Euro Weekly News - Mallorca 26 February - 4 March 2015 Issue 1547 by Euro Weekly News Media S.A.

EWN FRONT EXTRA

Council aid PALMA COUNCIL allocated €1 million in 2014 to cover basic needs for poorer families. It is estimated that 1,000 families were able to avoid eviction as a result.

Free concert POLLENÇA will be celebrating Andalucia Day from afar with a free concert at the Plaça Major de Pollença at 8pm this Saturday, February 28, with flamenco and sevillanas.

Book week THE 16th edition of the Books in Catalan Week will start tomorrow (February 27). It is open until March 8 at the Capella de la Misericordia in Palma.

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Communities need to declare payments PROPERTY owners within community urbanisations in Mallorca could see their community face fines of up to €200,000 if declarations aren’t presented to the Spanish taxman by next Monday, March 2. It is estimated that many communities in Spain do not employ an administrator, and so could be fined for not presenting Model 347 to Hacienda by March 2 if they are unaware of the need to do so. Self-administering communities need to act fast to avoid a hefty fine, but communities that employ an administrator should escape sanctions as long as the form is handed in by Monday. Solicitor Jose Luis Navarro, who writes a regular community law column for the EWN, said that property owners may not know about the new fiscal measure, now in only its first year. Although in the past they were not required to make the declaration, communities

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ISSUE NO. 1547

that paid any third party supplier more than €3,005.06 during 2014 must fill in and present the declaration to Hacienda. All invoices for communal building works and refurbs, security, gardening, cleaning and maintenance, etc, have to be included, but not utility bills or insurance. The call is going out to all communities in Mallorca

to ensure that the Model 347 is presented in time or fines of up to €200,000 are in place. Navarro explained that the declaration will allow Hacienda to compare figures to those declared by service providers and make sure they have declared the proper amount of IVA for all amounts charged.

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INDEX News 1 - 15 Finance 17 - 22 Leapy Lee 23 Daily TV 30 Time Out 32 - 33 Letters 34 Health & Beauty 35 Food 36 Classifieds 42 - 43 Boating 44 - 45 Motoring 46 Sport 48

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Group says no to lighthouse sell-off PRESSURE group Salvem Portocolom are to launch protests against the privatisation of the Felanitx lighthouse and its potential transformation into a hotel. “We were able to confirm that the Balearics Port Authorities want to privatise up to six lighthouses on the islands: Cap Blanc (Llucmajor), Ciutadella, Barbaria and la Mola (Formentera), Soller and Portocolom. They could soon become hotels,” said a representative of the group. The councils involved have either already given green lights to the projects, or are currently studying them, the group said. “The lighthouse is not just a building to light up

Kai Alpers on Wikimedia Commons

LIGHTHOUSE: Local heritage not for sale, say group. during the nights and guide boats. It is a symbol, it is architectural, cultural and natural heritage, and it has 152 years of history.

The lighthouse is public, it is ours and we cannot give it away to the first company that requests it,” said the group.

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Tango night MILONGA, a variant of Argentinian Tango, will be celebrated at an event on February 28 at Palma’s Millenium Hall (Carrer de Pons i Gallarza, 22) at 10pm. Participants are requested to dress up in 30s, 40s or 50s style clothing.

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Firo charge will limit crowds THE Council of Soller will charge €5 to participate in the Firo (May 11), the town’s Moors and Christians celebration. The event, which commemorates the epic battles between Moors and Christians from the eighth to the 15th century, is a popular tradition across villages in Spain, especially Valencia and the Balearic Islands.

To avoid massive crowds, the council has attached a €5 fee for those participants who are not members of Moors and Christians associations. The price includes a bracelet that will accredit the person to participate in the battles, have access to facilities where the Moors and Christians events will take place, free transport, and a free

snack offered by the council during the afternoon. The council, together with the Local Police and the Balearic Islands Regional Government, are also designing a safety programme, so that the Plaza de la Constitucion, where the last battle is carried out, will be limited to 8,000 audience members and participants.

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New urban plan A NEW Urban Development Plan in Manacor will inspect buildings constructed more than 25 years ago. It also aims to create more environment-friendly and sustainable urban work.

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Job opportunities THE Balearic Islands have been announced as one of the three autonomous communities with the most employment opportunities, according to the report ‘Barometer of Employment Opportunities and Satisfaction Adecco.’ Foresighted residents BALEARIC families are the most prudent in Spain regarding their future, says a report from the Family Protection Institute. Balearic families are prepared for unforeseen events, such as sudden disabilities or death of the families’ breadwinner.

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ews watch

Street lamps controversy

OPPOSITION parties in Palma have requested the council eliminate Y-shaped street lamps from the Baluart del Princep, as they claim that they produce an excessive visual impact.

Drugs sentence A MAN who was intercepted in 2013 at Palma Airport carrying drugs inside his body has been sentenced by the Court of Palma to three years in prison and a €7,500 fine.

Art exhibition THE Contemporary Arts Centre of Andratx will host, until March 15, an exhibition by Søren Dahlgaard and Bent Holstein entitled ‘There is no such place as away’. Open from Monday to Sunday, 10.30am to 6pm. Man absolved THE Supreme Court of Spain has absolved a field worker who caused a forest fire that burnt 1,576 hectares in Ibiza in 2011, confirming the verdict issued by a Palma Court which found that he had followed all procedures.

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Fire spreads

JUZCAR: Andalucia’s famous ‘smurf’ village.

Smurf village turning local volunteers blue

F you haven’t heard of Juzcar, a typical white Andalucian village 22 kilometres from Ronda, you’re obviously not a smurf fan. The village was chosen in 2011 by Sony to launch the premiere of The Smurfs movie, and 4,000 litres of paint turned the village buildings a shockingly bright shade of blue. Overnight, the sleepy village went from receiving 300 tourists a year to an estimated 80,000 in just six months. Although Sony offered to repaint the village white in December 2011, the villagers voted to keep it blue and watched in awe as thousands of fans and curious tourists continued to appear to have a look. Now the ‘pueblo pitufo’ (smurf village) has decided it needs to do a little more work to encourage the visitors to keep on coming, and has created a project to turn locals into smurfs.

Quote of the Week We kiss against discrimination, racism and homophobia, to condemn these acts that are seen too often within companies, society and public life,’ said Jose Lebaniegos, a Madrid Metro ticket inspector who attended a protest kissing session against homophobia in Madrid.

A €15,000 budget has been put in place to take on an artistic director to train volunteers up as actors and provide costumes and props for ‘pitufo’ (smurf) shows, which have proved a popular attraction at the weekends. Lessons and rehearsals are about to begin for local volunteers of all ages, and the council hopes the street shows and other new activities will be ready by May 30. Juzcar Mayor David Fernandez announced that the local smurfs, who are to receive diplomas after completing their lessons, will also be going on tour with shows planned in Ubrique, Marbella, Malaga City and other towns. Along with face painting, a smurf-themed market, blue manicures, personalised smurf baseball cap painting and smurf-meals, the new improved shows are bound to give the young and young-at-heart an unforgettable visit.

Number of the week

150,000

is the estimated number of packets of illegal cigarettes that were being smuggled into Spain each week from Gibraltar by a well-organised smuggling gang that has now been busted by police.

SEVERAL homeless people started a fire on Tuesday (February 24) at the land plot near Porta des Camp (Palma). It was quickly intensified by the wind and forced the Fire Brigade to attend and extinguish it.

Students protest STUDENTS of the University of the Balearic Islands will carry out demonstrations today (February 26) to protest against changes to the education law.

MJ musical A MUSICAL entitled ‘Moonwalking,’ featuring the story of Michael Jackson, will be held at the Auditorium of Alcudia on February 28 (8pm) and March 1 (6pm). Tickets are €10.

Obstetrics award MANACOR’S hospital has obtained the IHAN certificate, which recognises its good performances on labour, birth and breast-feeding assistance.

And finally... TWO brothers from Girona tried to swindle an Arab sheik by selling him a forged Goya painting for 1.7 million Swiss Francs (€1.58 million), only to discover they had been paid in photocopied bills. The brothers, who were conned when they bought the fake painting, thought they could recoup their losses by swindling the sheik.

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LOCAL POLICE roped off Avenida Gabriel Alomar in Palma after an aerial located on the town hall building was knocked over by strong winds and left hanging over the edge of the roof, causing concern amongst bystanders who called 112.

Scuba-dive killing A SUBA-DIVER in Palma has been charged with homicide for automatically inflating the vest of his diving partner. She died from injuries resulting from the lack of readjustment to pressure changes as she ascended.

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Aerial incident

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Facing up to evil

T’S extremely worrying and distressing to see young people from all around the globe deciding to make their way to Syria to join the ranks of IS. Just this week, four people were arrested in Spain suspected of recruiting for the terrorist group, and many of us are praying that the three teenaged girls from Britain, who are believed to have travelled to Syria, are safe and well. When you’re 15 years old, you do not have the sufficient level of maturity and life experience to make a decision as life-changing as running off to a war zone, and it remains to be seen just why they chose to do so. IS recruiters are using social media sites to help indoctrinate impressionable young people to their cause, and the situation once

again highlights one of the dangers that the internet can create. The majority of people in the world would like to see every religion, race and creed living life in peace, as John Lennon put it, but unfortunately – in reality – life is not that simple. While we, in the relative safety of our democratic comfort in the West, baulk at the barbarity of life in places like Syria and Iraq at present, others are drawn to the cause because of misguided beliefs and values. No regime, be it democratic or otherwise, can be viewed with any degree of respect or integrity when they freely behead people on film for not agreeing with their religion or values. IS and other groups such as Al Qaeda and Boko Haram have shown the world that intolerance is one of the greatest evils this planet faces.

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RECOVERED: Jorge Lorenzo’s MotoGP collection.

Police recover memorabilia GUARDIA CIVIL in Inca have recovered a large collection of motorbiking star Jorge Lorenzo’s memorabilia which had been stolen from a garage. As reported in last week’s EWN, officers detained a 40year-old man for allegedly breaking into a house in Inca and taking motorcycling-related objects worth thousands of euros. The stolen items included three suits, several helmets, goggles, boots, leggings and gloves, all belonging to former MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo, who had donated the memorabilia to the Balearic Motorcycle Foundation for display. Lorenzo, who was born in Palma in 1987, was reported to have been upset by the theft as the items held a great deal of sentimental value and is grateful for their recovery.

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Birdwatchers call for stop to Jet Ski trips THE Ornithological Group of the Balearic Islands (GOB) has voiced complaints about a project to introduce Jet Ski trips to preservation areas in Ses Salines, Mallorca. There are plans to start the excursions from the Colonia de Sant Jordi, with day-trippers taking Jet Skis to the Cap de Ses Salines. Other groups such as the Hotel and Services Association of Colonia de Sant Jordi have also criticised the plans. They claim that the stretch of coast affected is home to protected species, in areas like the Marine Reservoir of Migjorn, the Site of Community Interest (LIC) and the Zone for Special Proteccion of Birds (ZEPA). â€œThis area holds extraordinary natural sites and some of its small islands are home for bird species which are at

risk of extinction,â€? said representatives of the association. They added that the activity would affect other users, due to the crowds that are expected to be generated, the high noise

of the vehicles, and could even present a danger to other visitors. However, Ses Salines Council has reacted positively to the project, saying that it would boost tourism.

