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  The island erupted into a football frenzy on Sunday night as the national team claimed their first title in 44 years after beating Germany in an epic final in Vienna.  After a nervous start the Spanish soon found their rhythm and started to create a number of chances, with Liverpool star Fernando Torres hitting the upright with a powerful header as the Spanish began to turn the screw.  They continued to dominate possession and the German defence finally cracked in the 33rd minute as Spain took the lead through a well-worked goal which saw Torres neatly chipping the on-rushing Jans Lehman after a great through ball by Xavi.    
  The goal did wonders for Spanish confidence and they rarely looked back.
  Germany's problems threatened to worsen when Ballack needed lengthy treatment for an eye wound after a clash of heads with Marcos Senna.  David Silva then wasted a perfect opportunity to double Spain's advantage when he was set up by Iniesta, but he rushed his finish and shot wildly over the top.
  The Spanish continued to dominate during the second half, with only a Ballack shot which went just wide, threatening Iker Casillas’ goal. 
  Spain continued to look the more threatening side, but were lucky to stay with all eleven players on the pitch after Silva appeared to motion to head-butt Germany's Lukas Podolski.  However the Italian referee Roberto Rosetti stayed calm and decided against taking any action.
  The final 20 minutes were nerve-wracking but it was Spain who came the closest when substitute Daniel Guiza - on for Torres - headed the ball straight into Senna's path right in front of goal, but he was unable to apply the final touch.
  As the final whistle went, both Vienna and the entire country erupted into celebrations for a national side which has continually disappointed tournament after tournament. 
  “We have won in a brilliant way," said departing coach Luis Aragones afterwards. "We will be able to start saying we can win a European championship, as well as any other thing."
  “We played the best for the entire tournament and we beat some great teams," remarked goal-scorer Torres. "We beat Italy, the World Cup champions, and we beat Russia and now Germany. That is how you become champions."
  Germany had previously won three European Championships and three World Cups, but were no match in this final.  Captain Michael Ballack, questionable before the game with a calf injury, proved ineffective on the field, yet gracious off it.
  "We had a great tournament, but made one mistake too many," Ballack said. "We were lacking power against a great Spanish team. We couldn't keep up with them."
  As always the politicians got in on the act with the Prime Minister claiming it was only the beginning and that the best is yet to come.
 The crowd of 51,428 at Ernst Happel Stadium had enjoyed a great final and whilst the German fans disappointedly hurried off, an estimated 20,000 Spanish fans who had managed to get tickets for the final, and the 30,000 fans who were left watching on big screens around the Austrian capital, began wild celebrations mirrored across the country.
  It was a tough day for most back at work on Monday morning!

AROUND THE ISLAND

Hotels Suffering
Hotel occupancy in Ibiza and Formentera fell by over 8 per cent during the first 15 days of June compared to the same period last year.  Once again the areas to suffer the most were the beaches of San Jose, including Cala Tarida and Cala Vadella, which fell by a massive 28.1 per cent from last year.  In fact the study carried out by the Hotel Federation showed that only the north of the island experienced an increase from last year (+3.4%), whilst Ibiza Town (-7.1%), San Antonio and the Bay (-3.6%) Santa Eulalia (-9.8%) and Formentera (-13.2%) were all down.    
The main culprits for the decline were the British and Spanish markets, both struggling to maintain numbers due to rising fuel and food costs, the credit crunch and, in the case of the former, a weak pound. 
The figures caused an angry reaction from the mayor of San Jose, Josep Mari Ribas Agustinet, who demanded the system be changed and both Playa den Bossa and the bay of San Antonio, which both belong to the municipality of San Jose, be added.  His words came in reaction to criticism received from some quarters about the fall in occupancy in the beach resorts of the municipality.  At present the results of the bay are included in San Antonio, and Playa den Bossa with Ibiza Town.
Another worrying study, this time carried out by the National Institute of Statistics, showed that the average stay had fallen below five days for the first time in the island’s history.  In May 2000 the average stay was 6.5 days, whilst this May it had fallen to 4.5 days, a concerning downturn.
Furthermore, later in the week combined figures from the ports of Ibiza and la Savina (Formentera) showed 9,000 fewer passengers had arrived on the two islands during May compared to the same month last year. 
The fusion of the four biggest tour operators within the British market was also blamed for the decrease in numbers of British tourists.  The president of the Sirenis hotel chain, Pedro Matutes, claimed the merger of Thomas Cook and My Travel, and First Choice with TUI, had ensured a decrease in flight seats to the island, something which was benefitting Mallorca, seen as a more profitable route for most of the operators.  
The negative results came as the president of the Hotel Association of Ibiza and Formentera, Roberto Hortensius, met with the president of the Balearic Government, Francesc Antich, and demanded another golf course be built on the island, as well as a general improvement made to the water purifiers on the island, especially the one in Ibiza Town.  During the meeting Antich revealed the average tourist spend had fallen in the Balearics during May, with each spending €68.80 per day, including accommodation, down 4.3 per cent from last year.
However, it seems the worst is still to come and all agreed 2009 was shaping up to be an incredibly difficult year.

