Mayor to Testify
Same bus, different driver, came to mind after the decision on Thursday by the judge in court number 2, Jose Espinosa, to summon Jose Mari Ribas to testify later this month. The mayor of San Jose, Mari Ribas, will be called before the judge to answer questions relating to the alleged payment of commissions by the company in charge of the Eivissa Centre project.
The project, which was the brainchild of the previous mayor of Ibiza Town and now president of the Consell Insular, Xico Tarres, involved the modernisation of several key buildings within the capital. A company was set up by the Town Hall in Ibiza to overview the entire plan. Mari Ribas was put in charge of this company, Itusa, which was also made up of directors from the company which eventually won the right to carry out the project, Brues S.A. He eventually resigned his position when he unexpectedly won the May elections, and became mayor of San Jose.
The scandal erupted in the weeks leading up to the elections, when the El Mundo newspaper reported that they had received tape recordings of conversations between leading political figures talking about commissions being given by Brues S.A. for being awarded the contract. These recordings were made by the ex-Socialist leader, Roque Lopez, although he has always denied leaking the tapes to the newspaper. Mari Ribas appeared in several of the recordings, in one instance, stating that the sale of apartments from one of the blocks being built would have to be used to generate B, in order to pay the political parties involved. The B he referred to was non-registered cash, which was allegedly paid to the PSOE party.
The scandal was originally seen as a diversion ploy in the run-up to the elections by the PP-run El Mundo newspaper, to take the pressure off several of their key candidates who were facing similar accusations - including the former mayor of San Jose, Jose Serra Escandell. However, the public prosecutor decided there was a case to answer and started to call various witnesses, including Roque Lopez. However, the trial was interrupted after accusations were made claiming the tapes had been tampered with. The judge therefore sent the tapes off to specialist criminal investigators, and received the results back on Wednesday. They informed the judge the tapes had not been interfered with, and that the recordings were genuine. The judge acted immediately, and called Mari Ribas, and the president of Brues S.A., - the company in charge of the building work - Antonio Pinal, to give testimony.
The judge in the case said there were now questions which needed to be answered, and the confirmation the tapes had not been manipulated had led him to believe that the possibility of the accusations being true were now a possibility. The mayor has been summoned to appear before the judge on 22nd October. Pinal will appear several days later.
For his part, Mari Ribas said he had a clean conscious, claiming he had done nothing wrong. He said he would put his faith in the judicial system and remained confident of clearing his name. He admitted it was not an ideal situation and that voters could lose faith in him, but said he would fight to make sure the truth was eventually known.
The lawyer for Roque Lopez claimed that once again the judge had backed the claims made by his client.

AROUND THE ISLAND

Presidents Meet
Thursday saw the first meeting of presidents as the heads of the Consells of Majorca, Ibiza, Minorca and Formentera met with the new president of the Govern Balear, Francesc Antich. In this first get together, Antich agreed that the Consells needed to be given more control over certain matters concerning their islands, and it was agreed that a further meeting would be called very soon in order to discuss what departments the different Consells would take over, and to arrange the finance for these to be transferred. The president of the Consell Insular in Ibiza, Xico Tarres, expressed his desire to take over the promotion of the island, claiming the islands all had their different attractions and should therefore be marketed separately. It appears the marketing of the Balearic Islands as a whole will continue, but that more finance will be given to the individual Consells in order for them to properly promote their unique products.
For the first time a committee will be set up including four representatives from Majorca, two each from Ibiza and Minorca, and one from Formentera. This will crucially give the smallest of the islands, Formentera, the deciding vote. The committee will determine where the finances are to go, and will give each individual Consell more capacity to argue their case.
The president of the Consell Insular of Formentera, Jaume Ferrer, said he was delighted at the new moves and claimed it would be the first time the island would have such a say in the running of its affairs.
Antich finished off the meeting claiming the coffers had been left slightly bare by the previous administration, and he pleaded with all of the different administrations to make as much effort as possible to cut down on unnecessary expenses.

