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5 - 11 FEBRUARY 2015
Let us vote!
WITH the general election in the UK fast approaching, expats are calling on the British Government to abolish a rule that prohibits those who have lived abroad for more
UK in Ita ly/ flic kr
ISSUE NO. 1544
than 15 years from having their say at election time. Thanks to the UK’s ‘15year rule’, any British expats who moved to Spain before the year 2000 are not entitled to vote in the general election this May. And the Mallorca branch of Conservatives Abroad is calling on the UK Government
to give British citizens a vote for life. “I have a very personal interest in the abolition of the so-called 15-year ruling as I have lived here in Mallorca for 16 years, and as such I am now disenfranchised from voting in the UK general elections,” said Peter Newey, representative of the Mallorca branch. “There are so many issues that British people living overseas are
HARRY SHINDLER: War vet fighting for expats’ right to vote. See Page 10.
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concerned about in the UK, yet can do nothing about these concerns at the one time you can have a voice… election time! The 15-year ruling should be amended to a vote for life.” Today (February 5) is Overseas Voter Registration Day. Expats in Mallorca who are eligible to vote are urged to visit www.gov.uk/registerto-vote. Vote Special Page 10 What do you think about the 15-year rule? Have your say on www.euroweeklynews. com.
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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 - 35 Food 37 Homes & Gardens 39 Property 41 Classifieds 42 - 43 Boating 44 - 45 Motoring 46 Sport 48
BETTER COVERAGE: Free internet connection will be implemented in phases.
Palma to extend free WiFi for beaches
FREE WiFi will soon make lazing on Palma’s beaches all the more enjoyable, thanks to an agreement between the Balearic Port Authorities and Palma’s Tourism Foundation 365. The free internet connection will cover the stretch of coast between the Can Pere Antoni beach and Dique del Oeste, including the docks at Pelaires, the Paseo Maritimo promenade and the Moll Vell area. The new service, which will be implemented in several
phases, will add to the one already operational at Platja de Palma, which was enthusiastically received by the public. The initiative was introduced at a meeting held by the Tourism Foundation Board, which took place in Es Baluard and was presided over by the mayor, Mateo Isern. In addition, the budget for the organisation was decided, with an increase of 10 per cent, a total of €6.1 million allocated for 2015.
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Orange harvest MANACOR’S Council workers have started collecting the oranges from public street trees which will be donated to a local order of nuns for the production of jams and other items.
5 - 11 February 2015 / Mallorca
Infanta judge wants to finish case JUDGE Castro doesn’t want to retire until all parts of the Palma Arena case, which put Infanta Cristina and her husband under the spotlight, are heard. Although the law dictates that judges must retire upon reaching 70, which the judge in charge of court number three in Palma will do in
December, it allows some exceptions. Judge Jose Castro intends to apply to the General Council of the Judiciary to be allowed to continue to work as a judge emeritus for five more years to allow him time to complete his work on the cases, which he has worked on almost exclusively for the last five
years. The original Palma Arena case was split into 27 separate parts, only four of which have been completed, and uncovered scandals including the Noos case which resulted in king Felipe’s sister Cristina and her husband Iñaki Urdangarin being called to declare. Sebas Romero/Red Bull/SIPA/Cordon Press
Fewer criminals THE criminality rate of the Balearic Islands has decreased by 6.9 per cent in 2014, compared to the previous year. Thefts have dropped by 13.7 per cent, with a total of 29,798 in 2014 as opposed to 34,526 in 2013.
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African dance TRADITIONAL African dance group Djilandiang will perform on Saturday (February 7) at 11.30am and 6pm in CaixaForum in Palma. Tickets €6 and €3 for La Caixa clients. Recycling campaign THE Environment Department of Capdepera Council has launched a campaign to encourage recycling amongst residents and prevent them from disposing of large objects in the streets. Barber of Seville A VERSION of popular theatre play The Barber of Seville for the public will be performed on February 8, 11, 13 and 15 at the Teatre Principal in Palma. More information at http://www.teatreprincipal.co m/es/ Road closed A STRETCH of the road Ma-10 in Sa Calobra and another one in the area of the ses Barques viewpoint were closed yesterday (February 4) due to the snow. Rock concert A CONCERT featuring bands El Mono De Jade, Ocean Anchors and Walking On The Plank will take place on Saturday (February 7) at 6.30 pm at Es Generador in son Caliu, Calvia. Entrance is free.
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Second position MARTINA, a Mallorca-born 11-year-old was announced runner up of cooking contest MasterChef Junior, broadcast on Spanish national TV.
Returned objects THE Lost Property Office of Palma’s airport registered 6,370 lost objects, 1,136 were returned to their owners.
Gang nabbed EIGHT members of a gang have been sentenced to up to three years in prison by the Provincial Court of Palma for trafficking cocaine in Manacor.
Hells Angels FIFTY-FIVE members of the Mallorca chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club have been charged with a number of crimes including extortion and drugs trafficking. THRILL-SEEKING: Extreme sports go up a notch.
Daredevils’ ‘slingshot’ jump at 7G is spectacular
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PAIR of death-defying adrenaline junkies have taken it upon themselves to hop out of a hot-air balloon at 5,000 metres and then slingshot themselves from a paraglider before skydiving down to a ski resort in the Pyrenees. It’s not the kind of thought to enter most people’s heads as a way to kill an afternoon, but then Spaniard Horacio Llorens and Argentinian Hernan Pitocco’s minds don’t tend to work the same way as other people’s. Thirty-two-year-old Llorens is a five-time Acro Paragliding World Cup champ and Guinness World Record Holder, and 36-year-old Pitocco is an experienced BASE jumper. The thrill-seekers took extreme sports to another level when they performed their spectacular dive over Catalonia, reaching 7G as
Quote of the Week They’re a sad bunch, who go around saying how badly things are going. They’re not going to do it,’ said Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of the Podemos political party’s election chances as more than 100,000 anti-austerity supporters rallied in Madrid at the weekend.
they somersaulted through the air before slingshotting themselves in perfect tandem out of their paraglider. “To do it safely, we both needed to release from the glider together, at a very precise moment, to ensure we wouldn’t fall into the glider,” said Llorens. “At 3,900 metres, we did about 13 revolutions, and then after 13 we released, around 3,400 metres. Then it was a simple skydive to the landing at 2,000 metres, at the ski resort of La Molina.” To prepare for the Red Bull-sponsored jump, the two daredevils spent seven hours training in a wind tunnel and practised several jumps. And Llorens’ reaction when they touched down on Spanish soil? “One of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my life.”
CREDITlev radin / Shutterstock.com
Number of the week
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is the number of consecutive months that new car sales in Spain have risen. In January, the figure rose by 28 per cent with a total of 68,118 new cars being registered.
Rafa restaurant TENNIS star Rafa Nadal is to open a chain of restaurants internationally with singer Enrique Iglesias and basketball stars Pau Gasol and Rudy Fernandez.
Jobless down THE unemployment rate has decreased by 8.45 per cent in the Balearic Islands in January. In total, there are 7,669 fewer jobless than in the same month of 2014.
‘Not dark yet’ UNTIL February 14, the Casal Solleric in Palma will host an exhibition by painter Jose Aranda. Titled ‘Not dark yet’, it is open Tuesdays to Sundays. Entrance is free.
And finally... ‘Pixelated hair’ is the latest craze in the top hair salons worldwide. Pioneered by three Madridbased hair colourists, the pixelated look involves square blocks of colour being soaked into the hair and layered to give a computer graphic-like effect. The wacky, futuristic look has even been used by Revlon for a campaign.
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Unemployment falls across Mallorca UNEMPLOYMENT has gone from a rate higher than 50 per cent to 10 per cent in a majority of areas in Mallorca. Inca is the municipality that has seen the most positive economic reactivation, as it was also one of the towns in which a high number of people lost their jobs. Unemployment increased there
more than 66 per cent in 2008, and 22.7 per cent more in 2009. Over those years, 1,654 people lost their jobs. However, Inca’s capital Es Raiguer has seen a decrease of the unemployment rate by 13 per cent since December 2012. Llucmajor, Manacor and Calvia had also entered their third year
registering a reduction in unemployment, with an 11.7 per cent decrease in Llucmajor and Manacor and 11.1 per cent in Calvia, by the end of 2014. Palma, the city with the biggest economically active population in the Islands, has also registered its third year of unemployment reductions, falling by 2.1 per cent in 2012, 5.2 per cent in 2013 and 7.8 per cent in 2014.
Gift from the government THE Balearic Islands regional government has transferred the ownership of the Moli d’en Suau building to Llubi’s council. The only condition set out by the regional government was to use the building as a cultural centre during a period of 30 years. The building, valued at €178,979, is located next to the Sa Farinera
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CULTURAL CENTRE: The Moli d’en Suau building. building, also owned by the council and which is
set to become the future municipal school.
Our View
Voting rights for UK expatriates
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HIS week we’re taking a look at the issues surrounding expats and the British general election in May. It won’t be happening this year, but hopefully by the next general election – and any future referendum on ‘Brexit’ – the ’15-year rule’ prohibiting expats who have lived outside the UK for 15 years or more from voting will have been done away with. Groups in Spain and the rest of Europe have been tirelessly campaigning for the rights of expat voters and are urging those who do have a vote to make sure to register now, in plenty of time to ensure you have your say. The more expats who register and vote, the larger the voice we have in the UK when it comes to matters that affect us all, not just those still at home.
Take a walk on the tipsy side! PEDESTRIANS in Spain have been warned this week that if they’re in a hurry and have had a few drinks that they could be ‘pulled over’ on the pavement for exceeding the ‘normal stride’. However, the new proposals to introduce pedestrian breath tests are only for those pedestrians involved in a traffic accident or offence. Overzealous policemen won’t be stopping joggers or pulling up happy revellers making their way home after a night out for a random breath test! More than half of the 370 pedestrians killed on Spanish roads last year had alcohol or drugs in their system. So just remember to stay safe while walking home, at all times, not just when you’ve been enjoying a drink. See full story on Page 14
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Top marks PALMA Council has been officially declared as open with its citizens as possible. The city obtained the highest possible mark for transparency, 100 out of 100, according to a study released by the agency Spanish International Transparency (TI). Palma’s excellent results were matched by 18 other Spanish councils.
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Cost cutting THE Balearic Islands Regional Government has eliminated 104 public organisations since 2012. In addition, 2,044 public workers have been let go, which has meant €324 million in savings.
Tourism fair THE Balearic Islands tourism agency is promoting nature and cycling tourism in the travel fair Reisen of Hamburg (Germany), which is on until next Sunday (February 8).
Car crash TWO cars were involved last Tuesday (February 3) in a head on collision at the Cami de Muntanya in Marratxi. The four people involved only suffered minor injuries.
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How to complete an accident report form WHAT is an accident report form? An accident report form is a document which outlines the circumstances which have occurred in a car accident. In addition to the personal details of the drivers and their vehicles, the document includes a jointly agreed description of the manoeuvres carried out by the drivers when the accident took place, which plays a key role in determining who is responsible for a traffic accident. How should it be completed? Línea Directa offers the following advice to complete the form: 1. Columns A and B (blue and yellow), are for the personal details of the drivers and their vehicles. 2. In section 12, (Circumstances) the numbered column on the left describes the manoeuvres of car A and the one on the right those of car B. If you are unsure which box to mark, leave it blank. Make a drawing of the accident in section 13 indicating the manoeuvre of each car. 3. If anybody has been injured or if you think they might have been injured, complete section 24. 4. If there is more than one car involved in the accident, also complete section 23, on the reverse side of the form, and include it in the sketch. 5. Sign the form and keep a copy.
How to act in case of an accident Línea Directa Insurance advises you of the steps to follow in case of a road accident in Spain. 1. Call the emergency number: 112. They will coordinate the procedure and will ask you in detail about the circumstances of the accident. 2. Remain calm at all times. Switch on the emergency lights and if the state of the vehicle permits, remove the vehicle from the road, in order to avoid delays and further accidents, to the extent possible. 3. Signal the accident location. Before stepping out of the car, put on your high-visibility jacket, which is compulsory, and place the emergency triangles correctly. The first must be placed about 50 metres behind the car in the direction of the traffic, and the second about 100m. 4. If someone is seriously injured, never try to move them, except if in danger of fire or imminent explosion. Cover the injured person, keep them calm and wait for the emergency services to arrive. 5. If the circumstances of the location allow, always fill in the European accident report, which is an essential document for speeding up the procedures and handling between the insurance companies. If you have any doubt about how to do this, don’t hesitate to call your insurance company.
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Trail of damage ends with crash OFFICERS from Palma’s Local Police arrested a man who crashed his car into a police station in Son Rapinya last weekend (Sunday February 1). Local Police were alerted when at around 5am the Senegalese man was reportedly involved in a different
incident, allegedly violently and repeatedly hitting a car while backing up his vehicle in Calle Joan Miro. As a result, three passengers had to be taken to hospital with minor injuries. It is claimed he then fled the scene, headed towards the Andratx motorway. A few minutes later, police say the same man, allegedly driving at a very high speed, lost control of his vehicle and THREE cars have been involved in a multiple collision passed over a central in Palma after one of the drivers found a spider in her reservation, crossing into the opposite direction car. and finally The accident took place in Calle Arquitecto Gaspar lanes, crashed into the Guardia Bennazar, in the area of the school Pio XIII. The driver was blinded by the sun and pushed down Civil station. The man, whose the sun visor. A small spider fell from it and the shock made her alcohol test was five swerve violently, finally crashing into a car that was times over the limit say double-parked. The car bumped into another one in police, suffered minor injuries and was taken to front of it, causing the multiple pile up. Son Espases A man who was taking his children to school was the also hit in the accident, although his injuries were hospital, and then into custody. minor.
Shock of spider causes collision
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App to ease traffic woes PALMA COUNCIL has created MobiPalma, a free app that provides users with information on roads, parking, and public transport in real time. Head of the Mobility Department, Gabriel Vallejo, presented the new app and commented: “It will make it easier, both for residents and tourists, to access mobility services in Palma.” The app can be downloaded on smart-
Protest at beach dog poisoning MORE than 100 people took part in a peaceful march to protest against the poisoning of pets on the Llenaire beach in Pollença. The marchers gathered on Saturday (January 31) at the Mill bus station and departed together with around 50 dogs towards the beach, which is specially adapted for dogs. An investigation was started after several dogs died due to poison ingestion, and the town council has enforced compulsory use of muzzles to prevent more deaths. Vets believe the substance responsible for the deaths could be a pesticide aimed at killing snails.
phones and tablets, and is available in Catalan, Spanish and English, and will soon be available in German. Amongst other features, it allows the user to find out about bus timetables, stops, calculate route durations, traffic conditions through public surveillance cameras, as well as information like how many available parking spaces there are at public car parks.
Get back your bike TWO HUNDRED stolen bikes will be displayed on February 6, 7 and 8, in Palma for owners to identify and reclaim. The Son Toells municipal pound will open its doors to allow residents whose bikes have been stolen to check if they are amongst those on show. To be able to reclaim the bike, applicants will have to provide their identification, a document proving the theft was reported to the police, pictures, receipts or any other documents which can prove their ownership. The pound is located at Camino 140 in s’Indoteria.
MALLORCA WINNER
Congratulations! M ANY congratulations to John Griffiths from Mallorca, who is the winner of an iPad for the Mallorca region. When Euro Weekly News offered the chance to win an iPad to readers who came up with suggestions on how we could improve our newspapers, Mr Griffith was forthright in his answer: “No, I would not change anything as I think that you have got things right.” Mr Griffith - 66-yearsyoung - has been coming to Mallorca for the past 38t years, but retired to Son Ferrer 14 years ago. His parents had an apartment in Peguera
John Griffiths with his iPad. so he had lots of opportunities to visit Mallorca for holidays
over the years while he was working for a foreign royal family.
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Student show THE students of the Pauline Quirke Academy and Palma College will perform ‘Matilda v West Side Story’ at 3pm and at 7pm at Sa Societat Theatre in Calvia on February 8. More information on 600 456 064 or email rachael@pqacademy.com.
Sa Pobla run THE 8th Half Marathon of Sa Pobla will be held this Sunday (Febuary 8) at 10am. The run will begin at Plaza del Mercat in Sa Pobla. For information and registration visit www.elitechip.net.
Lower fees THE Balearic Parliament has called for airport landing fees to be lowered in the winter to attract more seasonal flights.