Homeless Help
Caritas, a charity group working on the island, has estimated a total of around 300 people are currently living homeless on the streets of Ibiza.  Their co-ordinator, Jacobo Garcia, revealed that a massive 37 people were being attended to everyday and this year they would easily exceed the 9,177 people which the programme helped in 2007.
The financing for the project is provided, in the most part, by the Town Hall of Ibiza which ensures the charity can provide 7,300 meals throughout the year in their “soup kitchen”, although this year they are set to increase the number by 152 per cent.    However, the project goes further and tries to give some of the most needy on the island a “leg-up” in their battles to improve their personal situations. 
Garcia admitted that the general public was unaware of the situation and were surprised when they found out the numbers were so high. 
Caritas is currently working in tandem with all of the Town Halls on the island, as well as the Island Council to create a centre which would be able to house up to 40 of the island’s  neediest residents.  

New Roads Delayed
The Balearic Government has decided to postpone the additional lanes which were supposed to be built close to the entrance to the capital, and had been planned for June.  After delays to the project and the work currently underway on the airport road, the Highways Minister, Antoni Armengol, said the work would now begin at the end of the summer.
The plans involve the building of a slip road which will enable drivers to access the Ibiza-San Antonio dual-carriageway directly from the sa Blanca Dona road close to the electrical store CB Electric.  This will mean avoiding the long queues at the first roundabout for all those wanting to turn right towards San Antonio. 
The project also includes a similar road on the adjacent side of the roundabout which will mean vehicles wishing to head towards Ibiza Town will be able to veer off close to the Conference Centre, (Recinto Ferial), and will not need to queue at the roundabout. 
Armengol made it clear that no private land will need to be re-possessed for the project.  He said on the sa Blanca side there was currently enough land for the installation, whilst on the other side of the road land would be taken from the Conference Centre.    

No More Ports
The Mediterranean Boating Association, the most important group of its kind within the Balearic Islands, has urged the Government to refrain from building any more ports or marinas.  The surprising statements were made via its president, Juan Poyatos, who claimed that the waters around the islands were already far too saturated during the months of July and August, adding that any increase in the number of berths would have a negative effect in the area.
Poyatos, however, said his association would back any moves to increase the number of transit berths in the Balearics, to ensure tourists were not dissuaded from visiting the islands by boat.  This could be done in several ways, with the association favouring the method currently being trialled in Andratx, Mallorca, which uses floating jetties which can be removed after the busy summer season. 
The minister in charge of this area, Bartomeu Calafell, also confirmed this week that his administration would begin to charge for the new environmentally friendly buoys from next year.  He said the charge would not be too abusive, and be around €10 per day.  Such buoys have been available in ses Salinas and parts of Formentera for the last two years, and means boats stopping in the area for the day do not have to throw anchor, damaging the precious sea-bed.  
There are currently 400 such buoys across the Balearics, all of which registered 13,000 stays last year, and while an increase in the number is seen as crucial by Calafell, he said the 4,000 being considered by the previous Government was exaggerated.  

