm Britain's Bloodiest Dynasty 11:00pm The True Story 12:00am Who Killed Tutankhamun?

SKY1 5:00pm Sun, Sea and A&E 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Arrow 10:00pm Forever 11:00pm Alien 3 1:15am NCIS: Los Angeles

Friday BBC ONE 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm The Two Ronnies Sketchbook 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Citizen Khan 10:00pm Have I Got News for You 10:30pm Not Going Out 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm The Graham Norton Show 12:20am Cuckoo

BBC TWO 6:25pm Antiques Roadshow 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 8:00pm The Home That 2 Built 9:00pm Mastermind 9:30pm Mary Berry's Absolute Christmas Favourites 10:00pm Canterbury Cathedral 11:00pm QI 11:30pm Newsnight 12:05am Never Mind the Buzzcocks

ITV 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 The Martin Lewis Money Show 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm A Night in with Olly Murs 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm Casino Royale 2:15am Jackpot247

CH4 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm Coach Trip 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 12:05am Toast of London

CH5 6:30pm 5 News 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm World Strongman Championship 9:00pm Ice Road Truckers 10:00pm Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild 11:00pm Body of Proof 11:55pm NCIS: Los Angeles 12:50am Access 1:00am Super Casino

SKY1 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm The Simpsons 9:30pm The Simpsons 10:00pm A League of Their Own 11:00pm An Idiot Abroad 12:00am Britcam: Emergency on Our Streets

Saturday BBC ONE 4:00pm Cycling 5:30pm Final Score 6:10pm Celebrity Mastermind 6:40pm BBC News 6:50pm BBC London News 7:00pm Pointless 7:50pm Strictly Come Dancing 9:25pm Atlantis 10:10pm Casualty 11:00pm The National Lottery Live 11:10pm BBC News 11:30pm Match of the Day 12:55am The Football League Show

BBC TWO 5:30pm Andrew Marr's The Making of Modern Britain 6:30pm Restoring England's Heritage 7:00pm Secrets of the Castle with Ruth, Peter and Tom 8:00pm Flog It! 9:00pm Perry and Croft: Made in Britain 9:30pm Dad's Army 10:00pm QI XL 10:45pm Tomorrow's Worlds: The Unearthly History of Science Fiction 11:45pm Let Me in 1:35am Forbidden Planet

ITV 4:50pm Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 7:30pm ITV News London 7:40pm ITV News and Weather 7:55pm You've Been Framed!

8:25pm The Chase: Christmas Special 9:30pm The X Factor 11:35pm The Jonathan Ross Show 12:40am ITV News and Weather

CH4 4:55pm Come Dine with Me 5:25pm Come Dine with Me 5:55pm Come Dine with Me 6:25pm Come Dine with Me 6:55pm Channel 4 News 7:00pm 100 Greatest Toys with Jonathan Ross 10:00pm Hope Springs 12:00am An Officer and a Gentleman

CH5 5:30pm Mrs Miracle 2: Miracle in Manhattan 7:30pm Mistletoe Over Manhattan Seasonal fantasy yarn.

9:15pm My Crazy Christmas Obsession 10:05pm 5 News Weekend 10:10pm TV's 50 Greatest Magic Tricks 1:05am Super Casino 4:10am Gotham 5:00am House Doctor 5:25am Make it Big 5:50am Make it Big

SKY1 4:00pm All Aboard: East Coast Trains 5:00pm Penguins of Madagascar Special 5:30pm Get on Up Special 6:00pm Portrait Artist of the Year 2014 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 9:00pm Hawaii Five-0 10:00pm Alien: Resurrection 12:10am A League of Their Own

TV LISTING

www.euroweeklynews.com

Sunday BBC ONE 3:15pm Homes Under the Hammer 4:15pm Escape to the Country 5:15pm Lifeline 5:25pm Songs of Praise 6:00pm Pointless 6:35pm BBC London News 6:45pm Pointless 6:50pm BBC & Regional News and Weather 7:20pm Countryfile 8:20pm Strictly Come Dancing 9:00pm Sports Personality of the Year 2014 11:20pm BBC News 11:35pm BBC London News 11:45pm Match of the Day 2 12:45am The Apprentice

BBC TWO 5:05pm Emma 7:00pm Sports Personality of the Year at 60 8:00pm James May's Toy Stories 9:00pm What Women Want 11:00pm Russell Howard's Good News 11:30pm Mrs. Henderson Presents 1:10am A Walk to Remember

ITV 3:05pm You've Been Framed!

3:35pm The X Factor 5:40pm Death Becomes Her 7:35pm ITV News London 7:45pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Catchphrase 9:00pm The X Factor Results Show 11:05pm The Holiday 12:05am ITV News and Weather

CH4 3:00pm The Simpsons 3:30pm The Simpsons 4:00pm 10 Things I Hate About You 6:00pm Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian 8:05pm Channel 4 News 8:30pm Britain's Wildest Weather 2014 10:00pm Homeland 11:00pm Insidious 1:00am Alan Carr: Chatty Man 2:00am NFL 5:45am NFL

CH5 3:30pm Deck the Halls 5:20pm Paper Angels 7:15pm A Christmas Kiss 9:00pm The ABBA Years 10:00pm Michael Buble's Christmas Special 10:55pm 5 News 11:00pm Britain's Favourite Christmas Songs 2:00am ABBA: Live in Concert

SKY1 3:00pm Harrow: A Very British School 4:00pm Harrow: A Very British School 5:00pm Futurama 5:30pm The Simpsons 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Futurama 8:00pm The Flash 9:00pm Modern Family 9:30pm Trollied 10:00pm Hawaii Five-0 11:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 12:00am Road Wars 1:00am NCIS: Los Angeles 2:00am Hawaii Five-0 3:00am Spy 3:30am Road Wars 4:00am Night Cops

Monday BBC ONE 5:30pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Fake Britain 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Panorama 10:00pm Wild Weather with Richard Hammond 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm Have I Got a Bit More News for You 12:20am Citizen Khan

BBC TWO 6:25pm Antiques Roadshow 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 8:00pm Tom Kerridge's Best Ever Dishes 8:30pm The Perfect Morecambe and Wise Christmas Special 9:00pm University Challenge 9:30pm Only Connect 10:00pm Canterbury Cathedral 11:00pm Never Mind the Buzzcocks 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am Great Continental Railway Journeys

ITV 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Tonight 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Bette Midler: One Night Only 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm The Jonathan Ross Show 12:45am All Star Family Fortunes

CH4 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm Coach Trip 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Dogs: Their Secret Lives 10:00pm Skint 11:00pm Steph and Dom Meet Nigel Farage 11:30pm 8 Out of 10 Cats 12:35am NFL

