ISSUE NO. 1558
14 - 20 May 2015
MALLORCA
YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
Balearic airports breaking records By Steve Walsh The major airports of the Balearics handled a record number of passengers in April, with a total of nearly 1.75 million people travelling through the likes of Palma de Mallorca. The exact number of 1,741,570 travellers and tourists passing through the gates, denotes an increase of 2.4 per cent year-on-year, and crowns
a 13-month steady rise in passenger numbers. AENA, the Spanish aviation body, said aircraft movements had also increased by 2 per cent over the period adding an extra 13,943 flights. In a breakdown of the figures, the study also showed that a 7.1 per cent increase in national flights was registered, as well as the fact that 1,272,238 passengers were from international destinations.
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LOCAL NEWS
English man fights for life A 27-YEAR-OLD English man has sustained severe injuries after falling from a first floor balcony of a hotel in Magaluf. According to the emergency services, the fall took place at around 6.50am last Friday at the TRH hotel, located in Calle Martin Ros Garcia. The man remains hospitalised at the Son Espases hospital at the time of going to press.
Motorcyclist critical A MOTORCYCLE with two people on board crashed on the Andratx-Estellencs road and left at least one of them in critical condition. According to the SAMU, the crash at 11.45am on
Friday, led to a fall of five metres. While the emergency services attended the accident, the injured party had to be airlifted by the Guardia Civil helicopter to Espases.
Beaches to be fixed FUNDS of â‚Ź150,000 have been given by the Spanish Central Government to repair the damage caused by heavy winds and strong rains.
The Agriculture, Food and Environment Ministry has committed to ensuring beaches and seafront promenades are ready for the summer.
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NEWS
Fire-wrecked ship is towed to the port of Valencia EVIDENCE shows fire was caused by a short-circuit in one of the cars By Maria JosĂŠ Fernandez THE Sorrento ship, which caught on fire on April 28 off the coast of Mallorca has been towed to Sagunto Port in Valencia. The boat has been docked in Valencia for a period of one week, and it is expected to remain in the port for at least seven more days. Upon its arrival, expert staff proceeded to open its front ramp and air out the ship. Company in charge of the ship, the Naviera Grimaldi, said that all evidences indicate the fire was caused by a short-circuit in one of the cars transported on the main deck. The boat contains a total of 753 kilos of fuel inside and 123 vehicles, which are expected to be unloaded
Photo Salvamento Maritimo
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SORRENTO: Caught fire off the coast of Mallorca at the end of April.
during the next few days, as well as contaminating liquids that will not be extract-
ed at the port, which considerably reduces environmental risks.
The Valencian Port Authorities assured that there is no risk of an oil discharge.
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Man jailed
FEATURED NEWS
Spanish artist Pablo Picasso breaks records
Molested four children A PALMA court has sentenced a young mentally disabled man to be admitted to a special re-education institution for six years after molesting children when working as a volunteer in a free-time club.
Pleasure boats Rental increase
flickr by Montse Poch
CUBIST painting was part of a series of works created in 1954-55
A TOTAL of 187 pleasure boats for rent have been registered in the Balearic Islands during the four first months of 2015, which is a 55.8 per cent increase in April, compared to the same month of 2014.
Corruption case Employee arrested
Hospital rest Seats €5 a night
VIBRANT: Women of Algiers is a cubist depiction of nude courtesans.
By Steve Walsh MALAGA-BORN Pablo Picasso would have hardly believed his eyes if he could have witnessed his ‘Women of Algiers’ become the most expensive painting ever to sell at auction, going for $160 million (€142.1m) at Christie’s in New York. Eleven minutes of protracted bidding from telephone buyers heralded the final sale, for much more than its pre-sale estimate of $140 million. However, the final price including commission of just over 12 per cent, saw the anonymous bidder having to pay $179.3 million (€159.25m).
$179.3m is the amount an anonymous bidder had to pay (including commission) to become the owner of Picasso’s ‘Women of Algiers’, at Christie’s in New York, the most ever paid for a painting at auction.
The sale also featured Alberto Giacometti’s life-size sculpture ‘Pointing Man’, which set its own record. It is now the most expensive sculpture sold at auction, after going for $141.3 million (€125.5m). Previously, the Brits held the world record for a painting sold at auction, with the famous’Three Studies of Lucian Freud’ by Francis Bacon, which sold for $142.2 million (€126,48m) in 2013. Philip Hoffman, founder and CEO of the Fine Art Fund Group said of Picasso’s work: “This is an absolutely blockbuster picture, it’s one of the most exciting pictures that we’ve seen on the market for 10 years.”
HOSPITALS in Cataluña are introducing new pay-to-recline seats for companions to sleep on overnight. Prepaid cards priced at €5 per night or €20 for five nights must be used to recline the seats, sparking complaints from some users who claim the measure is discriminatory.
A PALMA Council employee was arrested on Tuesday (May 12) in connection with a police corruption and bribery case involving businessowners and politicians.
Fewer users Underground fall PALMA’S underground service has seen a 4 per cent fall in the number of passengers in March, compared to the same month of 2014,. A total of 121,000 passengers were carried.
Tourist train Eight-year contract
Quote of the Week We’ve done everything possible for the Spaniards in Nepal,” said Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz, after welcoming home experts who had been to the country where six Spaniards are still missing.
A CONTRACT for the tourist mini-train of Can Picafort has been awarded for an annual price of €20,100. Winning bidder was Carrilets Turistics de Catalunya, which will have ownership of the service for eight years.
Clean-up Branches piling up
Almost €16m seized in Noos case JOSE CASTRO, the judge in charge of the Noos corruption case, has said €2.1 million is to be seized from the shell company Aizoon, which belongs to the Duchess and Duke of Palma. The decision was taken af-
ter the Duchess of Palma, Cristina de Borbon and husband Iñaki Urdangarin, who will also see €13.6 million seized, failed to pay the civil responsibility bail imposed on them back in December, which
amounted to €2.7 million out of which the King’s sister has already paid €587,413. The funds were already located in a Palma Court deposit, and will now be withdrawn. On May 4, the duchess was
asked to present a list of properties to be seized in order to pay the bail although a few days later, her lawyers presented a document asking the judge to reduce the €2.1 million bail to €449,525, which they claimed
was the maximum amount the judge could ask according to law. The couple also agreed with the judge to allocate at least €2.3 million obtained from the sale of a rural property.
THE ecological group GOB has asked the regional government to dispose of prunings that have been piled up since March after felling works in Castellitx (Algaida). They claim it represents a fire hazard and complicates access to the area.
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INDEX News 1 - 19 Featured News 3 News Desk 18 European Press 20 Russian Press 21 Finance 23 - 29 Stocks 24 Street Talk 30 Leapy 30 Nora Johnson 31 Our View 33 Colin Bird 33 Mike Walsh 33 Daily TV 34 Letters 36 Time Out 38 - 39 Health & Beauty 40 Food 42 Homes & Gardens 43 Property 44 - 45 Pets 46 Classifieds 48 - 49 Boats 50 - 51 Motoring 54 Sport 56
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Soller train employees call off several full day strikes PLAN has been created to provide members of staff with permanent contracts By Maria José Fernandez STRIKES planned to be carried out by staff members of Soller’s tram services have been called off after having come to an agreement with the company’s management. The strikes, which were to take place on May 18 and 25 and again on June 4, 9 18 and 23, had been conceived to highlight issues arising from the implementation of the new ‘Company Collective Bargaining Agreement,’ which rail unions UGT and CCOO claimed could affect 100 employees of the Soller train services. Even though earlier meetings had been unfruitful, more recent negotiations had lead to a new Collective Agreement which is expected to put an end to conflict between management and employees. In a statement, trade unions explained that after seven uninterrupted hours of negotiations,
SOLLER TRAM: One of the most popular attractions.
2,000 number of passengers who were left at the stations due to earlier strike
the board of directors have committed to create an Employment Plan in which those members of staff with a permanent seasonal contract will become regular permanent workers, once other permanent workers have retired.
This agreement is to be in force for at least three years. On May 4, the employees carried out a single strike day which was estimated to have left 2,000 passengers without train or tram services, which were not resumed until 5pm.
Balearics showing a business boom THE number of new companies created in the Balearic Islands in March increased by 9 per cent, if compared with the same month of 2014. A total of 365 companies were created during March, according to
the data provided by the National Statistics Institute (INE). In addition, the information displays that only 60 companies were dissolved in the third month of the year, which translates into a decrease of 18.9 per cent.
The creation of these 365 companies left a total of €9.4 million in revenue for the Islands. In National terms, the increase registered in March reached 4 per cent, a total of 9,903 new businesses.
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NEWS EXTRA
Child is injured A 7-YEAR-OLD boy sustained minor injuries to his foot last week after he was run over by a car in Avenida Alcudia (Inca). The boy reportedly rushed into the road unexpectedly.
Sea death JAKOB Rieder, a 79year-old German tourist who went missing in the area of Cala Ratjada in Capdepera on Wednesday (May 6) was found dead in the sea a day later.
Chimp found dead ADAN escaped from the Sa Coma safari zoo By Maria José Fernandez ADAN, one of two chimpanzees that escaped from the Safari Zoo in Sa Coma, was found dead at the Sant Llorenç de Cardassar water treatment plant. The animal was found on May 7 around 7.15am inside a waste water deposit by staff of the plant, according to a statement released by Guardia Civil. A large number of officers and volunteers had been searching for him since Monday (May 4), after the animal escaped due to a failure in the
CHIMPS: Volunteers had been searching for them.
electrical system of his cage. He was able to flee the facilities together with another female chimpanzee called Eva, who was shot, sparking outrage
amongst animal rights associations such as AnimaNaturalis and citizens. Several groups denounced the animal’s death.
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NEWS
Illegal street trading POLICE have increased their presence
LOOKY LOOKIES: Have been targeted by police for illegal trading. By Maria JosĂŠ Fernandez PALMA Local Police have been targeting Looky Looky men. They have increased their presence in several city centre
streets since last Friday (May 8) in an attempt to curb the activities of illegal street traders. Authorities explained that the increase has to do with a larger number of street vendors that gather in these areas during the
summer season and stressed that, if caught, they will initiate disciplinary proceedings. Seven people have already been reported for illegal trading and crimes against industrial property.
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NEWS EXTRA
Rural aid THE Balearic Islands will receive a total of €2.6 million to be spent on rural development projects, paid for by the Spanish Central Government.
Three new low-cost routes added for winter 3,000 airport job positions will be generated
A FOREST fire was extinguished in the Camp Pla (Algaida) on Sunday (May 10). According to the Balearic Nature Institute (Ibanat) a hectare was burnt down.
Bad driver
150 hikers A TOTAL of 150 people of 12 nationalities took part last weekend in the first ‘Bungypump’ hiking route celebrated in Can Picafort.
www.pangeasculptures.es Life size hand crafted limited edition African Sculptures On Exhibition at Our Offices Tel 971 230 590 • Mob 680 160 366 Email lyns@j-mac.es Calle Aguila 1 Local 7, Son Ferrer Calvia Mallorca 07181
Fire out
AN INTOXICATED driver crashed against three other vehicles parked in the area of Can Barbera Bridge in Palma de Mallorca last Sunday. No one was injured, said the Port Police.
EWN
RYANAIR: Will now fly to Berlin, Birmingham and Malaga from Palma. LOW-COST flight company Ryanair presented yesterday (Wednesday, May 13) its winter schedule for 2015, which includes three new routes for the Palma de Mallorca airport. The new cities connected with Palma will be Berlin (three flights per week), Birmingham (two flights per week) and Malaga (three flights per week), totalling 14 routes from the Son Sant Joan airport. To celebrate the new schedule’s presenta-
tion in Palma de Mallorca, the Irish-based company has made available flights from a price of €19.99 for June of 2015. These cheap tickets can be purchased until Sunday, May 17. “With a total of 14 routes to the Island, we have foreseen the transport of three million passengers, which are expected to generate 3,000 job positions at Palma airport,” said Ryanair Sales and Marketing Manager in Spain, Jose Espartero.
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Canonisation dispute POPE to canonise Balearics-born friar despite genocide accusations By Maria Jose Fernandez POPE FRANCIS has given the green light for the canonisation decree of Mallorca-born friar Junipero Serra Ferrar, despite complaints by some indigenous Californians and Mallorcan citizens. Back in January, a petition was created asking the Pope to reconsider his decision to canonise Junipero Serra, saying: “Pope Francis is coming to Washington, DC, to canonise Junipero Serra as a saint. It is imperative he is enlightened to understand that Father Serra was responsible for the deception, exploitation, oppression, enslavement and genocide of thousands of indigenous Californians, ultimately resulting in the largest ethnic cleansing in
North America.� The petition, which can be found at http://www.petitions. moveon.org/sign/urge-popefrancis-to/, has currently been signed by almost 6,000 people, from the US, Spain and other countries. Junipero Serra was born in Petra in 1713 and founded several churches throughout California, where he died in 1784. He was popularly known as the Apostle of California. He is to become the first Hispanic saint of the US and is the only non-North American figJUNIPERO SERRA: his statue in Santa Barbara (US)
ure with a statue in the US Capitol. The canonisation event is to take place on September 23 in Washington.
Flickr by Wally Gobetz
A third drop out early THE Balearic Islands has been rated amongst the autonomous communities in Spain with a
higher level of early school leaving, according to a report. As many as 30 per cent of
youths between 18 and 24 years old do not have secondary education qualifications, while the average national level currently sits at 21.2 per cent, approximately twice as high as the European objective set for Spain. The data was released on the Education Excellence Ranking by Professionals for Ethics, which also points out the wide gap between autonomous communities, with regions registering rates below 10 per cent, such as Cantabria.
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Son Espases award for tech excellence AIMED at increasing safety of patients at all levels
Son Espases Hospital: Using technology to improve treatments. By Maria José Fernandez THE HIMSS, a global, nonprofit organisation focused on improving health care through information technology, has awarded the Son Espases hospital in Palma with a level six accredita-
tion. “This prestigious prize reflects the high quality of the Son Espases hospital,” read a statement released by the Balearic Islands regional Government. The award was received by the Sub-director of Informa-
tion services of the Hospital, Antonio Moragues in an event celebrated in Riga (Latvia), in an event that had the participation of the Prime Minister of Latvia, Guntis Belvis, as well as head of HIMSS, Stephen Liever. The use of information technologies in the field of medicines aims at increasing the safety of the patient at all levels. The electronic medical record Cerner Millennium of the Son Espases hospital is able of integrating all conditions experienced by each patient as well as information on checkups, surgical treatments, medication taken and others.
