After a trial that had lasted several months, the courts decision was finally heard on the 29 people accused of the Madrid terrorist bombings in 2004. In all, 21 of those indicted were sentenced to prison, with eight receiving not guilty verdicts. The most surprising was the absolution of Rabei Osman El Sayed Ahmed known as The Egyptian. He had been accused of being the mastermind behind the entire operation which ended with the death of 191 people. The judge claimed there was a distinct lack of evidence against his involvement in the attacks. He was also not even charged with belonging to a terrorist organisation, for which several others were convicted, but only because he is currently serving a jail term in Italy for exactly the same crime.
Only three of the defendants were convicted with the multi-year sentences which many had at first been threatened with. Otman El Gilaoul and Jamal Zouyain were both sentenced to 42,924 years in jail for their part in the bombings. The former had been identified by numerous witnesses as being on the train prior to the explosions. The latter was linked to the bombings via DNA evidence on a jacket found at the scene. These two defendants were the only men actually accused of carrying out the bombings. Although seven others were involved in putting the explosives on the train, they all committed suicide after they exploded a bomb whilst their apartment was in the process of being raided. This incident, in Leganes, Madrid, ended with a police officer losing his life.
The other long sentence was for Spaniard, Jose Suarez Trasborras, a former miner who was accused of supplying all of the dynamite used in the attacks. He was also the only person convicted for the later death of the police officer in Leganes. He was condemned to 34,715 years in prison.
All of the other convictions ranged from three to 23 years, and were for collaboration in the attacks.
The judge made it clear that the terrorist group ETA was not involved in the blasts, and that links which were first made in the wake of the bombings by the then president, Jose Maria Aznar, were unfounded. He said the attacks were carried out by an Islam based Jihad-type terrorist organisation, and had nothing whatsoever to do with the presence of Spanish troops in Iraq. This was seen as the cause of the bombings in the aftermath, and led to troops being recalled from the troubled country.
The public prosecution claimed they were satisfied with the results of the trial and would not be asking for any retrials. However the families of some of the 191 victims expressed their anger at the reduced sentences for a great deal of the defendants. They claimed they would appeal against the punishment of the majority, and take the case to the highest level.
The President of the Government, Jose Luis Zapatero, claimed that justice had been done and suggested it was the end of the matter.
Compensation levels were also agreed by the judge, with each family of the victims of the bombings receiving 900,000. There were also 1,857 people injured in the attack. They have been separated into twelve categories of severity, and will be awarded amounts starting at 30,000 and rising to 1.5million.

AROUND THE ISLAND

Work Accidents
The amount of work related accidents rose in Ibiza and Formentera last year, despite a fall on the other two Balearics Islands. There were a total of 3,397 accidents, of which 3,282 occurred in Ibiza and 115 in Formentera, a total increase of 10 per cent between the two islands. However, despite the fact levels rose, this was due to an increase in minor accidents, with the total number of fatal and serious accidents actually decreasing. In Ibiza there was one fatal accident, and eleven serious ones, whereas in Formentera of the 115 accidents, there was one fatality, and one serious accident.

Ibiza Route
British Airways has confirmed they will continue to operate the London Gatwick-Ibiza flight next year. The route has been run over the last six years by GB Airways, a partner company of BA. The sale of GB Airways to Easyjet raised doubts over the continuation of the route, however BA confirmed the importance of the island in their future plans and promised the Ibiza route would continue, along with Faro, Gibraltar, Malaga and Majorca, all previously serviced by GB Airways. Easyjet, the no-frills airline, paid L103.5 million to the Bland Group for the company, which has 15 Airbus aircraft serving 31 destinations with 39 routes under a franchise agreement with British Airways, mostly in Southern Europe and North Africa. Five of these are out of London Heathrow and are not included in the deal. The others comprise 28 from Gatwick and six from Manchester.
In the year to 31st March, GB Airways made a profit before tax of L2.6million on revenue of L250million. It carried 2.8 million passengers, had gross assets of L182million and net assets of L33million.