CH5 6:30pm 5 News at 5 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm The Gadget Show 9:00pm Big Foot: The Missing Evidence 10:00pm Gotham 11:00pm Greatest Christmas TV Moments 1:55am Super Casino

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

Tuesday BBC ONE 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Holby City 10:00pm The Missing 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm The Apprentice 12:35am Film 2014

BBC TWO 6:25pm Antiques Roadshow 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 8:00pm Alex Polizzi's Christmas Fix 9:00pm The Great British Bake Off - Masterclass: Christmas Masterclass 10:00pm The Choir: New Military Wives 11:00pm Brian Pern: A Life in Rock 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am Posh People: Inside Tatler

ITV 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm Waterworld 2:05am Jackpot247

CH4 3:10pm A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 4:10pm Countdown 5:00pm Deal or No Deal 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm Coach Trip 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm The Supervet 10:00pm Black Mirror 11:30pm Gogglebox 12:30am Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA

CH5 4:45pm Lucky Christmas 6:30pm 5 News at 5 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm World's Ultimate Strongest Team 9:00pm Gibraltar: Britain in the Sun 10:00pm Kids' Hospital at Christmas 11:00pm Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole 12:00am NCIS

SKY1 3:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 4:00pm Road Wars 5:00pm Sun, Sea and A&E 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm The Flash 10:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 11:00pm Britcam: Emergency on Our Streets 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles

Wednesday BBC ONE 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 9:00pm Waterloo Road 10:00pm The Apprentice 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm Live at the Apollo 12:05am The League Cup Show

BBC TWO 5:25pm Andrew Marr's History of Modern Britain 6:25pm Antiques Roadshow 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 8:00pm The 12 Drinks of Christmas 9:00pm MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00pm Secrets of the Castle with Ruth, Peter and Tom 11:00pm The Apprentice: You're Fired!

11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am Posh People: Inside Tatler

ITV 3:00pm Peter Andre's 60 Minute Makeover 4:00pm Secret Dealers 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 Surprise Surprise 10:00pm Hit and Run 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm Cliffhanger 1:45am Jackpot247

CH4 6:30pm Coach Trip 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Posh Pawn at Christmas 10:00pm The British Comedy Awards 2014 12:05am Rhod Gilbert: The Man with the Flaming Battenberg Tattoo

CH5 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Living on the Edge: Blood in the Snow 9:00pm Gibraltar: Britain in the Sun 10:00pm Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole 11:00pm Crazy Christmas Compulsives 12:00am Kids' Hospital at Christmas

SKY1 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm All Aboard: East Coast Trains 10:00pm Tsunami: 10 Years After the Wave 11:00pm Forever 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles

40

E W N 11 - 17 December 2014 / Mallorca

CROSSWORDS

www.euroweeklynews.com

Time Out

TRUS

our a

T

dvert

WE D

isers

O!

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

Reclaim A young couple, Steven and Shannon, decide to adopt an orphan from Haiti when they discover they are unable to conceive their own child. They contact International Rescue Adoption and are introduced to Nina, who lost her family in an earthquake. But when Nina goes missing and they are unable to contact the agency, Steven and Shannon will stop at nothing to uncover the truth behind her disappearance and the dangerous secret behind the adoption agency they trusted.

Starring John Cusack, Ryan Phillipe and Rachelle Lefevre. Runs 96 mins. Rated R.

TODAY 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 ANDRATX

LLUCMAJOR

8-Star Quiz FAMOUS FELINES

We are all guilty of trying to get over this truth, but it never works. Have patience when looking to improve your possessions.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Going over old ground is counterproductive. There is nothing to be gained from repeating methods that did not work in the past. If it is not possible to find a fresh approach then seek the opinions of others.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Getting together with others to entertain is sure to be successful after the 26th. Before that there may be some irritations, particularly with people who refuse to be positive and make decisions. Those moving house or going on a journey need a lot of patience, and forward planning is essential.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) With the best will in the world it is only possible to spend money once.

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

LIBRA (September 24 October 23) This is an important week for both your physical health and your mental wellbeing. Because of things beyond your control, you may have let your diet or exercise slip. Having sorted out any problems that side-tracked you, there is a need to be particularly strong.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

SCORPIO (October 24 November 22) This is a week to let yourself be heard. Be it writing letters, sending emails, making phone calls or making conversation, you must express yourself.

Being honest and outspoken need not mean upsetting people.

LOTTERY UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

UK THUNDERBALL

IRISH LOTTO

EURO MILLIONS

Saturday December 6

Saturday December 6

Saturday December 6

Friday December 5

19

23

40

43

45

49

6

10 15

11 36

7

10

17

25

28

36

BONUS BALL

THUNDERBALL

BONUS BALL

8

3

2

5

8 47

48

3

LA PRIMITIVA

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

3

10

11

15

21

37

REINTEGRO 41

1

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA 10

22 41

SUNNY

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 15 7 Cl Tues - 16 9 S Wed - 19 10 C

Fri Sat Sun -

16 11 S 16 11 C 12 7 Sh

CLOUDY

Fri Sat Sun -

18 12 Cl 14 8 Sh 13 7 S

Fri Sat Sun -

19 11 S 18 8 Sh 15 7 Cl

MAX MIN

Mon - 16 8 S Tues - 17 9 S Wed - 19 11 C

Madrid SUNNY

TODAY:

MAX 17C, MIN 9C

MAX MIN

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 14 8 S Tues - 16 9 S Wed - 17 11 C

Mallorca

11 5 C 8 2 Sh 7 1 Cl

MAX 13C, MIN 3C MAX MIN

Mon - 8 3 Cl Tues - 9 4 C Wed - 12 5 Sh

Murcia

CLOUDY MAX 16C, MIN 11C MAX MIN

17 13 Cl 17 10 Cl 13 8 Sh

SUNNY MAX 19C, MIN 11C MAX MIN

MAX MIN

Mon - 12 7 Cl Tues - 14 9 S Wed - 16 11 C

MAX MIN

S Sun,

MAX MIN

Mon - 17 9 Cl Tues - 18 10 S Wed - 19 11 Cl

Benidorm

Malaga

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX 18C, MIN 12C

18 13 Cl 17 9 Sh 16 7 S

TODAY:

MAX 15C, MIN 9C

TODAY:

TODAY:

CLEAR MAX MIN

Barcelona TODAY:

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 13 10 Cl Tues - 16 11 Cl Wed - 17 12 C Cl Clear,

CLEAR MAX 19C, MIN 7C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun Fog,

Sn Snow,

18 8 S 18 7 Sh 15 6 Cl C Cloud,

MAX MIN

Mon - 15 6 Cl Tues - 16 7 S Wed - 18 8 Cl 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 G) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.

