Euro Weekly News - Mallorca 8 - 14 January 2015 Issue 1540

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8 - 14 JANUARY 2015

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Baby news for Baldwin and Mallorca-born wife ALEC BALDWIN and his Mallorcaborn wife are expecting their second child.

Hilaria Baldwin, 29, broke the news on her private Instagram account and posted a picture showing the 56-year-old American actor, their first daughter Carmen and the soonto-be mother of two on a beautiful beach at sunset.

She wrote: “2015 is going to be very exciting as we are thrilled to announce we are expecting another little addition to our family!”

The couple married in 2012.

Baldwin was previously married to actress Kim Basinger between 1993 and 2002.

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ISSUE NO. 1540

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INDEX News 1 - 16 Finance 17 - 22 Letters 23 Leapy Lee 24 Daily TV 30 Time Out 32 - 33 Health & Beauty 34 Food 37 Homes & Gardens 38 Property 41 Classifieds 42 - 43 Boating 44 - 45 Motoring 46 Sport 48

CAB RIDES: Between November and April charges would be cut to the minimum.

Riding a taxi could cost €1.50

THE Balearic Taxi Association is willing to offer cab rides at €1.50 per passenger in an effort to alleviate the lack of demand during the winter months.

The proposal was submitted to Palma Council. The taxis would cover some of the same routes of the EMT public buses in Palma and pick up passengers at the same

designated stops until all the seats are taken.

Every passenger would be charged €1.50 regardless of where he or she is going. The taxi drivers had originally asked for a single €3 price, but later accepted cutting it in half.

The service, however, would only be provided between November and April.

“No other city in the

world offers a similar service as far as I know,” said Head of the Balearic Taxi Association Antonio Bauza.

For the time being, Palma Council is reluctant to adopt the proposal because it could be a direct competition to EMT buses.

“It’s not about competition, but about offering people a better service,” said Bauza.

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NEWS New Year babies NASSIRI, the first Mallorcan born in 2015 at a public hospital, came into the world in Son Espases at 1.39am on January 1, weighing 3,800 grams. Chloe Garcia was born at Son Llatzer hospital at 3.40am and weighed 2,900 grams.

Women rescued TWO young women had to be rescued by Local Police after their car got stuck on a rocky road near a cliff.

Instead of taking them to a disco in Port d’Andratx, their GPS landed them close to the cliff-edge.

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Expat returns to ‘squatters’ A GROUP of alleged squatters have been occupying the country property of a British woman in Palma since September last year.

According to the complaint lodged by the current proprietor, a British woman who had to leave the island for a few days to attend to family matters, the squatters arrived

in a van at the La Paz country property located in s’Aranjassa in Palma de Mallorca, forced open the locks and took possession of it.

When the police were about the evict them, a man arrived on the scene holding a rental agreement. According to what he said, a middleman had leased the property to him

for €750 a month.

Unable to remove the alleged squatters, the police then told the proprietor to lodge a complaint with the court for the alleged forgery of the rental agreement.

The country property is valued at more than €2 million and occupies more than 30,000 square metres.

Outraged neighbours THE opening of a sex shop next to Palma Cathedral has sparked a wave of protests from local residents. The council, however, said there was nothing it could do as the shop had all the necessary permits.

Head-on collision FOUR people were injured on the Cap Blanc motorway on Friday (January 2) when a BMW driving to Llucmajor collided head-on with a SAAB travelling to Palma.

The Guardia Civil are looking into the cause of the accident.

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Dynastic rights

THE Infanta Cristina should have already renounced all her dynastic rights and privileges for the sake of democratic regeneration, the Royal Household and the image she must project, according to General Secretary of PSIB-PSOE Francina Armengol.

Piece of cake THE Balearic Islands are among the Spanish autonomous communities where people find it easier to take out a mortgage, said a recent study. It is comparatively much more difficult in Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, Valencia and Murcia.

Real estate A young Balearic adult making the average wage would find it impossible to rent or buy a home in the autonomous community, said the Youth Council of Spain in a report on young people moving out of their parents’ home.

Masterchef Junior MARTINA is the only participant from the Balearic Islands taking part in the second season of the cooking show Masterchef Junior aired

by RTVE. Her greatest virtue is being passionate about everything she does, said the Mallorca-born 11-year-old.

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Fire damage UNDER ATTACK: People have eggs and flour thrown at them while dressed in military gear.

Mock ‘coup’ quelled at traditional festival

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OT content with pelting each other with tomatoes during the summer, Spaniards took to the streets over the festive season to chuck eggs and flour at each other, in yet another of the country’s weird and wonderful festivals.

The Els Enfarinats Festival, held each year in the town of Ibi in Alicante, saw 3,000 residents throw more than 1,500 eggs and hundreds of kilogrammes of flour at each other as they staged a mock coup d’etat whilst in military-style gear. Each year the rowdy participants stage a mock battle against the authorities, with this year taking on particular significance against a backdrop of high-profile corruption imprisonments and allegations. Caked in flour, covered in egg yolks and surrounded by ear-

Quote of the Week You try to do your job the very best as you can, but when something like this happens, it’s just a delightful surprise,’ said British lawyer Ralph Smith upon being made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for his services on behalf of the expat community in Spain.

popping firecrackers, the allegorical new ‘rulers’ of the town ‘jail’ those who don’t pay fines and engage in a running battle with L’Oposicio (The Opposition) by flinging flour and rotten eggs at each other.

The chaotic 200-year-old festivities coincide with Spain’s version of April Fool’s Day and form part of the Day of the Innocents (when the Biblical King Herod ordered the killing of all young male newborns). In a country known for its bizarre festivals and traditions, the Els Enfarinats Festival is definitely one of the most visually spectacular.

After the massive food fight and looking like they have just emerged from a snowstorm, the ‘revolutionaries’ coup is quelled and order is restored to the town. Money is collected from participants and onlookers and is donated to local charities.

CREDITlev radin / Shutterstock.com

Number of the week

€56.3

billion is the record amount of money that tourists to Spain spent between January and October of 2014. The Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism says that the figure will be even higher once figures for November and December are included.

A FIRE that broke out in an industrial park in Son Castello scorched two cars and a paint and body shop.

Fortunately nobody was injured. The cause of the fire remains to be determined.

Less wine WINE production on the Balearic Islands registered a 5.8 per cent decrease during 2014 compared to 2013, totalling 48,675 hectolitres.

The decrease in production can be attributed to the warmer temperatures and lack of rain.

Spanish pop AUDITORIUM DE PALMA is presenting a tribute to Spanish pop band Mecano between January 23 and January 25. Mecano was formed in 1981 and has sold more than 25 million albums around the world.

And finally...

THOUSANDS of revellers in Madrid celebrated New Year’s Eve one day earlier than the rest of the country, in what is fast becoming a tradition.

City officials test the chimes at Puerto del Sol a day ahead of New Year’s Eve to make sure all is working for the main event, and so many ring in the New Year on both December 30 and 31.

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Saharan children pay visit to the Balearic Regional Parliament A GROUP of Saharan children living and studying on the islands paid a visit to the Balearic Regional Parliament.

The young visitors were

accompanied by their host families, the Head of the Association Escola en Pau Carmen Barcelo and the representative of the Saharan

people on the Balearic Islands Mohamed Mustafa.

“The Parliament has always opened its doors to us and was the first institution that

helped and supported the Saharan people,” said Barcelo.

Mustafa expressed his sincere thanks to the Parliament for its moral support.

President of the Balearic Regional Parliament Margalida Duran gave her heartfelt thanks to Escola en Pau and praised the great work they do to provide Saharan children with an education and a home.

She also congratulated all the children for the special effort they BULLFIGHTING: Banned make to study despite throughout the island. the problems they may have had adapting to bullfighting, namely Arta, their new environment.

Sencelles, Santa Maria At the end of the del Cami, Algaida, visit, the children Porreres, Capdepera, performed a traditional Lloseta, Santa Margalida, Saharan dance to the Manacor, Campanet, delight of all those Deia, Sant Joan, Costitx, present.

Esporles, Puigpunyent and Consell.

AnimaNaturalis estimates that many more could follow their example in 2015 by showing their rejection for bullfighting.

DESPITE the bad weather conditions, more than one thousand people participated in the second San Silvestre Juaneda race in Bellver, with many showing up wearing costumes.

Anti bullfighting campaign garners support THE anti-bullfighting campaign Mallorca Sense Sang (Bloodless Mallorca), led by animal rights group AnimaNaturalis and nonprofit advocacy group against bullfighting CAS International collected more than 70,000 signatures in 2014 against “torture and death for fun on the island.”

No other antibullfighting campaign on the island has had such a resounding success or received support from so

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many politicians, entrepreneurs and celebrities from the world

of music and culture, said AnimaNaturalis in a statement.

As many municipalities island have

as 16 on the banned

Large turnout

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Summer residence costs pretty penny PAL_MARIVENT

THE summer residence of the Spanish Royal couple in Cala Major costs €1.54 million in taxpayers’ money every year.

According to figures made public by the Balearic Regional Government by request of the Mes Per Mallorca political coalition, the cleaning and water Marivent Palace. consumption bill of the Marivent Palace in 2013 totalled a little over €350,000, while €84,000 was invested in maintaining the gardens.

Other costs included swimming pool maintenance (€45,000) and pest control (€8,000).

All the costs were borne by the Balearic Regional Government, said local media.

Seasonal blues? It won’t last long!

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ANTA has been and gone, the New Year’s Eve celebrations have begun to fade from our memories, and the Three Kings have delighted children for yet another year.

As things start to get back to normal after the celebrating and partying of the Christmas season, we face into a month that people generally would like to see eliminated from the calendar.

After the joy and excitement of Christmas, January is traditionally viewed as a month of bad weather, having little money left after the holidays and not having much on the horizon to look forward to.

The decorations come down, office hours go back to normal and life gets back to its usual routine.

There’s no doubt that moods can and often do change with the

seasons, and there’s definitely a case to be heard for January not being the most pleasant of months.

But when living in sunny Spain, however, downbeat seasonal moods don’t often last for long.

Before we know it temperatures will begin to pick up again, the sun will start making a more regular appearance and we’ll soon find ourselves in swimming costumes and flip-flops once again, working on our tans and enjoying lunch on the beach. Time flies - as we all know too well - and in just a few short months we’ll be getting in the summer mood thanks in part to the welcome Vitamin D the sun’s rays so generously provide.

So try not to let the January blues bring you down. In Spain at least, the pre-summer buzz will be here in no time and we’ll all be happy chappies once again!

Food bank THE Municipal Water and Sewage Company of Palma (Emaya) donated 350 kilos of essential food items to the Fundacion Banco de Alimentos (food bank). The items will be donated to needy families.

Exclusive plot WITH a square metre price of up to €27,000, Port d’Andratx is among the 25 most expensive residential areas in the world, according to Engel & Völkers. Saint-JeanCap-Ferrat in southeastern France is at the top of the list.

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Abortion rate high DATA from the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality shows that the Balearic Islands had one of the highest abortion rates in Spain in 2013, with 13 abortions for every 1,000 women aged between 15 and 44.

Sharp rise THE Balearic Islands are the autonomous community where retail sales registered the sharpest increases for 19 consecutive months. Billing in November grew by 4.4 per cent compared to November 2013, said the National Statistics Institute.

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Three Kings more popular than Santa MOST people on the islands prefer getting gifts from the Three Kings rather than Santa Claus.

Four out of five people born on the Balearic Islands – 98 per cent – said they would rather get their gifts on January 6 and not on December 25, and 64 per cent said they planned to go the Three Kings’ Parade, held on January 5 all over Spain, according to a survey conducted by DaWanda.es.

The study looked at 2,500 Spaniards between 18 and 60 years of age.

More than half of respondents (54 per cent) said they slept like a baby the night before the arrival of the Three Kings, while 39 per cent admitted to being a little bit nervous.

BEARING GIFTS: Most people born on the islands prefer getting their presents on Three Kings’ Day. According to the study, 45 per cent of people want their gifts to be a complete surprise, though one in every three respondents said he or she still wrote a letter to the Three Kings.

A small percentage of

tech-savvy (4 per cent) respondents indicated they emailed gift suggestions to their friends and family members, while 2 per cent of them reported posting their wishes on social media.

Supreme Court upholds sentences on drug dealers THE Supreme Court has upheld the prison sentences imposed on seven drug traffickers who forced the late

Nora Ayala into prostitution.

In February 2014, Palma Provincial Court sentenced seven drug

traffickers to a total of 59 years behind bars for allegedly pushing four Palma teenagers into illegal drugs and prostitution. One of them, Nora Ayala, died on September 25, 2011, aged 16, from drug use.

According to the Supreme Court, the text messages found on Nora Ayala’s mobile phone POLICE in Andratx are looking into a have launched an investigation to provided proof against the case of suspected arson that could determine the cause of a fire on defendants, even though have killed an entire family.

Tuesday, January 6, at a property they were obtained Local Police and Guardia Civil officers located on Calle Carreters in Andratx. without a judge’s “We heard a loud noise. approval.

Someone kicked the garage The Supreme Court also door, broke the lock and ruled that the tapping of threw a burning object that the suspects’ phones POLICE in Palma held a minute’s silence in caused the fire,” the homeordered by the judge was memory of the officer killed by a train in owner told investigators. perfectly legal.

Between the spring and Madrid.

The fire originated in the summer of 2011, a drug National Police officers in Palma observed a garage at about 5.10am. A trafficking ring convinced minute of silence on Monday, January 5, to German couple and their a group of 16-year-old pay tribute to Francisco Javier Ortega, 28, who two young children were girls to prostitute was hit by a train and died after an immigrant sleeping on the second themselves in exchange from the Ivory Coast pushed him onto the storey. Fortunately they left for various drugs, tracks as he was being questioned. the house upon hearing the noise and raised the alarm. including cocaine.

Family of four put in peril after suspected arson attack Officer remembered

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Senior still missing

(Flickr by CarolinaSanchezAmigo)

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GUARDIA CIVIL are still looking for a woman who went missing in Porto Cristo more than a week ago.

The search for Magdalena Fort, 68, was launched on Sunday, December 28, after she disappeared the day before. She had reportedly left her home to go fishing.

Last Friday, January 2, Guardia Civil divers found her glasses in the sea near Porto Cristo.

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Cutting costs THE Balearic Regional Government will reportedly slash the budget of public companies by €305 million. According to official data, in January 2014, there were 68 such companies.

Fair project MARRATXI Council and Consorcio Bolsa de Plazas have signed an agreement to build a fairground. The cost is estimated at €800,000.

Warmer times TEMPERATURES between January and March are likely to be higher than usual, especially on the Balearic Islands, said the State Met Office.

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EU raps the Balearics over water policy THE European Commission (EC) has reprimanded the Agriculture, Environment and Territory Department for its water policy.

The department does not take

proper action against groundwater pollution, said the commission and asked the Balearic Regional Government to furnish conclusive proof that it complies with the Water

Framework Directive of the European Union.

Not enough importance is given to fighting against water pollution, when in fact 30 per cent of the groundwater is considered to be of low quality because of nitrates, said the EC in response to the draft of the Rural Development Programme (PDR) prepared by the Balearic Regional Government for 20142020.

The EC went on to say that “complying with the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/CE should be a priority in the PRD, but this is not the case,” and asked the Balearic Regional Government to SENIOR SERVICE Red Cross will keep delivering meals. put forward proposals to the supply per cent) and older than 75 The service was created improve (68 per cent) and the large to help seniors stay network and to reduce among majority request lunch and independent. It also offers consumption, other measures. dinner on a daily basis. leisure activities.

‘Meals on wheels’ to stay THE Red Cross (Cruz Roja) will continue delivering meals to hundreds of senior citizens in Palma in 2015.

Palma Council decided to extend for another year the €1.3-million service provided by the Red Cross since March 2014 – and paid for by the council – making it possible for 700 people to continue getting meals delivered to their homes.