NEWS
52 dogs rescued LOCAL POLICE in Palma have rescued a total of 52 dogs that were living in dirt in a property of the Camp Redo district. The dogs, locked inside a 15-square-metre room, were handed over to the animal shelter in Son Reus, according to the information released by the town council. Local Police started investigating following several reports made by neighbours who complained about dirt, noise and bad smells. The owner of the property ignored several requests from the police by telephone and in writing to carry out an inspection, so authorities were forced to ask for an injunction. “Once they confirmed the existence of more than 50 dogs of all ages and breeds, in a very small space, and as the owner did not have any health documents for the animals or a permit to keep them in the facilities, Local Police took the decision to remove them,” said the council in a statement. The animals will stay in the centre for a period of eight days to receive medical treatment and will be put up for adoption after that.
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Palma venue for Bose tour
NEWS
NEWS EXTRA
Music night THE Symphonic Band of the Professional Music Conservatory of Mallorca will host a concert at 7pm in the Auditorium of Alcudia. Tickets €5 at the door.
CONCERT will have special stage By Eleanor Hawkins
Nepal help
MIGUEL BOSE has announced he will be giving a concert in Palma de Mallorca this summer as part of his Amo Tour. The singer has let slip that the concerts, one of which will be coming to the city’s bullring on July 4, will be impressive displays of technologies including giant screens, robotic lights and a special stage. Bose, whose tour begins today in Mexico, said that all his hits are in the repertory, including the best of his latest record Amo.
A FUNDRAISING event was held last Saturday (May 9) in Biniali (Sencelles) to raise funds for the Nepal earthquake victims. All proceeds will be used to pay for medical staff, food, water and tents in the affected area.
Family Day event THE registration period to participate in Palma de Mallorca’s 11th ‘International Family Day’ on May 15, is now open. The Regional Government of the Balearics has organised a great variety of activities both for adults and children.
Those interested will have to send an email before May 15 to serveidefamilia@dgmenors.cai b.es, with name, telephone number and email address. The morning events are aimed at adults and the afternoons are for the children.
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It’s worse
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RESIDENTS are still worrying By Maria José Fernandez WHEN asked about the financial c r i si s, 3 7 . 1 p e r cent of Balearic residents think that the situation for the Islands is worse than four years ago, according to a report. The biggest number of respondents thought that things had got worse, w hile 3 2 . 7 p e r c e n t o f those interviewed thought that the situation had remained the same, and another 2 . 1 p e r c e n t sa id that th e si t u a t i o n w as
much worse than in 2011 The study, created by the Sociological Investigation Centre (CIS), was carried out through interv iew s c o n d u c te d w ith 1 , 2 0 0 re s id en ts o f th e Balearic Islands. A total of 33.8 per cent considered the management of the regional government by the PP conserv ativ e p arty h a s b ee n mediocre, 30.5 per cent thought it had been bad and 14.9 per cent said it had been very bad.
NEWS
Distribution companies rejoicing Wikimedia Commons
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EXPANSION: Companies are receiving increased orders of all sorts of products.
THE Balearic Islands’ distribution companies are forecasting an ‘exceptional’ year in terms of volume of business. The expected increased number of tourists has pushed distribution companies Acciona-Transmediterranea and Balearia to expand their fleets to face the new demand predicted for the next few months. “Predictions are really positive as we are expecting an increase ranging between 4 and 8 per cent in the volume of business,” said head of the Distribution Company Association (ADED), Bartomeu Servera. “Orders of all sorts of products from hotels, bars, cafes, restaurants, etc, have been significantly increasing. Mallorca is expecting to exceed by far the €1,180 million in revenue registered last year.”
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NEWS FROM OUR FIVE OTHER REGIONS
COSTA DEL SOL
Alcazaba has to be closed for essential wall repairs photo by Cucombrelibre
FALLING stonework replaced on damaged section of wall
LA ALCAZABA: Is now in need of some TLC.
COSTA BLANCA NORTH
COSTA BLANCA SOUTH
NEWS
By Linda Hall THE regional government stepped in quickly to stabilise the south wall of the Alcazaba. The Moorish citadel had to close temporarily owing to falling masonry at the end of last week. This is currently the only access to the Alcazaba now that restoration work on Meson Gitano has cut off the other entrance. Scaffolding was set up on the damaged section of wall which was covered with safety netting to protect the access ramp and the road skirting the hillside. Workmen began on Monday afternoon to replace the same pieces of fallen masonry whenever technically feasible. Where this is not possible, similar materials are being used and the dried-out mortaring replaced with more breathable material. If all goes according to plan, the work should be completed today, Thursday, the Junta’s Education, Culture and Sports department announced.
AXARQUÍA
COSTA DE ALMERÍA
Empty spaces ONE thousand and eighteen places for three year olds will remain empty at Malaga Province infant schools in the 2015-2016 academic year as just 17,647 applications have been received, the education board has reported.
Operators galore MORE than 50 tour operators from 18 different countries will be taking part in the 10th Euroal International Tourism Show workshop in Torremolinos on June 3-5.
Slapper sentenced
Fiesta programme
Business boom
Tourism promotion
Road works ahead
JAVEA Town Hall has released the programme for the Fogueres de Sant Joan 2015, one of the biggest fiestas on the town’s calendar, held Saturday June 13 to Wednesday June 24.
INDUSTRIAL production in the Valencia Region has risen 8.3 per cent in March compared to the same month of 2014. This increase is the third largest in the country behind Asturias and La Rioja.
AS many as 50 travel agents of online site OcioHoteles visited Almuñecar to learn about its tourism offers. They had the chance to follow a route designed by the town’s tourism department to promote Almuñecar.
ONE lane of the AL-610 road will intermittently close for maintenance and repairs, the provincial Traffic Authority announced. It reopens on June 9.
A CHEMIST from Ronda has been fined €180 and ordered to pay €450 in damages by a Malaga provincial court for slapping a customer twice during an argument about dogs.
Sport growth
More lemons
Animal lessons
Padel excellence
A GROUP of children in Elche raised awareness about animal care and public spaces as part of a project within the municipality that has seen hundreds of children learn about the responsibilities of owning dogs and cats.
ALMUÑECAR padel player Cristina Torrecillas was crowned winner of the National Circuit Sub 23 second challenge, celebrated in Cordoba.
FORTY per cent more El Ejido residents practise sport than four years ago. “Despite budget reductions and austerity we have provided municipal facilities for a growing number of people,” the town hall said.
LEMON production in the province of Malaga was up by an estimated 10 per cent, the Agriculture Board reported at the launch of a new website on lemons and grapefruit.
Charity race
Lost and found
ALMOST 1,000 runners participated in Velez-Malaga’s 6k Charity Urban Race. Proceeds were donated to the Axarquia Association for People with Special Needs.
FIFTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD Angel Joaquin Ortega who disappeared from his Almeria City home, was found six days later in Abla. He seemed well, just ‘rather disorientated,’ sources said.
Thrifty mayor THE PP mayor of Ondara, Ximo Ferrando is re-using his election posters from 2011 in a bid to save €2,500 on printing for 2015 - part of his ‘spend less and do more’ policy.
Heat wave TEMPERATURES in the Valencia Region are expected to rise to more than 40 degrees before the weekend according to AEMET, although the heat will be tempered by a light breeze.
Ladder investment THE Fire Department in Valencia has invested €1 million in a ladder that can be extended to reach 42m in height with a section that can be articulated to form a walkway.
Fake dentist A MAN who performed dental work on horses’ teeth without a formal veterinary qualification has been reported to the courts by the Valencian College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Hotel buyout FRENCH group B&B Hotels has acquired two three-star Holiday Inn Express hotels in Valencia and Alicante cities.
Legal concerns
Council negotiations
ELCHE Council has reiterated that “everything is legal” with the installation of the temporary market on Avenida de Valencia following several complaints.
A COMPANY specialised in the reparation, maintenance and renting of private jets is currently holding talks with Velez-Malaga Council to install new headquarters and a pilot school at the town’s industrial park.
Rail investment
New cemetery
PLANS are in place to improve the Spanish commuter railway network in the Alicante to Murcia stretch with an investment of €87.2 mil-
THE construction works and management of the new cemetery of Torrox have been awarded to the only bidder who presented a project.
For more local news from our five other regions see www.euroweeklynews.com
Walk and ride THE pedestrian and cycle lane connecting La Atalaya with the centre of Huercal-Overa is nearing completion. Work was carried out through the Diputacion’s agricultural development and employment programme (PFEA).
Hoist the flag ALMERIA CITY’S fishing boats are flying the yellow and black ‘I live from the sea’ flag. They, and other fleets, are protesting at the Administration’s treatment of the sector.
More flights NORWEGIAN Airlines has announced it will be expanding its MalagaCosta del Sol fleet this summer to include four aircraft providing a total of 170 flights per week to 18 destinations.
Poorly paid MALAGA’S College of Doctors has reported that doctors in Andalucia are the worst paid in Spain and joined trade unions Sindicato Medico, Comisiones Obreras and UGT to demand salary increases.
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Three held for brutal attack THE victim was left in a critical condition By Maria Jose Fernandez THREE Bolivian men have been arrested by National Police in Palma after allegedly beating up a fellow countryman who had to be hospitalised. The incident took place on Saturday (May 9) at 6.30am, at the front door of a popular nightclub on the Son Castello industrial site. Several witnesses alerted police to a fight in which, they re-
ported, stones, sticks and other blunt objects were being used. Upon their arrival, officers found the three main suspects attempting to flee the scene in a vehicle. The three Bolivian men, aged 32, 29 and 28, were taken into custody. The 37-year-old victim was taken to the Son Espases hospital in a critical condition. Police are currently investigating the reasons behind the fight.
A whole lot of rubble HOTEL construction works in the Balearics generated and recycled a total of 50,000 tonnes of rubble between October of 2014 and April. The figure is double the amount recycled in the previ-
ous season, when an agreement was signed by the Hotel Federation of Mallorca (FEHM) and recycling company MAC to ensure the correct handling of rubble produced in construction.
No more floods at Plaça dels Hostals MALLORCA Provincial Council’s Urbanism Department has initiated works to establish a system of rainwater collection points at the Plaça dels Hostals (Santa Maria). The project is expected to resolve flooding problems which often affect the area after heavy rainfall. With a total cost of €205,461, the works are expected to be completed in two months, according to the council. Plans are to perform works on a stretch of 325 metres of the square as well as in Calle Sa Matança. Other areas have already undergone similar works, including streets Batle Gabriel Bibiloni and Batle Pere Jaume Pons, at a cost of €276,114.
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GERMAN
EUROPEAN PRESS SCANDINAVIAN PRESS
More people NORWAY: THE population of Norway reached 5,165,800 on January 1 2015, with 9.9 per cent - or 512,000 - holding foreign citizenship, according to Statistics Norway.
Fishy exports NORWAY: Minister of Fisheries Elisabeth Aspaker has confirmed that more than 1.3 million tonnes of seafood are sent from Norway to the EU annually, equivalent to 170 fully loaded semi-trailers every day of the year.
Student rise NORWAY: A total of 272,000 students were enrolled in higher education in Norway or abroad for 2014/15, representing an increase of 3,400 students. Women accounted for the whole of this increase.
Best passport SWEDEN: The Swedish passport has been ranked best in the world, based on the number of countries Swedes can visit without a visa, sharing the top spot with the UK and Finland.
PRESS
Sneaky playground thieves CLIMBING FRAMES and ladders were used to break in. THIEVES have used playground Civilised boarders climbing frames and ladders to break into a private home in Heaton Mersey and steal £20,000 worth of valuables.
UK obesity THE World Health Organisation has warned that rising obesity will see 74 per cent of men and 64 per cent of women in the UK overweight by the year 2030.
Stunt compensation FIFTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD RAF Flight Sergeant Frans Bekker has been ordered to pay £4,000 in compensation to a woman whose back he broke when he jumped on her from an escalator handrail in Holborn station, London.
No idea ACCORDING to a recent survey more than half of the UK’s younger generation have no idea that VE Day marks the anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe.
BRITISH PRESS
Costly royal THE Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh’s April visit to Sheffield is estimated to have cost the local council £30,000, £8,088 of which was spent on barriers and highway closures. Another £5,113 was spent on meals and refreshments.
LEADING UK public school headmaster Sir Anthony Seldon has said that he believes state secondary schools should allow boarders to help create a ‘civilising’ atmosphere.
Left alone A MOTHER from Prescot, Liverpool is being held in custody after she allegedly abandoned her baby in a Southport amusement arcade toilet.
THE QUEEN: Visited Sheffield.
Shaun Jeffers / Shutterstock.com
Amsterdam changing its image ONCE known for sex and drugs, now wants to celebrate the arts.
Town struck BUTZOW was hit by a tornado that injured 31 people and destroyed buildings. Roofs were stripped of tiles with the cost estimated to run into millions of euros.
False twin A MAN was arrested in Darmstadt, Hesse, for pretending to be his twin after being questioned by traffic police.
RECORD sales of SUVs have helped BMW report booming first quarter profits. The company based in Frankfurt recorded a 21 per cent rise in operating profits.
GERMAN Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, at a conference in Berlin, stated that Greece was not demanding further debt relief. He refuted the IMF’s warning of further financial support.
Cocaine found
Warming up
DENMARK: The Danish government has proposed getting rid of the obligation for selected retailers to accept payment in cash, moving the country closer to a ‘cashless economy.’
THREE men and one woman have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of founding a far-right group and obtaining explosives.
No debt relief
SWEDEN: Of the 4.4 million tons of household waste Sweden produces each year, 2.2 million tons are converted into energy through an incineration process called waste-to-energy, or WTE.
No cash
Terror suspects arrested
BMW profits
Waste not
SWEDEN: Homes in Kiruna, Sweden’s coldest northern city, are to be warmed by surplus heat generated by its largest employer, the mining company LKAB.
NEWS
AMSTERDAM: Changing.
AMSTERDAM, once synonymous with sex and drugs is striving to change its image to be more celebrated for its art, theatre and music. The city is also seeking international recognition for its annual Holland festival.
Taxis deregulated TRANSPORT Minister Wilma Mansveld has announced deregulation of the Dutch taxi sector. The Uberpop private vehicle taxi service will still remain illegal.
DUTCH PRESS Van Gogh sold L’ALLÉE des Alyscamps, painted in Arles in 1888 by Vincent Van Gogh and said to be created in his most fertile period, has been sold for €60 million in New York.
Arson suspect caught A 20-YEAR-OLD man from The Hague was arrested in relation to an arson attack in Marthal, Rotterdam. CCTV images were used to identify and apprehend the suspect.
Lightning kills TWO people were killed in Amersfoort when lightning struck the city. They had sheltered under trees when the strike hit. Medics failed to resuscitate the victims.