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Winter hotel stays increase OVERNIGHT stays in the Balearic Islands increased by 7.5 per cent in January. Tourist accommodation establishments on the islands registered a total of 187,064 overnight stays in the first month of 2015, a 7.5 per cent increase

on the same month of the previous year, when 173,404 stays were registered, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE). In total, there were 100 hotels open across the islands during January, employing 2,494 workers.

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Activists slam ‘cruel’ fiesta PACMA, an animal rights party in Mallorca, has spoken out against the celebration of a tradition in Muro where youths kill several cockerels and gooses to mark their birthday. The festival of ‘Los Quintos’ in Muro is celebrated when local young people turn 18, and consists of forcing the birds to ingest alcoholic beverages, and then decapitating them. “This behaviour lacks a minimum of ethics and empathy for the suffering of animals,” read a PACMA statement, which adds that it could represent a crime of violence against animals. They also point out the lack of action from police officers, who can be seen accompanying the

TRADITION: Killing cockerels to mark 18th birthday. young group in pictures of the event uploaded to Facebook. PACMA and the Animal Rights Association of the Balearic Islands (ASAIB) have issued a formal complaint to the public prosecutor’s environment office. Muro Council has

responded in defence of the youths and said that the two Civil Protection officers and two Local Police officers ensured that the celebrations were carried out as planned. “In fact, the ‘Quintos’ (youths) of 2015 have been congratulated for their good behaviour,” said the mayor. PACMA’S complaint is based on pictures recently added to Facebook from the 2014 celebration. In addition, PACMA claims that the pictures of the 2015 event show remains of cockerels in plastic bags. This time, the youths allegedly used small fireworks to kill the birds.

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Brit driver has a lucky escape AN ENGLISH tourist escaped injury after his car fell down a 50-metre cliff on the Serra road, which connects Andratx and Estellencs.

Local Police from Andratx and Guardia Civil officers, as well as the fire brigade and other authorities, attended the scene to assist the victim. However, and to the surprise of all witnesses, the man was able to get out of the car on his own, virtually uninjured. Guardia Civil conducted an alcohol test which FLU is still on the rise in the Balearic Islands with 228.2 gave a positive result. The authorities believe cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The highest rates correspond to children from that the man lost control newborn to four years old, as well as those aged of the car on a stretch of between five and 14, while amongst senior citizens road with many curves, against a over 64 years old, the rate of flu infection is now crashing dropping. This winter has seen highest number of flu concrete protection wall and falling down the cliff. cases on the islands for 10 years. The man originally However, while this has been a bad bout, the figures are still some way off the worst seen in recent years. rejected the assistance of workers The historic maximum was reached in 2001-2002, healthcare he later when there was a rate of 322 cases per 100,000 although people, according to the data released by the Balearic remarked that he had a pain in his shoulder and Islands regional government. Residents have been advised to ask for medical was taken to the Son Espases hospital. treatment as soon as the first symptoms appear.

Flu rate still rising in the Balearics

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Police arrest marihuana pair A COUPLE living in Llucmajor have been arrested for growing and trafficking marihuana. The couple, identified with initials AGS and AMA, are both 41 years old and live in Calle Trencadors (Arenal). In a home search officers found one of the rooms of the property had been turned into a small greenhouse, with lamps and a ventilation system. They also found a large number of stolen items that police allege had been exchanged for drugs. Amongst the items confiscated were electronic devices such as TVs, videos, mobile phones, game consoles, as well as cosmetics. Officers also confiscated 29 marihuana plants. Guardia Civil stated that the investigation is still open to find the owners of the confiscated items.

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Alleged attacker caught A MAN was arrested in the Soledat area of Palma after allegedly attacking his partner and fleeing the scene. Neighbours in the building alerted the police after they heard screams. A man bumped into the officers at

the entrance door and told them: â€œGo to the third floor, a huge mess is going on up there.â€? Once the police entered the flat, they found the victim, a 45-year-old woman, who told them the suspect

had arrived intoxicated at the property and had begun screaming, breaking furniture and smashing electrical appliances on the ground while attacking her. The woman had injuries to her face and the alleged attackerâ€™s 24-year-old son, who was also present, had tried to defend her. After they described the but medics were unable to revive him and pronounced suspect, a 44-year-old the man dead at the scene. man, police officers realised The victim was a delivery that it was the man they worker for a popular had bumped into at the restaurant in Santa Maria, front door, who had taken who had just finished an the chance to escape. The order and was returning to man was apprehended shortly after. his workplace.

Delivery motorcyclist dies A 22-YEAR-OLD motorcyclist died in Santa Maria, Mallorca, after crashing into a metal bollard. The incident took place on Sunday (February 22) at around 8.30pm on the road that connects Santa Maria and Bunyola.

Police believe that the man had correctly passed another vehicle but, for reasons still unknown, he then lost control of his scooter and crashed against the metal bollard, dying a few minutes later. Ambulances attended

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Campaign urges 50 Shades snub A CAMPAIGN is urging residents of the Balearic Islands to boycott the 50 Shades of Grey film, and to donate the money they would have spent on a cinema ticket to victims of gender-based violence. The campaign, called ‘50eurosno50sombras’ (50 euros not 50 shades), launched by the Balearic Institute of Family Policies (IPFB), is attempting to raise funds for shelters for women who are victims of gender-based violence.

“Instead of going to the cinema and watching 50 Shades of Grey, donate the €50 you would spend on tickets and popcorn to women in shelters,” said an IPFB spokesperson. The group said that the movie depicts a toxic relationship in which Anastasia, the main character, agrees to participate in a submissive role in sadomasochistic sex, in the hope of having the male character fall in love with her. “The movie tries to sell violence against women as romantic and implies that sexual abuse and being a victim is ‘sexy,’ when in fact, the movie is about a sexual predator,” IPFB continued. THE online reputation of the Balearic Islands as a They claimed that in real tourism destination lags behind other parts of life, Anastasia “would not Spain, a study says. have ended up in a The islands have an average of 79.05 points out beautiful house by a lake of 100, according to a report conducted by website with a boy who adores her, trivago.es, which has analysed data for all but, if she were lucky, she provinces in Spain. would end up in a shelter, Palma de Mallorca, however, sits slightly higher than and if she were not, in the the islands’ average, with 80.49 points out of 100. cemetery.”

Islands’ online status trails Spain

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Recycling bins set up for coffee capsules TO cope with the growing popularity of coffee machines using capsules, a new recycling point for the disposal of used coffee

pods has been placed at the Son Castello industrial site in Palma. This new collection system is the result of an

Power failures cause concern in Deia RESIDENTS of Deia have voiced serious concerns after a malfunction of the electrical system on Tuesday (February 24) interrupted the service for eight hours. The supply was cut at around 8am and the service was not resumed until 4pm. It is not the first time a fault has occurred in the electrical supply of the town, as back in September there was another electrical power failure which left the townâ€™s service interrupted for more than 12 hours. The town hall was also uncontactable, as some of the telephone relays had stopped working.

agreement signed by EMAYA (Municipal Company of Water and Sewage systems) and Nestle in Spain. Nestle has committed to emptying the containers at least once a month and taking care of the disposal of the capsules. The recycling units can be used seven days a week, between 8am and 8pm.

Bank aid A PUBLIC school in the Santa Catalina district of Palma has received â‚Ź9,000 from a social project launched by bank La Caixa. The aid is earmarked to fund school supplies and other expenses for children of families going through financial difficulties.

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Making crime reporting easier

THE Guardia Civil has launched an online ‘denuncia’ system to make it easier for people to report an array of offences. The new ‘e-Denuncias’ service is now operational and will save people time

and paperwork when reporting certain offences. The incidents that can be reported online include lost and found documents or property, vehicle theft, theft from a vehicle, robbery without violence and damage where the identity of the perpetrator is not known. In incidents where physical violence occurs, it is still necessary to report it in person. Once the offence is by the government. The ‘Fruits and reported online, it will still vegetables in schools be necessary to visit a consumption scheme Guardia Civil office within 2015/2016’ aims to reach three days to confirm the around 1.5 million school- initial report. However, reported children in 6,500 schools, incidents with the goal of reversing through the new online the downward trend in service will be given the consumption of these priority over incidents reported in person. products. The main aim of the The online ‘denuncia’ programme is to reduce service can be found at child obesity problems https://e-denuncia. and encourage healthy guardiacivil.es/ eating habits. eDenuncia/index.faces

Healthier Spanish school dinners SPANISH schools are to benefit to the tune of €11.5 million thanks to an EU initiative to promote healthy eating among schoolchildren. The Management Committee for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables has approved the distribution of EU funds for the 2015/2016 academic year, with Spain to receive €11.5 million, adding to the €3.7 million already provided

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Safeguard right to vote online BRITONS living in Spain are being urged to sign an online petition to safeguard their right to vote in any referendum on staying in or out of the EU. Alan Thomas, a Briton living in France, decided it was unfair that any referendum in Britain may exclude some of those who would be most affected by it - those people who have been living in the EU for more than 15 years. At the moment people who have lived outside the UK for that period of time lose their right to vote in the UK. This is an issue that has been becoming a hot topic as the British

General Election approaches. There has been legislation proposed that would remove the time restriction, but crucially that legislation may not be passed, if ever brought forward, until after an in-or-out referendum on EU membership. So Alan has set up the e-petition on the UK government website calling for all British passport holders to be given the right to vote in any such referendum, regardless of how long they have lived abroad and is urging British residents in Spain to go online to sign it. The full text of his

petition reads: â€˜It has been proposed that legislation will be introduced to remove the 15-year limitation on non-residents being able to register to vote in UK elections and referenda. Should a motion be tabled in Parliament to hold a referendum on EU membership, before such legislation is passed, this petition requests that all British passport holders meeting the qualifying criteria who are resident in the EU outside the UK be able to register to partake in any such referendum.â€™ To sign the petition visit http://epetitions.direct. gov.uk/petitions/74848.