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Road safety for Santanyi SCHOOLS in Santanyi spent January raising awareness about road and traffic safety. Seven new traffic signs have been placed around the town’s schools to improve pupils’ safety. The signs have been made bigger than usual, in order to catch drivers’ attention and encourage them to be cautious. In addition, some of the signs have LED lighting, new zebra crossings have been painted on the ground and speed bumps
LOCAL SCHOOLS: Raising awareness on roads. have been placed near the schools. Mayor of the town,
Teacher arrested A TEACHER of Inca school La Salle has been taken into custody for allegedly verbally abusing four of his students. The man also attacked head of the school.
Llorenç Galmes, said: “Even though schoolchildren must be accompanied by an adult, they are small and could cross the street without looking. That is why it is very important to pay the closest attention when we drive around a school area.”
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Waiting list rises at crematoriums THE four crematoriums of Son Valenti and Bon Sosec in Palma have reached their maximum capacity due to the large number of deaths that have occurred in the past few days. The average number of deaths ranges between eight and nine per day, while last weekend the number was over 20. Facing this unusual situation, funeral directors have been forced to take exceptional measures, such as opening the
crematoriums during the afternoons and weekends. Appointments for cremations are being given for a period 72 hours in advance, while the average ranges between 24 and 48 hours, depending on paperwork. One funeral director, Irene San Gil, said the sector was completely prepared to face the high demand, and explained the situation was usual at this time of the year.
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Register to have your say BRITISH expats in Spain are being urged to demonstrate that they have a voice in the upcoming general election in the UK by registering to vote as soon as possible. Those not affected by the ’15-year rule’ should register to vote now, according to the head of campaigns for Conservatives Abroad in Europe, Paul Barnes. “If you are a democrat, the core is the ability to vote,” Mr Barnes told
Expats’ right to vote COLIN BIRD THE vast majority of Brits leaving the mother country do so for one basic reason – to improve their quality of life. That’s it. I also believe that many have taken this major step because of the disgust at the constant attack on our long-established institutions, our crumbling public services and a general erosion of standards across the board. And like me, downright anger with self-seeking politicians and criminally-inept governments that have replaced what was once seen universally as the shining model for parliamentary democracy. Nevertheless, it is of vital importance that we retain and use the right as British citizens to vote in UK elections, and have our voices heard. In addition, demand the abolition of the arbitrary 15-year period of domicile in a foreign country, after which we are automatically disenfranchised. It was our choice to move to Spain, but I am an Englishman first and last. I have no idea whether I will have the opportunity to settle again in the country of my birth, but I sure as hell have earned the right over my working life to have a say in who governs it – wherever I choose to live.
Electoral limbo CASSANDRA NASH THERE will always be a corner in expat hearts that remains forever British and most of us
EWN. “We expats need to show that we do have a voice and as a result we should get out and vote. The 15-year rule alienates some British expats and as a result they feel disenfranchised. They can’t vote in the UK and they can’t vote in national elections in Spain.” Mr Barnes said that of the estimated 5.6 million Britons living abroad, around three million are eligible to
vote. But the UK Government has no record of the number of people who have lost their right to vote. “If expats voted they would suddenly have a voice and a bigger say in UK affairs,” he said. “The Conservatives have promised that they will eliminate the 15-year rule should they win the May election. This is of vital importance as expats currently not eligible to vote may be able to have their say if there
is a referendum on Britain leaving the EU, a matter which affects every single Britain living in Europe. Just because you live abroad doesn’t mean you’re not British and entitled to your say.” Mr Barnes stressed that those eligible to vote should register this month to ensure they can vote in the May general election. Don’t lose your right to vote! Register at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
Tirelessly campaigning for expat voting rights HARRY SHINDLER, a 94-year-old British war veteran, is the well-known face of the campaign to restore voting rights to UK expats abroad. Mr Shindler, who was last year awarded an MBE for his work in helping find the graves of missing Second World War British servicemen, has fought for years for the rights of Britons living abroad. Born in 1921 and currently living in Italy, Mr Shindler is a veteran of the Battle of Anzio and the liberation of Rome in the Second World War. He has fought tirelessly for the abolition of the 15-year rule, even bringing the matter to the European Court of Human Rights. He has also argued for parliamentary
How it affects you
representation in the UK for Britons living abroad. The war veteran is not alone, however. British MP Geoffrey Clinton-Brown has also been actively supporting the right of British citizens living abroad to vote. He has introduced a bill to abolish the rule. Mr Shindler has thrown his support behind the bill and travelled to the UK Parliament to give his views.
Niyazz.
care about what happens back in the place we still refer to as home. Nevertheless, anyone who has not voted in the UK for 15 years only has the right to hold forth in their local bar or on the Euro Weekly News Letters’ page. By the same token, many expats who have lived so long in Spain that they cannot vote in the UK want the right to vote here. Instead these long-term residents live in an electoral limbo and can’t vote in the regional and general elections although their results directly affect them. Being able to vote in local and European elections is better than nothing but if we are eligible for these, why are we not considered eligible for the others? As for residents whose command of Spanish is as sketchy as it was the day they arrived and whose knowledge
of Spain and its politics is sketchier still – better for them to have a vote and not use it than to have none at all. They probably didn’t vote at home, either.
A people without a nation MIKE WALSH IT is unlikely to be lost on many that the issue of expatriate voting rights follows the decision to end another state benefit. This is part of a
creeping strategy to make second-class citizens of us all. This in return for 50 years of our being taxed roughly 50 per cent of every penny we earned. Mainstream media spin, goose-stepping to the government’s tune, continually demonise those who wish to retire and live elsewhere in the European Union. I am sometimes asked if I have signed a petition for this, that or the other. My friends, if they treat our votes with contempt, how do you think ‘Pigminster’ responds to
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THERE are many issues that directly affect expatriates living in Spain on which after 15 years they have no say. Here are just some of them. Winter Fuel Payments: Pensioners are to lose their allowance. Tax changes on pensions: Any changes to pensions’ rules could have a profound effect on retired expatriates, many paying UK tax. They have no say in the matter after 15 years. EU referendum: The Conservatives have promised one if they win the next general election, but many people living in the EU will not be able to vote. The slogan for the American War of Independence is apt: ‘No taxation without representation.’ petitions? In exactly the same way as we treat their election promises, with contempt. The parliamentary system is a rotating dictatorship. In terms of electoral accountability it is no different from any former Eastern Bloc self-styled ‘democracy’, like the former German ‘Democratic’ Republic (GDR). I am inclined to riposte; does voting matter? Taking part in such an artfully manipulated fraudulent democracy can only achieve one thing, encourage the elite to keep fooling us.
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Tourism for Montuiri A CITIZEN’S initiative called ‘Any del Molinar’ has launched a campaign to encourage tourism at the Barrio del Molinar in Montuiri. The group has designed a comprehensive document to achieve their purposes including creating a citizens’ forum, a historical-artistic route, the celebration of Sant Joan in the PEDRO M. MARTÍNEZ CORADA
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area and talks and conferences about the neighbourhood, as was explained by local digital newspaper Es Binerbo. Its windmills, which date back to the Medieval Age and the Calle del Molinar, are some of the most attractive points, in terms of architecture. “We aim to combine the conservation of the neighbourhood’s heritage with the material progress of the town,” quotes the text.
Project to help traffic
ONCE LOTTERY: Winning tickets in Palma.
Palma’s lucky number FIFTY winning ONCE lottery tickets were sold in Palma, with a total prize of €2.4 million. The tickets were sold by a single vendor in Via Sindicato, with the lucky
number being 82149. One of the ticket holders won a ‘sueldazo,’ a €300,000 prize plus €5,000 per month for 20 years. The other winners receive €20,000 each.
SOLLER’S Council has launched a project to widen Calle Adela Oliver to ease traffic. A stretch of the street is currently too narrow for vehicles to pass through and the renovation works will allow them to access it. The project was put out to tender for a budget less than €200,000, and will be awarded in the next few days. Public Works councillor, Gabriel Darder explained that the street will be doubled in width, allowing cars to access it from La Calatrava up to Calle Romiguera, easing traffic congestion.
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Fire in Sa Pobla MALLORCA firefighters last week had to extinguish a fire which burst out in a home in Sa Pobla. The blaze completely destroyed the bottom floor of the property but there were no casualties.
Mosque site agreed THE new mosque in Porreres will be located in front of the sports complex of Ses Forques and beside the Porreres Secondary School. The local Muslim community was forced to change the location of the new building after protests from neighbours.
Dog leisure THREE new areas adapted for exercising the family pet will be created in Son Puig, Son Fuster and La Femu. The dog park project will be funded by Palma Council.
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Selva spends €1.7 million A TOTAL of €1.7 million was spent by Mallorca’s Regional Government to carry out work around Selva in 2014. With a budget of €800,000, one of the projects has included the renovation of the town’s water supply system. Repaving and other works have been carried out on the stretch of the Ma-2131 between Selva and Campanet, with a total budget of €1.6 million. In addition, €12,000 has been used to adapt the urban plans of the town. Senior citizens’ associations received around €30,300 to promote activity programmes and contribute to their facilities’ maintenance.
CAPITAL CITY: The most expensive in Spain.
Palma life is pricey PALMA has been announced as the most expensive Spanish city to live in by website Numbeo. Numbeo is the world’s largest database of usercontributed data about cities’ and countries’ cost of living, housing indicators, traffic and crime, amongst
other lifestyle conditions. The website has compared data from eight different Spanish cities and concluded that Palma de Mallorca was the most expensive, followed by Alicante and Madrid. The two cheapest cities were Sevilla and Malaga.
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Path nearly ready WORK to construct a safe footpath along the Cami Vell de Lluc, which started back in October, is reaching completion. Funded by Mallorca’s Provincial Council, the work was aimed at providing pedestrians with a safe path and prevent them from walking along the road, which could be dangerous due to heavy traffic. A walkway, made out of metal and wood, has been placed along the road and above the Comafreda stream. The work had a budget of €189,291 and is expected to finish by the end of February.
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LIBERTY: Better care, service and insurance. works with over 200 brokers with face to face personal assistance at all stages of the insurance process. As Iván Ortego, Expatriates’ Commercial Manager of Liberty Seguros, explains: “Many expats are disenchanted at having to listen to recorded messages from a machine and prefer to discuss their insurance
needs with a friendly face in one of our offices and to receive advice from an expert in their field. “Our products include car, home, marine, pet, commercial and personal liability, and are specifically suited and written for expatriates in their language in an easy to understand format.” Call 902 255 258 www.libertyexpatriates.es
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Breath tests for pedestrians IF you have a drink too many and decide to walk home, be careful as proposed new regulations mean you might face a breath test. And you could get reprimanded for speeding as well if you can manage to stagger at a faster pace than ‘a normal stride’. Spain’s traffic department, the DGT, has proposed in a report new “tools to foster better relations and coexistence between pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and vehicles.” While proposals for higher drink-driving fines and better regulation of driving schools are probably not too controversial, the plans hidden away in the report to give alcohol and drug tests to pedestrians involved in traffic accidents or offences are more contentious. Now Spanish Government advisory body, the Council for State, has queried the proposals in a report, said Europa Press. The council is worried that it is a step too far that would restrict the freedom and invade the privacy of people as they go about their daily life. The proposal to restrict the speed of pedestrians to a normal stride could even
PEDESTRIANS: Don’t stagger too fast! amount to a ban on jogging if police enforce the proposed laws in an overzealous manner. But the DGT has said that there is nothing new in the alcohol test proposals, with spokesperson Maria Segui Gomez explaining that municipal police, “have been carrying out these tests for months there is nothing new here that will allow us to start sanctioning pedestrians, whether with fines or penalty points.” She added that in 2014 more than half the 370 pedestrians killed on Spanish roads had alcohol or drugs in their blood.
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E W N 5 - 11 February 2015 / Mallorca COSTA DE ALMERÍA
Vicar lace MORE than 300 lace makers gathered in Vicar for the 10th edition of the provincial meeting. Mayor Antonio Bonilla said: “Vicar has earned the right to be the main meeting point for bobbin lace.”
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Damage in Almuñecar HIGH winds and strong waves caused severe damage at some of La Herradura and San Cristobal beaches, as well as the Reina Sofia promenade. Reparation works will start shortly in the area.
Albox women
ALMERIA received two severe weather alerts in just four days as high winds of up to 130kph and waves of up to five metres battered the province. A cold snap is predicted to follow.
Neighbourhood MORE than 5,000 people attended the meeting of 30 neighbourhood associations at the Palacio de Congresos in the capital for a day of activities, stalls, crafts and performances.
COSTA BLANCA NORTH
Home brew THE second vintage of Benitachell’s ‘Moraig’ organic white wine was formally presented to a gathering of experts in Valencia City. It was chosen to conclude the Tastavins wine-tasting course.
Getting places ALICANTE City mayor Miguel Valor and Benidorm’s Tourism councillor Gema Amor meet next week to discuss the previously-vetoed AVE station shuttle bus. Valor is more open to dialogue than his predecessor, Amor said.
Straight flush MAIN drainage will be brought to 150 Denia homes in Les Marines and 85 in Montgo next September. There are still 22,000 properties in the town relying on septic tanks.
Toy sales
AXARQUIA
TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY unemployed El Ejido residents have been given work through the Emple@ 30+ and Emple@Joven programmes. Roles vary from maintenance and home care to beauty and commerce.
Weather alerts
nurses and nursing assistants to deal with the increase in cases of flu expected in the coming days.
FOREIGN sales by Alicante Province toy manufacturers rose 6.4 per cent between January and November last year, with exports to the USA up by 40 per cent.
Youth work
ALBOX women came together under the Redmur umbrella to show off their entrepreneurial skills with their handmade goods in a regional craft fair to promote business.
NEWS DESK
AXARQUIA: Nerja continues to be one of the most requested settings for TV productions and this time it was an Estonian channel that chose the town.
Estonian TV visits photogenic Nerja A TEAM from National Estonian Television (ETV) visited Nerja to shoot a tourism programme titled Reisile Minuga (Travel with Me), a weekly production featuring Nerja and other Andalucian towns. The show is broadcast on Saturdays at peak viewing time and this particular episode will be released in February. The programme is not only broadcast in Estonia but also in countries such as Finland and Russia, and attracts a high audience share of more than 20 per cent.
Tree sanction TWO Teulada property-owners who felled 11 pines without permits were given six months to replace them. If they fail to comply they will be fined €150 for each tree.
Fakes seized THE managers of three Chinese bazaars in Benidorm and a fourth person were arrested and charged with selling fake designer goods. Police impounded 1,196 handbags, wallets, sweaters, shirts, caps, watches and earphones.
COSTA BLANCA SOUTH
It is hosted by Ivo Linna, a very popular Estonian singer who represented his country at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1996 together with Maaria-Liis Ilus, with a song titled ‘Kaelakee hääl.’ The visiting team have recorded scenes at Nerja’s beaches, Europe’s Balcony, the town’s historic centre and the Nerja Caves. Mr Linna commented that Nerja is one of the most ‘camera-friendly’ towns with movies such as Fathom, featuring Raquel Welch, shot in the 60s near the town’s Playa de Calahonda. planned on investments to improve the infrastructure of the town.
Eviction stopped ANTI-EVICTION platforms have managed to halt the planned eviction of a family with a three-year-old child in Catral. They had been paying rent, but it seems the banks hadn’t received payments from the owners.
Doctor exams AROUND 3,000 health sciences graduates in the Valencia Region have sat exams to get a seat on one of the specialised training courses offered by the Ministry of Health in public hospitals.
Benejuzar budgets
More nurses
BENEJUZAR has approved a budget for 2015 of €3 million, with around €1 million
UNION officials are calling on Elche’s General Hospital to increase the number of
Police honoured NINE officers of Velez-Malaga’s Local Police were honoured in an event for their performance on an illegal tobacco operation carried out in October. Officers confiscated 24,000 illegal packs of cigarettes.
Padel success MORE than 150 people participated in Nerja’s Padel Tournament at the town’s indoor sports centre. Winners were David Ponce and Maria Urbano.
Sand loss THE Playa Granada in Motril has lost a substantial amount of sand during the rain storms of the past week. Back in November, the council had spent €544,000 to add 150,000 cubic metres of sand.