Deadlock Remains
The unions, CC OO and UGT, have threatened strike action if their demands are not met, as negotiations continued to stall between representatives of the Hotel Federation and the workers union.  The two now have just one meeting left to try and come up with an adequate solution, before strikes begin.
The hospitality industry currently employs around 30,000 people in Ibiza and Formentera, nearly half the workforce.  The exaggerated demands of the general secretary of UGT, Fernando Fernandez, include a 36-hour working week and a 7 per cent pay rise.  However, these demands have been ridiculed by representatives of the hoteliers, who have claimed that such requests would be impossible to meet in the current economic climate.  They have offered a generous 4.5 per cent increase, during the next five years.
The meeting on Friday lasted just under an hour, a sure sign that the differences between the two sides are significant.  All will now rest on the last meeting between the two groups, which is to take place this coming Friday.  If no agreement is reached, strikes will be called for the end of July, in what would be a disaster for the industry according to the Federation president, Roberto Hortensius.  However, hope remains as it would not be the first time that a last gasp agreement has been reached between the two sides. 

Pickets Set Up
The president of the Taxi Association, Jose Serafin, claimed his members would begin picketing certain areas in large groups to ensure both unlicensed taxis and those with temporary licenses issued by the Island Council are unable to pick up passengers.
The extraordinary decision to picket their own drivers has been made by the license holders, unhappy they were not given all of the temporary licenses which were issued last month, and came into operation on 1st July.  Serafin said his members were aware of the risks and called on the police for help in controlling the situation.  The pickets will be set up at the airport, as well as outside the macro-clubs of Privilege and Amnesia. 
The comments were greeted with disdain by most members of the general public, with one hotelier commenting that it was now time the permit holders realised that people took unlicensed “pirate” taxis out of necessity and not by choice, due to a severe lack of regular taxis.  “It is a problem the island has suffered from for a number of years and, when at last, the Council try to alleviate the problem, all they encounter is hostility from a sector which has had things their own way for far too long”, he added.  

Man Sentenced
The British man arrested back in 2004, after causing the death of a motorcyclist by dangerous driving, has been sentenced to two years in prison.  The victim, who was knocked off his Honda motorbike, died last year after spending two years in a vegetative state.  He was 36 years of age at the time of the accident and was married with three children. 
The accident occurred on 15th October 2004 as the defendant made his way back from the airport at 6a.m. towards Santa Eulalia in his vehicle.  At the old Jesus turning (which has now been substituted by a roundabout and flyover), he mistakenly turned left into the main road instead of heading right.  It was at this moment he collided with the motorcyclist. 
The prosecution had originally demanded three years, although this was later reduced after an agreement was reached with the defence team.  It is believed the man will not have to serve the sentence due to his previously clean record.  However, he is to lose his licence for a total of three years. 
The man will also face civil prosecution in which the family of the victim will demand between €400,000 and €500,000 in compensation.

New ID Card Available
As the foreign resident’s card fiasco rumbles on, and those holding the new photo-less piece of paper struggle to cope with its ineffectiveness, it seems the Spanish ID card is heading in the opposite direction.
Sources at the National Police revealed, on Thursday, that they had begun to process the new Electronic ID card for Spanish nationals, which is set to revolutionise the lives of those using the card.  The new 'Electronic DNI' or Smartcard, now available on the island, was first introduced on the mainland in 2006 and allows for digital signing of documents.  It conveys the same printed information as the older version, but in a plastic card with a different design.  The cards are amongst the most advanced in Europe and take just 15 minutes to be issued.
In Spain, an ID card is the most important document of a citizen.  It is used in all public and private transactions and is required to open a bank account, to sign a contract, to have state insurance, to register at university or to be fined by a police officer.
The new card will have a chip containing personal information that can be processed internally and will allow the titleholder to electronically sign for a number of different items, including administrative papers.  To sign, the holder will have to use a secret PIN which will be given to the recipient in a sealed envelope, and can be changed immediately via a new machine now located in the office.     