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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inance F

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business & legal Ministerial tug-of-war over Bankia ECONOMY minister Luis de Guindos and Finance minister Cristobal Montoro do not always see eye to eye. They disagreed over raising the value-added tax IVA, for instance, with De Guindos for and Montoro against. They now differ over future compensation for small investors who launched lawsuits after losing their savings through Bankia’s flawed 2011

flotation. The bank is now partly nationalised, with De Guindos in favour of limiting Bankia’s compensation liability to 38 per cent. The remainder would come from the bank’s parent company BFA, which is 100 per cent government-owned. Montoro, whose ministry controls Spain’s Hacienda or Treasury, is determined that taxpayers should not

Telefonica bites the bolivar bullet THE falling value of Venezuela’s bolivar has hit Telefonica once more. The oil producer’s devalued currency has cost the company €7.45 billion over the last five years and the Spanish multinational has now decided to reduce the value of its Venezuelan assets. Telefonica announced that henceforth both these and income will be valued at 50 bolivars to the dollar instead of the previous 12. Even this could be considered overpriced as a black market dollar fetched 118 bolivars at the beginning of February, insiders said. US companies like Kimberly Clark have

already adopted the same exchange rate or, like Ford and Pepsi Cola, intend to do so. BBVA and Mapfre have been less courageous and are still valuing assets at 12 bolivars to the dollar. The move will write down its Venezuelan assets by €2.84 billion, Telefonica said, an amount that includes retained profits now estimated at €1.23 billion that it has been barred from repatriating to Spain. Its Venezuela results for last year will be adjusted to the new exchange rate, reducing its gross profit by €915 million and net profit by €399 million.

usiness extra

Portuguese bid CAIXABANK, which owns 44 per cent of Portuguese bank BPI, launched a takeover bid. Threequarters of BPI shareholders must first agree to reverse rules that restrict Caixabank’s voting rights to 20 per cent.

Orange alert ORANGE ESPAÑA’s 2014 earnings of €3.87 billion were 4.4 per cent less than in 2013 although mobile contracts increased by 455,000. Pre-tax profits of €958 million were 7.8 per cent down.

Hedge funds fly to AENA TWO hedge funds have invested in Spain’s airports operator AENA. London-based TCI acquired a 6.67 per cent stake for €580 million and the US fund, Fidelity, bought 1.3 per cent for €120 million. Morgan Stanley, one of the banks that managed the flotation, controls 3.62 per cent. Some institutional Spanish

investors like Ferrovial and Grupo Alba dropped out when AENA was partly-privatised earlier this month when the €58 initial public offering price (IPO) exceeded the price they were committed to paying. Shares rose by 20 per cent on the first day of trading, however, making an €800 million profit for the big investors.

LA VEU DEL PAÍS VALENCIÀ LA MAREA

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STAT OF WEEK HACIENDA received €12.32 billion in taxes last year, making 2014 a record year. Thanks to Hacienda’s onslaught against fiscal fraud and despite staff cuts, each employee collected an average of €479,000.

have to foot the Bankia bill. The Bank of Spain has yet to make a pronouncement, but Bankia itself is uneasy, sources revealed. If it has to compensate all losses arising from the flotation, this will drag down share prices, they said. PROTEST: Bankia shareholders demanding compensation.

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PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 168.12 79.83 34.08 158.31 84.44 108.60 29.61 41.97 104.55 76.67 89.92 25.21 191.51 112.24 163.65 168.12 79.83 34.08 158.31 84.44 108.60 29.61 41.97 104.55 76.67 89.92 25.21 191.51 112.24 163.65

+1.03 +1.43 -0.01 +4.56 +1.14 +0.25 +0.30 -0.14 +0.66 +0.59 +0.48 +0.20 +2.40 +1.30 -0.24 +1.03 +1.43 -0.01 +4.56 +1.14 +0.25 +0.30 -0.14 +0.66 +0.59 +0.48 +0.20 +2.40 +1.30 -0.24

+0.62% +1.82% -0.03% +2.97% +1.37% +0.23% +1.02% -0.33% +0.64% +0.78% +0.54% +0.80% +1.27% +1.17% -0.15% +0.62% +1.82% -0.03% +2.97% +1.37% +0.23% +1.02% -0.33% +0.64% +0.78% +0.54% +0.80% +1.27% +1.17% -0.15%

2.4M 11.3M 21.3M 9.4M 6.0M 7.6M 26.0M 16.0M 5.2M 3.9M 16.0M 39.9M 2.3M 7.3M 3.4M 2.4M 11.3M 21.3M 9.4M 6.0M 7.6M 26.0M 16.0M 5.2M 3.9M 16.0M 39.9M 2.3M 7.3M 3.4M

C O M PA N Y

20.75 8.50 3.30 34.00 13.00 5.00 5.00

0.57 1.04 0.75 1.76 0.68 0.43 0.17

NET VOLUME 68,319.70 8,402.88 35,545.37 6,406.34 8,448.17 7,687.51 6,350.89

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

$ 14.50 $ 7.87 $ 3.73 $ 8.06 $ 12.19 $ 100.75 $ 18.97 $ 26.89 $ 70.35 $ 2.58 $ 19.73

3.29 ▲ 29.35% 1.07 ▲ 15.74% 0.39 ▲ 11.68% 0.79 ▲ 10.87% 1.12 ▲ 10.12% 9.20 ▲ 10.05% 1.72 ▲ 9.97% 2.39 ▲ 9.76% 6.07 ▲ 9.44% 0.22 ▲ 9.32% 1.54 ▲ 8.47%

$ 18.90 $ 10.82 $ 33.68 $ 17.95 $ 9.51 $ 7.54 $ 57.51 $ 14.42 $ 28.53 $ 19.51 $ 6.07

8.84 ▼ 31.87% 3.95 ▼ 26.74% 5.30 ▼ 13.60% 2.82 ▼ 13.58% 1.24 ▼ 11.53% 0.87 ▼ 10.34% 6.41 ▼ 10.03% 1.58 ▼ 9.88% 2.57 ▼ 8.26% 1.68 ▼ 7.93% 0.51 ▼ 7.75%

Most Advanced Egalet Corporation Sizmek Inc. CafePress Inc. ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. Hingham Institution for Savings ProQR Therapeutics N.V. Allied Motion Technologies, Inc. CyberArk Software Ltd. Hudson Global, Inc. MedAssets, Inc.

Most Declined Noodles & Company Rocket Fuel Inc. Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. TrueCar, Inc. BioTelemetry, Inc. NMI Holdings Inc Universal Electronics Inc. VisionChina Media, Inc. Famous Dave's of America, Inc. Bel Fuse Inc. Planar Systems, Inc.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) CHANGE Centrica 250.25 -1.85 Coca-Cola HBC 1,125.00 -7.00 Compass Group 1,142.50 8.50 CRH 1,844.00 9.00 Diageo 1,895.25 9.25 Direct Line Insurance 329.40 1.90 Dixons Carphone 443.50 2.50 easyJet 1,759.50 7.50 Experian 1,195.50 5.50 Fresnillo 808.75 -18.25 Friends Life Group 418.55 1.45 G4S 285.75 1.85 GKN 386.85 3.85 GlaxoSmithKline 1,530.50 0.50 Glencore 291.48 -0.62 Hammerson 670.50 5.50 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,070.50 4.50 HSBC Holdings 586.30 -18.90 Imperial Tobacco Group 3,117.00 17.00 InterContinental Hotels 2,548.50 15.50 International Consldtd Air 555.00 4.00 Intertek Group 2,520.00 -27.00 Intu Properties 364.80 2.40 ITV 233.85 0.75 Johnson Matthey 3,478.50 -2.50 Kingfisher 341.35 0.05 Land Securities Group 1,241.00 11.00 Legal & General Group 275.70 2.40 Lloyds Banking Group 78.97 0.99 London Stock Exchange 2,490.50 29.50 Marks & Spencer Group 500.25 2.55 Meggitt 569.75 -3.25 Mondi 1,274.50 3.50 Morrison (Wm) Sprmrkts 188.55 -0.95 National Grid 892.10 -6.90 Next 7,355.00 30.00 Old Mutual 218.30 0.00 Pearson 1,411.00 20.00 Persimmon 1,704.50 10.50 Prudential 1,617.50 13.50 Randgold Resources 4,943.50 -71.50 Reckitt Benckiser Group 5,712.50 27.50 Reed Elsevier 1,194.50 12.50 Rio Tinto 3,190.00 -47.50 Rolls-Royce Group 952.00 -4.00 Royal Bank of Scotland 399.00 1.50 Royal Dutch Shell 2,123.00 -4.00 Royal Dutch Shell 2,205.50 -0.50 Royal Mail 425.15 1.25 RSA Insurance Group 454.85 2.85 SABMiller 3,588.25 -11.25 Sage Group (The) 475.25 3.65 Sainsbury (J) 271.70 0.10 Schroders 3,056.00 35.00 Severn Trent 2,053.00 4.00 Shire 5,112.50 47.50 Sky 964.50 7.00 Smith & Nephew 1,180.50 5.50 Smiths Group 1,191.50 -0.50 Sports Direct Internatnl 702.00 3.00 SSE 1,531.50 4.50 St James's Place 900.00 3.00 Standard Chartered 959.15 -14.35 Standard Life 424.50 4.90 Taylor Wimpey 146.15 0.85 Tesco 242.13 1.53 Travis Perkins 2,024.00 8.00 TUI AG 1,191.00 1.00 Tullow Oil 398.65 -8.65 Unilever 2,820.50 20.50 United Utilities Group 947.00 1.00 Vodafone Group 234.15 1.75 Weir Group 1,890.00 -21.00 Whitbread 5,042.50 32.50 Wolseley 4,011.00 12.00 WPP Group 1,528.00 10.00

% C H G. -0.73 -0.62 0.75 0.49 0.49 0.58 0.57 0.43 0.46 -2.21 0.35 0.65 1.01 0.03 -0.21 0.83 0.42 -3.12 0.55 0.61 0.73 -1.06 0.66 0.32 -0.07 0.01 0.89 0.88 1.27 1.20 0.51 -0.57 0.28 -0.50 -0.77 0.41 0.00 1.44 0.62 0.84 -1.43 0.48 1.06 -1.47 -0.42 0.38 -0.19 -0.02 0.29 0.63 -0.31 0.77 0.04 1.16 0.20 0.94 0.73 0.47 -0.04 0.43 0.29 0.33 -1.47 1.17 0.58 0.64 0.40 0.08 -2.12 0.73 0.11 0.75 -1.10 0.65 0.30 0.66

VOLUME 12,789.95 4,099.21 18,794.41 14,939.58 47,422.80 4,860.00 5,086.70 7,068.32 11,824.13 6,167.80 5,897.59 4,391.01 6,317.49 74,269.94 37,189.32 5,270.46 4,987.46 115,759.04 29,593.25 6,028.07 11,494.29 4,076.81 4,811.07 9,420.56 7,045.07 8,188.94 9,735.40 16,224.82 55,250.41 8,507.37 8,134.57 4,539.68 4,658.45 4,368.94 33,483.08 11,255.32 10,733.12 11,486.56 5,237.41 41,315.58 4,646.99 40,978.07 13,359.08 45,596.32 18,054.65 25,215.31 82,226.45 53,586.54 4,285.50 4,591.52 57,859.16 5,086.20 5,144.45 6,780.67 4,874.13 30,342.69 16,455.29 10,602.42 4,689.68 4,139.88 15,140.27 4,703.60 23,912.16 9,776.23 4,701.25 19,489.49 5,011.37 N/A 3,630.81 36,026.70 6,413.16 60,653.78 3,975.29 9,119.19 10,322.65 19,825.21