Beach improvement NERJA will receive more than €120,000 to renovate its beaches. Head of the town’s Beach Department explained that aid was provided by the Commonwealth of Costa del Sol-Axarquia municipalities together with the Provincial Council of Malaga.
COSTA DEL SOL
Bilingual leaflets OJEN Council will be distributing 4,000 leaflets in both Spanish and English to tourists in Malaga Province this year including information on local attractions and hiking routes to attract visitors.
Attracting birds LOCOS DE PARQUE volunteers are busy building nesting boxes for La Linea’s Princesa Sofia Park, which thanks to the group’s efforts has an ever-increasing bird community.
For more local news from our regions see www.euroweeklynews.com … EWN top for all the news from Spain.
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
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5 - 11 February 2015 / Mallorca
business & legal
EWN
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STAT OF WEEK SOCIAL SECURITY allocated the record sum of €8.164 billion for contributory pensions in January, chiefly for old age and widowhood. This was 3.1 per cent more than in January 2014.
OHL wants €783.5 million compensation after Qatar rescinded its €1.759 billion contract to build the Sidra medical centre. The Qatar Foundation and the Spanish construction company parted ways last July after the former accused OHL of “lack of diligence” and failing to meet deadlines. The project was 95 per cent completed
SIDRA-MEDICAL-CENTER-COURTESY-THE-ARCHITECT
Qatar Foundation and OHL at loggerheads INCOMPLETE: Sidra medical centre.
AENA shares sell like hotcakes TRADING in AENA shares begins on February 11, but demand already outstripped supply at prior meetings for investors. The price will be fixed on February 9, but shares in Spain’s airports operator are expected to fetch between €43 and €55 each. This puts a €2.31 billion price tag on the share offer and AENA’s total value at between €6.45 billion and €8.25 billion. Privatisation is partial, as the state retains control with a 49 per cent stake. Twenty-one per cent of AENA shares were allocated last November to three key investors with the remaining 28 per
cent going to new shareholders, including retail buyers. Spain’s airports handle 195.9 million passengers a year but are capable of handling an annual 335 million, said AENA’s president Jose Manuel Vargas. This, coupled with scant need for further investment make the company an attractive prospect, Vargas added. The excess capacity corresponds to the country’s biggest airports, he said. Passenger traffic could grow 67 per cent at Barajas airport in Madrid, by 46 per cent at El Prat (Barcelona) while Malaga, Alicante and Gran Canaria could all double their current rates.
B
usiness extra
Car boost SPANISH car manufacturing plants produced a total of 2.4 million vehicles last year. Production in 2014 rose by 11.08 per cent, generating the best figures in the last five years.
€1bn offer AER LINGUS would accept a €1 billion offer from IAG, owner of Iberia, Vueling and BA. IAG would first have to negotiate with shareholders, the Irish government and Ryanair, plus the unions, the airline said.
Zara chief is landlord to rivals INDITEX owner Amancio Ortega has bought another prime property, this time in Madrid’s Gran Via. The world’s fourth-richest man now owns the building in Spain’s equivalent of Oxford Street where Mango and H&M already have premises. Primark has its Spanish flagship store there and Inditex itself, under its Lefties label, is also present in the 36,376square metre, nine-storey building that
is also the headquarters of the SER radio network. It was sold by the Longshore group which is headed by Drago Capital and includes Phoenix and Sun Capital. Neither seller nor purchaser has revealed how much money changed hands in the deal. The Gran Via purchase is in line with other investments made by Inditex’s investment division Pontegadea.
and due to be handed over during the first four months of 2015, the company maintained. It initiated an arbitration process supervised by the International Chamber of Commerce because the Foundation’s accusations had no legitimate basis, OHL said. The €783.5 million compensation claim excludes “additional concepts yet to be calculated” and could rise higher, OHL warned.
18
E W N 5 - 11 February 2015 / Mallorca
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C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) 3i Group 463.75 Aberdeen Asset Mngmnt 438.35 Admiral Group 1,456.00 Aggreko 1,567.00 Anglo American 1,116.25 Antofagasta 653.50 ARM Holdings 1,039.00 Ashtead Group 1,078.00 Associated British Foods 3,116.50 AstraZeneca 4,768.25 Aviva 528.75 Babcock International 1,010.50 BAE Systems 514.75 Barclays 235.10 Barratt Developments 457.40 BG Group 920.05 BHP Billiton 1,465.00 BP 429.33
C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. 4.45 0.97 0.65 0.15 8.00 0.55 13.00 0.84 3.25 0.29 3.50 0.54 -2.00 -0.19 -10.00 -0.92 13.50 0.44 25.25 0.53 0.75 0.14 4.50 0.45 7.25 1.43 0.95 0.41 -1.00 -0.22 33.15 3.74 22.00 1.52 4.88 1.15
NET VOLUME 4,458.67 5,837.13 4,034.03 3,987.76 15,551.93 6,425.32 14,653.96 5,473.87 24,644.82 60,167.31 15,599.78 5,054.61 16,003.58 38,767.43 4,537.64 30,364.82 30,530.00 77,528.87
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US dollar ...................................................................1.13231 Japan yen ..............................................................133.345 Switzerland franc ...............................................1.05418 Denmark kroner..................................................7.44471 Norway kroner...................................................8.73688
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PRICE(P)
British Amrcn Tobacco 3,768.50 British Land Co 837.75 British Sky Broadcstng Gr 929.75 BT Group 422.05 Bunzl 1,895.00 Burberry Group 1,748.50 Capita Group (The) 1,116.00
DOW JONES
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C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 2
C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 2
C O M PA N Y MMM 3M Co AXP American Express Co T AT&T Inc BA Boeing Co CAT Caterpillar Inc CVX Chevron Corp CSCO Cisco Systems Inc KO The Coca-Cola Co DIS Walt Disney Co DD E I du Pont de Nemours and Co XOM Exxon Mobil Corp GE General Electric Co GS Goldman Sachs Group Inc HD Home Depot Inc IBM International Business Machine... INTC Intel Corp JNJ Johnson & Johnson JPM JPMorgan Chase and Co MCD McDonald's Corp MRK Merck & Co Inc MSFT Microsoft Corp NKE Nike Inc PFE Pfizer Inc PG Procter & Gamble Co TRV Travelers Companies Inc UTX United Technologies Corp UNH UnitedHealth Group Inc VZ Verizon Communications Inc V Visa Inc WMT Wal-Mart Stores Inc
PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 162.30 80.69 32.92 145.37 79.97 102.53 26.37 41.17 90.96 71.21 87.42 23.89 172.41 104.42 153.31 33.04 100.14 54.38 92.44 60.28 40.40 92.25 31.25 84.29 102.82 114.78 106.25 45.71 254.91 84.98
-3.83 -1.31 -0.04 -2.41 -0.03 -0.47 -0.86 -0.93 -2.26 -1.50 -0.16 -0.19 -3.58 -3.20 -2.17 -1.17 -2.24 -1.29 -0.83 -1.81 -1.61 -2.62 -0.58 -1.38 -1.72 -1.67 -3.14 -0.40 +6.91 -2.74
-2.31% -1.60% -0.12% -1.63% -0.04% -0.46% -3.14% -2.21% -2.42% -2.06% -0.18% -0.79% -2.03% -2.97% -1.40% -3.42% -2.19% -2.32% -0.89% -2.92% -3.83% -2.76% -1.82% -1.61% -1.65% -1.43% -2.87% -0.87% +2.79% -3.12%
3.6M 7.2M 56.3M 11.3M 8.2M 20.6M 38.4M 19.2M 10.2M 5.4M 22.7M 54.7M 3.0M 7.0M 6.6M 38.7M 10.7M 26.9M 12.4M 12.1M 78.0M 4.1M 43.1M 14.7M 3.7M 4.6M 5.4M 22.8M 5.5M 10.3M
1.32813
0.75293
C O M PA N Y
C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. 16.50 8.25 1.75 4.15 -2.00 19.50 -2.00
0.44 0.99 0.19 0.99 -0.11 1.13 -0.18
NET VOLUME 70,121.74 8,453.53 15,999.75 34,126.82 6,349.39 7,693.19 7,395.75
PRICE
CHANGE NET / %
Books-A-Million, Inc. $ 2.52 ImmunoGen, Inc. $ 7.63 VelocityShares Daily 2x VIX Short Term ETN $ 3.54 Quotient Limited $ 15.45 Performant Financial Corporation $ 4.96 Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $ 201.03 Coherent, Inc. $ 61.88 Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. $ 2.89 Amazon.com, Inc. $ 354.53 Synaptics Incorporated $ 76.81 Harmonic Inc. $ 7.65
0.842 ▲ 50.18% 1.43 ▲ 23.06% 0.55 ▲ 18.39% 2.36 ▲ 18.03% 0.75 ▲ 17.81% 30.34 ▲ 17.77% 7.58 ▲ 13.96% 0.35 ▲ 13.78% 42.75 ▲ 13.71% 8.50 ▲ 12.44% 0.74 ▲ 10.71%
Most Advanced
Most Declined Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. $ 19.44 7.18 ▼ 26.97% Presbia PLC $ 6.51 1.64 ▼ 20.12% Computer Programs and Systems, Inc. $ 49.26 9.68 ▼ 16.42% Tuesday Morning Corp. $ 17.70 3.33 ▼ 15.83% Strattec Security Corporation $ 63 11.51 ▼ 15.45% ScanSource, Inc. $ 34.48 5.02 ▼ 12.71% Cnova N.V. $ 5.50 0.78 ▼ 12.42% Silicon Graphics International Corp $ 9.43 1.18 ▼ 11.12% Cass Information Systems, Inc $ 43.82 5.11 ▼ 10.44% VelocityShares Daily Inverse VIX Short Term ETN$ 24.97 2.85 ▼ 10.24% Unilife Corporation $ 3.97 0.45 ▼ 10.18%
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) CHANGE Carnival 2,964.50 -32.50 Centrica 292.20 -1.60 Coca-Cola HBC 1,090.00 19.00 Compass Group 1,162.50 11.50 CRH 1,701.00 98.00 Diageo 1,971.75 1.75 Direct Line Insurance 309.95 -2.55 Dixons Carphone 441.90 6.90 easyJet 1,789.00 -73.00 Experian 1,174.50 1.50 Fresnillo 879.75 -19.25 Friends Life Group Limitd 400.15 1.75 G4S 284.70 -0.50 GKN 370.90 2.30 GlaxoSmithKline 1,471.75 4.75 Glencore Xstrata 248.60 -0.30 Hammerson 693.50 5.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,011.00 1.00 HSBC Holdings 606.05 -3.55 Imperial Tobacco Group 3,131.00 7.00 InterContinental Hotels 2,663.50 1.50 International Cnsldatd 539.75 -4.75 Intertek Group 2,289.50 -3.50 Intu Properties 368.55 3.55 ITV 221.60 1.60 Johnson Matthey 3,291.00 30.00 Kingfisher 338.60 -4.20 Land Securities Group 1,286.00 12.00 Legal & General Group 267.20 -0.70 Lloyds Banking Group 73.75 -0.00 London Stock Exchange 2,368.50 3.50 Marks & Spencer Group 485.25 0.85 Meggitt 544.50 5.50 Mondi 1,199.00 10.00 Morrison (Wm) Sprmrkts 179.35 -0.55 National Grid 936.10 0.60 Next 7,217.50 -17.50 Old Mutual 208.20 0.10 Pearson 1,360.00 9.00 Persimmon 1,588.00 -4.00 Prudential 1,623.75 3.75 Randgold Resources 5,597.50 -87.50 Reckitt Benckiser Group 5,642.50 12.50 Reed Elsevier 1,159.00 3.00 Rio Tinto 2,903.25 -21.75 Rolls-Royce Group 880.50 -11.00 Royal Bank of Scotland 364.65 2.25 Royal Dutch Shell 2,046.50 28.50 Royal Dutch Shell 2,143.00 38.50 Royal Mail 432.40 -2.60 RSA Insurance Group 452.40 -1.90 SABMiller 3,621.00 -4.50 Sage Group (The) 479.90 -0.30 Sainsbury (J) 262.80 7.40 Schroders 2,899.00 1.00 Severn Trent 2,146.00 -6.00 Shire 4,968.50 114.50 Smith & Nephew 1,194.00 3.00 Smiths Group 1,132.00 5.00 Sports Direct Internatinl 718.00 6.50 SSE 1,605.50 -3.50 St James's Place 861.75 3.75 Standard Chartered 882.00 -5.70 Standard Life 401.20 -1.80 Taylor Wimpey 134.75 -0.65 Tesco 225.28 0.53 Travis Perkins 1,929.00 7.00 Tui Ag New Ord Reg Shs 1,148.00 -1.00 Tui Ag Ord Reg Shs Npv 1,176.50 -0.50 Tullow Oil 376.70 11.70 Unilever 2,920.50 -9.50 United Utilities Group 1,020.00 -7.00 Vodafone Group 233.60 -0.90 Weir Group 1,692.00 12.00 Whitbread 5,027.50 22.50 Wolseley 3,860.00 -2.00 WPP Group 1,473.00 7.00
% C H G. -1.08 -0.54 1.77 1.00 6.11 0.09 -0.82 1.59 -3.92 0.13 -2.14 0.44 -0.18 0.62 0.32 -0.12 0.73 0.10 -0.58 0.22 0.06 -0.87 -0.15 0.97 0.73 0.92 -1.23 0.94 -0.26 -0.01 0.15 0.18 1.02 0.84 -0.31 0.06 -0.24 0.05 0.67 -0.25 0.23 -1.54 0.22 0.26 -0.74 -1.23 0.62 1.41 1.83 -0.60 -0.42 -0.12 -0.06 2.90 0.03 -0.28 2.36 0.25 0.44 0.91 -0.22 0.44 -0.64 -0.45 -0.48 0.24 0.36 -0.09 -0.04 3.21 -0.32 -0.68 -0.38 0.71 0.45 -0.05 0.48
VOLUME 6,471.86 14,660.24 3,906.09 19,228.22 11,867.07 49,634.22 4,689.75 5,013.12 7,399.99 11,648.99 6,622.83 5,633.39 4,429.80 6,124.03 71,521.90 32,619.70 5,405.76 4,809.59 117,382.82 29,942.59 6,288.98 11,091.60 3,701.64 4,815.02 8,878.26 6,690.57 8,079.62 10,087.19 15,942.57 52,880.80 8,217.66 7,951.42 4,307.70 4,370.17 4,199.64 35,254.15 11,068.05 10,220.38 11,109.41 4,888.04 41,695.61 5,277.09 40,475.71 13,143.70 41,417.52 16,738.95 23,114.57 78,758.95 51,573.20 4,356.00 4,616.40 58,682.19 5,183.11 4,893.68 6,569.34 5,164.09 28,678.78 10,673.94 4,452.83 4,267.05 15,960.00 4,455.56 21,989.65 9,652.92 4,408.44 18,226.37 4,781.32 13,995.44 N/A 3,329.83 37,746.54 7,016.63 62,318.58 3,594.40 9,087.43 10,044.40 19,285.84
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
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Business is not a charity AN article recently caught my eye that reminded me of the sacrifices made by performers who offer their free support to charities. Why artistes are singled out to do so is beyond me. I can imagine the expression on plumbers or lawyers faces if it was suggested that they donate their fee to a charity. What others do is their business. I do think such artistes should be better appreciated. I recall a talented professional piano duo being invited to perform at a charity’s gala. Being a charity there would not of course be a fee. The pair gave up their free time. On their arriving at
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
the venue the two were flippantly waved to a stall-sized area without shade. At no time during their performances were they offered a meal, drink or even a word of thanks. Personally, I think many charities,
beneficiary to many perks denied to the rest of us, are already advantaged profitable concerns. There should be a much better partnership between charities and those who serve our communities. Substantial funds are raised at charity events; the venues where they are held do well out of bar and restaurant sales too. Guest speakers, comedians, sportsmen, politicians too, are paid handsomely for speaking at charity and fundraising events. My advice is, if asked to support an event of any kind, to negotiate a reasonable fee. A concession might be made as to the
size of the fee. Perhaps, wherever an event is held, an offer might be made in return of an overnight stay or dinner vouchers. Or, is that too charitable? Charities and artistes will be better rewarded if respect is mutual, there is understanding, and a complementary partnership. Charities tend to be well connected in the leisure industry. They might come to an arrangement with a venue by which supporting entertainers, or any other service that offers their support gratis, are provided with a paid for booking at a later date. That way everyone wins. It is called business.