BANANA boxes being delivered to Aldi were found to contain 386 kilograms of cocaine. The drugs were found in 14 stores around Berlin. No arrests have been made.
Call for aid MARKUS SOEDER has called on the German government to double its refugee aid effort, stating that the area required €2 billion to cope with the influx.
NEWS
14 - 20 May 2015 /Mallorca
www.euroweeklynews.com
RUSSIAN P RESS
Submarine fire Cordon Press
A SPARK was thought to have started the on board blaze
DRY DOCK: The fire was put out quickly. A FIRE on board submarine the Orel, in dry dock at Severodvinsk, was started by a spark from welding. There were no reported casualties and the fire was put out quickly.
New tank THE Armata tank made its debut at Russia’s biggest ever military parade in Moscow, marking the 70th anniversary of victory over Germany in WW2.
Vodka sales fall RUSSIA’S vodka sales are in decline by 12 per cent from last year. The government crackdown on drinking, political tension and the collapse of oil prices are blamed for the decrease.
Found guilty EX-DEFENCE Ministry official Yevgenia Vasilyeva has been found guilty of embezzlement charges. Prosecutors have asked for a suspended eight-year sentence.
Job losses RUSSIAN recruiters anticipate a second wave of redundancies before the summer, with as many as one in three employees in danger of losing their jobs or facing a cut in working hours or benefits.
due to limited deterrence value.
Crimea wine expansion
Mortgages rise
THE state-run Massandra winery in the Crimea is planning to expand for the first time in 20 years using private investment.
THE number of mortgages issued in Russia surged to more than one million last year despite the economic slowdown.
are retracing the route from Russia to Berlin that the Soviet Army took in WW2. President Putin is a friend of the club’s leader.
Riviera resort YALTA, on the Crimean coastline, has established itself as the Russian Riviera. It has 250 days of sunshine a year and is well known as a health spa.
Pentagon decision THE Pentagon has considered stopping routine intercepts of Russian aircraft off the Alaska coast
Costly settlement THE ex-wife of Russia’s wealthiest man, Vladimir Potanin, is suing for half of his business empire, which includes mining giant Norilsk Nickel and conglomerate Interros.
Frigate hold up A SENIOR Russian shipbuilding official has said that Russian military shipbuilding is being stalled by Ukraine’s refusal to deliver engine turbines to drive a new class of Russian naval frigates.
Russian bikers MOTORCYCLE club members The Night Wolves WINERY: Expanding.
EWN
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There has been talk about this for years. You may have seen our articles covering developments, with the EU, UK, G5, G20, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the US all having something to say on the matter, and various action being proposed or taken. It is important to realise however that this is not just talk; and events have accelerated in the last year or so. Automatic exchange of tax information will soon become a reality. And one affecting most corners of the globe. There is no hiding place. The new automatic exchange of information for tax purposes will follow the Common Reporting Standard, developed by the OECD. Almost 100 countries have committed so far. The Standard provides for annual automatic exchange between governments of financial account information. The information to be exchanged includes • account balances • interest • dividends • sales proceeds from financial assets This covers accounts held by individuals and entities like trusts. The financial institutions that need to report include banks, custodians, certain collective investment vehicles and certain
www.euroweeklynews.com
FINANCE
Exchange Of Information And The End Of Financial Privacy By Peter Worthington, Senior Partner, Blevins Franks insurance companies. They will have to determine the residence of each customer and collect data on their assets and income to be forwarded to the tax authorities in the customer’s country of residence. This is quite different to information exchange on request bilateral agreements, and further reaching. There, tax authorities ask for information on people’s financial assets when they suspect them of tax
evasion. Now they will receive information on everyone, every year, regardless of how compliant or not the taxpayer is. By comparing the data received with tax returns, the authorities can detect where income or the underlying assets have not been declared. This will include many cases where they had no previous indications that the taxpayer was not compliant. This is expected to provide tax authorities around the world with details of assets worth billions held abroad. Financial information will start to be collected in 2016, for the first transmissions in 2017. Fifty eight jurisdictions have committed to be ready then. This includes Spain, the rest of the EU, Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Cayman Islands, Iceland, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Argentina and South Africa.
A further 35 jurisdictions will start in 2018. This includes Australia, Brazil, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Monaco, Russia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and Switzerland. In Europe, the Common Reporting Standard will be implemented through the Administrative Cooperation Directive. The revised version of this Directive was adopted in December 2014. It provides for automatic information sharing on interest, dividends and other investment income, account balances, sales proceeds from financial assets, income from employment, directors’ fees, life insurance, pensions and property. This new global exchange of information will be an invaluable tool for the Spanish tax authorities. It will help them not only compare data with tax returns, but also with Form 720 where residents have to declare their overseas assets. The penalties for
undeclared assets can be very costly, so it is important that you declare everything correctly. This loss of financial privacy is a significant change and affects everyone who lives in one country and has assets in another. One thing that has not changed, though, and this is that every individual has the right to structure their assets in a tax efficient manner. It is important to only use arrangements which are compliant in Spain, but it is also important to protect your wealth, for yourself and your heirs, where possible. It is possible to take advantage of legitimate opportunities to protect your assets from various Spanish taxes. You need to be informed on developments and take specialist advice. To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out our website www.blevinsfranks.com.
FINANCE
STAT OF WEEK
business & legal LONDON - FTSE 100 C LOSING P RICES
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A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 7 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION // WWW.EWNBUSINESS.COM
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GDP rise assisted by labour reforms as economy exceeds expectations By Jason Bailey
The Spanish economy has exceeded expectations forecast by the Bank of Spain, which suggested a growth of 0.8
per cent for the first quarter. One of the reasons for the significant rise has been attributed to reforms Spain carried out in 2012 in the labour sector. Despite having the second highest unemployment rate in the Eurozone, there are still month on month reductions in the
One in five unemployed and 10 per cent of employees in Spain admit to having received ‘black’ cash in their salaries. General Director of Infojobs, Jaume Gurt Photo International Monetary Fund.
Quote of the Week
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times faster growth than US.
BUSINESS EXTRA
Good sale INDITEX owner Amancio Ortega has sold a building in Berlin for €300 million to Banif, a subsidiary of Santander.
Repsol results RODRIGO RATO: Arrested over unexplained income.
Corruption crippling IT has long been felt Spanish public officials use their position to financially benefit themselves and their friends. After the temporary arrest of Rodrigo Rato, former PP finance minister and ex-head of the IMF, it seems that the practice is still alive. Despite being hailed as the economic architect of the Spanish boom in the early 2000s, Rato has been arrested by police investigating his unexplained income. Rato had already been investigated for the misuse of company credit
cards when he was chairman of Bankia, which under his control required a €22 billion rescue package in 2012. The combination of corrupt public administration and cronyism have been blamed for the slow, drawn-out recovery of Spain. A paper by Manuel Garcia-Santana from Université Libre de Bruxelles has highlighted ‘bad’ companies grew faster than good ones. It also noted productivity falls were greater when the government was involved with awarding business contracts.
OIL company Repsol has closed the first quarter with a profit of €761 million, a cut of 5.7 per cent over the same period of 2014.
Banks close LOW interest rates and falling margins are expected to force Spanish banks into further branch closures, pushing the industry back 35 years in terms of employment.
Illegal use ACCORDING to the latest survey by IPSOS, 47.6 per cent of tobacco used by consumers in Cadiz is illegal, prompting tax investigations at retail level.
Spain is tops for tourism SPAIN has taken top spot in a list of the most tourist-friendly countries in the world. According to the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report, Spain was the best when a variety of factors including business environment, cultural resources, business travel, air transport infrastructure and health and safety were
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INFLATION in the Eurozone was flat in April after four months of contracting prices.
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THE GDP rise of 0.9 per cent in the first financial quarter of 2015 has put Spain at the head of the Eurozone recovery. Output is rising at three times the rate of Britain and 18 times that of the US in the same period.
EWN
taken into account. France, Germany and the USA made up the next three on the list with the UK coming in fifth. The country for tourists to avoid, according to the Forum, is Chad. That is thought to be the least tourism friendly country in the world.
numbers who are registering unemployed. The economic situation is not all good news though. Spain has been in deflation for 10 months and the fact the anti-austerity party Podemos is growing in support means the coming election may not provide a clear winner.
IBEX 35 C LOSING P RICES
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Tax credits THE EU is investigating the legality of Spanish use of tax credits to inflate its banks’ capital. The EU competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, has sent a letter to Spain, and other European countries, requesting information regarding deferred tax asset instruments. The purpose of deferred tax assets is to absorb the effect of credit losses on defaulted loans. A Spanish economy ministry spokesman stated that the use of the scheme cannot be considered state aid as it is available to any Spanish company regardless of its sector.
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LONDON - FTSE 100
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US See our advert on opposite page
C LOSING P RICES M AY 11
PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY 3i Group 512.00 9.50 Aberdeen Asset Management 450.05 -1.75 Admiral Group 1,520.00 -3.00 Aggreko 1,664.00 13.00 Anglo American 1,142.00 26.50 Antofagasta 797.50 7.50 ARM Holdings 1,150.00 4.00 Ashtead Group 1,176.00 13.00 Associated British Foods 2,916.00 -12.00 AstraZeneca 4,575.50 43.50 Aviva 541.25 -3.25 Babcock International Group 1,102.00 19.00 BAE Systems 512.75 3.25 Barclays 259.23 1.18 Barratt Developments 557.50 8.00 BG Group 1,199.00 8.50 BHP Billiton 1,590.75 30.25 BP 465.85 4.55 British American Tobacco 3,637.75 -2.25 British Land Co 849.25 7.25 BT Group 469.88 0.23 Bunzl 1,912.00 1.00 Burberry Group 1,783.00 3.00 Capita Group (The) 1,244.50 6.50 Carnival 3,110.00 17.00 Centrica 279.05 0.85 Coca-Cola HBC 1,440.00 25.00 Compass Group 1,184.00 4.00 CRH 1,874.00 -17.00 Diageo 1,794.25 3.25 Direct Line Insurance Group 324.60 2.60 Dixons Carphone 456.20 5.70 easyJet 1,881.00 21.00 Experian 1,169.00 13.00 Fresnillo 719.50 13.00 G4S 294.80 1.00 GKN 358.10 -0.10 GlaxoSmithKline 1,478.75 0.25 Glencore 309.20 6.60 Hammerson 676.50 2.50 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,220.50 7.50 Hikma Pharmaceuticals 2,047.00 37.00 HSBC Holdings 636.70 -4.40 Imperial Tobacco Group 3,323.00 26.00 InterContinental Hotels Grp 2,786.50 -33.50 International Consolidated Air 573.75 1.25 Intertek Group 2,669.00 19.00 Intu Properties 342.50 -1.20 ITV 263.80 3.10 Johnson Matthey 3,365.00 13.00
% CHG. NET VOL 1.89 4,758.22 -0.39 5,929.68 -0.20 4,175.46 0.79 4,126.07 2.38 15,518.27 0.95 7,699.54 0.35 16,020.28 1.12 5,738.12 -0.41 22,491.46 0.96 55,682.52 -0.60 21,319.45 1.75 4,971.75 0.64 15,742.77 0.46 41,608.17 1.46 5,088.91 0.71 40,087.20 1.94 32,483.66 0.99 83,468.33 -0.06 66,661.37 0.86 8,266.23 0.05 37,934.52 0.05 6,244.04 0.17 7,729.65 0.53 7,702.46 0.55 6,507.38 0.31 12,792.26 1.77 5,064.80 0.34 19,236.45 -0.90 15,123.88 0.18 44,678.76 0.81 4,761.00 1.27 5,034.19 1.13 7,233.16 1.12 11,217.81 1.84 5,187.73 0.34 4,428.25 -0.03 5,724.40 0.02 70,408.31 2.18 39,671.95 0.37 5,086.25 0.62 5,478.38 1.84 3,907.99 -0.69 121,611.12 0.79 30,674.76 -1.19 6,514.48 0.22 11,459.04 0.72 4,216.38 -0.35 4,415.44 1.19 10,164.44 0.39 6,641.38
COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) Kingfisher 373.90 4.90 Land Securities Group 1,277.00 14.00 Legal & General Group 269.75 0.75 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 86.60 -0.25 London Stock Exchange 2,555.00 2.00 Marks & Spencer Group 567.25 3.75 Meggitt 523.50 -3.50 Merlin Entertainments 457.75 1.75 Mondi 1,344.50 -2.50 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 185.70 4.70 National Grid 908.85 2.95 Next 7,460.00 30.00 Old Mutual 233.95 -0.15 Pearson 1,324.50 7.50 Persimmon 1,778.00 32.00 Prudential 1,652.00 4.50 Randgold Resources 4,797.50 33.50 Reckitt Benckiser Group 5,867.50 22.50 Reed Elsevier 1,098.50 4.50 Rio Tinto 3,053.00 54.50 Rolls-Royce Group 1,023.50 -6.50 Royal Bank of Scotland Grp 354.35 1.95 Royal Dutch Shell 2,078.00 6.00 Royal Dutch Shell 2,112.25 16.25 Royal Mail 485.85 6.95 RSA Insurance Group 434.85 1.15 SABMiller 3,605.00 6.00 Sage Group (The) 563.75 20.25 Sainsbury (J) 282.45 4.45 Schroders 3,353.50 33.50 Severn Trent 2,157.00 6.00 Shire 5,340.00 10.00 Sky 1,077.50 -3.50 Smith & Nephew 1,144.00 2.00 Smiths Group 1,163.50 1.50 Sports Direct International 657.00 3.00 SSE 1,644.00 -3.00 St James's Place 954.50 -8.00 Standard Chartered 1,055.50 2.00 Standard Life 476.75 1.65 Taylor Wimpey 179.70 4.00 Tesco 234.23 5.38 Travis Perkins 2,144.00 4.00 TUI AG 1,265.00 18.00 Unilever 2,880.50 -13.50 United Utilities Group 1,004.50 5.00 Vodafone Group 235.28 1.98 Weir Group 1,913.50 32.50 Whitbread 5,267.50 -7.50 Wolseley 3,977.50 2.50 WPP Group 1,549.50 7.50
% CHG. 1.33 1.11 0.28 -0.29 0.08 0.67 -0.66 0.38 -0.19 2.60 0.33 0.40 -0.06 0.57 1.83 0.27 0.70 0.38 0.41 1.82 -0.63 0.55 0.29 0.78 1.45 0.27 0.17 3.73 1.60 1.01 0.28 0.19 -0.32 0.18 0.13 0.46 -0.18 -0.83 0.19 0.35 2.28 2.35 0.19 1.44 -0.47 0.50 0.85 1.73 -0.14 0.06 0.49
NET VOL 8,234.90 9,581.32 15,569.27 58,619.25 8,354.93 8,988.83 4,101.24 4,501.03 6,409.31 4,130.77 32,538.31 11,175.06 11,275.72 10,737.55 5,067.11 41,018.95 4,433.30 40,806.37 12,076.66 41,814.40 18,735.66 21,372.58 79,566.37 50,467.69 4,745.00 4,340.51 57,072.21 5,672.15 5,126.67 7,334.43 4,924.81 30,757.22 18,341.91 10,043.10 4,433.35 3,740.41 15,531.28 4,686.12 25,610.29 9,177.92 5,400.75 18,171.14 5,135.68 7,068.57 36,398.91 6,484.76 61,454.90 3,971.02 9,304.51 10,333.12 19,711.28