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

26 February - 4 March 2015 / Mallorca

EWN

How to write a product review PRODUCT reviews are one of the most effective forms of local newspaper advertising. Basically, these are couched like editorial, and, in small print, you will see that it is flagged up as an advertising feature or similar. The content will be a synopsis of your company’s product or service. Product reviews are a balance between a news story, that you cannot purchase, and a conventional advertisement that you can and do buy. Advertising features are perfectly legitimate and part of newspaper life as long as newspapers have been

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

published. The trick is to get your company’s message over so that readers are tempted to take an interest in your business or its products. The larger companies engage

professional copywriters to write, submit and manage their advertising. Copywriting agencies’ fees are notoriously high. But, if what they do is recoverable through extra sales they are, of course, worth the investment. If you are in touch with a newspaper writer you might be lucky enough to get them to do one for you. The going fee is usually about €60 for a small advertising feature. Don’t quote me; as with all else in life, advertising copywriters are perfectly entitled to charge as they wish. If you wish to do your own copy then remember to stick to the five W

principles of editorial writing. Your content must cover what (product), why (the benefits of using it), who (who it benefits), where (your contact details) and when (now as it is a special offer etc.). There is another expression common to selling: KISS. (Keep it Simple, Simon). A trick often used is to pour out your thoughts and then take the blue pencil to it; bring it down to size. The most common mistake is to write far more than is necessary. To give you an idea of size, this column is roughly 350 words in length. Aim for 200 words.

E W N 26 February - 4 March 2015 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

Get on your bike and save a bomb Loose change

jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews.com

Riding a bike is fun and it’s also great exercise

CARS - they most certainly are luxury items and for some, even an extension of their personality. Typically… driving a Volvo insinuates you’re a responsible and somewhat boring person. A big 4x4 driven on city streets screams “I am the centre of the world, now move out of my way,” while a dainty little vintage car lets the world know you’re hip and trendy and most likely own a lot of Apple products. So what does it mean to ride a cycle then? What does it say about a person? Well I’ll tell you what - it implies that

does all add up! Then in comparison there is the humble bicycle, which will set you back a microscopic fraction of the cost of a car. I used to drive a car, but for the last five years I have been using a bicycle as my mode of transport. And I love it. My bike cost me €295 and since then I have probably spent an extra €50 on punctures or other bits of minor maintenance. I don’t need to buy petrol, pay for a parking space or fork out for expensive insurance. It really

A look at finance for females

Jane Plunkett

MONEY SAVER: Ditch four wheels for two. they’re a smart cookie, because by choosing a bicycle over a car it’s possible to save a heck of a lot of money. Add up the average costs of owning a car. First there is

the purchase price, which can be well into the thousands or tens of thousands, depending on the car. Then there’s petrol, insurance, parking and maintenance. It certainly

Can they embargo rental income? Q. I read your article regarding community debtors who cannot be denied use of the swimming pool. We are a community on the Costa Blanca with the same problem of non-paying debtors. In our case we have debtors who let their properties and therefore receive rents. However these owners do not pay the community fees. We have taken court action and obtained judgements against them but still they do not pay and it seems they have no

You and the Law in Spain By David Searl

A. Yes, you can obtain a court order against any assets or income that the debtor has in Spain. In fact, I am surprised that your lawyer has not already advised the community to take this step. If you have a court ruling that the debtors must pay, the next logical step is to locate any assets they have in Spain and proceed to seize them for the debt. This would include bank accounts, property, and rental income, whichever is the most convenient and effective.

intention of paying. I was advised that, if an owner does not pay the fees, then the mortgage provider must be advised and action may be taken by them. A further issue is that the downturn in property values has put these apartments into ‘negative equity.’ One owner has suggested that we may be able to insist that any rents paid by the tenants should be paid to us, the Community, and not to the non-paying owners. Can you advise? K.G. (Costa Blanca) If the debtor is not a resident of Spain, with other property here, his only asset in the country is the apartment he owns. In the first place, the court can order the tenants to pay the rental on the flat directly to the court, for final payment to the community. If seizing the apartment to sell at auction is the last resort, this is more complicated. The court may inform the mortgage provider that legal action is being taken against the mortgage holder, especially if the flat itself is being seized. After all, the bank has a financial interest in the property. The fact that the property is in ‘negative equity’ does not influence any of these proceedings.

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

has saved me a fortune. To go shopping, simply attach a basket onto the back of your bike to carry the groceries. To transport a small child, it’s the same thing, but rather than a basket, attach a child’s seat. While older kids can have their own bike and cycle alongside you! In the south of Spain the weather is fantastic most of the year and riding a bike is really fun and it’s also great exercise. It can be faster getting around the city on a bicycle too, with bikes being able to cut through places where cars just can’t go. For anyone struggling to pay bills or save money, I highly recommend ditching four wheels for two. It’ll save you a fortune and you’ll be surprised by just how much nicer it is to cycle rather than pollute your way around the town.

BUSINESS EXTRA

Debt-ridden SPAIN finished 2014 with a public debt of €1,034 billion, 7 per cent more than in 2013 when this stood at €966.18 billion. The debt is the equivalent of 97 per cent of last year’s GDP of €1,064 billion and is the highest it has been in more than a century.

New markets FAGOR CNA, new owners of the longestablished Mondragon cooperative, will take on hundreds of workers before the summer. CNA, which has opened new markets in Russia, Eastern Europe, Argentina and Brazil, acquired all Fagor household appliance manufacturing lines in San Sebastian after the firm filed for bankruptcy in 2013.

High fliers RYANAIR flew 1.53 million passengers in Spain last month, 24 per cent more than in 2014. Having made peace with the unions, budget airline Iberia Express experienced its first-ever January without labour conflict and with a 26 per cent increase in business climbed two places in the rankings to 262,953 passengers.

OPINION & COMMENT

www.euroweeklynews.com

26 February - 4 March 2015 / Mallorca

EWN

Give radicals a ticket out LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT

T the time of writing, the news is full of three more young girls, all Muslims, who have allegedly become ‘radicalised’ and left Britain to join up with the IS movement in Syria. Disturbing? Possibly. Worrying? Not at all. If these young people, or anyone else for that matter, thinks they would be happier living in a culture that suits their beliefs and outlook more than the environment they are living in, I suggest they should be given every encouragement possible, even to the extent of paying their air fares. Rather they all left for good, than to stay and turn their frustrations against the people

TAKING-OFF: Those who want to leave UK and join IS should be given every encouragement. they presumably consider enemies of their beliefs. I would go even further. I would set up a Governmentrun helpline, well-funded and equipped with people who used a little common sense (as opposed to the do-gooders’ PC brigade). This department could act rather like Esther Rantzen’s ChildLine. Anyone who feels they would like to

leave and join one of these movements, could ring anonymously, state their case and be given advice and counselling. If they still truly wanted to leave, and weren’t underage, they could then be given every assistance to pursue their ambitions. We could probably get rid of scores of potential terrorist threats in this way.

The only stipulation that would have to be made, of course, is that once their decision had been made, they would have their passports franked to expire one week after their departure, making any change of heart and desire to return virtually impossible. What about the parents and family, you may ask? Well, unfortunately, as upsetting as

it may be, something has been missed in their upbringing. Something has occurred that has made them feel they would be happier away from their home environment. The fact that those close to them have either not spotted it, or done nothing about it is, I’m afraid, simply unfortunate. I’m sure there are many countries they could arrange to travel to and visit their absconded loved ones in the future, so it’s not exactly a permanent loss. Dream on, Leapy, dream on. I see the Greeks have been given another ‘stay’ to resolve their debt problems. If they cough up, or straighten out their position in the next four months, ya can come around and smash every piece of crockery in my kitchen! Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com Website leapylee.co.uk

E W N 26 February - 4 March 2015 / Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

OPINION & COMMENT

How do you keep in touch? SANDRA FIELD from Consultus Care, “I use SKYPE quite often as you can see the person that you are talking to and I like that. I also use my mobile phone to call the UK because that seems to work out cheaper than my landline would you believe. For work I use the mobile phone and email mostly, WhatsApp gets occasionally used if the Spanish address or email is a bit tricky. Lamia Walker from HousesitMatch said “I really love WhatsApp for the speed and convenience of staying in touch with people all over the world for free from my mobile phone. It’s a great way to stay connected especially with our pet sitters wherever they are. They send me pictures of the pets they are looking after. We’ve even started a competition for the best ALFREDO: WhatsApp offers a quick way of keeping in touch with people you may have lost contact with.

In recent news 98 per cent of Smartphones in Spain have a messaging application such as WhatsApp which seems to be the favoured app among expats to keep in touch with loved ones back home. Do you use it or do you prefer to speak to someone either on the phone or face to face? Perhaps you still prefer to use the post?

STREET TALK HEIDI: Facebook is her preferred choice of communication. SANDRA: Prefers to use Skype as you can see who you are talking to.

LAMIA: Loves the speed and convenience.

photos of Pet Antics - it’s quick and fun.” For our new bride Heidi Price, modern, quick forms of communication have been great for her to share photos and thanks to her nearest and dearest following her big day: “Facebook remains my preferred form of online communication and was really useful on my wedding day for sharing thoughts and photos with absent friends. I do use WhatsApp to send the odd photo and quick messages, but do not rely on it half as much as Facebook.” Alfredo Millá Ferrero, Managing Partner at Sonneil Homes and More, which operates across the Spanish coastline from the Costa Brava, throughout the Costa Blanca and down to the Costa del Sol, said advances in technology and the introduction of programmes such as WhatsApp, has made business so much easier and quicker: “For personal communication it is still nice to receive a letter, but with the dynamics of living today, everything is so quick and instant, so WhatsApp makes it easy to keep in touch with people you may have lost touch with. It is easy to send a quick message to let them know you are thinking of them and to say hi.”