Population Increase
The population of Ibiza grew last year by 2.5 per cent. By the end of 2006, Ibizas total population was 113,908, of which 90,173 were of Spanish nationality. The increase of the population, according to the Economic and Social Consell, is due, in the main, to two reasons. Firstly, the fact that during 2006, births have far outweighed deaths, and secondly, because of the continued migration of immigrants to the island.
However, the most surprising fact is that in all of the municipalities except San Juan, over 50 per cent of the population was born outside of the island, with a total for the whole of Ibiza of 55.8 per cent. The majority of these are Spanish nationals now resident on the island, followed by those of European descent and then North Africans.

Medical Translation
The Govern Balear is to pilot a translation system in some of their public health centres, in an attempt to improve communication between medical staff and patients. Social Affairs Minister, Fina Santiago, explained that with the immigrant population steadily growing, and until they are able to speak Spanish, these measures would help everyone to be understood in the very sensitive issue of health care.
If successful after the three month trial, the system will be introduced to all public hospitals within the Balearics.
The system, which will initially cost 12,000 over the next three months, will be run by the company Dualia. When a patient arrives at the surgery who does not speak Spanish, the doctor will get in contact with staff at Dualia, who will, via specialist audio equipment, assist in the conversation giving simultaneous translations as either the doctor or the patient speaks.
Although the company is able to translate a total of thirty-two languages, the Govern have, at the moment, chosen five English, German, French, Romanian and Arabic. However the company will able to assist with a different language if a total of two hours notice is given by the doctor.

Older Population
The average life expectancy of people born in the Balearics has grown by five years, since 1991. Results from the National Institute of Statistics revealed that the average life expectancy on the islands is now 80.44 years. This figure is very close to the national average, with the citizens of Navarra recording the highest figure (81.51), and Andalucia the lowest (78.83).

Jellyfish Stay Away
Fears the island would be invaded by jellyfish this summer proved unwarranted as the Red Cross confirmed that cases of jellyfish stings were down 34 per cent. Lifeguards attended to a total of 1,495 cases within the municipality of San Antonio, but figures for the entire island, although not given, were described as similar. Warnings were made by several organisations that the coast of Ibiza would be over run this summer by jellyfish. They claimed the warmer waters around the island meant they were no longer migrating to warmer seas, and had reproduced en-masse off the coast. However these fears did not materialise, and the number of the species seen off the coast was no greater than in previous years.

Wet October
As October drew to a close it was revealed it had been the second wettest since records began back in 1961, only surpassed in 1975. A total of 182 litres per square metre fell at the weather centre in the airport, a figure that fell just short of the 189.5 litres in 1975. It rained for a total of 20 days during the month, and registered more than treble the average rainfall in October.

Black Hole
The Govern Balear launched a scathing attack on their predecessors on Wednesday, claiming the vast majority of their debts were caused by the new roads built on the island during the last four years. The Minister for the Economy, Carles Manera, revealed the Govern had inherited a debt of 371million from the previous government, most of which had been caused by the inflated costs of the road building. He continued by explaining that the real problem had been the fact that the actual costs far exceeded the predicted costs, with some sections costing up to four times more than had initially been estimated. He used the example of a section of road which was originally predicted to cost 4.6million, but ended up costing 20million. He admitted the outlay on most public work ended up being more than initially estimated, but said that a rise of 300 per cent was ludicrous.
However, he was even more critical of the way in which the previous administration had covered up this black hole. He claimed they had invented subsidies and used fictitious loans on the balance sheet to warrant the expenses caused by the roads. At the end of the year this left them with a gaping hole in their accounts, a hole which has now been passed on to the PSOE-led Govern.

Gas Duct
The new location of the controversial gas pipe was revealed on Wednesday. The pipe will, for the first time, introduce natural gas onto the island via a duct which is being laid from Denia to San Antonio. The pipe will initially only be utilised by the electric provider, GESA-Endesa, but there are possibilities it could later be used to provide gas direct to homes.
The original project took the most direct route from its starting point in Cala Gracio to GESA´s central factory. This meant, however, it passed through several kilometres of private land, which would have meant forced expropriation, a subject still extremely delicate on the island. There were complaints from several sources, including the Town Hall of San Antonio, which would have been most affected by the project. A second plan was called for and this was uncovered last week.
The new project elects to take a longer route towards Ibiza Town but uses, in the most part, public land with a great deal of the pipe passing adjacent to the San Antonio-Ibiza road. A spokesman for San Antonio Town Hall explained the plan still passed through some private land but that this would be inevitable. She continued by explaining the new project would now be put on public display before being sent off for final approval.