1.38032
0.72446
Units per €
US dollar .....................................................................1.11663 Japan yen ................................................................133.925 Switzerland franc ................................................1.03896 Denmark kroner...................................................7.46249 Norway kroner.....................................................8.42207
currenciesdirect.com/mallorca • Tel: +34 687 906 226
DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES M AY 11
COMPANY MMM 3M AXP American Express AAPL Apple BA Boeing CAT Caterpillar CVX Chevron CSCO Cisco KO Coca-Cola DIS Disney DD E I du Pont de Nemours and Co XOM Exxon Mobil GE General Electric GS Goldman Sachs HD Home Depot IBM IBM INTC Intel JNJ Johnson & Johnson JPM JPMorgan Chase MCD McDonald's MRK Merck MSFT Microsoft NKE Nike PFE Pfizer PG Procter & Gamble TRV Travelers Companies Inc UTX United Technologies UNH UnitedHealth VZ Verizon V Visa WMT Wal-Mart
PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 2.0M +1.25% 160.60 +1.99 7.2M +0.70% 78.98 +0.55 +1.88% 55.6M 127.62 +2.36 7.1M +2.81% 145.46 +3.97 3.6M +1.02% 87.31 +0.88 7.1M +1.00% 108.65 +1.08 29.23 +0.425 +1.48% 22.6M +0.69% 11.1M 40.98 +0.28 6.3M +0.78% 110.11 +0.85 6.6M +2.66% 75.28 +1.95 +1.59% 11.4M 88.26 +1.39 +1.18% 37.2M 27.36 +0.32 3.2M +1.58% 200.50 +3.11 6.4M +2.21% 112.47 +2.43 3.1M +0.99% 172.68 +1.69 +1.72% 26.9M 32.80 +0.55 7.5M +1.82% 101.47 +1.81 +1.53% 16.8M 65.49 +0.99 7.5M +1.50% 98.23 +1.45 +0.73% 10.1M 60.74 +0.44 +2.25% 35.4M 47.75 +1.05 2.8M +0.98% 102.44 +0.99 +1.31% 20.4M 34.02 +0.44 6.9M +0.95% 80.96 +0.76 1.4M +1.12% 103.73 +1.15 3.7M +2.06% 118.43 +2.39 3.1M +0.80% 115.68 +0.92 +0.82% 13.3M 50.14 +0.41 +4.34% 18.4M 69.47 +2.89 5.3M +0.64% 78.53 +0.50
NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M AY 11
COMPANY
PRICE
CHANGE NET / %
Most Advanced China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Limited $ 2.79 Calithera Biosciences, Inc. $ 13.87 aTyr Pharma, Inc. $ 19.27 Alder BioPharmaceuticals, Inc. $ 37.23 LoJack Corporation $ 3.03 Stamps.com Inc. $ 73.05 SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. $ 31.10 ServiceSource International, Inc. $ 4.35 Relypsa, Inc. $ 34.54 Paylocity Holding Corporation $ 32.75 Alcobra Ltd. $ 6.35
0.96 ▲ 52.46% 4.35 ▲ 45.69% 4.32 ▲ 28.90% 7.04 ▲ 23.32% 0.52 ▲ 20.72% 12.38 ▲ 20.41% 4.71 ▲ 17.85% 0.60 ▲ 16% 4.60 ▲ 15.36% 4.26 ▲ 14.95% 0.75 ▲ 13.39%
Most Declined Fluidigm Corporation Planar Systems, Inc. Qumu Corporation BioScrip, Inc. bebe stores, inc. EnerNOC, Inc. Pozen, Inc. Matrix Service Company The KEYW Holding Corporation pSivida Corp. Monster Beverage Corporation
$ 26.95 $ 4.75 $ 10.03 $ 3.63 $ 2.91 $ 10.07 $ 6.83 $ 18.56 $ 7.66 $ 3.93 $ 128.47
10.48 ▼ 28.00% 1.44 ▼ 23.26% 2.89 ▼ 22.37% 0.78 ▼ 17.69% 0.51 ▼ 14.91% 1.66 ▼ 14.15% 1.11 ▼ 13.98% 2.97 ▼ 13.79% 1.05 ▼ 12.06% 0.47 ▼ 10.68% 15.02 ▼ 10.47%
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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL BUSINESS EXTRA
Invest in summer with a good BBQ Loose change Jane Plunkett A look at finance for females jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews.com
THE sun is set to keep on shining on Andalucia for the next few months and as we pack away the winter jumpers and cosy socks, it’s now time to set up the terrace or garden and take cooking outside. Whether it’s you personally, your other half, a son or a daughter that’s in charge of flipping sausages and making sure the steaks aren’t overcooked - an essential item this spring and summer is a good barbecue. The Flamenco inspired apron is obviously optional. But rather than throw money at the first shiny new gadget you see, it’s important to first research what barbecue is best for you and your friends or family. Prices for barbecues range from around €10 to more than €3,000, depending on the size, the number of features it boasts and the quality of its construction. But according to experts the price tag alone is not a guarantee of quality.
Fine threat EU authorities have recommended Spain be fined almost €19 million for manipulating economic statistics. It is the first time they have used their increased powers of oversight on national governments.
Confident sign IN a sign of strengthening market confidence Spain had negative interest rates on its medium-term debt, three years after the country came close to a bailout.
Election surge BARBECUE FUN: Before you buy, research what is best for you and your family. Top barbecue experts advise feeling the product and if one is considerably heavier than another it means it is made with better steel. Porcelain-coated charcoal barbecues are said to be good, as they tend to offer better resistance to heat and scratches and are harder wearing. It’s also apparently important to
have a lid for your barbecue so it can be used as an oven to cook your food. You do not have to spend a fortune or pay extra for a brand name, but don’t waste your money on disposable barbecues - these tend to heat far too quickly and can end up burning the meat you are cooking. And if you’re going to
spend good money on a nice cut of meat or a delicate fish then be sure not to put the product directly over flames, as this only blackens the outside of the food leaving the inside raw. The cooking of meat or fish should only be done when the flames have subsided and the charcoal has gone white.
UK investors saw share prices surge following the unexpected news the Conservative political party had won a clear parliamentary majority in the general election.
Output up SPANISH industrial production rose more than expected last month according to official data. The National Institue of Statistics said production rose 2.9 per cent in April compared to a 0.9 per cent rise in March.
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
14 - 20 May 2015 /Mallorca
www.euroweeklynews.com
EWN
27
Fred was the best salesman ever Talking shop
Fred was the sweetest natured and most inoffensive man. No one had the heart to say no to him.
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
MOST people reject, even resent the suggestion that they would make a good salesperson. The reality is that everyone, whether they like it or not, is a salesperson. When as a small child you resorted to guile to get your own way, you were selling yourself. There was never a day in your life when you didn’t sell yourself, an idea, a suggestion. When you got into a scrape you tried the ‘gift of the gab’ to get you out of it. When you fell in love you sold yourself to the person you hoped would respond. Whenever you applied
SELLING: Everyone is a salesperson.
for a job you worked hard at selling yourself. Forget sales courses unless selling them is your line of business. Sure, I picked up helpful tips from helpful books, for which I am grateful. Some hints and guidance over time helped to increase my commissions. However, the truth is that you can make a salesman better but you cannot make a salesperson out of someone who is uncomfortable in a salesman’s job. Over the years I interviewed scores of job
applicants. These included the hard-bitten footin-the door stereotype salesmen. As their approach was confrontational they were never successful. To them selling was a matter of getting the better of a victim. I would rather wash sheets in a brothel. I have to confess, when I interviewed a prospective salesperson, I was clueless at predicting their success or lack of it. The most outstanding salesperson I had the good fortune to employ was no one’s idea of a salesman. How I groaned when Fred arrived at the interview. Fred was the sweetest natured and most inoffensive man I ever met. I imagine he had never killed a fly. I gave him a start simply because I didn’t have the heart to say no to him. Fred was by far the best salesman I ever had. You know why? No one else had the heart to say no to him either. What a winning strategy.
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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
Greece raids reserves at the IMF to meet its debt deadline By Steve Walsh SPAIN’S financial gurus watched closely as the Greek finance minister had to raid emergency reserves in its holding account at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in order to meet its €750 million payment deadline. On Monday, Yanis Varoufakis was in Brussels for talks with his Eurozone counterparts, where he told Euronews.com in an interview that the heavily-indebted country would come up with the cash. The outcome of this meeting is seen as hugely important to Spain as it could affect confidence in the euro and Eurozone economies. With Spain having posted better than expected growth, the last thing the financial
€750m was the amount Athens had to pay back
community in the country wants is more euro uncertainty. Encouragingly for Spain, Varoufakis said: “Our standard answer is that Greece will always meet its obligations to its creditors and obviously we are going to do this.”
Reportedly, Varoufakis managed to find €650 million towards the payment by tapping into Greece’s holding account with the IMF, according to an unnamed source within the Greek government. Greece could decide to hold a referendum on any possible agree-
ment with its creditors. Wolfgang Schauble, the German finance minister, hinted that Berlin would back such a move in an apparent shift in stance. “If the Greek government wants to have a referendum, then let it hold a referendum,” he said. “Maybe it would be the right step so that the Greek people could decide whether it is ready to accept what is necessary, or whether it wants something different,” Schauble added.
IN BRUSSELS: Yanis Varoufakis, Greece’s Finance Minister.
Boost for expat investors in UK stocks and shares Spain approves anti-corruption package.
Fighting corruption THE Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has welcomed a Spanish anti-corruption legislative package. The laws recently approved by the Spanish Parliament in order to fight corruption and promote both integrity and transparency in political activities and institutions were also aimed at democratic regeneration. The measures include two new laws regulating the financing of political parties and the conduct of senior officials in the Spanish public administration, as well as some adjustment in the penal code to better tackle these issues. The OECD has identified the fight against corruption as critical to restoring the trust of citizens in public institutions. It said it is encouraging the Spanish authorities to proceed to a prompt and effective implementation and enforcement of this ‘promising’ legislation.
BRITISH expatriates in Spain who invest in UK stocks and shares received a boost, when the British stock market surged. This followed the news that David Minister Prime Cameron’s Conservatives had unexpectedly gained an overall majority and won the general election, giving the party another five years in power. It has given expat investors a double gain as the pound remains strong against the euro at €1.39 to the pound at the time of going to press. As the election news hit the city, the blue-chip FTSE 100 Index rose 2.2 per cent to 7,038.96 points by 1.44pm GMT, almost reaching the record high of 7,122.74 points of last month. It headed for its biggest one-day percentage gain since early January. The FTSE 250 Mid-cap Index rose 2.7 per cent to set an
The election result has given expat investors a double gain as the pound remains strong against the euro all-time high as the election results came through and the Conservatives secured an overall majority, overturning poll predictions of a hung parliament. Many investors had backed the Conservatives over the opposition, centre-left Labour Party, which had promised tough regulation of industries such as banking, utilities, real estate and gambling, which could have hit the profits of companies in those sectors. Robert Parkes, director of equity strategy at HSBC Bank
said: “We are seeing a relief rally in some domestically focused names, with utilities, real estate, transport and banks having a pretty good day. But the political uncertainty isn’t going to go away. We have now got a referendum of Britain’s EU membership on the horizon.” The FTSE 100 Volatility Index fell 21.8 per cent to 12.98, the lowest since July.
Allianz eyes traditional lenders ALTERNATIVE lending may be on the rise in Spain, Germany, France, and the UK, but there is still a role for traditional lenders, according to Ronald Fuchs, head of real estate finance at German insurer Allianz. Allianz Real Estate views traditional lenders not as competition but as a platform for co-operation, Fuchs told PropertyEU.com at a debt finance investment briefing held at UBS in Frankfurt. “As a strategic concept, we see more in partnerships between insurance companies and lenders. This could take different forms including a horizontal division of the risk. There is competition from alternative lenders from the UK in the French and German market, but they are not a replacement for banks and they will not overtake them.” While the share of non-bank real estate lenders has risen strongly in the UK in the past two to three years, traditional lenders remain a force to contend with, Fuchs said. “We are interested in exploring whether there is a way of using both sources for the benefit of the client,” he explained. Allianz Real Estate has done little lending in Germany in the past 12 months, Fuchs reported. “That’s not because we don’t like it because of the fundamentals. We haven’t seen the right risk-return profile and have therefore decided to invest more in other European jurisdictions like Spain, Austria and the Netherlands. We have a global budget and that needs to be sustainable on a long-term basis. It doesn’t need to be fed by local business,” he added.
Hands gets treasury job PRIME MINISTER David Cameron has named Greg Hands as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, giving him a key role in the government’s reinvented push to cut expenditure and bring down the budget deficit. Hands, who was previously an aide to Finance Minister George Osborne, replaces Danny Alexander, whose Liberal Democrats party was a coalition partner in Cameron’s first government but is now in opposition after suffering big losses in the May 7 election.
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OPINION & COMMENT
Labour’s campaign of clutter THE party lost because it completely underestimated the intelligence of the British public LEAPY LEE SAYS IT
OTHERS THINK IT YOU know the main reason the Labour party was routed in the election? Because, in their usual bitter arrogance, they completely underestimated the intelligence of the British public. Theirs was a campaign full of gimmicks, denials and downright lies. From the pink van and travelling dais, their ludicrous promises in stone, to the twittering insults and interview with the moronic Brand person, they endeavored to trick the voters into thinking their leftwing policies were the only way to save a society that actually didn’t need saving at all. By contrast, Cameron conducted an utterly dignified and straightforward campaign, which included, to my mind quite correctly, refusing to be sucked into a gimmicky debate, which would have resulted in him becoming the brunt of a bunch of wannabees placing him and his party in a firing line of negativity. In the end the results, despite the so-called polls (which need
Despite the so-called polls...the party that has rescued the country from the chaos of leftwing management finished up the clear victors.