E W N 26 February - 4 March 2015/ Mallorca

www.euroweeklynews.com

FEATURE

Advertising feature

Whatever you have to move, easy Mail in Santa Ponsa is your trusted partner! EASY MAIL centre, which you can find at a prime business location in Santa Ponsa, specialises in the dispatch of parcels and documents to international locations throughout Europe and the entire world. easy Mail ships your overnight packages by airplane with UPS and other international carriers and the team offers an all-inclusive service. Your parcel is constantly controlled from the pick-up at your home or business to the delivery at its destination abroad, by a computer tracking system. easy Mail takes care of all the formalities including customs clearance and the

professional packaging. easy Mail is not like a post office nor does it try to compete with the post office. The only criteria as to how easy Mail compares with the post office in general: it is faster, more competent, open from 9am till 7pm, always available, customer friendly, flexible and very reliable. The service caters for foreign private residents, entrepreneurs and businesses who expect a complete service pool around the dispatch and the importation of parcels, packages and overnight dispatch of documents. In addition, easy Mail offers various other related services like professional packaging of

SPECIALIST CENTRE: easy Mail occupies a prime location in Santa Ponsa. any product, size or weight, translations into all major languages, personal assistance to residents in dealing with

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Mailâ€™s prime Santa Ponsa business location. easy Mail manages their mail and incoming packages while the customer is away. They can direct their online purchases or items from mail order companies to their private mailbox. easy Mail delivers them to customersâ€™ residences. For air travellers with restricted luggage allowances, easy Mail ships golf clubs, skis, bicycles and other oversized baggage from Mallorca to anywhere and from any European destination to Mallorca. easy Mail, Avenida Rey Jaime 1, Local E-8 ,Santa Ponsa,Tel: 871 96 46 01 www.easymailmallorca. com

E W N 26 February - 4 March 2015 / Mallorca

I TURNED 45 the other week, and I think it’s finally happened. You know, that thing that is supposed to happen to you when you enter your 40s: where you just stop caring what other people think of you. For an inveterate ‘People Pleaser’ like myself it’s no surprise that it took me an extra five years to achieve this, but recent events would tell me I have arrived, finally. Exhibit A: I wrote an article about a controversial animal rescue centre in Mallorca. After visiting the centre undercover I realised that it wasn’t as bad as many people had been making out, plus the staff, without knowing I was writing about them, were very nice to me. The centre itself has extensive building development going on for new accommodation for the animals. I wrote this down, in an encouraging ‘Go Rescue Centre!’ way to give the widely criticised place some praise. The ‘Animalista’ community of Mallorca disagreed with me

OPINION / FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

Opinionated, finally!

NO SURPRISE: It took me an extra five years to finally arrive.

Vicki Mcleod

Family Matters and fell upon my article as proof that I was 1) a terrible

journalist (perhaps), 2) a moron (..er…), 3) had been there with the full knowledge of the centre (no) and 4) had been paid by the centre to write it (no)! Better still, they did online in English and Spanish, over and over again

for about 48 hours. I even received hate mail. I had just written what I had seen, rather than what they wanted me to write. And that made them mad. It was a very upsetting two days, but I took advice from friends and colleagues not to reply, then by day three I woke up and it didn’t bother me any more. Exhibit B: It will be International Women’s Day next weekend on Sunday March 8. Every year for the past five I have organised an IWD event with some friends of mine. This year, we decided to do it differently. The theme of IWD this year is ‘EQUALITY,’ so we decided, why not include men and make it International People’s Day instead. Living in Western Europe I don’t feel I am discriminated against because of my sex, even though there are plenty of places around the world

where women are subjugated and abused, but until men and women live equally this won’t change. So I announced that this year it will be IPD, and immediately the messages began criticising the decision. Particularly it seems from women who have never supported one of the IWD events, ironic really. The subject of equality is just as relevant to men in the workplace, in the media and in the home. So next week on Saturday March 7 from midday to 4pm at Mood Beach there will be a free entry International People’s Day event with stalls, business networking, charities, lunch and fun. Guys and gals, chicos and chicas, men and women are equally welcome. Stall bookings and lunch tickets from info@moodbeach.com. More articles from me at www.familymattersmallorca.com

Advertising feature

More and more people are cruising David Deverson

GLOBELINK INTERNATIONAL Insurance correspondent david@globelink.co.uk

GLOBELINK has found more and more of its customers are turning to cruise holidays. They need have no worries about insurance cover as Globelink ensures they are covered under the terms of its standard travel insurance policy. With 1.76 million people expected to take an ocean cruise holiday this year, according to the UK’s Passenger Shipping Association (PSA), more people than ever before are settling on the cruise option 2 per cent more than last year, and double the numbers of a decade ago. That is no surprise considering the exceptional value cruises offer, with accommodation, meals and entertainment all included in the package. And all of that with a minimum of packing and unpacking, as yet another exciting destination sails into view...

FLOAT YOUR BOAT: Globelink include cruises in their travel insurance policies Once seen as the preserve of mature travellers who liked to dress for dinner every night, the customer profile has changed significantly. These days the average passenger is under 55 and there are almost as many cruise types as there are kinds of passenger. Adult-only cruises offer the ultimate in sophisticated

getaways, while others cater for all the family, from Playstation-mad children with energy to burn, through to granddads who want to sharpen up their putting skills, or get expert tuition on how to work their iPads. Mainstream cruises now provide classes on everything from history,

antiques or painting to salsa dancing or the art of chocolate-making. Whatever your interest, you’re sure to find something that floats your boat. Even with the best planning, though, the unexpected can happen. A missed transfer, and the ship leaves without you. A cruise that has to be cut short when a close relative falls ill back home. Wise travellers take out travel insurance cover, but even they can be caught out. Unlike Globelink, some insurers exclude cruises from their standard travel insurance policies - which means you could end up paying a hefty premium for adequate coverage before you go. Remember, if you live in Spain your travel insurance might be invalid if it does not cover the entire duration of your return trip from the date you leave Spain until the date you arrive back in Spain.

For an instant quote and to arrange cover securely online, enabling you to print your policy documents immediately, visit www.globelink.co.uk or you can telephone Globelink on 00 44 1353 699082 or their Spanish links line on 966 265 000 or 951 242 434.

E W N 26 February - 4 March 2015 / Mallorca

Thursday BBC ONE 4:45pm Escape to the Country 5:30pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm DIY SOS The Big Build 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 5:15pm Three Up, Two Down 5:45pm Hi-De-Hi! 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Two Tribes 7:30pm Eggheads 8:00pm Wanted in Paradise 9:00pm The Great British Sewing Bee 10:00pm Reinventing the Royals 11:00pm Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am A Cook Abroad

ITV 5:00pm 1000 Heartbeats 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:15pm ITV News and Weather 7:45pm Emmerdale 8:45pm UEFA Europa League Live 11:10pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:55pm The Great War: The People's Story 12:55am River Monsters

CH4 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm Deal or No Deal 5:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Location, Location, Location 10:00pm Cucumber 11:00pm Gogglebox 12:05am The Romanians are Coming

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 Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole 10:00pm Britain's Biggest Primary School 11:00pm The Mentalist 11:55pm Castle 12:55am Access

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 Arrow 10:00pm Ross Kemp: Extreme World 11:00pm Quiz Nights 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles

Friday BBC ONE 5:30pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm A Question of Sport 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Room 101 10:00pm The Musketeers 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm The Graham Norton Show 12:25am Would I Lie to You?

BBC TWO 5:45pm Hi-De-Hi! 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Two Tribes 7:30pm Eggheads 8:00pm Wanted in Paradise 9:00pm Mastermind 9:30pm Britain's Supermarket Revolution: What's in it for Us? 10:00pm Italy Unpacked 11:00pm QI 11:30pm Newsnight 12:05am Doubt 1:40am Question Time

ITV 5:00pm 1000 Heartbeats 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Barging Round Britain with John Sergeant 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Bear Grylls: Mission Survive 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm The 40 Year Old Virgin 1:50am Jackpot247

CH4 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm The Million Pound Drop 10:00pm Gogglebox 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 Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away! 9:00pm Angry Brits: Caught on Camera 10:00pm NCIS: New Orleans 11:00pm NCIS 11:55pm Law and Order: Special Victims Unit 12:55am Access

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 Flintoff: Lord of the Fries 10:00pm Stella 11:00pm Quiz Nights 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles

Saturday BBC ONE 5:30pm Six Nations Rugby Union 7:55pm BBC News 8:05pm Regional News 8:10pm Weather 8:15pm The Voice UK 10:15pm Casualty 11:05pm The National Lottery Live 11:15pm BBC News 11:28pm Weather 11:30pm Match of the Day 12:55am The Football League Show

BBC TWO 5:30pm Final Score 6:30pm The Wonder of Animals 7:00pm The Great British Sewing Bee 8:00pm Flog It! 8:45pm How We Got to Now with Steve Johnson 9:45pm Dad's Army 10:15pm Reginald D Hunter's Songs of the South 11:15pm James Brown 12:55am Brooklyn's Finest

ITV 4:35pm Doc Martin 5:35pm Big Star's Little Star 6:35pm Local News and Weather 6:45pm ITV News and Weather 7:00pm You've Been Framed! 8:00pm Saturday Night Takeaway 9:25pm Take Me Out 10:40pm The Jonathan Ross Show 11:35pm ITV News and Weather 11:50pm Boxing 1:30am Jackpot 247 4:00am The Jeremy Kyle Show USA

CH4 5:15pm Come Dine with Me 5:45pm Come Dine with Me 6:15pm Come Dine with Me 6:45pm Come Dine with Me 7:15pm The Simpsons 7:40pm Channel 4 News 8:00pm Homes by the Sea 9:00pm The World's Weirdest Weather 10:00pm Cuban Fury 11:55pm Runaway Jury 2:25am The Last Leg 3:20am Hollyoaks Omnibus 5:30am The Supervet

CH5 3:25pm Rio Bravo 6:10pm 5 News 6:15pm Columbo: By Dawn's Early Light 8:10pm NCIS 9:05pm NCIS 10:00pm CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 11:00pm Law and Order: Special Victims Unit 11:55pm Law and Order 12:50am True Crimes: The First 72 Hours

SKY1 3:00pm Inside RAF Brize Norton 4:00pm David Attenborough Conquest of the Skies 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 Batman Begins 12:40am Hawaii Five-0

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Sunday BBC ONE 3:00pm My Chinese New Year 3:30pm Six Nations Rugby Union 6:00pm Songs of Praise 6:35pm BBC News 6:50pm Regional News 6:55pm Weather 7:00pm The Big Painting Challenge 8:00pm Countryfile 9:00pm Call the Midwife 10:00pm The Casual Vacancy 11:00pm BBC News 11:20pm Regional News 11:25pm Weather 11:30pm Match of the Day 2 12:35am The League Cup Show

BBC TWO 3:15pm Three Up, Two Down 3:45pm Hi-De-Hi! 4:15pm Flog It! 5:00pm Speed Dreams: The Fastest Place on Earth 6:00pm The Tuxedo 7:30pm Pompidou 8:00pm The Fifteen Billion Pound Railway 9:00pm Top Gear 10:00pm Let's Play Darts for Comic Relief 10:50pm Cosmopolis 12:30am Genghis Khan 2:30am Countryfile

ITV 3:40pm Tipping Point 4:40pm A View to a Kill 7:05pm Local News and Weather 7:15pm ITV News and Weather 7:30pm Celebrity Chase 8:30pm Off Their Rockers 9:00pm All Star Family Fortunes 10:00pm Mr Selfridge 11:00pm ITV News and Weather 11:15pm ICC Cricket World Cup Highlights 12:15am Bear Grylls: Mission Survive

