ISSUE NO. 1557
7 - 13 May 2015
MALLORCA
YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
Bar crawl ban
Good news on jobs
‘We can’t change Magaluf overnight’ The mayor of Calvia warns that new measures against drinking in the streets, aimed at turning round the town’s hard-partying reputation, will need time to take effect. Turn to Page 2
By Maria Jose Fernandez THE Balearic Islands finished April with more employed residents than in the same period of 2009, reaching a total 419,843 of people paying Social Security. It’s an increase of 22,829 people, or 5.7 per cent, the highest rise registered since 2006 and highest in the whole of Spain, with the national average growth sitting at 3.5 per cent. Head of the Regional Economy Department, Joaquin Garcia, reported that by this time next year, the islands would reach the number of working people registered before the beginning of the financial crisis. Balearic unemployment rates have decreased by 11.9 per cent during the past year.
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Chimp death protest Activists condemn shooting of escapee ape Animals rights groups are furious that a chimpanzee which escaped from Sa Coma Zoo Safari was shot
Monsters cruise in Largest liners for Palma Full story on Page 5
dead, and have criticised the park’s conditions and security record. Turn to Page 3
Doctor Nadal Rafa receives honour from university As he gears up to play the world’s best at the Madrid Open, Mallorca’s favourite sporting son has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the city’s European University. Turn to Page 9
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LOCAL NEWS
Showing support before the elections PRIME MINISTER of Spain Mariano Rajoy will be visiting Palma de Mallorca on May 14 to support PP conservative party candidate and current president of the Balearic Islands, Jose Ramon Bauza.
In total during his stay, Mr Rajoy will carry out 22 events over 14 days and will visit 16 autonomous communities before the regional and municipal elections which are scheduled for May 24.
Fined for not attending A COURT in Palma has ordered a man to pay a €2,880 fine for not attending a polling station he was called to preside over during the 2014 European elections, as he had forgotten to do so.
The man did not present documents justifying his absence. In addition to the fine, he has been banned from standing in elections for a period of three months.
Balearic Islands’ spending MORE than €11 million was spent by the Social Security Services in the Balearic Islands on parental leave payments during the first three months of 2015.
This is a 6.99 per cent increase if compared with the same period of 2014. Specifically, €10.1 million was spent on maternity leave and €1.01 million on paternity leave.
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Mayor warns ‘We cannot change Magaluf overnight’ POLICE presence is to be increased during the evenings. By Maria Jose Fernandez MAYOR of Calvia, Manuel Onieva, appeared on Monday (May 4) at a press conference to warn that the new measures taken to regulate bar crawls in the area would take time to become established. Together with representatives of local business associations, he explained that even though the changes were introduced on March 26, they could still be appealed against until Thursday (May 7) and were expected to be approved on May 21, finally becoming operational on May 22. “The modifications are the result of a consensus between all sectors involved,” said the mayor. “We cannot expect to change it overnight, but progressively.” The town council is to increase police presence during
NEW LAW: There is now a ban in place on drinking alcohol in the streets. the night and businesses, bars and clubs associations have committed to launching informative campaigns to raise awareness amongst tourists.
In addition, hotels will also inform tourists about the new ban on drinking alcohol in public streets as well as the prohibition of ‘balconing’ (jumping
from a hotel balcony to the pool or from one balcony to another) which, the mayor explained, damaged the reputation of Magaluf tourism.
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IU support
FEATURED NEWS
Left wing boss visits
A feast of colour and smells for the senses
THE federal coordinator of left-wing party Izquierda Unida, Cayo Lara will visit Palma on May 18 to support Balearic candidate of IU, Manuel Carmona.
80’s concert Golden oldies
flickr by Montse Poch
GIRONA will be adorned with spectacular floral displays as the Temps de Flors (Time for Flowers) festival gets under way from May 9 to 17.
RENOWNED Spanish 80’s band Nacha Pop will perform on Friday (May 9) at the La Movida concert hall (Calle Albo), to celebrate their 35th anniversary. Tickets are €25 and the show will start at 10.30pm.
New hospital Private clinic planned PRIVATE health care company Juaneda Network will create a new hospital in Cala Millor, with a total cost of €15 million. It is expected to be completed by April 2016 and will have a surface of 5,600 square metres.
Drug stash found in seniors’ home BEDECKED: The grand staircase leading up to Girona City Hall. By Eleanor Hawkins TIRED eyes and noses are in for a guaranteed pick-me-up for those visiting Girona for the Temps de Flors (Time for Flowers) festival. For a few days each year, the Barri Vell district of Girona in Cataluña becomes a treat for the senses as Temps de Flors flower festival covers the city in plants and floral creations. Running from May 9 to 17 this year, the festival turns Girona into a huge canvas for artistic expression which brings the beauty of floral compositions into harmony with the stunning architecture and historical heritage. First held in 1954, the festival has moved around many of the city’s bestknown landmarks and since it became an official route in 1993 offers a chance
118,923 is the amount unemployment fell by in Spain in April, the largest drop in a month of April since figures began to be recorded for comparison in 1996.
to enter the courtyards and gardens of homes and buildings that are not generally open to the public. Although almost everyone participates in the huge display in some way, be it by adding a small tub to the outside of their home or creating massive works of floral art, City Hall on Plaça del Vi always comes up trumps with surprising decorations adorning the grand staircase leading up to the building. Flowers aside, the festival also includes a number of other activities with something to catch the interest of almost everyone: flower, photography and film competitions, an A Cappella music festival, and special menus with flowers included at many restaurants. All in all, it’s an explosion of colour, smells and sounds which are well worth a visit.
A MAN has been arrested in Oviedo, Asturias, for hiding drugs in the ceiling of a bedroom in a senior citizens’ home. The stash was found by an electrician carrying out repairs. Police investigators tracked down the man who made frequent visits to the elderly couple living in the room, according to the home managers.
a failure in the cage’s electrical system and one of them, a female called Eva, was found and shot, according to a statement released by the association. The second chimpanzee, Adan, is still being looked for
by a hundred local authorities and volunteers, at the time of going to press. They believe that the animal could be hiding in the Na Penyal Mountain. “We have been denouncing the worrying conditions of ani-
Islands’ world impact THE Balearic Islands has been announced as the eighth ranked Autonomous Community which most contributes to the global presence of Spain. The study, released by the International Studies Institute Elcano, aims at measuring the international projection of different countries.
Water fun Quote of the Week If we all want to, we can put a stop to corruption’ said Andalucian regional government president Susana Diaz during her investiture speech on Monday, May 4.
Death of chimpanzee outrage ANIMAL rights association AnimaNaturalis has denounced the death a chimpanzee from the Sa Coma Zoo Safari, after the animal escaped. In total, two chimpanzees were able to flee the zoo due to
8th ranked
mals in the Sa Coma Zoo Safari since 2013, as well as the poor security and possibility of contact between visitors and animals,” reads the statement. They claim that the centre does not meet the minimum
standards established by the law. They believe the situation of chimpanzees is the most worrying, as they claim these animals are kept in an unnatural environment, which could cause them high levels of stress.
New attraction AQUALAND, the aquatic park of El Arenal, will start its 2015 season with a new water attraction called the King Cobra: a double slide in the shape of a cobra, named as the ‘best water attraction in Europe.’
Road repairs €1.34m scheme SEVERAL roads in Bunyola will undergo improvements at a total cost of €1.34 million paid for by the Mallorca Provincial Council, following many complaints by cyclists associations and residents.
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INDEX News 1 - 19 Featured News 3 News Desk 18 European Press 20 Russian Press 21 Finance 23 - 28 Stocks 24 Street Talk 29 Leapy 29 Nora Johnson 31 Our View 33 Colin Bird 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 Tony Matthews 52 Motoring 54 Sport 56
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The Duchess of Palma’s properties to be seized JUDGE decided the Duchess had exceeded the deadline to satisfy the debt. By Maria Jose Fernandez JUDGE Jose Castro, in charge of the corruption case Noos, requested on Monday (May 4) from the Infanta Cristina a list of properties to be seized to pay the €2.69 million civil responsibility bail. Mr Castro reportedly took the decision after deciding that the Duchess significantly exceeded the deadline to satisfy the debt, scheduled for December of 2014. The rest of the 18 suspects in connection with the case have also received similar warnings, and will have to pay a total amount of €61.3 million. Only two of the accused have presented financial guarantees or funds: the ex-councillor of Madrid 2016 olympic candidacy Mercedes Coghen, who covered her bail with a bank guarantee of €152,000 and the athlete Jose Luis Pe-
INFANTA CRISTINA: Paid an amount to cover bail.
pote Ballester, former member of the Balearic Islands regional government, who deposited €56,601. The Infanta Cristina paid back in December an amount of €587,413 to cover the bail requested by the anti-corruption prosecutor Pedro Horrach, who did not put charges on her but considered that she had benefited from illegal practices carried out by her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, through shell company Aizoon. The Duchess paid this amount as an attempt to avoid carrying penal responsibilities and to be eligible for a mitigating circumstance for having paid in advance. However, the Palma Court accused her of two alleged fiscal crimes, as they considered her to be a co-operator on his husband’s affairs, for which a €2.69 million bail was established.
German couple die in boat fire in port A GERMAN couple died on Sunday (May 3) after a fire broke out on their motorboat docked at the S’Arenal port of Llucmajor. The woman’s body was found inside the boat’s cabin, leading authorities to believe
she was sleeping when the fire started, while the man’s body was found in the middle of the boat. Police reported it was possible he had noticed the fire, but explained the man had recently undergone surgery
and had mobility problems. Guardia Civil is currently investigating the case, although initial reports indicate that the fire was accidental and could have been caused by a short circuit.
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Parking info
No jail deal A GANG of drug-dealers from the Corea district of Palma have avoided jail after doing a deal with the prosecution. They admitted to their crimes and agreed to pay a €650,000 fine.
THIRTY-THREE boats will clean the waters of the Balearic Islands during the summer season. The project, which will cost a total of €1.1 million, has been paid for by the Balearic Islands regional government and was able to retrieve 46,913 kilos of rubbish from the sea and beaches during last CLEAN-UP: Boats will clean the waters.
Monsters of the seas set to dock Two of the world’s biggest liners set for Palma
Nasty fall A TEENAGER was injured after accidentally falling from a five-metre-high bridge over the motorway leading from Palma to the airport. The fourteen-yearold boy was taken to Son Espases Hospital.
Illegal demo A HUNDRED German tourists were sanctioned last Sunday (May 3) by Local Police for holding an illegal protest in the Platja de Palma. Beach-goers alerted the authorities.
Good cause A CHARITY concert by Mallorcan vocal group Cap Pela will be held on Saturday (May 9) in Santa Maria del Cami Church. Entrance is €10 with proceeds going to association Amics de la infancia.
Spooky tour A GUIDED night-tour around Palma’s cemetery will be held on May 8 and 9. Tickets are €15. Reservations on 654 272 088 or carlosgarrido escenic@ gmail.com.
Dance show A FLAMENCO show featuring singer Isabel Pineda will be held on Friday (May 8) at 9pm in Palma’s Sala Dante (Cami de Jesus 54). Tickets are €10 on the door.
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Sea clean-up launched
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INFORMATION panels have been approved to inform drivers in Palma where parking spaces are available. The Parking Guidance System already available on Mobipalma mobile app will be displayed on 18 panels.
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LARGE SCALE: View of the Allure of the Seas. By Maria Jose Fernandez THE two biggest cruise ships in the world, the Allure and Quantum of the Seas, will arrive at Palma’s port this month.
The Quantum dock in the city’s port on May 12, while the Allure will arrive in Palma on May 25. The first of the two giant cruise liners features a moving crane, suspended 90 me-
More tourists than expected
tres above the ship, which gives a 360-degree view, an ice rink and the first ever bumper car attraction on a ship. It weighs 188,666 tonnes and is 347 metres in length.
Man arrested
THE Balearic Islands airports have exceeded all expectations for the summer season, registering figures above those originally forecasted. The Committee of Air Routes of the Balearic Islands is to hold a meeting next week to evaluate the situation and launch appropriate measures to optimise the air traffic in order to deal with the increase of tourism demand for May, June, July, August and September, according to Head of the Ports and Airports Department, Antonio Deudero.
PALMA police have arrested a 34-year-old Moroccan man for suspected domestic violence. He allegedly beat a 22year-old Bulgarian woman before throwing her out of their home. Officers called to the scene by neighbours.
The most expensive island home THE Balearic Islands’ most expensive home is in Cala Bona and costs €27 million. The 6,000-square-metre property was featured on a top-ten ranking of most expensive properties in the Balearic Islands created by online property site idealista.com, and places a
130-metre chalet in Camp de Mar (Andratx) in second position, at €16 million. These are followed in third position by a cottage in Puigpunyet which costs €12.5 million, a chalet in Port d’Andratx, and two other properties in Palma, all priced at €12 million.
year. The cleaning work has already started, on May 1, and will continue until September 30. In Mallorca, 15 craft will be earmarked for the service, which, since it became operational in 2004, has eliminated a total of 1,889 tonnes of waste from the coasts.
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Not saved A 60-YEAR-OLD woman died last Saturday (May 2) after suffering a collapse in a street of Portocolom. Several bystanders who happened to be doctors assisted the woman but could not save her life.
Nasty smell RESIDENTS of the Port de Andratx have denounced the discharge of wastewaters in the stream of the Saluet River. The unpleasant smell and the water’s change of colour are the main indicators according to neighbours of the area.
15 visitors THE Council of Capdepera together with the Mallorcan Hotel Association Firstsun, awarded 15 tourists who had visited the municipality more than 15 times in an event celebrated in Cala Rajada.
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Second hand prices fall BALEARIC properties now cost an average €2,041 per sqm By Maria José Fernandez THE prices of second-hand properties in the Balearic Is-
lands have fallen by 5.16 per cent in April, compared with the same month of 2014. The decrease means Balearic
properties now cost an average of €2,041 per square metres, according to data released by the online site pisos.com.
Magaluf to get beach wifi AS much as €60,500 will be spent by Calvia Council to equip all beaches in Magaluf with wifi internet connection. The service is expected to be put out to tender and will be awarded to a company for a period of five years. The council is hoping to make the service available as of the coming summer. The network will also be used to inform users of news.
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BEACHES: Will be equipped with internet connection.
If compared with March, the decrease amounted to 0.28 per cent, although in both cases the drop in Balearic prices is less significant than the average decreases registered in Spain as a whole, which were 8.9 per cent year-on-year, and 0.75 per cent from March to April. The figures show the Islands are the second most expensive autonomous community to buy property in Spain, only beaten by the Basque Country, where the average cost is €2,879 per square metre. At €1,975 per square metre, Palma de Mallorca sits in ninth position on the list of most expensive province capitals in terms of second-hand property price.
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Results of positive recycling A TOTAL of 34,680 tonnes of containers were recycled by Balearic Islands residents in 2014. The data, released by municipal recycling company Ecoembes, showed that every citizen recycled an average of 15.4 kilos of plastic containers, cans and cartons (yellow rubbish bin). Paper containers (blue bin) recycled amounted to an average of 31.1 kilos per cent per inhabitant, exceeding the national average by 16.4 kilos. “The data goes to show the great involvement of Balearic residents in environmental issues,” said a representative from Ecoembes.
Agreement signed for students without support YOUTHS cared for by a guardian and those in process of emancipating will not have to pay university fees in the Balearic Islands University. The Education Regional Department
together with the Social Affairs Institute of Mallorca (IMAS) have signed a collaboration agreement to exempt these students from paying fees during the academic year 2015-2016.
In a press release, the Education Department explains that there is a prioritised interest to encourage this group of students into university, as most of them have been recipients of protection by the
social services, an aid which continues up until they turn 21-years-old. Most of these youths have not been able to live or return to their families and they live without familiar support.
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May demo MORE than 1,500 attended the May 1 demonstration in Palma’s Plaça d’Espanya, lead by trade unions CCOO, IGT and STEI amongst others.
New park MANACOR Council is putting the finishing touches to a 16,000 sqm park which is scheduled to be inaugurated by next week. Facilities will include vegetable patches, children’s areas and hiking routes.
Spending up TOURIST expenditure in Balearic restaurants reached €115 million during the first three months of the year, the highest figure since 2009.
Strike on NINETY per cent of Soller’s train and tram services staff supported the strikes on Monday (May 4), 9am to 5pm. Only five out of 50 employees went to work, having the service cancelled for the day.
New hall AN agreement signed by the Palma Council and the Balearic Islands regional government will guarantee the completion of the Conference Hall of Palma construction works with a financial aid of €42 million.
Tango night DANCE enthusiasts will be able to enjoy a night with tango, and Argentinian folklore on Saturday (May 9) at Palma’s Milenium Hall (Carrer de Pons I Gallarza, 22) at 10.15pm. Tickets are €9 and include a drink.