IN CONTROL: PM David Cameron is exactly where he should be.
to be put under some severe scrutiny) finished up exactly where they should have been. The party that has rescued the country from the chaos of leftwing management finished up the clear victors. The party, which got into power simply because it had picked up a few seats, was severely ousted, and a bunch of out of touch, incompetent throwbacks, were utterly humiliated and sent scuttling for cover, hopefully for generations to come. The only party I do feel was hard done by is UKIP, which, despite
picking up millions of votes, only managed to obtain one seat. Perhaps the whole voting process should be looked at before the next election. I was also gratified to see the SNP pick up the Scottish vote, basically because there is also now stiff opposition in place should they endeavour to ride roughshod over any policies put forward by the Conservatives. Subsequently they are free to concentrate on purely Scottish agendas, practise their beloved independence and not constantly seek to recreate the Battle of Bannockburn in the Houses of the British Parliament. Mind how ye go! One other thing that did strike me about the ‘campaign of clutter’ presented by Labour was the utterly intentional silence and non participation of the unions. On the surface, that is. In reality, mark my words, with their usual devious agendas and underhanded methods, they were laying in wait, ready to raise their ugly heads and strike chaos among the British public with all the stealth of the snakes in the grass they undoubtedly are. Well tough titty! Let us all now look forward to a time of prosperity and good common sense for the
Frederic Legrand - COMEO / Shutterstock.com
STREET TALK
YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION
Which is best place to be a mum? SPAIN has been ranked in seventh place amongst the best countries in which to be a mother. Norway was the best. However, the UK came in at 24th. Do you think Spain is a better place to be a mother or the UK? SUSAN WORTHINGTON of the Spectrum IFA Group feels that International Schools open up more doors. She told us, “The quality of life here is better and I believe it is safer in a lot of ways more than the UK. My grandson was born in France but is now here in Spain, as we all prefer to live here. “I have been here for 21 years and so all the children have been to the International schools which I think opens up lots more doors to them. The education system has been good for my family. “I have no complaints either about the hospitals or medical care but fortunately none of us has suffered much illness but I am happy to be a mum in Spain
Joanne Greenwood with her daughter.
definitely.” A sentiment echoed by Joanne Greenwood of Webb’s Removals who said, “I feel more comfortable. My daughter is at school here in Mallorca and I find the system very different to when I was at school. “I still think there should be a level of respect for the teachers as it now seems a very informal way of teaching and I don’t think that is
a good thing. The private education seems to be a better choice for a child here. The social life with kids is great and I feel more comfortable for my kids to play out on an evening. The medical system is fantastic, quick, efficient and very customer friendly so that is a big plus for Spain.” Krista Hyer
from the Cancer Support Group added, “The schoolchildren speak two languages,” and continued to say, “Although the lifestyle here is good for families, being in Mallorca, the schools teach Catalan in the classroom and Spanish in the playground, so children speak two languages at school which some find difficult.
“If they are young they have more chance of picking that up. The medical care is brilliant though, I can’t fault that at all. I have been living here for the past 14 years and have a grandchild, so I am happy with the medical care you receive.” Lindsay Magill of Air Conditioning & Electrical Installations Mallorca, is happy that there are less restrictions and tells us, “We brought our child here when she was one, I have two children one 12 and one five-year-old, and I am happy with the education although it is harder with the lessons and projects being in Catalan. “ “My kids are now bilingual so they have a good lifestyle.”
Krista Hyer (middle). Susan Worthington (left).
OPINION & COMMENT
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14 - 20 May 2015 / Mallorca
EWN
Philip Lange / Shutterstock.com
Benidorm goes after Unesco and teenagers now prefer using emojis! Nora Johnson
Breaking Views Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a free-lance journalist. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/nora-johnson
TWO bits of news, one maybe more surprising than the other. Benidorm is applying for Unesco world heritage status! This would place the resort alongside sites such as the Great Wall of China, Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza. Now, Benidorm’s a far more interesting place than it’s given credit for. Formerly a fishing village, it was a pioneer of high-rise holidays near the sea primarily aimed at the residents of major Spanish cities, though naturally it attracts a wide range of other nationalities too. It’s got great promenades, sandy beaches and good restaurants in the old town. This isn’t the first time Benidorm’s been portrayed as a
BENIDORM: A vibrant holiday destination for many. world heritage site. In 2008, a French professor championed the high-rise resort as the ‘Dubai of Europe’. Benidorm is undoubtedly a successful example of one kind of mass tourism. Does this make it a heritage site? I’m not convinced.
World heritage status would place the resort alongside sites such as the Great Wall of China.
And the other less surprising news? That teenagers, being teenagers, are replacing old forms of ‘text speak’ for emojis (cartoon-like pictures illustrating electronic messages) and new code words. Fleek (looking good) is popular as is FO-
MO (fear of missing out) and Bae (a romantic term of endearment). And my response? TGUOD (they’ll grow up one day!). This, then, together with the proposal to allow students to use Google in exams! Since kids are already geniuses at Googling things, the temptation must now be: why bother to learn anything at all? Some claim that the skin-deep, fly-leaf skimming nature of the internet is already a major problem. The speed of news development via social networks means we know more, learn little and remember even less. We live now in such a very easy environment in which to tell a lie and then move on - a trick mastered by recent political spin doctors. And Plato complained that writing would destroy memory! Or was that Archimedes? I can’t remember … Nora Johnson’s thrillers Landscape of Lies, Retribution, Soul Stealer, The De Clerambault Code (www.nora-johnson.com) available from Amazon. Profits to Cudeca.
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OPINION & COMMENT
LEGALLY SPEAKING
SPEED TRAPS: DGT publishes list of locations.
Speed traps listed AS part of a new series, we feature some common driving questions, the answers to which are kindly provided by members of the Guardia Civil based in Torrevieja, Costa Blanca, who set up the N332 website and Facebook page to help break down barriers. IN a bid to reduce the number of speeding motorists on the roads and therefore subsequently reducing the number of speed related incidents, the DGT has published a list of mobile radar speed traps on the roads of Asturias and Castilla y Leon. That is a new departure for Spain. The DGT already publishes national information on the location of fixed speed cameras, information which is also available on some mobile devices such as GPS units, which are legal to own as the information has already been published. However, the law prohibits the use of de-
vices which advise drivers of mobile radar traps, so the fact that mobile speed traps in Asturias and Castilla y Leon has been published is pretty unique. The measure forms part of an overall plan of transparency to ensure drivers respect speed limits on the road. The information published for the two areas is for the month of May and it is expected that it will spread to other areas where speed checks are intensified. To see the locations of fixed cameras around the country, visit www.dgt.es/es/ el-trafico/control-de-velocidad/
For more news and articles visit www.n332.es or search N332 on Facebook.
UK Civil Service pensions must be declared in 2016 I read your article about changes in the treatment of Civil Service pensions for this year’s ‘Renta’ (Spanish income tax) exercise. I telephoned the tax office in Valencia and was told that, unless I now had Spanish nationality, the change First, there is no change in the declaration of UK Civil Service pensions for the Spanish tax declaration you make in May and June. This declaration is for the tax year 2014 and the new treaty did not go into effect until January 1, 2015, so the changes will apply to next year’s for 2015. The main change is that all UK persons resident in Spain who receive UK Civil Service or other government pensions will from the next declaration have to declare the amount of these
would not apply. I read the official state bulletin which seems to confirm this but am still confused. She also emailed me a copy of the BOE, the official state bulletin, M C (Costa Blanca)
David Searl You and the Law in Spain
pensions on their Spanish income tax form. These government pensions are not OAP pensions. They include Civil Service and municipal jobs as well. Until this year, these pensions ‘did not exist’ for the Spanish tax agency. The taxpayer will list his Civil Service pension along with any other income he has, such as his old-age pension, on his tax decla-
ration. Because Spain has a sliding scale of percentages on income, this total then draws tax at 21 per cent, or 25 per cent or 31 per cent, depending on the amount. The amount of the government pension is then deducted from the total income, but the remaining amount is taxed at the higher rate given by the sliding scale. So you are not taxed directly on the Civil Service income, but you wind up paying more anyway because of the higher percentage.
OPINION & COMMENT
www.euroweeklynews.com
14 - 20 May 2015 / Mallorca
If only I were a carpenter John Constable, but he could pretty much put his hand to anything creative. In my first year at secondary school, woodwork was part of the syllabus and with a father like mine, it was reasonable to assume I would have been able to master the craft fairly easily. No! In the first week of the new school year in September, we were given the task of making a simple teapot stand, but I was still planing and sanding that darn thing as we were preparing
Colin Bird A weekly look Each week, Colin brings his slightly off-the-wall view of the world to the pages of EWN in his own irreverent style.
I AM building myself an outside bar ready for summer. That’s to say a good friend, whose grasp of all things practical is a billion times more evolved than mine, is building it for me. But fair dos, I am helping significantly with the construction process - I pass him screws; hold the step ladder steady; shout encouragement and drink mugs of coffee. It’s amazing how quickly things progress when there is close cooperation such as this. But I have to fess up and say that anything to do with DIY has always been as alien to me as a good melody is to Morrissey. The same goes for anything to do with computers. Just as I get to grips with one new supa dupa machine, it is made virtually obsolete by a suparer duparer piece of kit appearing on the market, and I have to get the sixyear-old from next door to explain it to me. It’s humiliating. It’s something I have never understood, because my dear old Dad was a whizz at all these things... well not computers of course; in his day it was quill and parchment, and an abacus.
I have to confess and say that anything to do with DIY has always been alien to me.
WOODWORK: It was reasonable to assume I could master the craft. But he would always be sawing and hammering and making useful things in wood in his little shed in the garden, or making scale models of Sunderland
flying boats or Spanish galleons, as well as knocking out the odd water colour painting to hang on the wall. He was no George Hepplewhite or
to break up for the Christmas holidays. The woodwork master was so exasperated with me, that he binned my pathetic and rapidly shrinking effort, and much to my shame and in front of my tittering pals, he knocked one up for me in 15 minutes flat. I duly presented the article to my parents as all my own work, not having the nerve to tell them that my class mates were already working on diningroom suites and ocean-going yachts. At least I am accomplished in the art that will put my bar to good use.
Collapsing into complete chaos FEW seem to have thought what will happen if the US is beaten as top dog in world markets. Mike Walsh Mike, based in Mediterranean Spain, is an international journalist, author and professional writer.
THE European Union flounders and founders as a result of its anti-Russian stance. Distracted, few seem to give a thought as to what happens if the US is bested in its battle to remain top dog in world markets. European Union Foreign and Defence policies are as joined with Washington DC as are Siamese twins. As if such vulnerability isn’t enough there is a growing likelihood of America’s economy going into tailspin. When I first prophesied the dollar’s collapse there were guffaws. Only the short-sighted are laughing now. Many insiders no longer debate whether this will happen or not. The topic has moved on to when it will happen and what the con-
EU SANCTIONS: Pushed Russia into China’s arms. sequences will be. The US trade deficit in March exploded. Against expectations there was a teeth-grinding $41.7bn deficit; the worst result since 2008. Russia, forging alliance with China, knowing the tables are turning in its favour, accumulates gold, peacefully expands its economy, forms staggering
trade alliances, whilst watching how the US gets out of this one. EU sanctions pushed Russia into China’s arms. Idiots. Mainstream media, quick to gloat when the rouble sinks, is quiet now it has bounced back. Russia has the economic cushion, the gold reserves, its BRICS trade base, the self sufficiency to come out tops. Rus-
sia’s $600bn debt is 33 times smaller than that of the US and 23 times smaller than the EU. Americans are out of money. Its cities are in a state of social disintegration. Today, we are fast approaching the uncomfortable consequences of Western economies. This is where the peoples of the European Union’s 28 nations
EWN
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OUR VIEW
ELECTIONS: Coming near.
Watch the road instead of me! WITH the UK general elections done and dusted, don’t put your pen away yet. The Spanish election campaigns are just getting into top gear. For the registered voters here in Spain, now is the time all your local politicians come out of the woodwork and plaster their posters and banners throughout your streets. They will be telling you how they have improved life in the town with incentives such as the local highways and byways, and by increasing safety and road conditions. In a last-ditch attempt to gain your vote by promising you the world, the brightly coloured banners and publicity posters will be littering lamp posts, and lighting up litter bins on all major roads. So, while you are driving around your town admiring all the different smiling political faces beaming down at you, it might escape your notice you are actually paying more attention to them, than watching the safe new distraction free road you are just about to have an accident on. If we are not to become ‘Just another statistic’ in the politicians’ campaigns against road accidents, it would be best to ignore the politicians watching you, and watch the road instead.
awaken to the fact the United States is the European Union. EU banks are so enmeshed with Wall Street their survival in such a scenario is highly unlikely. Should the US dollar collapse these nations will discover they are orphans. Their economies in tatters and trade with Russia dismantled. Defenceless and without a coherent foreign policy, the European Bloc will splinter fast. There is already a breaking of ranks. Iceland has disconnected and has an independent banking system. Finland has Option B ready in the event of the Euro collapse. Nations like Greece, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and others are already giving the finger to Brussels and cutting deals with Russia. Now we Spain looks to Latin America want to for survival. Expect an ‘every hear your news. man to himself’ scramble to reach the reception desk YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE at the Russian orphanage. - YOUR OPINION Pragmatism suggests they www.euroweeklynews.com have little choice.