Strike Action
Emergency workers from the 061 ambulances have called for strike action after agreement could not be reached with their employers over conditions in their work environment. A spokesman for the association said they understood the serious consequences of their action, but claimed there was no other option open to them.
The ambulance workers have been in a dispute over conditions with their employers for several months, and claim their work is being undermined by poor equipment. However, the company has continued to ignore their pleas, which eventually led to the unanimous agreement by all of their associates for strike action. A day has yet to be set, but it has already been agreed there will be a minimal service offered.

IBIZA TOWN

Port Work Delayed
The remodelling work which was due to start in the port of Ibiza has been delayed because of problems with the original project. The plans, which include the construction of two 200metre quays, to enable four cruise-liners to dock at the same time, have had to be changed slightly meaning the project will have to be displayed publicly once again. This will happen next week (the model can be seen in the Consell Insular) and after that the project will have to be sent to the Environment Ministry for a second time for final approval. This, according to the president of the Ports Authority, Francesc Triay, will mean a delay in the start of the project. He estimates work will get under way in 2009.
The plan also includes the building of a two-floor passenger station in the marina at Botafoc.
The entire project will take around 31 years to complete, which means the chances of finishing it within this Governs administration are slim.

End of an Era
By the time this publication comes to print one of the most recognised signs in Dalt Vila will have vanished. The restaurant, El Corsario, has had its name written over the top of its establishment since it was opened. However, according to the Town Hall, due to its negative aesthetic impact the restaurant has been ordered to paint over the sign. They have been given one week to carry out the procedure.
The 400 year old villa is situated near the hilltop fortress and features the most magnificent views of the harbour and surrounding area - it is a true romantics heaven. The restaurant has two beautiful dining rooms, equipped with neatly laid tables and a stand-up bar. Although the restaurant area will remain the same, it seems the owners will have to find another form of advertising the establishment.

Noise Levels
A study carried out in the capital has revealed that 36 per cent of the noise generated exceeds the 65 decibel limit recommended by the World Health Organisation. The results were collected during the months of July and August at seventy different spots around the capital at various times of the day. The survey unveiled traffic as the number one noise hazard, closely followed by public service traffic (buses, taxis, cleaning services). Next on the list, but quite a way off the first two, were discos, bars and restaurants, with industrial noise coming fourth. The Councillor for the Environment, Joan Rubio, claimed there was much work to be done. He said the noise restrictions on bars and clubs seemed to be working and added the same type of action now needed to be taken on traffic noise, which would include a reduction of speed.
The worst areas affected were the entrance to the capital via San Jose and Playa den Bossa.

SAN ANTONIO

Building Ban
The Town Hall of San Antonio announced on Tuesday they would not be granting any more building licenses for at least one year. This will, according to the Councillor for Planning, Josefa Costa, give her administration the chance to revise the existing building plan of the municipality. There will be a number of exceptions to this rule, including the planned building of an industrial zone in ses Paisses, which will be given the go ahead when plans are ready. Costa added that permission to build on rustic land would also still be allowed, because the legislation is already very tough on this type of building which requires a minimum of 10,000 square metres.
Costa said the plans would be presented to the Consell early next year and if they were in agreement, would be published later on in 2008. However she did not rule out the extension of the building ban for a further year, if there were hitches with the plans.
Costa revealed that no land would be specifically marked out for golf courses, so as to avoid conflict. She was clear, however, that this did not mean her administration were against the building of courses in the future, but it has been made clear by the present Consell they will not allow the construction of any new courses during their four year reign. However she said the planned housing project for ses Variades (the area in between Café del Mar and Coastline Café) will be included.