Ferré Payment
Controversial hotelier, Fernando Ferré, owner of the infamous Grupo Playa Sol (GPS) chain, has forked out a total of €120,000 to ensure a lighter sentence in offences relating to the reforms in the hotels, s´Estanyol and San Remo in Cala de Bou.  Ferré has agreed to pay around €6,000 to each of the 20 workers found in the two hotels at the time.  The hotelier stands accused of offences involving the health and safety of the workers and their working rights. 
The payment led to the prosecution team who are representing the workers, lowering their demands from five to three years in prison. 
Although the investigation is continuing, sources claim the hotelier is ready to accept responsibility in order to make a deal with the court and agree a mutually convenient punishment.

Different Viewpoint
A comprehensive study carried out amongst 17 year olds on the island has shown that 8 out of 10 have entered one of the micro-clubs, despite being underage.  Three out of ten said they went on a regular basis during the summer, with 90 per cent saying they regularly visit bars in the tourist areas of the island.  However it seems they are also aware of the dangers the night brings, with 88 per cent blaming alcohol and drugs for the majority of accidents and street violence once darkness falls. 
The study was carried out amongst 400 seventeen-year-olds over the last three months, and although most admitted to having been to one of the bigger clubs, 72 per cent agreed the discos gave a distorted image of the island to the outside world.  Despite this most (80 per cent) agreed they were also beneficial to the economy of the island.    
The report was unveiled at the 5th International Conference on Nightlife, Substance Use and Related Health Issues - Club Health – which took place on 23rd-25th June in Santa Eulalia.  The main subjects discussed at the conference were the reduction in binge drinking and drunkenness, as well as the prevention of violence, sex and substance abuse in night time environments.  The policing of nightlife and nightlife venues was also discussed at length. 
Experts on nightlife health and security from more than 20 different countries attended the event, with the conference aiming to promote a multi-agency approach to developing nightlife strategies with delegates drawn from the health service, police and criminal justice, the nightlife industry, manufacturers of alcohol, academic institutions and political and voluntary organisations.
Professor Mark Bellis, a member of the conference organising committee, said before the conference began: “We hope the conference provides a clearer idea about the right way to develop nightlife for the 21st century.  Internationally we are facing rising challenges from drugs like cocaine, and abuse of established substances like alcohol.  Well managed nightlife settings are fantastic places to unwind and socialise.  Poorly managed, they are often places where binge drinking, drug abuse, and violence can ruin people’s lives”.
Speaking at the conference, Amador Calafat, conference leader in Spain, said a crackdown on after-hours clubs would be beneficial to the main discos and the island in general, as it brought a lower quality of tourist to the island.  He continued that the clubs were ideal places to control the consumption of drugs and prevent it through filter systems. 
The first Club Health Conference was held in Cream, Liverpool in 1997 and has since been held in Amsterdam (Holland), Rimini (Italy), Melbourne (Australia) and Piran (Slovenia). The Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University was one of the founding members of the Club Health Organisation 10 years ago, and is one of the co-organisers of this year’s event.

IBIZA TOWN
New Legislation
The Town Hall of Ibiza is currently preparing new legislation which it hopes will make the capital a safer place to visit or live in.  The Councillor for Tourism, Vicent Ferrer, revealed some of the new by-laws will include drinking alcoholic beverages in the street, aggressive and anti-social behaviour, as well as prostitution.  The new by-laws will not be punishable with a custodial sentence, although each offence will result in a fine or community service. 
Ferrer claimed the new regulations were needed due to the rapid changes in modern society over the last ten years.  He added that there were now different attitudes which led to behaviour he believed to be unacceptable.  Sexual acts in public are also on the list of things which will now become an offence.      