20
E W N 5 - 11 February 2015 / Mallorca
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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
Sterling hits 7-year high versus the euro THE great British pound (GBP) recently rallied to a seven-year high against the euro. The move has been driven by the announcement of Quantitative Easing (QE) by the European Central Bank (ECB) at their January 22 meeting. The ECB unleashed a 1.1 trillion euro QE plan to stimulate the Eurozone economy and boost inflation. The programme will see the ECB buy a total of 60 billion euros of public and private assets per month, starting in March 2015 and running through to September 2016. Although the ECB denied that a weaker euro was a target, the impact of the news significantly devalued the euro. A weaker euro will help to boost exports and inflation across the Eurozone, as investors and importers outside the Eurozone take advantage of the exchange rate. The long-term impact of QE in the Eurozone is still very
Ask the expert Peter Loveday Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com
uncertain, but when you contrast the monetary policy of Europe who are just embarking on significant easing to that of the UK and the US, who are on the path to monetary tightening, the divergence is very apparent. This difference could in fact drive GBP/EUR higher still and some analysts are pointing towards 1.40 as a target. To achieve the heady heights of 1.40, much will also depend on the ongoing economic recovery in the UK. The UK recently posted its strongest level of growth for eight years
THE EURO: Volatility is expected to remain extremely high. with the annual pace growth of 2.6 per cent, up from 1.7 in the previous year, and confirms the UK is on course to be the world’s fastest growing developed economy for 2014. Admittedly other forecasts are still to post, but the data would place the UK top of IMF current projections for developed economies.
The news will come at a handy time for Prime Minister David Cameron as we enter the last 100 days before the national election on May 7. For the momentum in the pound to continue, the market will be looking for the Bank of England to be moving towards an interest rate increase and future economic data will be
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
Can they ban debtors from pool? Q. We have heard that the Spanish courts have ruled that communities are authorised to ban debtors from using certain community facilities, including the swimming pool. As the president of a large community, with a large debt, this would be very useful to us as a way to encourage owners who owe back community fees to pay up. I am not
sure of how it could be enforced. So my question is: “Can we ban the debtors from using the community pool, and what precedent or law can we quote?” Also the latest book I have is the 2011 edition of ‘You & the Law in Spain.’ Has an updated version been released? P.B. (Costa del Sol)
You and the Law in Spain By David Searl
A. No, the Spanish courts have not ruled that communities may prohibit debtors from using common areas, such as the pool. What has happened is that the General Directorate of Notaries and Land Registries, which rules over Community Statutes and Constitutions, decided in 2012 that communities could include a clause by which they prohibit the debtors from using common areas such as the pool or play areas for tennis or other activities. They base their decision on the fact that these areas are not essential to the right of property of the owners. However, this prohibition has
not been confirmed by the courts. Therefore we cannot be sure that a case
would be won if an owner protested to the judge that he was unlawfully prohibited from using the pool. In strict legal terms, this can be considered as harassment or coercion against the owner. This is the same legal principle that stops landlords from changing locks or cutting off electric or water supplies to tenants who do not pay the rent. In any case, the prohibition clause has to be included in the basic Statutes of the Community and registered in the Land Registry. To answer your question about ‘You & the Law in Spain,’ yes, there is a new 2015 edition, which you can obtain by sending an email to the law firm UbedaRetana & Associates, for the attention of David Searl, at the address given below. And thank you for asking.
Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.
very important, in particular regarding growth, inflation and wage growth. Assuming the wheels do not fall off the UK’s economic recovery, the Bank of England should be raising interest rates within the next 12 months to support the pound. Although the UK recovery and the pound’s relative strength will be an important driver for GBP/EUR, it will be the euro that will be the key protagonist. For the euro the ongoing effect of QE is anticipated to be euro negative. In addition, the euro could potentially face additional pressure from the new antiausterity government in Greece and potential escalation of the Ukraine crisis. Overall the euro is facing significant headwinds for 2015 and volatility is expected to remain extremely high. As it stands, further momentum for GBP/EUR is anticipated possibly towards the key 1.40 level.
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OPINION & COMMENT
Scant reward in return for giving out so much I HAVE sent this letter to the Work and Pensions committee as dictated by my mother Ruth Ransford. Thank you for giving us the information in order to make our objection. “Please do not take away my heating allowance. I am on a reduced pension and need this money to keep warm. “After six years of apprenticeship my husband emerged as a highlyskilled fitter facing a country in depression with no work, no money. After doing whatever jobs he could find, he slowly built up a small poultry farm. “At the beginning of 1938 he was visited by government officials, asking him to start a job in a nearby factory overhauling cranes and machinery as pre-war work. He went on to work in a blacked-out workshop in Shrewsbury, making essential machinery to produce arms for a war which seemed inevitable. It was hard work with long hours and he was there throughout the war. “After the war my husband set up in business, providing work for others and paying their social security for many, many years. At the beginning he was not required to pay into the pension social security system for himself and did not do so as the business needed money. “Because of the period of nonpayment I find myself on a reduced pension. I am 96-years old and need a hot water bottle to keep warm. We live in sight of the snow-capped mountains of Sierra Nevada and the north winds blow down from them. “I am grateful for the winter fuel allowance which is so necessary to pay for my heating bills during the winter. Please think again before depriving me of it. Thank you.” Christine Ransford, Granada.
Bright flipside I AM a 71-year-old part time expat pensioner, here for five winter months only. I sympathise with Bob Heaven’s plight but must point out that due
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to the plummeting euro, the exchange rate that expat pensioners get for their UK pensions has resulted in a healthy 10 per cent increase in their pensions over the last year. From what I see, the cost of living in Spain has not risen at all so the expats are really in heaven, unlike non-expats. Add to that the low cost of fuel, the abundance of low-cost high quality fruit and vegetables and we are tempted to become permanent expats! Michael Warren, Fuengirola (Malaga)
Brainwashed YET again I read with disappointed shock Mr Walsh’s glib article and his blatant pandering to the totalitarian Putin kleptocracy. If he is a fifthcolumnist, he is doing a pretty poor job of staying under the radar. From what I can gather from past articles, both Mr Walsh and I have been blessed with finding Russian-speaking spouses. I assume, however, that whereas my wife prefers to listen to one of the last few independent media sources out of Russia, his is content to have her brain thoroughly laundered by the Kremlin propaganda machine that now owns 97 per cent of all media in Russia. Does Mr Walsh realise that there are over 20,000 journalists now directly employed by the Kremlin, all instructed to spin the
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address as Mojacar, Almeria. Tony Nolan, Alicante
On the cards REGARDING EHIC renewal, I have just renewed ours. The whole exercise was completed over the phone. It was not necessary to fill in any forms, and the cards arrived within 10 days. Information requested was date of birth, address and verbal confirmation that we were already registered in the Spanish health system. Have your old card handy as it has your details on it. The phone number provided for renewal that came with the cards is +44 191 279 0575. Hope this helps. Keith Braddock, La Manga (Murcia).
Cruel customs THE full moon, photographed in Arboleas. Gilly Elliott-Binns, Arboleas (Almeria) party line (yes, the twaddle in his article)? It is important to call Putin’s regime what it is: ultranationalist, populist, authoritarian and directly opposed to liberal democracy. Or put another way: neo-fascist. David Charteri, Palma de Mallorca (Baleares) Note from Mike Walsh: I would love to ask this correspondent to identify his sources. That would be an education in mind control.
Election chance I NOTICED last week that many people seem to think that they cannot vote in the UK elections if they live in Spain. We can vote if we have been on the electoral roll in the last 15 years. Contact the Electoral Commission Office where you were last registered. Diane Baty (by email)
Going nuts I HAVE just spent my 87th birthday screwing up my nuts.
I’ve been lying on my back with my head underneath the bidet after a leaky hose flooded the bathroom. I had previously bought stopend nuts from a local Chinese shop and connected one as a temporary measure to stop the flow but water still leaked from the connection. I spent a whole day sealing and rescrewing my nut without result. Then I remembered I had previously bought a television amplifier from the same shop, but could not connect it due to faulty threads. I replaced the pipe nut with an old nut with immediate success as the new nuts had faulty threads: I did not know that Chinese nuts were different from ours. A difficult job at my age, but thankfully I am no longer leaking. Ernie Barnes, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmadena (Malaga)
Home address I CANNOT help thinking how amusing and ironic it is that the correspondent Roger Page, bemoaning immigration in the UK and explaining why ‘we’ should leave the EU, gives his
WE READ with dismay about the ill-treatment of horses, donkeys and mules forced to go in fire in some barbaric ritual in honour of St Anthony, the so-called patron saint of animals. When will people realise that such appalling behaviour, coupled with bullfighting and abandoning or killing dogs at the end of the hunting season, earns the contempt of the majority of rightminded European citizens. The failure to act by the Guardia Civil says a lot about Spanish rule of law. Roger and Sylvie Jefferies, Javea (Alicante)
Local help LIKE John Shannan I have had similar problems with Telefonica and Vodaphone over payment and refusal by the companies concerned to resolve it. We took all the paperwork regarding our complaint to our local Consumers’ Office in Palma (Mallorca). Mr Shannan will have one in Almeria and should look online for Oficina de la Atencion Al Consumidor. When we went to the one in Palma they told us that the most complaints they get are about telephone companies. Good luck! Don Donovan, Palma de Mallorca (Baleares)
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
Don’t take offence! LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT
Copyright landmarkmedia.
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SPEAKING OUT: London mayor Boris Johnson.
DON’T know about you but I’m heartily sick of people who consider themselves offended by someone’s piddling remarks or actions. Wimps, who rush to the authorities, wringing their hands and wailing that someone has somehow upset their pathetic equilibriums. These reactions are of course a sign of complete insecurity. To my mind they are like children, who run to mummy snivelling and whining that Johnny had called them a ‘scaredy cat’ or
‘smelly boots’. This latest example, however, just about took the whole tin. When Boris Johnson declared that, in his opinion, the majority of self-styled militants who leave their countries to fight for the likes of IS, are people who have difficulty with the opposite sex, probably spend a great deal of time watching internet porn and are social misfits who have problems communicating with normal society, up pops someone to tell us his remarks may cause offence! This time the general secretary of the ‘Women’s Muslim Network’ was given the opportunity to air her displeasure on Sky News. The lady declared that she really didn’t think the language Boris used was acceptable. Not acceptable to whom? Other toerag terrorists? How does she suggest we should describe these no-brain maniacs? Poor unfortunate, misled children? Soldiers of Allah? Pillars of society? A wonderful example to youngsters everywhere? Fighters to be admired and revered? Give us a break! Sorry
if you feel offended, madam, but these sub-humans are probably everything that Boris has profiled and more. To hell with his language! These misfits are psychopathic wastes of space that, on their return from these killing expeditions, should be locked away forever. Anyone who tries to excuse their actions should also be named as traitors and punished accordingly. I know many of these people consider the British a soft bunch and a nation of ‘sorrys’ (others have made this mistake to their cost!) but this ‘offended’ reaction really does stick in my craw. Well, I get offended when I see people’s heads being chopped off and kicked around by these animals. It also distresses me to hear of the mass killings and the rape and torture carried out in the name of their religion. ‘Offence’ is a question of priorities, ya see.
Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com
How are you coping with the cold spell - Are you spending more to keep warm this year? MIKE HAYNES from Coys Rent a Car said he is fortunate to have under floor heating at his home, but even with that he has still been suffering: “I’ve been really cold this winter and the longer I live here the colder I feel. I watch my son play football and I’ve got five layers on and I can’t remember ever doing that.” He adds that the under floor heating uses oil which has actually come down in price so he is hopeful not to notice an increase in bills: “That has been a godsend as it’s definitely been on more this year.” Carsten Klinksgaard from Casa Interior in Altea however thinks the weather has been rather pleasant: “We have had a lot of colds in the family but it’s not been too bad. We have a pellet stove in the house and that gives out a good heat and is quite reasonable to run.” Lianne Satterthwaite. SRS Vehicle Services. Los Carasoles, Zurgena. “I don’t feel any colder this year because we use a great log supplier that we used last year. Although last
STREET TALK
From left to right, Mike, Lianne and Carsten: Managing to stay warm. winter was long, it wasn’t that cold and it’s still nothing compared to the UK. It makes you feel cold just looking at British friends’ snow photographs. A couple of
Joyce (left): Putting on more clothes. extra jumpers and moving around a lot more keeps us warm.” Joyce, owner and hairstylist at
Curiocity, just minutes from central Fuengirola says she is keeping busy in her salon to stay warm during this cold spell. “I love that people are coming to see me to talk about getting a new hairstyle for themselves as everyone receives a warm welcome here! It is keeping me busy which is the only way to stay warm at the moment!” When asked if she was spending more to keep warm this year she said “Definitely, mostly on electricity and on more clothes so I can put more layers on!” Wally, the African Grey Parrot who supervises David Downton, the owner of Simply Bathing in Fuengirola says “It’s easy for us parrots, I am just producing more feathers to stay warm this winter! We all lived in the Canary Islands for seven years before coming here so it is definitely colder, but I am nice and toasty in my glossy feather coat!” When asked if he was spending more to stay warm Wally said “not really but maybe David is as I do like to have spare ribs for my dinner!”
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OPINION & COMMENT
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.
IKE many people who visit the mother country during the winter months, my lovely wife returned with some excess baggage in the form of a nasty bug. The cough that accompanied it seems to come and go, and yesterday just as we were thinking it had finally departed, back it came with a vengeance. ‘It feels like I’ve been here before,’ moaned the Princess. ‘Perhaps it’s déjà flu’ I quipped, which I sensed did not go down particularly well, because she proceeded to staple a shopping list to my forehead and sent me off to the supermarket. I don’t have a problem with shopping when I can mooch around on my own and avoid spending valuable time doing a
L
I MET Mariella Echeverri this week. She is the co-ordinator responsible for the One Billion Rising event in Palma which has happened for the past two years, and this year’s is going to be even bigger she says. One Billion Rising is a campaign to raise awareness for the continuing worldwide issue of violence against women. It’s an opportunity for women and men to stand together and demand change. Here in Mallorca there will be a demonstration, gathering and public party on Saturday February 14 during the day in Palma de Mallorca. There will be representatives from women’s groups in Mallorca, and Mariella hopes to have representatives from many of the official bodies as well. Mariella and I huddle over steaming hot coffees whilst Palma shivers, what do you want to achieve from this? I ask her. “I want people to come away from the event asking, how can I help locally? Can I help my sister, my cousin, my neighbour? The real problem is that it is very difficult to get to
complete circuit or two looking for my much-better half, or scour the supermarket aisle by aisle for the disappearing spouse. One minute she is there, the next dematerialised. It’s a neat trick, because without warning there she is at my elbow demanding where the heck I have been. With the required items safely in my basket, I did a final reconnoitre because let’s face it, women always forget something. I pick up some of those scrummy chocolate chip muffins that holler ‘eat me!’ How could she forget those? And I drop a bag or six of various flavour crisps into my ballooning basket, oh and a pack of beer. We rarely partake of these naughty items you understand, but you never know who is going to drop by and it’s best to play safe. Now the tricky bit. The check-out. Why is it that the people checking through a bottle of water and a donut use a credit
Copyright Robert Kneschke (2)
Yackety-yack at checkout No. 2
CHECKOUT: It always seems a surprise that goods need paid for. card, and those with trolleys stacked two storeys high, insist on paying in cash? The latter
ONE BILLION RISING: Campaign to raise awareness.
Vicki Mcleod
Family Matters the women who are already at risk, they are so scared and caught up in their situation they don’t know how to get out of it.” I ask Mariella why she organises the event every year, “I do it for my daughter. She is five. I want her to know that there is another way.” We talk about how even young girls are being pressured and influenced
being the case on this occasion. It didn’t help that the two ladies were having a riveting
discussion about family, the Spanish economy and Antonio Banderas’s dangly bits. But the news that the said goods had to be paid for, seemed to come as a complete surprise to the highrolling customer, who then began to rummage through her handbag for euros. And being a thoughtful soul, she was determined to tender the exact amount down to the last cent, as she dug around in a separate purse that appeared to hold several kilos of shrapnel. Just before Halley’s Comet reappeared, I managed to plonk the two bags on the counter that I had been mindful to bring with me, as the now disinterested looking teller began to ring up my items. ‘Bolsa?’ she challenged, and before I could reply, threw one at me and dinged up the amount on the till. Must sharpen up my response time.