Charity Walks
Next week sees the 5th Annual San Antonio Solidarity Walk take place. This year the distances have been reduced to ensure more participants for the event, which will raise money for a centre for disabled people in order that they can undertake occupational and work related tasks. The first walk is this Saturday 10th November, and starts at 9.30a.m. at the Town Hall in San Antonio. From there participants will be taken to Cala Tarida by bus from where the twelve kilometre walk will commence towards Cala Bassa. The second walk will be on Sunday 11th , and will go from Santa Innes (10.30a.m.) ending in San Antonio with a communal barbeque. The events are for an extremely worthwhile cause and so anyone who can come along, even if it is just for the barbeque on Sunday (2p.m.), please do.

Water Leak
Around forty per cent of San Antonio was left without water, some for up to 20 hours, after a main pipe which brings water to the town, split open. The 400mm pipe broke in the cemetery area during the early hours of Saturday morning.
Aqualia, the water provider, soon became aware of the problem and technicians were on the scene shortly after 7a.m. Councillor Joan Pantaleoni was quick to point out that the damage had not been caused by any of the construction work currently taking place in various parts of the municipal, and assured angry residents it was simply a case of too much pressure for the ageing pipes. The problem was fixed a little after 8p.m. as service was restored to the vast majority.

SAN JOSE

Trial Continues
The bribery trial continued last Monday with the mayor of San Jose, Josep Mari Ribas Agustinet, once again denying any wrong doing. During the session he answered questions from his lawyer, but again refused to be interrogated by the lawyer of Roque Lopez, the man at the centre of the accusations.
Agustinet claimed he had only been talking about possible rumours on the tape recordings, and said the contracting process had all been above board. He claimed the investigation would get to the bottom of the accusations, and reveal everything had been done legally.
He suggested the tape had been altered and claimed not to remember having said a great deal of what can be heard on the recordings made by the former leader of the Pitiusas Socialist Party, Roque Lopez. He also remained tight lipped on the references he is heard to make on the tapes of B (unregistered) money, and said he preferred, for the moment, not to make any other comments on this matter.
Joining Agustinet in court for the first time, on Monday, was Antonio Pinal, the president of the company Brues S.A., who were eventually given the contract for Eivissa Centre, a multi-million euro project to reform the capital. He has been accused by the judge of bribery, and answered questions from the judge and his lawyer. However he also refused to answer any questions from Lopezs brief.
Pinal remained tight lipped as he emerged from court, and merely commented that he was not worried and was convinced the truth would eventually come out. The trial is set to continue once again this Monday.

Tax Rises
The Town Hall of San Jose announced on Friday a rise in bin tax of 39.6 per cent. The rise, which has been similar across the island, is due to the increase in the price the Town Hall has to now pay the Consell to dispose of the waste collected. However the councillor in charge, Paquita Ribas, added the rise would be staggered across the various different sectors with bars, whose tax is currently low, receiving much higher rises, whilst supermarkets will experience a much lower rise due to the high levels they currently pay.

SANTA EULALIA

Purifier Criticism
The president of the Partido Popular (PP), Josep Juan Cardona, has criticised the Govern for putting the project for the water purifier in Santa Eulalia, on hold. The Govern confirmed two weeks ago that the purifier within the municipality was not urgent, and that it was far more important to build a new one in Ibiza Town. Cardona claims the reason for the change in tact is purely a political one, and it will be the residents and not the PP party who will be made to suffer.
He continued by revealing that the project was agreed during the Governs last administration and was about to be started when the change of administration, to a PSOE-run Govern, occurred. He said it had been agreed unanimously last year that the work was a priority, and should be carried out this year. However it appears opinion has now changed and the purifier of the now PSOE-run capital is of more importance.

New Car Park
The Town Hall of Santa Eulalia is to build an underground car park in the area behind their offices. The project, which was included amongst their election promises, will be started next year once official approval has been granted. The area is currently used as a car park and bus station, however the plans are for the car park, big enough for four hundred spaces, to be built underground and to include gardens at ground level. It is all part of the mayors plans for a greener municipality, whilst realising the fact that more parking within the town is needed. The project is predicted to cost 6million.