TARGET:

Average: 7

Very good: 13

Good: 9

Excellent: 16

aged, dang, doge, drag, dreg, egad, ergo, gape, gate, gean, gear, gent, gnat, goad, goat, goer, gone, gore, grad, gran, grot, ogre, page, pang, pong, rage, rang, tang, toga, tong, agent, agone, anger, argon, argot, ergot, gaped, gaper, gated, gator, gonad, goner, gored, grade, grand, grant, grape, grate, great, groan, groat, grope, orang, organ, paged, pager, podge, prang, prong, raged, range, tango, argent, danger, dotage, dragon, gander, garden, garnet, grande, grated, groped, onager, orange, parget, ponged, potage, ranged, toerag, dragnet, granted, groaned, negator, portage, pranged, pronged, tangoed, trepang, dragonet, GODPARENT

Word Ladder SENT

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

38 53

REINTEGRO 7

TODAY:

MAX MIN

18 9 S 18 8 Sh 13 6 C

Sunday December 7

Saturday December 6

37

LUCKY STARS 2

Almeria

CLEAR MAX 19C, MIN 8C

MAX MIN

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) The prospect of travel sets you thinking. Have you been spending too much time considering others? Should you take steps now to get time alone then these plans cannot be changed. This will save any discussions as to how or when.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Although you have the feeling that younger members of the family are

Alicante TODAY:

BACK

(BUNT) BAND (BUNK) BANK BACK

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) This month, there is much to be celebrated. So much has happened in the latter part of the year. Certainly, congratulations are in order. When you have made such an effort and are rewarded for it,

30

not interested in your point of view, this is far off the mark. They, in their inexperience, may not know how best to approach you in this regard.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) The importance of making the right choices is clear to you. Where to begin seems to be a sticking point. Starting by taking away the things you really do not want is essential. Be practical and logical.

This is not a time for sentiment or muddled thinking.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) When it comes to throwing wobblers, please don't. It is so important this week to stay cool and unruffled. Change nothing that you can avoid changing.

1. Voiced by actress Kate Harbour, what is the name of Bob the Builder’s pet cat?

2. What is the name of the cat in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons who is often seen chasing Tweety Bird, Speedy Gonzales or Hippety Hopper?

3. What is the name of the local NYPD cop in the television cartoon series Top Cat? 4. What was the name of the 18th century English writer and lexicographer who owned a ‘very fine cat’ called Hodge?

5. Runaway Boys (1980) and Rock This Town (1981) were both UK Top 10 hit singles for which American rockabilly band?

6. Which US-born, British poet wrote the book of light verse Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, on which the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats was based?

7. Which famous actress played the title role in the 1965 comedy Western film Cat Ballou?

8. Which pasta dish is the favourite food of Garfield the cat?

the satisfaction level is high. Be aware, though, that someone close also needs to feel that there is progress.

December 13, Santi Cazorla, football player After four seasons with Villareal and one season with Malaga, Cazorla joined Arsenal in 2012 and has been instrumental in the team’s midfield. He was named the 10th best player in the world by Bloomberg in 2013. He is only the third Spanish player to score a hat-trick in the Premier League, along with Fernando Torres and Jordi Gomez.

BACK or SENT BENT BEND

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) You are in for a bit of a bumpy ride this week. Some things will go well but other outcomes can be quirky. People change their minds, technology doesn't work, phone calls don't come.

Your Stars

IF IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK: Trust your instincts when making judgements in the months ahead, particularly when meeting new people.

Should you feel concern, then sidestep and look ahead.

SENT SEND SAND SANK SACK

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Having problems with that new computer? Fallen foul of the new mobile phone? That wouldn't be surprising this week.

As you are prone to mistakes and misunderstandings, try not to tackle anything vital. Be sure to get plenty of sleep and fresh air.

MAGALLUF

1. PILCHARD, 2. SYLVESTER J PUSSYCAT, SYLVESTER THE CAT or simply SYLVESTER or PUDDY TAT, 3. OFFICER (Charles) DIBBLE, 4. DR SAMUEL JOHNSON, 5. STRAY CATS, 6. T S (Thomas Stearns) ELIOT, 7. JANE FONDA, 8. LASAGNA

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CROSSWORDS

Crosswords

11 - 17 December 2014 / Mallorca

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41

SPONSORED BY

For more information about the sponsor go to www.lineadirecta.com

Cryptic

Quick

Across 1 Dawdle, as ducks do (6) 5 Lack of density associated with our planet (6) 8 Glossy magazine uncovers a beating (4) 9 Exchange rate certain to provide wealth (8) 10 In with Rose, not exactly the junior of the two (6) 11 Make case without England’s leader (6) 12 Note of French flag (4) 14 Bingo from the Bahamas (3) 15 A lair in an Arabian seaport (4) 16 Swiss community against admitting worker (6) 18 Study after the unfinished yarn (6) 19 Portrait of Ken’s isle at sea (8) 21 Brew ales for purchase (4) 22 Cuss the French pound (6) 23 Departmental head one sues can be neglect (6) Down 2 Sounds like a way in to worship (5) 3 Detest scruffy kid’s lie (7)

4 Distract ant in tree, somehow (9) 5 Party eye opener is a deer (3) 6 Long narrow passage in Shanghai’s Left Bank (5) 7 Rubs the talent up the wrong way in order to regain the advantage (4,3,6) 11 Punished, the way one is in

being pursued (9) 13 A car I’ve designed for selfishness (7) 15 A Russian leader takes it easy, then stops all together (7) 17 Take care of delicacy (5) 20 Find a farm animal in the World Wide Web (3)

Code Breaker Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 10 represents P and 16 represents Z, so fill in P every time the figure 10 appears and Z every time the figure 16 appears.

Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS CRYPTIC Across: 1 Agrarian, 4 Bite, 7 Rents, 9 Avail, 11 Scant, 12 Enact, 13 Ticker, 15 Causes, 19 Beams, 21 Rooks, 23 Shame, 24 Elate, 25 Same, 26 Kestrels.

Down: 1 Abreast, 2 Ranks, 3 Adapts, 5 Edict, 6 Made, 8 Scale, 10 Loafs, 14 Crass, 16 Abode, 17 Softens, 18 Breeze, 19 Bails, 20 Scat, 22 Snare.

QUICK Across: 7 Recent, 8 Voyage, 10 College, 11 Sweet, 12 Seek, 13 Fewer, 17 Reach, 18 Hour, 22 Apart, 23 Protect, 24 Leaves, 25 Stress.

Down: 1 Precise, 2 Scolded, 3 Anger, 4 Monster, 5 Camel, 6 Debts, 9 Telescope, 14 Beetles, 15 Forever, 16 Protest, 19 Early, 20 Japan, 21 Boots.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Casco, 3 Beers, 7 Amargo, 9 Open, 10 September, 13 Raro, 14 España, 16 Scarf, 17 Batas.