Rafa Nadal receives an honorary degree TITLE honours his sporting merits and strong values. Photo by meunierd shutterstock
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By Maria Jose Fernandez MALLORCA-BORN tennis player Rafa Nadal has been bestowed the title of Honoris Causa Doctor by the European University of Madrid. “The title honours his sporting merits and the strong values like effort, self-improvement, respect, cordiality and exemplarity that he embodies,” said a statement from the university. The ceremony was held on Monday (May 4) at the university campus of Villaviciosa de Odon. During the event, the athlete was praised for his internationally recognised skills and abilities, as well as fundamental principles that have lead him to
RAFA NADAL: Currently ranked third in the world. achieve great success during his career. “Everything I have achieved has been built on the base of strong principles, which have made me grow and develop, both professional and personally,” said Mr Nadal during the ceremony: “As athletes, we behave in an exemplary manner.”
Rafa Nadal is currently ranked third best player in the world according to the Professional Tennis Association (ATP). He has won a total of 14 Grand Slam titles as well as an Olympic gold medal in the Beijing games in 2008. In addition, he won the Prince of Asturias Sports Award in 2008.
Spain a good place to enjoy being a mother SPAIN in top 10 countries on worldwide list SPAIN has been ranked 17 places higher than the UK in a list of countries that are the best in which to be a mother. Spain’s seventh place ranking in the Save the Children list was just above Germany and below the Netherlands. The UK came in at 24. In total 179 countries were listed in the charity’s Mothers’ Index, which looks at maternal health, education, income levels and the status of women. The index found that Spanish women generally have good education with an average of 17.3 years of formal schooling. The chances of a woman dying in pregnancy or childbirth stood at one in 15,100 and the mortality rate for under fives was 4.2 per 1,000. The charity also said that studies on women in developing regions like North Africa and Central and South America were often less likely than women in developed countries to have a bad
Maternal health considered.
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Spain's ranking in the list.
outcome to their pregnancy. The only non-European country in the top 10 was Australia, which was ninth.
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Poor state of Mancor school sparks concern amongst parents THE Parents’ Association (Amipa) of Montaura Primary School in Mancor de la Vall has criticised the poor state of the school and claimed it could represent a hazard for their children. In a statement, parents have reported several problems with the building, for instance the metal window blinds, which they said were very damaged and constantly fell off, almost
injuring a three-year-old pupil on one occasion. “We have requested the council fix the school five times since 2014,” read the parents’ statement, adding that the council had not yet taken action. The building was constructed in the 80s and designed to accommodate 50 students. However, 100 are currently studying at the school.
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Fatal fall from balcony A 58-YEAR-OLD man died last Saturday (May 2) after falling from the balcony of a building in Magaluf (Calvia). The incident took place at around 10.40am and the incident is being investigated by the island authorities.
Port petition A PETITION to stop the extension of the Port of Punta Portals in Calvia has already been signed by more than 4,700 people. Residents in the area have voiced their concerns regarding the environmental and social negative impact.
Beach plan THE project to regenerate the Platja de Palma has been finally approved by Mallorca Provincial Council.
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Two Mallorcan hotels serve ‘most original’ brunches MGMC is a self-starting group of 40 By Maria Jose Fernandez MALLORCAN Hotels OD Port Portals and HM Jaime III are amongst the 10 best places to have brunch in the whole of Spain. Brunch, the combination of breakfast and lunch which originated in England in the late 1800s, arrived in Spain a few years ago and has become a weekend tradition both for visitors and locals. The list, created by online travelling website trivago.es, placed in second place the OD Port Portals hotel, with a ‘Tasting Brunch,’ which customers can personalise to suit their re-
quirements. “The island weather encourages a healthy menu with light dishes of Mediterranean roots and others including fruit soups,” reads the article. It continues: “After being welcomed with a champagne glass or a Bloody Mary, they will invite you to get a taste of the Balearic gastronomy with seasonal, local products and Mallorcan-style dishes.” In ninth position is the HM Jaime III, which offers a great variety of cheeses and cold meats and a buffet including paella and garlic bread, amongst other dishes.
Hospital improves
THE number of residents who have received treatment at Palma’s Son Llatzer Hospital has increased by 7,000 during the past three years. The total number of patients treated at the hospital totalled 251,396 by the end of 2014, according to the hospital spokesperson. They have explained that the reason behind the increase was the higher number of outpatients, which inLife size hand crafted creased by 10 per cent limited edition African Sculptures between 2011 and 2014, alOn Exhibition at Our Offices lowing to treat a total of Tel 971 230 590 • Mob 680 160 366 27,000 patients without havEmail lyns@j-mac.es Calle Aguila 1 Local 7, Son Ferrer Calvia ing them hospitalised.
www.pangeasculptures.es
Mallorca 07181
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Summer respite sought for refugee children ASSOCIATION has launched a campaign entitled ‘Holiday in Peace’ to provide shelter in July and August. By Maria José Fernandez THE Sahrawi People’s Friends Association of the Balearic Islands (AAPSIB) is in search of families to volunteer to take in children from the refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria, during
Noise may increase MORE than 5,000 calls are received by Local Police of Palma every year due to noise complaints. During 2014, a total of 5,373 noise complaint calls were registered, and a total of 847 have been received so far in 2015. However, the beginning of the summer season is usually followed by a flood of complaint calls. Councillor for Health and Consumption of Palma Council, Rosa Llobera, explained that most of the complaints end up with a minor fine, although the price for severe infractions ranges between €12,000 and €300,000. Minor offences fines range between €90 and €600 and usually occur in bars and restaurants.
Savings capacity AS many as 29.2 per cent of Balearic residents cannot afford to save money every month, says a recent report. The study was created by online site Rasteatro.com and analysed the capacity for saving of Spanish citizens. The report displays a 13.7 per cent increase of Balearic residents who are able to save if compared to the data registered in 2014, reaching a total percentage of 70.8 per cent, while the national average has grown by 1.1 per cent. A total of 19.1 per cent of resident’s benefits are saved, while 93.8 per cent of them said they compare prices before buying, according to the report, which shows a profile of a customer who requests information to identify the best offers.
the summer season. The association has launched a campaign entitled ‘Holidays in Peace,’ to provide shelter for children in July and August. They have explained that more families interested in taking in children are required, as new
children are expected to arrive this year. The programme’s goal is to improve the quality of life of these children, offering them a comfortable stay and allowing them to avoid the high temperatures of the desert during the summer season, which can go up to 55 degrees.
In addition, the minors will received medical assistance and will be treated for any conditions as needed. Those interested can contact the AAPSIB at 971 728 839 or send an e-mail to vacancesenpau@gmail.com.
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Sighting of shark sparks an alert PEOPLE stopped to take pictures of the huge fish. By Steve Walsh BEACH users in Mallorca are on alert after what is believed to be a shark was spotted just metres from the shore off Palmanova. Holidaymakers and locals stopped to take pictures of the huge fish after it was spotted swimming in the Mediterranean some five metres away from the rocky shoreline, close to the party resort of Magaluf. The sighting corresponded with the Bank Holiday weekend, and the first major arrival of tourists to the holiday island since Easter. Speculation is rife on the social media sites, where people are guessing as to what the images reproduced by a local paper actually are. The most favoured theories at the moment seem to be ei-
WASHED UP: A shark on Benidorm beach. ther a shark, or red tuna. While there are known to be around 90 species of shark in the Med, attacks are very rare. The last known incident was in 1986 when a Spanish windsurfer was seriously bitten on the leg. The larger danger to
Med bathers would be jellyfish. Shark sightings are typically rare on the coast of Spain, however several have been washed up on the beaches in the past, including one in Benidorm this year (pictured).
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Funding for Inca entrance
Leg injury A 35-YEAR-OLD man broke his leg on Sunday (May 3) after accidentally falling from the first floor of a building in Palma de Mallorca.
Boat fall A MAN remains in critical condition after suffering a work accident on board a boat in the Puerto Portals (Palma). The 22-year-old was close to drowning but was rescued by the emergency services and taken to the Son Espases hospital.
INCA Council has approved a €620,000 budget to be all ocat ed f or i m pr ovem ent work on the entrance façade to the town. I n addi t i on, t her e ar e pl ans t o el i m i nat e t he pile of earth that is currently sitting at Sineu’s roundabout. In addition, a barrier is to be fitted on the ascending street, following a resident’s request as several vehicles have already fallen from it, although without causing casualties.
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Health and education low funding PUBLIC services in the Balearic Islands, including health and education, are amongst the worst funded in the whole of Spain according to a report released by trade union UGT. According to this report, the public sector in the Balearic Islands already presented budget deficiencies before the beginning of the financial crisis, which only worsened the situation. The study has been supported by other reports from the BBVA Foundation and the Valencian Institute for Economic Investigations. The UGT report, which was released on Monday (May 4) by the secretary general of the federation, Aurelio Martinez, found that the reduction in funding experienced by the public sector in the Balearic Islands was higher than the national average, and had consequently damaged the services provided to citizens in fields such as health care, education and social services. Investment in health in the Balearics amounts to €1,080 per habitant, the second lowest level in the whole of Spain, only beaten by the Valencian Community by one euro. Spending on public health care in the Islands is 10.8 per cent lower than the Spanish average, according to the UGT, who claimed that private health care clinics had benefited from this situation as many patients have turned to them in order to have a better quality treatment and avoid the saturation of the public system. In terms of education, the Balearic Islands has the lowest budget in Spain, with only €793 per habitant. The investment carried out by government in personal care for elderly or infirm residents is €60.60 per habitant, placing the Islands as the second lowest in this field.
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Undeserved bonus causes controversy Trade Union calls for Calvia mayor’s resignation. By Maria José Fernandez TRADE union FSP-UGT has requested the resignation of
Help against illegal trade HEAD of PIMECO, the association of small and medium-sized business in Mallorca, Bernat Coll, has asked the council to enforce new measures to combat illegal street selling. In a meeting held by Mr Coll and the representative of Central Government in the Balearic Islands, Teresa Palmar, the business chief requested that she increase surveillance of illegal street trade.
Calvia Mayor Manuel Olieva as they claimed he awarded unjustified bonuses to high position members of the Local Police force. In a press release, the trade union has reported that both the mayor and the Chief of Local Police Jose Luis Rubiales awarded nine members
of the Local Police force with bonuses of €2,000 for three of them and €1,000 for the remaining. “The bonus received by these officers in April does not hold an objective justification and has caused great discomfort among the rest of the staff,” reads the statement.
Beer fest in Palma THE Par de la Mar in Palma will host until May 10 the third edition of Beer Palma, a festival in which more than 160 different kinds of beer from across the world can be tasted. The biggest national and international beer producers will display their products at the fair, as well as smaller, local companies. Several restaurants also participate in the fair offering tapas to accompany some of the best beers of the world. Entrance is free and the event takes place between 11am and 10pm from Sunday to Thursday and from 11am to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
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Pool fees MARRATXI Council has approved a motion to offer discounts on municipal pool fees to large families, who will be able to enjoy a 50 per cent discount, as do pensioners or families with two or more unemployed members.
Cancer gala THE gala in support of cancer patients of Campos raised a total of €7,900 and had the participation of 800 people who were able to enjoy a great variety of musical performances.
To appear ALBERT RIVERA, leader of independent party Ciudadanos, will appear in a press conference in Palma on May 22 to support the party’s candidate for President of the Balearic Isladns, Xavier Pericay.
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NEWS EXTRA
Public paths A COURT has sentenced that the paths which lead to the public cottage Planicia in Banyalbufar are public, even though they pass through a private property of Rafal, whose owners have kept the access closed with barriers.
Artist show THE Casa de la Cultura Can Gelabert in Binissalem will inaugurate next Saturday (May 10) at 8pm two exhibitions featuring artists from France, Mallorca and Menorca.
Vulture care THE Foundation for the Preservation of the Black Vulture is considering to place surveillance cameras in the Tramuntana Mountain Range to avoid the entrance of tourists to certain areas and protect the animals during reproductive season.
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NEWS
A ‘Chanson D’amour’ movie AGREEMENT has been signed by the Calvia and Palma Councils and UIB to promote cinema tourism. By Maria José Fernandez AN agreement has been signed by the Calvia and Palma councils with the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) to promote cinema tourism through the creation of an animated short movie titled ‘Chanson D’amour.’ “This movie has the main goal of promoting the most emblematic tourist, cultural and patrimony elements of Palma and Calvia,” explained a statement released by Palma Council. “Most of the settings where the story will develop are located in these two Mallorcan towns, which it is ex-
Alvaro Gijon (Palma Council), Llorenç Huguet (UIB) and Maria Eugenia Frau (Calvia Council) during the signing of the agreement. pected to showcase both destinations and consequently, achieve great inter-
national tourism promotion,” read the statement.
Places such as the Parque del Mar, the Bellver castle, the Paseo del Born and Es Baluard all located in Palma will be featured in the movie. Calvia’s beaches in Magaluf, the Portals Port and the viewpoint of the Malgrats Islands will also be part of the production. The Palma de Mallorca 365 Tourism Foundation and the Calvia Council will spend €15,000 for the creation, which will be presented in different cinema festivals and competitions. The movie is expected to be completed by October of 2015.
Aldi brings six shops to Mallorca Deliver milk to children in need In a press release, the comGERMAN supermarket number of Aldi pany explained that the inauchain ALDI is to inaugurate shops to be guration of these shops is exsix new shops in Mallorca on opened in pected to re-energise the island May 20. Mallorca economically and will allow These new establishments citizens to enjoy a greater variety of options will represent more than 7,000 square mewhen buying products. tres of commercial surface, which will be Aldi counts no on more than 5,000 shops located in the municipalities of Palmanodistributed in nine different countries, with va, Magaluf, Inca, Marratxi and Palma de 250 located in Spanish territory. Mallorca.
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MEDITERRANEA NGO is a voluntary organisation distributing milk to children in Mallorca, which also helps homeless people and families in need. The group will be running a stall at the Europe Day bazaar in Palma Nova on May 10, where they will be organising a tombola
and a raffle. They have no overheads, so all monies received go directly to people in need. The purchase of milk for the ‘ESTO es la Leche’ project is their primary aim, however any donations will be gratefully received. facebook.com/Mediterranea.N GO or www.mediterraneaong.com
NEWS
7 - 13 May 2015 / Mallorca
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Back behind bars ROBBER rearrested after release from prison By Steve Walsh THE National Police have arrested one of the mostwanted robbers in Palma. The man, who has more than 30 offences on record, had recently been let out of prison after serving a long sentence. His MO was always the same - he would violently force entry into homes wearing a hood and sunglasses,
and then, after verbally and physically assaulting the inhabitants, he would clean them out of all he believed valuable. Having recently been released from prison, it is believed he has conducted two more robberies. The first was on April 19, when a man broke into a property and threatened the owner with a knife, then stole everything of value he found.
Just days later, on April 27, a similar robbery occurred but this time the victim was tied up and the culprit tried to use his cancelled credit card to withdraw money from a cash point. The police arrested their man while allegedly trying to sell several objects that were stolen in one of these two robberies. The court immediately ordered him back to prison to await trial.
More people work Russian opera for themselves THE highest increase in new self-employed residents has been registered in the Balearic Islands during the first four months of the year. A total of 3,899 new self-employees have been added to the Social Security lists, which is a 4.8 per cent increase, compared with the same period last year, according to information released by the National Federation of Self-employed workers (ATA).
THE Opera ‘Eugene Onegin’ will premiere for the first time in Mallorca on Sunday (May 10) at Palma’s Teatre Principal. Under the musical direction of Jose Maria Moreno and accompanied by the Symphonic Orchestra and Choir of the Teatre Principal, this opera will be part of the 29th Opera Season of the theatre. The play will take place at 6pm with tickets ranging between €5 and €60 from http://www.teatreprincipal.com/.
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NEWS FROM OUR FIVE OTHER REGIONS
COSTA DEL SOL
All the fun of the May fair as celebrations begin
MAY FAIR: Celebrations continue throughout the weekend in Torrevieja.
COSTA BLANCA SOUTH
AXARQUÍA
TORREVIEJA’S annual May Fair celebrations are now underway. The official inauguration took place last night (Wednesday May 6) with a grand fireworks display and the Sevillanas fiesta fun continues throughout the weekend until Sunday May 10. Taking place in the fair area by the port of Torrevieja, there are daily dance and musical performances but the most popular events are the parades of horses and riders dressed in full traditional Andalucian outfits, which takes place Saturday from midday and Sunday from 11am until 4pm, where around 300 horses and between 25-30 carriages will be parading around the enclosure of the fair. Torrevieja’s councillor for Fiestas, Lola Sanchez also highlighted the role of dance academies from the city for the first time in the Sevillanas Fair who will be present throughout the weekend and the performance of the Spanish duo Camela, which takes place tomorrow (Friday) night at the Real de la Feria at 10pm.