Bed Decrease
With the end of the season looming large, the Hotel Federation announced last week that the occupancy for October would be around 48 per cent, a similar figure to 2006. The prediction came on the back of news that there would only be a very small number of hotels staying open during the first half of winter. The president of the association, Roberto Hortensius, revealed that of the 150 establishments offering accommodation on the website at the beginning of October, only 17 would remain open after the first week in November. He continued that while not all hotels were published on the site, it gave a fair representation of what would be on offer this winter. The hotels which are to stay open include the five-star hotel Fenicia, in Santa Eulalia and the new Mirador hotel in Dalt Vila.

Trouble Spots
According to traffic statistics from 2006, there are a total of 17 black spots on the islands roads, two less than in the previous year. Roads were classified as black spots, if they had been the scene of more than three accidents. However, the figures were slightly distorted due to the fact that the majority of the Ibiza-San Antonio road was under construction for most of the year, heavily reducing the number of incidents on a road that for the previous five years had recorded the most number of incidents. However, the road did not completely escape and the beginning of the highway, which avoided construction for most of the year, recorded three different trouble spots, one of which was the scene of an accident in which three youths lost their lives.
The San Jose road recorded the most number of trouble spots with six, the most dangerous area being the Ibiza exit road towards the airport turn-off.

Tourist Site
The minister for tourism at the Consell Insular, Pepa Mari, announced on Monday the creation of a web-page she hoped could be used to try and increase numbers during the winter months. The exact details were sketchy, as nothing has yet been approved, but she revealed that, in principal, the site would be used to support cultural winter events and sporting activities, in the hope of bringing more tourists to the island out of season. It was anticipated that the site could be launched towards the end of this month.

Retail Figures
The traditional tourist strong-holds of San Antonio, Playa den Bossa and es Cana have suffered the most during 2007, as retail sales figures dropped by up to 30 per cent. Although this year has seen more tourists than ever arrive on the island, their spending power has been greatly reduced from previous years, and retail shops have been among the first to feel the pinch. The president of the Retail Shops Association, Encarna Planells, which represents over 400 establishments, revealed that most of her members were reporting a decrease in sales compared to 2006, some by up to 30 per cent. She said that the shortened season, coupled with the reduced stays of tourists, had affected sales figures in the normally strong tourist centres, and only Ibiza Town and Santa Eulalia have recorded higher sales figures than last year.

Govern Crackdown
The minister for tourism at the Govern Balear, Francesc Buils, revealed, on a visit to Ibiza last week, that his administration was going to target the illegal accommodation available within the Balearics in an attempt to wipe it out once and for all. It has been estimated that over half of visitors now coming to the island are staying at non-registered accommodation. Insufficient controls, coupled with the increase in foreign property owners, has swelled the offer of unofficial accommodation to such an extent that hotels are starting to be affected by the increase. Every year the numbers of visitors coming to the island has been steadily increasing, whilst hotel occupancy has maintained its level.
Buils said that next year there would be a crackdown across the four islands which he hoped would have a positive affect. He claimed that it was unfair on those who went through the proper channels, and were properly registered, to have to compete with an illegal sector which was not offering the same type of quality and assurances. He claimed that these checks would be carried out by the Consell Insular with additional assistance from the Govern.

Route Change
The managing director of Gesa Gas in the Balearics, Javier Nausia, confirmed on Monday that they would change the route of the gas duct from Cala Gracio to their power station in Ibiza Town, to ensure the pipe does not pass through so much private property. The original plan which was being displayed in the three municipals affected, San Antonio, Santa Eulalia and Ibiza Town, would originally have crossed over 100 sections of privately owned land. However, Gesa has now agreed to change the route, saying that as long as security is guaranteed, they would be happy for the pipe to pass adjacent to the Ibiza-San Antonio road.
The Industry and Energies minister, Marilena Tugores, claimed the most important aspect was the safety of the pipe, and that although she expected the work to be finished within the six months originally stipulated, she would prefer the installation to be slightly delayed whilst a safer route is found.