Down: 1 Coal, 2 Car, 4 Empresa, 5 Sano, 6 Cohetes, 8 Alegria, 11 Gris, 12 Mats, 15 Pea.

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

Across 1 Basket (5) 4 Stamp (postage stamp) (5) 7 That (3) 8 Aviator (7) 9 Jabón (para lavar) (4) 10 Eighth (6) 14 Cuellos (de prenda) (7) 16 Bacalao (3) 17 Lakes (5) 18 Asientos (muebles) (5) Down 1 Ajedrez (5) 2 Swedish (f) (5) 3 To pray (say prayers) (4) 4 Maletas (para equipaje) (9) 5 Tapa (de caja) (3) 6 Nuestro (3) 11 Anchor (5) 12 Waves (in sea, lake) (5) 13 Sierras (herramientas) (4) 14 Cabbage (3) 15 Pierna (3)

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

ABASES

NEARER

ASTERN (10)

NEATLY

CATERS

OTHERS

CEASES

PRIEST

CENTRE

RESTED

CHASTE

SCREAM

DECREE

STARRY

DIVIDE

TREATY

MASSED

WHILED

METERS

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Funagram Unscramble the name of a famous region of Germany (two words): CRABS FELT OK FUNAGRAM SOLUTION: LEONARDO DA VINCI, BLACK FOREST

Unscramble the name of a famous Italian artist: VINDALOO AND RICE

Across 1 Selects (7) 4 Fabulous (5) 7 Inspire wrath (5) 9 Shrieks (7) 10 Problem (7) 11 Requires (5) 12 Reserve (5) 14 Banquet (5) 19 Does damage to (5) 21 Put back (7) 23 Offensive remarks (7) 24 Inexpensive (5) 25 Catalogues (5) 26 Leave dangling (7) Down 1 Maps (6) 2 Clean with effort (5) 3 Method (6) 4 Odd (7) 5 Serene state (5) 6 Oppose (6) 8 Band (5) 13 Outcomes (7) 15 Have in common (5) 16 Excitement (6) 17 Emergency (6) 18 Bounded (6) 20 Reclines (5) 22 Chooses (5)

1 Prints, 2 Traced, 3 Barest, 4 Meteor, 5 Reaped, 6 Health, 7 Oceans, 8 Rested, 9 Cursed, 10 Arenas, 11 Hazels, 12 Sensed, 13 Learnt, 14 Seated, 15 Wearer, 16 Reeled, 17 Weeded, 18 Seared, 19 Owners

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

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

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Pizza for your five-a-day diet

PIZZAS and Chinese takeaways could soon form part of a person’s ‘five-a-day’ diet.

The UK Department of Health is considering foods that have at least one portion of fruit or veg to carry the government’s official five-a-day logo, meaning pizzas with ham and pineapple, or Chinese

takeaways with veg components will count towards a healthy diet.

The controversial decision would also include foods like baked beans, tinned soups, ready meals and sausages. The five-a-day logo was launched by the Department of Health in 2003 to encourage healthier eating.

TOPPING THE LIST: University Hospital of La Paz in Madrid.

Where are the best hospitals in Spain?

THE University Hospital of La Paz in Madrid and the University Clinic of

Navarra top the list of public and private hospitals with the best

reputation in Spain.

That’s according to an independent study which collected the opinions of 2,400 experts.

This is the first monitor of health reputation to be held in the country and includes the rankings of top public and private hospitals, hospital services and medical professionals by speciality.

Madrid and Barcelona host the top five public hospitals, whilst the best private hospitals are in Navarra with private centres in Madrid taking in the next six spots.

The ranking reflects the valuation of experts, including doctors, nurses, patients’ associations and journalists, who have analysed 186 quality indicators and healthcare performances.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

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11 - 17 December 2014 / Mallorca

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43

I take a wait and see approach Erica Russell Watson: My journey – and I’m driving

27th November THE morning after the day before! I had had my first chemo treatment on 26th November and awoke having slept well.

Apart from feeling a little peaky I felt surprisingly good. A hearty breakfast along with the medication I had been given set me straight. Everything seemed a little dream-like, if I’m honest.

Nobody ever imagines that they will be having chemotherapy but I had started and that was the important thing… the sooner I began the sooner I finished. I spent the morning resting and then had to go to the hospital again for the last set of tests, a bone scan.

I arrived at the hospital at 3pm and had yet another lot of dye injected into my arm; my veins had taken a pounding that week.

Then I was instructed to go away for two hours and drink lots of water. On my return I was ‘scanned.’ A process that took about 20 minutes and completely painless of course.

This was to rule out bone cancer. The staff were friendly and told me that they would send the results on to my oncologist. I imagined that for my next chemo session they would be inside my file ready for my appointment.

As I have mentioned, I was given a lot of information about chemotherapy and I have to say that I am not a great one for reading instructions and buying lots of medication. I prefer to have the general outline and then listen to my

Readers’ response Dear Erica, I have been reading your ‘column’ with mixed feelings, having experienced most of what you have related so far plus chemo followed by radiotherapy.

I notice that you referred to hearing comments made by others whilst in the waiting room about the various side-effects of chemo. Yes, there are many and various ‘side-effects’ but I sincerely hope that you will not relay these through your page in this paper. I feel strongly that patients should decide for themselves with as little ‘previous knowledge’ as possible as, if they overhear/misunderstand or read too much, they may decide against the treatment and so make the wrong decision.

The MacMillan website is very helpful.

I would be willing to answer any relevant questions you may have if you feel it would be helpful.

I do wish you well.

Yours sincerely, Mrs P H

Dear Pamela Many thanks for your letter. I entirely agree that talking about side-effects can be negative and often irrelevant to many as we are all so different and react in different ways to treatment.

My intention is to write about my experience but to be as positive as possible.

I intend to listen to my body and respond accordingly. I feel a little tired but that’s about it at the moment, so as far as I am concerned life must go on as normal!

Thank you for your offer of advice and to answer any questions I might have. At this stage I can’t think of anything in particular but I will certainly contact you if I have any doubts.

Kind regards and best wishes for a full recovery, Erica

LIBERATING: My new short haircut

body.

Naturally, the essential meds must be taken but you don’t have to go crazy buying every cream and potion suggested. I think that a ‘wait and see how you go policy’ is a good one.

Why pre-empt? The one thing that I think is important is a good diet, lots of nuts and green veggies and fruit. You must drink lots of water, hydrate your skin well and there are a wonderful range of teas that are good for you and

delicious at the same time. There are lots of cookery books with great ideas for recipes that provide you with what you need to keep your immune system at full power, which is essential if you are to stay on track with your treatment schedule. Eat well, rest and avoid people with colds if you can.

Friday was ‘mission wig’!

Typically, I didn’t go to loads of shops because there is a fantastic and very well established hairdressers near Calle Larios, called Pacos.

