Ryanair Touches Down
The long wait for winter flights to the UK is over as Ryanair, the low-cost Irish airline, announced it would be starting thrice weekly flights from Ibiza to London Stansted from 28th October. This will continue throughout the winter with the company believing it is filling an obvious gap in the market.
The company also announced a weekly flight to Girona, close to Barcelona, both of which will be added to the Ibiza-Milan (Bergamo) flight which was unveiled last month. It is hoped these flights will transport around 120,000 passengers to and from the island during the six-month winter period.
The flights to London Stansted will run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with the Stansted -Ibiza flight departing at 5.10p.m. and returning at 9.15p.m. Flights are currently available to book online and start at just 17.80 including taxes. However, this is the price without luggage, insurance and all the other added extras which help bump up the price.
The flights to Milan will begin on 2nd October, with those to Barcelona beginning on 4th November.
All of these flights were described as a foot in the door for the company in Ibiza, as it begins to exploit what they believe could be a very successful route for the low-cost airline, especially in summer when it will again be increasing flights in 2009.
The news comes as a huge boost for the councillor for tourism, Pepa Mari, who has spent months in talks with the company to try and convince them to fly to the island in winter. It is unsure whether they will receive any incentive from the Island Council, but the moves are a huge bonus for winter tourism in Ibiza, which has suffered over the years from a lack of direct flights.

AROUND THE ISLAND

Pregnancy Shock
The Health Centre in Ibiza revealed it was currently distributing the morning-after pill to around 20-25 women every week. The doctor in charge of the centre, Cristina Molina, revealed that the situation had changed drastically over the last ten years. Whilst in 1998, the average age of women having their first sexual experience was around 16, this had now been reduced to just 14 years old. She said that although these teenagers were physically ready to have sex, the majority were not psychologically prepared, and a vast number did not use contraception, as they thought the chances of them getting pregnant after just one encounter were slim.
She added that there were still obstacles in place which prevented young women from seeking information about safe sex. In Ibiza the barrier remains the insular-nature of the island, and the fear of meeting a familiar face in the waiting room of the consultancy.
She continued that she rarely saw the same face twice, and the fright of having unprotected sex was usually enough to educate the teenagers into taking the appropriate measures in the future.
The number of unwanted pregnancies within the Balearics is the highest of all the autonomous regions, with Ibiza well above the national average.

Road Finally Complete
The highways minister at the Balearic Government, Jaume Carbonero, left the island in far better fettle on Tuesday, after confirming the work on all of the major roads on the island had almost come to an end. The minister visited the island three weeks ago and was said to be shocked by the delay to the construction. Before leaving he issued a warning to the constructers that they could face fines if things did not progress rapidly.
However, he was in a far better mood on Monday as he walked the roads with his counterpart at the Island Council, Albert Prats, and fines now seem unlikely. He confirmed the airport road was now fully operational, and only the garden separations in the centre were missing, which would be added in October once the tourist season had been completed.
He continued that the decision to keep the road down to one lane for the final part was the correct one, and would ensure traffic would drive more slowly and safer. The original project of the previous Island Council had planned a dual-carriageway up to the entrance to the airport.
He also said that the Ibiza-San Antonio road was also close to completion, and only the slip road from the second roundabout was missing, work which again would begin in October.

Promoter on the Brink
The magnitude of the construction crisis which has hit Spain during the last twelve months finally started to produce its first major casualties as the countries biggest property developer, Martinsa-Fadesa, declared itself insolvent.
The company had racked up a total of 5.4 billion worth of debt, supported by equity to the tune of just 1.7 bn. Bosses had earlier staved off bankruptcy by arranging a finance package with 45 banks. However, the institutions lent the money on the condition the company could find a further 150 million, which on Monday, it confirmed it had failed to do. Its last hope rested with Spains official credit institute, an arm of the Finance Ministry. However, when they failed to strike a deal, the company was forced to declare insolvency.
A spokesman said the move would prevent its financial crisis from becoming irreversible and from having grave repercussions on creditors and the interests of all shareholders".
Martinsa-Fadesa has now become the nations first major casualty, with experts promising more are sure to follow.
The low interest rates during the late 90s, added to Spains entry into the eurozone, caused a property boom between 1998-2005, which saw many investors buying second homes and families trading up in the property market. However, two years ago the first cracks began to appear and a worldwide credit crunch has caused a nationwide collapse of the property market.
The company currently has assets estimated to be worth 10.8 billion, and it employs 880 staff.
In Ibiza, Martinsa-Fadesa is currently promoting just one building Bossa del Mar Residencial, in Playa den Bossa. The 129-apartment complex was due to be completed in 2009. Sources close to the project, which is being built by Ferrovial-Agroman, remained tight lipped about what would happen next, although people who had already bought an apartment were being advised to seek legal advice.
In other news the Spanish bank, Santander, yesterday launched a 1.7 billion takeover bid for Alliance & Leicester, which will make it the UK's biggest mortgage lender when A&L is combined with Abbey, already owned by the company.