New Subsidies
The Balearic Islands are to receive 2,800million over the next seven years, after a deal was signed on Tuesday with the central Government of Spain. The new president of the Govern Balear, Francesc Antich, announced the news after a meeting with representatives on Monday. For the moment only the agreement for 2008 has been signed. However, this payment of just under 300million was described by the president as substantial, and important in relieving the pressure on the Govern. This is an increase of 38.7 per cent on that received this year, a rise described as a significant step in the right direction. The subsidies are fixed, and if not used during the year can be passed to the next one.
Ibiza will benefit greatly from the increased subsidy, receiving a total of 31 million euros, 20million more than in 2007. The majority will be spent on the airport and the ports of Vila and La Savina (Formentera). A total of 21million is to be spent on the airport, 12million being used to improve the airport terminal and a further 2million on building an emergency runway. The work will be part of a 120million plan to completely remodel the airport, which will take place over the next eight years.
Just under 7million is also to be spent in the marina at Botafoch, making the quay even bigger.
Later in the week the Govern announced they had been awarded 20.7million from the European Union. The money is to be used over the next six years to help finance the treatment of water, and the disposal of household waste. However the difference this year is that Ibiza and Formentera are set to receive some of the money (4million in total). Previously the grant had only been available to cities and towns with more than 200,000 inhabitants.

Excellent Grape
The various winegrowers in Ibiza claimed on Tuesday that although the grape crop this year will be ten per cent less than last year, the quality of the grape will be superior to previous years. As collection of the crop draws to a close, the owner of the Sa Cova vineyard, Joan Bonet, revealed the climate enjoyed in Ibiza over the last few years has been ideal for the growth of grapes, and the rains during August did not affect crop as the grape had already matured. So far the grapes used to make syrah, merlot, malvasia and moscatel have all been collected, and it only remains to harvest the grape used for monastrell.
Production of wine was up 54 per cent last year, 2,106 hecto-litres (one hundred litres) being produced in total, 1,330 in Ibiza and 776 in Formentera.

Floris Dies
One of the islands most famed artists sadly passed away on Monday. The French sculptor, Marcel Floris, died at the age of 93 of natural causes. Born in Ieras, France, he first came to the island in 1971 with his wife Mary, having abandoned his adoptive home in Venezuela. He was immediately seduced by the islands beautiful landscape and the simplicity of everyday life, and set up his studio here. However, he continued to travel extensively and spent long periods in Venezuela. Also a famous artist and poet (he was awarded the National Artist Award of Venezuela in 1986), it was sculpturing that made Floris famous the world over. His work was very much influenced by his birth-place and he developed his sensibility in an ambiance of sea and wind, whose sounds and movements were later to come across in his art. He used simple forms and lines, making his art play with the light to ensure that the static figure would fascinate the observer. His works are displayed around the world in such places as Montreal, Bogotá, New York, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Miami, and of course Caracas.

Vice-Consulates Closed
Italian and French residents on the island have been left without a vice-consulate after the representatives of both countries quit last week having failed to secure more financing from their respective Governments. There are around 6,000 residents of the two countries on the island, who will now be forced to carry out all their consulate needs via the office in Barcelona. The problem for both countries has been that whilst residents have been steadily increasing, the financing received has remained stagnant, reaching such a stage that the subsidies barely cover the rent of the office building. The French consulate, Sandra Beauvais, revealed that the situation had become unsustainable and she was not willing to help out with the administration costs anymore. She said that although there were 1,800 registered French residents on the island, in reality there were around 3,000 residing on the island.
The numbers of Italian residents is similar, with the recent influx of Argentine and Uruguayan citizens with Italian backgrounds having increased the number to just over 4,000.