COSTA DE ALMERÍA
COSTA BLANCA NORTH
Splashing fun
Migrants rescued
Loyal wife
Ghoulish garbage
THE first water-skiing park in the area has opened in Santa Pola after months of delays in getting the permits. The centre, next to the Salinas, offers wake-boarding, water skiing and fly-boarding.
TWENTY-TWO people on board a dinghy were rescued off the coast of Motril and taken to the town’s port by Salvamento Maritimo (Spanish sea search and rescue services).
PURIFICACION SANCHEZ is being called the ‘Hillary Clinton’ of Cantoria. She took over as the PSOE mayoral candidate when her husband stood down after allegedly being found with cocaine outside a local clip-joint.
RUBBISH collectors in Valencia last weekend were surprised to find an empty coffin propped up against one of the city’s refuse containers. It is thought that the coffin had not been used.
Planning ahead
Gymnastic talent
SINCE the Junta’s 2010 ‘Right to die in dignity’ law, 2,134 Almeria Province residents have made living wills. A total of 210 made them in 2014, plus 58 in the first quarter of this year.
CALPE gymnast Naiara Fernández of Club Les Marines has taken sixth position in the Spanish Gymnastics Championship held in Guadalajara.
Aqueduct graffiti
Repaved streets
GRAFFITI artists of the Vega Baja have transformed the brackets holding the pipes of the Tajo-Segura Aqueduct. The Hydrographic Confederation of Segura, responsible for maintenance of the water transfer, has acknowledged the “creative value” of the work.
MORE than 20 kilometres in 22 streets have been repaved during the past week in Torrox. The project had a total cost of €145,000.
Museum night CARTAGENA has launched its ‘Night of the Museums’ programme, which starts on May 16 at 8pm until the early hours where events, concerts and exhibitions have been arranged throughout the night.
Sea showcase THE first boat show for Santa Pola attracted 15 major exhibitors and hundreds of visitors to the port area during the weekend long event.
No pets AN animal society is urging Guardamar Town Hall to allocate a pets’ beach. The PP governing team initially rejected the idea.
Cottage fire A FIRE started last Wednesday in an abandoned cottage in Calle Hurtado de Mendoza, next to the Almuñecar health centre. The house is usually occupied by homeless people. No one was hurt.
Fantasy park THE construction work on the ‘Tolkien-inspired’ park in Rincon de la Victoria has been put out to tender. The project has sparked significant interest amongst bidders, who will have to meet a minimum bid of €1.74 million.
Mayor busted FORMER mayor of the Axarquia town Alcaucin, Jose Manuel Martin Alba, is currently facing trial over several corruption allegations, which could see him sentenced to a total of 226 years in jail if found guilty.
NEWS
Summing up APPROXIMATELY half of Almeria residents fail to make their wages go round each month. Sixty per cent of their outgoings are spent on family and domestic obligations, they said.
Digging deep
Jazz festival critic THE president of JOVEMPA (Young Entrepreneurs Association of Marina Alta) has criticised organisers of Xabia Jazz Festival saying it does not include enough local musicians.
Monster wipes
THE regional Ports Authority is dredging 47,000 square metres of sand from Adra harbour. This will be taken to the town’s El Censo and Guainos Bajos beaches to halt erosion.
JAVEA’S Amjasa water company boss Josep Lluis Henarejos says wet wipes thrown down toilets cost utility companies in 27 European countries between €500 million and €1 billion each year in damages.
Long service
Videotrip
JOSE BERRUEZO, who heads Almanzora de Armuña Town Hall is the longest-serving mayor in Almeria Province. He was elected in the 1983 elections and has been there since.
PROVINCIAL Tourism group ‘Valencia Terra I Mar ’ has produced a ‘Videotrip’ to promote Cullera, Gandia and Oliva, shortly to appear on social networks.
For more local news from our five other regions see www.euroweeklynews.com
Busy month for tourists SAN ROQUE tourist office has a packed activity agenda for this month with a total of 51 events planned including guided tours of Carteia, tapas routes, rural and adventure activities and golf and polo tournaments.
Massage record A NATIONAL record has been broken in Malaga City as more than 100 people carried out simultaneous massages for 15 minutes at a healthy lifestyle fair.
Fatal accident A MAN died on Saturday, May 2, after being hit by a bus while attempting to cross the A7 motorway near Pinamar in Marbella.
Wanted, and caught A ROMANIAN man of 46 with a pending arrest order from a Malaga criminal court has been arrested by border control officers after landing at Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport.
Spring market SAN Pedro Boulevard will be the scene of an Urban Spring Market from 11am to 8pm on May 9 to 10. A total of 60 stands will be offering spring-related products and children’s activities will be available.
Motocross coming EL REALEJO in Las Chapas is the site chosen by Marbella Council for a 73,000-square-metre motocross circuit to meet official competition standards, which will include a paddock area and cafeteria for spectators.
EWN top for all the news from Spain.
NEWS
7 - 13 May 2015 / Mallorca
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NEWS EXTRA
Welcome fall THE number of women survivors of gender-violence who are in need of institutional protection has dropped to 761 in the Balearic Islands, which translates into a 9.8 reduction in comparison with the 2013 figures.
Mothers in Spain still main carers
FATHERS much less likely to take time off to care for children
Hiker saved A 54-YEAR-OLD tourist was rescued on Monday (May 4) by the Mallorca Fire Brigade and Guardia Civil after suffering an injury while hiking around the Puig Caragoli mountain.
Workers May Day demo draws thousands A MAY Day demonstration organised by trade unions CCOO and UGT in Madrid gathered thousands of people in support of workers’ rights and the end of austerity measures. Starting at the capital’s Plaza de Cibeles, it was led by trade union heads Candido Mendez and Ignacio Fernandez Toxo. Toxo and Mendez were accompanied by political leaders including the General Co-ordinator of left-wing party Izquierda Unida, Cayo Lara, PSOE socialist representatives in Madrid, Antonio Carmona and Angel Gabilondo, and the Socialist councillor Pedro Zerolo. CCOO and UGT representatives explained that the main goals of the demonstration were to support democracy, public freedom and the right to hold demonstrations, and to denounce the financial and social deterioration experienced by citizens, as well as the negative impact of austerity policies and their devastating effects on quality of life.
PATERNITY LEAVE: Although on the increase, childcare mostly undertaken by the mothers. By Eleanor Hawkins THE latest figures on maternity and paternity leave from the Spanish Social Security Institute show that, although paternity leave is increasing, new fathers are still much less likely
to take time off to care for their offspring. Between January and March of this year, the institute paid for 70,521 periods of leave of which 69,254 were taken by mothers and just 1,267 by fathers.
High-speed train breaks records HIGH-SPEED and long distance rail operator Renfe’s AVE service broke existing records on May 1 by transporting 125,467 people across Spain in one day. The holiday weekend prompted 8,302 more passengers than usual to use the high-speed rail service to get to their favourite May Day retreats, Europa Press reported. This broke the previous record, which was set on March 27 this year, the
week before Easter. Some 860,000 tickets were up for sale between Thursday and Sunday, which was an increase of 11 per cent over a normal weekend period. However, that was not enough as an extra 86,000 tickets had to be made available. The need for additional tickets was mainly due to the demand on trains linking Madrid and the Costa del Sol, and those travelling along the Mediterranean corridor.
While in Spain the first six weeks’ leave after childbirth must be taken by the mother, the remaining 10 weeks can be taken by either parent. This does not affect the 15 days’ paid leave fathers are now entitled to after the birth.
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GERMAN
EUROPEAN PRESS SCANDINAVIAN PRESS
Oslo Global Summit NORWAY: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is expected to attend the education for development summit on July 6/7 along with heads and ministers from 40 countries.
Pill ban SWEDEN : From November, Swedish supermarkets are to ban the sale of Paracetamol tablets after a significant increase in the number of accidental overdoses since 2009.
An upgrade NORWAY: The Norwegian government is planning to invest more than $1 billion (€895 million) to procure new armoured vehicles and upgrade its current fleet.
Positive state SWEDEN: Following a survey of all 28 EU member states, seven of the top 10 regions in Europe for low long term unemployment were in Sweden.
Mama Mia! SWEDEN: Is set to open its first Abba restaurant - the Greek themed restaurant will be located in Stockholm and is planned to open next January.
Off the rails DENMARK : Has Europe’s safest railways according to a comparison of European railway systems and comes third behind Switzerland and Sweden for best railway system.
PRESS
Less pollution please! DIESEL vehicle emissions produce nitrogen dioxide. THE UK’s highest court has ruled that the Government must take immediate action to reduce nitrogen dioxide pollution - mainly produced by emissions from diesel vehicles.
What a find TWO brothers discovered a World War One medal in a Manchester sewer while carrying out maintenance work and are looking to reunite it with the man’s family.
Edinburgh Airport A FIVE-month trial will commence from June 25 trialling a new flight path for aircraft departing from Edinburgh which would enable aircraft to take off at one minute intervals. Airport bosses have reassured locals about noise, saying the path crosses few populated areas.
What’s up Doc A LMOST one in 10 GP posts in the UK are empty with patients struggling to get appointments and one in six surgeries take over a year to recruit new doctors.
BRITISH PRESS
Broadchurch success FOLLOWING the success of the TV series Broadchurch, a walking route has been launched off the Jurassic coast in Dorset where the series was based.
TV SHOW: David Tennant heads up the cast.
AN East London council is set to be the first local authority in the UK to use DNA testing to identify irresponsible dog owners who fail to clean up.
Sports award
Jail escape
Phew - at last
BELFAST will host the 2015 Sports Personality of the Year award on Sunday December 20 at the Odyssey Arena, the first time Northern Ireland has held the event.
Calorific wine MOST drinkers are unwittingly consuming more calories than they realise according to a public health expert, with a large glass of white wine containing 185 calories.
THE Netherlands has been ranked eighth in the 2014 Global Competitiveness Index published by the World Economic Forum (WEF). High scores in health, education, training, infrastructure and business sophistication helped achieve this top ranking.
Pricey city
Fruit and veg
DENMARK: According to data from The Economist magazine, Copenhagen is among the world’s 10 priciest cities, ranking at number eight. A loaf of bread costs on average €1.64 and a supermarket can of beer €1.51.
JUST one-quarter of the Dutch population eat the recommended servings of fruit, vegetables and fish, report the Dutch Health Council. Educated people are more likely to meet the targets than their non-educated compatriots, and this gap is widening.
A 43-YEAR-OLD murderer escaped from the JVA Rheinbach jail in North Rhine-Westphalia by smuggling himself out in the trailer of a tractor. Police said he was highly dangerous.
Rise in attacks THERE has been a disturbing rise in antirefugee attacks. The police said they had yet to apprehend anyone for a recent arson attack on a hostel in Troglitz.
Crash victims
BAN could be lifted on using blood from homosexual men.
Global Ranking
Government assists spying THE German government has been accused of lying to the Bundestag after it emerged that Angela Merkel’s office knew German spies were assisting economic espionage for the Americans.
Hoping to expand blood donations DUTCH Health Minister Edith Schippers favours lifting the ban on blood donations from homosexual men, following research from Maastricht University showing this group no longer need be excluded in the interests of blood safety.
NEWS
DUTCH PRESS Close libraries ENTREPRENEUR Annemarie van Gaal says public libraries across The Netherlands should be closed as they cost over €600m annually, and book-lending has become a marginalised activity due to the wealth of information to be found online.
House prices rise HOME prices continue to rise, according to figures from Statistic Netherlands. Prices of owner-occupied properties are 2.4 per cent higher in February 2015, than in February 2014.
No more Porsches TWO years after the unit was abolished in 2013, Dutch national traffic police are back on the roads but not in high performance cars as before.
No charge BOOKS: No longer as popular.
A DUTCH appeals court has ruled that three former UN commanders will not be prosecuted for the deaths of three Muslim men murdered after leaving a UN compound.
RELATIVES were joined by political and religious leaders to commemorate the 150 victims of the Germanwings plane crash. The service in Cologne was attended by Angela Merkel and Joachim Gauck.
Bund rise GERMAN government bonds should produce their largest rise since December 2013 following a weak bond auction. The 10-year German Bund climbed 12 points to yield up to 0.289 per cent.
More people STATISTICS office Destatis has stated that the German population will rise over the next five years.
Man saved A BARRIER has saved the life of a drunk man in Nuremberg. When he fell onto the track, the subway train stopped automatically.
NEWS
7 - 13 May 2015 / Mallorca
www.euroweeklynews.com
RUSSIAN P RESS
Rocket is lost PROGRESS M-27M is a supplies spacecraft.
UNMANNED: The spacecraft is expected to fall to earth. AN UNMANNED Soyuz rocket carrying the Progress M-27M supplies spacecraft is feared lost and expected to fall to earth. All attempts to contact the rocket have failed.
Banner blunder A BLUNDER on a WWII 70th Anniversary banner in Ivanteyevka has prompted a local politician to apologise to the town: Luftwaffe pilots were depicted next to the slogan: ‘They fought for the Motherland.’
IT in St Petersburg ST PETERSBURG has hosted the ‘Modern IT Solutions for Media Companies,’ where IT publishers and specialists met in a workshop environment.
Sputnik site
Moscow smokers A NETWORK of cafes for the use of smokers in Moscow is planned to be available by the summer. The premises are no different to ordinary cafes – just smokier! prices in Russia by 5 - 20 per cent as an incentive to stimulate sales.
Remains found
RUSSIAN Railways have reported an 8.6 per cent increase in profits for the first quarter of 2015 compared to the same period last year.
JAPANESE car manufacturer Toyota has reduced
Sommelier school ENTREPRENEUR Cyril Burlutskiy has opened a school for sommeliers in St Petersburg with a turnover of 24 million Rubles. It began as a special interest club.
RUSSIAN Energy Minister Alexander Novak has confirmed that the contract with Ukraine for the transit of Russian gas due to expire in 2019 will not be extended.
Chernobyl fire
Toyota discount
A SPECIAL version of the Kia Picanto hatchback with increased road clearance is tipped for release mid-May on the Russian market. It is designed specifically for Russian roads.
Gas contract
SPUTNIK.DETI is a new search engine for children, created by Sputnik.ru. The site offers more than 5,000 of the best and most interesting sites for young Internet users and includes puzzles, games books and songs.
REMAINS suspected to be those of Soviet troops who fell while fighting in China in WWII have been discovered in Xinjua.
Road clearance
A FIRE near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant has caused 400 hectares of forest to be burned.
Rail profits
SPECIAL INTEREST: Sommeliers.
EWN
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FINANCE
LONDON - FTSE 100 MAY
4
C LOSING P RICES
MAY
+1.03%
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NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES
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+1.47% 4
Unemployment may be down but Spanish families are still suffering By Staff Reporter RECENT figures show that half a million jobs have been created in the last year. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said: “They are good figures, we should celebrate.” However, many Spaniards feel there is little to celebrate. Many live from
Monthly mortgage is a bill too far. month to month with few funds in reserve. Elsa Carmona, a 39-year-old mother-of-two, explained: “We survive
Woody Allen
MINI BOOM: Strong sterling rate and lots to choose from.
British buyers back on the hunt in Spain THE combination of a strong sterling rate, as well as a feelgood factor, has resulted in a 50 per cent rise in investors looking to buy in Spain. This combined with more than 650,000 properties on the market in Spain and favourable mortgage packages has generated a ‘mini property boom’. Legal fees, when purchasing property in Spain, can mean that homebuyers must budget for an extra 15 per
from money my father gives us from his pension. My husband has a gardening job for nine hours a week but that is not enough to cover our mortgage, which is €800 per month.” Elsa has many part-time jobs but not regular hours. They are two years behind on their mortgage and
Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons,’
Arena Photo UK / Shutterstock.com
Quote of the Week
€800
cent on top of the properties’ value. These costs can be considerable, but with banks offering cashback to buyers of up to 13 per cent of the properties’ value, the attraction of buying in Spain is obvious. One Spanish lender, Banco Popular, offers a financial package that requires no deposit. When combined with the cashback offer this means that a mortgage of up to 113 per cent is possible.
BUSINESS EXTRA
Fast growth SPANISH PM Mariano Rajoy has forecast that Spain will grow 2.9 per cent this year, which would make it the fastest-growing economy among major euro-area nations, including Germany.
Saudi deals SULTAN bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy, and Jaime Garcia-Legaz Ponce, Spain’s Secretary of State for Trade, met on Sunday to discuss ways of increasing trade between their two countries.
Euro surges THE euro surged higher against the dollar after some encouraging economic data in the eurozone, including a welcome rise in prices and stronger-than-expected growth in Spain. The euro climbed to US$1.1224 from around US$1.1128 last week.
Profit jump for Santander SANTANDER, the Eurozone’s biggest bank, has declared a 32 per cent net profit for the first quarter of 2015. It said that the strong economic recovery in its home market had boosted revenue as well as improved earnings in Britain and Brazil. Santander reported a net profit of €1.72 billion, which was up €1.3 billion from last year.