Everyone had spoken highly about them so I thought that would be the best place to go.

I failed to realise that my little shopping trip coincided with the Malaga Christmas

illuminations. The mayor turned on the lights and what a sight they were!

Utterly dazzling and beautiful. The atmosphere was buzzing in the centre and it really felt like Christmas had arrived. The streets were teeming with people and the smell of chestnuts roasting pervaded your every sense.

Into the hairdressers I went. It was a veritable Aladdin’s cave. A jovial lady called Carmen asked if she could help and the moment I explained that I had started chemo she whisked me upstairs. You could tell they were at ease and used to dealing with clients going through treatment. We went to a private room and tried on lots of wigs. It was great fun actually. I managed to narrow down the choice and with the help of Jorge, I settled on a rather snazzy, short ‘Bondesque’ number.

It was expensive, but with Black Friday 20 per cent off, I decided it was worth it. I would save a fortune on haircuts and colours and shampoos! I think that if

you can, it is important to boost your image and your self-esteem… if you look in the mirror and a sad, drab face looks back, that is how you will feel on the inside.

A bit of lipstick and a bright jumper works for me.

With the special offers on I nipped into El Corte Ingles and bought a set of knives for my boyfriend’s mother who had been cooking and looking after me as if I were her own. I’ve seen sharper spoons than her knives so it was time for an update!

She loves to cook so her little face lit up when I gave them to her. Then it was time to eat and rest.

The following day I decided to meet my dear friend Pepi for coffee, a bit of shopping and then a few tapas. I just love being in the centre of Malaga. It is a special place for me for so many reasons. The rest of the weekend was spent resting and watching Strictly Come Dancing and Sherlock with my children. We made a cake on Sunday. It had been a thoroughly good weekend.

Everything seemed calm. I felt pretty good but was wondering when my hair might fall out. Instead of waiting for that moment I decided to have a radical haircut. I had long hair and I went very short. It was very liberating, I have to say. Later I would shave my head and don my wig but for now my short cut was to be enjoyed!

A friend of mine suggested I tried Reiki… didn’t know much about it, but it was a good excuse to lie down and relax so I gave it a whirl.

The jury is out for the moment but Carmen liked doing it so I decided that I would try it again.

A week had gone by since my first treatment and pretty much without incident. I had seven more to go in 21 day cycles, 17th December would be my next session. Fingers crossed for the same reaction. Only time would tell.

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FEATURE

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Advertising feature

COPING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS: You are not alone, Cortijo Care can help you take that first step.

Mental health at Christmas time ‘

‘

While everyone else is feeling happy and jolly, you’re fighting the war inside you.

This illness has stolen many things from you, including Christmas.

GEMMA WOOD Head of Counselling and Psychotherapy at the Medical and Psychological clinic, Cortijo Care, based in San Pedro.

‘

The Christmas season was once about religion, festivities and - most importantly - being with the family. For some of us this is still true; however, for many, the holiday season now feels like it comes with very high expectations.

For some, Christmas has become just another day or, even worse, something that they dread or fear.

The stigma that still surrounds mental illness can make Christmas a very dark time for some. Either the illness has to be kept quiet through the holidays or it can be something that highlights the issues with which the family is suffering.

Every Christmas, the number of people reaching out for help due to mental illness rises.

Hospitals and emergency departments report increased incidences of attempted suicide, while psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health professionals report a significant increase in patients

EQUIPPED TO CARE: The centre in San Pedro.

complaining about depression.

The team at Cortijo Care is very well prepared for this and can help you get through this difficult time. This season, if you feel you are struggling, don’t worry, you are not alone.

Factors that influence mental health at Christmas: • Excessive commercialisation of Christmas, with the focus on gifts and the emphasis on ‘perfect’ social activities.

Pressure from society to produce ‘bigger and better’ everything (i.e. presents, food, etc). There is particular pressure on low earners.

• Expectations for social gatherings with family, friends and acquaintances with whom you would rather not spend time.

• Bereavement and loss Christmas can feel lonely for those who have lost a loved one.

You are expected to be happy. This can actually cause a deeper sense of loneliness.

• New Year’s Resolutions.

• Disappointments for children not getting what they wanted.

Addiction during the holidays: The Christmas and New Year period is always a difficult time for someone suffering from an addiction. Many will make the resolution to not drink again, as they do not yet realise that it is no longer a choice for them.

The only ‘choice’ is recovery, to get help and learn to understand their addiction.

Alcoholism is often a family disease, meaning its effects are not self-contained or isolated to just the affected person. In fact, for every individual living with alcoholism, there are six or more people who are also impacted by the disease.

Therefore, a family who has a

loved one suffering from addiction will also be affected by the illness during Christmas.

Eating disorders: For most people, highlights of the holidays include the food and sitting down to enjoy a traditional meal. Yet, for someone suffering from an eating disorder, this will bring stress, anxiety and fear. It is also a time of year when family and friends may visit, and recent weight-loss will be noticed and difficult questions asked. Coping with Christmas involves some preparation and an understanding heart. There are ways in which you can develop coping strategies, which will reduce the amount of stress you will feel. At Cortijo Care we specialise in eating disorders and can help you get through this challenging period.

Tips on coping: • If you suffer from an eating

disorder, talk over your meal plan with someone, ideally a professional if you are currently under somebody’s care. If you are spending time with family and friends share this plan with someone you trust so they can help you stick to it.

• Decide ahead of time how long you can tolerate a family gathering. At the end of that period leave and feel good about taking care of yourself.

• Don’t accept any ideal or perfect representation of Christmas that the media or institutions push onto us. Lower your expectations. Try to focus on the now.

• Say no! Saying yes all the time, especially when you do not want to, can leave you feeling bitter and beleaguered. Loved ones will understand if you can’t involve yourself in everything.

• Make some time for yourself.

Spending just 20 minutes alone, without interruption, can help you regain control. Do things that are very special and important to you. You can only do the best you can.

Remember you don’t have to wait until you hit rock bottom; you can make a change at any time and Cortijo Care can help you take your first step.

Cortijo Care Marbella: C/ Joaquin Turina, Cortijo Blanco, San Pedro de Alcantara, Marbella. Phone: (+34) 952 780 181 Email: info@cortijocare.com www.cortijocare.com

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FOOD & DRINK

Mallorca’s best guide to local restaurants

TO READ MORE VISIT: WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM/FEATURES/RESTAURANTS

Advertising feature

A hidden gem in the Do you have news for our Mallorcan countryside

SON BORONAT is a quaint five bedroom hotel and restaurant located on the outskirts of Calvia village. Danish owned, you will enjoy a very special culinary experience where everything is freshly prepared, baked and cooked on a daily basis.

Their slogan is ‘our home, your hotel’ and this truly comes to life when you walk in and smell the freshly baked scones or home baked bread.