One-Way System
The Town Hall of Ibiza has presented an ambitious new plan which it hopes will encourage the use of public transport and take a great deal of traffic out of the town centre.  The new plan is, at the moment, just a proposal and will need to be cleared with a number of different authorities.  However, it seems a start has been made, although it received criticism from the opposition party who called it unrealistic. 
The main aim of the plan is to reduce the number of vehicles in the centre of town and encourage people to leave their cars at home and use public transport.  This is set to be achieved by creating a one-way system around town and reserving the second lane solely for taxis and buses.  The main roads to be affected will be Avenida Espana, Santa Eulalia, Isidor Macabish, Ignacio Wallis and Bartomeu. 
It is hoped the first part of this plan can commence in winter, although it would very much depend on whether the Town Hall received permission from the Ports Authority who have responsibility over avenida Santa Eulalia, which is crucial to the entire plan being sustainable. 
The Councillor for the Environment and Mobility, Joan Rubio, said a great amount of investment had already been made in improving public transport, and this was set to continue.  He said he wanted to encourage people to leave their cars at home by creating a fast and reliable bus service which could prove a realistic alternative. 
The plan also proposes a new tax on the hire of cars which it is hoped will encourage tourists to ditch this option and choose public transport.

SAN ANTONIO
San An Disgust
The Town Hall of San Antonio reacted angrily to last week’s news from the Island Council that €30 million is to be spent on the Playa den Boss area.  Via a letter to the Island Council, the administration revealed it had been working on a similar plan for the last two years which it hoped would have been given the go-ahead before the San Jose based area. 
Whilst congratulating both the Town Halls of Ibiza and San Jose, which will benefit from the new plan, the administration complained about the lack of correspondence for their project which was sent to the Island Council two years ago.  The plans, which had initially been agreed with the Tourism department at the Island Council, includes improving public transport, the building of a jetty to attract cruise ships, new residential areas and more “green spaces”. 
The Councillor for Business Development at the Island Council, Joan Serra Mayans, announced, on Friday, a €30 million project he hoped would transform Playa den Bossa.  The funding will come via the Central Government and be part of a €2,800 million package available to the Balearics in order to make improvements to infrastructure in tourist areas. 
The following day Serra Mayans said he was surprised by the attack, before revealing that he had been in talks with the mayor just recently about financing the project.  He continued that the Island Council were preparing to spend €24 million in the municipality on new infrastructure and reforms, and said that, unlike the previous PP-run Council, his party were prepared to spend money in all of the municipalities, according to their needs and not their political colour.  

Strike Threats
Workers of the company, FCC, which is in charge of cleaning and rubbish collection in San Antonio, are threatening to go on strike if their demands are not met.  A spokesman for the union representing the workers claimed the argument did not simply involve an increase in pay, but also improved working conditions, and the option of both early retirement and a “distress” extra for dealing with certain types of rubbish, something which was normal on the mainland.   He said the difference between the two sides was currently significant, and that his members would begin an indefinite strike from 10th July if there was no improvement over the next few days. 
The deputy mayor, Joan Pantaleoni, said he was mediating between the two sides and was confident an agreement could be reached.  He said the alternative would be a tourism disaster for the municipality.

SAN JOSE
Debt Prevents Investment
The deputy mayor, Paquita Ribas, has accused the previous administration of saddling the municipality with debts of almost €1 million.  The Councillor made the comments whilst revealing these arrears would mean the Town Hall would be unable to carry out a number of projects which had been planned for this year.  Ribas used the example of a piece of land which had been bought but not paid for in Cala de Bou, where an elementary school has been planned. 
Over half of the debt was settled last year, but there is still just over €400,000 remaining which will be cleared during the year and leave the Town Hall with very little funding.     