Most of the senior citizens benefiting from the service are women (60.83

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Duke’s bond reduced NOOS case judge Jorge Castro has reduced the civil liability bond to be paid by the Duke of Palma Iñaki Urdangarin by more than €1 million.

The decision came after Urdangarin’s defence attorney – Mario Pascual Vives – filed an appeal before the Court of Investigation Number 3 of Palma against the €14.9 million bond requested by Judge Jose Castro for the duke’s involvement in the Noos case, saying it had not been calculated correctly.

According to Vives, the IVA already paid by the duke had to be deducted from the bond. Judge Castro carefully studied the appeal lodged by King Felipe’s brother-in-law and reduced it from €14.9 million to €13.6 million.

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Man beats up wife then opens fire on police A MAN accused of physically abusing his wife and opening fire on police has been detained by Guardia Civil officers.

Several calls were made to police on Friday, January 2, at around 9.45pm saying a man was beating up his wife on Calle Joan Carle I in sa Pobla. When Local Police and Guardia Civil arrived on the scene, the man - a 58year-old Spaniard named Francisco - reportedly pulled a hunting rifle on them and opened fire at least 12 times.

The police took cover and fired back. One of the officers was reportedly injured by shrapnel.

The man was arrested by police following the shootout and now faces charges of attempted homicide, attacking police officers and domestic violence. He was taken to police headquarters in Inca.

Budget discussion MORE money should be invested in Social Services and schools in Alcudia, according to the PSOE. During a discussion on Alcudia’s 2015 budget, representatives of the PSOE centre-left political party said the PP-led local government should spend more on Social Services, the educational psychology service offered at schools, and on the local football pitch.

Furthermore, the socialists called upon the council to invest the €10,000 earmarked for the Miss Tourism Spain 2015 beauty pageant in programmes aimed at helping the needy.

“We do not agree with public resources still being allocated to beauty contests like this in the 21st century,” said PSOE spokesperson Pere Malondra.

He reportedly had an expired hunting licence.

Police said there were

many people who had witnessed the violence the woman had been subjected

to, but she is said to be reluctant to bring charges for fear of reprisals.

SHOOTOUT: One officer was injured.

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Flickr by Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja

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BUS FARE DISCOUNTS: Will also benefit people attending adult and language schools.

Cheaper bus fares for Pollensa students POLLENSA students over 16 will benefit from a 70 per cent discount on bus fares.

Thanks to an agreement signed by Pollensa Council and the Municipal Transport Company of Palma (EMT), young people over 16 years of age from Pollensa who study in Palma will only pay €0.45 for each bus ticket, instead of the full €1.50. The remaining €1.05 will

be subsidised by the Council.

Starting this week, the students can apply for the necessary EMT card at Centre Cultural Guillem Cifre in Colonya.

The agreement will not only benefit university students, but every single student as long as he or she meets the requirement, including people attending adult or language schools, said Deputy Mayor Marti Roca.

Unemployment decreased on the islands during 2014 UNEMPLOYMENT on the islands decreased during 2014.

Data from the Ministry of Employment and Social

Security shows that unemployment in the autonomous community registered an 8.39 per cent decrease during 2014

compared to the year before.

By late 2014, as many as 83,560 people were out of a job on the islands, 7,655 fewer than in 2013. Figures also indicate that 20,233 people found employment during December, 2,140 more than last year (+11.83 per cent).

As many as 17,086 foreign residents living on the islands are currently unemployed, though their number has also dropped compared to 2013 (-11.19 per cent).

Man injured A DRIVER was injured after his car overturned on the Palma Manacor motorway.

The injured man was taken to the Son Espases hospital. Thick fog in the area played a key role in the accident, said police.

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Emergency response EMERGENCY Services SEIB112 responded to 49 incidents on New Year’s Eve, including 14 alcohol-related cases and six street fights.

Flat fire A WOMAN, 22, was treated for smoke inhalation at Son Espases Hospital after a fire broke out at her Palma flat on Calle General Riera on New Year’s Day at around 8am.

Man in fall A 20-YEAR-OLD man fell from a second storey building on Calle Ramon Pico in Pollença on January 1 at 7am.

He was treated for multiple injuries at Hospital Comarcal d’Inca.

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Thief detained A MAN who robbed a butcher’s shop in sa Pobla in order to celebrate New Year’s Eve has been detained by Guardia Civil.

The 43-year-old reportedly burst into the

Two women run over in Palma TWO women were injured after being run over next to Plaza Miquel Dolç.

The women, 21 and 47, were crossing the street last Saturday at around 11.45pm, when a Volkswagen Golf reportedly jumped a red light and knocked them over.

They both sustained minor injuries.

premises on December 31 at around 5pm, wielding a large knife and with his face covered.

He threatened the 68-yearold assistant and forced her to open the till.

Before fleeing the scene with €500, the man locked her up in a room.

He reportedly spent the stolen money partying on New Year’s Eve. He was arrested on Friday (January 2) and

ON GUARD: Police secure crime scene. sent to prison by an Inca judge.

Car destroyed by firecrackers A CAR parked in Son Gibert was completely destroyed by fire on Sunday, January 4.

Firefighters in Palma did the best they could to save the car parked on Calle Gabriel Fuster y Mayans from the flames, but to no avail.

According to neighbours, the blaze was started by firecrackers a group of children had been playing with.

A woman had to be treated for smoke inhalation.

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Mountain biker hurt in Andratx A 26-YEAR-OLD man was involved in an accident while mountain biking in Andratx.

The Santa Ponça resident was mountain biking with five of his friends when he lost control while attempting to jump and crashed into a pine tree.

The accident occurred in a mountainous area near the Camp de Mar-Port d’Andratx motorway. The biker’s friends raised the alarm and police, firefighters, paramedics and the Guardia Civil arrived on the scene.

He had hurt his hip and it was determined he had suffered severe bruising. He was taken to the Son Espases Hospital.

Political party gives money to sick child PROPOSTA PER LES ILLES has made a donation to a child suffering from a rare genetic disorder.

The Balearic political party donated almost €1,000 to a two-year-old boy named Alvaro, who suffers from a progressive genetic disorder affecting the muscles of the legs, face, neck, arms, spine and heart, called Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy.

The money was raised at a Christmas dinner through the sale of bracelets. There are only around 50 registered cases of the disease around the world.

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Underwater danger A DIVER who was fishing in Palma Bay on Friday (January 2) found a 40cm mortar projectile near the San Juan de Dios hospital.

Support demo BETWEEN 1,500 and 2,000 people took to the streets in Palma on Tuesday, December 30, to show their support for the right to selfdetermination and the independence of all Catalan-speaking regions in Spain.

Sales grow ISLAND car sales grew by 18.99 per cent in 2014, totalling 24,710 cars, compared to the 20,766 sold in 2013.

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Balearic Regional President welcomes gifted brothers TWO exceptionally gifted children paid a visit to the Balearic Regional President Jose Ramon Bauza.

Marc and Carlos Burguera Diaz – two brothers from Mallorca with an outstanding academic performance – visited Consolat de Mar accompanied by their mother Yolanda Diaz and were welcomed by the Balearic Regional President and the Education Councillor Nuria Riera.

Marc is only 16 and has been studying aerospace engineering at Universidad Politecnica in Madrid since September.

During his first term he received near perfect grades in every single course, but that does not come as a surprise when one takes a closer look at his past academic performance.

He was so advanced

Flickr by Casa de América

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JOSE RAMON BAUZA: Welcomed gifted students. educationally that he missed the last year of primary school to enter secondary school (ESO) early, where he also

jumped the third year. In the university entrance exam he scored 13.56 out of 14 and is currently learning English and

Arabic.

His younger brother is 10 and skipped the fifth grade of primary school.

According to their mother, sometimes gifted students fail at school because they get bored.

She asked Bauza and Riera to take measures aimed at detecting gifted children at an earlier age and to implement special programmes to help them.

Marc’s high IQ was detected when he was five, but the decision to let him skip a school grade was not made until he turned 12, she said.

Manacor A&E has seen one million patients ONE million patients have been treated at Manacor Hospital A&E since it first opened its doors in 1997.

“This symbolic number is proof of the high quality service we provide,”

said Head of the Emergency Room Pere Serra.

He added that they had treated 60,432 patients between January and November of last year.

New bicycle path in Palma SPORTS enthusiasts will be happy to know a new bicycle path now joins Cami Vell de Bunyola and Palma city centre.

The bicycle path network in the city is now 63 kilometres long, more than five of which have been built by the current local government.

NEWS Intruder falls to his death A MAN plunged to his death from the sixth storey of a Palma aparthotel.

The tragic accident occurred on Friday (January 2) at the Bahia Palace aparthotel, located on the corner of Calle Monseñor Palmer and Passeig Maritim in Palma.

The 56-year-old foreigner, identified as A.R., had reportedly entered the building to commit robbery and it appears he lost his footing while attempting to climb into one of the flats and fell to the pool area. National Police are investigating.

Electricity demand decreases DEMAND for electricity on the Balearic Islands decreased by 1.6 per cent in 2014.

Figures from Red Electrica de España – state-owned Spanish corporation that operates the national electricity grid – show that the demand in the autonomous community dropped to 5,582,083 MWh last year, coming close to 2004 levels.

In December alone, it registered a 5.4 per cent decrease.

Forest blaze FIREFIGHTERS and Ibanat personnel put out a forest fire in Sant Llorenç.

The fire was reported at approximately 3pm in a pine wood in Puig de ses Fites in Son Drago on Tuesday (December 6).

Arta and Manacor firefighters, as well as members of the Balearic Nature Institute (Ibanat) arrived on the scene and extinguished the blaze, which scorched 1.5 hectares.

Hotels busier OVERNIGHT stays at Palma hotels registered an increase during the Christmas season thanks to domestic tourists.

Even though the average occupancy rate in December is traditionally low, the influx of Spanish tourists from the islands and elsewhere in Spain increased it to 52 per cent in December 2014 (+10 per cent), said the Mallorca Hotel Federation (FEHM).

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Two men accused of beating lamb to death TWO men could spend up to six months in prison for beating a lamb to death.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office is asking for a six-month prison sentence for two 22-year-old Mallorca men who stand accused of beating a four-month-old lamb to death with a golf club in Son

Fangos (Manacor) on March 23, 2013.

After they killed the animal, they reportedly hid its dead body and then decided to take it with them.

If convicted, they could also be sentenced to pay a fine and banned from working with animals for up to 18 months.

Nurses to start protesting soon BALEARIC nurses will stage demonstrations by the end of the month.

The nurses will take to the streets in late January to protest against the reduction of their workforce and the purported unwillingness of local health authorities to hire substitutes.

The announcement was made by nursing union SATSE in December of last year.

They are reportedly outraged over the loss of more than 300 jobs.

The executive committee of SATSE will more than likely meet next week to discuss the measures which are to be taken.

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NURSES: To stage protests by the end of January.

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Internet for all MALAGA Provincial Council spent more than €600,000 in 2014 on the Guadalinfo network to provide internet access to citizens in 86 towns and villages at public centres, where training is also given on internet use.

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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

Classic cars MALAGA’S Palacio de Ferias y Congresos will hold at least seven fairs and 12 congresses in the first half of 2015, beginning with a Retro Motor Fair from January 30-February 1.

AXARQUIA

New Year baby THE first baby born in Costa Tropical in 2015 was a boy named Antonio from Motril. Weighing 2.7 kilos, he came into the world at 2.10am.

Councillor’s farewell HEAD of the Sports and Infrastructure Department of Nerja Council, Antonio Garcia, has announced his resignation to take up a job offer in Madrid. Garcia thanked the government members for their support and trust.

Motorcycle death A 57-YEAR-OLD man died on the MA-3203 in Velez-Malaga when his motorbike went off the road for reasons that are currently unknown. There were no other vehicles involved in the incident.

Bearing gifts SOME 70 children from Salobreña, whose families are on low incomes, received presents on Three Kings’ Day thanks to the efforts of the townspeople who donated them following a campaign launched by the council and other associations.

THE Ministry of Public Works has announced that the toll price for the Alicante-Cartagena motorway will go up by 1.01 per cent in 2015.

Aggressor arrested

Fire scare

TWO men aged 22 and 29 were arrested in Malaga City’s Cruz de Humilladero district after being caught attempting to steal building materials from a warehouse.

Toll increase

A WASHING machine that caught fire on the second floor of a building in Murcia was supposedly caused by a bird’s nest blocking the outlet pipe.

THIRD prize tickets for the ONCE special Christmas lottery number 66276 brought €240,000 to Malaga City this year.

Theft foiled

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH

Blocked pipe

Lotto winner

TWO men required medical treatment after inhaling smoke in a fire in Alhaurin de la Torre. Neighbours were evacuated while firemen extinguished the flames.

NEWS DESK

ORIA: One of the towns to benefit from the new energy-efficient lighting in 2015.

Lighting up for less

THE president of Almeria Council has signed a contract to award measures included in the Plan de Actuaciones de Eficiencia en Municipios (PAE).

The plan includes funding of €140,000 for small municipalities in Almeria to benefit from energyefficiency improvements such as outdoor lighting installations.

Fourteen towns and villages are to benefit, all of which have fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. Albanchez, Antas, Balanegra, Fines, Gador, Lucar, Macael, Maria, Olula del Rio, Oria, Taberna, Tahal, Urracal and

Velefique will see the commencement of works during 2015.

The plan is a collaboration between town and village councils and the provincial council, with the provincial council footing the bill.

The company that will execute the works will be Proelec SL. The improvements will see more than 650 lights and 16 control centres installed across the 14 towns and villages, allowing for remote control at the circuit level to reduce consumption at certain times.

Free cake

Airlift rescue

MORE than 5,000 free pieces of Roscon de Reyes (typical Spanish cake eaten on Three Kings’ Day) were given out in Torre del Mar last Saturday, thanks to the efforts of local bakery Panaderia Salvador.

A FIRE brigade helicopter was mobilised to rescue a woman who broke her ankle while hiking on Sierra Segaria (Ondara).

She was airlifted to a waiting ambulance and transferred to Denia Hospital.

COSTA BLANCA NORTH

Happy clients

Cold comfort LOCAL POLICE officers and firefighters in Benidorm complained that their new uniforms did not include a fleece. “They spent €100,000 and forgot to include this fundamental item,” they said.

Job provider OLIVA will turn the Santa Ana hillside into a park with the town’s 12th century castle at its centre. The €319,000 project will provide 36 jobs, the town hall said.

MURCIA police arrested a 35-year-old man from Ecuador who allegedly threatened to kill and then tried to strangle his partner in Cabezo de Torres.

Lucky Murcia THE ONCE Christmas draw brought €240,000 in prizes to Murcia City. Pedro Sanchez in Plaza Industria sold second prize tickets worth €40,000 while Jessica Garcia at San Juan health centre sold 10 tickets which won €20,000 each.

COSTA DE ALMERÍA

El Ejido crash A TRUCK collided with a utility van at kilometre 405 of the A-7 close to El Ejido. Firefighters had to rescue one of the occupants from their vehicle.

Workers locked out FIFTEEN maintenance workers at Viator’s military base were prevented from accessing the building on their first day back at work in the New Year. The angry workers are planning a demonstration.

Tree planting THE town of Adra has planted more than 100 ficus, jacaranda and poplar trees in different parts of the municipality. The work has also extended to renovating many of the town’s gardens.

Hotel fall

BENIDORM’S OMIC consumers’ office received 1,014 complaints last year, 10 per cent fewer than in 2013. Benidorm and Marina Baja residents made 862 reclamations while the remainder came from elsewhere in Spain and Europe.

MAGISTRATES are investigating a hotel in Mojacar to establish whether it was responsible for the injuries one of its guests sustained after slipping on a wet floor at the premises on June 6, 2014.