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EWN
AENA, Spain’s airports operator, said profits jumped last year for Madrid and Barcelona as a record number of tourists visited the country. Pre-tax earnings rose 17 per cent to €1.88 billion.
STAT OF WEEK
business & legal
C LOSING P RICES
Mallorca
7 - 13 May 2015
This rise was attributed to an increase in private investment, higher business investment and the reduction of provisions for bad loans. The bank, which is one of the world’s most foremost finance groups, reported profits of 14 per cent in Britain. Santander said it was cautious yet optimistic regarding further growth.
have not been able to pay utility bills. A food bank helps feed the children and relatives have offered assistance to pay for her eldest son to go to university. The Spanish have a long tradition of keeping up appearances and this is one reason why many are too proud to ask for help.
IBEX 35 C LOSING P RICES
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Green shoots IN a landmark turning point, figures show Spain’s economy is growing at its fastest pace since before the global economic crisis in 2007. Spanish GDP figures have boosted hopes that the Eurozone is bouncing back, despite the ongoing tumult in Greece. Spain, which received a €100 billion bailout for its wobbling banking sector in 2012, recorded a 0.9 per cent increase in GDP in the first quarter of this year. The news highlights the growing rift between the fortunes of Greece and the other bailed-out Eurozone countries.
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LONDON - FTSE 100
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PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY 3i Group 497.90 -8.60 Aberdeen Asset Management 463.20 -11.90 Admiral Group 1,596.00 38.00 Aggreko 1,649.00 -2.00 Anglo American 1,165.00 60.00 Antofagasta 792.50 11.00 ARM Holdings 1,118.50 4.50 Ashtead Group 1,146.50 20.50 Associated British Foods 2,874.00 17.00 AstraZeneca 4,461.50 -35.00 Aviva 523.00 -4.00 Babcock International Group 1,002.50 -6.50 BAE Systems 503.50 -4.50 Barclays 254.48 -0.82 Barratt Developments 513.50 -6.00 BG Group 1,187.00 4.50 BHP Billiton 1,607.25 46.25 BP 468.63 -1.47 British American Tobacco 3,640.00 47.50 British Land Co 821.50 -11.00 BT Group 459.80 4.05 Bunzl 1,832.00 -7.00 Burberry Group 1,724.00 -20.00 Capita Group (The) 1,165.00 21.00 Carnival 3,008.00 19.00 Centrica 254.60 -0.80 Coca-Cola HBC 1,376.00 -3.00 Compass Group 1,154.00 -3.00 CRH 1,838.00 9.00 Diageo 1,815.00 3.50 Direct Line Insurance Group 317.75 -1.35 Dixons Carphone 418.10 -6.20 easyJet 1,801.00 -12.00 Experian 1,161.00 -7.00 Fresnillo 712.00 -7.50 G4S 291.60 -1.40 GKN 348.65 -2.65 GlaxoSmithKline 1,511.50 -3.00 Glencore 312.65 2.40 Hammerson 665.00 -4.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,198.00 -32.00 Hikma Pharmaceuticals 2,031.00 -16.00 HSBC Holdings 646.30 -1.80 Imperial Tobacco Group 3,226.50 34.50 InterContinental Hotels Gr 2,817.00 13.00 International Consolidated 557.50 12.50 Intertek Group 2,626.00 14.00 Intu Properties 338.90 -4.10 ITV 254.25 0.65 Johnson Matthey 3,320.00 -25.00
% CHG. NET VOL -1.70 4,925.48 -2.50 6,326.50 2.44 4,348.51 -0.12 4,228.52 5.43 15,490.23 1.41 7,704.47 0.40 15,723.87 1.82 5,667.65 0.60 22,618.13 -0.78 56,813.35 -0.76 21,319.45 -0.64 5,067.16 -0.89 16,071.80 -0.32 42,678.04 -1.15 5,153.38 0.38 40,377.44 2.96 32,969.44 -0.31 85,842.19 1.32 66,968.95 -1.32 8,495.85 0.89 38,156.38 -0.38 6,156.99 -1.15 7,756.34 1.84 7,596.22 0.64 6,459.83 -0.31 12,692.87 -0.22 5,024.72 -0.26 19,236.45 0.49 14,927.99 0.19 45,546.19 -0.42 4,786.50 -1.46 4,885.65 -0.66 7,201.38 -0.60 11,523.66 -1.04 5,301.95 -0.48 4,546.17 -0.75 5,788.67 -0.20 73,692.74 0.77 40,574.33 -0.60 5,247.04 -2.60 5,834.12 -0.78 4,071.07 -0.28 124,926.56 1.08 30,550.34 0.46 6,620.73 2.29 11,112.41 0.54 4,214.77 -1.20 4,516.84 0.26 10,224.92 -0.75 6,854.50
COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) Kingfisher 354.40 3.10 Land Securities Group 1,229.00 -20.00 Legal & General Group 257.30 -2.70 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 82.87 5.49 London Stock Exchange Group2,525.00 -24.00 Marks & Spencer Group 548.50 -5.00 Meggitt 529.00 -1.00 Merlin Entertainments 436.00 -0.40 Mondi 1,322.00 -1.00 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 187.85 1.05 National Grid 886.45 7.45 Next 7,332.50 -17.50 Old Mutual 233.00 -1.90 Pearson 1,337.00 17.00 Persimmon 1,691.50 -8.50 Prudential 1,613.25 -15.75 Randgold Resources 5,002.50 38.50 Reckitt Benckiser Group 5,800.00 -26.00 Reed Elsevier 1,106.50 24.50 Rio Tinto 2,997.00 112.00 Rolls-Royce Group 1,043.00 -3.00 Royal Bank of Scotland Group (The)339.80 1.30 Royal Dutch Shell 2,060.00 0.50 Royal Dutch Shell 2,098.25 3.75 Royal Mail 468.70 1.00 RSA Insurance Group 425.10 -2.50 SABMiller 3,480.00 17.00 Sage Group (The) 488.50 2.50 Sainsbury (J) 271.60 -0.50 Schroders 3,240.00 -7.00 Severn Trent 2,083.50 -41.50 Shire 5,355.00 20.00 Sky 1,079.00 2.00 Smith & Nephew 1,143.00 26.00 Smiths Group 1,134.00 -11.00 Sports Direct International 620.50 1.50 SSE 1,550.00 3.00 St James's Place 886.00 -6.50 Standard Chartered 1,068.00 -2.00 Standard Life 466.80 -1.10 Taylor Wimpey 165.50 -0.70 Tesco 225.00 4.00 Travis Perkins 2,056.00 -22.00 TUI AG 1,200.00 -23.00 Unilever 2,875.00 9.00 United Utilities Group 957.50 -13.50 Vodafone Group 230.00 -0.55 Weir Group 1,885.00 5.00 Whitbread 5,220.00 -35.00 Wolseley 3,857.00 -15.00 WPP Group 1,537.00 11.00
% CHG. 0.88 -1.60 -1.04 7.09 -0.94 -0.90 -0.19 -0.09 -0.08 0.56 0.85 -0.24 -0.81 1.29 -0.50 -0.97 0.78 -0.45 2.26 3.88 -0.29 0.38 0.02 0.18 0.21 -0.58 0.49 0.51 -0.18 -0.22 -1.95 0.37 0.19 2.33 -0.96 0.24 0.19 -0.73 -0.19 -0.24 -0.42 1.81 -1.06 -1.88 0.31 -1.39 -0.24 0.27 -0.67 -0.39 0.72
NET VOL 8,209.20 9,873.82 15,450.42 55,229.00 8,851.50 9,120.66 4,196.25 4,423.99 6,423.88 4,361.95 32,863.58 11,236.21 11,571.28 10,827.78 5,211.19 41,880.20 4,608.77 41,686.47 12,189.32 40,651.91 19,269.91 21,784.45 80,208.98 51,114.40 4,677.00 4,343.55 55,973.11 5,235.83 5,224.60 7,338.95 5,065.45 31,555.73 18,513.82 10,007.26 4,520.20 3,704.50 15,362.46 4,660.02 26,489.14 9,213.36 5,407.25 17,951.82 5,170.51 7,174.16 36,783.95 6,621.14 61,123.50 4,011.56 9,549.85 10,322.45 19,973.05
1.35539
0.73779
Units per €
US dollar .....................................................................1.11653 Japan yen.................................................................134.140 Switzerland franc ................................................1.04647 Denmark kroner...................................................7.46422 Norway kroner.....................................................8.45687
currenciesdirect.com/mallorca • Tel: +34 687 906 226
DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES M AY 4
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 2.2M +0.82% 157.68 +1.29 3.9M +0.30% 77.68 +0.23 +3.04% 58.5M 128.95 +3.80 3.6M +0.93% 144.67 +1.33 4.9M +0.56% 87.37 +0.49 -1.82% 10.4M -2.02 109.04 +1.04% 18.9M 29.13 +0.30 +0.86% 10.8M 40.91 +0.35 6.2M +1.66% 110.52 +1.80 3.1M +1.15% 74.04 +0.84 +1.69% 12.3M 88.85 +1.48 +0.85% 28.3M 27.31 +0.23 2.0M +0.57% 197.53 +1.11 6.7M +2.40% 109.55 +2.57 3.3M +1.39% 173.67 +2.38 +2.67% 27.1M 33.42 +0.87 6.3M +0.94% 100.13 +0.93 +0.55% 11.6M 63.61 +0.35 6.3M +1.29% 97.80 +1.25 9.4M +0.50% 59.86 +0.30 48.66 +0.015 +0.03% 38.9M 3.3M +1.96% 100.78 +1.94 +0.44% 21.5M 34.08 +0.15 8.2M +0.98% 80.29 +0.78 1.8M +1.00% 102.12 +1.01 2.8M +1.49% 115.44 +1.69 5.8M +1.62% 113.20 +1.80 -0.06% 13.9M -0.03 50.41 -0.42% 10.1M -0.28 65.77 5.0M +0.70% 78.60 +0.55
NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M AY 4
COMPANY
PRICE
CHANGE NET / %
Most Advanced Escalera Resources Co. Olympic Steel, Inc. NutriSystem Inc Nektar Therapeutics SkyWest, Inc. EnerNOC, Inc. Callidus Software, Inc. Web.com Group, Inc. Blucora, Inc. Century Aluminum Company Auris Medical Holding AG
$ 3.789 $ 13.70 $ 23.25 $ 11.48 $ 16.12 $ 12.86 $ 14.16 $ 21.06 $ 15.55 $ 14.595 $ 5.54
0.78 ▲ 26.33% 2.75 ▲ 25.11% 4.20 ▲ 22.05% 1.96 ▲ 20.59% 2.47 ▲ 18.10% 1.81 ▲ 16.38% 1.81 ▲ 14.66% 2.69 ▲ 14.64% 1.88 ▲ 13.75% 1.705 ▲ 13.23% 0.64 ▲ 13.06%
$ 27.51 $ 22.35 $ 9.56 $ 6.815 $ 27.53 $ 55.48 $ 2.05 $ 25.60 $ 3.90 $ 14.24 $ 14.09
7.34 ▼ 21.06% 5.35 ▼ 19.31% 2.16 ▼ 18.43% 1.315 ▼ 16.17% 4.88 ▼ 15.06% 8.52 ▼ 13.31% 0.26 ▼ 11.26% 3.20 ▼ 11.11% 0.45 ▼ 10.34% 1.58 ▼ 9.99% 1.51 ▼ 9.68%
Most Declined Constant Contact, Inc. Liberty Tax, Inc. Control4 Corporation Accuray Incorporated Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. ABAXIS, Inc. Synacor, Inc. Federated National Holding Company TetraLogic Pharmaceuticals Corporation Tuesday Morning Corp. YRC Worldwide, Inc.
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E W N 7 - 13 May 2015 / Mallorca
www.euroweeklynews.com
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
Volatility continues in currency markets Ask the expert Peter Loveday Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com
IT has been an extremely bumpy ride across the currency markets and we can expect more volatility for GBP/EUR in the months ahead. Firstly, if we look at the current euro depreciation, we can put the live rate nearing 1.40 into context. The European Central Bank’s (ECB) massive Quantitative Easing (QE) programme is now in full flow to the tune of €60 billion per month. The ongoing effect of the programme is still unclear but it is expected to continue to erode appetite for the euro especially once other central banks such as the US and UK start to raise interest rates. The effect of this divergence should drive GBP/EUR higher and EUR/USD lower and parity and below for EUR/USD have been touted. Late 2015 for the US and 2016 for the UK look like the projected lift-off times for increasing interest rates. Despite considerable euro weakness
BUMPY RIDE: Expect more volatility for GBP/EUR in the months ahead. already fed into the markets it is likely that this will increase once we do see a clear divergence of monetary policy. Greece is also a major concern for the euro and could lead to periods of high volatility and further euro weakness. As it stands, Greece looks set to get
through its immediate debt concerns as the funds are already available and Greece will need to unlock these funds for short-term obligations. However, it is in June when the bailout expires that things could get messier. The euro is vulnerable to any perceived lack of
agreement on the continued funding of Greece, and the Greek concerns are expected to continue over the coming months. The immediate elephant in the room for the Great British pound is the approaching general election. So far the pound has managed to shrug off any election uncertainty concerns and has been largely driven by external factors. The big concern is that the messy outcome that is expected will fail to form a coherent government in a short time-frame. If we see protracted negotiations extending over many days and possibly into weeks then expect the pound to nosedive on this uncertainty. If we look at the election in 2010 it took five days for a government to be formed and in that period the pound was sold heavily across the currency markets. This election looks set to be even more uncertain and thus we should expect to see the pound come under short-term pressure. Overall, prepare for some short-term downside pressure on GBP/EUR. However, assuming a government is formed we should see the trend once again revert back to GBP/EUR upside with the next big target of 1.45 and 1.50 in mind.
Visit us at our Spanish offices in Costa del Sol, Costa Almeria, North Costa Blanca and South Costa Blanca. Telephone: UK +44 (0) 207 847 9400 SPAIN +34 950 478 914 Email: euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com • www.currenciesdirect.com
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
7 - 13 May 2015 / Mallorca
www.euroweeklynews.com
What would you spend money on? Loose change Jane Plunkett A look at finance for females jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews.com
CULTURAL stereotyping originates from somewhere, it’s definitely not just plucked from thin air! For example, even though not everyone might agree with it, the Spanish are well-known for bullfighting and also for Flamenco music and dancing. And for good reason too, as these cultural traditions have survived decades and continue to live on. The British and Irish are perhaps renowned for their love of a drink. While the Swiss are famous for adhering to rules and regulations, apart from when it comes to banking that is!
But if you were to be asked what is the most popular ‘thing’ that people want to spend their money on in each country in the world, what would you say? Maybe it would be carpets in Turkey? Electronics in Japan? Beer in Germany? Or an expensive car in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or Saudi? An online cost-estimating website recently put together a map of the world listing what the most-Googled-for objects are in each country. And the results, which show what the majority of people want to spend their money on in each particular country, are very interesting, highlighting the wealth or lack thereof in various places around the world, as well as other things. Some countries appear to abide by cultural stereotypes. For example in Saudi, the vast majority of people want to know how much it is to
buy a Lamborghini sports car. In the UAE it’s a Ferrari. In France, consumers are typically interested in the price of a croissant, while in Switzerland people want to know how much a Rolex costs. In Spain, considering the current rate of unemployment and general discontent, it’s no great surprise to see that the price of food is the thing most Spaniards Google. Other results, however, were a little more surprising. People want to know how much a MIG aircraft costs in Russia. How much a prostitute costs in Brazil. How much rhinoplasty surgery costs in South Korea. Or
how much a watermelon costs in Japan. Go figure!
CULTURAL STEREOTYPING: The Spanish are wellknown for Flamenco.