IBI Increase
The Town Hall of Santa Eulalia agreed to increase council tax by 11 per cent from 2008, in addition to increasing the waste disposal tax by 25 per cent. This is similar to most of the other municipalities, which have all seen heavy increases in the price of waste disposal due to a rise in costs of disposing of the waste in the refuse tip. The mayor, Vicent Mari, claimed that although the rise may appear high, it would eventually work out as very little in real terms.

FORMENTERA

Centre Criticism
Hilari Ferrer, the man named as head of the Formentera Building Council in charge of all the major public projects on the island, has criticised the new plans for the sports centre. The original project was due to cost 2.3million, an amount which has increased to 4.5million, after a revamped version of the project was presented by the architect, Jose Maria Gonzalez Sevillano. Ferrer claimed they had to be more realistic and that a macro-sports centre of these dimensions would not get the adequate use on the island, and would be a waste of money.
The centre is expected to be completed by 2009, a time frame Gonzalez suggests is a little tight, especially considering the new changes which will now need to be made. However, he is optimistic the building work would soon be underway.

CRIME & INCIDENTS

Woman Critical
Luz Maria Unzain, a 29 year old Paraguayan woman, lay critically ill in hospital after being run over in Can Marca, Santa Eulalia. The accident occurred just after 8.30 p.m. on Wednesday. It seems the victim had been dropped off by another car outside the Jardi d´Or bar. As she tried to cross the road she was hit head on by another vehicle. The driver immediately stopped and an ambulance was called. Medical staff found her close to death but managed to recover her vital signs. However she had suffered massive cranial injuries, and as the paper goes to print, she had already undergone two operations. Although doctors said there was response from one of her eyes, she remained in a deep coma with medical staff fearing for her life.
Neighbours in Can Marca again insisted on traffic lights being installed in the area. They claimed cars passed at great speed and that this section of road was extremely dangerous. In May of this year, Jose Roig, a 77 year old man, was knocked down and killed in exactly the same area.
The mayor of Santa Eulalia, Vicent Mari, claimed he had been in contact with the Consell Insular, who were in charge of this type of installation, and that he had made his intentions clear as to the urgency of the traffic lights.

Trial Begins
The trial began on Monday of the men accused of drug smuggling back in April including the Ibicencan, Antonio T.R. He was amongst nine people arrested when the boat he was skippering was raided by police, and 3,780 kilos of hashish was found. All of the men refused to declare during the first day of the trial, apart from a Moroccan defendant, who claimed he knew nothing about the drugs and was merely catching a ride to the mainland in order to find work.
The boat left Morocco on 18th April 2007 with the huge haul destined for Minorca, and from there the mainland. The mastermind behind the deal was the Minorcan man, Alberto Barber Pons, a renowned drug smuggler who was being tracked by police at the time as they suspected he was hatching a plan to bring a large quantity of drugs into the country. In their initial investigation police were given permission to tap the phones of several of the key suspects. This meant police knew the exact plans for the trip, and intercepted the boat as it entered Spanish waters. Three men on the boat at the time, including Antonio T.R. were immediately arrested, with six more being detained in the following days. The public prosecution has asked for sentences of 61 years for each of the defendants. The trial continues..

Violent Robbery
A police investigation was underway after a violent assault on the owner of a luxury house in Jesus, last week. The two robbers scaled the outer fence of the house and broke in through a window. Police initially believe they expected to find the property empty, but when they were confronted by the owner, an 82 year old Frenchman, they hit him several times in the facial area with a blunt metal object as they attempted to locate a safe, which did not exist. They eventually made their getaway on foot with a total booty of just 400.
However before abandoning the property, they left the victim locked in a room. This could have proved fatal, but the man eventually managed to break out via the door after being inside a total of five hours. He immediately contacted the police before being taken to Can Misses where he spent the night.
Police have so far refrained from linking this attack to the half-dozen robberies which were carried out this summer by a gang of thieves entering luxury residencies. The attackers in all of these cases were armed with guns, which has led police to believe they are not connected.