Johnnie and Rene are the warm and welcoming owners of Son Boronat who pay close attention to every detail of your visit in a very relaxed and friendly manner.

Leading up to Christmas, for lunch you can enjoy the Danish specialty Smørrebrød traditional open dark rye bread sandwiches with a choice of different toppings, salad and fish fillet topped with remoulade, prawns and cucumber.

With a combination of the three you can experience an amazing lunch time feast that will leave you with a feeling of having eaten healthily.

Son Boronat prides itself on its excellent local and international selections, with an emphasis on quality cuisine and transforming the best, fresh market and seasonal ingredients into a dining experience of the highest level.

Discover different dishes ranging from the dramatic and innovative to the authentic, but always with a perfect combination of flavours, colours, aromas and textures.

As an example of this, their set

readers?

AT EWN we have our clients’ best interests at heart. Getting your news out to the public can sometimes be a struggle, but we here at EWN want to help. Have you changed your menu, recently renovated or won an award?

Do you have an upcoming charity event you’d like to publicise? Do you have a new member of staff?

Maybe you’d like to take part in our ‘Restaurant’ experience?

Your establishment provides a meal for two which we will review and publish - with pictures - in your local edition. If you have any

SON BORONAT: Where you will enjoy a special culinary experience. menu starters are a choice of three different dishes - salmon with herbs, spicy melon soup with prawns and tomato and mozzarella salad.

The main course offers choices like tenderloin of lamb with a home-made mushroom sauce cooked in cognac, red tuna steak with an oyster sauce or Argentinian steak, all with delicious, freshly made sauces to complement each main course.

The desert menu offers tiramisu with Irish berries, crema Catalan or a cappuchino mousse.

The excellent selection of wines at the restaurant include Bodegas Bordoy, Miguel Gelabert, Can Majoral and Mortitx.

Booking for the restaurant is essential due to the fact that everything is freshly made.

Make your table reservation now and come and experience the delight that is Son Boronat!

Tel. +34 667 460 538 Cami de Son Boronat,33, 07184 Calvia www.hotelsonboronat.com

news of interest that you would like to get out to local readers, then please let us know. We cannot promise to publish everything, but we will do our best.

Please send your news and photos to whatson@euroweeklynews.com

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omes&gardens

HOMES & GARDEN

HHandy Christmas presents for SPONSORED BY

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPONSOR GO TO WWW.LINEADIRECTA.COM

Dick Handscombe

Gardening Corner

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

DESIGNING, constructing, planting up and maintaining continues to be one of the most frequent hobbies for expatriates coming to Spain to retire or sometimes an essential, reluctant activity for those who came to Spain to work fulltime. Some do all the gardening themselves while others use outside help for the more strenuous and difficult jobs, such as pruning large trees, especially as they age, that is both the trees and the expatriates.

So, what gifts would be welcomed for Christmas, Three Kings Day or a winter birthday, based on my 27 years of gardening in Spain

and nearing 80 years of age?

1. There is a considerable amount of pruning to do in most Spanish gardens and most is concentrated into the months of January and February, the time of the annual winter cutback.

Good short and long extendable pruners with sharp blades and ergonomic design to reduce the effort required especially of the wrist and elbow joints can make life easier.

The best tools that I have experienced are the Finnish Fiskars range of products, which includes pruners, saws and axes that they started manufacturing several centuries ago. If your spouse has had some of their pruners for years and they are going a little blunt one can buy a set of new blades.

ALLAH VARIETY OF LEMON

the gardener in your life

GREEN GIFTS: A wheelbarrow or unusual plant.

2. TerraCottem is an invaluable soil improvement gel and it has saved many a plant during the recent, year-long drought.

The water absorbing and storage properties of the main gel constituent are amazing. So a five kilogramme container direct from Spain’s distributor TerraVida would

make a great present to someone preparing a new garden or revamping an old. The product is useful for trees, shrubs, and annual flowering plants, including vegetables. I suggest you explore their website to obtain more information and one can order from there.

3. In general mattocks

are more convenient tools than forks and spades for most digging, rock moving and weeding jobs on Spanish soils. Agricultural co-operatives often have good displays of small medium and large bladed mattocks to choose from.

When selecting mattocks do ensure that you check that the handles are long enough for you to use comfortably, especially if you are taller

than most Spaniards.

4. A book such as ‘Living well from our garden Mediterranean style’ to help understand which garden plants have health benefits.

For those with Spanish partners the book is now translated into Spanish as ‘Vivirbien de un jardin español al estilo Mediterráneo’.

5. Someone to help prune giant trees whether ancient oaks, pines, olive or carob trees and 20-year-old acacias.

6. A wheelbarrow with a bouncy wheel, especially if your garden is terraced and you need to cope with steps. Those barrows with spherical wheels are excellent.

7. A growing table on which to build up a collection of small plants or grow salad vegetables.

8. An unusual plant such as a Hand of Budda or Allah variety of lemon, Latin Botanical name Citrus medica var sarcodactylis, which has amazingly shaped fruits with more flavour than many normal lemons for cooking and making infusions. However they do not have much central flesh for juicing.

9. If the intended recipient is relatively new to Spanish gardening, or gardening at all, then the general handbook ‘Your Garden in Spain - From planning to planting to maintenance’ would make a good present.

Hope these presents help you with your Christmas shopping and that the recipients are happy. © Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com

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11 - 17 December 2014 / Mallorca

Property TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

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POSITIVE: Predictions for property market.

Things are looking up

ANALYSTS at BBVA bank are putting an optimistic face on their predictions for the Spanish property market.

In their latest report, Spanish Property Flash, they say November’s data shows a turning point in demand in the real estate sector with double digit growth year on year.

Put that into context with price stability and a slight increase in new building permits over the summer, and the signs are there for a recovery in not just sales, but also prices.

The report says: “2015 may mark the beginning of a moderate recovery in residential developments. The improvement in housing sales continues. The latest housing sales figures demonstrate the improvement A NEW online platform is being set up to help foreign buyers invest in Spanish property.

The idea is to link notaries in different countries through the site, which will then make it easier to complete cross-border transactions.

The launch of the platform was announced at a conference in London and is supported by the European Land Registry Association (ELRA) as well as registries in Spain, Portugal, the

throughout 2014: sales leapt at a rate of 20.7 per cent.”

The report went on to state: “This improvement in sales is underpinned by the recovery in residential demand fundamentals: employment grew again and, in its turn, consumer confidence continued to show an upward trend.

“Furthermore, all this is taking place in an environment of financial stability, which the reduction in funding costs continues to encourage.

All in all, aggregate housing sales between January and September revealed growth of 18 per cent over the same period the year before, which corroborates our forecast that 2014 will mark the turning point in

operations.”