EWN
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OPINION & COMMENT
7 - 13 May 2015 / Mallorca
www.euroweeklynews.com
EWN
29
Don’t mention the war!... Everett Historical / Shutterstock.com
A UK newspaper reported that 91 per cent of Germans believe they were victims of Nazi tyranny LEAPY LEE SAYS IT
OTHERS THINK IT I CANNOT believe that a report published last week in a British newspaper didn’t cause an absolute furore of public indignation. Instead it was somehow brushed aside and, as far as I could see, never saw the light of day again. Up to now, that is! The piece was headlined. ‘Why Germans no longer believe they lost the War’. Intrigued? It gets worse. Apparently 91 per cent of Germans consider the end of the Second World War as their liberation from Nazi tyranny. They see themselves as victims. What pure, unadulterated, arrogant poppycock! In other words, the millions of German citizens, who took to the streets maniacally cheering Hitler and celebrating the fall of country after country under the jackboots of their evil armed forces, weren’t really happy at all! They must think we all came over on the last banana boat. Let’s just get this absolutely straight. The German people were solely re-
HITLER’S GERMANY: Responsible for the death of millions. sponsible for the Second World War (we won’t get into the first one). A war which killed, maimed and tortured millions of innocent human beings and resulted in the death and annihilation of millions of its own citizens. To infer that it was solely the fault of the Nazi Party, and that the German people were not to blame, is an affront to the millions of Holocaust vic-
STREET TALK
tims and citizens of the world who died in the struggle to crush the evil spawned and voted into power by the German race. Of course, there were large numbers of its citizens who disagreed with the policies of Hitler, but the majority sat back and did nothing. If we cannot learn from the mistakes of history, we are all lost. Hopefully, we the
British have learned from our mistakes in the Middle East. Somehow I doubt it, but we are certainly not squealing that it was not our fault, and we were merely the victims of Herr Blair and his NLP. How dare Germany endeavour to rewrite history in this way! If they really want to achieve some form of forgiveness and closure, a bit of apologising wouldn’t go amiss. Own up and be thankful that their country is once again a free and thriving society. The rest of the world has all but forgiven Germany’s past misdeeds, but be assured it will never forget. Show a little backbone. Admit you were totally in the wrong and move on. It takes courage to say sorry. Are you listening, Ms Merkel? What a shame that on your recent visit to Dachau you didn’t take the opportunity to apologise on behalf of the whole German race, instead of laying the blame on ‘The Nazi Party’, thereby refuelling the delusion of the 91 per cent. Keep the faith, Love Leapy Leapylee2002@gmail.com www.leapylee.co.uk
YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION
Is the cloud or the old shoebox best? A RECENT survey showed that only 6 per cent of us choose to keep our most important documents online, with 13 per cent storing them on computers. We spend so much of our time online but do you prefer to store paperwork still using the old shoebox method? EMMA HIGGINSON, CEO of Villas-Plots.com in Javea (Alicante), is still a paper fan. “I made a New Year’s resolution to try to store more digital information on computers, iPads and phones but I do still like to keep a paper diary. And of course real estate means providing hard copies for town halls and notaries, however much we would like to escape all those piles of paper files,” she explained. Patrick, owner of Bonanza Bar and Restaurant in Urbanisation El Chaparral, Torrevieja (Alicante), said he is more old-fashioned than his business partner, who has everything stored on his mobile phone. He remarked: “I have numbers in my phone but also in a good oldfashioned phone book. What would happen if you lost your phone? So I definitely do keep important documents in safe places rather than on-
line. The problem is that now for a lot of things you are obliged to do it all online. I think that technology has gone too far and one day there will be a very clever person who shuts down the internet and then we will see the world in chaos.” Wendy Garrood of Costa Less Golf in Mijas Costas (Malaga), said: “If you store valuable information on your computer, it can break down or be stolen and then you have lost it, although I do believe in backing up information to safeguard it. “ I still like to have a hard copy of something that
PATRICK: Things are too technologybased today.
you can hold in your hand, though. For example, there are things such as a boarding pass which we apply for online or via the phone, but should you lose your phone, then a problem arises. Physical papers still have their use.” Kelly Jasper of Andalu-
cian Glass & Steel, Marbella (Malaga) said: “Although I don’t store valuable documents on my computer I do use a memory stick to store or transport things. I am a bit wary of keeping everything on my computer as my daughter was once using it and it blew up! Since then I do think twice on how I can safeguard from that
happening again.” And Bernardette Woolley of Avalon Funeral Plans said: “I prefer to have documents safely in my hands or at least a hard copy and one on the computer as well. As far as things such as boarding passes for travelling it does seem to be quicker when you are at the airport. My friend used her phone for that at the airport once and she didn’t have to queue, so it works as long as you don’t lose anything in the process.”
L to R: Bernadette and Wendy like to have hold of a hard copy. Kelly is wary of storing on computer.
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E W N 7 - 13 May 2015 / Mallorca
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OPINION & COMMENT
How clever is your dog? Website uses games to find out OWNERS can learn more about how their dog thinks By Lorna Eade IS your dog playing dumb to get its own way? Have you ever wondered why your pet runs round in circles, or barks at random things? It could be all down to their personality type. The Dognition site, based in North Carolina, uses questionnaires and games to help dog owners determine how empathetic their pet is, how clever it is at solving problems, whether it is choosing to ignore you or genuinely doesn’t know what you’re saying. Dogs, like us humans, have personality types with character traits and these can be compared to other dogs of the same breed, age and size, as well as other breeds. It can be used by owners to learn more about how their dog thinks, train their pet more effectively or help decide which breed of dog to get next. Pet owners begin by filling out a personality questionnaire about their dog, including whether it is well-behaved, whether it listens to
instructions, how it responds to being left alone or told off and so on. Based on the results of this test, the owners are given a series of science-based games, designed to test a dog’s level of empathy, communication, cunning - including whether they are trustworthy and loyal, or wily and devious - memory, and reasoning abilities. Empathy involves reading and responding to the emotions of others. Communication tests how a dog uses information from others to learn about their environment. To test Cunning the games see how dogs use information to avoid being found out when they do something wrong. The Memory game tests how the dogs use past experiences to influence future choices, and Reasoning looks into how the dog finds a solution to a new problem. Once the owner plays the games, all the results are fed into the database and Dognition creates a detailed Profile Report that explains how the dog thinks.
Each dog is also categorised into one of nine personality types, including Einstein, Expert, Socialite, Stargazer, Charmer, Renaissance, Protodog, Maverick and Ace. For example, the Renaissance Dog is a pet which is ‘good at a little bit of everything’ and Socialites are outgoing pets that are easily excitable. The report also compares the results to other dogs of the same breed, age and size, as well as dogs from other breeds, to see whether the trait is specific to the breed or the individual.
This can help determine how a dog needs to be trained. If a dog doesn’t listen but understands the command they might not be cunning, they might instead need a specific method of communication such as eye contact. “These are science-based games that should be very fun to play with your dog, for both human and dog alike. And while you’re doing it, you can know that you are participating in actual science that can be used to help dogs,” said Dognition founder Dr Brian Hare from Duke University, who added:
“At the same time, it can reveal how your individual dog is thinking.” All the results are anonymously stored so scientists can research dog behaviour and cognition and Dr Hare and his team want to gather the data to analyse why some dogs or breeds communicate more effectively with humans, while others are more sociable. Find out more at the Dognition https://www.dognition.com/ Why dog slobber can boost your mood A study has discovered that getting kisses from a dog can make an owner feel happier. Linda Handlin from the University of Skövde in Sweden found owners who kissed their dogs the most had higher levels of oxytocin than other owners. Oxytocin is known as the ‘hug hormone’ because it is released when someone is touched by a person they love, including a partner or a child. It is also released after eating tasty food. Oxytocin can reduce stress levels and blood pressure.
PERSONALITY: Dogs are categorised into nine different types: Einstein, Expert, Socialite, Stargazer, Charmer, Renaissance, Protodog, Maverick and Ace.
OPINION & COMMENT
7 - 13 May 2015 / Mallorca
www.euroweeklynews.com
EWN
s_bukley / Shutterstock.com
Mr Ambassador, please heal my cat’s paw & help me with my dominatrix! 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
CAN you recommend a Scottish chef in Brussels who can make haggis? Can you heal my cat’s infected paw? Can you find me cheap flights to New Zealand? These are just some of the 365,000 calls made last year to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s British consular services, 38 per cent of which “aren’t related to consular support at all.” Some of the daftest calls received included a British woman asking the consulate in Albania how to discover if her son’s fiancée was already married; someone asking for help with setting up ‘British-style’ hanging baskets at a trade show because the professional gardener he’d hired had
PHIL COLLINS: Don’t be asking for his phone number!
‘stage fright,’ and the lady asking about treatment for her sick moggy. A traveller asked staff in Mexico to nip along to the airport to see if he’d left his mobile on a plane; a woman in Italy wanted to know how to synchronise her TV antenna to receive English channels and an eventcoordinator in Brussels asked for the name of a Scottish chef to make Haggis for a Burns Night event. Australia, too, has asked travellers not to make inane requests at the country’s embassies overseas, labelling them ‘serial pests.’ In 2013, staff provided assistance to nearly 15,000 Australians abroad, including a man who asked officials for a loan to pay for a prostitute in Thailand and another who wanted help removing a polecat from a roof. British consular staff offer invaluable help to travellers abroad who encounter serious issues as the victims or perpetrators of crime. But that doesn’t seem to stop people from contacting them about weather
forecasts, booking tickets and what clothes to take on holiday. And other daft requests. Like asking for Phil Collins’ phone number (Spain), selling a house (Sofia), how to get rid of ants (Florida) or how to build a chicken coop (Greece). One man in Spain even asked if staff could contact a dominatrix who had left him stranded at an airport. (Bet that caused a bit of an, err, backlash.) Just think. Greece could by now be the world’s leading exporter of chicken coops and single-handedly have saved itself from the Eurozone crisis, never-ending bailouts and Grimbo (Greece...limbo. Geddit? Do keep up!) had it not been for whoever was manning the phones that day at the British Consulate… Nora Johnson’s thrillers ‘Landscape of Lies,’ ‘Retribution,’ ‘Soul Stealer,’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.com) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.89;£0.79) and iBookstore. Profits to Cudeca.
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E W N 7 - 13 May 2015 / Mallorca
OPINION & COMMENT
www.euroweeklynews.com
LEGALLY SPEAKING
Police answering your questions… AS part of a new series, we give the answers to some common questions, 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. Can I put a flag on my car? Whether it is of a country, football team or a group to which you belong, displaying that patriotism with a flag on your vehicle can lead to a range of problems and fines from the traffic police if your flag does not comply with the regulations. Article 14 of the ‘Reglamento Circulacion’ deals with the distribution of loads and although a flag may not be considered a ‘load’, because it is something that is in addition to the normal fixtures of a vehicle, in this case it qualifies as such. In the interests of safety, flags are not permitted as they can produce drag, fall or move dangerously, interfere with vehicle stability, produce noise, dust or other problems. They can also interfere with lighting, signals and number-plates, all of
which classify as a safety hazard. However, there are small, purpose-built flags which are permitted such as those often seen attached to the side windows or to the main structure like those on presidential vehicles. Similarly, there are other accessories that can be fitted to a vehicle safely such as covers for wing mirrors as long as they do not obscure the view. There are of course exceptions to the rule and occasions larger flags may be permitted, such as when a road is closed to normal traffic, for example, during a private event or organised parade.
For more news and articles visit www.n332.es or search N332 on Facebook.
Are the over-65s exempt from Capital Gains Tax? With reference to the article in EWN of 12-18 March, I was interested to read that one is totally exempt from Spanish Capital Gains Tax if you are over 65, a tax resident of more than three years, and you sell your principal home. I thought this Both you and other letter-writers as well, can rest easy. If you are over 65, a tax resident, and sell your principal home, you remain free of Spanish Capital Gains Tax on the profits. There is a change in the tax law for 2015, but it expands the exemptions, it does not replace them. Let’s take it by parts. First, we have the existing exemption described above. Second, we can add to this a new exemption on the sale of other assets by residents over 65. This includes
rule was changed in January, 2015, and now only the first €260,000 is exempt and this also applies to any residence, not just the principal home. I would love you to tell me that you are right - and that I have got this wrong. JWC (Costa Blanca)
David Searl You and the Law in Spain
property, shares, or almost any asset. If the proceeds of the sale are reinvested in pension annuities, they are free of Capital Gains Tax up to a maximum of €240,000. This must be done within six months. Third, home-sellers under 65 years old. If they are official residents and they use the total sales price from selling their principal home to purchase another
principal home inside Spain within three years, they are exempt from CGT. If they use the total sale price, it is completely exempt. If they use half of the sale price, they are exempt on 50 per cent. These are the three types of exemption available in 2015. We can suppose that confusion arose because of the new provision for exemption on the sale of any asset. Many people thought it replaced the former exemption. It does not. It is an additional exemption.
7 - 13 May 2015 / Mallorca
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It’s a slow boat to China 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.
MAY 3 was a significant day in the life of Christopher Columbus. He was not exactly a popular man when he returned to Spain at the end of his first voyage in 1493. Instead of taking back gold and Oriental silks and spices that he had promised Ferdinand and Isabella, his offerings were a few islanders, some pineapples and a strange contraption called a hammock. Moreover he had lost one of the three ships that had been given for the expedition - the Santa Maria. Careless. But Columbus could have sold sand to the Arabs, and still convinced that he had found some outlying islands off China or Japan and the route to riches, he set about convincing the King and Queen to finance a second attempt. He would have gone down a storm as a double glazing salesman, because not only did they agree, but this time providing 17 ships and 1,000 men. So, fully equipped and stocked, and with a cry of heave ho me hearties - or words to that effect - and in Spanish of course - they set sail from Cadiz.
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS: Famous for his maritime exploration. The fleet made several landfalls in what we now know as the Leeward Islands and Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean, and then on the third of
May, Columbus was convinced that he had made China at last when he sighted Jamaica. Ooops! Little did Columbus realise his fun-
damental mistake on his first voyage, when he should have turned left and not right at the Azores. Their Majesties were going to have the right hump yet again. Because gold and silver were conspicuous by their absence - and what little there was, was usually trousered by Chris - he hoped to make a killing by transporting natives to sell as slaves. But he was to be disappointed here too, because to their credit, the Royal couple decreed that as subjects of the Spanish crown, all of the Carib Indians were to be returned to their island homes. Nevertheless, Columbus was still hailed as a hero in Spain and since he had been responsible for establishing colonies in the New World, he retained the patronage of the King and Queen who went on to fund two further voyages. However, the third was a fiasco after Columbus was sent back to Spain in chains by the newly appointed governor Francisco de Bobadilla, and the fourth another disaster, with ships lost and many men dead. He was corrupt and administratively incompetent, making him a hated man in the new world, but there can be no doubt Christopher Columbus was a brave and skilled navigator and bears a name that is still synonymous with maritime exploration and discovery.
Facebook could now be failbook RESEARCH has indicated that Facebook could lose 80 per cent of its users by 2017.
Mike, based in Mediterranean Spain, is an international journalist, author and professional writer.
LOSING users by the million, Facebook is no longer a vital place for younger users. Not good as they are most likely to respond to advertising. The worst thing that can happen in today’s market place is to lose one’s cool status. Nor is the social forum holding its own with older generations. When Princeton researchers published a paper asserting that Facebook would lose 80 per cent of its users by 2017, everyone, including Facebook, laughed out loud (lol). However, Germany’s noted Frauenhofer Institute reached a similar conclusion. Their studies analysed results from 175 different internet services across 45 nations. Google Trends offers the most respected analysis. Their findings disclose that Facebook
faces catastrophic decline. It predicts that within 36 months Facebook users will be back to 2008 levels. Google Trends describes the loss of users as a ‘massive falloff.’ Their claim is that Facebook will ‘struggle to stay relevant to users lives.’ Social forums are notorious for including lapsed subscribers when carrying out head counts. Once a member always a
member. The network claims one billion subscribers, but these are not necessarily one billion users. Disappointed advertisers are the litmus test and sales response falls far short of the Facebook rhetoric. Those actually using the forum are likely to be a fraction of this figure of one billion. Whilst Facebook has earned
Ttatty / Shutterstock.com
Mike Walsh
a notorious reputation for imposing user bans for silly things like users posting artistic images of lightly clad ladies, it defends (to the death) appalling acts of cruelty and depravity. The network clearly doesn't trust its users to act with propriety, yet Facebook itself gets the big thumbs down for appalling lapse of trust and security. The network’s notion of what constitutes freedom of information certainly seems to be bizarre. If propriety underscores users guidelines it is fair to say that Facebook itself would be under a permanent ban. As whistleblower Julian Assange wryly observed, “What are
FACEBOOK: Is no longer a vital place for young users.
EWN
33
OUR VIEW Cordon Press
OPINION & COMMENT
Princess Charlotte.
A safe choice for William A ROYAL birth has always been a joyous occasion for the British public. Whether you are a royalist or not, a new baby is a beautiful addition to any family. Choosing a name for the new bundle of joy however can be a little tricky, especially if yours is the most famous family in the world. William and Kate must have known that the naming of their daughter would be a serious matter. Not only would she be fourth in line to the throne and need a regal forename, (Chantellicia, or Harley, not quite cutting the mustard), Charlotte Elizabeth Diana was a perfect choice. Charlotte has not been used within Royalty for a long time, but being the female version of grandfather Charles, it’s ideal. Not to mention the fact that she will almost certainly be referred to as Princess Charlie. But the nice touch is the fact that William’s mother Diana’s name is included along with his Grandmother’s Elizabeth. Before meeting Kate, his mother and grandmother were the two most important woman in his life. So, with mum, dad, and granny happy, Charlotte was the safe, and perfect choice.
the differences between Mark Zuckerberg and me? I give private information on corporations to you for free and I’m a villain. Zuckerberg gives your private information to corporations for money and he’s Man of the Year.” Americans are incensed at ‘arrogant’ Facebook’s pro-Democrat bias. A correspondent says, “If Facebook cannot remain unbiased in its policy enforcement it deserves to die when the public walks away.” Most infuriatingly, the forum has a penchant for arbitrarily closing accounts or banning users for a period of time. It does so without giving a reason for doing so. Quite ordinary users, who have never sinned in their lives, experience an inexplicable closure of their accounts. Yet, their profile may Now we have taken years to develop. want to Thankfully, Facebook is not hear your news. responsible for other utilities. Otherwise, we’d cross our YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE fingers when turning a tap, - YOUR OPINION tripping a light switch or www.euroweeklynews.com picking up the telephone.