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TV LISTING
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OPINION & COMMENT
14 - 20 May 2015 /Mallorca
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35
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Euro unchanged Commentary by Moneycorp EUR By and large the pan-Euroland economic statistics came in better than expected and higher than the previous month. That was certainly true of the purchasing managers’ index readings. They indicated faster growth in the private sector, both for manufacturing and services. The UK and US data were less compelling, with two of the three UK PMIs falling short of expectations. It left a nagging concern that neither of those central banks will be in any hurry to increase interest rates. But in the end sterling pulled a totally unexpected rabbit out of its hat when the incumbent Conservative government was able to scrape together an overall majority - albeit a narrow one in Thursday’s general election. That result made the pound the week’s top-performing major currency, taking a net cent and a quarter off the euro. The US dollar and the euro were unchanged against one another. USD The US and UK economic statistics were not much to write home about. In both countries more of the data missed the mark than beat it. By and large the pan-Euroland economic statis-
tics came in better than expected: The purchasing managers’ index readings indicated faster growth in the private sector, both for manufacturing and services. Janet Yellen, the Federal Reserve chairperson, did the dollar no favours when she commented that bond and share prices are “generally quite high.” Investors inferred that the Fed might hesitate to send them lower by raising interest rates. But in the end sterling pulled a totally unexpected rabbit out of its hat when the incumbent Conservative government was able to scrape together a majority in Thursday’s general election. That result made the pound the week’s top-performing major currency, taking a net cent and a half off the dollar. The US dollar, the euro and the Canadian dollar were unchanged against one another. CAD On the basis that they were almost all better than expected, the Canadian economic statistics were positive for the Loonie. By the same token, the majority of the US and UK ecostats were disappointing and therefore unhelpful to their respective currencies. During most of the week sterling was on the
Clarisse Musselwhite is Moneycorp’s Account Manager for Mallorca
She can be contacted on Tel: +34 902 887 243 Mobile: +34 687 932 472 Email:mallorca@moneycorp.com
902887243 mallorca@moneycorp.com defensive, not only because of concerns about the UK economy but also because of the upcoming election. On Thursday night that negative sentiment underwent a dramatic reversal. In the end sterling pulled a totally unexpected rabbit out of its hat when the incumbent Conservative government was able to scrape together a majority in Thursday’s general election. That result made the pound the week’s top-performing major currency, taking a net two and a quarter cents off the Canadian dollar. The Loonie,
the US dollar and the euro were unchanged against one another. AUD The Australian economic statistics were not compellingly bullish for the Aussie but they were uncontroversial. There was a healthy increase in the number of building permits, factory gate prices picked up and the loss of 3k jobs in April was too small to be scary. Investors initially marked down the Aussie when the Reserve Bank of Australia cut its benchmark interest rate from 2.25 per c ent to 2 per cent. However, there was a rapid rethink after they scanned the central bank’s statement. Its comments on the economy were more upbeat than of late and investors inferred that rates would go no lower. Sterling pulled a totally unexpected rabbit out of its hat when the Conservative party scraped together a majority in Thursday’s general election. That result made the pound the week’s top-performing major currency, taking a net cent and a half off the Australian dollar. The Aussie added a quarter of a US cent and a third of a euro cent.
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E W N 14 - 20 May 2015 / Mallorca
LETTERS
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Letters for Your Say should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments straight on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com
A scam to be aware of, but insurance no help at all… I WAS very interested to read the article ‘Avoid being a victim of fraud’, written by Jane Plunkett (Issue 1554). It is exactly what happened to me early in January, when a letter arrived from what purported to be the electricity company saying ‘technicians’ would be visiting. Once in the home, one distracted me and the other stole valuables, in what was an elaborate scam. I am an elderly person and what they took were items precious to me. I would hope other victims would find their insurance company treating them fairly. I have been with my insurance company for a number of years and my cover included robbery, but I was refused a claim as they said it was robbery without violence. So it would seem unless I was willing to be assaulted, I had no claim. I would like to point out I am 89 years old, 4ft 10in tall. So you can imagine what chance I would stand. JS, Fuengirola (Malaga)
Shocking bills HAVE any of your readers ever been billed by Iberdrola electricity company for a meter that was not installed on their property; in other words, someone else’s meter? Iberdrola started billing me for a meter that they allege was installed on the outside of my property in Oliva on June 25, 2014, but no new meter has ever been installed. The original meter is inside and is still working as it should. I am currently unable to return to Spain because of ongoing health problems and despite dozens of emails and telephone calls to Iberdrola they are still taking hundreds of euros from my bank account and seemingly fobbing me off. It would be an extremely simple matter for an Iberdrola employee to visit the exterior of my property (a small townhouse with a frontage of approximately four metres wide) and see for themselves that there is
Photographs for possible publication should be sent by email with a full caption to: photonews@euroweeklynews.com
The smell was even more vibrant than the vision! This stall in a Granada market made a colourful display. John Walsh, Torrevieja (Alicante)
no meter installed outside and at the same time see exactly whose property the allegedly installed meter is connected to. Then perhaps they could give me a refund of the money that they are stealing from me. Kevin Curzon (via www.euroweeklynews.com)
The wrong sex MY son, who is 22, has lived in Benidorm for four years. For three of those he has worked in three bars; one cash in hand and the last two on contract - or so he thought. When he tried to get the unemployment money to help him during the winter it turned out his contracts were not worth the paper they were written on! To make things worse my son, who speaks Spanish and English, has been looking for work as a waiter, but in spite of emails to 80 bars he has had no luck. Despite having references and good word of mouth reports, and also doing unpaid free work for a well-known Spanish theme park, he has not heard a thing back from anyone.
What is going on in Benidorm now is that bars only seem to want women staff, which is discrimination. When you go inside with your CV they say: “Sorry we want a girl/woman.” This has happened with at least 25 bars which are English, as well as Spanish bars, and it should not be allowed. There are not many 22-year-olds who want to work nowadays but how many knock-backs can you keep getting because you’re not a woman? Paul, Benidorm (Alicante)
I don’t believe it! I CANNOT believe that a report published last week in a Costa del Sol newspaper (EWN all editions Issue 1557) didn’t cause an absolute furore of public indignation. Poor old Leapy bleating on about a war that finished 70 years ago, as though the current population of Germany are all personally responsible. If we want to revisit history how about the Irish Famine? (Grain continued to be exported while one million men, women and children starved); the Boer War? (Who in-
vented concentration camps?); the Aboriginal genocide in Australia?; the slave trade? Fire bombing Dresden? (25,000 civilian deaths in two nights). Oh dear! We did all those but never mind, the Germans were much worse. We should always remember. My own father came out at Dunkirk and was later evacuated from Burma with bits of Japanese mortar shrapnel in his chest. The purpose of remembrance is to avoid the same mistakes again, although I’m not sure we can rely on the current bunch of career politicians to do that. Respect the two-minute silence, honour the fallen, but get over the blame game. Peter Thompson, Torrox (Malaga)
Disgraceful article I’VE just read Leapy Lee’s disgraceful article. How dare he be so opinionated on a subject he knows nothing about! Were you actually there? Did you actually live through the times of torture and fear bestowed upon the
German nation by the Nazi party? I think not. Laying the blame on the entire German nation and demanding that generations later they still ought to apologise for the actions of a crazy demented few and continue to feel guilty is outrageous. Perhaps Leapy would like to personally shoulder the blame for the invention of concentration camps by the British in Nova Scotia back in the 1700s? Or the occupation of India, or more recently the invasion of Iraq? No? How strange. Keep your deluded thoughts to yourself. How you can be given column inches in this publication is beyond understanding. Mrs M Fullerton (by email)
No UK vote I HAVE lived with my wife in Southern Spain for 21 years. We have residencia and are on the padron. We received our voting cards to vote in the May 24 elections in our local town of Fuengirola. Yet despite still paying UK taxes, my wife and I were not allowed to vote in the UK election as we have lived overseas for more than 15 years. Roy and Christine Hayhurst, Fuengirola (Malaga)
Titter ye not REGARDING previous correspondence on giving children inappropriate names, you would have thought that with the surname Mycock the parents of a school friend of mine would have considered calling her Patricia a very bad mistake!! Alan Lowe (By email)
WHEN YOU WRITE All letters, whether by email or post, should carry the writer’s postal address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published. Letters may also be edited. Readers who have missed earlier correspondence can see all letters posted on:
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The views expressed and opinions given in Letters are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. They accept no responsibility for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements, and reject claims arising out of any action that a company or individual may take on the basis of information contained therein.
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Alicante TODAY: Fri Sat Sun -
22 16 S 24 16 S 25 17 S
Mon - 25 17 S Tues - 26 18 S Wed - 26 18 S
Almeria TODAY: Wanting to put things right with someone close is a good instinct to have. It would certainly give you peace of mind. Indeed, this should be a quiet and peaceful week and one that is long overdue. Being successful in business is only one part of success. The light is dawning that what you have always wanted has changed.
TAURUS
(April 21 - May 21)
Fri Sat Sun -
Mon - 26 18 S Tues - 27 18 S Wed - 25 18 S
SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Although you are only too aware that you are capable of great good when you put your mind to it, it would be wise to bide your time this week. You may not realise that you are expending too much energy until your weary head hits the pillow. Be kind to your body. Some things that are taken for granted should not be so. SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) It may seem that everyone wants your attention
AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Putting all of your eggs in one basket is rarely
Nonagram
TARGET: Average: 18 Good: 23 Very good: 34 Excellent: 41
How many English words of four letters or more can you make from the nine letters in our Nonagram puzzle? Each letter may be used only once (unless the letter appears twice). Each word MUST CONTAIN THE CENTRE LETTER (in this case B) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION arvo aver derv deva dove even ever nave neve nova oven over rave rove vane veer vend vent vert veto vote avert drove evade event evert nerve never novae ovate overt raved raven reave revet roved trave trove vaned verde voted voter advent advert devote evader nerved tavern vender vendor vented venter vetoed vetoer averted overate overeat ravened verdant veteran endeavor renovate RENOVATED
MAX MIN
25 15 S 25 16 S 24 16 S
Mon - 25 17 S Tues - 24 17 S Wed - 23 17 S
Benidorm TODAY:
MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun -
ARIES (March 21 - April 20) With your engine revving and the road ahead clear, a sense of great freedom is with you. There are those for whom this week is a chance to really make headway. For some, though, it is an irksome task. The difference is that some of you are taking a negative attitude. Make sure that yours is positive and you will have a chance to make real progress.
24 17 S 26 17 S 26 18 S
Mon - 27 18 S Tues - 27 19 S Wed - 26 19 S
S Sun,
Cl Clear,
Sh Showers,
6-Star Quiz
UK THUNDERBALL
IRISH LOTTO
EURO MILLIONS
LA PRIMITIVA
EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA
Saturday May 9
Saturday May 9
Friday May 8
Saturday May 9
Sunday May 10
Saturday May 9
5
17
22
31
40
48
9
12 19
13 36
2
5
13
17
32
34
BONUS BALL
THUNDERBALL
BONUS BALL
18
10
45
7
14 47
19 49
LUCKY STARS
3
10
6
20
30
36
41
49
REINTEGRO
4
2
SUNNY
TODAY:
MAX 26C, MIN 18C
MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX MIN
27 17 S 24 16 S 26 17 S
Mon - 27 17 S Tues - 26 17 S Wed - 27 18 S
SUNNY MAX 29C, MIN 16C
TODAY:
MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX MIN
23 14 S 25 14 S 25 14 S
Mon - 27 14 S Tues - 28 15 S Wed - 27 16 S
7
22 26
23 38
REINTEGRO
0
SUNNY MAX 32C, MIN 17C
TODAY:
MAX MIN
MAX MIN
Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3X3 box contains the digits 1-9. There’s no maths involved. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
Mon - 32 15 S Tues - 32 16 S Wed - 29 13 Cl
Murcia
SUNNY MAX 26C, MIN 19C
Sudoku LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) You are freer than you imagine. Your imagination is letting you down a bit at the moment. Not for some time have opportunities been throwing themselves at you like this.
at the moment. There are times when you would like nothing more than to go away and clear your mind. This is not only possible but essential. You need some quiet moments. Even a day away can renew your spirits and energy. CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) So strong have been the practical considerations of late that you have been in a bad position. You need to live more for the ‘now’ and less for the ‘tomorrow’. Of course, life should be a mixture of both but sometimes it all gets a bit jumbled. Getting a few hours peace and quiet on your own may be all that you need. Getting enough sleep is also important in this situation.
LOTTERY
LEO (July 24 - August 23) With high energy you are seeking to get as much done as possible in a small amount of time. Rather than go at it ‘hammer and tongs’, it could be easier. Let someone help you out.
LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) Give others the benefit of the doubt and your infinite patience this week. Situations will change from minute to minute. It would be a waste of energy to take anything at face value.
Fri Sat Sun -
PISCES (February 20 - March 20) How you feel about someone will change dramatically during the week. This will surprise you. Thinking about it logically, though, you have been missing the point for some time. Someone who you always thought of as a friend turns out to be much more. How you deal with this is very much an individual thing.
MAX MIN
24 9 Cl 27 12 Cl 29 13 S
Mallorca
CLEAR MAX 23C, MIN 17C MAX MIN
CANCER (June 22 - July 23) What is the reason that you are being held back? Are you sure that you are, in reality, being held back at all? These are not trick questions. Being honest with your answers this week will lift a cloud from your horizon.
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX MIN
23 17 S 22 16 S 25 17 S
Barcelona TODAY:
MAX MIN
Malaga
SUNNY MAX 26C, MIN 15C MAX MIN
to be advised. It should particularly be avoided this week. For the sake of speed and ease it will be tempting to take short cuts and make decisions that are bland. These will, of their nature, not be of the ‘good’ or ‘great’ categories. You are capable of better.
SUNNY MAX 34C, MIN 19C
TODAY:
MAX MIN
MAX MIN
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GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Someone very special could come into your life. You must, however, be at the ball to meet the prince. This opportunity for happiness is not going to jump up and bite you. A phone call could be the start of it all. Accept invitations and get out and about. Be aware of what is going on so that you can be in the right place at the right time.
Madrid
SUNNY MAX 26C, MIN 22C
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX MIN
27 17 S 29 16 S 28 16 S
F Fog, Sn Snow,
Mon - 28 16 S Tues - 30 18 S Wed - 30 18 S
C Cloudy, Th Thunder
BIRDS OF A FEATHER 1. Following the Great Fire of London (1666), which English architect was responsible for the design of the new St Paul’s Cathedral (1675–1711) and many of the city’s churches? 2. What is the name of the protagonist of the novels The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal by Thomas Harris, played by Jodie Foster and Julianne Moore in the film adaptations? 3. What was the name of the ‘busker’ who achieved unexpected commercial success in the UK in the late 1960s with the songs Rosie and Blue Eyes? 4. What was the title of the British ‘magazine format’ children’s television programme shown on ITV from July 1968 to June 1980, which was intended to compete with the BBC’s Blue Peter? 5. Which American comedian was the host of NBC’s The Tonight Show from 1992 to 2009? 6. Which Anglo-Irish writer’s best known work was Gulliver’s Travels (1726), a satire on human society in the form of a fantastic tale of travels in imaginary lands? 1. Sir Christopher WREN, 2. Clarice M STARLING, 3. Don PARTRIDGE, 4. MAGPIE, 5. JAY Leno, 6. Jonathan SWIFT.
YOUR STARS
OUT
14 - 20 May 2015 / Mallorca
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AK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE
Enjoy filling in the following puzzles and check the answers in next week’s edition
Quick
Code Breaker
Across 1 Religious orders (5) 4 Glass vessel (6) 9 Alluring beauty (7) 10 White heron (5) 11 Simple (4) 12 More unpleasant (7) 13/18 Circus tent (3,3) 14 Thought (4) 16 Border (4) 18 See 13 20 Shorten (7) 21 Completely unclothed (4) 24 Relating to birds (5) 25 Surprise suddenly (7) 26 Indicator (6) 27 Agreement details (5) Down 1 Small seal (6) 2 State of extreme disorder (5) 3 Footwear (4) 5 Pass beyond limits (8) 6 Revolving (7) 7 Complete (6) 8 Not correct (5) 13 Large and brightly coloured neckerchief (8)
39
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Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 11 represents Y and 24 represents M, so fill in Y every time the figure 11 appears and M every time the figure 24 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: 7 Career, 8 Onager, 9 Bali, 10 Prepared, 11 Aspired, 13 Began, 15 James, 17 Feasted, 20 Steerage, 21 Scab, 23 Reside, 24 Stereo.