Colin Bird can be contacted at: badbirdnow@gmail.com
STANDING TOGETHER: To demand change for women.
One Billion Rising through social media and text messages, you don’t even need to be in the same room. “Young men are controlling their girlfriends by making them give them their passwords for Facebook, they are saying ‘if you love me then you will let me know everything about you, let me take that photo of you, it’s just for me, and they’re going to show their friends and bully and harass their girlfriends
that way.” And then of course there is the use of physical and sexual violence against women to control and subjugate them around the globe. If you want to stand up and show support for women across the world, and demand the end of violence against women then please attend the event. It will take place on Valentine’s Day, Saturday February 14. They will meet at 11.30am in
Plaza Cort and then walk, dance, run, sashay and march to Parc de la Mar. Mariella’s hoping they will be accompanied by motorbikes to ‘Make some noise,’ then once the group arrive at Parc de la Mar (in front of the Cathedral) there will be a huge Zumba event, speeches and chances to get information. See you there. www.familymattersmallorca.com
FINANCE 2015 sees the introduction of a new pension regime in the UK. It provides UK residents and British expatriates with a range of options for their pension savings. What will the changes mean for you? What can you do with your funds? After first being announced in the March budget, further reform was released in stages over 2014. It is therefore important that you are up to date on all the changes and latest legislation. There are different rules for different types of pensions, so it is rather confusing. In order to make an informed decision, you need to be aware of all the implications of all your options, for your long-term financial security, for your heirs, and from a UK and Spain taxation point of view. It is increasingly important to seek expert advice on the detailed implications and opportunities. Here is a summary of the key changes from 6th April 2015, which apply to those with defined contribution schemes and aged 55 or over: • You will have complete freedom to draw down as much or as little of your pension pot as you wish, with
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UK Pensions 2015 – What Can You Do With Your Funds?
By Peter Worthington, Senior Partner, Blevins Franks no requirement to buy an annuity. If you cash in your entire pension you will no longer be charged the 55% unauthorised payment tax charge. UK residents will pay tax at their marginal rate of income tax. For non-UK residents, where a double tax treaty applies, as is the case with Spain, taxation falls to their country of residence.
• You can take a series of lump sums from your pension funds without having to enter into a drawdown policy. • The 55% pension ‘death tax’ will be abolished. If you die under age 75, the balance of your fund can be paid to your choice of beneficiaries as a lump sum or drawdown, tax free. If you are over 75, beneficiaries pay their marginal rate of tax on the income. If they opt to take it as a lump sum, it will be taxed at 45%, though the government hopes to change this to the marginal rate from 2016. This applies to drawdown and annuities, but not to those in final salary pensions. • If you have an existing drawdown plan, you can keep it as it is and retain the current income limits (150% of GAD).
This may be of interest to you if you are still able to contribute more than £10,000 to your fund. Many of the new pension options apply specifically to defined contribution schemes. From April 2015 those with private sector defined benefit pensions could transfer to a defined contribution scheme, but be aware that you could lose valuable benefits. Transfers can only be made with advice from a pension transfer specialist regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority. Most Public Sector schemes will not be able to transfer after April 2015. It is essential to consider the tax implications here in Spain to establish what would work best for you. This article can only cover the key points of the new legislation
and only provide a summary. There are also other elements you may need to consider. Sound financial planning and personalised advice is crucial, particularly for those with larger funds. Do not make any decisions until you have all the information and understand all the implications. 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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OPINION & COMMENT
Featureflash Shutterstock.com
The great illusion of free press Mike Walsh Mike, based in Mediterranean Spain, is an international journalist, author and professional writer.
I
regularly enjoy coffee with two mainstream media editor friends. Neither will carry my articles because of my ‘proRussian leanings.’ I won’t play a part in mainstream media’s orchestrated anti-Russian rhetoric. Be proud of me; my candid nature suggests that, in the Euro Weekly News at least, you enjoy a free press. A fiction usually directed at Russia is that it doesn’t have a free Press; rhetoric without substance. Let us instead take a look at the so-called free Press in the West. William Colby, ex-director of the Central Intelligence Agency, is a man who should know Western media: “The CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)
GREG DYKE: Former BBC Director-General. owns everyone of any significance in the major media.” Not long after becoming a whistle-blower Colby died in a freak canoeing accident. There is no disguising the sinister and insidious nature of CIA tentacles: “In the US 90 per cent of all TV, newspapers, radio,
magazines are owned and controlled by six mega corporations. You can’t get a word in there that connects to the real world.” So says American political analyst Mark Mason. Former BBC DirectorGeneral, Greg Dyke, wrote in his autobiography: “When it came to
discussing the war in Iraq, staff found it so difficult to find any member of the public prepared to speak in favour that they ended up planting people in the (Question Time) audience.” BBC bias is well documented: Many years ago, Roy Bramwell of Inter-City Research, disclosed: “I have heard MPs and senior political aficionados complain that if they were to say on BBC what they really think, they would never be invited again, and not to be invited again could make a quick end to an aspiring politician’s prospects.” Udo Ulfkotte, former editor of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, caused a sensation when, in his best-seller, Bought Journalists, he revealed; “We are taught to lie, to betray and not tell the truth to the public.” He went on to describe how the CIA pays German media professionals to spin stories to follow US government goals. In an interview with a Dutch
journalist, Ulfkotte says, “some media are nothing more than propaganda outlets of political parties, secret services, international think tanks, and high finance entities. I’ve been a journalist for about 25 years, and I’ve been educated to lie, to betray, and not to tell the truth to the public. The German and American media tries to bring war to the people in Europe, to bring war to Russia. “We have betrayed our readers, just to push for war. I don’t want this any more, I’m fed up with this propaganda. We live in a banana republic, and not in a democratic country where we have press freedom.” This top German journalist challenged his former employers to prove him wrong or sue him. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung refuses to do so, but banned journalists from mentioning their former editor. A word of advice. Read between the lines and you will be far better informed.
Singing from different song sheet A weekly look - and not entirely impartial reaction to the Spanish political scene
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UIS BARCENAS, former PP treasurer is no longer on remand after his family scraped together €200,000 bail. He is out because instructing judge Pablo Ruz has now finished his investigation into Barcenas’ involvement in the notorious Gurtel corruption case or his inexplicable millions in Switzerland. Without a passport he is unable to flee, cook up more stories or destroy evidence and there is no reason to keep him in custody until he comes to trial. What he can do, and is doing with much gusto, is sing about the PP party’s alleged double accounting, irregular donations and black money. It might be music to Barcenas’ ears, but tolls like a death-knell in Mariano Rajoy’s.
Comparatively speaking THE governing Partido Popular and the principal Opposition party PSOE are striving to avoid comparing Spain and Greece, according to political commentators. Unlike Greece, Spain did not lie about its finances to join the single currency and it does have industries other than tourism and olives. Despite a thriving submerged economy, the Spanish tend to pay their taxes, something many Greek voters recently failed to do, hoping for a Syriza victory. No, the comparisons are between Podemos and Syriza although Alexis Tsipras revealed Spain’s Izquierda Unida - the former Communist party - was his original inspiration. Meanwhile Tsipras appears to be
Weather vane THE early Andalucian election on March 22 promises to be another weather vane.
choosing the diplomacy route with Brussels regarding Greece’s repayment of its €240 billion debt, while Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias has gradually changed his tune about defaulting on Spain’s own. They both know that a party needs the moneymen if it is to keep its promises. Meanwhile, Podemos must keep an eye on Syriza because Greece will demonstrate if an anti-austerity programme is workable or if it’s all going to end in tears.
But will it be an accurate one? Both the PP and Podemos are already claiming this year’s local, regional and general elections will be a two-horse race, but this
Cordon Press
Cassandra Nash
may not apply to Andalucia. Podemos is less of a force to be reckoned with there than elsewhere, so a less than mammoth vote will not necessarily herald dwindling support. Perhaps Diaz can hold it together and make a three-horse race of next month’s ballot but that doesn’t say much for what could happen later.
Stop plea PSOE candidates preparing for this year’s elections pleaded for an end to anti-Sanchez rumblings. They want to retain or gain seats in May and November free of party grandees’ complaints that party leader Pedro Sanchez is not shaping up. ALEXIS TSIPRAS: Diplomatic.
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Advertising Feature
Euro holds steady Commentary by Moneycorp
EUR Investors refused to be disheartened about the euro. It was steady against the US dollar and weakened by only three quarters of a cent against sterling. The euro went up by 5.7 per cent against the Swiss franc, but the move was a belated reaction to its huge fall a fortnight earlier and was probably helped along by Swiss National Bank. The new Syriza government in Greece has not, as yet, actually done anything to upset the euro’s applecart. That does not mean investors are relaxed about the future of Greece within the single currency. In little over a month more than €20 billion has been withdrawn from Greek banks, causing liquidity problems and knocking a third off the bans’ stock market valuations. With quantitative easing by the European Central Bank and uncertainty about the coherence of currency union, the euro now has two big issues to contend with. Look for continued weakness. USD The dollar did not have such a great week. It lost half a Japanese yen and fell
by nearly a cent against sterling. It did manage to keep pace with the euro, but that hardly rates as a towering achievement. The main factor behind the dollar’s relatively difficult week was a feeling that the Federal Reserve might be reluctant to take interest rates higher as long as other major central banks are leaning in the other direction and inflation remains well below target. That suspicion was fed by weaker-than-expected US economic data early in the week, including a surprisingly sharp drop in durable goods orders. CAD The three ‘commodity’ dollars - the Aussie, the Kiwi and the Loonie itself - all had a rough week. It was caused by soft commodity prices and a sensation that it could be a while until interest rates in those countries move higher. In the case of the Canadian dollar it meant a loss of one and a half US cents and a four-and-ahalf-cent fall against sterling. There were not a whole lot of Canadian economic statistics and they all came out at the same time last Friday. The unexpected 0.4 per cent monthly increase
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 in retail sales was well received but a below-forecast inflation number showed consumer prices falling by -0.7 per cent in the year to December. AUD The three ‘commodity’ dollars - the Aussie, the Kiwi and the Loonie - all had a rough week. It was caused by soft commodity prices and a sensation it could be a while until interest rates in those countries move higher. In the case of the
Australian dollar it meant a loss of two US cents and a six-cent fall against sterling. On the brief list of Australian economic statistics, business confidence improved fractionally but remained close to zero. Import prices were up by 0.9 per cent in the fourth quarter while export prices remained flat. Private sector credit (bank lending) continued to grow at a decent annual pace of 5.9 per cent. NZD Soft commodity prices and a sensation that it could be a while until interest rates in those countries move higher caused the NZ dollar a loss of two US cents and nearly a seven-cent fall against sterling. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand began to tighten monetary policy by raising its Official Cash Rate from 2.5 per cent to 2.75 per cent last March. By July the OCR was up to 3.5 per cent and in subsequent months the RBNZ continued to indicate that the next move was likely to be another increase.
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Thursday BBC ONE 5:30pm Antiques Road Trip 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Eat Well for Less? 10:00pm Death in Paradise 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:45pm Question Time 12:45am This Week
BBC TWO 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm The Great Antiques Map of Britain 8:00pm Antiques Road Trip 9:00pm The Great British Sewing Bee 10:00pm Modern Times 11:00pm Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am A Cook Abroad: Dave Myers' Egypt
ITV 5:00pm Mel and Sue 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 Car Crash Britain 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm Kylie: Kiss Me Once 12:50am Ade at Sea
CH4 5:00pm Shipping Wars 5:45pm Couples Come Dine with Me 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm The Jump 10:00pm Cucumber 11:00pm Married Behind Bars 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 The Classic Car Show 9:00pm Secrets of Rome's Colosseum 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 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm David Attenborough's Galapagos 10:00pm Ross Kemp: Extreme World 11:00pm Ascension 12:50am A League of Their Own
Friday BBC ONE 5:30pm Antiques Road Trip 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Six Nations Rugby Union 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm The Graham Norton Show 12:20am Bluestone 42
BBC TWO 5:40pm Hi-De-Hi! 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm The Great Antiques Map of Britain 8:00pm Six Nations 2015 8:30pm The Wonder of Animals 9:00pm Mastermind 9:30pm Food and Drink 10:00pm The Big Allotment Challenge 11:00pm Rhod Gilbert v Kilimanjaro 11:30pm Newsnight 12:05am Things We Lost in the Fire
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 Parenthood 1:55am Jackpot247
CH4 5:45pm Couples Come Dine with Me 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm The Jump 10:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 11:00pm The Last Leg 12:05am Catastrophe
CH5 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm The Billion Dollar Wreck Hunt 9:00pm Ice Road Truckers 10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:50pm Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side 1:15am Super Casino
SKY1 5:00pm Futurama 5:30pm Futurama 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Show Me Your Garden 10:00pm Stella Ruth Jones's much-loved comedy drama returns. 11:00pm Quiz Nights 12:00am Hawaii Five-0
TV LISTING
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Saturday BBC ONE 3:00pm Six Nations Rugby Union 5:30pm Six Nations Rugby Union 7:55pm BBC News 8:05pm Regional News 8:10pm Weather 8:15pm The Voice UK 9:35pm The National Lottery 10:25pm Casualty 11:15pm BBC News 11:28pm Weather 11:30pm Match of the Day 1:00am The Football League Show
BBC TWO 3:00pm Cowboy 4:30pm Escape to the Country 5:30pm Final Score 6:15pm Horrible Histories 6:45pm The Great British Sewing Bee 7:45pm Flog It! 8:35pm Britain's Tudor Treasure: A Night at Hampton Court 9:35pm Dad's Army 10:05pm QI XL 10:50pm Broken 12:15am Seven Years in Tibet
ITV 3:05pm The Chase 4:05pm Doc Martin 5:10pm Big Star's Little Star 6:05pm Local News and Weather 6:15pm ITV News and Weather 6:30pm You've Been Framed! 7:30pm Harry Hill's Stars in Their Eyes 8:30pm Planet's Got Talent 9:05pm Take Me Out 10:20pm The Jonathan Ross Show 11:20pm ITV News and Weather 11:35pm Hard Target 1:20am Jackpot 247 4:00am The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 4:40am Nightscreen
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 Our Guy in India 9:00pm The World's Weirdest Weather 10:00pm American Pie: Reunion 12:15am Panic Room
CH5 3:35pm U-571 5:45pm Columbo 7:35pm 5 News 7:40pm NCIS 8:25pm NCIS 9:20pm NCIS 10:20pm NCIS 11:15pm CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 12:10am Law and Order
SKY1 3:00pm Harrow: A Very British School 4:00pm Greggs: More Than Meats the Pie 5:00pm The Simpsons 5:30pm Modern Family 6:00pm Modern Family 6:30pm Modern Family 7:00pm Modern Family 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 9:00pm Hawaii Five-0 10:00pm Underworld 12:20am Hawaii Five-0
Sunday BBC ONE 3:15pm Escape to the Country 4:00pm Eat Well for Less? 5:00pm Your Home in Their Hands 6:00pm Songs of Praise 6:35pm BBC News 6:50pm Regional News 6:55pm Weather 7:00pm Animals in Love 8:00pm Countryfile 9:00pm Call the Midwife 10:00pm The British Academy Film Awards 12:00am BBC News
BBC TWO 4:15pm Open All Hours 4:45pm To the Manor Born 5:15pm Hi-De-Hi! 5:45pm Flog It! 6:15pm Alaska: Earth's Frozen Kingdom 7:15pm Ski Sunday 8:00pm The Motorway: Life in the Fast Lane 9:00pm Top Gear 10:00pm Dragons' Den 11:00pm Match of the Day 2 12:15am Disconnect
ITV 3:10pm Mel and Sue's Best Bits 4:15pm Tipping Point 5:15pm Moonraker 7:35pm Local News and Weather 7:45pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Get Your Act Together 9:15pm All Star Family Fortunes 10:00pm Mr Selfridge 11:00pm ITV News and Weather 11:15pm Perspectives 12:15am LV Cup Rugby Highlights
CH4 3:00pm The Big Bang Theory 3:25pm The Big Bang Theory 3:55pm The Simpsons 4:25pm Marmaduke 6:10pm Channel 4 News 6:30pm Ice Age 8:00pm The Jump 9:00pm The Hotel 10:00pm Our Guy in India 11:05pm 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 12:05am Patriot Games 2:10am The Last Leg
CH5 4:15pm Over Her Dead Body 5:55pm 5 News 6:00pm What to Expect When You're Expecting 7:55pm Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous 10:00pm The Bounty Hunter 12:20am Zack and Miri Make a Porno 2:15am Super Casino
SKY1 3:00pm Last Man Standing 3:30pm Last Man Standing 4:00pm Modern Family 4:30pm Modern Family 5:00pm Modern Family 5:30pm Modern Family 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Holidaymakers 9:00pm A League of Their Own 10:00pm Hawaii Five-0 11:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 12:00am Show Me Your Garden
Monday BBC ONE 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Inside Out 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Panorama 10:00pm New Tricks 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:40pm Weather 11:45pm Waterloo Road 12:45am The Graham Norton Show
BBC TWO 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great Antiques Map of Britain 8:00pm Top Gear 9:00pm University Challenge 9:30pm Only Connect 10:00pm A Cook Abroad 11:00pm Backchat with Jack Whitehall and His Dad 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am Weather
ITV 4:00pm Tipping Point 5:00pm Mel and Sue 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Richard Wilson on the Road 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Broadchurch 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:45pm The Jonathan Ross Show 12:45am The Kyle Files 1:10am Jackpot 247
CH4 5:45pm Couples Come Dine with Me 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm The Final Jump 10:00pm Heston's Recipe for Romance 11:00pm Catastrophe 11:30pm Bodyshockers 12:35am The 2015 57th Annual Grammy Awards
CH5 6:00pm 5 News 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm Criminals: Caught on Camera 8:30pm Car Crash TV 9:00pm Police Interceptors 10:00pm Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole 11:00pm 10,000 BC 12:00am 16 Blocks
SKY1 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm The Holidaymakers 10:00pm 50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy 11:00pm Air Ambulance ER 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles
Tuesday BBC ONE 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Holby City 10:00pm The Gift 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:40pm Weather 11:45pm Count Arthur Strong 12:15am Have I Got a Bit More Old News for You
BBC TWO 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great Antiques Map of Britain 8:00pm Antiques Road Trip 9:00pm Alex Polizzi: The Fixer 10:00pm Inside the Commons 11:00pm Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am Weather
ITV 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm River Monsters 9:00pm Bad Builders Bang to Rights 10:00pm Young War Widows 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm Benidorm 12:10am Carry on Loving
CH4 5:00pm Shipping Wars 5:45pm Couples Come Dine with Me 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm The Secret Life of 4 Year Olds 10:00pm 24 Hours in Police Custody 11:00pm Kid Criminals 12:00am Married Behind Bars
CH5 6:00pm 5 News 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm Police Interceptors 9:00pm Costa Del Casualty 10:00pm Killer Psychopaths 11:00pm 10,000 BC 12:00am 33 and Married to Grandpa - Age Gap Love
SKY1 3:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 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 Flash 10:00pm Air Ambulance ER 11:00pm Ross Kemp: Extreme World 12:00am Modern Family
Wednesday BBC ONE 4:45pm Escape to the Country 5:30pm Antiques Road Trip 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 9:00pm The Great Comic Relief Bake Off 10:00pm Cancer on Trial 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:40pm Weather 11:45pm Match of the Day 1:15am Film 2015
BBC TWO 4:45pm Open All Hours 5:15pm To the Manor Born 5:45pm Hi-De-Hi! 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great Antiques Map of Britain 8:00pm Antiques Road Trip 9:00pm Alaska: Earth's Frozen Kingdom 10:00pm Wolf Hall 11:00pm Up the Women 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am Weather
ITV 5:00pm Mel and Sue 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Midsomer Murders 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm Exposure 12:40am I Never Knew That About Britain
CH4 5:00pm Shipping Wars 5:45pm Couples 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 Bodyshockers 12:00am Heston's Recipe for Romance
CH5 6:00pm 5 News 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm Cowboy Builders 9:00pm GPs: Behind Closed Doors 10:00pm The Ten Faces of Michael Jackson 11:00pm My Family Disapprove Age Gap Love 12:00am Trauma Doctors
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 The Fanatics 10:00pm Stella 11:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles
32
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EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREAK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE
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MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE
John Wick John Wick tells the story of a legendary hitman who retires from his violent career after marrying the love of his life. When his wife suddenly dies, Wick is deep in mourning. He goes on a rampaging crusade of vengeance when a sadistic mobster steals his prized car and kills the puppy that was a final gift from his wife. Meanwhile, John’s former colleague puts a huge bounty on John’s head. Set in New York City, John Wick brings a fresh take on the ‘assassin genre.’ Stars Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist and Alfie Allen. Run time 101 minutes. Rated R.