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LETTERS
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OPINION & COMMENT
YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION
Letters for Your Say should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments straight on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com
Worth a look to see if you are due some cash back WE have all seen the scam emails saying Dear Mr/Mrs X you have won... Or I am holding an amount of money that can be put into your bank if you let me have your bank details. But last week I received one from the SSE, (Scottish & Southern Electricity). It had got past my Outlook junk and spam messages so I thought it might be worth checking out. It was from their Credit Resolution Team, saying that they were holding some money of mine dating back to when I was using them for my electricity and gas, and would I contact them via the email they sent. It appears that the UK Government has been chasing all the main electricity and gas suppliers to pay back to customers the hundreds of thousands of pounds they are holding that have been paid to them in error When we moved to Spain, we closed our electricity account using the final reading and stopped our direct debit, but our bank still made another payment to SSE, so SSE have been holding £100 of our money and only now decided to let us know, because the government forced their hand. A cheque for £100 has been raised and is winging its way to us, so the question is how many other expats have money sitting in the coffers of the service giants and not theirs? If in doubt, check it out! David White, Fuengirola (Malaga)
Billions to spare IN today’s and almost every recent UK election, the National Health Service is a major issue. Recently it has been claimed that £8 billion is needed to provide the current level of service. The recently published Sunday Times rich list reports that the number of billionaires is up, to 117, and the collective wealth of the top 1,000 has more than doubled in the last 10 years, the top one being worth £13.17 billion. If £8 billion was raised from those billionaires they would not even notice. Their lifestyles would not be affected at all.
Photographs for possible publication should be sent by email with a full caption to: photonews@euroweeklynews.com
less in his foreign policy. What about the Lockerbie atrocity, for which a Libyan agent was found guilty by a Scottish court? Or poor WPC Fletcher, shot dead by a Libyan ‘diplomat’ from inside the embassy which she was there to protect? Libya did not need Western action to make it into “Africa’s most deadly and unpleasant régime” – it already was. Bill Campbell, Mojacar Playa (Almeria)
Cereal shocker
How much is this little lot worth? I saw these Ferraris at a supercar expo in Malaga. All my boyhood dreams came back to me. My modest Fiat may be Italian but it does not quite compare. John Reynolds, Marbella (Malaga)
Firstly, why don’t they volunteer to pay it? Why wouldn’t they? Are they comfortable in the knowledge that some people can’t get the medication they need to stay alive? Secondly, what is wrong with taking it from them? Who could argue against it? Russell Brand and Brian May certainly have a case and have the platform to say what many people are thinking. That the gap between rich and poor must shrink. We need a fairer society. Peacefully, preferably. What do you say about that then, (right-winger) Leapy? Paul Whitfield, Murla (Alicante)
Name blame NORA Johnson’s column about unusual names made me smile, remembering my mother telling me that she went to school with a girl named Pearl Button. I also read about a Mr and Mrs Carte who named their son Orson! Parents can be thoughtless when choosing names for their offspring. Della Naylor (via www.euroweeklynews.com)
Patient’s choice No angel REGARDING the story that people in Valencia will soon be able to choose which hospital they get treated at, does that mean I can have all my treatments in one hospital? At present I deal with two hospitals, and it would be marvellous if I could choose just one. D Howells (via www.euroweeklynews.com)
Magic world LIKE Colin Bird (Issue 1556) I am also in that age bracket when there was such a thing as black and white TV, the test pattern and programming that ended at a decent time to go to bed. I will admit that I did watch Children’s Hour... “Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin.” I wasn’t sitting comfortably but the old girl just carried on. But I didn’t really care, I was transfixed by that fuzzy window into the magic world. D Dewar (via www.euroweeklynews.com)
YET another example of Mike Walsh’s paranoia, which prevents him from blaming anyone except Britain and her allies for everything that goes wrong in this world. Now we are treated to praise of the enlightened Colonel Gaddafi and the idyllic state which was destroyed by wicked Westminster; in other words, our democratically-elected government. Just to refresh Mike’s memory: Gaddafi did indeed hand out largesse from his oil wealth, as he could well afford to do. However, we would hardly think that government by handout is a very sound system, especially when the oil price can fall – take note of what is happening in Venezuela. Gaddafi did not allow formal political institutions to exist, so that he had no rivals. However, this meant that when he departed, for whatever reason, there would be no system to carry the country forward. He fell from power because enough Libyans wanted rid of him, and Libyans killed him. Western intervention was not the decisive element. And Gaddafi was not exactly harm-
AFTER looking at the new format of the paper and web I have one word: ‘impressed’. Those papers that consider themselves rivals would have been choking on their cornflakes on Thursday morning. Well done, everyone! Mike Walsh (EWN columnist)
Well done... I’VE been reading your newspaper and I love the new style. It’s cleaner and I think you have done a good job. Well done! A Wilkinsons (via www.euroweeklynews.com)
Oh dear! OH dear, you have changed the typeface and layout of the paper making it so much more difficult to read. Just compare the Letters page last week to this week’s page. Please change it back. Dot Wisdom (Malaga) Editor’s note: We are proud of our new look, but what do you think? Please let us know if there is anything we can do better.
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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Good: 17 Very good: 25 Excellent: 30
Mon - 26 17 S Tues - 27 18 S Wed - 27 18 S
Now that you are feeling much better, it will be tempting to put aside your healthy eating and exercise, but if you remember what a difference it makes it would be silly to stop now. Enlist the help of a friend or two in keeping the momentum going.
TAURUS
concerned with others than yourself. This can be good but can also be overdone.
SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Leave nothing to chance when it comes to your health. Although you are feeling good now you will soon have problems because you are more
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION emir, mere, mire, more, mort, rete, rime, riot, rite, rote, term, tier, tire, tore, tort, tree, trim, trio, trot, eerie, emeer, merit, meter, metre, metro, miter, mitre, moire, otter, remit, timer, titer, titre, torte, toter, trite, meeter, meteor, remote, teemer, teeter, emitter, eremite, termite, METEORITE
MAX MIN
26 18 S 25 17 S 25 18 S
Mon - 26 18 S Tues - 26 18 S Wed - 26 18 S
27 19 S 26 18 S 25 18 S
Mon - 27 18 S Tues - 28 19 S Wed - 27 19 S
S Sun,
Cl Clear,
Sh Showers,
5-Star Quiz
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 THUNDERBALL
IRISH LOTTO
EURO MILLIONS
LA PRIMITIVA
EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA
Saturday May 2
Saturday May 2
Friday May 1
Saturday May 2
Sunday May 3
Saturday May 2
7
10
11
30
31
42
3
4 12
9 22
1
7
18
28
30
36
BONUS BALL
THUNDERBALL
BONUS BALL
36
5
6
3
19 25
20 26
LUCKY STARS
6
10
7
13
36
39
48
49
REINTEGRO
25
4
SUNNY
TODAY:
MAX 24C, MIN 16C
MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX MIN
28 18 S 26 18 S 27 18 S
Mon - 27 17 S Tues - 27 18 S Wed - 28 19 S
SUNNY MAX 26C, MIN 14C
TODAY:
MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX MIN
26 15 S 25 14 S 26 14 S
Mon - 27 14 S Tues - 28 15 S Wed - 27 15 S
4
15 29
18 30
REINTEGRO
8
SUNNY MAX 27C, MIN 16C
TODAY:
MAX MIN
MAX MIN
Sudoku
UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
Mon - 31 16 S Tues - 32 16 S Wed - 31 15 Cl
Murcia
SUNNY MAX 24C, MIN 17C MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX MIN
24 12 Cl 27 14 Cl 30 15 S
Mallorca
CLEAR MAX 23C, MIN 17C
Benidorm TODAY:
ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Looking back over the past few months you will realise that fine adjustments are needed. Both your working life and diet need attention, so be determined that progress made will continue apace. Certainly, you have no qualms about facing any problems straight on. You thrive on responsibility and there is no shortage of that at the moment.
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) Concentrate on your physical needs this week and spend much more time on yourself. There will be plenty of opportunities to look after others when you are feeling 100 per cent yourself. Stay in control of day-to-day plans. .
Mon - 26 19 S Tues - 26 19 S Wed - 28 19 S
MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun -
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX MIN
24 18 S 25 18 S 27 19 S
Barcelona TODAY:
PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Others may be changing their minds, and generally being a bit of a pain. That may irritate you but it is no reason to change your plans. Both you and your colleagues will be glad that you did in the longer term. You may need to find some peace and space for yourself come the weekend.
SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Your tendency to see yourself through the eyes of others can lead you to undervalue your worth. This could see you going pear-shaped, emotionally. Try not to believe everything that you are told because there are always at least two ways of seeing things. Be positive. You are capable of so much. Take care of your needs on a daily basis.
LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) With so much going on, you are in danger of burning yourself to a frazzle. You won't realise until you have done it, so make a point of getting some peace and quiet, preferably both of them at the same time. Relax and don't even think about things that are unchangeable. Time will sort out most things for you.
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 V) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.
AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Keep up the pace this week so that you have plenty to discuss and 'write home about’. With your mind so active, you are capable of doing in a day what would normally take a week. By-pass those who try to slow you down. There will be plenty of time to be a plod later.
(April 21 - May 21)
think that you know it all, but in this world there is no chance of that. Maybe you are out of touch generally, or just out of touch with your own needs. Give building your strength priority. How much better you will cope with extra energy.
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX MIN
Malaga
SUNNY MAX 26C, MIN 18C MAX MIN
Nonagram
TARGET: Average: 13
27 20 S 26 17 S 24 17 S
SUNNY MAX 28C, MIN 14C
TODAY:
MAX MIN
Almeria
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) It happens that energy is sometimes low. Take the chance to read up on why this could be. You may
Fri Sat Sun TODAY:
LOTTERY
LEO (July 24 - August 23) After a few recent excesses, bad habits can prove hard to shake off. Remember that any time of the year is a good time to make a fresh start. Don't put off looking after your health any more than you would put off stashing a cheque in the bank. Use it or lose it? You know it makes sense. Think about combining health with a holiday.
Madrid
SUNNY MAX 23C, MIN 17C MAX MIN
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GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) There are so many things to do or try that you should be spoiled for choice. No, don't settle down in front of the TV. Get out, make some friends and aim to learn something new every day. That may only be the name of your neighbour on the bus but it counts. You are charming and urbane, so don't keep it all to yourself. CANCER (June 22 - July 23) When your feelings are so positive, which they should be now, it is hard to remember that they have ever been any other way. You may have a plan in mind for a new activity to get the adrenalin flowing. How much more enjoyable, though, to find someone to share this with you. Book that course and maybe you will meet them there.
Alicante TODAY:
Fri Sat Sun -
F Fog, Sn Snow,
MAX MIN
31 20 S 31 18 S 30 17 S
Mon - 31 17 S Tues - 32 18 S Wed - 33 18 S
C Cloudy, Th Thunder
US STATE CAPITALS All the answers contain the name of a US state capital 1. In classical mythology, what was the name of the unique bird that lived for five or six centuries in the Arabian Desert, after this time burning itself on a funeral pyre and rising from the ashes with renewed youth to live through another cycle? 2. John Henry Deutschendorf Jr was the real name of which American singersongwriter, whose Annie’s Song topped the UK singles charts in 1974? 3. What was the surname of the British field marshal who commanded the Allied ground forces in the invasion of Normandy in 1944 and accepted the German surrender on May 7, 1945? 4. Which Academy-award winning actress first became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1992 and currently represents Hampstead and Kilburn? 5. Which apostle (although not one of the 12 Apostles) who taught the gospel of Christ to the first-century world, was originally known as Saul of Tarsus? 1. PHOENIX (Arizona), 2. John DENVER (Colorado), 3. Bernard MONTGOMERY (Alabama), 4. Glenda JACKSON (Mississippi), 5. SAINT PAUL (Minnesota)
YOUR STARS
7 - 13 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 Undergarments worn by men and boys (10) 7 Eight-armed cephalopod (7) 8 Sedate (5) 10 Small, elongated insect with 'pincers' (6) 11 Acknowledgment of appreciation (6) 13 Formal neckwear (6) 15 Thinly scattered (6) 16 Astonished (6) 17 Improved in health or physical condition (6) 20 Ballroom dance of Brazil (5) 22 Definite (7) 23 Called to public attention (10) Down 1 Articulate (5) 2 Make, do or perform again (9) 3 Flower (4) 4 Donkey (3) 5 Soft running shoe (7) 6 Humble social group (5,5)
Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 10 represents P and 23 represents Z, so fill in P every time the figure 10 appears and Z every time the figure 23 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.
9 Take away the enthusiasm of (10)
12 14
sense of danger (7)
12 Joy (9)
19 Blemish (4)
14 Experiencing a sudden
21 Consumed (3)
Down: 1 Tender, 2 Agree, 3 Scan, 5 Innocent, 6 Turnips, 7 Sweden, 8 Learn, 13 Retrieve, 15 Captain, 17 Seldom, 18 Organ, 19 Jester, 22 Alert, 23 Scam.
The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.
ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Cinta, 4 Mesas, 7/16 Bow tie, 8 Message, 9 Arch, 10 Roer, 14 Archivo, 17 Yolks, 18 Start.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
Down: 1 Cubo, 2 Newer, 3 Armchairs, 4 Mushrooms, 5 Sea, 6 Seed, 11 Extra, 12 Baby, 13 Belt, 15 Col.
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 (SEVERE) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.
AROUSE
REELED
1
ASPIRE
SCARED
D
DISUSE
SEARED
FILTER
SETTLE
GALLEY
SEVERE (10)
LEERED
SPEARS
METRES
SPEEDS
NORMAL
STEEDS
PEAKED
VEERED
3 6
E
S 10 V E R E
8
E
M 19
11
PURRED
13 16
15 17
1 Traps, 4 Hiatus, 9 Narrate, 10 Nurse, 11 Even, 12 Recline, 13/18 Run out, 14 Ache, 16 Nosy, 20 Emperor, 21 Cave, 24 Drake, 25 Ancient, 26 Minuet, 27 Motor.
18 Attempted (5)
5
E
7 Repair, 8 Agreed, 9 Mane, 10 Specimen, 11 Encores, 13 Dared, 15 Brief, 17 Dentist, 20 Increase, 21 Swag, 22 Collie, 23 Avocet.
QUICK
Hexagram
9
Across:
Across:
Down 1 Rezar (oración) (4) 2 Admiral (9) 3 Heater (6) 4 Traducir (9) 5 Tejado (4) 8 Rubbish (refuse) (6) 10 Race (racial origin) (4) 11 Pope (4)
7
CRYPTIC
1 Regain, 2 Late, 3 Prosper, 4 Hades, 5 Irritant, 6 Recede, 12 Overrule, 14 Veteran, 16 Ransom, 18 Snares, 19 Caper, 21 Shoe.
Across 1 Paz (tranquilidad, no guerra) (5) 3 To be (5) 6 Weapon (4) 7 Holdup (robbery) (6) 9 Desayuno (9) 12 Although (6) 13 Nothing (4) 14 Pavement (for walking on) (5) 15 Granddaughter (5)
4
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS
Down:
English - Spanish
2
39
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Across 7 Calling for full speed (6) 8 Wild orange ass (6) 9 Herbalist uncovers island (4) 10 New red paper is ready (8) 11 A trained spider had high hopes (7) 13 Started back in the teenage boy’s team (5) 15 King or jack? Same difference! (5) 17 It’s safe to upset Ted when he’s eaten so well (7) 20 Set off, eager to arrange cheap accommodation (8) 21 Skin healing starts to show courage and bravado (4) 23 Have a home in the Azores, ideally (6) 24 Oddly set about love for hi-fi (6)
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Server, 2 Tweeds, 3 Desire, 4 Retain, 5 Advise, 6 Header, 7 Arenas, 8 Shells, 9 Singer, 10 Relief, 11 Cinder, 12 Fringe, 13 Detail, 14 Awaken, 15 Reason, 16 Chosen, 17 Remain, 18 Beasts, 19 Roared
Down 1 Flag before a heroic tale (4) 2 Twins finding jewel in Italy (6) 3 Sprinkled very softly in dried (7) 4 The dog for a pugilist (5)
5 Foreign lady compelled to go around after midnight (6) 6 Need ears at sea for A Little Night Music (8) 12 Surprised when beginning was first? (8) 14 Again let loose (7)
16 Iris may be behind it (6) 18 Part of embassy’s temporary procedure (6) 19 Spent to get journal dead wrong (5) 22 New name, the last word in prayer (4)
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30th April
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HEALTH BEAUTY
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Each day I am feeling better I REVEL in the knowledge that I won’t have to go back for more chemo treatments.