Kumharas´ Closed
The crackdown on clubs and bars who tolerate the consumption of drugs on their premises continued through the week with the closure of yet another popular bar.  Kumharas’, the sunset establishment in the bay of San Antonio, was ordered to close on Tuesday for an offence committed three years ago during a protest to legalise cannabis, in which police found “three or four people” smoking the drug, according to the owners.  There were several posters around the bar on the night warning the consumption of drugs was not permitted on the premises. 
After the denuncias were made, the Government’s Delegation on the island decided, in June 2006, to fine the property €6,000 and order its closure for a total of two months.  The establishment appealed against this decision, and was allowed to re-open.  However, the appeal was later rejected by the Central Government’s office in Ibiza, who ordered the bar to close.  This was again stopped in the courts after the judge agreed to halt the closure order if the fine was paid within ten days.
On 27th September the owners, led by Miguel Costa, informed the court of their intention to carry out the sentence, and closed the bar throughout October and November.  They proceeded to stay closed until opening once again on 11th March, for which they asked permission from the authorities.  However, the bar has now been told that the sentence has yet to be carried out, and will need to be done so during the following two months. 
Costa explained he thought the punishment, equal to that received by DC-10 which had received several denuncias, as exaggerated for something which had occurred on just one occasion.  He said the bar had had no previous convictions and he remained confident the court would once again overturn the ruling.

SANTA EULALIA
More Blue Spaces
The mayor, Vicent Mari, has announced an increase in the number of blue parking spaces in the centre of town.  The amount will climb from 530 to 632 and now include calle Isidor Macabich, calle San Josep, the area surrounding the market and the road heading towards es Canar. 
Mari explained that these new spaces were being put in place in accordance with the demands of local shopkeepers in the area who constantly had the same vehicles parked outside their establishments. 
The leader of the opposition party, Jose Luis Pardo, repeated his disagreement of the moves and said it would further disrupt the lives of people living in the area.  He called for a change to the timetable and for the afternoon payment to be cancelled, a decision Mari said would be impossible at this present time.

New Health Plans
Local businessman, Juan Tur Vinas, has revealed plans for a futuristic health centre close to Jesus, which he hopes could be finished in 2010.  The complex would be built on 48,592 m2 of land in the area known as Cas Doctor Mari, close to Jesus.  The main building will contain the health centre and be built on three floors (ground, first and second).
The project will also house a residential area for the sick and elderly, which will have capacity for up to 700 people.  The project will cost over €20 million and will be, according to Tur Vinas, an opportunity to bring new technology to the island.     
The project will include five operating rooms, an A&E department, as well as an intensive care unit. 

Hotel Close to Opening
The new luxury 5-star hotel, “Aguas de Ibiza”, is to open to the general public on 15th August, although the spa will not be available until October.  The final touches are currently being made to the property and it will undergo a soft-opening from 15th July, with specially selected guests staying in the hotel to ensure all problems have been ironed out before “real” clients are allowed through the doors.  Rooms will start from just €215, rising to €1,800 during the high-season. 

SAN JUAN
Carraca on the Move
Last week the mayor of San Juan announced he was studying the possibility of moving the Town Hall to the new multi-purpose building which was completed last month.  In the future the new building is set to house a number of the municipality’s services, and a conference/meeting room has already been set up.  However, Antoni Mari Mari Carraca has suggested that all of the departments will need to be moved whilst urgent repairs are made to the old Town Hall.
Carraca dismissed the possibility of a permanent move but said a temporary one would be unavoidable as repairs are carried out, and modifications made to adapt the building for those with disabilities.

FORMENTERA
Bed Amnesty
The Councillor for Tourism in Formentera, Josep Mayans, met with members of the hotel community on the island last week to discuss the legalisation of hotel beds.  Mayans said his administration had to face the reality of a problem, which has caused concern in recent years.  He said the meeting was to discuss initial ideas about how the legalisation process was to be carried out, although he saw it as a fairly simple one, hoping this would encourage those hoteliers with illegal beds to make them legal, so the administration could better control the system.  The cost will be €4,800 per additional bed. 
The problem has been discussed on both of the pine islands (Pitiusas), however Mayans claimed it was up to each administration to resolve the problem the best way they could. 
In recent years up to 1,400 beds have been de-classified with the Island Council, a number the councillor is hoping to recover during this amnesty.    