TODAY TODAY
ALCUDIA
POLLENÇA
CALA MILLOR
INCA
CALVIA
CALA d’OR
PALMA ANDRATX
LLUCMAJOR MAGALLUF
ALCUDIA
POLLENÇA
TOMORROW CALA MILLOR
INCA
CALVIA
CALA d’OR
PALMA ANDRATX
LLUCMAJOR MAGALLUF
Visit the stars, for details on our expanded range of services
Fri Sat Sun -
Mon - 13 6 S Tues - 13 6 C Wed - 12 6 S
12 2 S 11 3 C 12 6 S
CLEAR
tars
GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) This is a time to keep your mind sharp, so get plenty of sleep and exercise for sure. Legal matters may be paramount and need specialist advice. So long as you are doing your best in a certain situation, no more can be expected of you.
7-Star Quiz
LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) It is now that you may realise how right you were to keep something in reserve. Certainly, so far as a relationship is concerned, holding back has proved its worth. SCORPIO (October 24 November 22) Getting more sleep and fresh air last week may show dividends now. The results are a brighter mind and more willingness to be social. Young people will be particularly helpful and fun to be with.
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.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
SAGITTARIUS (November 23 December 21) Keep a wide circle of friends and constantly seek to add to them. With such an active mind as yours, boredom is agitating and non-productive. CAPRICORN (December 22 January 20) News of someone close brings finances into your mind. Perhaps some juggling is needed to keep the balance.
UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
UK THUNDERBALL
IRISH LOTTO
EURO MILLIONS
Saturday January 31
Saturday January 31
Saturday January 31
Friday January 30
16
33
39
44
6
10 25
22 27
2
6
8
13
30
44
BONUS BALL
THUNDERBALL
BONUS BALL
15
12
45
9
13 19
24
8
LA PRIMITIVA
EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA
CLEAR 9 2 C 9 3 Sh 12 4 Sh
CLOUDY MAX 6C, MIN -1C
TODAY:
MAX MIN
MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun -
Mon - 14 7 C Tues - 13 8 C Wed - 14 7 C
6 6 7
-3 C -2 C -1 C
MAX MIN
Mon - 8 -1 S Tues - 9 0 S Wed - 11 0 S
Murcia MAX 11C, MIN 3C
TODAY:
MAX MIN
Mon - 12 4 Cl Tues - 13 4 C Wed - 12 6 C Cl Clear,
SUNNY MAX 13C, MIN 4C MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun Fog,
Sn Snow,
MAX MIN
14 2 S 13 2 Cl 14 3 S
Mon - 14 5 S Tues - 15 6 C Wed - 15 5 Cl
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 N) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.
TARGET:
Average: 8
Very good: 14
Good: 10
Excellent: 18
elan, fail, file, flan, flea, flue, fuel, lain, lane, laze, leaf, lean, life, lien, lieu, life, line, lune, nail, ulna, zeal, alien, aline, anile, annul, elfin, final, linen, ulnae, annuli, finale, funnel, INFLUENZA
8
13
23
38
42
48
REINTEGRO 31
2
SOFA
Sunday February 1
Saturday January 31
15
LUCKY STARS 3
MAX MIN
Mon - 14 7 S Tues - 14 6 S Wed - 14 7 Cl
Madrid
13 4 S 13 4 Cl 13 6 C
S Sun,
13 3 S 10 4 C 13 6 S
Word Ladder
LOTTERY 10
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX 12C, MIN 4C
MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX MIN
Mon - 14 7 S Tues - 13 7 C Wed - 14 7 C
SUNNY MAX 14C, MIN 4C MAX MIN
MAX MIN
Mon - 11 5 Cl Tues - 12 4 S Wed - 13 6 S
Mallorca TODAY:
MAX 14C, MIN 6C
Benidorm
9 4 Cl 9 4 C 12 4 C
SUNNY
14 6 Cl 12 6 C 12 6 S
TODAY:
Malaga TODAY: Fri Sat Sun -
VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) A slow start to the week sees you full of beans come Wednesday. What is the cause of this change of attitude?
CANCER (June 22 - July 23) This is a time of the year when new starts and fresh ideas come to you, which is excellent news for those who are looking forward to changes.
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX 10C, MIN 3C
MAX MIN
Sudoku
7
Fri Sat Sun -
SUNNY MAX MIN
Barcelona TODAY:
LEO (July 24 - August 23) Something said to you in confidence should be respected this week. Should the beans be spilled, it will not be you who is feeling guilty.
Y S our
TODAY:
MAX MIN
MAX MIN
TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) The more sensitive side of your nature comes to the fore this week. Looking on the bright side and keeping your sense of humour, brings a balanced view.
DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY
MAX MIN
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ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Are you in the mood for some retail therapy? There are bargains to be had this week. The trend also extends to your personal life where it is possible to negotiate much more easily with a loved one.
1. According to Alma Cogan’s 1955 UK hit single, who should you never do a tango with? 2. Dance to the Music was a UK top 10 hit in 1968 for which American soul/funk band? 3. The mazurka is a country dance that originated in which European country? 4. To which Irving Berlin song from the 1936 film Follow the Fleet did Torvill and Dean skate their free dance programme in the 1994 Winter Olympics? It also featured in a celebrated Morecambe and Wise sketch involving newsreader Angela Rippon. 5. What is the name of the West Indian dance in which the dancer bends backwards to pass under a horizontal bar that is progressively lowered to a position just above the ground? 6. What name is given to a person who creates and arranges ballet or dance for performance? 7. What was the name of the Scottish-born ballerina danced the leading role in the film The Red Shoes?
Almeria
SUNNY MAX 13C, MIN 4C
2
7 21
Move from the start word (SOFA) to the end word (BEDS) in the same number of steps as there are rungs on the Word Ladder. You must only change one letter at a time.
14 31
REINTEGRO 9
BEDS
(BODS) BUDS BEDS
PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Someone new to your circle of friends brings humour and a new lease of life, socially. When something outside your comfort zone is suggested, then be sure that it is not just faint heart that is stopping you.
Alicante TODAY:
SOFA SODA SODS SUDS
AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) A shopping trip with a friend makes you realise that there is more to them than meets the eye. Should you have underestimated them, encourage them to open up.
1. (Never Do A Tango With An) ESKIMO, 2. SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE, 3. POLAND, 4. LET’S FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE, 5. LIMBO, 6. CHOREOGRAPHER, 7. MOIRA SHEARER
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Crosswords
5 - 11 February 2015 / Mallorca
EWN
33
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Cryptic
Quick
Across 1 County borders (4) 4 Goes in and puts one's name down (6) 8 Arranged taverns’ helper (7) 9 Change old German sovereign (5) 10 Relation seen in haunted house (4) 11 Gores emu badly, it's horrific (8) 13 Mocking South African Roman Catholic as saint in charge (9) 17 Moving could start in leaving (8) 19 Surprising name for locks (4) 21 Gather it's a church service (5) 22 Not entirely bothered if I certify large building (7) 23 Senior journalist’s in little apartment (6) 24 Appear to be in Chinese emporium (4) Down 2 Dr earns free trips (7) 3 Stolen goods hidden in Volkswagen (4) 4 Diversion meant internet chaos (13) 5 Endeavour to cover a waistcoat, it's an absolute farce! (8)
Across 1 Exploitative situations (3-4) 5 Indelicate (5) 8 Serious play (5) 9 Deep red (7) 10 Hostilities (3) 11 Work hard (4) 12 Misplacement (4) 14 Additional (5) 16 Desert green spot (5) 18 Prod gently (5) 19 Spicy tomato sauce (5) 21 Cleaning lady (4) 22 Final (4) 25 Weep (3) 27 Aerial (7) 28 Dripping wet (5) 29 Wait on (5) 30 Capture in a trap (7) 6 Spanish uncle goes after the gunner for a relationship (5) 7 Overeating from meagre edible beans (5) 8 Don't leave the guy in the boat (4) 12 Demonstrations in support of experiments (8) 14 Poison, i.e. candy concoction (7)
15 Started climbing in the teenage boy’s go-kart (5) 16 Keep making a little dog (4) 18 Different aches from hunt (5) 20 Being intransigent and shaking heads, demonstrating partiality (4)
Code Breaker Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 15 represents H and 26 represents G, so fill in H every time the figure 15 appears and G every time the figure 26 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 Scarce, 4 Tattle, 9 Actuate, 10 Stake, 11 Drab, 12 Depress, 15 Rather, 16 Decade, 19 Uttered, 21 Cite, 24 Amber, 25 Isolate, 26 Travel, 27 Detest. Down: 1 Standard, 2 Attract, 3 Chat, 5 Asserted, 6 Traps, 7 Ever, 8 Negev, 13 Rehearse, 14 Vehement, 17 Animate, 18 Relic, 20 Tibia, 22 Bait, 23 Code. QUICK Across: 1 Arrest, 4 Rested, 9 Nap, 10 Declare, 11 Analyse, 12 Piece, 13 Dense, 15 Meets, 20 Heats, 22 Howling, 24 Useless, 25 Tie, 26 Steady, 27 Mended. Down: 1 Annual, 2 Replace, 3 Sadly, 5 Example, 6 Theme, 7 Danger, 8 Screw, 14 Suspend, 16 Twisted, 17 Chiefs, 18 Thief, 19 Agreed, 21 Amuse, 23 Waste.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Lead, 3 Caves, 8 Traductor, 9 Tarde, 10 Claws, 12 Carpenter, 14 Hogar, 15 Codo. Down: 1 Lipstick, 2 After, 4 Aguacate, 5 Eat, 6 Papelera, 7 Presunto, 11 Agrio, 13 Rio.