Numbers Rise
Ibiza registered an increase in tourist numbers of 12.6 per cent so far this year, the highest within the Balearics. A total of 1,445,094 passengers arrived on the island up until 31st August (the movements of residents are not counted). The highest increase was in the month of August, which saw 16 per cent more tourists arrive than the previous year. The British market cemented its place as number one within the sector, with growth of 10 per cent on the figures of last year (484,581 arrivals). The Brits are followed by Spanish tourists who increased their numbers by 39 per cent (420,346). The Italian market is now the third strongest with 206,528 arrivals, a fall of 0.9 per cent from last year.
The numbers, although encouraging, highlighted the problem of the high amount of illegal accommodation now available on the island. While the number of tourists arriving in Ibiza increased by 12.6 per cent, hotel occupancy only increased by around 3 per cent.

Local Hero
The digital newspaper, Wigan Today, heralded nine year old Jayden Kamber from Kent a hero, after he saved the life of a drowning man in a swimming pool in a hotel in San Miguel. The paper claimed the 42 year old British tourist got into trouble whilst swimming in the hotel pool, and after shouting for help, started to sink. Suddenly he felt an arm around his neck and he was being dragged to safety by the boy. Jayden, from Kent, revealed that he had learnt the life-saving skills used at his local swimming pool.

A&E Increase
The accident and emergency department at Can Misses again recorded an increase in activity during the months of July and August. According to details just released, the department attended an average of 150.62 cases per day in July and 157.67 in August, an increase over the two months of 3.45 per cent. The vast majority of the cases concerned orthopaedic problems, including sprained ankles, knees and hands, as well as viral infections and gastroenteritis.
However the most glaring change was the increase in after dark activity with the night time shift now just as busy as the daytime stints. This was blamed on the heavy nightclub/drug culture the island tolerates during the peak season.

Text Arrest
A man was given a six-month suspended prison sentence by judges in Ibiza on Wednesday for ignoring a previous restraining order instructing him not to make contact with his ex-partner for six months. He broke the order in spectacular fashion, sending her 45 text messages over the course of a weekend. The victim contacted police and the man was arrested and ordered to stand trial. The judge, in her summing up, said that the man would be able to avoid the prison sentence if he stayed 500 metres away from the victim, and did not try and contact her in anyway for the next four years.

Mix-Tape Appeal
Various musical groups have given permission for their songs to be used in a compilation CD which is being put together to help the family of Mellisa Sanders, the girl run over outside Amnesia. The accident occurred on 7th September as the 18 year old stepped out of a car. She was hit by another vehicle passing by in the same direction. Both cars drove away from the scene of the accident, leading police to suspect they were both unlicensed taxis. The compilation is being put together by friends of Mellisa, in order that her family can spend more time at her bedside. Her mother has given up work temporarily, in order to be closer to Mellisa, who was transported back to a hospital close to her Tyneside home last week, still in a coma. The compilation will include songs from well known artists such as Kill The Arcade, Tonight Is Goodbye, Jaimison, Kaikoura, Paige, The Wooden Spoons, Castro, Pray For Hayden and Tripdash. Those wishing to help please contact mixtape-for-mellisa@hotmail.co.uk.

Transport Agreement
A meeting between the president of the Consell, Xico Tarres, and the mayors of the five municipalities ended with all six agreeing it was necessary to create a consortium to try and unify public transport on the island. Until this point all five municipalities have run their own transport systems, and so anyone travelling from the airport to Cala Pada, for instance, would have had to change three times and buy three separate tickets. The new consortium will be in charge of ensuring a variety in the routes on offer, frequency of service and a unified cost. Tarres revealed they wanted to put the consortium together quickly, in order to solve this problem as soon as possible.
The six men also agreed the battle against after hours clubs and bars needed to begin in earnest, following the example of San Antonio. Tarres admitted the problem now was that there were no guidelines for people to adhere to. He said his administration would continue to follow the lead set by Jose Sala, the mayor of San Antonio, in cracking down on the open all hours bars and clubs.