CH4 3:00pm The Big Bang Theory 3:30pm The Wizard of Oz 5:30pm Location, Location, Location 6:35pm Channel 4 News 7:05pm A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 8:00pm Four Rooms 9:00pm The Auction House 10:00pm Indian Summers 11:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 12:05am Twilight

CH5 4:00pm Arthur and The Invisibles 5:45pm 3 Men and a Little Lady 7:45pm 5 News 7:50pm Ghost Rider 10:00pm Total Recall 12:15am Twelve Monkeys

SKY1 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 About a Boy 8:00pm Modern Family 8:30pm Modern Family 9:00pm The Flash 10:00pm Hawaii Five-0 11:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles

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 Crimewatch 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:40pm Weather 11:45pm Crimewatch 11:55pm Waterloo Road 12:50am The Graham Norton Show

BBC TWO 5:45pm Hi-De-Hi! 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Two Tribes 7:30pm Eggheads 8:00pm Top Gear 9:00pm University Challenge 9:30pm Only Connect 10:00pm A Cook Abroad 11:00pm Let's Play Darts for Comic Relief 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am Weather

ITV 5:00pm 1000 Heartbeats 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 More Tales From Northumberland with Robson Green 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Arthur and George 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm The Jonathan Ross Show 12:45am A Great Welsh Adventure with Griff Rhys Jones

CH4 5:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Coach Trip 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Dispatches 9:30pm Food Unwrapped 10:00pm NHS: ÂŁ2 Billion a Week and Counting 11:00pm My Baggy Body 12:00am 24 Hours in A and E

CH5 6:00pm 5 News 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm The Gadget Show 9:00pm Police Interceptors 10:00pm Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole 11:00pm 10,000 BC 12:00am Crimson Tide

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 Moone Boy 10:30pm Arrow 11:30pm Critical 12:30am Futurama

Tuesday BBC ONE 4:45pm Escape to the Country 5:30pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 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 No Place to Call Home 12:45am Cemetery Junction

BBC TWO 5:15pm Three Up, Two Down 5:45pm Hi-De-Hi! 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Two Tribes 7:30pm Eggheads 8:00pm Wanted in Paradise 9:00pm Natural World 10:00pm Horizon 11:00pm Let's Play Darts for Comic Relief 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am Weather

ITV 5:00pm 1000 Heartbeats 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 Bargain Fever Britain 10:00pm Exposure 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm On Assignment 12:10am Benidorm

CH4 5:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Coach Trip 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Mary Portas: Secret Shopper 10:00pm The Romanians are Coming 11:00pm Drugs Live: Cannabis on Trial 12:35am Don't Look Down

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 Chicago PD 12:00am Jack the Ripper: New Suspect

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 Flash 10:00pm Critical 11:00pm Ross Kemp: Extreme World 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles

Wednesday BBC ONE 5:30pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 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 The People's Strictly for Comic Relief 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:40pm Weather 11:45pm Match of the Day 1:15am Three Fugitives

BBC TWO 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Two Tribes 7:30pm Eggheads 8:00pm Wanted in Paradise 9:00pm Suffragettes Forever! The Story of Women and Power 10:00pm This World 11:00pm Let's Play Darts for Comic Relief 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am Weather

ITV 5:00pm 1000 Heartbeats 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 Big Star's Little Star 10:00pm DCI Banks 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:45pm Pop Gold 12:40am Spandau Ballet

CH4 4:00pm Deal or No Deal 5:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Coach Trip 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Location, Location, Location 10:00pm 24 Hours in A and E 11:00pm Being Bi-Polar 12:00am My Tattoo Addiction

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 My Violent Child 11:00pm Farage Fans and UKIP Lovers 12:00am Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole

SKY1 4:00pm Modern Family 4:30pm Modern Family 5:00pm Futurama 5:30pm Futurama 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Modern Family 9:30pm Modern Family 10:00pm Batman Begins 12:40am Stella

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Cryptic

Quick

Across 1 Secret dress rehearsal version of trays (7) 4 Trials for important matches (5) 7 The right fish and the means to catch them (5) 9 Arranged taverns’ helper (7) 10 Make plans for a railhead on the mountains (7) 11 Crime is the result when clergyman loses his head (5) 12 You and I, Al deserted a wooded area of southeast England (5) 14 The dog for a pugilist (5) 19 Shaky house-building materials? (5) 21 Calm down, silly sausage! (7) 23 Closest set ran frantically (7) 24 Turn away from a green (5) 25 Point ties out on locations (5) 26 For a change, respect the royal staff (7) Down 1 Form of water around river or what may flow into it (6) 2 Quintessentially in German town (5) 3 Method of making tea messy? (6) 4 Mad? Not Dora, it's just wind (7)

Across 1 Talk with (8) 5/24 Genuine (4,4) 9 Outlive (7) 10 Skinflint (5) 11 Humiliation (5) 12 Card game similar to rummy (7) 13 Fortified wine (6) 15 Compositions (6) 18 Equivocating (7) 20 Low waterlogged ground (5) 22 Appearance (5) 23 White ant (7) 24 See 5 25 Worried and uneasy (8)

5 Scrapes vehicle aboard the ship (5) 6 Industrial actions where there is no action (3-3) 8 Weird peer I encountered inside (5) 13 Enlists fresh minds (7) 15 Some surfer, a serious wipe

out! (5) 16 Perfumes made from many nests (6) 17 Religions reorganise a shift (6) 18 Intelligent leader embraces a tender nature (6) 20 Cook in the right oven (5) 22 Criticise tablet (5)

Code Breaker Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 10 represents G and 23 represents Q, so fill in G every time the figure 10 appears and Q every time the figure 23 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 Sorrow, 4 Berate, 9 Opera, 10 Okapi, 11 Rites, 12 Eremite, 13 Scales, 15 Assess, 19 Peerage, 21 Agate, 23 Shade, 24 China, 25 Sheath, 26 Career. Down: 1 Spheres, 2 Roost, 3 Oversee, 5 Erode, 6 Avarice, 7 Exile, 8 Cadet, 14 Acetate, 16 Stamina, 17 Slender, 18 Leach, 19 Pests, 20 Agent, 22 Abate. QUICK Across: 1 Pets, 3 Passages, 9 Soldier, 10 Again, 11 Upset, 12 Splash, 14 Errors, 16 Eraser, 19 Barber, 21 Snaps, 24 Reign, 25 Shelter, 26 Pleasing, 27 Urge. Down: 1 Pastures, 2 Tales, 4 Arrest, 5 Small, 6 Glasses, 7 Send, 8 Litter, 13 Preserve, 15 Realise, 17 Rushes, 18 Prison, 20 Banks, 22 After, 23 Crop. ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Casas, 4 Primo, 7 Ahi, 8 Ahijado, 9 Shed, 10 Gansos, 14 Storage, 16 Ace, 17 Agria, 18 Aisle.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Down: 1 Coats, 2 Shine, 3 Scar, 4 Primavera, 5 Ida, 6 Oro, 11 Swans, 12 Siete, 13 Raza, 14 Sea, 15 Oar.

17 Mild and refined in manners

or prize (5)

(6)

20 Proud stiff pompous gait (5)

19 Give officially as a payment

21 News medium (5)

English - Spanish The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English. Across 1 Tallas (de ropas) (5) 3 Stamp (postage stamp) (5) 5/3D Sopa de guisantes (3,4) 7 Nautical (7) 9 Tienda (4) 10 Tía (4) 14 Pride (satisfaction) (7) 15/14D Salir del sistema (3,3) 16 Late (after usual time) (5) 17 To open (5) Down 1 Toads (5) 2 Hijos (4) 3 See 5 Across 4 Gold (metal, commodity, currency) (3) 6 Entre (5) 8 Equal (5) 11 Tigre (5) 12 Azul (4) 13 Wedding (4) 14 See 15 Across

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 (BUTLER) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues. ALTERS

MODELS

ARROWS

PIERCE

BANKER

REGARD

BREACH

RESENT

BUTLER (10)

RESTED

DEALER

SALUTE

HEALER

SINGLE

HURLED

TALLER

KINDER

THENCE

MELLOW

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Funagram Unscramble the name of a famous British horse racing course (two words): NO DARK PAWNS FUNAGRAM SOLUTION: OSCAR WILDE, SANDOWN PARK

Unscramble the name of a famous Irish writer and poet: LOW SIDECAR

Down 1 Expenditures (5) 2 Give a running commentary (7) 3 Superior group (5) 4 Communication by word of mouth (6) 6 Fertile area in a desert (5) 7 Unpaid overdue debt (7) 8 Corrects (6) 13 Principal law-enforcement officer in a county (7) 14 Destroyed physically or morally (6) 16 Extreme greed for material wealth (7)

1 Robots, 2 Thence, 3 Barrel, 4 Minded, 5 Holder, 6 Borrow, 7 Yonder, 8 Elders, 9 Render, 10 Yellow, 11 Others, 12 Shadow, 13 Killer, 14 Crease, 15 Solder, 16 Monkey, 17 Shred, 18 Inlaid, 19 Seeing

E W N 26 February - 4 March 2015 / Mallorca

Bilateral pact please stop moaning! LEAPY LEE says he’s sick of debating about Islam. As someone who lived in various Muslim countries for 20 years, I’m sick of reading Leapy’s constant distortion of life there. All right, he lived for eight years in Saudi Arabia, a country which is about as typical of the Muslim world as the deepest recesses of the US Bible Belt are of Christian culture. The restrictions he suffered in Saudi are simply not enforced elsewhere and most Muslims are embarrassed by Saudi attitudes, even if they reluctantly have to defer to them for economic reasons. The rest of Leapy’s article is a moan which only amounts to saying that Britain, like the rest of the world, has irrevocably changed. Of course that does not mean that British Muslims should murder British soldiers or go off to fight for the Jihad, but then only a tiny minority ever think of going to such extremes. On the other hand, we will see more extreme conduct if we persist in seeing Muslims as the stereotypes that Leapy keeps on presenting. Here’s an offer, Leapy: stop your moaning and I’ll lay off too! Bill Campbell (by email)

Big deal I HAVE just received notification that I will receive an age addition of £0.25 with my pension from April 2015. Actually I was 80 years old in February 2014. I remember my mother receiving the same amount when she was 80 in 1989 and even then it wouldn’t buy a small loaf. It’s unbelievable that 26 years on the amount is the same. But we are only pensioners who worked and paid into the system. M Caldwell, Benitachell (Alicante)

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Get it together CHRIS TAYLOR’S complimentary comments on the exemplary quality of the Euro Weekly News’ writers is to be praised and I would like to make a suggestion that will hopefully copper-fasten them. As we have been suffering north-easterly mini-gales since early January, I have (as an old-timer sorely in need of exercise) found it difficult to continually chase and finally retrieve the pages that blow away. So how about investing in a couple of staples? Jim Clancy (by email)