13 15 17 20
Hides (8) In-depth examination (8) Disperse (7) Find (6)
23 Greek letter (5) 24 Formerly (4) 26 Category (4)
English - Spanish The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English. Across 1 Cenizas (5) 4 Century (5) 7 Viajero (9) 8 See 2 Down 10 Cabbage (3) 15 Sleet (9) 17 Yemas (de huevos) (5) 18 Discutir (5) Down 1 Abbot (4) 2/8 Palabras al aire (3,3) 3 Jabón (para lavar) (4) 4 Semilla (4) 5 Gulf (bay) (5) 6 Work (4) 9 In the same way (5) 11 Bebé (4) 12 Hormigas (4) 13 Eyebrow (4) 14 Pegamento (4) 16 Huevo (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 (STRUCK) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues. AFFECT
LASHES
ASTUTE
PATROL
BUCKET
RESCUE
ENDURE
SHELLS
ESTATE
SICKLE
HAMPER
SIMPLE
HISSED
SPIKES
INSECT
STRUCK (10)
ISLAND
TRACKS
LARDER
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
Funagram Unscramble the name of a famous sweet food-product (one word): GRAB IN GREED FUNAGRAM SOLUTION: BLUE PETER, GINGERBREAD
Unscramble the name of a famous British children’s television programme (two words): REPEL TUBE
Down 1 Impolite (4) 2 Keyboard instrument (5) 3 Perfect (8) 4 Covert (6) 5 Flat metal disc used as money (4) 6 Run away (7) 7 Indicating evil intent (8)
1 Purred, 2 Dealer, 3 Bitter, 4 Morsel, 5 Roared, 6 Either, 7 Tallow, 8 Titled, 9 Mantle, 10 Wreath, 11 Sister, 12 Months, 13 Steals, 14 Detour, 15 Tastes, 16 Desire, 17 Humans, 18 Tested, 19 Enters
34
E W N 5 - 11 February 2015 / Mallorca
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HEALTH & BEAUTY
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My motto is, never leave for tomorrow what you can do today Erica Russell Watson: My journey – and I’m driving
28th January THE day before my chemo session was spent busily cleaning the house and getting things ready ahead of round four. You never know just quite how you are going to react to the treatment, so it is better to be prepared and have your shopping done and meals prepared ahead of time. My motto is never leave for tomorrow what you can do today. A lesson that has taken me many years to learn, but the ‘do it now policy’ works! Someone taught me that, you know who you are! I flopped into bed exhausted not having stopped all day, cooking, cleaning, revising with the children and collecting the car after its pre-MOT check. I’ve decided that life is one big MOT, both for our possessions and our bodies! I
WE’RE always being told of the health benefits of drinking plenty of water, but now experts say drinking too much could actually be harmful. They say not only could it lead to kidney problems, but could also trigger symptoms such as excessive sweating. One surgeon from a clinic in London said he is seeing more patients suffer from
thoroughly recommend a regular service or body MOT prevention is better than cure! Don’t wait until you are 50 to have a mammogram. I am 42 and despite having regular check-ups, smear tests and blood tests, I was told I was too young to have a mammogram. This is obviously if you are a patient with the National Health Service. Really you should start much sooner. It is important to be selfaware and check your breasts every month around the time of your period. No-one knows your body better than you, so you will be the first to know if there are any appreciable changes in your body. Perhaps you will notice a change in skin texture or colour, an inverted or leaking nipple or a lump in either your breast or armpit. I only realised something was wrong when I noticed a thickening in the skin around my areola and a change in skin texture a bit like orange peel. One day I was fine and the next it appeared. I could not detect any lumps in the breast, so worked my way up into my armpit. I found a hard lump the size of a walnut but very deep so it took some delving. I didn’t have a temperature and
I’ve decided, life is one big MOT, both for our possessions and our bodies.
the lump wasn’t painful, so I immediately suspected something wasn’t right. I went straight to the doctor and was booked in for biopsies the following week, which came back positive for grade three cancer. Act quickly or repent at leisure! With the eldest child’s favourite belt located, I made the children’s sandwiches… they normally make their own but as I was up so early I did it for a change. Reminded me of when they were little. Where do the years go? Then time to be out the door. I was happy to get my usual spot in the hospital car park, no mean feat as parking is very limited. I was second in the queue for my blood tests and then straight up to book my oncology appointment. It is a bit of a race, but just as well I got in first as there were to be complications. Off
to get some protein on board and a nice cup of coffee. I write this as I sit waiting and listening to various conversations. Generally people are quite upbeat. Coincidently a daughter of a mother having chemo for breast cancer started talking about the best age to have a mammogram. The daughter was 37 and said that she was told by her doctor she didn’t need one. Well, it didn’t take long for the whole waiting room to get involved!! If you are familiar with Spanish hospital and doctor’s waiting rooms, then you’ll know that they speak very openly and expect you to do the same. Everyone has an opinion and they like to share it with you irrespective of whether you want to hear it or not!! In this case I was in favour as the daughter sitting next to me appeared not to realise the relevance of her mother’s situation to her. She said that as the doctor had told her she was too young for a mammogram she was going to leave it at that. The Spanish rather deify doctors in my opinion and are not accustomed to questioning them or getting second opinions.
In this case though all the women in the waiting room descended like clucking chickens and told her she had to insist or find the money to have it done privately. This wasn’t something that could be left to chance for a few years. I repeat, early detection is vital and if the outcome of the tests is negative, then you have peace of mind and if not, you have a head start on cancer. It was time to listen to some music and relax. As always it would be a three-hour wait, minimum. Just one day in my life, so no need to get uptight. I would practise my breathing and ‘be in the moment,’ something Bertie has taught me. Finally I was called in to see my doctor. Everything was fine and I was good to go. The pharmacologist mixing up our chemo cocktails was ill, so they were ordering our treatments from another source, a bit like a take-away. I would have preferred crispy duck! Four attempts to get my line in… Nothing to be done as your veins and arteries take a pasting, but in it was and I had my treatment and I was halfway through. Rather jubilant, I went home to rest and to fight another day.
Can drinking too much water be bad for you? over-sweating, a condition known as hyperhidrosis. He said the first thing he asks is how much water they drink and remarked that, medically, being told to
drink between two and three litres of water a day is incorrect, as if you were in intensive care you would be given 1.5 litres of fluid every 24 hours.
There is no set way of defining excessive sweating, but if sweating is interfering with daily life and normal activities, a person may be diagnosed
with hyperhidrosis. Treatments such as medication to block the sweat glands and surgery can be considered by sufferers. Drinking excessive water
can also lead to loss of sleep as people have to get up in the night to go to the toilet and other studies show it can even cause kidney damage, instead of preventing it. Too much water can also lead to a rare, but potentially fatal condition called hyponatraemia, which sees the body’s salt levels drop and can lead to swelling of the brain.
HEALTH & BEAUTY
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MyWebDoctor’s online service A BRITISH GP, and frequent visitor to the Costa del Sol, has set up an entrepreneurial online doctor service that can at last give thousands of people living in Spain peace of mind for their healthcare. With everyday nonemergency health needs in mind, MyWebDoctor will give you the reassurance of having a UK doctor at your fingertips literally - right on the end of your mobile phone, tablet or computer. Mirroring the NHS in its ease of access and high medical standards, Dr Helen Webberley aims to provide quality routine healthcare at a price that will suit all pockets. For only £12.99 per month, the service allows you unlimited access to advice from a GMC-registered UK GP. www.MyWebDoctor.co.uk allows its members to email their query or request a
DR HELEN WEBBERLEY: Aims to provide quality healthcare. telephone call to discuss your problem in person. If medicines are needed then the price of the private prescription is included in the subscription fee, and the British pharmacy can send out your medication to be delivered to your Spanish address. The actual price of the medication and postage is payable to the chemist, but with a box of penicillin priced
at about £1, this makes it cheaper than the NHS prescription charge! If you need any blood tests or swabs, then these can be sent out in home testing kits. The kit contains a swab or a finger-prick blood test that can be done by you at home and sent back to the UK laboratory for testing. “As well as treating routine
minor illness, this is really going to open up options for those people who are on regular medication,” says Dr Webberley. “For example those people on blood pressure or diabetic tablets can now have six months of their medication sent to them in the post for a very reasonable price, and can even have blood tests to make sure they are
Advertising Feature
Samaritans in Spain and the 902 number EVERY now and then someone complains that Samaritans in Spain are making money from callers who use the service. This is based on the fact that all 902 numbers are premium rate numbers. This could not be further from the truth; in fact, it costs SiS money to run this service. The problem arises from Telefonica lumping premium RATE and premium SERVICE into the one 902 range. Whether the number is premium rate or premium service depends on the fourth number. 902 followed by 1, 2, 3 or 4 are premium rates, from which the receiving company benefits financially. The 902 numbers followed by 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 are to provide a premium service, from which the receiver gains no financial benefit. For example, the charity Samaritans in Spain uses the number 902 88 35 35, the fourth digit is 8,
meaning the number is not connected to any local telephone exchange and allows the Samaritans to have phones in several locations attached to the 902 88 35 35 number. This means that whenever someone calls their number, whether they are calling from Madrid, Barcelona, Marbella or the Balearics, they are connected to the next available listener. All Samaritans in Spain calls to 902 88 numbers are charged at national call rates. From landlines the connection charge is €0.08 plus €0.04/min: Mon-Fri 20:00-08:00, weekends and public holidays, and €0.07/min: Mon-Fri 08:0020:00. Calls from mobiles are CONSIDERABLY more. Mobile providers set their own rates ranging from 0.20 cents per minute, to over 0.80 cents per minute, plus a connection charge from 0.12 to 0.20 cents. Samaritans in Spain have no control over these
charges, nor do they benefit from them. Visit www. samaritansin spain.com or Facebook: www.facebook. com/pages /Samaritans-in-Spain/ 342312575891259
The Samaritans’ service in Spain is provided by Costa Blanca Samaritans, a not-for-profit organisation registered with Generalitat Valenciana: CV-01-042952A and NIF: G54341466.
being monitored properly.” Although not everything can be dealt with remotely, it is surprising how much can be. If people are worried about skin rashes or lumps or bumps, they can upload photos for the doctor to review. If a clinical examination is necessary then Dr Webberley and her team can advise people to have a face to face visit with a doctor, but even this is useful advice for those wondering whether to book an actual appointment with a doctor in Spain. Dr Webberley acknowledges that this is not an emergency service, and people with medical emergencies should call 061 as usual. However, this is going to bring NHS quality healthcare to you wherever you may be.
Dr Helen Webberley onlineGPservices@gmail.com www.MyWebDoctor.co.uk
E W N 5 - 11 February 2015 / Mallorca
Pets
PETS / COMMUNITY
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Dog’s chewing problems David THE Dogman
Listen to David on TRE every Saturday 10 thru 11. Costa del Sol (Gibraltar/Sotogrande) 98.7fm (San Roque to Calahonda) 91.9fm (Calahonda to Motril) 88.9, Costa Calida 92.7fm Costa Blanca (Torrevieja to Elche) 105.1fm (Elche to Calpe) 88.2fm, (Calpe to Gandia & Ibiza) 104.6fm, (Denia to Valencia) 95.3fm Mallorca 103.9fm
FIRST it was your brand new socks. Then he went for the living room rug. Sometimes, he might even go for your hand. At first it was cute, but it needs to be controlled. Whether he’s manifesting anxiety or simply teething, you can prevent future problems with training. Your puppy’s mouth is his primary learning tool. From socks to pant legs, puppies normally chew on items around the house because they are bored, energetic, teething or simply curious. Uncontrollable chewing can also signal emotional problems. Like
loss of appetite or a change in barking pitch, excessive chewing is a sign of emotional stress. To help alleviate your dog’s stress, you should keep his schedule consistent, spend quality time with him and make sure he exercises. Remove temptations. Until he learns to like chew toys, remove socks, furniture, plants and other favourite items from the area in which your puppy is kept. Don’t forget to tape over electrical outlets and keep cords out of reach! Because your dog needs gum stimulation, he’ll always chew; the trick is to
teach him to chew items such as a treat filled Kong. Modern thinking is to teach your dog to get used to a crate. Confine your puppy. If your pup doesn’t have free access to the house, he can’t tear it to shreds. Until he knows better, keep him confined to his crate or an area like the kitchen or basement possibly with a child gate. You need to focus your puppy’s chewing. You have a wide range of items to offer, from knotted rawhide to squeaky balls and teething toys. Don’t give him items that resemble what he shouldn’t chew.
PUPPY’S MOUTH: His primary learning tool.
Blackie finds a playmate By Lamia Walker of HousesitMatch REGULAR readers of this column may remember about nine months ago we wrote about a shy black cat living on the coast in Fuengirola, and the American house sitter who came to stay to care for him while his owners were on holiday. We are happy to report that based on the success of that housesit, the owners are planning ahead for holidays in March and July. Derek and Jenni the
owners explained to me recently that they had noticed Blackie, their cat, hanging out with a little friend - a beautiful tortoiseshell. They were often to be seen together sitting near each other in the shade of the garden. After many enquiries it appeared that the very pretty tortoiseshell might be abandoned, so they began to feed her, and she stayed. The two felines really do appear to be firm friends. The next house sits
posted tentatively for March and July will need a cat lover, happy to care for two cats, the shy Blackie and his very pretty and newly adopted little friend Ginger. Anyone for a spot of cat sitting in July?
Download your Free Easy Guide to Housesitting from here www.bit.ly/eurown001 To find a pet sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on +44 (0)1865 521508.
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BABY CLOTHES: Donate what you can.
Donations needed THE Allen Graham Foundation for Disadvantaged and Abused Children is reminding people that donations of new or nearly-new baby clothes, as well as any unwanted items can be donated at their charity shop in Son Caliu and also at The Bookworm in Palma Nova. Founded in 1992 by former Salvation Army captain Allen Graham, the foundation is dedicated to helping disadvantaged children and young adults in Mallorca who, through no fault of their own, do not have the opportunity to develop the skills that ensure a secure
and safe future. Hundreds of children in Mallorca are either fostered by families or cared for in residential centres on the island every year. They have been abandoned, badly treated, abused or, for various reasons, have parents who are unable to care for them. Working closely with Llars de Menors 26 children’s homes on the island, the foundation is appealing to anyone who can donate items to do so to help improve a child’s life. For more information about the charity please visit www.agrahamcharity.org.
Help out cancer support CANCER SUPPORT GROUP MALLORCA (CSG) are appealing for assistance in their aim to help all expats on the island who have cancer or who have a family member or friend with the disease. CSG Mallorca provides free counselling and translators and offer practical help for those affected by cancer. The group is in need of volunteers - island wide - who are willing to offer their time and assistance. It is difficult to specify exactly what is needed as each case is different, but volunteers are needed to help with cooking meals, taking patients to doctors, hospital visits, help with child care and looking after pets. CSG attempts to get all the help
available from the system, including social services and other associations such as AECC. However, sometimes it can be difficult for foreign residents who may not have been in the Spanish system or speak the language. If you live full or part-time on the island and are willing to offer your assistance, please send contact details and a list of what you can help with to cancermallorcacoordinator@gmail.com. CSG is headquartered in the south of the island but provide assistance islandwide. The group will be holding the popular ‘Health 4 Life’ talks soon, and are planning other events such as ‘1 Run 4 Life’ involving people from all over the island.
We want to hear from you DO you have any club, charity or community news you would like included on our
community page? If so we want to hear from you. Please send any news to editorial@euro weeklynews.com and we will do our best to fit you in. Please include times,
dates and locations and contact details. Photos should be good quality, minimum resolution, oneMeg and include a caption with the names of people pictured wherever possible.
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Mallorca’s best guide to local restaurants
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Little Britain - home from home LITTLE BRITAIN British Supermarket is based in the Port of Alcudia right next door to the church. It is here you will find your favourite British food products and much more. Last February this little goldmine moved to bigger premises making sure that the Little Britain British Supermarket can stock even more of your ‘can’t live withouts’ as well as celebration products; helium balloons, gift bags and glasses and party wear. The owner has a huge amount of experience in the food industry and knows what customers need and want, and makes a special effort to get the latest products that have gone on sale in the UK. For example, Little Britain British Supermarket holds stock of ‘Natures Menu’ pet food, the only store in the north of the island to stock this product and it has proved to be extremely popular. Customers can find all the information on Facebook Natures Menu Baleares, Spain.
BRITISH SUPERMARKET: All the latest products that have gone on sale in the UK are available. While they may be based in the north, Little Britain British Supermarket has customers coming from all over the island and it is all down to the huge selection of stock that they carry, right down to a massive range of vegetarian and gluten free food products. They even cater for trade, there are special offers for pubs and bars for crisps, and other food products. Little Britain British Supermarket believe their customers should benefit from the good deals it can get, so it
passes the good deals down to them too, providing special offers and discounts throughout the store. If anyone has any queries or would simply like to see what is on offer at Little Britain British Supermarket, they are open six days a week Monday to Saturday 10am till 6pm. Customers can also contact them by email littlebritain1@hotmail.com, or by calling on 971 89 79 45. For more information look at their Facebook page: LittleBritainAlcudia.
Are you a bar or restaurant that advertises with EWN? 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
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OPINION & COMMENT
What do you need to do, to make February fabulous for you? FEBRUARY: Consider how you can balance giving and receiving in close relationships.
Sally Trotman Based in Mallorca, Sally Trotman is a qualified Counsellor who works with Astrology, Numerology and the Tarot. Each month she will deliver the forecast as an intuitive tool to aid increased self awareness.
www.sallytrotman.com
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ANUARY gave you the opportunity to clarify your goals. With Imbolc on February 2 (bringing in the first light of spring) and the full moon in Leo on February 3 (encouraging you to be fearless) this is the perfect time to think big, be confident and move out of your comfort zone. Leo is a generous sign. Remember that you always receive back when you give, so think about where you can give more and also be more open to receiving. Do you believe you are worthy of the abundance of
opportunities awaiting you? Repeat this powerful affirmation every morning to help you manifest your desires; ‘I am attracting abundance through all channels of the universe.’ Abundance comes through others so think for a moment about who can help you to achieve your goals, and also who you can help. This month we move into the Chinese New Year of the Sheep. The influence of this animal is encouraging you to work with others, and know that you can achieve more as a group than individually. February 14 is of course another important date. The moon is ruled by earthy
Capricorn on this day, so take some time to pamper yourself if single, and pamper both yourself and your loved one too if in a relationship! As February is the second month of the year this brings your awareness to how you can create more balance in your life, so consider how you can balance giving and receiving in all your closest relationships.