Road Improvements
The Town Hall of Santa Eulalia has officially asked the Consell Insular to begin drawing up plans for an improvement in the road between Jesus and Can Clavos, as well as a new link between Cala Llonga and Cana Negreta. The aim of both projects is to avoid the heavy queues seen this summer, as well as veering traffic away from the centre of Jesus. The Transport Minister at the Consell, Albert Prats, said he would look at both proposals to see if they were viable.

Cold Spell
Thursday night/Friday morning saw temperatures drop to their lowest level in 28 years, in Ibiza. The minimum temperature recorded at the airport was 12.1o C, the lowest temperature recorded since September 1979. The decrease was due to a cold front which came in from the Mediterranean, coupled with a drop in wind levels which caused the front to stay longer than is normal.

Airport Simulation
Ibiza airport is preparing itself for the first full accident simulation in its history. The accident will take place on 16th October and will involve all of the emergency services on the island, with over 120 people taking part. The simulation will be the result of a passenger plane skidding off the runway. It will then burst into flames and cause a number of deaths and injuries. It will then be up to, first, the emergency staff at the airport and those outside to react accordingly. The simulation will involve airport staff, local police, 062 emergency services, and fire crews from the airport and the Consell, as well as the Guardia Civil.

IBIZA TOWN

Future Undecided
The future of the sunken ship, Don Pedro, remains unclear for at least the next few weeks after it was decided by the minister for the environment, Cristina Narbonna, not to make a decision until the de-contamination of the vessel has been completed. She suggested that it would be finalised by the end of this month. However, she did reveal that in the meantime a committee would be set up to decide the future of the vessel, including members of her ministry, the Govern Balear, the Consell Insular, the Town Halls affected, the proprietor of the boat Iscomar -, environmental groups and the Coastal Authorities. The decision has been met with approval from all sides and will ensure that all versions of the argument are heard. The leader of the socialist party, Jose Ramon Mateos, applauded the decision by Narbona, and said it would be the fairest, because as he saw it there were both positive and negative sides to both arguments, and neither option could be considered as unreasonable.
Narbona went on to claim that the environmental damage had been kept to a very minimum, and the Salinas natural park had not, in the end, been affected. She adding that the knock-on tourist affect predicted in the papers had not materialised, and the hotel association had confirmed a rise in occupancy during July of this year of four per cent.
The minister for transport, on the other hand, Albert Prats, confirmed on Friday that he had written a letter to the Central Government, insisting the vessel needed to be refloated. Prats claimed this to be the only safe course of action in order to avoid future contamination.

Failed Escape
Police eventually arrested a man, after he had run over an officer in his attempts to escape capture. The incident began in Ibiza Town when a police patrol noticed a car driving erratically in the area. They attempted to stop the man, who, on noticing them, decided to try and make his escape, knocking down an officer in the process. He was followed by a police car and after crashing his vehicle, decided to continue his escape on foot. However, he was soon overhauled by officers and detained. On checking the vehicle, police discovered it had been reported stolen from outside the club Bora-Bora the previous week.

SAN ANTONIO

Cars Damaged
Six Scottish youths were arrested in the early hours of Friday morning in San Antonio, after they climbed on to the bonnets and roofs of several cars in Avenida Doctor Fleming. A neighbour reported the loutish behaviour, and police were soon on the scene to make the arrests. The six, who were detained overnight, were released the following day pending a hearing. The damage to the vehicles was said to be in the region of 3,000.

SAN JOSE

Greener Mayor
The Town Hall of San Jose has signed up to the Aalborg Treaty, two months after a similar move by the town hall of Santa Eulalia. The Aalborg Treaty, which was signed back in 1994, is named after a Danish town and is based on the introduction of environmentally friendly policies which guarantee the sustainability of the municipality. The mayor, Josep Mari Ribas, claimed that the signing was a symbolic move by his administration to introduce a new kind of environmental management into the area which has been sadly lacking during the previous 20 years.