Down: 1 Saga, 2 Gemini, 3 Dripped, 4 Boxer, 5 Madame, 6 Serenade, 12 Startled, 14 Release, 16 Eyelid, 18 System, 19 Jaded, 22 Amen.
QUICK Across:
15 Special loved one (7) 17 Annoy continually or chronically (6) 18 Mock or make fun of
English - Spanish
playfully (5) 19 Alcove (6) 22 Theatrical performer (5) 23 Lure (4)
Down: 1 Utter, 2 Duplicate, 3 Rose, 4 Ass, 5 Trainer, 6 Lower class, 9 Dishearten, 12 Happiness, 14 Alarmed, 18 Tried, 19 Spot, 21 Ate.
The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.
Across 1 Chándal (9) 8 Spider (5) 9 Grano (de cereales) (5) 11 Wool (4) 12 House (4) 14 Cat (domestic) (4) 16 Lago (4) 19 Temprano (5) 21 Smooth (skin) (5) 22 Direcciones (9)
ENGLISH-SPANISH Across:
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
1 Peace, 3 Estar, 6 Arma, 7 Atraco, 9 Breakfast, 12 Aunque, 13 Nada, 14 Acera, 15 Nieta.
Down: 1 Pray, 2 Almirante, 3 Estufa, 4 Translate, 5 Roof, 8 Basura, 10 Raza, 11 Papa.
Down 2 Carreteras (5) 3 Carbón (4) 4 Señal (de aviso) (4) 5 Departure (3) 6 Relojes (de pulsera) (7) 7 To shrink (7) 10 Trapo (3) 13 Todo (en su totalidad) (3) 15 Despierto (no dormido) (5) 17 Yesterday (4) 18 Those (4) 20 Rojo (color) (3)
Hexagram
1 Underpants, 7 Octopus, 8 Staid, 10 Earwig, 11 Thanks, 13 Cravat, 15 Sparse, 16 Amazed, 17 Fitter, 20 Samba, 22 Precise, 23 Advertised.
Cryptic The purpose of the Hexagram puzzle is to place the 19 sixletter 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 (ADMIRE) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.
ADMIRE (10)
RATHER
AWAITS
RESENT
BUSHES
RIOTED
ELDERS
ROARED
HOUSES
SEARED
KISSES
SERIES
MASSED
STEEDS
MENIAL
TRADES
METRES
WHEELS
RAILED
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Steeds, 2 Seared, 3 Reeled, 4 Purred, 5 Leered, 6 Scared, 7 Spears, 8 Veered, 9 Peaked, 10 Severe, 11 Arouse, 12 Settle, 13 Speeds, 14 Galley, 15 Metres, 16 Disuse, 17 Filter, 18 Aspire, 19 Normal
Across 1 Transaction includes black fur (5) 3 Temporary job for a thespian (6) 6 Sees it relates to (7) 8 One diamond and a heart, love, it’s a rocky state! (5) 10 Jewellery contains some sheep (3) 11 Tessie O’Shea, the Welsh entertainer, reveals cover (7) 12 Well-known for being given food to swallow before noon (5) 13 Be contemptuous of sulphur put on cereal (5) 18 Upset when it’s in an entrance (7) 20 He is a Turkish commander whichever way you look at it (3) 21 Trunk or tangled roots (5) 22 Nuclear submarine I’d put in river (7) 23 They are cold-blooded and calculating! (6) 24 Bleat about the board (5) Down 1 County with a fringe on top? (6) 2 Peer with an honour’s place for a stud (7)
3 Help class I study in (6) 4 String trio start on Burgundy perhaps (5) 5 Arrive Thursday for the space traveller (5) 7 Terrible danger that is right for a soldier (9) 9 Substitute a fantastic real tent (9)
14 An uproar after half a dance by an old Roman racer (7) 15 Hates wrong speed (5) 16 Matches one in underwear (6) 17 Broken tablet for engagement (6) 19 An opening, so it’s said, for love (5)
40
E W N Mallorca
14 - 20 May 2015
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I am playing a waiting game now 8th May
TO READ MORE
HEALTH BEAUTY
&
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THE end of chemo has strangely been a bit of an anti-climax
Erica Russell Watson: My journey – and I’m driving IT is so good to know, now that I have finally come out the other side of my chemotherapy, that I won’t be going back next Wednesday. I am just starting to feel better. No more white tongue, achy muscles or insatiable thirst. I am left however with very dry skin and puffy eyes. I collected my blood analysis from my doctor and noticed the ‘neomarcadores’ or tumour markers were higher than they should be. As all this is new to me, I shall await the verdict of my oncologist before reading too much into it. Tumour markers are used to help diagnose cancer, predict a patient’s response to certain can-
cer therapies, check a patient’s response to treatment, or determine whether cancer has returned. I imagine that as I still have radiotherapy to go, the jury is out. One concerning thing was the
Once I meet with my oncologist and we look at the scan results in conjunction with the blood tests, we should have a clearer picture of what type of oral hormone treatment I should receive.
type of CAT scan that my oncologist sent me for, just a simple scan of my torso and without any contrast. A close friend of mine who is an oncologist in the pri-
vate sector was pretty outraged by this and is trying to intervene to change the scan to one with contrast to better highlight any areas of concern and of my abdomen as well as the torso. We shall see what happens. May 20 is the day I sit down with my oncologist and look at the scan results in conjunction with the blood tests. I suppose we should have a clearer picture of how I have responded to chemo and what type of oral hormone treatment they will decide to give me. As I have said in my previous blog, I am playing a waiting game at the moment. I still do not have a date to start my radiotherapy. So on that note I won’t write any more because I sincerely don’t have much else to report. The end of chemo has strangely been a bit of an anticlimax for me so I prefer to catch up with you next week when, hopefully, I will feel a little more cheerful.
By Gemma Quinn IF you want to eat healthily and keep off the pounds, then maybe you should make a shopping list. That is the message from a study of 1,300 overweight and obese people which found those who regularly made grocery lists tended to choose healthier food and had lower body weight. Lead author of the study, which was carried out in Pittsburgh, USA, Tamara Dubowitz, said: “We don’t know
Make a shopping list. whether people who are healthier pay more attention to their weight and what they eat are also people who do more planning, or if people who do more planning are more able to avoid impulse purchases and the less healthy options at the supermarket.” She added that the study did not show that people who made lists were healthier, just that there was a link between the two.
42
E W N Mallorca
14 - 20 May 2015
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FOOD
D R I N K
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Spanish Wines
Spanish wine and food, a marriage made in the mouth!
- Popular Wines -
SPAIN is one of the few countries where the bar and restaurant owners don’t mark up their wines as much as others, and this is why it is a great way to experiment while dining out. The most popular wines in Spain are Rioja and Ribera del Duero and you will quite easily find them in most of the restaurants around. La Rioja is a region in the north of Spain just south of the Basque Country and the grape is native to Spain which is called Tempranillo, and derives from the word ‘Temprano’ meaning early (the grapes are ripe earlier than most). Rioja is perfect with many dishes, so they are well worth a sip with an accompanying dish, this is where your restaurant can advise you on a good choice. The Ribera del Duero
comes from a stretch along the river Duero in Castilla-Leon and the grapes used are Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo which make a smooth tasting wine. The ideal temperature for a red wine to be served is 25ºC and 40ºC and just be cold to the touch. You don’t have to be a wine snob to enjoy wine as it has become more and more popular as a drink that actually works its magic when flavours complement food you are eating, just like other combinations like cake with coffee or cheese with Christmas cake. It’s a marriage made in the mouth! Another popular red wine is Marques de Caceres which lends itself to
many cheese dishes or sea bass. If you have a chance to select this in a restaurant, it may well become your regular tipple. Merlot is another good choice which is a wine that is supplied to restaurants and bars because it is perfect with food. Some house wines are cheaper because they are designed to be drunk on their own and so the preparation time is much shorter and hence that reflects on the price, not the quality. Spain has so much to offer and with cen-
turies of wine making we are fortunate to live right on the doorstep of some very fine wines.
The madness of May continues By this Sunday night it will be a tough choice between crashing out on the sofa or making it upstairs to my bed.
Vicki McLeod
Family Matters MAY continues to be Mad! I suppose I should know by now that this is not the month to try to have even one day off, and certainly not organise a 10th wedding anniversary party in the midst of it all. But I clearly did not receive the memo and so that’s exactly what I am doing. Next weekend I shall be celebrating 10 Long Years of marriage to my best friend, partner, husband, and work colleague. We have been through so many different experiences in the past decade, from having a baby, setting up a business and watching it crash down, buying a house, setting up another business, economic crisis, happy and sad times, and so we’re going to be celebrating that. It’s fitting that it’s in the middle of so many different events, just another ride on the rollercoaster. In the past three days we’ve had the Crew and Concierge Mad Hatters Party at Es Baluard, the Son Amar premiere for its new 2015 show, a 24-hour radiothon at Radio On e Ma l l o r c a , a n d E u ro p e
Decisions, decisions.
ROLLERCOASTER: The ups and downs of life. Day. And I went to every single one of them. There’s dedication for you. Next up is a product launch at M o o d fo r a n ew r a nge of be a nbags, a free financial seminar or-
ganised by two financial advisors from the St James Place group covering some very interesting financial advice for us at Real Club N a utic o on Frida y morning a t 11a m (R SV P to tim .m c adam @
sjpp.co.uk), the Pirates Charity Premiere and then a photo shoot for a friend’s daughter. That’s all in the next four days! Come say hi if you’re at one of these events! This is one of the
t hi ngs I l ove about Mal l or ca though, its busyness and intensity in the season and then its calmness and those long quiet winter Sunday afternoons where you have three choices of what you can do: not hi ng, go f or a wal k or have lunch. But by this Sunday night it will be a tough choice between crashing out on the sofa or making it upstairs to my bed. Decisions, decisions. www.familymatters mallorca.com
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HOMES GARDEN
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Renewed spring droughts can cause problems for your garden WATERING can be made difficult by low water pressures and grit in mains pipes Dick Handscombe
Gardening Corner By Spain’s best known expatriate gardening author living in Spain for 25 years.
ALTHOUGH most Mediterranean climate zones of Spain had a little spring rain, it was not enough to build up reserves in the water tables of many gardens and agricultural areas. So at present it would be wise to assume we may well experi-
There are now fewer Europeanstyle annuals being planted in gardens.
ence another dry spell. Fortunately gardens in which soils were improved before making plantings are suffering little and watering systems need not yet be used or turned up high. This included the wise use of a little TerraCottem water storing soil improver at the base of planting
MAINS WATER: Older houses have large storage tanks available. holes and roots. The base of cuttings were planted deep, plantings were mainly drought resistant plants, deep mulchings were then made and close plantings ensured that all the surface of soils and mulchings were in continuous shade. Year by year notice is being taken of such practical and sensible approaches to Mediter-
Support your local roses with planning ROSES can be trained to use intricate forms By Steve Walsh AS spring turns to summer the annual display of roses reaches its peak and nearly every village garden in Spain is alive with their colour. Climbing roses, which give maximum blooms per plant, are traditionally grown up walls or along fences and railings, but another interesting way of supporting them is by us-
ing a tree. With careful planning and physical direction, rose plants and bushes can be trained to use the most intricate forms, or nooks and crannies to give a spectacular effect. The end results can be delightful, but it can take three or more years to reach a point where you are happy, it depends on your vision and expectations.
ranean gardening and fewer and fewer plants such as northern European-style annuals are being planted. For those that have yet to take such steps, the book ‘How to use less water in your garden’ and its new sister translation into Spanish ‘Como usar menos agua en tu jardin’ are now both available inexpensively from Amazon Books UK and Es.
Unfortunately the watering that does need to be done is made more difficult by low water pressures caused by those property owners who empty their swimming pools each spring to clean and then refill them, rather than taking steps to keep their pools clean throughout the year, and also grit in main distribution water pipes blocking the filters in-
stalled before water meters. In some areas even more havoc is being caused by the cutting back on the maintenance of the pumps used to extract water from bore holes that has occurred during the economic recession. Not far from us, 100 houses and a dozen large chicken farms have been without water for a week while the spare
pump which broke down some years ago is now urgently repaired to replace the pump that broke down last week. Fortunately those that live in a house built more than 30 years ago are not bothered by such happenings as they have large storage tanks under the house or adjacent terrace to store rain water or mains water. Some were built wisely with a year’s water capacity. It would make sense to reintroduce this practice, especially if global warming is to continue. I mention ‘is to continue’ as there are now books being published to warn us of the new tendency towards global cooling. Might our grandchildren see the start of the mini ice age like that which affected Spain from around 1450 until 1850 and enabled the ice houses one finds in the inland valleys along the Costas to be used as communal fridges and deep freezers? I notice that it is now light outside so I’m off to do a little watering before the pressure drops from more pool fillings. © Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com May 2015
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V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E W W W . E U R O W E E K LY N E W S . C O M
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PROPERTY www.euroweeklynews.com
Prices start to rise for resales SECOND-HAND homes increase in value month-on-month By Dilip Kuner THE price of second-hand homes in Spain rose 1.1 per cent month-on-month in April. This turned round seven months in a row of falls, according to property portal fotocasa.es together with the IE Business School. On average second-hand housing cost €1,636 per square metre, an increase quarteron-quarter of 0.4 per cent in April, compared with January 2015. The 0.4 per cent rise is said to herald the stabilisation of property prices in Spain.
Spanish homes fair is bigger than ever SIMA show expands THE SIMA Spanish property exhibition held in Madrid last weekend, from May 7 to 10, was the biggest of its kind yet. The fair’s 120 exhibitors were spread over the huge halls of the Feria de Madrid, where extra space had to be booked as more agencies than anticipated clamoured to take part.
STABILISATION: Prices rise after seven months of falls.
120 the number of exhibitors at SIMA fair
PACKAGE: Bankia is selling €4.8 billion of properties.