Erica Russell Watson: My journey – and I’m driving WELL, as per usual I have been wading my way through the aftermath of the last chemo treatment. This consists of a white tongue that feels like you have been licking astroturf, an almost unquenchable thirst, achy muscles, a watery eye and a few numb toes and fingertips, and toenails that are threatening to come off! The great thing is that each day I feel better and revel in the knowledge that I won’t have to go back for more chemo treatments. It is a waiting game now.
I had yet another blood test to check my tumour markers and am awaiting the results of that. I am also waiting for the hospital to call me in for my CAT scan and hope that the results will be ready in time for my next oncology appointment in May. Also pending is the call up for my first radiotherapy treatment. There isn’t much I can do apart from stay out of the sun and slather hugely expensive cream on the area to be treated. Although I have to spend this summer in the shade I still intend to swim in the early evening so have been looking at mastectomy swimwear. As some of you will know the bikinis and costumes are extremely expensive. I decided to buy a normal swimming costume with a good amount of support and have a
pocket inserted into it to accommodate my prosthesis. The prosthesis is an aqua and lighter version of my daily one
Although I have to spend this summer in the shade I still intend to swim in the early evening so have been looking at mastectomy swimwear. As some of you will know the bikinis and costumes are extremely expensive. and worth the money because it will allow me freer and easier movement in the water. As I write this, I can hear the
sound of the goats and their bells as they descend down the hill and munch their way through practically anything in their path. I have to say I love it. I live near the sea but have campo behind my house so have the best of both worlds. I particularly like the smell of all the herbs as their scent is stirred up by the goats as they trample around. They do, however, erode a fair amount of countryside away but the campo wouldn’t be the same without them or the lofty cries of their master corralling them with great skill. If all else fails he gets out his trusty sling and bounces a stone with inch-perfect precision in front of the straying beast and the goats are back in line instantly. Tomorrow is a holiday so I shall see what I will do with
the children. It is also the funeral of their Grandpa in England, which they decided they preferred not to go to because they thought it would be too upsetting. It is getting harder to corral my own little herd. I hope I don’t have to resort to goat-herding tactics! They want to spend more time with their friends and we are in a period of adjustment which seems to have happened overnight and is a little difficult to control. I now remember friends telling me to enjoy them while they are little; the challenges don’t go away, they just change. How right they were! “Deep breathers,” as my son used to say when he was little. Inhale I shall! Tomorrow is another day.
Eat an apple before you go shopping EATING an apple before going to the supermarket is believed to encourage shoppers to buy more healthy foods and avoid the chocolate aisle. US researchers discovered people can be primed to buy healthy food if they eat a healthy snack before going to the shops and said supermarkets should ofFRUITY SNACK: Eating an apple encouraged shoppers to make healthier choices.
fer samples to shoppers to encourage them to make healthy choices. The team carried out three studies to find out if healthy snacks cause shoppers to make better food choices in the shop. In the first study, 120 shoppers were randomly given either a bit of apple, a piece of cookie or nothing at all when they arrived at the supermarket.
Tracking their purchases they found those who were given some apple bought 28 per cent more fruits and vegetables than those given the cookie. The second and third study involved the participants shopping virtually being shown pairs of food, one healthy and one less so, and asked which they would choose. Those who ate the apple beforehand were more likely to opt for the healthy item.
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FOOD
D R I N K
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Delfino’s Restaurant and Bar THE house special dish is the pepper steak, using secret ingredients in the sauce. By Wendy Ann Cowham
DELFINO’S, the Crazy Dolphin, not only offer a fresh fish supper on Fridays but much more on their specially selected menu. Delfino’s Restaurant was first founded by a Dutch man called Hank and has been established since 1985 when he created his very own house special dish, the pepper steak. Many long-standing customers still have fond memories of Hank, and the current head chef is the daughter of the original cook. The unique pepper steak with the secret ingredients of the sauce is a must to try and this dish alone accounts for 70 per cent of the sales at Delfino’s. For Sunday lunch there is also a choice of roast beef, pork, honey roast ham, and breast of turkey that are all slowly cooked for 16 hours to ensure
FISH AND CHIPS: Said to be serving the best in Mallorca, so well worth a visit.
that the flavour is completely marinated into the tender cuts. All these meats are served with Yorkshires, pigs in blankets, a choice of six veggies and stuffing. Delfino’s has become ever popular
both with local people and visitors so it is advisable to book, especially for the Sunday Carvery. Monday’s Special is smoked haddock fillets in butter sauce with creamy mash
and garden peas. On Tuesdays bangers and mash including real Cumberland sausages, Wednesday liver and bacon, and on Thursdays the delicious home-made chicken, ham and leek pie. Every Friday is extremely popular with every one’s favourite, market fresh cod, chunky chips and marrowfat peas using only the best fish and crispy beer batter. Delfino’s are said to be serving the best fish and chips in Mallorca, so well worth a visit . You can watch the world go by while you dine al fresco on any two of the large sunny terraces. By night this transforms into a pretty evening venue. There is a full takeaway menu and a separate bar area equipped with TV. For reservations please call 971 676 449 or 639 601 410.
May madness starts with boat show Vicki McLeod
Family Matters
I
’VE spent a big chunk of the past week at the Palma Boat Show. Despite growing up around boats and my father being a sailing teacher I can’t really say that I know that much about them, however, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that a heap of other people in Palma definitely are interested in them. We set up our Mood Beach, Son Amar, Baxter Marine and Pearl Yachts stands on Wednesday and then opened on Thursday with a visit from the British Ambassador, and then the Balearic President. What a coup to have both of them in the same place at the same time with the owners of the businesses I represent. Under normal circumstances I would have said to myself “Well done Vicki, take the rest of the week off,” however, that was only Day One of a five day boat show marathon. So we all had to dig in and keep going and most importantly smiling! The following day was the late night opening at the Boat Show with several businesses throwing
LATE NIGHT: Il Duo were singing from the flybridge - what a do! cocktail parties, including Baxter Marine. We had two fantastic singers (Il Duo) onboard the Pearl 75 singing from the flybridge. What a do! We were rammed. So two definite highlights to the weekend, and
then three long hard days at the exhibition. It was still worth it though because I’d forgotten that I even really knew anyone in the Super Yacht and Boat industries, but it turned out that quite a few contacts were
there exhibiting as well, so plenty of natural networking happened. All good for the businesses I work with. When Tuesday came around though, I had absolutely had it. A year ago I would have thrown in the
towel, and hit the sack. I have to admit that I did exactly that for about 20 minutes on the sofa, and then with my new improved attitude to sport and health dragged my weary carcass to the gym at the Country Club in Santa Ponsa and did a Cross Training workout with my team. Boy it was hard. But the smug after effects kept me going for a good couple of hours. Next up in my May calendar will be the premiere of the new show at Son Amar, it’s called ‘Kaleidoscope’ and opens this Saturday May 9. If you haven’t yet been to see a show at Son Amar then try to make it along this year, it’s not an understatement to call it a ‘Vegas Style’ show. It’s got all of the glitz, glamour and razzamatazz that you would expect, but set in a beautiful 500 year old finca just 10 minutes north of Palma. And there are two more events next week with Pouf Daddy on Thursday May 14 where they are launching their beautiful range of super funky beanbags, and St James Place on Friday May 15 who will be giving a free seminar on finances and investments for residents. If you want any information about any of these events then email me at phoenixmediamallorca@gmail.com.
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Gardening with a gardener DECIDE if you are going to be an absentee gardener, only visiting your Spanish property for a few weeks of a year, if you want a gardener to tend the garden all year round or just to tidy up before your arrival. Dick Handscombe
Gardening Corner By Spain’s best known expatriate gardening author living in Spain for 25 years.
MANY expatriates purchase properties with a garden or space for a future garden, but for some gardening is not one of the most important hobbies so they wisely resort to the use of a gardener for design, redesign and or maintenance work on either a regular or occasional basis. The extent of work delegated to a paid gardener will depend as said on the extent of one’s interest in gardening, one’s interest in getting closer to nature after many years of working and living in cities and urban areas surrounding historic villages, one’s other activities and of course one’s budget. Retirees moving to Spain with plenty of leisure time often have an interest in a variety of interests, including flower gardening and growing fruit and vegetables for a healthy diet. Younger people who come here to work may have little time for gardening and there are others young and old who are physically unable to garden. All of us age and the time can come when it becomes difficult or impossible to keep up a large complex garden developed and maintained enthusiastically in earlier years.
Retirees moving to Spain with plenty of leisure time often have an interest in a variety of interests, including flower gardening and growing fruit and vegetables for a healthy diet.
If new to Spain it is easy to let enthusiasm for creating a wonderful garden get out of hand and to assume that everything can be done in a year. It can, of course, if one employs a landscape gardener to do the whole job, but this
PAID GARDENERS: Firstly, consider what tasks you and your family can do and what would be best for them.
could be expensive. Many expats will prefer to have the fun and satisfaction of creating a new garden from nothing, or perhaps improving an existing one. In either case, creating a garden that satisfies all their needs will take a good number of years. For one satisfaction will be the planting of a young two-year-old olive tree and watching it grow and develop its first olives for pickling. For another satisfaction will be planting the oldest olive tree in the area, perhaps even a millennium or two old, at a cost of up to 8,000 euros plus transport and the crane for planting it. Before looking around for a gardener do consider objectively and honestly what yourself and other family members are capable of doing and have time for. Then consider each of the tasks involved in designing, constructing, planting and maintaining a garden and decide which things your family will want to do fully or partially and what would be best delegated to a paid gardener partially or totally.
Ask these questions in relation to each of the potential tasks listed below. • Design or redesign of garden. • Landscaping, including construction of
paths, terraces walls and raised beds. • Development of special features. • Selecting and purchasing plants. • Watering, feeding and pest control. • Raising new plants from cuttings or seeds. • Ongoing maintenance of flower garden, fruit garden and vegetable garden. • Care of greenhouse and garden frame. • Winter cutback. • Lawn cutting and tree pruning. • Pool and Jacuzzi cleaning. If you are going to be an absentee gardener, only visiting your Spanish property for a few weeks or months a year, decide if you want a gardener to tend the garden 52 weeks a year whether you are in Spain or not, or whether you want a gardener to just do a tidy up just before each visit and during your stay. Whichever route you take aim to end up with a garden you can enjoy. This article is an extract from a rather longer chapter in the book ‘Your Garden in Spain.’
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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
Suburbia leading the way in property market HOUSE prices in suburban Britain are fuelling overall growth in the market, according to new figures from the Land Registry. Areas surrounding the UK’s major cities have shown the biggest growth in prices. This, it is hoped, will have a knockon effect in Spain as people feel richer and look to buy holiday homes on the costas. Both Trafford and Salford, on the outskirts of Manchester, saw price increases of up to
9.2 per cent on an annual basis, while house prices in suburban commuter towns around London also boomed. Houses in Reading, Slough and Milton Keynes saw average annual price rises of around 13 per cent, while prices to the east and west of London jumped just before the opening of the Crossrail link. Meanwhile, Central London prices continued to slow down, as Kensington and Chelsea saw prices fall by 1.6
per cent between February and March. Other UK regions that saw declining prices include northeastern England, where a house costs four per cent less on average than it did a year ago. The Land Registry survey is supported by the latest report from the Nationwide building society, which showed the average UK house price increased by One per cent between March and April.
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Second hand house prices rise in April ACCORDING to the Spanish property portal Idealista.com, nine of Spain’s regions registered an increase in the price of second-hand dwellings for April. However whilst nine reported a slight increase, the other regions saw a decline. The report points out that the average price per square metre at the end of April, was the same level as the previous month, which means that it has stabilised after the slight increase of 0.2 per cent registered in the first three months of the year.
The sharpest increases in the average price per square metre were registered in La Rioja, which was up 4 per cent, and Castilla-La Mancha and the Balearic Islands both at 1.5 per cent. Idealista’s April price index states, the Basque Country, Catalonia, and Madrid are the three regions with the highest average prices for second-hand homes in Spain. The underlying feeling from the report was that the market was promising.
Mortgage lending by the banks sees a big increase RISE of just under one third in February
GETTING A MORTGAGE: Banks more willing to lend. By Jo Harvie THE number of mortgages granted by banks in Spain rose by a little less than a third in February, say figures just released by the National Statistics institute of Spain. Compared to the same month last year, 29.2 per cent more home loans were taken out, amounting to 21,298 mortgages. Andalucia was the region that saw the second biggest number of new mort-
gages, with 4,032 agreed in February, just behind Madrid (4,066) and ahead of Catalonia (3,214). The southern region was also very near the top of the figures when looking at year-on-year percentage rises, with a leap of 42.9 per cent, following two regions in the north - the Basque Country seeing a 59.5 per cent increase and Aragon’s home loans soaring by 89.5 per cent. Mortgages taken out in February 2015 benefited from lower interest rates than
the same month in 2014. The news is good for analysts who were concerned that more than half of properties purchased in Spain last year were bought without a mortgage, suggesting they were made by investors with significant capital hoping to profit from a bottomed-out market. Banks’ willingness to lend, and an increasing call for funding for property purchases, could be judged as a more reliable indicator of a recovering market.
PROPERTY
7 - 13 May 2015 / Mallorca
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Create a feeling of extra living space John Graham The property expert IN addition to the condition of your apartment, the feeling of space adds to the overall perceived value, so it is important to make your apartment look as big as possible to maximise the value. A recent US survey was carried out to find out the average size of living space of apartments and houses in different countries around the world. As you can see from the survey sample, Spain’s average
square feet living space is not the smallest but let’s see if we can create the feeling of extra space and get closer to the average living space in France. • • • • • • •
US: Australia: Denmark: France: Spain: Ireland: UK:
2,300sqft 2,217sqft 1,475sqft 1,216sqft 1,044sqft 947sqft 818sqft LIGHT AND AIRY: Make your apartment seem bigger.
You can create the feeling of extra floor space by increasing storage with clever use of furniture in an affordable way. Modern beds offer excellent storage space, with easy lift-up
mattresses, also use footstools and ottomans to store unused items. Now you can now get rid of those bulky storage cupboards taking up valuable floor
space in your bedrooms. In children’s bedrooms keep the floors clear by using stackable coloured boxes and shelving to store toys and books.
Do you really need a full size bed in the guest room for the occasional guest? Why not replace it with a sofa bed? Not only will the room look bigger but also you now have a quiet room for reading. The more floor area you keep clear the bigger the room will look. Get rid of clutter in the lounge and dining areas. Replace bulky or dark furniture with smaller, light-coloured furniture or shelving and you can even buy coffee tables with storage. Reduce the number of pictures on the walls. In the kitchen keep the work surfaces clear. If you have a kitchen table and chairs you
could create more space by opting for a breakfast bar instead. Maximise the natural light and artificial lighting. Avoid blocking natural light from the windows and use lightcoloured lampshades. Curtains and walls should be light. Follow these tips and enjoy the feeling of having a bigger apartment without the need to move to France.
John Graham FGIS 020 32 900 983 /+34 657 337 477 gk.ipad@me.com Twitter @JohnGrahamFASI
May holiday weekend sees a 31 per cent increase in rentals THE number of rental enquiries has seen a considerable rise compared to the same period last year. By Steve Walsh HOLIDAY rentals company HomeAway has released data which shows that national demand for rental accommodation this May holiday weekend (between April 30 and
May 4), compared with the same weekend in 2014, increased by 31 per cent. It went on to add that national destinations account for 79 per cent of the reservation enquiries made via the company’s online booking system, with Andalucía at the
top of the list for destinations most favoured by the Spanish. Andalucia received 29 per cent of all enquiries registered for that holiday weekend, followed by Catalonia with 11 per cent and then Valencia on 10.
El Mundo also highlighted in the report that, Castilla y León, with 7 per cent, and Castilla-La Mancha with 6 per cent both reporting seeing considerable increases in the numbers of enquiries compared to last year.
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PETS PAGE www.euroweeklynews.com
Taking care round the pool in the summer ROUTINES: Pets usually creatures of habit.
DOGS have inefficient cooling systems compared to humans.
A good time to recap By Lamia Walker of HouseSitMatch I THINK now is the time to recap on how people should go about finding a pet sitter. Many pet owners are happy to go through friends either to do the sitting or to suggest someone. However, more and more pet owners use online networks to find sitters online. But as an owner how can you be sure the sitter is really experienced and caring? Vetting helps, you can use an agency or do it yourself. Experience in running a pet and house sitter network says that before you commit to any sitter it is best to take a few steps yourself to learn about their pet care experience. Here are my guidelines: 1. Meet and Greet - Ideally you would introduce the sitter to your pets personally before the sit, watch how each reacts.