Prison Sentence
The youth who was arrested last year after setting fire to the car of his mothers ex-boyfriend has been given a one-year suspended jail sentence. The 23 year old cook from Port des Torrent was angry after believing his mother had been mistreated by the man. He exacted his revenge by setting fire to the mans car whilst it was parked in a forested area in Cala Gracio. However, the flames soon spread out of control and the fire ended up burning four other vehicles, as well as two thousand square metres of forest.
After the incident, the man gave himself up after realising officers were on to him. He had in fact been seen that afternoon buying the petrol at a service station by police. They had enquired as to why he was buying it, and after the incident soon realised who the culprit was. The sentence was suspended due to the fact the man had no previous convictions. He was also ordered to pay for all of the damage to the other vehicles.

NEWS FROM THE MAINLAND

Medical History
Health Minister, Maria Jesus Montero, announced on Friday that a team of doctors at Virgen del Rocio University Hospital in Seville had successfully removed, for the first time in Spain, and only the third time in the world, a rare brain tumour from a baby as it was born. In a press conference doctors explained how they had detected the brain tumour when the foetus was 22 weeks old. They decided to operate after inducing the foetus at the 33 week stage. The operation was carried out while the baby was still attached to the umbilical cord, to take advantage of the circulation of the placenta. It took just four minutes and thirty seconds and a tumour of just less than 500 grams was removed, which would have proved fatal to the child almost immediately.
The baby underwent a further operation 15 hours later, but was making a good recovery and had started to breathe on her own. Doctors said her prognosis was very favourable, and that she would now be able to lead a completely normal life.
What made this operation even more unique was the fact that the girl had a twin sister who had to be removed before the operation was undertaken. A total of 20 medical staff took part in the ground breaking procedure.
It was hoped both babies, each weighing in at just 11 kilo, would be able to be taken home this week.

FINANCIAL NEWS

Tourist Spend
Supporters of a new golf course on the island were given a boost last week after results from the Economic and Social Consell (CES) showed that the average spend of a golfing tourist was over double that of a regular tourist. The results of the study showed that, in 2006, those who came to the Balearics on golfing holidays spent, on average, a total of 201 per day, including the cost of their holiday. This compares to a regular tourist who spent just 95 per day. The golfer spent by far the most on his holiday, with his closest rival the nautical tourist who spent 140.30 per day.
In total 11,183million was spent by tourists within the Balearics, with Ibiza receiving 1,716million. On the island 80.3 percent of this total was spent by foreign tourists with the three principal markets of the British, German and Italian making up the majority.
Despite the complaints from shop-owners, the report showed an increase in turnover of 17.3 per cent by the retail sector. However the results have again given more ammunition for those looking to construct a new golf course on the island, an idea which was backed a few weeks ago by the new director of the school of Tourism in Ibiza.

LEISURE & SPORT

Winning Start
Ibiza Rugby Club got off to a winning start on Saturday with a comfortable 26-19 win against el Toro in Majorca. Mike Blackburns´ men raced out of the blocks and two tries in the first ten minutes, the first by Jorge Roves, the second by Sebas Santamaria, gave them a deserved 14-0 lead. However an injury to full-back Santamaria on the twenty-minute mark disrupted Ibiza and the home side came back into the game, camping on the opponents´ line for long periods of the first half. However Ibiza´s defence remained firm, with captain Sebas Brito putting in some bone-crunching tackles.
Ibiza capitalised upon their brave defence by scoring a break-away try in the thirty-third minute, Iker Monge rounding off a brilliant team move. However just as it seemed Ibiza would break clear, el Toro came back with a try of their own just before the half-time whistle and the away side went in 19-7 up.
A long injury and unavailability list meant Ibiza had travelled with just sixteen players, which became noticeable during the second half as desperate defence caused the away side to tire quickly. However a well-worked individual try from the enduring Nacho Spitero meant the points were safe for Ibiza as they secured a victory on their first outing of the season. Two late tries by the home team gave the score an unfair look of respectability, but the win was never in doubt as the club now prepares for the visit of Bahia rugby club this Saturday, in what will undoubtably prove a key fixture if Ibiza are to fulfill their undoubted potential and win the league, after two years in the runners-up spot.

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