The report added that a recovery in the construction industry is carrying on with five consecutive months of growth, the longest period of expansion since the economic crisis began.

The analysts added: “Businesses are feeling less negative about the future outlook for the sector, reflected in the timid recovery in the industrial sentiment indexes in all construction segments. This improvement in activity has also spread to the labour market, where all the employment indicators show a positive movement in the building segment. Unemployment in the sector fell by nearly 9,500 workers in October.”

Easing foreign investment buyers Netherlands, England and Wales.

The online tool has been developed by the Crobeco Project to help ease the conveyancing process for foreign buyers particularly those purchasing properties in Spain and Portugal.

The organisation explained that the new tool, called NetPRO, will give notaries access to resources which can resolve any legal queries which they may have about buying in a different country.

It will also make it

easier for the buyer to use a notary in their own country, as it will allow for the rights and obligations of buyer and seller to be governed by the laws of the country of the foreign purchaser.

At the moment the system is being targeted at English and Dutch people looking to buy in Spain and Portugal.

However, NetPRO could easily be used in other European Union countries as the systems used are generic.

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BOATING

Volvo Ocean Race update - Supery Team Vestas Wind grounded TEAM VESTAS WIND’S Volvo Ocean Race may be over after the boat was dramatically grounded during leg two of the race. The nineman crew found themselves stranded on a X patch of land in the Indian Ocean after their boat ploughed into a reef on St Brandon archipelago.

Stranded for two days and surrounded by shark-infested waters, the Mauritius coast guard air-dropped cans of Coke and chocolate and cookies for the sailors until they were picked up by a fishing vessel. It remains to be seen if the boat can be repaired to continue in the ninemonth long race.

With now only six of the seven competitors expected to arrive in Abu Dhabi this week, Spain’s MAPFRE team are hoping to make up for their last place finish in the first leg. The MAPFRE team stormed out of Cape Town in first position in near gale-force conditions to get the second phase of the competition under way, and at the time of going to press were lying in third place as they eat up the 6,125 nautical miles between Cape Town and Abu Dhabi.

The boats are expected to arrive in the United Arab Emirates capital sometime between December 11 and 15.

TEAM VESTAS WIND: Can they continue?

Photo: Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race Brian Carlin/Team Vestas Wind/Volvo Ocean Race

SUPERYACHTS are queuing up to register in Spain thanks to the exemption from paying 12 per cent matriculation tax whilst in Spanish waters, and the Balearics are feeling the effects.

The superyacht charter market is booming, and a preliminary study by the Spanish Association of Superyachts (AEGY), shows that 21 yachts over 24 metres joined the Balearic charter market during 2014.

“Palma-based Network Marine Consultants believe that figure is much higher in reality, most likely 34 yachts, with many more set to join the fleet for 2015,” said Lorenzo Vila, director of Mallorca-based easyboats. “These are exciting times and not only will charter companies such as easyboats benefit from the relaxed legislation, but also the wider Spanish economy.”

The Balearics economy has benefited to the tune of around

BOATING

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Sunseeker 155 Blush www.easyboats.com

yacht legislation working

SUPERYACHTS: The charter market is booming with many more set to join the fleet for 2015. €4 million thanks to the additional 21 yachts, according to AEGY. And with nearly 600 yachts over 24 metres available for charter

in the western Mediterranean, it looks like it’s only a matter of time before owners and captains realise that Spain is open for business.

“The signs are good, legislation is becoming more favourable, and we applaud the progress that has been made so far,” said Mr Vila.

“But a certain degree of patience will be required before we see a Spanish superyacht charter fleet that runs into the hundreds.”

EWN

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‘Rockstar’ collides with drawbridge WELL-KNOWN superyacht ‘Rockstar’ had a narrow escape last week when a drawbridge in Florida collapsed on top of the boat, causing tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage.

The 161-foot, $21 million (€17 million) superyacht was being towed from Fort Lauderdale to Miami when part of a drawbridge came crashing down on Rockstar as it passed underneath, narrowly missing the hot tub.

Fifteen people were on board at the time, but none were hurt in the accident.

Rockstar was built

by Trinity Yachts in

2009 and is registered out of George Town, Cayman Island.

Featuring five staterooms and a two-level master suite with private lounge, the luxury yacht also holds a seven-person spa pool, saloon and dining room area.

Originally named ‘Blind Date,’ Rockstar is currently up for sale at €17 million.

The superyacht is owned by Rockstar energy drink billionaire founder, Russ Weiner and is one of the most wellknown boats on the ‘superyacht scene.’

It costs around €310,000 to charter for a week.

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MOTORING

SPONSORED BY For best rates in motor insurance call: 952 89 33 80

Five star Mondeo Maserati’s Alfieri THE new Ford Mondeo has been awarded the maximum five-star safety rating by independent crash test authority Euro NCAP. The Mondeo, which is currently being rolled out across Europe, is the first Ford worldwide to offer Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection.

The technology is designed to detect people in the road ahead and automatically apply the brakes if the driver does not respond to warnings.

Also introduced for the first time in Europe is Ford’s Inflatable Rear Seatbelt technology - a segmentfirst for Mondeo. In the event of an accident, the seatbelt can expand to

disperse crash forces across a body area five times greater than that achieved by a conventional seatbelt.

“This is the most technologically advanced Ford vehicle ever introduced in Europe. Through features like Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection, and Inflatable Rear Seatbelt, we’ve delivered safety features that provide exceptional protection for drivers, passengers and pedestrians alike,” said Ulrich Koesters, vehicle line director, Ford of Europe.

Technologies offered by the all-new Mondeo also include: Dynamic LED headlights, which offers the daylight-

mimicking light clarity of full-LED headlamps combined with Ford’s Adaptive Front Lighting System.

Another innovative feature is Ford MyKey, which enables owners to programme a key to inhibit incoming phone calls, and restrict the top speed.

Also available is Active City Stop, which is designed to help drivers avoid low speed collisions and SYNC 2 with Emergency Assistance, a voice-activated technology that enables drivers to keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel, and can directly connect vehicle occupants to local emergency services operators after an accident.

goes into production MASERATI has announced that it has put into production its stunning Alfieri 2+2 concept car.

Named after Alfieri Maserati it is to mark the car maker’s centennial. The Italian manufacturer was set up in December 1914.

The car “explores the stylistic heritage of the brand and anticipates future design trends,” says Maserati.

A sleek, Italian style 2+2, today’s Alfieri is still at the concept stage, but that will change soon, announced the car makers.

The Alfieri production car should be driven out of showrooms sometime in 2016 or 2017, and is expected to be powered by either a V6 or V8 turbo engine.

Maserati CEO Harald Westersaid: “It is the year of the Alfieri, an amazing concept car built to mark the Centennial, named after our founder.