In the Tarot deck the second major arcana card is the High Priestess. This gentle yet powerful archetype is reminding you to listen to your intuition. This is perhaps more important during February than at any other time as the sun moves into the sign of Pisces on February 19. The new moon in Pisces on this date is helping you with creative and spiritual pursuits of all kinds. Listen to your creative ideas, vivid dreams and hunches throughout this month.
Life can sometimes become a little confusing under the influence of Pisces, so balance your intuition with practical steps. If you feel like you are a salmon swimming upstream at times in your life, then change your direction this month. Relax and go with the flow, and know that your inner guidance will take you to exactly where you need to be. Sally guides individuals and groups working with Meditation, Astrology, and Numerology as a tool for personal development. Also a qualified Counsellor and Reiki Master, she works with clients in a unique way to help each person feel more confident about their direction in life. Sally offers sessions via Skype or in Watford, UK.
For more information visit www.sallytrotman.com or email sally.trotman@btinternet.com.
HOMES & GARDENS
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HThe main objectives of harvesting SPONSORED BY
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and processing your own olives Dick Handscombe
Gardening Corner By Spain’s best known expatriate gardening author living in Spain for 25 years.
Harvesting THE three main objectives of harvesting olives are: Pick when ready for preparing eating olives or making olive oil, to cause as little bruising as possible and cause as little damage to the trees as possible. Olives for eating need to be picked while still firm. Olives for oil can be picked at the same stage or left to fully swell to maximise the overall yields. Some high quality producers still pick by hand. However most olives are allowed to fall naturally or racked, knocked off with long canes, or shaken off with mechanical tree shakers onto nets and then transferred to plastic boxes. In some areas, to reduce harvesting costs, the ground under trees is laid bare by using weed killers two weeks before shaking the olives onto the ground when they are blown or brushed into heaps for sacking. Yields can vary from 10 to 110 kilos or more per tree depending on the age, health and pruning of the tree, and the summer and autumn sunshine and rainfalls. Pickling olives to eat See chapter 78 of ‘Growing Healthy Fruit in Spain’ for our favourite
methods and recipes. Producing olive oil To extract high quality oil from olives they need to be processed as soon after their harvesting as possible to minimise the onset of fermentation that can spoil the taste of the product. The process follows the following process. Riddling to remove leaves and stones, washing if allowed to fall on the ground before harvesting, the picking out of obviously bad olives, milling/mashing the olives to create a paste, pressing of the paste to extract the oil and water and then the separation of the oil from the oil/water mix and pouring into storage vessels. These days quality plastic bottles or storage tanks are used. There are four ways to process olive to oil. 1. Purchase a manually or power operated mill/masher and press yourself or with a group of friends. 2. Arrange for a friend or local villager to do the pressing for you on in a historic or new old style press. 3. Arrange for a larger agricultural cooperative mill to process your olives mixed in with those of other growers. Old mills will still use a cold process and you will get good quality extra virgin olive oil. Commercially olive oils are classified in descending quality order as Extra Virgin, Virgin, Ordinary Virgin Olive Oil,
OLIVE OIL: Good quality oil can be stored for many years. Olive Oil, Refined Olive oil, Lamp Oil. The standard maximum acceptable acidity levels are 1.0 per cent for extra virgin, 2.0 per cent for virgin and 3.3 per cent for
ordinary virgin. A good yield is a litre of oil from five kilos of olives. A poor yield from poor olives can be as little as a litre from seven or eight kilos. Bottled olive oil is best
stored in a cool dark place. Good quality oil can be stored for many years. It is not usual or desirable to add preservatives. Coastal harvesting will now be complete but it
will continue in colder inland and northern areas.
(c) Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com February 2015.
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OPINION & COMMENT
Copyright tkemot
Austerity out here, Champagne in there Nora Johnson
Breaking Views A Costa del Sol resident for a number of years, Nora is the author of psychological suspense and crime thrillers. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/norajohnson
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AR in the Middle East, turmoil elsewhere and many in the UK facing austerity. And the members of the House of Lords, what do they do? Complain about the quality of their Champagne. The Lords spend roughly £65,000 a year on Champagne and, it was recently reported, refuse to drink anything cheaper because “Champagne quality would suffer.” At a time when many resort to food banks to feed their families, such disconnectedness from the lives of ordinary citizens is appalling. What we see
HOUSE OF LORDS: Complaining about the quality of their Champagne. now is a Britain of bling and food banks: billionaires extending sprawling, empty mansions while waiting lists for social housing lengthen. It’s instructive to watch political interviews from the early 1970s on YouTube where you’ll find interviewees like PMs Harold Wilson and Jim Callaghan reacting to tough questions with tough, even-handed answers.
Telling because you don't see much of that nowadays. Instead a love of the sound bite and a general lack of accountability and responsibility. Recently there’s been a whole string of disturbing reports about failure in the NHS, the worst: Mid-Staffs. Some nurses were punished, but no doctors or administrators, despite exercising control over
dreadful conditions. (At a time when, with the NHS on life-support, many NHS managers are being paid grotesquely high salaries by cash-strapped health trusts.) The Staffordshire police and the CPS showed little interest in an investigation regarding it as a ‘systemic failure’ - the politically correct approach to avoid going after those responsible.
Don’t let’s forget either Rotherham and its Police and Crime Commissioner clinging to office over its child abuse scandal and Rochdale’s PC approach that ignores the racial elements of endemic child abuse. The problem is there seems little enthusiasm to tackle failure in the UK’s public institutions. Why? A decline in personal/professional
standards and integrity. Apart from the Lords and their scandals, it’s hard to forget MPs and all their shenanigans either. Claiming mortgages for second homes; fraudulent claims for overnight allowances; using parliamentary allowances to employ relatives who haven’t actually completed any work. And what about the £100 million spent on luxury travel over the past four years by Government Departments? I thought of a few words to describe my feelings after rereading all this and most of them wouldn’t be publishable. And the ones that would don’t express those feelings adequately. Nora Johnson’s thrillers ‘Landscape of Lies,’ ‘Retribution,’ ‘Soul Stealer,’ ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.com) available from Amazon/ eBook and iBookstore. Profits to Cudeca.
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PROPERTY
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Experts list real estate reasons to be cheerful
A PROPERTY valuation company has listed eight factors it believes give reason to be positive about the market in Spain in 2015. The Sociedad de Tasacion (ST), one of Spain’s largest independent appraisal firms, says there is plenty to be cheerful about this year. Price stability and the likelihood of pent-up buyers’ demand are their first two factors. With figures showing a significant slowdown in the drop in real estate value last year, ST predicts no surprises with no major increase or decrease in prices. And with prices levelling, they expect buyers to start spending. The company also points to a rise in consumer spending at the end of 2014, record numbers of tourists, and a likely continuing decrease in unemployment as three more examples of growing confidence in the economic outlook. These should, they argue, translate into good news for the property market. ST mentions better housing affordability as their sixth positive point, with the gap between house prices and average income shrinking to a more manageable level. However, they add the ratio remains higher than in other countries.
MORTGAGE LENDING: Upward curve continued.
Mortgage lending rises for six months THE upward curve in the rate of mortgage lending continued in November last year, according to the Spanish central statistics unit. Over the month, a total of 15,900 loans for residential properties were granted by Spanish banks, a 14.2 per cent jump compared to November 2013. The total amount of money loaned in mortgages also rose yearon-year, but at a slightly lower rate of 12.2 per cent, meaning the average amount given in mortgages dropped slightly, to €140,817 per home. Andalucia topped the regional list of the number of mortgages loaned by banks, at 3,183, followed by Madrid, Catalonia then Valencia. November’s national total was lower than October 2014, but still shows the sixth consecutive month of year-on-year increases higher than 10 per cent,
suggesting healthier signs of activity in the residential sector. However, Spain’s largest bank, Santander, has poured cold water on any excitement, stating that it does not expect any growth in the property market in 2015. In research information given to investors,
reported in the press last week, Santander said any increase in credit was more likely to go towards “small and medium-sized companies, not estate agencies.” In the same note, the bank said it would be 2018 before the Spanish economy recovered its 2008 levels.
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Best result so far for MAPFRE
Yachting movie to star Colin Firth
SPANISH team MAPFRE had their best finish so far in this edition of the Volvo Masters Race, finishing fourth in the third leg from Abu Dhabi to Sanya in China. Despite some personnel changes before the leg got underway, MAPFRE put in an impressive performance and were one of the challengers to eventual winners Dongfeng Race Team, who finished three hours ahead of Abu Dhabi Racing. The Spaniards finished just five hours behind the winners and now sit in fifth place on the leaderboard.
NEW MOVIE: Colin Firth. The production looks like it could be a promising movie, given its premise, its star power and director, James Marsh, who won an Oscar for the documentary Man on Wire. With not a huge amount of movies based on the yachting world out there, the Colin Firth project will be a welcome addition to the genre.
Photo: Maria Muina/MAPFRE
BRITISH actor Colin Firth is set to star in an upcoming movie based on the true story of a British businessman and amateur sailor’s failed attempt to win a round-the-world yacht race. Firth - one of the world’s most respected actors and star of hits such as The King’s Speech and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy will play Donald Crowhurst, a UK businessman who took part in the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race only to find himself hopelessly out-of-depth (no pun intended) on the open seas. His boat was eventually found abandoned, with the authorities assuming he had jumped overboard and drowned.
BOATING
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Photo: Victor Fraile/Volvo Ocean Race
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FOURTH FINISH: MAPFRE arrives in Sanya, China. “It’s been a pretty tough last two days,” MAPFRE skipper Xabi Fernandez told www.volvooceanrace.com after crossing the finish line. “I think as a team we feel that we did a good leg. In the middle of the race we were in second position which was almost like being first because
Dongfeng were gone from the very beginning - we had a bad day in the Malacca Strait and lost our position. In the end, we’ll take fourth.” The fourth leg of the 2014/2015 Volvo Ocean Race will be the longest at 5,264 nautical miles from Sanya to Auckland, New Zealand.
The racing yachts will set out for Auckland on February 8.
LAND AHOY!: The team approaches Sanya.
BOATING
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MOTORING
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Alfa Romeo unveils latest open top density, high-strength composite material that is 20 per cent lighter and dimensionally more rigid than steel, and even the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider’s windscreen and side windows have been optimised for lightness, using 10 per cent thinner glass to reduce weight by up to 15 per cent. While European specifications for the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider have yet to be announced, the weight difference between the Coupé and Spider versions of the US-market models is just 10kg. The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider shares much of its exterior design with its award-winning Coupé sibling - the changes are focused purely on the metamorphosis from fixed- to open-top. The Coupé’s glazed engine cover and flowing coupé shape gives way to a more traditional spider form, with pronounced buttresses and a bodycoloured engine deck-lid with three functional heat
REVEALED: The open top Alfa Romeo 4C Spider. extractors and an aerodynamically tuned spoiler. The rollover structure is housed in a black (or optional carbon fibre) ‘halo’, creating visual harmony with the carbon fibre windscreen frame,
where the attachment points for the removable, stowable cloth roof (or optional carbon fibre hard-top) can also be found. Other new features to debut on the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Concept include
an all-new, titanium exhaust system, mounted centrally with switchable modes which can be altered depending on the driving environment and driver’s mood. Developed by worldrenowned exhaust
specialists Akrapovic, this beautifully crafted system consists of two centrallymounted tailpipes and computer-optimised asymmetrical mufflers with a dual-mode exhaust valve system and link pipe with resonator to eliminate in-cabin droning. This optional system is finished with carbon fibre bezels on the exhaust tips. Like the 4C Coupe, the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider will also be available with the standard and the Racing exhaust system. In addition to the existing colours available on the Alfa Romeo 4C a new Giallo (yellow) paint scheme is also offered.
Longtail comeback for McLaren FANS of supercars will be waiting for the Geneva Motor Show (March 5 to 15) with bated breath to catch a glimpse of McLaren’s latest offering. The Surrey, UK, based manufacturer is looking to its heritage as it revives the legendary ‘Longtail’ name given to one of the purest GT sportscars of all time, the McLaren F1 GTR Longtail for the launch of the new
Tony Harrison / Wikipedia.
THE latest open top Alfa Romeo Spider has been revealed. The production version of the 4C Spider features a unique carbon fibre windscreen frame and to save weight in the ultralight model. New design points feature an Akrapovic dualmode exhaust system, new alloy wheel designs and a new colour, with the car due to be released onto the European market this summer. Prices have not been announced yet. Like its Coupé sibling, the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is built around an exotic, ultra-lightweight monocoque chassis using layered carbon fibre that is three times stronger and seven times lighter than steel. Because of its inherent rigidity, Alfa Romeo engineers were able to minimise structural differences between the 4C Spider and 4C Coupé. As with the Coupé, the bodywork is made entirely from SMC (sheet moulded compound), a low-
McLaren 675LT. This road-legal supercar will embody the ‘Longtail’ ethos with a focus on performance optimised aerodynamics, increased downforce, driver engagement, power and reduced weight. The 675LT will join the core range of McLaren supercars alongside the existing 650S and Asia-only 625C to form the newly named McLaren Super Series which sits above the recently announced Sports Series in the range hierarchy. In line with the convention begun with
the 650S, the number 675 denotes the power produced by the 675LT’s engine in PS - the output equating to a devilish 666bhp. This figure makes the 675LT the most powerful offering in the Super Series. It will be offered in coupé body style only when deliveries start later this year. The iconic Longtail name made its debut during the 1997 season of sportscar racing, and saw a legendary model from McLaren on the grids around the world evolve into the most efficient racefocused version seen todate. Rather than rest on the laurels of the highlysuccessful examples from the previous two
seasons, which included a win on its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995, McLaren moved the benchmark on further - an approach that echoes through the company to this very day. Formula 1™ knowledge and experience, and the know-how gained from the pinnacle of the sport created the purest version of a true worldbeater. The distinctive stretched silhouette of the McLaren F1 GTR became known during the season as the ‘Longtai’l. The nickname stuck, and the model demonstrated the ultimate example of one of motorsport’s most successful GT cars. More details of the 675LT, including its startling performance figures, will be released in the leadup to the Geneva Show. Original McLaren F1 GTR Longtail in racing livery.
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SPORT
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port SBalearic rugby round-up Lewis Hamilton
F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has yet to sign a new contract with Mercedes. Ferrari are keeping an eye on the situation.
Mallorca’s best guide to local sport
EVEN though it was an extremely cold and windy weekend which made kicking very difficult, plenty of teams took part in rugby matches and tournaments throughout the Baleares. In the Under-8 category El Toro RC were victorious in all of their matches, as were their Under-10 team who all played very dynamic rugby. In the Under-12 age groups El Toro RC were also victorious, this time in a combined El Toro and Mallorca Bocs team. These were more difficult matches for the youngsters as the other clubs participating are on a more equal footing. RC Ponent continued their domination in the Under-14 category, winning two matches and showing good control of the
ball. Agora Portals pushed hard until their last match of the day when they showed a superior game to beat the combined ‘Tobocs’ who never gave up The seventh leg in the Under16 Sevens League tournament was hosted by Migjorns RC in
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DYNAMIC RUGBY: Played over a cold and windy weekend.
Menorca. El Toro RC came out on top winning all three of their matches against Migjorn RC (29 0), RC Ponent (26-10) and Corsaris RFC (50-12). Runners-up were RC Ponent who beat Corsaris RFC (40-14) and Migjorn RC (24-28). Host team, Migjorn RC beat Corsaris by 29 points to 12. Bahia RC hosted the eighth in the series of girls Sevens tournaments at their pitch in S’Arraco. Matches were fast and furious with some excellent rugby being played as the teams benefit from experience as the season progresses. On this occasion El Toro RC were clear
winners against their main rivals and league leaders, RC Ponent. RC Ponent retained their lead at the top of the league with a win over Corsaris RFC. It was a closely fought first half but RC Ponent ran away with it in the second, finishing the match 46 points to 12. All senior teams are in action next weekend; El Toro RC play RC Ponent A in Son Caliu; RC Ponent b are due to meet Shamrock RC in Principes de España, whilst Dimonis RC host Ibiza RC in Manacor. Corsaris RFC play in Pollensa against Bahia RC. The girls and younger teams have a break whilst the Under-14, 16 and 18’s have a Baleares training session.