Out of sight

Park accident

VILLAJOYOSA Council is to install underground rubbish bins for household waste, paper, cardboard and plastic containers in Avenida del Puerto, adjoining the Club Nautico. The €60,000 scheme will begin this month.

THE emergency services had to be called to an accident at Parque de las Familias in the capital. A child was injured on one of the trampolines and had to be taken to hospital in nearby Torrecardenas with neck injuries.

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NEWS

CALANOVA CANCER CARE CHARITY SHOP: In the photo (left to right) are Della, Joanne, Teresa, Shelly, Angela McGrath, Marie and Martine (of Dime), Noreen, Jaki, Gisela, Susan, Annalisa and at the front Carmen and Tina.

Donation to Dime THE Calanova Cancer Care Charity Shop made a generous donation to Dime, a voluntary association that helps people in palliative care in the Hospital General in Palma and the Clinica Juan March.

The €2,000 was raised by a raffle and a Christmas lunch given by the shop in San Agustin on December 12, at the

new OD Hotel Port Portals.

The lunch and the event in general were a resounding success according to organisers.

Anita Baggley brought her Children’s Choir from the British International College, who sang like angels and got everyone into the Christmas spirit, and young Eric gave a marvellous piano recital

leaving everyone in awe.

After a nice lunch, they were surprised and entertained by the amazing opera singer George who brought the house down.

The shop gives their heartfelt thanks to everyone who gave their time, took part in and supported the event and wishes everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year.

Online directory ANYONE reading this article knows that the Euro Weekly News is a huge part of everyday life: for the English-speaking population the weekly paper is a source of information on all kinds of businesses, services and trades in their local area. For companies too, it is a proven method of advertising what they have to offer.

So why, then, an online business directory?

In this technology-driven age, there is no doubt that companies big and small need to have a presence online. For those people who live in Spain all year and need to find a car dealership on the Costa del Sol or a mechanic in Mallorca, a search online is often the first step, particularly if your favourite newspaper is not to hand.

Similarly, for those planning their next visit to their holiday home in Spain who may want to find a plumber in Costa Blanca or an estate agent in Almeria, then clicking on to EWNGETSIT.com is a natural choice.

Information on the Internet can be accessed anywhere, any time, and research has shown that many ‘buying’ decisions begin with online research.

For businesses operating wholly or partly in Spain, joining the newest and

brightest online directory couldn’t be easier. Each company has a dedicated page with information on what they offer, links to their webpage and social media, even a Google map!

With the ability to add or amend information as necessary during the annual listing - it makes perfect sense!

So remember - next time you’re looking for details on a local company or service, EWNGETSIT.com is full of businesses in your area that are just one click away.

And if you run a company in Spain, why not get in touch - the cost of an annual listing may be cheaper than you think!

EWNGETSIT.com +34 952 561 245 directory@ewngetsit.com

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S CANDINAVIAN P RESS

www.euroweeklynews.com

Stories making headlines in Europe

SWEDEN - Half of all Swedes surveyed believe that having a good wifi connection in the hotel room is one of the most important factors of a good holiday.

Christmas thefts DENMARK - Homes in Denmark are broken into over the Christmas holiday period at four times the rate of normal, a study has revealed.

Big spenders DENMARK - Danes spent more than two billion kroner (€2.68 billion) over the Christmas period and more presents than ever were bought online.

Record exports NORWAY - Norwegian seafood exports in October 2014 reached an all-time record high with a total of 7.6 billion krone (€8.3 billion).

Growth spurt NORWAY - The population grew by 18,800 people during the third quarter of 2014 and reached a total of 5,156,450 by October 1.

London tops LONDON has nine of the 10 best performing areas in the UK property market, and Bury is the worst place to invest in property, according to a new survey.

Boxing Day splurge

Television hit THE Queen’s traditional Christmas Day speech was the most watched television programme during Christmas, with 7.82 million viewers. It was followed closely by Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas Special with 7.61 million viewers.

GERMANY’S president Joachim Gauck appealed for compassion and openness towards refugees coming to the country in his annual Christmas message. His comments come as an anti-Islamist movement continues to grow in Germany.

‘Not me’ WORLD CUP winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer believes that he will not be awarded FIFA’s Ballon d’Or on January 12. He says that the other two nominees - Ronaldo and Messi - are international ‘marques’ and are favourites.

BARGAIN hunters spent a record £2.9 billion (€3.7 billion) in the tradition Boxing Day sales across the UK and online shoppers spent £519,000 (€663,000) every minute.

Streaming service

Royal refit

MORE and more funeral homes in the UK are streaming live funerals for bereaved families and

SPEEDING CARS: High numbers caught in 2014

RUSSIAN PRESS 2015 World Cup financial problems

Big time

A BUDGET deficit for 2015 means that officials must seek private financial support for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the sports minister has announced.

THE world’s biggest clock has been unveiled in Moscow. The clock, made of gold, aluminium, steel, brass and copper weighs five tonnes and is located at the Central Children’s Department Store.

BERLIN’S Royal Palace of Frederick the Great reopened to visitors on Boxing Day following a €4.5 million make-over.

The entire castle is currently undergoing a €14.3 million renovation due for completion in 2017.

Anti-Islam marches

MOSCOW had record-breaking traffic jams over the Christmas period thanks to a combination of snow and a heavy influx of visitors.

FURTHER anti-Islam marches are planned in the New Year. The marches have attracted increasing numbers of people since they started in October and the Interior Ministry has said they will be keeping a close eye on them.

Keep it Cyrillic

Burger joints

PRESIDENT Putin has called for an end to the increasing ‘latinisation’ of the Russian language and to cut down on the use of foreign terms.

GOURMET hamburger restaurants have become increasingly popular in the country, and new restaurants are continuing to pop up. Fast food establishments such as McDonald’s have seen sales drop because of the craze for gourmet burgers.

Xmas jams

JULIE GIBSON

Holiday wifi

MORE than 115,000 people were fined by courts for speeding during 2014, the highest figure since 2009. Twenty-four-hour cameras have contributed to the high numbers.

friends unable to attend. In some cases, footage of the funeral will be online for 30 days.

ABHI HERE

SWEDEN - The Swedish Embassy and Swedish Church organised a remembrance ceremony on the beach at Khao Lak in Thailand on Boxing Day to honour the 10th anniversary of those who lost their lives in the tsunami, including more than 500 Swedes.

Speeding fines

GERMAN PRESS Refugee compassion

BRITISH PRESS Tsunami remembered

EUROPEAN PRESS

Defiant salad THE Yeliseyevksi supermarket in Yekaterinberg has created a salad decorated with the slogan ‘We don’t give a damn about the crisis.’

GOURMET BURGERS: Becoming increasingly popular in Germany

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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business & legal Fibre optic ‘parasite’ warning TELEFONICA warned that it could reconsider the timing and funding of its fibre optic network.

With the exception of nine cities, Spain’s Markets and Competition regulator CNMC has proposed that Telefonica share its infrastructure with other operators.

The telecommunications multinational has not officially announced its stance but is “voicing worries,” it said.

If the CMNC goes ahead with its proposals, this could in turn imperil the profitability of its investment and endanger thousands of jobs created to roll out the new system,

Fuel used as loss leader SOME supermarket chains are selling diesel oil at 98 cents a litre and petrol at €1.03.

Service stations now claim that the supermarkets, as they do with chicken or wine, are using fuel as a lossleader to tempt clients to fill up trolleys as well as the tanks of their cars.

Average prices by the end of 2014 were €1.16 for gasoil and €1.21 for petrol, according to the EU Oil Bulletin.

The price-slashing is possible due to the plummeting price of Brent crude oil, currently just under $60 (€49.23) a barrel, having fallen 45 per cent since the

beginning of 2014.

Fuel is at its cheapest since 2010, but the 14 per cent reduction still falls short of the public’s expectations. This is as easily explained as it is inevitable, according to Spain’s Association of Petroleum Operators (AOP), not least because the dollar has appreciated against the euro.

Fuel must pass through refineries, importers and transport firms before reaching the customer while almost half of its final price includes 50 per cent tax, which goes to the Spanish government and not the seller, the AOP pointed out.

Telefonica predicted.

The supervisor’s decision would act as a disincentive to competitors by imposing “parasitic” conditions on Telefonica that reflect the existing ADSL model, the company said.

FIBRE OPTICS: Network timing.

B

usiness extra

Bogof appeal THIRTY per cent of supermarket chains’ sales are special offers.

Two-for-one, three-fortwo or ‘50 per cent off second item’ are so popular that 2014 prices fell by 1.4 per cent, found marketing analysts Nielsen.

Out of work THERE are now 163,000 fewer public sector workers than in 2012. The central Administration experienced the largest proportional reduction with a 7.11 per cent cutback in staff, government figures revealed.

High-speed train must move THE Spanish consortium building the AVE high-speed train between Mecca and Medina must get a move on.

The deal to build the track, supply 35 high-speed trains and handle a 12-year maintenance contract was signed three years ago. Now Saudi Arabia’s new transport minister, Abdullah A-Muqbel, has threatened to rescind contracts unless companies complete on schedule.

The consortium is composed of Saudi groups Al Rosan and Al Shoula, plus 12 Spanish companies. These include Spain’s state track operator Adif, track builders OHL, rail operator Renfe, train manufacturers Talgo, and technology company Indra.

The consortium emphasised during a recent meeting that the Spanish and Saudi companies are delivering within the specified time.

THE minimum salary rose by 0.5 per cent to €648.6 a month after it was frozen in both 2012 and 2014.

Approximately 200,000 employees will benefit from the increase.

PETERPHOTO123

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

STAT OF WEEK

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E W N 8 - 14 January 2015 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

LONDON - FTSE 100

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US

C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 5

C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) 3i Group PLC 457.40 Aberdeen Asset Mngmnt 441.65 Admiral Group PLC 1318.50 Aggreko PLC 1490.00 Anglo American PLC 1202.00 Antofagasta PLC 757.25 ARM Holdings PLC 997.50 Ashtead Group PLC 1179.00 Associated Britsh Foods 3202.50 AstraZeneca PLC 4581.50 Aviva PLC 483.70 Babcock International ... 1058.50 BAE Systems PLC 468.70 Barclays PLC 241.25 Barratt Developments 467.85 BG Group PLC 865.30 BHP Billiton PLC 1392.00 BP PLC 406.75

C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. 3.40 0.75 8.40 1.94 4.00 0.30 -8.00 -0.53 17.00 1.43 9.00 1.20 9.50 0.96 14.00 1.20 8.00 0.25 -1.50 -0.03 -0.60 -0.12 0.00 0.00 -0.70 -0.15 -1.85 -0.76 7.10 1.54 1.50 0.17 14.00 1.02 -3.65 -0.89

NET VOLUME 62.13 278.72 8.97 48.73 129.86 32.97 180.99 145.53 21.77 119.81 272.57 27.08 259.85 1,821.10 202.72 307.61 196.95 2,584.81

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Units per €

US dollar ..................................................................1.19736 Japan yen ................................................................144.117 Switzerland franc................................................1.20175 Denmark kroner..................................................7.44165 Norway kroner....................................................9.12065

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

PRICE(P)

British Amercn Tobacco British Land Co PLC BT Group PLC Bunzl PLC Burberry Group PLC Capita PLC Carnival PLC

3481.75 765.75 400.90 1783.00 1632.00 1092.00 2989.50

DOW JONES

NASDAQ

C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 5

C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 5

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 164.06 93.02 33.87 129.95 91.88 112.58 27.61 42.14 93.75 73.71 92.83 25.06 194.41 103.43 162.06 36.36 104.52 62.49 93.26 57.19 46.76 95.03 31.33 90.44 105.44 115.04 100.78 46.96 265.02 85.90

-0.26 -0.02 +0.28 -0.03 +0.35 +0.40 -0.205 -0.08 -0.44 -0.23 +0.38 -0.21 +0.58 -1.54 +1.62 +0.07 -0.05 -0.09 -0.44 +0.40 +0.31 -1.12 +0.18 -0.65 -0.41 +0.04 -0.31 +0.18 +2.82 +0.02

-0.16% -0.02% +0.83% -0.02% +0.38% +0.36% -0.74% -0.19% -0.47% -0.31% +0.41% -0.83% +0.30% -1.47% +1.01% +0.19% -0.05% -0.14% -0.47% +0.70% +0.67% -1.16% +0.58% -0.71% -0.39% +0.03% -0.31% +0.38% +1.08% +0.02%

2.1M 2.4M 20.6M 4.3M 3.8M 5.9M 22.9M 9.9M 5.9M 3.1M 10.2M 40.9M 1.9M 4.3M 5.5M 23.6M 5.8M 12.6M 6.0M 7.1M 27.9M 2.5M 15.5M 7.3M 1.3M 3.1M 3.1M 11.4M 2.1M 4.5M

1.27913

0.78178

C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. 30.50 3.50 -0.10 0.00 9.00 7.00 59.00

C O M PA N Y

0.88 0.46 -0.02 0.00 0.55 0.65 2.01

NET VOLUME 295.63 63.69 550.75 20.47 19.71 36.55 36.46

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

$ 19.25 $ 3.89 $ 3.64 $ 2.71 $ 8.09 $ 2.53 $ 4.76 $ 17.71 $ 6.75 $ 14.67 $ 11.35

3.49 ▲ 22.14% 0.60 ▲ 18.24% 0.55 ▲ 17.80% 0.40 ▲ 17.32% 1.09 ▲ 15.57% 0.33 ▲ 15.00% 0.62 ▲ 14.98% 2.21 ▲ 14.26% 0.84 ▲ 14.21% 1.60 ▲ 12.24% 1.22 ▲ 12.04%

$ 39.2985 $ 12.06 $ 34.54 $ 68.22 $ 41.09 $ 5.18 $ 48.25 $ 26.71 $ 8.05 $ 13.04 $ 21

6.8215 ▼ 14.79% 1.98 ▼ 14.10% 4.01 ▼ 10.40% 7.47 ▼ 9.87% 4.41 ▼ 9.69% 0.51 ▼ 8.96% 3.97 ▼ 7.60% 2.18 ▼ 7.55% 0.61 ▼ 7.04% 0.97 ▼ 6.92% 1.55 ▼ 6.87%

Most Advanced Perfect World Co., Ltd. Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. Tecumseh Products Company Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. Eagle Rock Energy Partners, L.P. Parnell Pharmaceuticals Holdings Ltd Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Vascular Biogenics Ltd. CSI Compressco LP Linn Energy, LLC

Most Declined PowerShares S&P SmallCap NeuroDerm Ltd. Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ePlus inc.