Plan of Excellence
The Plan of Excellence which caused so much controversy in Cala de Bou during the last two years is to be completed this winter, as work starts on the other side of the road. The work undertaken this winter will include the burying underground of all telephone and electrical cables, as well as the renovation of the pavement. It was unanimously agreed to contract all the work to the same company that undertook the Plan of Excellence renovations, Ferrovial, although the new administration have made it clear to the constructors that the work needs to be finished within five months. The total cost of the renovation will be 2,250,000.

SANTA EULALIA

Cultural Extravaganza
In the run up to the Beijing Olympics next year, Santa Eulalia played host last weekend to an exhibition of Chinese art and crafts. The display included photos of the city, as well as prominent works of art, and displays of typical Chinese crafts including the famous kites. However, the main attraction took place inside the Cas Capita auditorium where it was standing room only as the crowd was treated to a display of ancient Chinese dancing, as well as some traditional Chinese music, including opera. Moments before the performance, the vice-president of the Federation for Art and Literature of Beijing commented on how happy they were to be in Ibiza. He explained that they came in representation of the thirteen million inhabitants of Beijing, to give people around the world the chance to better know Chinese culture. He claimed they would be ready for the Games which kick off next summer, and said that Beijing was being prepared to ensure it offered the right blend of both the cultural and the modern.
The mayor of Santa Eulalia, Vicent Mari, said that the exhibition had been a wonderful opportunity to get to know one of the most ancient cultures in the world.

More Controls
The new legislation introduced several weeks ago within the municipal of Santa Eulalia concerning the disposal of dog excrement seems to be having some success, although the councillor in charge of the project, Maria Ferrer, claimed the new law was still being ignored by some. After an initial amnesty period, people breaking the law started to be fined, with as of today, 30 people having fallen foul of the legislation. Ferrer revealed her administration had not ruled out imposing heftier fines if some continued to ignore the new law.

FORMENTERA

Car Crash
A youngster was arrested in Formentera on Tuesday after crashing his vehicle into five parked cars and two mopeds. The man lost control of his vehicle, a Toyota Yadis, in San Ferran in front of the bakery because he had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana, something he was not used to, as he later confessed to the judge. He crashed into the parked cars causing considerable damage to all of the vehicles. Police who arrived on the scene were unable to take a breath-test at the time, as the man had become violent, kicking out at one officer and had to be physically detained before being transferred to the local hospital. Once there, he received treatment for minor injuries and was arrested on his release.

CRIME & INCIDENTS

Baby Abandoned
Investigations continued during the week after a two year old child was found by security staff at Amnesia nightclub sitting on the pavement between two cars. Staff immediately alerted the Guardia Civil, who first took the child for a check up in Can Misses, before taking him on to a child care centre in Santa Eulalia. Staff at the hospital reported that although the child was dirty and very scared, he was in perfect health and a search was launched for his parents. His father, a Colombian man, was quickly found and arrested in the car park of the club. Police suspect that he had gone into the club to party with friends, abandoning the sleeping child in his car. However the child had woken up and managed to get out of the vehicle. It is not known how he managed this.
The father, on the other hand, pleaded his innocence and claimed he had only left the child alone for a brief instance, while he went inside to find friends. He said the only other alternative was to leave the child alone at home, which he had not wanted to do.
For the moment the child remained in the care of the Consell, whilst the mother is contacted. She is currently in the United States and will not be back until next week. The Consell said they would be looking into the family environment of both parents to ensure the child is in no danger.

Plane Crash
Four people had a lucky escape after the light aircraft in which they were flying crashed. The French registered plane took off from Ibiza airport destination Malaga at 2.38p.m. on Monday. The pilot sent out an SOS message at 5p.m. which was received by the flight controllers in Seville. After the crash, close to Los Llanos de Barjali, in Almeria, the pilot again sent an urgent message to the flight control in Seville saying that two of the passengers were seriously injured. A full scale search was immediately launched by the Andalusian rescue service and the four occupants, one man and three women, were soon found and evacuated to a nearby hospital. However, their injuries did not turn out to be too serious and they were released from hospital the following day. It is still unclear the exact cause of the crash.