Gobsmacked I WAS so pleased to see that somebody had at last highlighted the issue of why footballers feel compelled to spit at every conceivable opportunity. Before a free kick, after a free kick, immediately before they come on to the field as a substitute, straight away afterwards and incessantly during the game. It is a disgusting habit which is picked up frequently when players are featured in close-up. Apart from being a health hazard and a bad example for young kids who mimic the behaviour of their idols, who would want to fall over on a

in every way, except for the lack of flights, particularly in the winter. This will not change just because a massive new waste of money has opened; cut your losses, turn it into a factory or something useful. Leave our airport alone, it’s ours and I for one would not use Corvera. Sylvia Fleck (via Euro Weekly News website)

MY gran always knows when the weather is going to turn cold because her cats snuggle up together like this, instead of fighting. Alberto (by email) football pitch? And it’s not only the players; managers patrolling their technical areas are often seen spitting and, occasionally, referees. What on earth is it all about? Do these people spit all over their dining room carpets? Ken Turner, San Fulgencio (Alicante)

Hatchet job I ORDERED via Teletienda-tv a juice extractor which was duly delivered. To my consternation both the instruction manual and the recipes were in German, which I do not speak. Also, there was no accompanying guarantee. I immediately sent an email requesting instructions in either Spanish or English and eventually received a reply saying that this was not possible and asking if I would like to cancel the order. I replied in the affirmative and it was arranged that they would collect the machine and I would receive a refund. Instead I received an email requesting that I destroy the juice extractor (quite a large machine!), take a photograph

and send it by email to show that this had been done. They would then make the refund. I replied that I could not possibly do this as I am 83 years old, live alone, cannot walk as I am waiting for a hip operation and in any case do not have the strength to destroy the machine. Nor do I know how to take and email a photo. This email was ignored and they again asked me to destroy the machine, but to date they have not responded to my reply repeating that this was impossible. As the goods were ordered in Spain, am I being unreasonable in expecting instructions to be in Spanish (or English as it is an American product) or that the product should carry a guarantee? What do readers think? Elma Thompson, Torrox Costa (Malaga)

Hands off PLANS to close San Javier airport in Murcia when the new facility at Corvera opens are a travesty. San Javier is a perfect airport

CONGRATULATIONS on your excellent publication, an absolute must for every Thursday. We wonder if readers can advise us on a problem we are having regarding our NonResident tax in Benidorm? We are, of course, registered on the padron and pay all our SUMA bills promptly and without delay. For the past two years we have used the services of a solicitor to pay the NonResident tax at a cost of €80plus for what seems a 10minute job. We were told that we can deal with this issue ourselves and save some cash into the bargain. Being able to speak reasonable Spanish we ventured to Hacienda for a statement of any amounts owing for 20142015, which we could take to our bank and pay. We were told very brusquely and with great bureaucratic indifference and contempt that we had to do it via the Internet: “Internet. Internet. No comprende?” We downloaded the relevant forms and using past years’ information tried to fill them in. We had to admit defeat after several hours! Surely Hacienda should be able to provide with one click the amount we are due to pay and give us that information to take to our bank? Or was it because we went within 20 minutes of the office closing time that the very rude clerk could just not be bothered to help us in case we delayed his knocking-off time? We look forward to hopefully receiving some very interesting comments. Rita and Michael Stimson, Benidorm (Alicante)

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.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

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26 February - 4 March 2015 / Mallorca

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Ready for another day Erica Russell Watson: My journey – and I’m driving

19th February STILL getting back to an even keel after the tragic death of Angus on February 8. Family and friends have had a rough time coming to terms with his untimely departure. By the end of last week I was totally drained and in desperate need of sleep. My next chemo session was booked for February 18 and with such a lack of sleep and irregular meal times, coupled with extreme stress and sadness, I was wondering whether my blood tests would be up to scratch. So into my car I got and drove to the hospital and had my blood test done. Those of you who read my blog will recognise the pattern. Then off for breakfast and then a three-hour wait to see the

oncologist. She cheerfully greeted me and asked me how I was. Well, that was a question! I replied I was fine despite everything! I asked after my test results and she said everything was fine and my immune system was doing really well. Miracles never cease as I was half expecting her to say that I would not be able to have the treatment due to some dive in my results. Luckily for me, this wasn’t the case. I was hooked up for blasting number five. Joy of joys, María Jesús the nurse, an utter star, got the line in first time! This was the first in the next cycle of treatment, so Rosa, the chemo nurse, came and gave me a chat about the possible side-effects. I say ‘possible’ because they are worst case scenarios. Frankly, I pay very little attention to them and that way they don’t affect me. Who wants their eyelashes to fall out, their nails to blacken, nausea, muscular aches and pains, streaming eyes and redraw eye sockets? Correct, nobody! So best put it to the back of your mind! A quick pit stop for a very late lunch with my lovely Pepi and then it was back home to do the

football run and cook dinner. No rest for the wicked! I got the few bits and bobs and medicines that I deemed necessary and hunkered down for the night. I slept well and have had no side-effects at all today and have managed to do lots of jobs around the house. I find keeping busy is the best medicine. I have also answered a great deal of correspondence. The emails and texts keep coming. A special thanks to Marilo and Kevin for their kind comments last week. My love goes to them as I fear they are going through a similar process as me. Good luck and chin up! Later I collected Oliver and greeted him with a roast chicken, his favourite, so all was good. Izzie arrived and got stuck into her books… she is such a swat, but I’m grateful as I have never had to push her to study, a little star. Once all our jobs had been done we went down to the village to meet friends and the boys played football. Always good to let off steam for both the big and little people! An early night for me and I live to fight another day

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Phone addiction instability link DO you find yourself constantly playing with your phone and checking for updates? If so, you may be depressed say scientists. A new study claims that people who can’t put down their mobile phones are more prone to moodiness and temperamental behaviour after they found a link between phone addiction and emotional instability. Scientists from the Baylor University in Waco, Texas, USA, said that individuals who relentlessly check their phone may be trying to improve how they feel emotionally. Researchers had 346

participants take part in their study, aged between 19 and 24. They assessed their personalities and level of mobile phone addiction by analysing their answers to a detailed questionnaire. As well as emotional instability, the researchers found that those constantly on their phone also struggled to focus on one thing. The average smart phone user is believed to look at their handset around 150 times a day and a new app called Moment can monitor phone usage to track how much an individual uses their phone and where.

E W N 26 February - 4 March 2015 / Mallorca

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It’s the final countdown! THIS Saturday, February 28, sees one of the biggest events of the year so far! Mallorca’s Got Talent Final takes place at Western Water Park in Magaluf, with its fantastic indoor theatre. Over the past six weeks, Aroma El Toro has been hosting the heats, and we now have 12 brilliant acts all competing for the €1,000 grand prize. This competition, now in its third year, is going from strength to strength. Aroma Bar El Toro has been packed to the rafters every week for the heats. This coming Saturday will be no exception, so you must get your tickets booked up ASAP to avoid disappointment! Last Friday’s heat saw

Ticket prices as follows: Tickets €20 Children under 12 €15 VIP (balcony) €35 (includes cava)

PLEASE NOTE: Many tickets are already reserved!! This event will sell out!! To reserve please call: 971 232 842 or 666 001 807 Paul Martin pvmpaulm@aol.com

Finalist Jack Martin with Ayesha Wood and Ritchie from Radio One.

Kris Millen and Brooke Judkins.

young 10-year-old singer and pianist Brooke Judkins go through along with Andratx husband and father Kris Millen. These two talented acts took the last two places in the competition. The atmosphere in

It’s a waiting game until Saturday to find out who will be the overall winner. There are rumours of a celebrity guest appearance, alongside X Factor vocal coach Lloyd Wade, who is also performing at the

Jack gives EWN the thumbs up. Aroma was amazing with the crowd also enjoying resident compere Paul

Martin’s set, dancing the night away into the small hours.

aftershow party. The after party will be back at Aroma; every ticket sold for the final will include a wristband for entry to the party. Aroma El Toro would like to thank LM Engineering for their sponsorship. They have generously donated the prize money for the winning contestant. An official DVD of the whole night will be recorded by Paris Video productions, aka Tony Paris. This will be available to buy in stunning HD quality for those who want a souvenir of the night.

For more information on tickets contact Aroma El Toro on 666 001 807 or Paul Martin on 640 769 542

E W N 26 February - 4 March 2015 / Mallorca

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to add texture, colour and shade Dick Handscombe

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

AT last a sunny day after two weeks of generally drizzly weather with an occasional heavy downpour, and more sun is promised for the next 10 days. So now is a good time to think about planting flowering trees. There are numerous to choose from and they can be used as specimen trees for their flowers, shade, architectural shapes and varying heights. They can also be planted as integral parts of boundary hedges to frame the best views beyond the garden and hide the worst.

FAST GROWING: A variety of trees. The benefits are as follows: 1. The wide variety of

seasonal flowerings possible from early spring to late autumn. 2. Most flowering trees are deciduous and therefore provide summer shade and allow the winter sun to shine through the skeleton of branches during the winter. 3. Well planted in enriched soil they can grow relatively fast. 4. Once established most are fairly frost and drought resistant. 5. The wide range of leaf, flower, fruit and bark colours and textures with which to brighten up the garden and add interest. However there can be a few problems as well: 1. Flowering seasons are often short. 2. Fallen leaves, dead flowers, fruit and broken

twigs need to be swept up especially after strong winds and storms. 3. Some may seem small when taken home from the garden centre. But they can become too large for their situation unless trimmed every couple of years. 4. Vigorous roots can undermine the foundations of the house, outbuildings, paths and boundary walls. 5. Heavy heads can snap from thin young trunks unless the trees are well staked for some years after planting. In general the soil needs are the same as for smaller perennial plants and shrubs. Namely reasonably fertile, rich in humus, water retaining and free draining. It is of benefit to work in a little

TerraCottem moisture retaining gel into the bottom of planting holes to help roots grow continuously in the first few years. Popular trees include the following: Early flowering Almonds, Acasias, Cersis the Judas trees that flower for Easter, Poinsettias, Laburnum and Tamarix. Summer flowering Albizias, Bauhinas the orchid trees, Caesalpinias, Chorisias, Jacarandas, Justicias, Lagerstroemias, Melia Azedarachs, Parkinsonias, and Robinias. Autumn flowering Arbutus, Bauhinas, Hibiscus Matabilis and Justicias. Fruiting trees with wonderful blossom

displays can also be regarded as early flowering trees. Especially impressive are peaches, apricots and pears. The taller growing varieties of the bottle brush shrubs can also be trained into three or four metre trees. More information about flowering trees and many other groups of plants likely to be of interest in your garden will be found in Part Four of ‘Your Garden in Spain.’ Descriptions, flower photographs and Botanical, English and Spanish names are given.

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SPANISH PROPERTY: British interest on the rise once again.