John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. Egalet Corporation Juno Therapeutics, Inc. AmeriServ Financial Inc. Gaming Partners International Corp Kandi Technologies Group, Inc. TubeMogul, Inc.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) CHANGE Centrica PLC 276.70 0.00 Coca-Cola HBC AG 1188.50 0.00 Compass Group PLC 1099.50 2.00 CRH PLC 1546.50 4.00 Diageo PLC 1839.25 9.00 Direct Line Insurance ... 293.70 1.00 Dixons Carphone PLC 463.05 1.95 easyJet PLC 1713.00 31.53 Experian PLC 1105.00 10.00 Fresnillo PLC 797.50 32.50 Friends Life Group Ltd 365.25 0.10 G4S PLC 274.55 0.70 GKN PLC 345.95 2.10 GlaxoSmithKline PLC 1374.25 -8.50 Glencore PLC 297.72 0.65 Hammerson PLC 606.00 2.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1016.50 8.05 HSBC Holdings PLC 612.95 0.90 Imperial Tobacco Group 2830.00 27.00 InterContinental Hotels 2615.50 21.00 International Consolidtd 498.30 11.20 Intertek Group PLC 2344.50 2.00 Intu Properties PLC 336.50 3.70 ITV PLC 213.90 0.70 Johnson Matthey PLC 3409.00 23.00 Kingfisher PLC 337.95 1.77 Land Securities Group 1156.00 4.00 Legal & General Group 247.60 1.50 Lloyds Banking Group 76.15 0.02 London Stock Exchange 2237.00 9.00 Marks & Spencer Group 470.00 -7.10 Meggitt PLC 515.50 4.00 Mondi PLC 1063.50 14.00 Morrison (Wm) Sprmrkts 182.90 -0.20 National Grid PLC 917.25 9.00 Next PLC 6782.50 35.00 Old Mutual PLC 191.30 1.40 Pearson PLC 1183.50 7.00 Persimmon PLC 1588.50 23.00 Prudential PLC 1496.75 5.00 Randgold Resources Ltd 4500.50 88.64 Reckitt Benckiser Grp 5222.50 65.00 Reed Elsevier PLC 1098.00 6.00 Rio Tinto PLC 2982.75 13.00 Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC 869.25 4.50 Royal Bank of Scotland 387.90 -1.10 Royal Dutch Shell PLC 2225.75 -9.50 Royal Mail PLC 427.80 2.92 RSA Insurance Group 437.45 -0.12 SABMiller PLC 3316.00 15.50 Sage Group (The) PLC 469.95 2.20 Sainsbury (J) PLC 244.55 1.20 Schroders PLC 2693.00 14.00 Severn Trent PLC 2021.00 21.00 Shire PLC 4549.00 13.00 Sky PLC 892.50 -2.64 Smith & Nephew PLC 1178.50 13.00 Smiths Group PLC 1107.50 12.00 Sports Direct Internatnl... 725.75 3.50 SSE PLC 1617.00 11.00 Standard Chartered PLC 968.10 5.50 Standard Life PLC 400.40 0.60 St James's Place PLC 813.50 3.50 Taylor Wimpey PLC 136.70 1.80 Tesco PLC 188.53 0.50 Travis Perkins PLC 1852.50 13.00 TUI AG 1088.00 -1.00 Tullow Oil PLC 413.85 0.10 Unilever PLC 2613.00 7.00 United Utilities Group 929.50 10.50 Vodafone Group PLC 222.47 0.65 Weir Group PLC 1882.00 0.00 Whitbread PLC 4738.00 21.00 Wolseley PLC 3700.00 13.00 WPP PLC 1351.50 9.00

% C H G. 0.00 0.00 0.18 0.26 0.49 0.34 0.42 1.87 0.91 4.25 0.03 0.26 0.61 -0.61 0.22 0.33 0.80 0.15 0.96 0.81 2.30 0.09 1.11 0.33 0.68 0.53 0.35 0.61 0.03 0.40 -1.49 0.78 1.33 -0.11 0.99 0.52 0.74 0.60 1.47 0.34 2.01 1.26 0.55 0.44 0.52 -0.28 -0.42 0.69 -0.03 0.47 0.47 0.49 0.52 1.05 0.29 -0.29 1.12 1.09 0.48 0.68 0.57 0.15 0.43 1.33 0.27 0.71 -0.09 0.02 0.27 1.14 0.29 0.00 0.45 0.35 0.67

VOLUME 645.04 18.18 103.07 47.86 243.99 49.88 64.13 59.42 120.75 158.88 76.70 81.33 173.63 588.07 618.02 54.65 19.56 1,454.17 311.83 9.24 711.43 5.61 84.45 409.38 27.59 228.49 27.42 482.02 5,077.48 11.30 505.57 24.91 68.97 499.18 500.65 22.13 375.68 56.65 34.21 198.44 35.49 75.44 61.91 197.41 156.76 432.75 456.12 126.64 65.37 62.25 159.25 570.59 7.44 38.26 57.79 104.33 101.08 46.03 25.87 76.51 383.78 125.34 20.11 477.46 1,103.16 19.77 48.16 184.98 164.26 59.77 1,564.60 25.89 27.86 10.61 126.24

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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Rogue trading associations TRADE Associations are as rare as hen’s teeth in English-speaking Spain. It is quite the opposite in Britain and much of Northern Europe.

Most trades enjoy the possibility to be trade association registered. Whatever one’s calling, it can be assumed there is an association or a guild for it. Trade associations are primarily created to protect the interests of both their members and the public whom they serve.

As in all else in life there are the good, the bad and the ugly. Many associations unreasonably focus on protecting their profession’s image and ring-fencing their members.

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

www.michaelwalsh.es • 966 786 932

At one time or another I tangled with the British Medical Association (BMA), Police Complaints Commission, associations charged with representing legal, financial, accountancy and journalist trades. The worst offenders appear to be those representing these professions.

The better associations are those that represent skilled trades, the artisan and retail industries such as building and allied trades, hairdressing and art outlets.

A trade association is as useless as a bull with teats unless it properly vets its members. It also has to act as arbitrator or offer an independent reasonably priced arbitration service in the event of member versus customer disputes.

Over 20 years I represented both the Federation of Master Builders and the Guild of Master Craftsmen. As with anything, one can look diligently for flaws if one is on a mission. No matter how tough a vetting procedure the

occasional rogue will slip through. I recall a pilot, albeit qualified, who was flying Virgin airliners. It was later discovered his qualifications fell short of those required. There are many bad eggs in the police, banking and medical professions.

The important thing is to have in place a good monitoring procedure. This has to be backed by swift and uncompromising means of resolution, expulsion and exposure. Every year the UK Consumer Protection Agency successfully prosecutes rogue traders. Merely to falsely claim trade association membership can result in a large fine. Our communities could do with some protection too.

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

European Central Bank Stimulus Programme for early 2015?

THE Euro started the month of December on fairly steady ground as markets turned their focus on the European Central Bank interest rate decision and press conference.

As inflation numbers from the Eurozone had not seen much of an improvement for the last two quarters, economists and investors were expecting Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank to announce the introduction of a quantitative easing programme to kick start growth.

However, interest rates were kept on hold and policymakers in the Eurozone hinted that the purchase of Government bonds could help address the issues swamping the region to drive growth, though no action was taken.

On the contrary, ECB member Nowotny issued a statement

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

saying that although the Eurozone is experiencing a massive weakening and have very few options open to them, measures like full blown money printing, used by their counterparts in the US, will not be suitable for the region.

Markets began to price-in that the ECB will announce a stimulus programme in early 2015 after Mario Draghi addressed the European Parliament.

With Europe on the brink of yet another recession, Draghi

THE EURO: Started December on fairly steady ground. issued a statement saying that the European Central Bank could start buying government bonds.

He also stated this would be one of the measures in the European Central Bank’s armoury as they could further implement uncon-

ventional measures to purchase a ‘variety of assets’ including gold and securities. Retail sales and manufacturing PMI numbers are also steadily on the decline, while GDP data continues to paint a grim picture for the Eurozone

Visit us at our Spanish offices in Costa del Sol, Costa Almeria, North Costa Blanca and South Costa Blanca.

Telephone: UK +44 (0) 207 847 9400 SPAIN +34 950 478 914 Email: euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com • www.currenciesdirect.com

economy. The Euro has steadily weakened since and after dismal economic data prints, GBP/EUR that started the month at 1.2590 has lost considerable ground to end December just under the 1.29 level.

The fate of the Euro is now dependant on Mario Draghi’s stimulus programme which is expected to be announced at the ECB meeting in January as he tries to kick start growth and inflation which has remained considerably poor. With divergence in policies among the major economies it is imperative the European Central Bank need to act; though they may have left it a little too late.

Low inflation numbers and monetary stimulus devalue a currency and ending the year on a weak note, one thing is certain - the Euro finds itself wedged between a rock and a hard place.

Can she be elected to office?

You and the Law in Spain

By David Searl

Q. I have just bought the new 2015 edition of ‘You & the Law in Spain,’ which I am finding very informative. However, I have a question for which I cannot find an answer. Can I be elected to a Community Committee if I do not live in the urbanisation, but still own a property there?

L.P. (Costa del Sol)

A. Yes, you can be elected to the Committee or even as President of your Community if you own a property. The registered owner of the property, not the inhabitant, is the member of the Community.

When a flat is rented, for example, the owner may possibly give a Proxy Vote power to the tenant, but the owner is the member, not the tenant.

If you own two properties, you have two votes and you pay two sets of Community fees.

This can lead to a situation where the property developer or an investor owns a number of properties and so has a number of votes, sometimes enough to run the Community in favour of his own interests.

The answer to your question is in fact contained in the Horizontal Law

BUSINESS EXTRA

Energy loss ENERGY giant RWE is suing Spain over renewable energy cuts and presented an arbitration request to ICSID, the World Bank’s body that settles investment disputes. The German group’s Spanish subsidiary sustained heavy losses in 2013 following government changes and RWE’s claim will be the first of many.

Uber ban

section of the book, where it points out that only an owner and member of the Community can be elected to office.

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

A MADRID court that instructed mobile phone operators and data networks to comply with a ruling that ordered Uber to cease operations inside Spain was “disproportionate and discriminatory,” the company said. Its smartphone car-share app is opposed by registered cabbies as unfair because Uber drivers operate without permits or insurance.

OPINION & COMMENT

Campsite woes Spain needs to be updated IN answer to A Nosworthy - not his real name I suspect - there are two sides to every story.

I’ve lived in a caravan for 50 years and am now 74-years-old.

Over the last nine years I’ve paid over €36,000! This campsite is half-empty most of the year and has gone into liquidation, owing the bank approx €1.5 million. It was sold at auction for €36,000 to a Finnish company, I’m told.

If our site and others were cheaper they would be full, but instead we get people staying for one night to fill up, empty the toilet and shower. They use the sauna and pool, then leave.

I can’t wild camp with a touring van but sympathise with motor-home owners who are mostly retired and, like me, on a limited income.

They live in northern Europe where it drops to 20 degrees below zero in winter and they come here for winter sun.

Campsites are expensive and unlike France, there are no municipal sites here in Spain. In Britain every town provides cheap sites as well as Club CL small sites on farmland.

If Spain provided sites in every town they would be used.

Or they could provide water taps and toilet-emptying points in large car parks, limiting stays to 28 days with no returning for one week.

I’m selling up, going back to the UK and getting a motor home!

Brian Warman, Mijas Pueblo (Malaga)

Light-fingered I HAD my purse removed from my handbag and €50 notes taken in a local store.

Fortunately I was aware of something or someone touching my shoulder bag and I pulled it towards the front. I noticed that my scarf, which I had taken off and pushed into my bag, was missing.

My purse was nearer the top of my handbag and not thinking at that point that I had been the

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Letters YOURSAY@EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

8 - 14 January 2015/ Mallorca

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

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23

New Year, though, and is entirely self-centred. I’m not sure how old I was, but we spent New Year’s Day with my grandparents and we left at nightfall to walk the short distance to our own house.

I was too small and tired to walk and as I was carried back in my father’s arms I stared up at the stars. They were twinkling in the same colours as the foil decorations on the Christmas tree.

I pointed out this fact to mum and dad, who humoured me, as well as my brother who roundly contradicted me. I can still see those stars in my mind’s eye and I don’t care what anyone says: they were coloured!

D Pennington (by email)

What’s a name?

WINTER has arrived with a vengeance where I live, but at least spring will soon replicate this photo I took last year.

Bernard Moore (by email)

victim of a robbery, I pushed it back to the bottom and went in search of my scarf.

Not finding my scarf I walked to my car and drove back to Estepona. Here I went into a shop to replace my lost scarf and this was when I realised I had been robbed. My cards were dishevelled and all the notes were missing. I hide my cards behind others, making it difficult to see or find unless you know where they are.

If they had been lucky in taking my cards they would have had about two hours to use them before I noticed.

I have tried to remember anything unusual that day and the only thing that keeps coming back to me is a small lady walking towards me up this very narrow aisle.

She looked at me and half smiled as I turned sideways to allow her room to pass on the opposite side to my handbag.

Maybe by turning sideways I presented my bag to an accomplice behind me. In future I will separate my cash from my cards.

(Name and address supplied)

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

Superstar role I LIKED this quote in Time Magazine from the renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, subject of the biopic ‘The Theory of Everything.’ His ideal acting role would be “a baddie in a James Bond film,” he said: “The wheelchair and the computer voice would fit the part,” he said.

Richard M McBride, Benidorm (Alicante)

Long holiday I LOVE the way that the holiday season in Spain lasts the full 12

days that tradition demands.

There is still the Three Kings holiday on January 6 to look forward to instead of the flat feeling after New Year that always sets in at home. That’s easily understood, though.

What can you expect when everyone is affected by overkill after putting up fairy lights and decorating their trees the minute they tear the November sheet off their calendars?

I hope you had a happy Reyes Day, readers, and you enjoyed a slice of Roscon, that very superior bun-round with crystallised fruit on top that knocks spots (and calories) off Christmas pud.

Penny S Hague (by email)

Seeing stars I ALWAYS enjoy reading Street Talk. It’s so interesting to hear other people’s points of view, whether I agree with them or not.

I was especially impressed by the generosity of readers whose best Christmas memories involved helping others.

My own treasured memory of the holiday season involved the

CALL me unobservant if you want to, and I’m the first person to concede that I am nothing of an ornithologist.

But like a correspondent a few weeks back, I have never seen a magpie anywhere on the Costa Blanca.

I live in Benidorm where there are indeed some strange birds and not all of them have beaks and wings. None of them has ever remotely resembled a magpie, though, but if a Spanish newspaper and a Muchamiel reader say there are flocks of them round here, I’ll take their word for it.

Strangely enough, there was a historic Spanish personage named Urraca who was queen of Leon, Castilla and Galicia between 1079 and 1126. Queen Magpie?

Loses somewhat in translation, wouldn’t you say?

Sidney Armstrong, Benidorm (Alicante)

In the club I AM flabbergasted by the Europhobe letters that appear in the Euro Weekly News especially from readers who want an EU, this is only a glorified trading agreement.

If they join the club then they must take the rough with the smooth and pay their dues. Mark my words, if Britain were to walk away from Brussels, these people would be the first to start squealing when the car factories et al upped sticks and decamped to the European mainland.

Jeannette Leverson (somewhere in Europe).

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

Bring back the soapbox LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT

T

HE problem with scribing a column at this time of year means that, to meet deadlines, it can often be difficult to remain current.

Forgive me if this suggestion is therefore, at the time of reading, (hopefully) old hat.

With the incubation period of the dreaded Ebola being up to 22 days, is it not pure common sense to place returning health workers into quarantine?

These brave and obviously caring volunteers would I’m sure, have no objection at all to spending time in isolation, just to make sure they don’t become the source of an outbreak in their own country. Facilities could be made to see they receive all the comforts available and any visitors suitably protected.

I would think that after such a stressful period, some may even welcome a complete break. A little breathing space coupled with all the best attention,

HYDE PARK CORNER: Where you could say exactly what you wanted. remuneration and goodwill a grateful nation would surely be only too happy to provide. I just hope by the time this piece is aired that, what to me is pure common sense, has been adopted and fully installed. Not however holding the breath.

One thing we really must overcome in this New Year is the fear of speaking the truth in case it ‘offends.’ If anything has stood out this year, it is the pathetic

protests that have occurred when someone has stated the obvious. (Areas swamped by immigrants’ and so forth).

Many of these dissenters come from countries where free speech can be punishable by the heaviest of penalties, including death. We really must drum into the PCs and those who are offended by someone observing obvious facts, that the UK has advocated free speech for

centuries and millions of our citizens have died to preserve that right. If we are frightened to even speak the truth, then we may as well turn the whole place over to those who would stifle and destroy our whole way of life. We cannot let these people win. If they can’t stand the heat they need to ensconce themselves in kitchens that they find more acceptable.

Personally I long for those wonderful Hyde Park corner days when anyone could, as long as they weren’t inciting a riot, stand up and, without fear of prosecution, say exactly what they chose.

When did that wonderful British institution get stopped? I can’t remember.

I do know however, that if our governmental hierarchies weren’t such lily livered wimps, Sundays in Hyde Park could still be as invigorating and indicative of our freedom as it always was. Bring back the soapbox I say. Dream on Leapy.