Waiting Time Shortened
Can Misses has the lowest waiting list times of any hospital in the Balearics, according to new information released last week. On 30th June there were a total of 945 people waiting for an operation at the centre, of which 719 would not have to wait more than 90 days for their appointment, while just nine people would have to wait more than 151 days.
In the Balearics, as a whole, the waiting list has fallen over the last 12 months from 57.1 days to 55.7 days. This compares to a national average of 74 days.

Brit Power
The latest figures from the National Institute of Statistics showed that, once again, the British remained the most popular visitors to the islands of Ibiza and Formentera. In 2007 a total of 408,647 British people visited the islands, 2,500 up from the previous year.
However, it was not all good news as the national market bucked the recent trend of rises, with 25,000 less Spanish visiting last year, a total of 375,752 tourists. The Italians came in third (187,500), followed by the Germans (173,390) and French (27,534).
The latest figures from the Airport Authorities, (AENA), for 2008 showed a drop in the number of visitors to the island in June compared to last year. Whilst the Spanish market had increased slightly by 2.4 per cent, worryingly both the British and German markets fell by 6.5 per cent and 11.5 per cent respectively.
The credit crunch across the eurozone, as well as the European Championships, were said to be one of the main causes of the falls, with bizarrely a 22.4 per cent decrease in Austrian visitors, compensated for by a 29.2 per cent increase in the number of tourists from the Championships other co-hosts, Switzerland.
The news came as it was revealed that the 4 and 5-star hotels on the island had suffered an 11 per cent reduction in their levels of occupancy compared to last year. The surprising statistic showed 14 of the most exclusive hotels on the island averaging 78 per cent, with the Ibiza Gran Hotel suffering the most with just 51 per cent of the hotel booked. At the other end of the scale, Atzaro, the boutique country hotel once again hung up the No Vacancy sign during the first half of July for the third year in a row.

Airline Slims Down
Spanair, Spain's second largest airline company, is to cut about a quarter of its workforce and fleet in an attempt to combat high fuel prices, fierce competition and a sharp downturn in its domestic market.
On Wednesday the company, which is owned by the Scandinavian group, SAS, said it would shed 900 staff jobs as part of a "viability plan". The announcement comes after Iberia turned down the opportunity of buying the loss-making company several weeks ago. It is hoped the changes will save the company around 90 million in 2009.
A spokesman for the Balearic Government said it was not thought Ibiza would be affected by the cuts, as the company only ran the profitable Ibiza-Barcelona route, although one of these five daily trips may be axed after 1st November.

TDT Prepared
It appears Ibiza will not be ready for the big switch off when it comes around on 30th June 2009. That is the date when the analogue signal will be turned off and all televisions on the island will have to receive their signal digitally. However, while the director general of technology and communications at the Balearic Government, Antonio Manchado, explained that 90 per cent of the population within the Balearics could already receive the signal, it was then revealed that Ibiza and Menorca were
the two main problems. Currently it is estimated that just 30 per cent of the island is able to receive a signal, a situation which will need to change in the very near future.

Bolkestein Directive
On Tuesday the Balearic Government announced it planned to introduce new legislation to avoid the building of commercial shopping centres on the outskirts of town. However, it claimed it was powerless to prevent larger chains from setting up within town centres across the islands.
The Bolkestein Directive, which is to be introduced from next year, will ensure free trade across the EU. This will mean local laws previously in place on the island will become un-enforceable.
Pimeef, the association of small and medium sized businesses, has made its concerns known over a number of months since the directive first got the go ahead, fearing an invasion of the more popular department stores would lead to unfair competition for the smaller businesses who would be unable to compete.
The answer at the moment will be to prohibit out of town retail parks. A spokesmen for the association claimed they were trying to look on the bright side, as the introduction of Corte Ingles and the like in Mallorca had been a shot in the arm for several shopping districts in the town, which had now become far more popular.