2. Communicate Regularly - Before and after the sitter enters your home communicate regularly, learn about them; ask their history. 3. Previous Pet Ownership / Experience - Ask about their personal pet ownership experience. 4. Understanding Pet Routines - Anyone who cares for a pet will understand that there are different feeding and care routines, but pets are usually creatures of habit. 5. References / Police Checks - Ask for recent references. Police checks are very useful too. Download your Free Easy Guide to Housesitting from here www.bit.ly/ eurown001 To find a petsitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on +44 (0)1865 521508.
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
AT this time of year extra thought must be put in to ensuring that your dog does not drown in your pool. If a pool does not have walk in steps then there is no way that your dog can get out should it fall or jump in. The result is they swim until their little hearts give up on them and drown. Of course it is very costly to call in builders to rebuild and put walk in steps into your pool. The first sensible advice is to build a fence around the pool. Many people do this to ensure that children cannot fall into the pool. The other safety idea is to fit a chair upside down on top of the swimming pool ladders. By doing this you will ensure that if the dog falls into the pool he has a platform to get on and will be able to get out of the pool. Chemicals and dogs do not get on; dogs can suffer dermatological skin problems from chlorine. During the summer months responsible
DANGER: If a pool has no walk in steps a dog cannot get out if it falls in.
dog owners must take vital precautions to protect their pets from the season’s many hazards. Dogs have inefficient cooling systems compared to humans. With sweat glands in its tongue and paw pads, a dog primarily sweats by panting. If something such as a muzzle or a respiratory blockage interferes with its ability to pant, a dog may overheat quickly. A high temperature of more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit can produce rapid panting, bright red gums, tongue and other
mucus membranes, vomiting, watery and bloody diarrhoea and staggering. Thick saliva is also a sign of impending heat stroke. If a dog is not treated immediately it is possible that coma, respiratory collapse and death can ensue. If your dog shows any signs of heat stroke cool it off by submerging the dog in tepid water and immediately take it to your vet. Cooling a dog that is in shock too fast can cause further problems, and it can actually go hypothermic, which is too low in temperature.
Spanish cats emigrate to US PREGNANT stowaway cat arrives in Texas with four kittens By Steve Walsh IN a contrary move to all the migrants flooding to European shores of late, a stowaway cat saw her chance of a new life for both her and her unborn kittens when she jumped aboard a container ship bound for Texas, USA. Frederica and her four kittens arrived in Houston April 2, 2015, and are being cared for by Friends of the League City Animal Shelter until they are ready for adoption.
STOWAWAY: Frederica with the ship’s crew. “Born March 17 on board a container ship sailing from
Spain to Houston, the kittens are progressing well
and are expected to be ready for adoption next month, depending upon their individual circumstances,” said Monica Millican, president of the Friends of League City Animal Shelter. Their thanks go to the soft hearts of the ocean-going ship’s crew who fell in love with the kittens named, Bravo, India, Juliette and Zulu, and their mother, Frederica. They surely had the cruise of a lifetime.
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BOATS
A record breaking year 40,000 flocked to the world’s biggest boat show which is now an international event. By Dilip Kuner MORE than 40,000 visitors helped make it a record breaking International Boat Show in Palma. Friday was the strongest day with more than 11,000 people flocking to the Boat Show Palma and the Palma SuperYacht Boat Show. The councillor of Economy and Competitiveness, Joquin Garcia, highlighted that this event has become a national and international reference. He said: “Three years ago we decided to cancel the show because of its cost to the public and bad results, but now - after listening to the requests of the nautical sector - we are proud to announce that Palma Boat Show is a must have on the calendar.” Two hundred and seven exhibitors, 180 boats - 70 of them, megayachts and 3,000 brands have been present at this edition, the 32nd. Because of this, this event is the largest exhibition of sailing yachts worldwide. The director of the Palma BoatShow, Chema Sans, said that these numbers demonstrated “the compatibility between the business model of
BOAT SHOW: This year has been described as “the best one so far.” the fair and the needs of the commercial sector.” In fact, the Economy and Competitiveness Department of the Balearic Islands is already working on next year’s edition because 75 per cent of current exhibitors have already requested a stand for the next one, which will be
held from April 28 to May 2 and will be officially presented in Monaco and Cannes in September. The aim for 2016, said Joquin Garcia, is to improve the infrastructure of Palma Port including moorings and parking - and to attract even more customers.
Most of the exhibitors describe this edition as “the best one so far” and highlighted the visit of many more “potential buyers.” Furthermore, Jane Thomson - one of the Superyacht Show organisers highlighted the ‘higher quality’ of visitors.
As previously, the Palma Boat Show coincided with Tapamar, a seafood and fish fair organised in collaboration with Asociación de Restauración de Mallorca and held in local restaurants. “A good way of showing the whole city to visitors,” said Joaquin Garcia.
BOATS
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OPINION & COMMENT
Mighty Real Madrid THE football giants are by far the most successful club in Spain ever PHOTOS: CORDON PRESS
Tony Matthews International Sports A former football player and the world’s most prolific author of football books (more than 100 published), Tony is also the sports reporter for Spectrum Radio and lives in the Cabrera mountains. Costa de Almeria
A
S you read this story, Real Madrid may be trailing arch-rivals Barcelona, but they have been continuing to set the benchmark for world football. On May 24 last year the Spanish club won their 10th Champions League title and as recently as December 20 they lifted the Club World Cup in Morocco. Manager Carlo Ancelotti’s team also lifted the Copa del Rey during his first season in charge at the Bernabéu and, at the beginning of his second campaign, Real carried off the European Super Cup. Before that, during the first few years of the 21st century, the Whites claimed three titles under head coach José Mourinho before the Portuguese ‘Special One’ returned to Chelsea in 2013. In 2011-12 Real won the La Liga title with 121 goals and a record 100 points, the highest tally achieved in the competition’s history. They also beat Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final and Supercopa de España. In June 2013, Ancelotti, the former Italian national team boss, fulfilled his dream when he became Real Madrid’s chief, arriving CARLO ANCELOTTI: Fulfilling a dream as manager of Real Madrid.
CHALLENGING: Gareth Bale, the world’s most expensive footballer, in the white of Real Madrid, takes on Jordi Alba of archrivals Barcelona. at the club with a résumé that included 13 titles in 20 seasons as a top-line manager with Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea and PSG among his previous employers. He’s already won four prizes with Real and in his first bid for a title, he saw the club clinch its 19th Copa, beating Barcelona in the final 1-2, with goals by Angel di María and Gareth Bale. On May 24, 2014, Real won the European Cup again
(for the 10th time) with a terrific 4-1 victory over rivals Atlético Madrid in Lisbon; Sergio Ramos, Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo the goal-getters. And just as Ancelotti achieved an unprecedented double in the history of the club in his first season, his second season has also started pretty well as Real have already won two trophies. Founded in 1902, as Madrid Football Club, the team has traditionally worn an all-white home kit. The word ‘real’ is Spanish for ‘royal’ and was bestowed to the club by King Alfonso XIII in 1920, and he also gave permission for the royal crown to be used in the club’s badge/emblem. Real has played its home matches in the now 81,044-capacity Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in downtown Madrid since 1947. And, unlike most of their European counterparts, indeed even those
Real, one of the most widely supported teams in the world, were founder members of the Primera Division and have never been relegated from the top flight of Spanish football. worldwide, Real has owned and operated the club since its inception. Right now Real Madrid is the world’s richest football club in terms of revenue, with an annual turnover of €604 million (£474.3 million) and the world’s most valuable sports team, worth €2.5 billion (£1.97 billion). Real, one of the most widely supported teams in the world, were founder members of the Primera División and have never been relegated from the top flight of Spanish
football, neither have their archrivals Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona against whom they have achieved great results. In fact, Real are, by far the most successful club in Spain ever, in terms of overall official La Liga titles won (79) and the joint most successful club in European competitions, in terms of victories in official European finals (17). As most soccer lovers know, Real Madrid established itself as a major force in both Spanish and European football during the 1950s. Domestically, Real Madrid has so far won a record 32 La Liga titles (against Barceona’s 22), 19 Copa del Rey triumphs, nine Supercopa de España victories, one Copa Eva Duarte and one Copa de la Liga. Internationally the club has now won a record 10 European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles and a joint record three Intercontinental Cups, as well as two UEFA Cups, two UEFA Super Cups and the FIFA Club World Cup. CF Real Madrid was recognised as the FIFA Club of the 20th Century just before Christmas 2000, was named Best European Club of the 20th Century by the IFFHS in May 2010, and received the FIFA Order of Merit award in 2004. Players of the club are allowed to wear a multiple-winner badge on their shirts during UEFA Champions League matches, having won the trophy more than five times. Several star players have appeared for Real Madrid over the years and here are my top 20 (in AZ order): Amancio (471 games and 155 goals: 1962-76), the world’s most expensive footballer, Gareth Bale, goalkeeper Iker Casillas (630 appearances/152 Spanish caps), inside-forward Luis del Sol, 1950s winger Francisco Gento, centreforward Nandor Hideghuti, Portugal’s Luis Figo, Miguel Muňoz (1948-58), Hungarian Ferenc Puskas, current defender Sergio Ramos, ex-Brazilian striker Ronaldo, today’s hero Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul Gonzalez (record appearancemaker, 741, and record goal-scorer, 323), striker Hugo Sanchez, Manuel Sanchis (711 games), 1950s centre-half José Santamaria, Santillana (1971-88), Alfredo di Stefano, 1930s goalie Ricardo Zamora and French midfield magician Zinedine Zidane.
OPINION & COMMENT
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A’ (fortune) hunting we shall go Cassandra Nash A weekly look
Freudian slip
- and not entirely impartial reaction to the Spanish political scene
IT was a slip of the tongue but a luxury that politicians cannot permit themselves, not when their recorded words will always come back to bite them. But Maria Dolores de Cospedal was unfortunate
MONTORO admitted to reporters soon after the Rato scandal broke that he failed to understand how someone as prominent as the exeverything could have behaved as he did. Spain’s Finance Minister was being ingenuous at best and disingenuous at worst. Rato behaved as he did because in the good old days no-one would have noticed what he was up to. And if anyone had noticed, it would have been hushed up and the scandal kept within a closed circle. It was bad luck from Rato’s point of view that because of the economic crisis, Montoro himself has been looking around for cash in the same way that someone who is hard-up scrabbles amongst the sofa cushions to find a euro or two. And when Rato’s hoard was located, it was too conspicuous to be overlooked or forgiven.
In transit MANY who did not live through the Transition to democracy - particularly those who lis-
to have declared: “We have worked hard to pillage our country.” She presumably intended to say: “We have worked hard to save our country,” but too many people must have felt that for the first time ever they entirely agreed with her.
UNFORTUNATE: Maria Dolores de Cospedal’s slip of the tongue came back to bite her.
ten to Podemos and the more radical Catalan nationalists - regard it as a failure. Too few were called to account, they claim, and insufficient reparation made for Franco’s victims and the destruction wrought by his regime. That period was both an epilogue and prologue at a time when the apparently impossible happened: the past was not forgotten but neither was it dwelt upon.
The Transition-deniers should ask themselves what would have been the alternative to burying the past in the mid-seventies. Reopened wounds, renewed bitterness and escalating conflict instead of one failed coup d’état a few years after the dictator’s death.
Double standards SUSANA DIAZ, President-elect of the Andalucia region, pulled off a PSOE victory but not an overall majority. While she has been trying to woo Podemos or Ciudadanos to facilitate her investiture, how many recall the PP government’s abortive attempt to introduce a law giving automatic victory to the most-voted party? The PP has certainly consigned it to the litter bin now that it doesn’t suit Mariano Rajoy’s own supporters. Futile to speculate whether it would have been resuscitated were their Andalucia candidate Juan Manuel Moreno now in Diaz’s position instead.
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Aston moving to luxury GT ASTON MARTIN has announced it will bring the DBX crossover concept car unveiled at Geneva’s motor show this year into production. In a statement announcing £200m of fresh funding, new CEO Andy Palmer confirmed Aston will move into the luxury GT crossover market.
4x4 in the pipeline for Lotus BRITISH sports car manufacturer Lotus have confirmed that they are to produce a 4x4. The Norfolk firm, whose name you normally see adorning some of the world’s most fabulous sports cars flying around the Grand Prix circuit, is developing a mid-sized, roadbiased 4x4 with the likes of the Porsche Macan in its sights.
Clarkson Quote of theWeek
MOTORING
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Some might say” While reviewing a Suzuki Wagon R. “You do not just avoid the Suzuki Wagon R. You avoid it like you would avoid unprotected sex with an Ethiopian transvestite.”
Morgan to introduce fifth generation Aero 8 BRINGING a classic touch to modern motoring with a host of new features By Steve Walsh FIFTEEN years since the launch of the original Aero 8, Morgan is introducing the fifth generation of its iconic sports car. The new design, that is thankfully still a throwback to the open cars from the 1960s, stays true to the company’s styling. With low-slung seating and a dramatic clamshell trunk that contains the double-lined mohair soft top, the car can
also adorn an optional hard top. The interior styling has been updated (but not too much) with new dashboard arrangements, real-wood accents, leather trim, and textured box-woven carpets. A host of new features has been added for driver comfort and convenience, including an air-conditioning system, cruise con-
trol, and a BMW limited-slip differential. Safety improvements include airbags, ABS, and anti-roll bars. The 4.8-litre V-8 engine offers 367 horse power with either a six-speed manual or au-
tomatic transmission. Owners can customise the car with optional touchscreen media systems, detailing packages, and a variety of paint and leather combinations. ICONIC: The fifth generation sports car.
NEW DESIGN: A throwback to the open cars from the 1960s.
Call to restrict tech CARS today feature so many gadgets and are so comfortable that drivers feel like they are in their living rooms, according to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). The comical image of Homer Simpson springs to mind, as the IAM says drivers are getting too distracted by sat-navs and mobile phones offering easy access to social media. The institute says car makers should not introduce gadgets which can distract drivers for more than two seconds and wants new restrictions to be introduced on the use of ‘nonessential forms of technology.’
Even quicker cat JAGUAR working on a new SVR 600hp version of the F-Type THINKING about buying a new Jaguar F-Type? You’ve got a number of supercharged engine options to choose from, and soon you’ll have one more. According to Motor Trend Jaguar, its Special Vehicle Operations unit are working on a new SVR version of the FType, and it’s tipped to pack 600 or more horsepower. That’s more than anything Jaguar has offered for public consumption to date, but follows a
delineated progression of output. As it is, the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 offered at launch in the F-Type convertible was already churning out 500 metric horsepower. Then came the F-Type R coupe that bumped output up to 550, fol-
F-TYPE: Soon there will be one more super-charged engine option.
lowed by the limited-edition Project 7 roadster with 575. Topping 600 would only follow naturally, then, but would give the F-Type a broad range of outputs, starting at 335 hp and nearly doubling once it hits the SVR.
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TENNIS - Roger Federer won his first clay GOLF - Rory McIlroy beat Gary court title for three years when beating Woodland to win his first WGC Pablo Cuevas in Istanbul. Match Play title at Bridgetown.
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Mallorca’s best guide to local sport
Snooker AFTER 20 years of trying, Stuart Bingham (friend of Spectrum Radio and avid reader of the EWN) is the 2015 World champion after beating Shaun Murphy 18 frames to 15 in a superb tension-packed final at The Crucible.
IN MAGALUF around 1,500 players from across Europe arrived to take part. MAYDAY weekend saw the 9th Majorca Beach Rugby in Magaluf and the HM Palma Beach Rugby in Palma. HM Palma Beach Rugby witnessed 52 teams from Under eight to seniors participate in the second HM Palma Beach rugby tournament in Palma, where over 700 players from 11 mainland, and seven local teams battled it out. The Tournament Champions were, (for the ladies) Las Babarians with Sunset Beach runners-up. In the men’s senior competition, Ruzafa Peo-
Cricket ENGLAND lost the third and final Test against the West Indies in Barbados. Set 192 to win, the hosts won by five wickets to level the series with one game drawn.
PALMA BEACH: Fifty two teams took part in this second tournament.
VENTS.
By Lynda Demangeat RC, MALLORCA RUGB YE
IT was Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi 1-2-3 in last weekend’s Spanish MotoGP. Rossi leads fellow Italian Andrea Dovizioso by 15 points (82-67).
Life’s a beach at rugby weekend L TORO
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ple won the gold cup with Wiss the Mama in second place. Meanwhile in Magaluf, around 1,500 players from across Europe descended on Magaluf beach to take part in this popular annual tournament. Over 220 highly competitive games were played to finally reveal Fergie’s Furies as the winners of the men’s
tournament, and the Moody Cows for the women. Coming up next weekend. The eagerly awaited final matches of the Baleares Girls League will be hosted by Shamrock RC in Son Roca on Sunday May 10. Rivals, El Toro RC and RC Ponent will both be doing their utmost to lift the trophy. All spectators will be very welcome to cheer on the girls.