Thanks for all your mail, shame we don’t have space to print them, but I do read every one. Keep ‘em coming. You know I can take it.

Peace and love to you all.

Keep the faith. Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

What adventure do you see yourself going on in 2015?

C

OLIN TATHAM, of Pit Stop Tyres in Son Bugadelles, Santa Ponsa, Mallorca said that: “the adventure I would really like to go on this coming year, is to buy two camels and trek through Outer Mongolia, but what I’m really going to do, is to carry on here in the workshop, and continue to provide my valued customers with the great service they deserve.” He went on to add, “maybe I will leave buying the camels until 2016!”

Jill Marples, owner of Jacaranda restaurant in Moraira, in the Costa Blanca North, said that the adventure she would most like to go on would be that of retirement! Jill said: “in the 10 years I have been in Spain I have been so busy working that I have yet to explore the rest of Spain and I feel I am missing out. So, when I retire I intend to go on a road trip with my husband and dogs Colin Tatham (left) Steve Hartley (right)

STREET TALK and travel around all of Spain. That is the plan but you never know what is around the next corner in life!”

Steve Hartley from Calpe’s The Colina Club said that his dream adventure would be to travel around Africa photographing the wildlife there as he has a love for animal photography and more specifically big cats!

“I fell in love with the big cats when I worked in a Wildlife Rescue Centre some time ago, especially the tigers. We built enclosures and worked closely with the animals, even rescuing 27 tigers from a socalled sanctuary in Idaho which

Paul Ross (above) Jill Marples, owner of Jacaranda Restaurant in Moraira were in a variety of sorry states when they arrived and in my time there we also rescued a small pride of lions with three cubs. To see lions in the wild and in their natural state would be a great adventure!”

Paul Ross, owner of Paul Ross Fitness in Almeria said that his new adventure will be totally business related. “My big adventure for 2015 has just begun with the launch of the 1to4 Fitness Retreat.

This exciting new venture will really put us on the map within the fitness industry and is an amazing new life adventure for me!”

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OPINION & COMMENT

I’m a Celebrity Chef - take me to your leader so I can dazzle with my cooking 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

T’S hard to avoid those television chefs at the best of times, but leading up to Christmas they were as numerous as fleas on a tramps vest. Every channel you turned to, there they were, dazzling us with their recipes and expertise on the very best of Christmas fare.

But whatever time of year I happen to catch their cooking programmes, they never cease to amaze me with some of the weird and wonderful stuff they knock up, and I wonder just what planet they live on.

They all start off with the same laughable line that goes something like this: ‘Today I am

TELEVISION CHEFS: Hard to avoid over the festive period. going to show you this simple and delicious recipe that anyone can prepare in four minutes with just a few ingredients that you will find in any kitchen cupboard’... etc. etc. Yeah right,

because it’s obvious from the start that the pile of ingredients they have in front of them would not be found in the average Sainsbury’s, let alone a domestic kitchen.

Then off they go, chopping onions with a blur of wrist action that on the odd occasion I tried to mimic the technique, nearly lost me several digits. That one process alone would take me twice the length of time as their estimation for the whole dish.

And they have this special chef’s language with words that have me rushing off to get the dictionary.

Julienne some carrots they say, or garnish with a brunoise of vegetables.

Why can’t they just say slice and dice for God sake - we can all understand that. And pulease, why not just say strips of bacon instead of poncy sounding lardons?

Tooth grindingly hateful to me is when they melt a bit of chocolate with some cream and refer to it as a ganache. Ganache? Ganache my backside; it’s still just melted chocolate and cream.

They don’t even bother to wear aprons during this wondrous process and it’s not as if they have put something old or tatty on just in case a bit of ganache finds its way on to their person. Oh no, it’s polo shirts sporting little crocodile motifs, designer slacks and even jackets and ties.

If I did that, my best clobber would finish up looking as if it had been involved in a Dulux factory explosion and my wife would do a bit of her own Julienning on my tender parts.

Then off they swan in their latest vintage car or personal helicopter to their next guest appearance and leave an army of poor beggars to clean up the wreckage and wash the dishes.

No, I’ll stick to my own recipes thank you very much, it’s less stressful.

Seeing into the future is easier with hindsight Vicki Mcleod

Family Matters “SEE into the future,” they said. “Write your column 14 days in advance of printing, the deadlines are going to be really tight over Christmas,” they said. WHAT? said I. I don’t normally manage even 24 hours before publication!

If I were to see into the future, past Christmas and New Year and more or less to Three Kings what can I imagine I would have been doing, thinking and what, more importantly, would the reader wish to be thinking about? So I dug out my crystal ball, gave it a quick polish and gazed into its misty depths.

I foresee that you have had a wonderful festive season, without any worries about lumpy gravy or running out

of sprouts. I know that you managed to get through it all without arguing with your nearest and dearest, and that you managed to genuinely feel happy when you received that pair of socks you gave to someone last year and they have given back to you. I foresee that you made it through Christmas without contracting a ‘spending money’ habit because you kept a tight control on your budget and didn’t go crazy on Christmas Eve buying presents you didn’t really need to get.

I know that you kept your temper whilst queuing to buy all of those unneeded

CRYSTAL BALL GAZING: I can see clearly now. presents as well. You also managed to make some time for yourself during the

season and you turned down those invitations to parties which you didn’t think you would have the energy to get to.

You managed to attend parties and not get tiddly and say stupid things as well, didn’t you?

As for New Year’s Eve, you didn’t get overemotional and start crying and hugging everyone, telling them that you loved them and that next year you would try harder.

No, everyone had a wonderful time, including you and you didn’t, not once, embarrass yourself.

You also looked fabulous in that glittery, clingy number

(even though your wife disagreed).

Finally, you managed to not put on a stone by eating mince pies and glugging wine, you stuck to salad and water, all the way. Well done, you!

I, on the other hand, didn’t manage any of those things, that I can almost guarantee.

However your Christmas and New Year went, you can always have another run at it for Three Kings; it’s like Mallorca can’t quite let Christmas go. To someone that hadn’t ever celebrated Three Kings back in the UK, it came as quite a shock to me that it existed, but I have to say I love it, too.

Then we’re straight into St Antoni and St Sebastian and before you know it it’s February. Whoosh. My crystal ball is misting over again; see you in the New Year, sometime, somewhere.

www.familymattersmallorca.com

FEATURE

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Advertising Feature

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OPINION & COMMENT

Banking, a career best avoided Mike Walsh Mike, based in Mediterranean Spain, is an international journalist, author and professional writer.

ONE normally thinks of a career in banking as a safe occupation, unless you are a customer of course. It certainly isn’t a calling that brings to mind murder, assassination, suicide and unexplained deaths.

The banking industry suffers such a high death per employee ratio one might better be advised to opt for a vocation in spying or service in Afghanistan.

Recently there have occurred no less than 48 deaths of highflying executives in the banking industry. My advice is that if JP Morgan, Chase Manhattan or Goldman Sachs offer you a job, reply; ‘thanks, but no thanks.’

The same applies should you see job offers advertised by Rockefeller and Company, Bank of Scotland, Merrill Lynch, Ulster Bank. Best to avoid them all.

AL CAPONE: Undoubtedly lived a high risk life.

Bankers, like the rest of us, are destined to shrug off their mortal coil at some time. In my not so humble opinion, shooting oneself with a nail gun or being

crushed to death by one’s SUV is not a fitting end for those of us whose sins are few and minor.

As pointing an accusing finger at Russian President Vladimir

Putin simply won’t wash, mainstream media tends instead to be discreet. Can you blame them?

The list of strange banking industry deaths is far too lengthy to detail here. It irritates me that there is no space for revealing an equally inexplicable number of deaths of scientists who are involved at the sharp edge of scientific research.

Do not concern yourself overly if you are a scientist. These deaths tend to effect those involved in cutting edge space and aero war technology.

Running through the list of banker’s untimely ends, we have the making of 48 who dunnit crime thrillers in one hit, if you will excuse the expression.

There have been 20 suicides or unexplained deaths by hanging, drowning or leaping (or being shoved) from buildings.

Seven bankers have suffered gunshot deaths. These are usually self-inflicted. Another eight died from ‘causes unknown.’

Others include house fires and seven very messy road accidents. A number of bankers have simply gone missing or unexpectedly died.

Having said that, death might have been presumed in the case of Nicholas Austin (49), a former bank manager from Hersden.

He died after drinking antifreeze. It was said he wanted to get high.

Some victims have been arrested, charged and on bail, otherwise outed and disgraced, or under formal investigation.

Undoubtedly, American low life like Al Capone, John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde lived high risk lives. In their case, sticky end meant sticky in a gory sense. However, it appears their careers were not half as dangerous as were those of the executives of the banks they robbed. As the saying goes, ‘Give a man a gun and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank and he can rob the world.’

Seems to me there isn’t much between them.

EUROPEAN PRESS

FINANCE

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Spanish Taxation In 2015 Part 1 you have savings and investments “youIf need to protect your income and gains from tax. With the right tax planning Spain can be very tax efficient for retired expatriates.

“

The start of a new year is always a good time to review your tax planning, to check that it is up to date and that you are using all the opportunities available in Spain to reduce tax liabilities for yourself and your heirs.

It is even more important this year since there are a number of changes for Spanish taxation in 2015.

Income tax The “Regulation on Personal Income Tax” has been amended for 2015. The government explains that it lowers tax for all taxpayers, but does more for those on low and medium incomes, and those with large families or who care for

By Peter Worthington, Senior Partner, Blevins Franks someone with a disability.

There are now five tax bands for general income, as opposed to seven, and the tax rates have been modified. The tax exempt threshold decreased from €17,700 to €12,450 and the first tax rate reduced from 24.75% to 20%. The top rate is now 47% compared to 52% last year, but the income threshold for this rate has dropped from €300,000 to €60,000. Last year income

between €53,400 and €120,000 was taxed at 47%, so there is little improvement here.

The savings income rates and thresholds are also a little lower.

The rates are now 20% for income up to €6,000, then 22% for income up to €50,000 and 24% after that.

For non-residents who earn income in Spain, the tax rate is reduced from 24.75% to 24%, but for EU/EEA (European Economic Area) residents it falls to 20%.

While this is obviously welcome news after the tax rates over recent years (Spain had the third highest marginal tax rate in Europe!), if you have savings and investments you still need to protect your income and gains from tax. With the right tax planning Spain can be very tax efficient for retired expatriates, so contact the tax specialists at Blevins Franks to find out how

much tax you can save.

Wealth tax When wealth tax was reinstated in 2011, it was meant to apply for 2011 and 2012. However it keeps being extended, and remains in place for 2015.

Spanish residents pay wealth tax on the value of their worldwide assets as at 31st December.

Rates rise progressively from 0.2% to 2.5%.

There are however reductions available, ranging from €700,000 to €2million, depending on whether you own your home and if you are single or a married couple.

This is a tough tax for wealthy residents, so much so that some consider leaving Spain because of it. Blevins Franks may well be able to help you reduce this liability, rather than having to move, so contact us for personal advice.

Our next article will look at capital gains tax, succession tax and Spain’s new exit tax that could affect investors leaving Spain.

As always, it is very important to understand how all the tax changes affect you and your family personally, and seek expert advice on the most suitable solutions to protect your wealth from taxation.

Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual is advised to seek personalised advice.

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

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Thursday 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 Would I Lie to You? 9:30pm EastEnders 10:00pm Death in Paradise 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm Question Time 12:35am This Week 1:20am Skiing Weatherview 1:25am BBC News

BBC TWO 5:15pm The Great British Winter 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great British Railway Journeys 8:00pm Great British Garden Revival 9:00pm Somerset: After the Floods 10:00pm The Super-Rich and Us 11:00pm Russell Howard's Good News 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am Darts

ITV 5:00pm Fat Pets - Slimmer of the Year 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm The Kyle Files 9:00pm Emmerdale 9:30pm Birds of a Feather 10:00pm Bring Back Borstal 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm Perspectives 12:45am Ade at Sea

CH4 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Location, Location, Location 10:00pm Shut-Ins: Britain's Fattest People 11:00pm Sex Party Secrets 12:05am 24 Hours in Police Custody

CH5 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Winter Road Rescue 9:00pm Secrets of the Egyptian Pyramids 10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:00pm Botched Up Bodies 12:00am Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side

SKY1 5:00pm Futurama 5:30pm Futurama 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm David Attenborough Conquest of the Skies 10:00pm A League of Their Own 11:00pm An Idiot Abroad 12:00am A League of Their Own

Friday BBC ONE 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm A Question of Sport 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Room 101 10:00pm The Musketeers 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm The Graham Norton Show 12:25am Joanna Lumley Meets Will.I.Am

BBC TWO 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great British Railway Journeys 8:00pm Great British Garden Revival 9:00pm Mastermind 9:30pm Food and Drink 10:00pm The Big Allotment Challenge 11:00pm QI 11:30pm Newsnight 12:05am Darts 12:55am Darts

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 The Martin Lewis Money Show 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Benidorm 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm The Invention of Lying 1:30am Jackpot247

CH4 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast 10:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 11:00pm The Last Leg 12:05am Adam Hills: Happyism Live

CH5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Race to the Pole 9:00pm Ice Road Truckers 10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:00pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:30pm Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side 12:30am Celebrity Big Brother 1:15am Super Casino 4:10am Celebrity Big Brother 5:00am Wildlife SOS 5:25am House Doctor 5:45am House Doctor

SKY1 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Show Me Your Garden 10:00pm Karl Pilkington: The Moaning of Life 11:00pm Hawaii Five-0 12:00am Gremlins

TV LISTING

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Saturday BBC ONE 3:35pm Darts 5:30pm Final Score 6:20pm Pointless 7:10pm BBC News 7:20pm BBC London News 7:30pm Now You See It 8:00pm The Voice UK 9:30pm The National Lottery 10:20pm Casualty 11:10pm BBC News 11:30pm Match of the Day 1:00am The Football League Show

BBC TWO 4:30pm Escape to the Continent 5:30pm Darts 7:00pm Flog it! Trade Secrets 7:30pm Sacred Wonders of Britain 8:30pm The Last Days of Anne Boleyn 9:30pm Dad's Army 10:00pm Britain's Tudor Treasure: A Night at Hampton Court 11:00pm The Other Boleyn Girl 12:50am Darts

ITV 3:25pm Tipping Point 4:25pm Diversity Live 5:25pm ITV News London 5:35pm ITV News and Weather 5:55pm Mamma Mia! 6:00pm Mamma Mia! 8:00pm Harry Hill's Stars in Their Eyes 9:05pm Take Me Out 10:20pm Skyfall 12:05am ITV News and Weather

CH4 5:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:00pm The Big Bang Theory 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Channel 4 News 8:00pm The Restoration Man 9:00pm Tsunami: Ten Years on 10:00pm Bad Teacher 11:50pm Sarah Millican: Chatterbox Live 12:50am Cocktail 2:50am Queer as Pop: From the Gay Scene to the Mainstream

CH5 4:15pm Columbo: Grand Deceptions 6:15pm Storm Night: Deadliest Storms 7:10pm Storm Night: Scariest Weather 8:00pm Storm Night: Worst Weather Ever?