“It is the year in which customers and fans celebrate our glorious past, enjoy a present in which the product range is wider than ever, and look eagerly forward to the launch of the Maserati SUV, to be followed by the Alfieri, as the concept car goes into production.”

The concept interprets Maserati’s most iconic signatures: restyled triple air ducts on the wheel arches; the trident emblem in a central position on the front grille; the Saetta logo on the rear pillar; and forged wheels whose spoke design gives a nod to the trident profile.

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PETS

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Modern-day A stress-free pets go digital Christmas ARE you a modern pet owner? If so, it is likely you have made your pets go digital, and are pampering your pooches.

According to research carried out for GoCompare by Vision Critical, nearly one million UK pet owners have created an online profile for their pet on sites like Facebook, a practice known as ‘social petworking’.

And Skype’s Pet Brand Ambassador, Paris Permenter, uses the online video/phone service to stay in touch with her dogs and has even published special Skyping tips for pet owners.

To tune in to the modern digitally-minded pet owner a new website has been launched to give owners training tips for their animals.

Clickety Clips is a new concept in online video resource designed with the modern ‘time-poor’ dog owner in mind. “They want pets who can be treated as members of the family,” said founder Vicky Carne, who added: “This new digital generation of owners is looking for help and insights delivered in a way that fits with their smart technology and demanding lives.”

Vicky explained: “Modern dog owners want to learn on the go. They want information they can access and consume easily, on a smartphone or tablet, at a time that suits them.

“They visit the vet and seek advice and may well sign their dog up for puppy classes. But they also want ready access to different approaches and ideas to help them make decisions about everything from training to treats, from physical health to their pets’ mental well-being.”

for your cat CHRISTMAS is a stressful time for most cats, except for the very laid-back ones.

Strangers coming into the home, small children, loud noises from guests and TVs, unusual smells from Christmas trees and holly and mistletoe, unusual food, etc, can all have an effect.

If you have a nervous cat, give it a room it can retreat to, with litter tray, food and water. If it wants to come down and join the fun, let it. If not, leave it be.

Give your cat the choice. If it is very nervous install a Feliway diffuser in the room, starting a week before Christmas.

Most cats are afraid of

David THE Dogman

Listen to David on TRE every Saturday 10 thru 11.

Costa del Sol (Gibraltar/Sotogrande) 98.7fm (San Roque to Calahonda) 91.9fm (Calahonda to Motril) 88.9, Costa Calida 92.7fm Costa Blanca (Torrevieja to Elche) 105.1fm (Elche to Calpe) 88.2fm, (Calpe to Gandia & Ibiza) 104.6fm, (Denia to Valencia) 95.3fm Mallorca 103.9fm

visiting dogs, even if they live with a familiar dog. In this case make sure the cat is shut away from the dog so that they never have to come face to face.

After all this is your cat’s home, and it deserves to feel safe.

Chocolate is poisonous both to cats and dogs.

Grapes and raisins are poisonous to dogs and probably to cats, too.

Turkey and chicken

FESTIVE FEAR: Visitors and noise can scare cats. bones can get stuck in the throat or wound the stomach. Alcohol will lead to accidents like falling off shelves, or, if

a lot is taken, it can kill. It is not funny to give a cat alcohol: it is cruel.

Therefore, shut away all food. Or shut away the cat.

After all, you don’t want to go into the kitchen and find cat nibble marks on the turkey.

String that ties up a turkey may be half swallowed.

NEVER pull it out.

Ring the emergency vet service and take their advice. This also applies to tapes, strings or anything that may end up half in and half out at either end. Just yanking can cause serious injury.

Long-term sitters located for Windsor and Wentworth

By Lamia Walker of HousesitMatch SAM and Pete, a professional couple from Cambridgeshire, decided to give up their jobs, their lovely home and garden in a pretty English village, to volunteer abroad for six months.

A brave mid-career move perhaps, to leave safe, comfortable jobs in these uncertain times.

But what to do with their cats?

When Sam first suggested doing more of what they enjoyed on their holidays - volunteering in Uganda at an educational charity - Pete was reluctant at first. “It was not about giving up work necessarily, I am a self-employed plumber and can take my business with me. It was mainly about our 10-year-old

cats, Windsor and Wentworth. We’ve had them as long as we’ve been married and we wanted them cared for safely at home. We knew there must be a solution and one Friday we Googled home care for pets and came across HouseSitMatch.com.

“During the weekend we had registered, posted a profile and already had enquiries about people

wanting to house-sit for us from all over the world. Now we can travel to Uganda, having chosen the people who will care for our home and our furry family.”

Download your Free Easy Guide to Housesitting from here www.bit.ly/eurown001 To find a petsitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on +44 (0)186 552 1508

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SPORT

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port S Toro RC keep their cool

Ballon d’Or Award

The 2014 Ballon d’Or Award will go to either Messi, Ronaldo, or German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Mallorca’s best guide to local sport

By Lynda Demangeat SPECTATORS turned out in force in Son Caliu despite the cold and wind to watch an exciting match between rivals El Toro RC and RC Ponent B. The RC Ponent A team had their match against Dimonis RC postponed so they slipped a few reinforcements into their B team which made the confrontation more

interesting. In a good match the home team ran out 18 points to 12 winners.

Other matches in the Baleares Senior league were between Ibiza RC who played Corsaris RFC. There was only a try separating them at the half way mark with the score at 12 - 5, but Ibiza RFC showed they had more stamina and during the last 30 minutes of the game managed to break through Corsaris defence to finish with 57 points to 10.

Shamrock RC faced a depleted Bahia RC at their pitch in S’Arraco on Sunday. The local team had to defend hard to keep Shamrock RC at bay but managed to score

TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

DEFENDING HARD: Bahia vs Shamrock RC at S’Arraco. throughout and keep up Bahia RC’s unbeaten run with a final score of 15 points to 45, their aim being to reach the playoffs at the end of the season.

The match between RC Ponent A and Dimonis RC was postponed until a later date.

This weekend in the Baleares Senior Men’s League El Toro RC meet Dimonis RFC in Son Caliu, RC Ponent B travel to Puerto Pollensa to meet Corsaris RFC, RC Ponent A host Bahia RC in Principes de España stadium and Shamrock RC are due to

travel to meet Ibiza RC. El Toro RC are hosts for the 5th leg in the Michel Rodier tournament for the girls. The players selected for the Baleares U18 team are in action in Ibiza and there is a selection weekend for the Baleares U16 and U14 teams.

Dimonis success DIMONIS RC hosted a Rugby Tournament in Manacor for youth teams across Mallorca to give them a taste of competition.

It was a great advert for rugby in particular, but sport in general.

Great credit must be given to rugby clubs and parents for their collective support for these fit young people, who showed great skill and determination for their ages, ranging from U8s to U14s.

The whole day was a friendly occasion and a great success. Full marks to Dimonis RC.