Bankia plans vast sale BANKIA is to sell off a portfolio of residential and commercial properties in its possession with a value of
€4.8 billion, the financial press is reporting. Spain’s fourth largest bank is putting up for sale
residential properties worth €3.3 billion, with the rest of the package made up by commercial property and land, according to a Credit Suisse Group document, says the Bloomberg financial news agency. Bankia’s sale is a response to improvements in the market, particularly the recovering levels of international investment. Patricio Palomar, head of alternative investment at estate agents CBRE Group in Spai n, t ol d Bl oom berg: “The risk perception of the country has fallen so much, and the expectation of recovery in the property sector is so high compared wi t h nei ghbour i ng countries, that there are many investors searching for all kinds of real estate products.” Previous reports have forcast a steadily rising commercial property sector.
The director of the event organisers, Eloy Bohúa, said the record numbers of exhibitors was an indicator of the positive outlook in the property market. “The general improvement in the economy is clearly noticeable,” he said, pointing to the “exhibition area increasing by 20 per cent over that of 2014 and the percentage of promotions at the show for the first time also being higher than any of the preceding years, reaching 40 per cent of the total.” Most of the participating promoters of residential property represented the Madrid area, at just over 50 per cent of exhibitors, and there was also a strong presence of agencies offering holiday homes. After Madrid, Alicante was the most well represented area, followed by Murcia and Malaga. Bohúa also pointed to the presence of mortgage lenders at this year’s fair as another example of an improving outlook. Although financers had been at the exhibition in recent years, their main aim had been to sell on their recovered properties. “But now,” Bohúa said, “they are also competing for the credit and this is something positive for the visitor.”
PROPERTY
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Top tips to enhance your home YOUR private or communal gardens will set the stage for your property John Graham The property expert
AS a surveyor and property investment advisor, I would like to share some top tips with you, which will increase the value of your property. Improve your property’s kerbside appeal Your private or communal gardens will set the stage for your property and it is a proven fact that spending money on landscaping private or communal gardens will give you a big return on investment and significantly increase the value of your property. I have many years of experience showing properties to investors and badly maintained gardens have actually put them off. This is bad news if you spend all your improvement
OUTSIDE SPACE: Make sure it is well maintained and attractive to prospective buyers. budget on your property and nothing on your garden. I’m not suggesting that you put on a Chateau de Versailles musical fountain show in your garden but there are some im-
portant things you should do to start increasing the value of your property. The objective of landscaping your garden is to enhance the look
of your property and not to hide it from view or block any attractive views. Trees planted close to your property are not good news, they could
be blocking natural light and obscure your views, and roots could damage foundations or drainage pipes. Trees blocking views should be removed or trimmed back. You could replace dense trees with palms, they look better will not block your views. With all tree replacements, first check with the local authorities on what you can and cannot do and keep your neighbours informed. Any bushes, hedges and shrubs planted close to the property should be trimmed back. Patios and terraces should be well maintained and broken tiles replaced. Outdoor lighting can create an attractive evening ambience. Add security lights. Your pool should be clean and well maintained. Ensure entrances, walls and fences are well maintained to a high standard.
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Thou shalt not scold… pet owners read below SITTERS: Best to visit dogs before hand.
Some friendly caring dog sitters By Lamia Walker of HouseSitMatch IT can be a real bind finding someone suitable to care for older pets. Miles and Mayhew are no exception, they are the much loved Cocker Spaniels belonging to Anne and Danny who came over to live in Spain when they retired five years ago. Now the dogs are rather frail and in need of considerate companions when Anne and Danny travel. Miles who suffers from rheumatism in the back legs will need occasional medication and a watchful eye to make sure he is managing the stairs to the garden. Mayhew is a little hard of hearing and can be a little distressed for a day or so when things change in the home. But eventually they
settle in to a routine with their sitters and life resumes its leisurely pace. Anne and Danny meanwhile can leave their much loved dogs in the capable care of experienced sitters. They find their sitters online at HouseSitMatch.com. They make the effort to get to know their sitters first and once they have checked references they ask them to arrive a day early so the dogs can get used to them and vice versa. Easy! Register now for your Free 60 Day Trial and secure your Free Easy Guide to Housesitting. To find a pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on +44 (0)1865 521508.
TEN commandments that contain many truths
David THE Dogman Listen to David on TRE every Saturday 10am to 11am Costa del Sol (Gibraltar/Sotogrande) 98.7fm (San Roque to Calahonda) 91.9fm (Calahonda to Motril) 88.9, Costa Calida 92.7fm Costa Blanca (Torrevieja to Elche) 105.1fm (Elche to Calpe) 88.2fm, (Calpe to Gandia & Ibiza) 104.6fm, (Denia to Valencia) 95.3fm Mallorca 103.9fm
THESE 10 commandments for pet owners contain many truths. It is well worth reading. 1. My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any separation from you will be very painful. 2. Give me time to understand what you want from me. Do not break my spirit with your temper, though I will always forgive you. Your patience and understanding will teach me more quickly those things you want me to learn. 3. Have me spayed or neutered. 4. Treat me kindly, my beloved friend, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for your kindness than mine. Don’t be angry with me for long, and don’t lock me up as punishment. After all, you have your job, your friends, your entertainment. I have only you. 5. Speak to me often. Even if I don’t understand all your words, I understand your voice when it’s speaking to me.
TALK TO ME: I understand your voice when it’s speaking to me.
6. Please take me inside when it’s cold and wet. I’m a domestic animal and am no longer accustomed to the bitter elements. I ask for little more than your gentle hands petting me. Keep my bowl filled with clean water; I cannot tell you when I’m thirsty. Feed me good food so that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to be by your side, and stand ready, willing and able to share with you my life. 7. Don’t hit me. Remember, I have teeth that could easily crush the bones in your
hand, but I choose not to bite you. 8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. 9. Take care of me when I get old. You will grow old too. 10. When I am very old, when I no longer enjoy good health, please do not make heroic efforts to keep me going. I am not having fun. Just see to it that my trusting life is taken gently. And be with me on that difficult journey when it is time to say goodbye.
How your beloved dog could give you a killer disease READ on and you may never let your pet lick your face again THEY are mankind’s loyal companions. But according to a new study, dogs could be a serious risk to our lives. Vets have warned that many people are overlooking the potentially deadly diseases we could catch from our pets. Tuberculosis, if dogs come into contact with an infected cow, (for instance) they can develop tuberculosis and pass it on to you. Roundworms on the other hand, if contaminated with
roundworm eggs, can grow up to 14 inches long in canine guts. Once inside the human body, they can cause serious internal damage and even blindness. Roundworm look like cooked spaghetti. ‘You know if your dog has them because they will be vomiting or you will see the worms.’ Tapeworms are just plain revolting. Some varieties grow 30ft long inside your intestines and
live for 20 years. In people, the tapeworm causes cysts on the liver, lungs or brain.
So don’t let your dog lick your face.
DOG LICKS: Could be a serious risk to our health.
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BOATS
Industry looks positive BALEARICS were rated as leaders of the market during the first four months of 2015 By Maria José Fernandez AFTER the great success of the Palma International Boat Show with a record 40,000 participants, the nautical industry seems to be sailing into recovery. Between January and April of 2015, a total of 1,217 pleasure boats have been registered, which translates into an increase of 15.41 per cent if compared with the same period of the past year (1,057). The full consolidation of a
four-month positive trend has been accredited by experts as the most important fact. “It is good news. During April, a great amount of transactions are closed in preparations for the nautical season, and the fact the registrations have increased this year also means commercialisation is experiencing positive results. This means bigger chances of creating employment and improving productivity of the nautical sector which, in a less direct way, will also boost other
economical sectors related to tourism,” said Carlos Sanlorenzo, General Secretary of ANEN (National Association of Nautical Businesses). Boats smaller than eight metres have also seen an increase by 15.5 per cent within the period, with 1,076 registrations as opposed to those of 2014 (932). They continue to be the most requested by customers, with a market quota of 88.4 per cent. Boats between eight and 12 metres have also registered an 11.6 per cent increase and those between 12 and 16 metres saw a 6.5 per cent growth. The Balearics were rated as leaders of the market during the first four months of 2015, with an increase in registrations of 55.83 per cent (187 as opposed to 120 in 2014) and a market quota of 15.37 per cent. Barcelona was placed in second position with a growth of 38.14 per cent (134 crafts) and Malaga was third with an increase of 6.6 per cent (81).
PLEASURE BOATS: An increase in registration shows positive results.
BOATS
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OPINION & COMMENT
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IT’S hayfever season and many people find that it affects the eyes, in some cases making them water, in other cases making them dry, itchy and sore. We get a lot of questions at this time of year about the topic, so here are some of the most frequently asked questions for you. How does hayfever affect the eyes? Hayfever can cause conjunctivitis underneath your eyelids which will cause your eyes to feel itchy. When you get conjunctivitis under your eyelids less mucin is produced and your eyes will feel dry. On the other hand, the hayfever can simply irritate the eyes and make them water, both bad news, especially if you wear contact lenses. How can I stop my eyes watering and being sore during hayfever season? There are many hayfever remedies available which help reduce all the symptoms of hayfever including the issues with your eyes. If you find your usual brand has stopped
EYE DROPS: Contact lens wearers may have to revert to glasses during treatment. working, try a few different ones as every year can be different. If your eyes are reacting quite badly you could also try an antihistamine eye drop.
Can I still wear contact lenses during hayfever season? Unfortunately, hayfever is a real problem for contact lenses. If your eyes are affected badly,
Why am I getting blurred vision with If your eyes contact lenses during are sore or hayfever season? red, and For hayfever sufferyou are expeers, the eyes can react riencing disagainst a contact lens, or the deposits on a comfort visit lens. The underside of your nearest the top eyelid then Specsavers. gets inflamed, and develops papillae (raised red bumps). These bumps cause toric lenses to become off axis causing blur, and also more mucous is produced and that can blur a lens. The only options are daily disposable lenses, or to revert to your glasses. If you are experiencing discomfort, go to your nearest Specsavers. www.specsavers.es
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80 per cent rise in fines DRIVING and parking fines went up 80 per cent during Spain’s financial crisis years, three-quarters of which were issued by town halls, says a study by Linea Directa. Between the years 2000 and 2006, a total of 16 million fines were handed out, compared to nearly double, (29 million) from 2007 to 2013 inclusive. And today, town councils issue a total of 26 million a year, according to most recent figures.
VW invests €4.2 billion in Spain THE German car giant Volkswagen announced that it’s to invest a huge 4.2 billion Euros into two of its factories in Spain. Martorell in Barcelona, and the Navarra plant will benefit from the cash injection between 2015 and 2019, in what is being hailed as “the largest industrial investment ever made in Spain.” In a meeting between Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy, and the VW Global sales VP Javier Garcia Sanz, said, “These factories are among the best in the group.”
Clarkson Quote of theWeek
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This car is more fun than the entire French Air Force crashing into a fireworks factory’ Some might say... On the Lotus Elise
Growth in deliveries, revenue and first quarter profits PORSCHE is moving away from its traditional small sports cars By Dilip Kuner A SIGN that the world economy is starting to boom is the increase in sales of high-end cars.
32% more new vehicles delivered in the first three months of the year compared to last.
This is seen at companies like Porsche, which has begun the year 2015 successfully - with growth in deliveries, revenue and profit in the first quarter. F ro m th e b eg in n in g of J an u a ry to th e en d of March, the sports car manufacturer delivered 51,102 new vehicles, which is 32 per cent more than the same period last year. Revenue in the first three months of 2015 increased
29 per cent to €5.08 billion, and operating profit surpassed the prior year figure by 10 per cent and reached €765 million. The number of employees a ls o gre w 12 pe r c e nt to
The sales success of the new compact SUV Macan introduced last year is driving sales.
22,945 employees. Matthias Müller, Chairman of the Executive Board at Porsche AG said the sports car manufacturer would stay on course for a successful business year in 2015.
One of the biggest factors behind the rise in sales is the move away from its traditional small sports cars. The sales success of the new compact SUV Macan, described by Porsche as ‘the sports car of the SUV segment, which was introduced last year, is driving sales. Other highlights are new versions of existing models. They include the GT vehicles - the 911 GT3 RS and Caym an GT4 - as well as the Boxster Spyder and the Panamera Exclusive. “Our successful vehicle strategy lets us satisfy the wishes of many customers,” said Müller.
Trying out the new third generation Skoda Superb with clever touches A TEST drive of the new third generation Superb, and the lower-powered 220PS model, in ‘Laurin & Klement’ trim proved the car’s abilities. Here is a superb piece of engineering, (pun intended). It has clever touches such as a boot that will open if you wave your foot under the bumper. Superbs can be specified with an Audi Quattro-style 4x4 transmission and a slick direct-shift gearbox. The full list price is more than €25,000 for a 1.6 TDI 105hp version, but excellent deals can be had. CLEVER TOUCHES: A wave of the foot will open the boot.
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Andrew Strauss is England’s new Director of Cricket, appointed after coach Peter Moores was sacked.
The PGA Championship in Florida was won by home favourite Rickie Fowler.
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Mallorca’s best guide to local sport
SPORTS IN BRIEF
Andy wins Andy Murray destroyed Rafael Nadal in the final of the Madrid Open - yes he battered the Spaniard 6-3, 62 to win his 10th Masters title and register his first over Nadal on clay.
Nico’s 1st Nico Rosberg ’comfortably’ won last Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix, his first victory of 2015. Lewis Hamilton was second with Sebastian Vettel third. This was the 24th consecutive race whereby a Mercedes driver has stood on the podium.
BTCC After last weekend’s BTCC meeting at Thruxton Park, Gordon Shedden (114 pts) leads the driver’s championship from Colin Turkington (106).
SPORT www.euroweeklynews.com
Baleares Girls League final AT LAST the eagerly awaited day arrived, having been postponed a couple of times previously By Lynda Demangeat
THE eagerly awaited last day of the Baleares Girls Rugby League finally arrived, having been postponed a couple of times for various reasons. Son Roca, the home pitch of Shamrock RC, was the venue on a hot, sunny, Sunday morning. The stands were full of supporters eager to watch the matches and see who would finally lift the trophies. Teams from El Toro RC, RC Ponent, Bahia RC and hosts, Shamrock RC took part in the closely fought tournament. The toughest and closest match was between main rivals for first place, El Toro RC and RC Ponent who have both been on top of the league at various times throughout the season. This time it was RC Ponent who took the win and the title of champions for the 2014-2015 season. El Toro RC was a deserved second and Bahia RC took third. It is amazing to look at the im-
MARINA BRAVO,
RC PONENT (above): Winners of the title. provement in play and fitness from all the girls teams and the increased numbers joining in considering that only two years ago there were only a handful of girls playing rugby on the islands. All the players are looking forward to next season with the possibility of new teams to join in the league.
El Toro RC veterans v Babarians A friendly match between these two veterans teams took place on Saturday afternoon in Son Caliu. Joined by eight visiting English players, the score was irrelevant as the main aim was to gain experience and have a fun time.
SHAMROCK RC,
RC PONENT,