8:55pm Secrets of the Egyptian Pyramids 9:55pm 5 News Weekend 10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:00pm Mr. & Mrs. Smith 1:15am Super Casino

SKY1 3:00pm Last Man Standing 3:30pm Last Man Standing 4:00pm Harrow: A Very British School 5:00pm Last Man Standing 5:30pm Last Man Standing 6:00pm The Fanatics 7:00pm Show Me Your Garden 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm David Attenborough Conquest of the Skies 10:00pm Gremlins 12:05am A League of Their Own

Sunday BBC ONE 3:15pm Flog It! 3:45pm Escape to the Country 4:35pm Songs of Praise 5:10pm Shrek 2 6:30pm BBC News 6:50pm BBC London News 7:00pm Celebrity Mastermind 7:30pm Countryfile 8:30pm Still Open All Hours 9:00pm Antiques Roadshow 10:00pm Last Tango in Halifax 11:00pm BBC News 11:20pm BBC London News 11:30pm Match of the Day 2 12:35am The Celebrity Apprentice USA

BBC TWO 3:00pm Masters Snooker 6:00pm Ski Sunday 6:45pm Darts 9:00pm Kate Humble: Into the Volcano 10:00pm Reinventing the Royals 11:00pm QI XL 11:45pm Billionaire's Paradise: Inside Necker Island 12:45am Masters Snooker Highlights

ITV 3:15pm Midsomer Murders 5:15pm Diamonds are Forever 7:35pm ITV News London 7:45pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm All Star Family Misfortunes 9:00pm Foyle's War 11:00pm ITV News and Weather 11:15pm The Kyle Files 11:45pm The Undriveables 12:15am Rugby Highlights

CH4 4:15pm The Princess Diaries 6:30pm Channel 4 News 7:00pm A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 8:00pm Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 9:00pm The Hotel 10:00pm Walking the Nile 11:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 12:05am Machine Gun Preacher

CH5 4:10pm The Pursuit of Happyness 6:30pm Aladdin 8:10pm 5 News Weekend 8:15pm The Medallion 10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:00pm A Lonely Place to Die Thriller.

12:55am Winter Road Rescue 1:55am Super Casino

SKY1 3:00pm Harrow: A Very British School 4:00pm Last Man Standing 4:30pm Last Man Standing 5:00pm Emergency with Angela Griffin 6:00pm Ashley Banjo's Secret Street Crew 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Futurama 8:00pm Modern Family 8:30pm Modern Family 9:00pm A League of Their Own 10:00pm Karl Pilkington: The Moaning of Life 11:00pm Show Me Your Garden 12:00am Britcam: Emergency on Our Streets

Monday BBC ONE 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Inside Out 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Panorama 10:00pm Silent Witness 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:32pm BBC Weather 11:35pm Waterloo Road 12:35am The Graham Norton Show

BBC TWO 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great British Railway Journeys 8:00pm Great British Garden Revival 9:00pm University Challenge 9:30pm Only Connect 10:00pm Horizon Special 11:00pm Backchat with Jack Whitehall and His Dad 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am Masters Snooker Highlights

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 Richard Wilson on the Road 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Broadchurch 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm The Cube 12:40am A Great Welsh Adventure with Griff Rhys Jones

CH4 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News Includes sport and weather.

9:00pm Dispatches 9:30pm Food Unwrapped 10:00pm The Undateables 11:00pm Bodyshockers 12:00am Shut-Ins: Britain's Fattest People

CH5 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Criminals: Caught on Camera 8:30pm Car Crash TV 9:00pm Storage: Flog the Lot! 10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:00pm Closing Time 12:00am Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side

SKY1 5:30pm Futurama 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Road Wars 10:00pm 50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy 11:00pm Air Ambulance ER 12:00am Hawaii Five-0

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 Silent Witness 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:32pm BBC Weather 11:35pm Count Arthur Strong 12:05am Match of the Day: FA Cup Highlights

BBC TWO 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great British Railway Journeys 8:00pm Great British Garden Revival 9:00pm Nature's Weirdest Events 10:00pm Horizon Special 11:00pm W1A 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am Masters Snooker Highlights

ITV 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm River Monsters 9:00pm Britain's Best Back Gardens 10:00pm The Wonder of Britain 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm The Mighty Mississippi 12:40am Secrets From the Sky

CH4 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Weighing Up the Enemy 10:00pm 24 Hours in Police Custody 11:00pm Ramsay's Hotel Hell 11:55pm The Undateables 12:55am Pokerstars.Com MonteCarlo Casino Ept Grand Final

CH5 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Benefit House: Me and My 26 Kids 9:00pm The Secrets of the Tea Chimps 10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:00pm Suspects 12:00am Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side

SKY1 4:00pm Harrow: A Very British School 5:00pm Futurama 5:30pm Futurama 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Modern Family 9:30pm Modern Family 10:00pm Air Ambulance ER 11:00pm Britcam: Emergency on Our Streets 12:00am Hawaii Five-0

Wednesday BBC ONE 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Match of the Day Live 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:32pm BBC Weather 11:35pm A Question of Sport 12:05am Film 2015

BBC TWO 6:55pm Party Political Broadcast by the Conservative Party 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great British Railway Journeys 8:00pm Great British Garden Revival 9:00pm Nature's Weirdest Events 10:00pm Horizon Special 11:00pm W1A 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am Masters Snooker Highlights

ITV 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:25pm Party Political Broadcast 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Midsomer Murders 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm Bring Back Borstal 12:40am I Never Knew That About Britain

CH4 5:00pm Deal or No Deal 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm The Restoration Man 10:00pm 24 Hours in A and E 11:00pm Angry, White and Proud 12:00am Steph and Dom Meet Nigel Farage

CH5 3:15pm NCIS 4:10pm When Calls the Heart 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Cowboy Builders 9:00pm He Left Me for My Mother...And Other Betrayals 10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:00pm Suspects 12:00am Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side

SKY1 4:00pm Harrow: A Very British School 5:00pm Futurama 5:30pm Futurama 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 Fanatics 10:00pm 50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy 11:00pm Karl Pilkington: The Moaning of Life 12:00am Taken 3 Special

32

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

Mallorca weather

NEW ON DVD

for next 7 days

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

The Good Lie After their parents are killed my militia and their village is destroyed, Sudanese orphan Theo, his siblings and other survivors make an arduous journey to a Kenyan refugee camp. Thirteen years later, Theo and his friends have the opportunity to settle in the US. Kansas woman Carrie Davis has to find jobs for the newly arrived Sudanese, but when she sees how uncomfortable and out-of-sync they are in 20th century America, she vows to help them rebuild their shattered lives.

Directed by Phillipe Falardeau, stars Reese Witherspoon, Arnold Oceng and Ger Duany. Runs 109 mins. PG-13.

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 MAGALLUF

Visit the stars, for details on our expanded range of services

Almeria

CLOUDY MAX 17C, MIN 7C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

www.fiduciarywealth.eu

18 7 S 20 11 S 20 10 S

MAX MIN

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) A conversation with a colleague brings insights into how others live and it is quite an eye-opener. Friendships are particularly important this week.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) This is a week when progress is fast and plans run ahead. Try new ideas and seek information to hone your knowledge. An organisation that is new to you offers insight and social involvement.

talents this week means less time to spend socially, so it's important to make time for loved ones at the weekend.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Although you have perhaps been looking to money-making ideas to progress finances, think also of alternatives. Perhaps there are areas of your lifestyle where money could be saved.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) There may be some opposition to your ideas as Pluto turns this week.

Perhaps your natural charm just

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Being very much in demand for your

6-Star Quiz 1. What is the name of the city located on the Black Sea coast that was the location of the XXII Olympic Winter Games that opened in January?

2. Which famous English model, known for her waifish figure, and role in size zero fashion, celebrated her 40th birthday on January 16?

3. Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie broke which former Soviet athlete’s 21-year-old pole world record with a 6.16m leap in Donetsk in February?

4. It was revealed in February that which famous British comedian who died in 1993, had secretly written a romantic thriller novel under a female nom de plume? The unpublished story of love and mystery, titled An Echo of Shadows, was written under the name Maria Brett-Cooper.

5. Which Australian-born actress won the won the Academy Award for Best Actress in March, for her performance as Jeanette ‘Jasmine’ Francis in Woody Allen’s black comedy Blue Jasmine?

6. Which member of the British royal family launched the Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style sporting championship for wounded soldiers in March?

tars

a creative outlet. Perhaps you would like to write a book: memoirs, for instance, take up a craft or paint. Learning a new language would also be satisfying. Certainly, food for the brain and soul are what you should be seeking now.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) There is something in you that needs

THAT WAS 2014 THAT WAS… (PART ONE)

doesn't seem to be working. As you have helped others in the past, make it clear that you expect a bit of co-operation.

Y S our

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.

SUNNY

UK THUNDERBALL

IRISH LOTTO

EURO MILLIONS

Saturday January 3

Saturday January 3

Saturday January 3

Friday January 2

18

19

31

1

11 25

15 35

7

8

21

26

29

42

BONUS BALL

THUNDERBALL

BONUS BALL

24

6

37

22

24 28

49

6

LA PRIMITIVA

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

CLEAR 17 8 S 18 9 S 18 7 S S Sun,

MAX MIN

Mon - 19 9 C Tues - 19 9 C Wed - 19 9 C

Madrid SUNNY

TODAY:

MAX MIN

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 18 10 Cl Tues - 19 10 Cl Wed - 19 9 C

16 4 Cl 17 5 S 16 2 S

MAX 13C, MIN 3C MAX MIN

Mon - 15 3 S Tues - 15 3 C Wed - 15 3 S

Murcia MAX 16C, MIN 7C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 17 8 S Tues - 17 8 C Wed - 16 8 C Cl Clear,

CLOUDY MAX 18C, MIN 6C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun Fog,

Sn Snow,

MAX MIN

19 7 S 22 10 S 22 9 Cl

Mon - 19 7 C Tues - 21 8 C Wed - 20 8 C

C Cloud,

Sh Showers,

Th Thunder

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

TARGET:

Average: 19

Very good: 36

Good: 25

Excellent: 44

emit, item, meet, mete, mint, mite, mute, pent, pint, punt, quit, teem, teen, temp, time, tine, tune, unit, inept, input, quiet, quint, quite, tempi, unite, unmet, untie, impute, minuet, minute, piquet, pitmen, uptime, quieten, umpteen, EQUIPMENT

1

21

22

25

28

30

REINTEGRO 6

1

SILK

Sunday January 4

Saturday January 3

25

LUCKY STARS 3

17 9 S 18 11 S 21 12 S

19 10 S 21 12 S 15 7 Cl

Word Ladder

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY 17

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX 17C, MIN 9C

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Fri Sat Sun -

LOTTERY 15

SUNNY

MAX MIN

Mon - 19 11 S Tues - 20 11 Cl Wed - 19 10 C

CLOUDY MAX 18C, MIN 8C MAX MIN

MAX MIN

Mon - 17 10 S Tues - 17 9 C Wed - 17 9 S

Malaga TODAY:

MAX 19C, MIN 9C

Benidorm

MAX MIN

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 December 21) A strong and exciting romantic feeling flows through the week, which is fitting as Valentine's Day comes round again next month. Someone returning from a trip makes you smile and boosts your spirit.

10

17 11 Cl 18 11 S 19 9 S

19 11 S 21 13 S 21 11 Cl

TODAY:

MAX 17C, MIN 9C

Mallorca

SCORPIO (October 24 November 22) Thoughts come to you, perhaps in dreams, that are creative and energy boosting.

Someone who recently moved out of your sphere is sadly missed but is in some ways still a part of you.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Fri Sat Sun -

TODAY:

LIBRA (September 24 October 23) Having suffered a bit of a setback last week, you may be feeling less confident. Revving up your social life will certainly help to bring spirits up again. Be with people who liven or inspire you in some way and avoid boring or moaning folk.

Sudoku

Fri Sat Sun -

Barcelona TODAY:

SUNNY MAX MIN

Mon - 18 9 C Tues - 19 9 C Wed - 18 8 C

MAX MIN

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Satisfaction with your love life is paramount this week, and the opinion of others seems important to you.

Perhaps you are looking for an excuse to make a change. It is possible, however, that a change is not required so much as a different approach.

TODAY:

10

22 31

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

28 54

REINTEGRO 6

HATS

SITS HITS HATS

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Spirituality seeps right through the week. As you are feeling particularly sensuous, invite someone special to dinner or on a trip. Visit garden centres and plan ahead.

Alicante TODAY:

SILK SINK SINS

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) It's a better week for travel with less likelihood of delays. Should you be feeling a little lethargic and sorry about recent events, just count your blessings.

1. SOCHI, 2. KATE MOSS, 3. SERGEY BUBKA, 4. LES DAWSON, 5. CATE BLANCHETT, 6. PRINCE HARRY

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Crosswords

8 - 14 January 2015 / Mallorca

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

Cryptic

Quick

Across 1 Wood found in tea kettle (4) 3 Chad wins exotic snack (8) 9 Resulting from a fairer travel cost (7) 10 One in charge helps to keep things straight (5) 11 Pilot for the beast (5) 12 Based around a subject like somewhere to go on holiday (6) 14 Church area making capital hot (6) 16 Has slept despite some bother (6) 19 Countenance pocketing one pound is easy (6) 21 Until horribly dark (5) 24 Perfume from a romantic partner (5) 25 Respect drunken spirit (7) 26 Inn where Innkeeper has discordant lyre (8) 27 Rips off old lags (4) Down 1 Designed patterns for in church (8) 2 Get on with A Green, almost (5) 4 A WC for spies (6) 5 Dire note in a melancholy tune (5)

6 Silliness is without a malady (7) 7 Laugh at round ends? It’s tough (4) 8 Mother, doctor and a Sikh leader are all from Chennai (6) 13 Ring leader is French and less impatient (8) 15 Incentives for sons are different

(7) 17 Entertained in the morning, then exploited (6) 18 Fresh Easter mystery (6) 20 Incensed number one judge (5) 22 Plenty to join in game (5) 23 Club which finally provided a steam-room (4)

Code Breaker Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 14 represents J and 25 represents M, so fill in J every time the figure 14 appears and M every time the figure 25 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 Charm, 3 Seems, 7 Animals, 9 Align, 10 Sheer, 11 Entitle, 12 Cashew, 14 Sadder, 18 Bramble, 20 Stays, 22 Skill, 23 Assails, 24 Sieve, 25 Chess.

Down: 1 Classic, 2 Agile, 3 Sashes, 4 Exact, 5 Shifted, 6 Binge, 8 Agree, 13 Scabies, 15 Asses, 16 Resists, 17 Debate, 18 Beset, 19 Bulge, 21 Alive.

QUICK Across: 1 Shovel, 4 Checks, 9 Creates, 10 Ranks, 11 Erase, 12 Achieve, 13 Intelligent, 18 Arrives, 20 Rifle, 22 Spoil, 23 Examine, 24 Dashed, 25 Beasts.

Down: 1 Sacred, 2 Opera, 3 Extreme, 5 Harsh, 6 Concern, 7 System, 8 Established, 14 Nervous, 15 Garbage, 16 Paused, 17 Levels, 19 Value, 21 Fails.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

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

Across 1 Corazón (5) 4 Neumáticos (de ruedas) (5) 7 Margarina (9) 8/10 Bolsa de basura (3,3) 15 Allá (4,5) 17 Autumn (5) 18 Task (job) (5) Down 1 Broad bean (4) 2 Brazo (de persona) (3) 3 Bull (4) 4 Equipo (deporte) (4) 5 Queen (5) 6 Semilla (4) 9 Unhurt (5) 11 Red (4) 12 Another (4) 13 Cinturón (4) 14 Minutes (of a meeting) (4) 16 Oreja (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 (COUNTY) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.

BAITED

PITTED

ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Cigar, 3 Bride, 7 Encima, 9 Agua, 10 Remainder, 13 Aunt, 14 Armada, 16 Abril, 17 Playa.

COUNTY (10)

RACOON

DEFEND

RENDER

ENDURE

RESENT

EVENTS

STEEDS

FRONTS

STOREY

Down: 1 Chew, 2 Asi, 4 Inglesa, 5 Edad, 6 Caminar, 8 Cleaner, 11 Baya, 12 Cada, 15 Mil.