Heart Attack
The autopsy on the British tourist who collapsed and died in a popular bar in Playa den Bossa has revealed that he died of natural causes. Although it was at first reported by police that the man had taken liquid ecstasy, an autopsy has put into question this theory, and has indicated that the man died of a cardiac arrest brought on by natural causes.

By modern day standards Ibiza is an extremely safe place to holiday. This is a weeks worth of news and so its effect is magnified. Please do not fret while you are here you are quite safe!!

NEWS FROM THE MAINLAND

Afghan Tragedy
Two Spanish soldiers were killed after their armoured vehicle drove over a landmine in Afghanistan on Monday. The soldiers were part of the First Parachute regiment which is based in Paracuellos de Jarama (Madrid). The soldiers were part of an international force that is in Afghanistan to control the recent Taliban uprising over the last few months. At the time of the explosion, the soldiers were making a routine patrol of the 517 road, a major communication link within the country. The Spanish Defence minister, Jose Antonio Alonso, made it clear that the men were simply on patrol at the time of the explosion, and that there had been no other attack made on the vehicle. He said that the Government deeply regretted the death of the soldiers, who were buried after a state funeral in the presence of his majesty the King of Spain. An Afghani interpreter was also killed in the attack, which wounded two Colombian soldiers.

HEADLINE UK

Cops In Court Over Menezes Killing
A jury last week began hearing the horrific details of the final moments of Charles De Menezes an innocent man killed by police gunmen who thought he was a terrorist. He was killed at Stockwell Tube station in south London because the police wrongly thought he was about to launch a suicide attack. The incident, the day after the failed transport bombings in London on July 21, 2005, has landed the Metropolitan Police in court on health and safety charges. Members of Mr de Menezes' family were in the Old Bailey to hear Clare Montgomery QC, prosecuting, say the "disaster" was "not the result of a fast-moving operation going suddenly and unpredictably awry". CCTV pictures played to the jury showed armed officers, who did not know whether Mr de Menezes was the suspect, brandishing their weapons as they made their way down to the platform. As they boarded the Tube carriage, they were recognised by surveillance officers as armed colleagues. One of them pointed out Mr de Menezes by saying: "Here he is." "As the armed police entered the carriage, Jean Charles stood up," said Miss Montgomery. "He was grabbed by a surveillance officer and pushed back into his seat. Two firearms officers leant over him and placed their Glock 9mm pistols against Jean Charles' head and fired. He was shot seven times in the head and died immediately." Miss Montgomery told the jurors that the two who actually killed him would not give evidence. Only those who it was felt would give a "real insight" into the police operation that day would be called, she said. She added that some witnesses, because of the "sensitive nature" of the work they do, are being allowed to give evidence under an assumed name and screened from view. The Met denies the charges and the case is expected to last six weeks.

Body Of 3 Year Old Found In Pub
Detectives are continuing to question two people after the body of a three-year-old girl was discovered in a pub. Police said the body was found in the early hours of Sunday morning 30th Septenber. The death is being treated as suspicious but detectives are also keeping an "open mind" while inquiries are carried out. South Yorkshire Police said the youngster's body was discovered in the Scarborough Arms pub in Addey Street. Two people were arrested and questioned about the girl's death.

Gambaris Burmese Mission
The United Nations special envoy to Burma, Dr Gambari, managed to hold talks with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi last weekend, in the hope of gaining some understanding of action need to stop the increasing unrest and violence on the streets of Rangoon. Aung San Suu Kyi is being detained under house arrest, but is believed to have been temporarily moved to a government-run guesthouse so she could meet the UN official. News of the meeting came as a dissident group released a video showing a monk covered in bruises floating face down in a river. Buddhist monks have been the driving force in the recent anti-government protests, in which at least 10, and possibly up to 200 people have been killed. On the streets of Burma's main cities, thousands of soldiers have been on patrol to prevent any repeat of the recent demonstrations. The security forces are believed to have raided a monastery just outside Rangoon. According to pro-democracy group the Democratic Voice Of Burma, which is based in Norway, the army surrounded the Mayagone monastery and blocked off all access roads.