CRIME & INCIDENTS
Drug Arrests
A package containing 17 kilos of cocaine which was intercepted by police at Madrid airport and destined for the island has led to the arrest of 37 people, including a police inspector.  The package was seized back on 11th June, and led to a rapid investigation which has seen the detention of the suspects, all of Colombian descent, apart from the inspector.
The owner of two bars close to the capital, the police inspector was arrested along with his wife, accused of selling the drug at the two venues and laundering the money made from the sale of the rest of the drugs brought in from Venezuela.  The arrests included several people working in baggage handling at the airport’s new terminal 4, as well as members of a low-cost airline accused of helping to smuggle the drugs into the country.   
The gang was not content with merely smuggling cocaine, and through their branch in Valencia had arranged numerous marriages of convenience to legalize illegal immigrants.
The judge handling the case jailed 26 of the detainees, and released the rest with charges.

Sa Nostra Hold-up
Officers are continuing to investigate a bank robbery which took place on Tuesday on the island.  A man entered the branch of Sa Nostra in Jesus disguising himself with a cap and dark glasses.  After waving a firearm around, he managed to get away with around €3,000 in cash.  There was just one employee in the bank at the time. 
Police believe there were one or two people waiting for the robber outside the branch in a getaway vehicle. 

Drugs Overdose
The body of a Polish youth was found dead in a house in es Cubells on Thursday.  The autopsy report later confirmed what police officers had initially thought - a drugs overdose.  It is the first such reported case of the season.  The autopsy carried out in Ibiza showed considerable traces of cocaine, although it was not known whether any other drugs were involved.  A further analysis is to be carried out in Barcelona. 
The incident was followed on Saturday by the death of a 36 year old South African who was found aboard the boat “ICE III” in the Ibiza Nueva port.  Investigations are currently underway, but police initially believe the man died of a drugs overdose.
Both these incidents were followed on Sunday by the death of an Italian youth due to yet another suspected overdose.  

Car Thefts
The Guardia Civil are continuing to investigate the robbery of seven rent-a-cars which have taken place over the last ten days.  The robberies occurred at two different car yards owned by Autos Mari and BK rent a car.  Although the three taken from Autos Mari have all been recovered, the other four are still missing with officers acknowledging they may have already left the island.  The vehicles taken from the yard of BK rent-a-car included two luxury Mercedes cars.  Police believe the two separate robberies were carried out by the same gang. 

Bail Denied
Four of the seven British people being held in Mallorca while they await trial for the gun battle which took place in San Antonio in August 2006, have been denied bail.  The judge has decided the threat of the four men leaving the country is too great, and all will now remain in prison until their trial in September. 

Pair Jailed
The couple arrested in January 2007 as they disembarked from a ferry with ten kilos of hashish have been sentenced to three years in prison.  The pair, both residents of San Antonio, were under investigation at the time and were detained separately as they left the boat which had recently arrived from Denia.  They have also been ordered to pay a fine of €45,000.      

Accused Being Held
The Argentine man arrested for stabbing a police sergeant in Formentera was being held under house arrest last week whilst an investigation continued.  It appears there was an initial confrontation between the two men earlier in the night at the local discotheque, Xueno, in es Pujols.  Insults were exchanged and threats were made, although the pair were then separated.  However, the situation erupted several hours later at a local bar, Pachanka, and in the incident the sergeant was stabbed in the leg, just missing an artery. 
A 75 year old Argentine man was arrested, accused of the attack, although he denies stabbing the officer.  The situation became more complicated later when the accused started to have heart problems and had to be rushed to the local hospital, leading the judge hearing the case to order his detention at home.

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