HAMMED

TESTED

LEERED

THENCE

OWNERS

WEEDED

PATRON

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Funagram Unscramble the name of a famous British sportsperson: SMALL WHITE ION FUNAGRAM SOLUTION: TOWER HAMLETS, LEWIS HAMILTON

Unscramble the name of a famous London borough (two words): THE WORST MEAL

Across 1 Hit with palm of hand (7) 5 Gives temporary use of (5) 8 Stays behind (7) 9 Compel (5) 10 Additional (5) 11 Answer (7) 12 Pursues (6) 14 Nearer (6) 17 Hair cleansing agent (7) 19 Aquatic mammals (5) 22 In a while (5) 23 Shrewd (7) 24 Aligns with (5) 25 Movement downward (7) Down 1 Wait on (5) 2 Confess (5) 3 Confidential (7) 4 Long for (6) 5 Raises up (5) 6 Apprehensive (7) 7 Thin (7) 12 Large and stately mansions (7) 13 Made to fit (7) 15 Classroom studies (7) 16 Made secure (6) 18 Components (5) 20 Similar (5) 21 Vision (5)

1 Breach, 2 Dealer, 3 Rested, 4 Kinder, 5 Hurled, 6 Resent, 7 Banker, 8 Thence, 9 Single, 10 Butler, 11 Pierce, 12 Regard, 13 Taller, 14 Healer, 15 Models, 16 Alters, 17 Arrows, 18 Salute, 19 Mellow

34

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My parents have arrived from Mexico and are feeling the cold!

Erica Russell Watson: My journey – and I’m driving

30th December WELL, what a relief! I was feeling so much better. The five days after the second chemo session were quite tough to get through but as you are trapped inside your body there is no escape from it. Just keep positive in the knowledge that each day you get a little better.

On 23rd of December, after last-minute preparations I went to have lunch with my second family and Jorge. I would be collecting my parents later that day.

It was quite hard to believe that I would be seeing them. They have lived in Mexico for many

years and this would be only the third time in 12 years that I would be seeing them. I love my parents and it is at times like these when you feel the separation and distance acutely. Luckily, I was feeling better just in time for their arrival.

My heart was racing as I waited in the arrivals hall at Malaga airport. Their flight was on time along with 20 others so it was very busy.

Spotting my parents was easy. My father is a towering six feet five inches tall and if that wasn’t enough of an indicator both my parents were wearing masks!

I know it isn’t common place in Europe but if you travel, particularly in Asia, everyone wears a mouth mask to prevent the spread of germs. As flights are notorious for being a hive of bugs and infection the last thing they wanted was to bring something horrible home to me.

There was quite a lot of

commenting from the more perfect, not a breath Spanish around me: “Look of wind and lovely and at those two. What’s the warm.

I had booked a table at matter with them? Have they got Ebola do you my favourite restaurant, think?!!” You have to laugh Casa Matilde, La Plata, in at times. Anyway, after Benajarafe. We sat in the hugs and kisses I whisked gardens looking out to sea them off to the car and had and enjoyed a glass of fizz to do quite a lot of together. Lunch was rearranging to fit in all their spectacular as always.

When the chill started cases.

That to set in we sorted, we set moved inside off for Just keep around five home.

They positive in the o’clock and sat by the were knowledge that fire. freezing! each day you get The table Although the a little better next to us summed up the temperatures are mild Christmas spirit and what it means to be in Malaga they were akin to Nordic conditions part of a Spanish family.

They were 33-strong for my parents as it never gets cold in Mexico. Time to across four generations light the fire and get cosy and boy could they sing! It and of course a much- was intoxicating listening to needed, reviving cup of them belt out Spanish carols accompanied by a tea!

Christmas Day and the healthy array of musical sun shone brightly and the instruments.

Warmed by Christmas weather warmed up. In fact, it could not have been cheer and local wine, we

wended our way home to parents into Malaga later and meeting Jorge, which light the fire.

The next few days were both my parents were spent taking trips to the looking forward to as he local village and showing has been such a huge my parents around and of support to me. A quick trip course the all essential visit around the port and up to my local fruit man! Both Calle Larios would be the my parents are cancer order of the day.

Malaga has changed so survivors and my father particularly cannot get much since I studied here through the day unless he over 20 years ago and is has several bananas, so we much smarter than it used stocked up on those and all to be. For me Malaga is a the other lovely fruit and very special place.

I would decide where to veg from Rafa’s garden.

I try to have lots of fruit see in the New Year and and veg, generally juiced where to eat my grapes later. The 31st up first thing in the would be spent morning. Having It is at times preparing for lost a few my sister’s kilos in the like these arrival from immediate when you feel Manila with aftermath of chemo, I the separation her boyfriend, was now and distance and my putting the acutely children just weight back back from a on in preparation splendid trip to for round three!

Luckily my appetite had London to see the rest of returned and I was making the family; 2015 would get off to a good start the most of it.

I would be taking my surrounded by my family.

Drink coffee and sleep well!

YOU can drink coffee in the evening and still get a good night’s sleep, according to a Canadian company, Counting Sheep Coffee has introduced a brand new concept for coffee.

While usually coffee or, more importantly, the caffeine content is blamed for causing wakefulness, this coffee has been designed to give you a full, restful night’s sleep.

Deland Jessop, the

brain behind the concept, invented the coffee for his wife; she had to give up drinking coffee for health reasons.

His secret is including valerian root, commonly used for treating sleep disorders, to create a combination using coffee and it has taken the world by storm.

Reviewers claim it tastes good and really works and could be the answer to an insomniac’s prayers.

FEATURE

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Advertising Feature

Euro at critical level Commentary by Moneycorp

EUR The euro starts the year at a critical level, with sterling banging its head on €1.29. The last time this happened was in September; the time before was in July 2012. It is necessary to go back to October 2008 for the previous occasion when sterling touched such a level. There is therefore a considerable queue of people and companies eager to sell the pound close to a six-year high.

The early signs are that, once again, the sellers outnumber the buyers and that the pound will be knocked back once again. If it can pop above €1.30 though, look for a further rise as speculative sellers scramble to buy back their short positions.

Over the last fortnight the euro, together with its constant companion the Swiss franc, was the biggest loser. It lost two and a half US cents and was down by a cent and a half against sterling.

USD Over the last fortnight the dollar was the strongest performer among the major currencies. It strengthened by two and a half cents against the euro and went up by a cent against the pound.

As usual, the buyers who pushed the dollar higher were motivated by the strength of the American economy and the likelihood it would lead to the Federal Reserve raising US interest rates before too long. There was little among the US economic data to detract from that expectation. November’s new and existing home sales did not look too special, but pending home sales rose for the same month and house prices were up by 4.5% on the year. The killer blow landed by the dollar was an upward revision to third quarter gross domestic product. The revised figure showed the economy expanding by 1.3% in Q3, appreciably more than the forecast 1.0%.

CAD Over the last fortnight the Canadian dollar was unchanged against sterling. It lost half a cent to the US dollar, which was the top performer among the major currencies.

The Canadian statisticians appeared to have made the decision to clear their desks ahead of the Christmas break, for all but one of the fortnight's economic data were published on the 19th. They were

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 not particularly helpful to the Loonie: October’s retail sales were flat. The headline rate of inflation slowed from 2.4% to 2.0% and the core inflation rate, which ignores the effect of food and energy, was down from 2.3% to 2.1%.

Though the numbers were not impressive they were no worse than most of those from Canada’s peers. The Loonie therefore did not come in for any stick from investors.

AUD Over the fortnight the Australian dollar was just about unchanged against sterling. It lost half a cent to the US dollar, which was the top performer among the major currencies.

The folk at the Australian Bureau of Statistics did not over-exert themselves during the festive fortnight, since the only ecostats to emerge during the two weeks were produced by the Conference Board and the Reserve Bank of Australia. The Conference Board’s leading indicator, which aims to show which way the economy is going, remained negative at 0.2. The RBA’s lending data showed private sector credit increasing by an annual 5.9% and its commodity index was down by -21.2% on the year.

None of the numbers were particularly important or particularly surprising.

Investors, who tended to be more interested in the festivities than in pushing currencies around, left the Aussie alone.

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PETS

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SPONSORED BY

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Pining Beagle Your pets divorce therapy waits by gate David THE Dogman

BEAGLE cross Harry has been pining by the front gate for his brother after he went missing while out on a walk.

Since May, Harry has been sitting outside the family home in Briton Ferry near Swansea, South Wales waiting for his litter-mate Hansum who went missing after being let off his lead.

Owner Julie Evans has created a Facebook campaign in an effort to reunite the dogs which has 10,000 online detectives trying to work out where Hansum has gone.

Ms Evans, 43, told Wales News Service: “We were out walking Harry, Hansum and me. I let the dogs off the lead. Harry came back but Hansum did not.

“I knew something was wrong because Harry and Hansum were brothers from the same

litter, totally devoted to each other.

“I looked everywhere but there was no sign of Hansum. Harry now pines for him, waiting by the gate to see if he’ll come back. But day after day he doesn’t.”

Ms Evans fears Hansum might have been stolen near their home.

The Find Hansum Facebook page has thousands of followers, shares and likes and there is even a reward for anyone who can return Hansum.

She added: “I’d love it if somebody who hears about Hansum could let me know where he is.

“In my heart I believe he’s alive and I just hope he’s being treated well.

It’s possible he’s been stolen or maybe taken in by someone who doesn’t know he’s being missed.”

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

WITH the stress you’re under and all the issues you must deal with, a valuable member of your family is neglected. Your pet. You still provide the basic necessities, but you probably don’t realise that divorce affects them too.

You are their world. They watch you closely and they feel the tension and upset of the household. The crying, arguing, loud noises affect them deeply, making them frightened and insecure.

While your pet’s stress level is increasing, the attention you give them is decreasing. At a time when the last thing you need is more problems, your pet gives them to you.

Behaviour problems vary

YOUR PET: Will provide unconditional love. in decree such as chewing, barking, digging, soiling in the house, perhaps even snapping from nervousness they feel. Any previous bad behaviour problem will most likely be exaggerated.

Not understanding the problem you get angry and yell at them making matters worse. You need to take your pets feelings into consideration.

Be gentle and give them the extra attention they need. “You don’t have time”, you’ll say. “It’s only a pet; I have more important

life altering decisions to make.”

That may be true, but it’s to your benefit to show your pet how much you love them. At this time in your life you are pulled in a million directions, everyone wanting a piece of you. You need peace and quiet, and a place to think, someone to listen. Your pet will offer this to you and more.

Cuddle your pet, take advantage of the unconditional love they willingly provide. Talk to them in quiet tones, they will be

soothed by your voice. You have the benefit of hearing your thoughts, helping you think out your complicated issues. When you are at your lowest, sometimes you feel rejected and unloved. Just look into their eyes; feel their love and you won’t feel as alone.

Rely on them, lean on them, they won’t mind.

Nursing homes have tapped into the wealth of comfort pets by having them visit residents on a regular basis. You can see the joy in their eyes as they cuddle their furry visitor.

To help alleviate your stress, take your pet for a long walk to help them reduce the anxiousness they feel and help you to clear your head.

Whatever happens, your pet will always love you unconditionally and be there for you. Take advantage of the comfort they give.

Go through your situation together. You will be amazed at the source of your support.

Dating for demanding cows!

FRENCH website trouverlebon taureau.com (find the right bull) is an online dating site for cows and bulls with hundreds of profiles on potential mates.

Farmers are able to hook their animals up with good matches thanks to the site, enabling them to ensure just the right genetic material to boost their herds.

Sylvain Frobert, a 33-year-old farmer in Saint-Prix raising 160 Charolais cows for meat, turned to the internet to find suitable partners for his prize bull Bariton.

The site, which looks very much like traditional online dating sites, gives information on mates with family trees included.

Launched in October by a group of French breeding associations during the country’s Farming Summit, the site allows breeders to include details about their cow and explain the characteristics they are aiming to improve in their herds: milk, growth, muscular development or calving prowess.

Once that part is done, dozens of profile pictures appear and farmers (and their cows) get to choose from a bevy of Frenchbred bulls.

Who could resist Cyrano, a Charolais bull boasting a breathtaking body? There is also Arlequin, a Blonde d’Aquitaine

who claims to have a Parisian elegance in spite of his rural upbringing, or Braise, who boasts an exceptional rump.

Yet sadly love will remain virtual for the prospective partners with no romantic walks on the beach or passionate moments on the books. Once a decision is made things get clinical as specimens of the bulls’ semen (sexed to allow farmers to choose male or female calves) are dispatched for artificial insemination.

Versions of the site in English, Spanish, Italian and Chinese are planned soon to export the French way of dating to lucky cows worldwide.

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FOOD & DRINK

Mallorca’s best guide to local restaurants

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

The WOK - delicious food at great value for money!

ENJOY delicious Asian food in a relaxed and very different atmosphere. Situated in Son Castello, Restaurante Wok has something to suit every palate!

Eat as much as you like and be spoilt for choice when selecting from a grand buffet of anything you can imagine from Asiatic cooking or an Argentinian barbecue.

Before you make your decision however in what to have for your main course, there is a wide selection of freshly made Sushi to enjoy as a starter whilst you decide!

As you walk down the extensive buffet you realise that there is actually just about every

ASIAN FOOD: To suit every palate. ingredient you could possibly wish for in order to concoct or make your favourite dishes!

From meat, fish, pastas, noodles, potatoes, chips, rice dishes and daily fresh vegetables, you can

also choose the way it is cooked, be it on the grill or in a wok as a stir fry, all cooked right there in front of you!

With a huge selection of fresh fish and seafood to choose from, ranging from large King Prawns, crayfish, mussels, squid, octopus, clams and razor clams to name but a few. There are also a choice of different meats to get sizzling on the grill if fish is not appealing to you that day, from steak to chicken pieces or breast, pork, kebabs, different types of sausages, butifarra, lamb chops and more to choose from as well as the fantastic Argentinian BBQ with racks of spare ribs, steaks and other meats cooked freshly in front of you on the barbecue by a specialist chef.

There are also a range of sauces to choose from, spicy Thai to sweet and sour to a

Do you have news for our 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 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

house special and beyond and if you have any room left after all of that, then there are an array of different desserts ranging from fresh fruit to cakes, flans and profiteroles, ice creams and various other tempting treats to choose from.

This bountiful offering is excellent value for money, the price during the day in the week from Monday to Thursday is just 9.95€. Evenings are 11.50€.

Then on Fridays and weekends 13.95€ (day and evening).

971 432 128 / 675 856 867 Email: awwm88888@hotmail.com Gran vía Asíma 5, Poligono Son Castello 07009 Palma de Mallorca

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omes&gardens

HOMES & GARDENS

HPlanting strategies for new SPONSORED BY

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

gardens or existing ones VITMARK

Dick Handscombe

Gardening Corner THERE are several important aspects to planting strategies whether planning a new garden or improving an existing one.

Firstly what is your vision and mission for your final garden?

Simple or complex?

Colourful in all seasons as you will be a permanent resident or especially colourful during your few weeks of residence?

Able to be selfdeveloped and maintained or needing one or more gardeners?

Flattened landscape or preserving existing slopes and terrace walls?

FLORAL DISPLAY: Achieving height and depth.

A sparse modern stone chipping garden or a densely planted botanical garden?

Thick high hedges or open vistas? Plenty of natural shade or none?

Bare walls or covered

with climbers?

Secondly what range of plants do you wish to consider and what drought/frost risk profile are you willing to live with?

When compiling the

VAHAN ABRAHAMYAN

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

descriptive plant tables for the book ‘Your Garden in Spain,’ we drove for a couple of months along most of the coastline from Cataluña to Gibraltar after the heavy frosts of March 2004 and 2005 to check which plants had been most damaged and which showed little damage in early spring.

We had some amazing experiences including finding many dead palms and even dead olive trees an hour from the coast where howling, freezing gales had produced leaf air frost temperatures to as low as minus 40 degrees.

This year was an exceptionally dry year for most and enabled many gardeners to review their drought risk profiles.