Misery At The Pumps As Pockets Are Hit
Petrol prices have risen by another two pence in the UK, taking them to the brink of the L1 a litre mark. The AA says the average motorist will be paying L4.84 more to fill their tank than a year ago. The rise follows a fuel duty increase first announced in the last Budget. Motorists hunting the best prices will find the average price of a litre of unleaded petrol around 97.8p, with diesel averaging about 99.77p. Road users face another rise of 2p a litre next April and a further increase of 1.84p in April 2009 under the Budget announcement. The AA has been one of a number of organisations which have attacked the move, pointing out that prices at the pumps have increased a lot since September 2006. The Petrol Retailers Association, which has asked for the increase to be delayed, said Monday's rise would put "undue financial strain on motorists and petrol retailers alike". Association director Ray Holloway said the number of filling stations was falling and it would "not take much to push more stations out of business". The Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association had also called on the Treasury to defer the increase. However a Treasury spokesman claimed that the 2p increase "sent the right environmental signals in our fight against climate change, while continuing to fund vital public services".

Tories Fight Back With Tax Pledges
Shadow Chancellor George Osborne has said a Conservative government would raise the threshold of inheritance tax to L1m. He told the Conservative Party conference last Monday that a new tax on people with non-domicile status offshore would pay for it: "You will not be punished for working hard and saving hard," he said, "For millions of people, today sounds the death knell for death taxes." The Shadow Chancellor also confirmed that a Tory Government would abolish stamp duty for first time buyers on properties worth up to L250,000. "We will get you out of tax and into your home," he said. In his speech, Mr Osborne countered Gordon Brown's attack on Tory tax policy saying that the Conservative Party will: "Always put stability first." He blamed the Prime Minister for last month's Northern Rock crisis saying "He encouraged the private debt, and built up the public debt that left us exposed." He accused Mr Brown of lacking courage during the crisis: "As usual when things go wrong, the Prime Minister disappears and pushes someone else to make the excuses. Gordon Brown, on the other hand has said: "We will take no risks with the economy, no unfunded spending commitments, no unaffordable promises and no short-term giveaways." Speaking to business leaders, the Prime Minister said Britain's commitment to stability had been tested many times in the last ten years, but for the Government it was: "Stability first and foremost. Yesterday, today and tomorrow."

Flying Toddler Escapes Death
A two-year-old girl who fell from the seventh floor of a block of flats on to scaffolding below has survived the plunge. The toddler was taken to hospital, where her condition was described as stable. She fell 70ft from a window on to a scaffolding platform on the second floor, police said. The incident took place at Arthur Court in Charlotte Despard Avenue, Battersea, south west London last Saturday. The child, Alisha Mbala, is thought to have only suffered a broken leg in the fall. She was saved from death by landing on the wire mesh floor of a temporary builders' hoist, just 30ft from the ground. A woman told the newspapers: "She was so lucky. She would have been killed if she had fallen just a few centimetres away on to the scaffolding poles or the pavement."

FINANCIAL NEWS

Payment Increase
The Euribor, the financial indicator used by most Spanish banks to calculate mortgage repayments, rose for the 24th month in a row in September. The rate closed the month at 4.72 per cent, an increase of one per cent from this time last year. The rise will mean increased mortgage payments for those being re-calculated in October. Monthly payments on a 150,000 mortgage taken over 25 years are set to rise by around 85 per month.
The Euribor is currently at its highest level since December 2000, and is expected to continue to rise over the next few months, although the vice-president of the ministry of Economy, Pedro Solbes, said the rate was close to reaching its maximum and over the next six months would start to slowly fall again.

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