Photo: Surreykraut/flickr

BRITISH property buyers attracted by the warm, sunny climate and bargain deals are returning in numbers to purchase Spanish properties. In 2014, Spain witnessed a 19.3 per cent increase in the number of residential properties sold to foreign buyers accounting for almost one out of every five houses sold and British interest in the Spanish market is once again on the rise. Thanks to a favourable exchange rate and familiarity

Photo: Bill Shaner/flickr

Sun-seeking Brits are buying again

OFFICE BLOCKS: A popular investment in Spain in 2014.

Commercial real estate boom in 2014 COMMERCIAL real estate investment in Spain saw its second-best year ever in 2014, with a total of €6.95 billion invested last year. Only 2007 - during the height of the property boom - registered a higher figure, according to financial services group BNP Paribas. “Acquisitions in the sector have reacted in parallel with the capital markets as a consequence of improved sentiment on the part of investors regarding our country,” said Francisco Manchon, National

Investment Director for BNP Paribas Real Estate in Spain. “The dynamics of the financial markets, expectations for the recovery of public finances and the anticipated growth in occupancy and rents lie behind investors’ strategies,” he added. American and British funds and a number of private individuals have been steadily investing in Spanish commercial property since early 2014, including such household names as Goldman Sachs

and George Soros. As the Spanish economy began to pick up, investors moved towards assets and portfolios in key areas in the belief that Spain was emerging from crisis. “In 2015 we anticipate a new trend towards core plus,” said Manchon. “Investors are seeking more consolidated assets at a higher price, in order to spend time on their management for periods exceeding even five years and rejecting the opportunity for short-term sale.”

Base for business travellers HIGH-FLYING corporate travellers form a potentially lucrative base of customers, with interest in buying a ‘business home’ abroad increasing. The Global Business Travel Association Foundation forecasts that corporate travel will increase across Spain, the UK, France, Germany and Italy by 6.6 per cent this year, based on last year’s increase of 4.9 per cent. A Spanish property developer based in the UK plans to jump on that trend, marketing second homes in Spain for businesspeople who often travel to the same area for work, and who aren’t keen on living out of hotel rooms.

with the country, Brits purchased 5,014 homes in Spain in 2014, 1,053 more than they bought the previous year. According to the National Statistics Institute in Spain (INE), home sales rose by 2.2 per cent in 2014, indicating that 2015 could be another good year for the oncebeleaguered Spanish property sector following the crash in 2008. Domestic demand is also on the up thanks in part to easier access to financing from the banks for Spanish buyers.

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BOATING

World’s largest private yacht planned IN an insight into the world and mindset of the stratospherically rich, the world’s biggest private yacht is scheduled to start being built at a cost of €1 billion and once completed, will dwarf a cruise ship. Measuring in at 222 metres and boasting seven decks, two swimming pools, numerous hot tubs and a 275 square metre master suite, the ‘Triple Deuce’ will be 40 metres longer than ‘Azzam,’ owned by the

AZZAM: Currently the world’s largest yacht.

President of the UAE and currently the world’s largest private yacht. Not only is Triple Deuce worth €1 billion, it is expected operating costs each year will cost around €33 million. The identity of the owner is - no surprise - a closely guarded secret, but it has been revealed the client wants a yacht so big that nobody else will be able to make a bigger one. “It’s just like the competition to build the world’s tallest building,” said Craig Timm of 4Yacht, the broker of the building project. “By building the yacht to 222 metres, the owner wants to make it FOR SALE: Perfect for difficult, if not impossible, ferrying passengers. to be ‘eclipsed’ himself.” It’s reported Triple Deuce In water, the RIB is will have an owner’s suite driven as normal, however covering two storeys across on approach to shore a 275 square metres, with a button can be hit to deploy private gym, office and three retractable ‘legs.’ dining room. It will have Down in 10 seconds, the two staterooms, a helipad, boat can then by driven spa facilities and employ a ashore, keeping passenmasseuse and hairdresser. gers safe and dry. Its top speed will be more For information on the than 30 knots powered by Sealegs RIB contact triple gas turbine engines of info@easyboats.com or over 100,000 horsepower. visit www.easyboats.com.

From sea to land without getting wet

A UNIQUE amphibious Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) - thought to be the only one of its kind in Mallorca has come on the market. With motorised, retractable, steerable wheels, the 7.1-metre Sealegs amphibious RIB is the perfect vehicle for ferrying boat passengers to and from shore without getting wet. “Research says that Sealegs owners use their boat, on average, up to 10 times more than they

officially thought,” said Lorenzo Vila, director of easyboats, who have the RIB for sale. “It’s not surprising. The clever land-water design offers great freedom with no more offshore anchoring, no more boat beaching and no wet feet. An obvious target audience is private individuals with seafront homes who can make it ashore without the vehicle/trailer/ramp rigmarole…”

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Self-driving cars a reality WHO needs a driver? Volvo thinks they could soon be a thing of the past as it presents its ‘complete system solution’ that makes it possible to integrate self-driving cars into real traffic with ordinary people in the driver’s seat. “We are entering uncharted territory in the field of autonomous driving,” said Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development of Volvo Car Group. “Taking the exciting step to a public pilot, with the ambition to enable ordinary people to sit behind the wheel in normal traffic on public roads, has never been done before.” Volvo Cars is moving rapidly towards the aim of placing 100 self-driving cars in the hands of customers on selected roads

around Gothenburg by 2017. The public pilot, one-of-a-kind collaboration between legislators, transport authorities, a major city and a vehicle manufacturer, is a central component of Volvo Cars’ plan to achieve sustainable mobility and ensure a crash-free future. Based on an extensive analysis of potential technical faults, Volvo Cars has designed a complete production-viable autonomous driving system. The key to making this unprecedented leap is a complex network of sensors, cloud-based positioning systems and intelligent braking and steering technologies. “Autonomous driving will

fundamentally change the way we look at driving. In the future, you will be able to choose between autonomous and active driving,” explained Dr Mertens. “This transforms everyday commuting from lost time to quality time, opening up new opportunities for work and pleasure.” Volvo Cars’ Autopilot system is designed to be reliable enough to allow the car to take over every aspect of driving in autonomous mode. The technology advances a crucial step beyond the automotive systems

demonstrated so far since it includes fault-tolerant systems. “It is relatively easy to build and demonstrate a self-driving concept vehicle, but if you want to create an impact in the real world, you have to design and produce a complete system that will be safe, robust and affordable for ordinary customers,” said Dr Erik Coelingh, Technical Specialist at Volvo Cars. “The main challenge is to design an Autopilot that is robust for traffic scenarios as well as for technical faults that may occur. It cannot be expected that the driver is ready to suddenly intervene in a critical situation. “Making this complex

system 99 per cent reliable is not good enough. You need to get much closer to 100 per cent before you can let self-driving cars mix with other road users in real-life traffic,” Coelingh said. “Here, we have a similar approach to that of the aircraft industry. Our fail-operational architecture includes backup systems that will ensure that Autopilot will continue to function safely, also if an element of the system were to become disabled.” The complete technology solution shall handle even the most complicated scenarios, from smooth commuting to heavy traffic and emergencies.

SELF-DRIVE: Volvo presents its ‘complete system solution’.

A speedy and spacious family car THE new Leon ST CUPRA is a unique combination of top performance, style and utility, claim the Spanish manufacturers. Acceleration from zero to 100km/h being just 6.0 seconds combined with 1,470 litres of load space in the estate car go some way to back that claim up. Among journalists and customers alike, the SEAT Leon CUPRA is much admired as a Sport Coupé and as a five-door. In the trade media across Europe, the CUPRA immediately became a consistent winner in comparison tests with owners said to love its design. Jürgen Stackmann, President of SEAT SA said: “The new Leon ST CUPRA is the perfect complement to our high-performance model

line-up. The combination of refined performance and expressive dynamics with relaxed longdistance comfort and compelling utility make it utterly unique. “The Leon ST CUPRA shows the SEAT brand values at their best. We are proud of the technical excellence and quality it conveys.” A concentrated package of hitech guarantees the performance of the car. At the top is the 2.0 TSI engine with dual injection and variable camshaft timing. Depending on the version, it delivers an output of 195kW/265 PS or 206kW/280 PS. The DCC dynamic chassis control, the front differential lock, the progressive steering, the CUPRA Drive Profile and the standard-fit

full-LED headlamps are further examples of its state-of-the-art technologies. The sportiness of the Leon ST CUPRA can be further enhanced with the optional Performance Pack. It includes a highperformance four piston Brembo brake system with 370 x 32mm perforated front discs, exclusive 19” rims (with a choice of Black or Orange) with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres and side trim strips. Dr Matthias Rabe, Vice President for Research and Development, said: “We have invested a great deal in the fine details to ensure the Leon CUPRA has the same ride and the same athleticism in its estate form – but with plenty of additional utility.”

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Sport Mallorca’s best guide to local sport

Clarke to lead Europe Darren Clarke will captain Europe in next year’s Ryder Cup. TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

Honour for Baleares

THE Baleares Rugby Federation was honoured by the president of the Spanish Rugby Federation last weekend in recognition of the work and results obtained during the global ‘Get Into Rugby’ initiative throughout local schools. During the last quarter of 2014, the Baleares Rugby Federation organised 29 events and festivals that gave more than 3,000 boys and more than 2,000 girls the chance to try their hand at rugby. In the Senior League, El Toro RC and Corsaris RFC faced off against each other in wet conditions last weekend, resulting in a tentative start before the teams found their rhythms. But El Toro RC clearly found a better rhythm, going in at half time 19 points to the good. The home team continued their form in the second half, their defence broken just once to let Corsaris in for

Superbike gets underway in Oz By James Warren

TOUCHDOWN: Jaime Covas scores a try for El Toro RC against Corsaris RFC. their only five points of the game. Two more tries to El Toro in the final minutes brought the eventual scoreline to 58-5. RC Ponent A and B teams met each other in muddy conditions at the Principes de España pitch, with the A team winning the match 43

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points to seven. In other matches played in the Senior League, Bahia RC were unable to keep their winning streak going, losing to Ibiza RC by 26 points to 14, and Shamrock RC registered their second win of the season, beating Dimonis RC 26-19.

WHILE the MotoGP season is still a few weeks away, the World Superbike season kicked off for the first round at Philip Island in Australia. In a field packed full of Brits and a very special wildcard appearance, it all shaped up to be a special weekend of racing. The big news of the weekend was that the legend Troy Bayliss was making a sensational return to racing, replacing the injured Davide Giugliano in the Aruba.it Ducati team. It was his first competitive WSBK race

since 2008 where he picked up his third title with the same manufacturer. Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea would start from pole after a dramatic Superpole session that saw him take pole from Welshman Chaz Davies by 0.026 seconds. Race one proved to be just as spectacular with the front three trading places throughout the whole race with the victory going to the Ulsterman Rea after having an epic last lap battle with Haslam, taking the victory by just 0.039 seconds. The podium was an all British affair with Davies taking third on the Ducati.