If you did not think

about this in detail you might find the booklet ‘How to use less water in your garden A practical guide to waterwise Mediterranean style gardening worldwide’ of benefit.

The relative thirstiness of 40 styles of garden is reviewed.

The book is available from Amazon Books.

SPRING COLOURS One thing that appeals to many newcomers is to combine the range of colours and leaf forms possible with a mix of subtropical bougainvillaeas, evergreen edging plants and spring annuals.

A display that achieves height, depth and total ground cover.

Then have areas that make full use of attractive flower leaf and bark colours, perfumes, leaf and bark textures, trunk and branch shapes, etc, as the spring, summer and autumn progress, and even into and through the winter.

BLENDING PLANT SCULPTURES Some special effects and interesting internal vistas can be created by making full use of the sculptural potential of plants.

BRIGHTENING UPSHADE Dark corners under trees don’t have to be dead as the succulent orchid cactus demonstrates.

Each flower only lasts a day, but a mature plant can have a succession of amazing flowers that one can sit and watch opening in slow motion while enjoying a bottle of wine.

AUTUMN COLOUR The second half of July and the month of August can be amongst the least colourful months in the garden, but once temperatures cool a little and the first autumn rains come, a range of salvias can give exceptional colour adding to continuing lantana displays.

Hope these illustrations stimulate creative ideas for your own garden.

© Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com January 2015

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OPINION / FEATURE

Between the devil and the deep blue sea Cassandra Nash

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

E

SPERANZA AGUIRRE let it be known that she would happily run as Madrid mayor should the PP ask her.

A former minister in the Aznar governments during the Nineties, Aguirre was president of the Madrid Community until she resigned after being diagnosed with now-overcome breast cancer. She is still secretary general of the regional PP party and would have a good chance of winning as she is as popular as she is controversial.

But will the party ask her?

Aguirre challenged Mariano Rajoy when he lost the 2008 general elections, she is still critical of his leadership and if the PP had a Tea Party, she would be in it.

What will the president do?

Accept the offer and swallow his misgivings? Choose someone

else and risk losing City Hall?

This will be a tough one.

Oiling the wheels THE Centre of Political and Social Studies (CEPS) worked with the Venezuelan government until early 2014.

Most Podemos leading lights belong to CEPS which is now estranged from Caracas owing to government abuse and repression of its opponents while turning its attentions back to Spain. Here, according to CEPS vice president Fabiola Meco, there are “indications” that Spain would be receptive to the ideas and ideals of Venezuela’s late president Hugo Chavez who wanted a Bolivarian socialist revolution.

What many Spaniards are receptive to is a Bolivarian revolution backed by Venezuela’s huge oil reserves. Remove those and both Bolivar and revolution would be non-runners.

Cyber footprints PUBLIC PROSECUTORS who specialise in investigating corruption cases have noticed files missing from their computers.

Prosecutors who had not backed up files on external hard discs have lost months of work, said the Anticorruption department.

Most intrusions involved organised crime investigations into Russian, Italian and Chinese mafias in Spain. One related to Herve Falciani who

ESPERANZA AGUIRRE: Would happily run as Madrid mayor.

disclosed details of 130,000 tax evaders of all nationalities who have - or had - accounts with HSBC Switzerland. Falciani, still wanted in Switzerland, was arrested in Spain but later released because he had not breached Spanish law and supplied information regarding HSBC Switzerland’s Spanish clients.

Not all the hackers focused on international corruption, as

another Prosecutor assisting the Gurtel case noticed that files went missing from her computers.

But computer wizards are too clever for their own good.

Watergate needed a whistleblower before coming to light, but hackers blow their own whistles and leave their own muddy footprints, especially the Russians that Spanish police are now tracking down.

Preparing for a massacre AS Podemos erodes the twoparty system there have been hints of pacts between the PSOE and the PP after the November general elections.

PSOE leader Pedro Sanchez firmly ruled out talk of agreements, but that’s because he has more options than Rajoy. And it already looks as though both parties are admitting to themselves that there is going to be a bloodletting come November.

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During the one stop appointment, a custom-made whitening gum shield is made to take home together with a solution of 16 per cent Carbamide Peroxide, which is then used for a further week. This final part of the method is what gives the teeth a more natural white effect.

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PROPERTY

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Property

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INVESTMENT in Spanish office space hit an all-time high in 2014 with more than €2 billion being invested, three times higher than the figure for 2013.

According to experts, this is a “positive sign for the overall Spanish property market.” Foreign investors accounted for nearly two-thirds of the investment, according to figures from JLL, a property consultancy.

“In terms of deals, the largest purchase of office property was a portfolio of buildings belonging to the Catalan regional government sold to Zurich Insurance for €201 million,” said Mark Stucklin of the Spanish Property Insight website.

“The next biggest deal was the acquisition of the Agbar Tower in Barcelona by Emin Capital for €150 million, and of IBM’s headquarters in Madrid for €130 million.”

DAVID SIM

Office sales hit a high

OFFICE SPACE: A great 2014 in terms of investment.

Foreign investors were dominant in the commercial real estate market - a market that includes shopping centres and store premises - reaching 68 per cent of the total €2.7 billion spent of these assets during the year.

“Optimism and deals in the commercial and office market bode well for the Spanish economy, and could in due course have a positive impact on the residential market,” said Stucklin.

Urban land transactions see an increase in Q3 URBAN land transactions in Spain increased by 21 per cent during the third quarter of 2014, with the average price of land per square metre falling in the same period.

A total of 4,293 urban land

transactions took place between July and September, representing an increase of 13.2 per cent over the previous quarter and a fifth increase over the same period last year. The Balearic Islands is one

of the municipalities that registered the highest average price per square metre at €412.8.

In smaller municipalities (less than 1,000 inhabi-tants), a total of 422 transactions were carried out, an increase of 13.6 per cent on the same quarter of 2013.

Municipal-ities with inhabitants between mortgage is €99,866 and 1,000 and 5,000 saw El Pais has reported that 867 sales, up 11.6 per the total number of cent, and in areas with a mortgages constituted in population of between October grew by 9.4 per 10,000 and 50,000 cent year-on-year. A people, transactions total of 25,937 were up 29.6 per cent. mortgages were on Areas with more than urban properties, 50,000 inhabitants representing an increase registered 1,008 sales, of 9.1 per cent over up 66.6 per cent.

The surface area of October 2013. Mortgages on rural properties also the land transactions rose. The regions which carried out in the third saw the biggest quarter of 2014 reached million square increases were Andalucia 5.3 (3,329), Madrid (2,942) metres, with a value of and Catalonia (2,694). €667.6 million.

Home mortgages rising ANDALUCIA registered the highest number of home mortgages during October 2014.

A total of 3,329 new mortgages were registered in the region for the month, contributing to the overall national 18 per cent rise in the number of mortgages, year-onyear. October was the fifth consecutive month to register increases in Spain.

According to the data from the National

Statistics Institute, a total of 17,687 new mortgages for the purchase of homes were signed in Spain in October. The total capital loaned for the constitution of these home mortgages was €1.7 billion, which is nearly 15 per cent more than the previous year, while month-on-month (October over September) this figure registered a decline of 15.2 per cent.

The average home

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Latest ‘must have’ for all superyacht owners

New skipper ACRONAUTIC

SUPERYACHT owners will soon be clamouring for the latest accessory for their multi-million euro floating palaces.

A new Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) - Thetis - set to go into production soon has been described as the “world’s first Limousine RIB tender,” and its stylish, luxurious design and interior will make the perfect ‘ship-to-shore’ ride for fastidious superyacht owners.

“The challenge was to develop a vessel that could carry passengers in a safe and dry environment yet also maintain a fun and practical purpose,” said conceptual designer of the Thesis and managing director of Acronautic.

“RIBs are often referred to as utility boats due to their multi-tasking nature, high durability and ride comfort.

The Thetis design by

THETIS: Stylish new superyacht tender.

Acronautic adds a fresh dimension to incorporate a limousine-style cabin and practicality for diving, beach access and cruising.”

The Thetis’ luxury design means any sojourn from a superyacht will be met with similar standards. “RIBs have always been popular as superyacht tenders, however, transporting a large number of guests in protected comfort has continually been a challenge,” Mr Crone told the Phuket Times. “This vessel will provide an

BOATING

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experience in itself for guests, whether it be transiting to shore, exploring local bays or diving from this ultra-stable platform, every detail is designed around versatility and user comfort including dedicated boarding points for ease of access.

“This vessel is a must have superyacht toy to complement a yachting experience. The Thetis design offers a design that can be fully customised to suit a client’s requirements, style and taste.”

AS the third leg of the Volvo Ocean Race got under way on January 3, the organisers of the event caught up with the new skipper of Spain’s MAPFRE team, Xabi Fernandez, before the competitors left Abu Dhabi for the 4,670 nautical mile race to Sanya, China.

The 38-year-old Spaniard was relishing the opportunity to skipper the MAPFRE boat, in place of his teammate and friend Iker Martinez, who had prior Olympics commitments to attend to.

“Well, so far this world tour has been atypical - physically less hard than others,” he told www.volvooceanrace.com. “In the first stage there was not much wind, and the second either, except for the tropical depression which produced 30 or 33 knots. It wasn’t that bad.”

Reflecting on the journey ahead as skipper, Fernandez said: “The Malacca Strait can be tricky, especially if there is no wind. We will be busy, but we can sleep well, maintain schedules, and make every meal. In the end that’s what really crushes you, being unable to sleep or eat well for days. If you enter that zone you’re just busted and you don’t really get out of it.”

Asked why the Malacca Strait can be so

FRANCISCO VIGNALE/MAPFRE/VOLVO OCEAN RACE

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tough, Fernandez said: “It is a complicated area. There is heavy traffic and a lot of mess, many fishermen without AIS, no identification, no lights. In this area too, near the Philippines, I have experienced

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8 - 14 January 2015 / Mallorca

EWN

45 WWW.QUADH2O.COM

BOATING

upbeat for leg 3 THE HEXH2O: A new concept in drones.

Waterproof drone for boat owners LEADING THE WAY: MAPFRE stand-in skipper Xabi Fernandez will try to do his best.

the toughest wind conditions around the world, between 55 and 60 knots wind and upwind.”

This edition of the Volvo Ocean Race is Fernandez’s fourth and he is confident that team MAPFRE will keep improving after a bad first leg.

“The truth is that after the bad start in the first leg (Alicante - Cape Town), and the great improvement in the second (Cape Town - Abu Dhabi), feelings are much better,” he said. “It’s hard to fix something like that, but I think we managed it.”

He concluded: “I’ll try to do it as Iker does it. The team is already strong, peaceful and the watch system runs at 100 per cent.”

A NEW waterproof drone will allow boat owners keen on capturing their trips on camera, the ability to film both from the air and underwater.

The HexH2o, due for launch in 2015 from QuadH2o, will have six rotor blades and looks like your average flying drone, but has the ability to film underwater. The sealed unit can hold a GoPro camera which can film from the air for up to

25 minutes, as well as landing on calm water to film what lies beneath.

The American company behind the revolutionary new drone plans to offer DIY kits starting at €800 or a fully-assembled model for just under €3,300. It may seem like a lot of money, but for boat owners who want to combine aerial and underwater footage, the movie-making possibilities are endless.

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E W N 8 - 14 January 2015 / Mallorca

MOTORING

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otoring M TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

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

Restyled Honda CR-V set for market in the spring

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THE restyled and enhanced 2015 Honda CR-V has been updated with new Powertain and new technology for the New Year.

With a refreshed design, revised engine line-up and new in-car technologies, the Honda CR-V is further enhancing its appeal to European buyers. Available from spring 2015, the CRV’s exterior styling updates provide a bolder and sportier appearance with a unique Honda style.

The most notable changes are to the front, with redesigned headlamps that flow into the new front

ENHANCED APPEAL: Refreshed design and in-car technologies. grille. A new bumper and skid plate give the car a wider appearance and hints at its improved stability, while also lowering the car’s visual centre of gravity. At the rear, the LED combination lamps have been restyled to give the CR-V a more fluid, 3D appearance.

Honda set out to create a more stylish and functional interior, and this is evident in the reshaped chromeeffect inlay running the width of the dashboard, and through the use of high-quality materials on key surfaces. A sliding armrest between the front seats further enhances

both comfort and versatility.

The four-wheel drive CR-V will be available with a more powerful diesel engine, and an all-new efficient nine-speed automatic transmission.

The new 1.6 litre i-DTEC four-cylinder diesel engine provides considerably higher power output than its predecessor, boosting maximum power and torque to 160 PS and 350 Nm. The engine can be twinned with two transmissions: either a sixspeed manual or the ninespeed automatic transmission.

The two-wheel drive

diesel CR-V, available with manual transmission, carries over powertrains from the current model, and the 2.0-litre i-VTEC petrol engine remains available too.

In terms of infotainment, the 2015 model is getting Honda’s innovative new app-driven infotainment system, with a broad range of functions presented on a seven-inch touch screen display.

Front-seat occupants get fast access to everything from vehicle information, rear-view parking camera, music, Bluetooth connectivity and MirrorLink technology.

Husqvarna’s biking history THE gift-giving season may be over, but a hardback book about one of the world’s oldest and most

well-known motorcycle manufacturers will still make a great present for the petrol-head in your life.

‘Husqvarna Motorcyles, Standard & Racing 19031964’ looks back on the iconic Swedish brand’s first steps into motorcycle production and traces Husqvarna through three periods in its history.

Well-known for making meat mincers, sewing machines and bicycles, Husqvarna launched their ‘motor-velociped’ in 1903

and haven’t looked back.

The book explores the four-stroke period between 1903 and 1936, followed by the two-stroke period from 1931 to 1964.

It was during this second period that the company introduced the Blackmill, Redmill, Dream Bike, Silver Arrow and Gold Arrow bikes and the book contains facts and descriptions of the models.

Finally, the book explores the ‘competition period’ from 1922 to 1935.

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Sport Mallorca’s best guide to local sport

F1 driver Michael Schumacher is out of a coma and fellow driver Jules Bianchi is recovering after his horrific crash.

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

Rugby event takes to the beach in Palma AN extra tourist attraction particularly for sports lovers - will be evident in Mallorca in May, with scrums, rucks, line-outs, tries and conversions all on show as the island hosts the second edition of Palma Beach Rugby.

On May 2 and 3, Playa de Palma will be more akin to Twickenham, Murrayfield or the Millennium Stadium, or at least a sandier, sunny version of the hallowed rugby grounds of the UK. As rugby’s popularity in Spain grows each year, the beautiful beach of Playa de Palma will host the event, with international players and teams competing for a first prize of €1,500. But it won’t be just muscled rugby regulars taking to

BEACH RUGBY: Guaranteed to be fun for all. the sand - the contest also includes a family tournament, tag rugby for children, a women’s tournament and competitions for youngsters aged eight to 18.

The tournament promises to

SPORT

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promote rugby in Mallorca and is guaranteed to be fun for both participants and spectators.

For more information and for booking, visit the website www.mallorcarugbyevents.com.

SHORTS

By Tony Matthews THE US PGA Tour event begins today in Hawaii.

England wicketkeeper Matt Prior has cofounded the new professional One Pro Cycling team. The 12rider squad is led by Yanto Barker.

Boxer Chris Eubank junior has been told by dad to ‘go back to basics’ after losing his British middleweight fight to Billy Joe Saunders.

And Carl Frampton will defend his IBF world super-bantamweight title against Chris Alavas on February 28.

Cricket’s World Cup

starts next month with England, under new captain Eoin Morgan, playing Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Scotland in their group.

The final is on March 29 in Melbourne.

The World Tennis Association has signed a media rights deal with Perform worth £335.2m (€427.5m) over 10 years.

And Andy Murray’s ex-coach, Dani Vallverdu is now coaching Tomas Berdych.

Rugby stars Jonny Wilkinson OBE and Brian O’Driscoll and footballers Ryan Giggs OBE, all retired in 2014.