IBIZA TOWN
New Plans
The Port Authority spoke out on Monday concerning the planned port at Botafoc, and confirmed that any reduction to its size would be impossible. They said the exact dimensions of the installation had already been carefully studied and it had been reduced as much as possible, while promising the new facilities would be both modern and safe.
The plan is to build two 200-metre jetties, both 30 metres wide and 140 metres apart. This will be attached to a new 8,000 m2 dock area which will include car-parks and loading areas. A state of the art terminal will also be built which will be divided into three separate glass buildings, all with two floors. A walkway will connect all three of the buildings.
Entrance to the boats will be via these buildings. The passenger will enter the main building, and after checking-in, board the boat from special walkways on the first floor. This will ensure travellers do not have to return to the docking area in order to access the boat, an important safety feature, according to the planners.
The final stage of planning permission was given two weeks ago and it is hoped that work can be started by the end of the year, although the promoters will first have to guarantee as little disruption as possible to the surrounding area.
However, the following day the Island Council poured cold water on their argument, claiming not a stone would be moved in the area unless an agreement could be reached between all of the parties concerned. The second in command, Albert Prats, who led the protests against the new roads in Ibiza, said the plans were exaggerated, and that unless a compromise could be reached it would not go ahead.
He maintained the project had been planned to cover the worst case scenario which would include four boats being moored at the jetties, all waiting to be loaded. He said it was very unlikely this would ever happen, and on the rare occasion that it did, would simply mean a slight delay in loading the vessels. Although he said that even in this extreme case, the scenario would be far better than that which currently existed.
The Port Authority has total control over the project, and could force the issue if necessary, although Prats said it would be undemocratic if they did not listen to both the Town Hall and Island Council.
The president of the Island Council, Xico Tarres, likened the situation to that of the roads, and insisted the port needed to be an adequate size for an island like Ibiza. He said he agreed a new port was necessary, but found the current plans exaggerated.
However, whilst visiting the new installation for the islands fishermen in the capital on Thursday, the president of the Ports Authority, Francesc Triay, said the door was still open and after meetings with both the Island president and the mayoress of Ibiza, Lurdes Costa, he confirmed the project would not go ahead without the total backing of the two institutions.

SAN ANTONIO
Sala Pleads Innocent
The mayor of San Antonio, Jose Sala, officially declared his innocence as he attended court on Monday. He stands accused, along with the former highways councillor at the Island Council, Stella Matutes, of using insider knowledge in agreeing a building project. The case refers to the awarding of ses Variades, the area at the back of the town centre, next to the fruit market, as a buildable area (urbano). Just days before the new Land Use Plan was agreed, the mayor signed the permit for a massive new residential complex, although the land was still classified as unbuildable when permission was given. Just four days later the new Land Use Plan, which revealed the blueprint of the municipal, was passed after 14 of the 16 councillors voted in favour.
Sala said the agreement which was made between the Town Hall and the promoter, Realia Business, was legal and had been voted for by members of all the different political parties.
He added that he had only ever done what he thought would benefit the municipality, and said he was confident of being found innocent.
The plans for the area include the building of a 469-apartment complex, as well as a marina, which is where the Matutes family are connected.
On leaving court Sala said he was still unsure what would happen to the area, which is currently under scrutiny as the Town Hall redo the new Land Use Plan of the borough. He said he hoped it could remain urbano, (buildable), as anyone who knew the area was aware of the problems the site currently caused. At the moment the area falls under the new legislation introduced earlier this year by the Island Council which ensured the protection of several areas in Ibiza, including ses Variades. Sala revealed he had sent a report to the Council in which he called on them to annul the legislation, claiming it did not fall under their jurisdiction and undermined their authority.
Stella Matutes is due to declare in the same trial on 28th July.

New Cemetery
The Town Hall admitted on Tuesday that it would not be building a crematorium, as originally planned, next to the new cemetery in Can Coix. Late last year the mayor, Jose Sala, revealed his administration were going to build the islands first crematorium. Until now, anyone wishing to be cremated has been sent to Mallorca.
The announcement came as the new project became available to view in the Island Council building. However, despite the fact that these plans contain a crematorium, Councillor Vicente Costa confirmed this part of the project would not be included due to the number of complaints received by neighbours in the area. He added that this original model had been put on public display in the Island Council simply because they could not afford to waste any more time in the planning stage, as the building of a new cemetery was urgent.
The facility will have places for 3,350 coffins over a surface area of 6,406 m2.

Stage One Complete
The first phase of the new reforms in the marina at San Antonio was completed last week. The director of Club Nautico, Juan Rosello, said everything, at the moment, was going to plan. The work has currently stopped because of the start of the tourist season, but it will commence again in October and hopefully finish by May 2009, several months ahead of schedule.
The plans include a number of new jetties which will help increase the size of the installation by 28.8 per cent. This will ensure the 377 berths currently available increasing to 578. It will also be possible for boats of up to 30 metres to use the port, whereas until now the limit has been 17metres.

SAN JOSE
Purifiers in Action
The mayor of San Jose, Josep Mari Ribas Agustinet, was pleased to announce on Tuesday that the two mobile water purifiers based in ses Eres had once again begun to function. The units were first put into operation last year during the electoral campaign by the previous PP-run administration, to try and win last minute votes, but serious technical flaws led to both of them being shut down soon after.
Among some of the original problems, most of which were caused by an outdated power supply, was a leak caused by the diesel powered motors of the machine. This led to the contamination of a nearby stream. After taking power the mayor immediately stopped the two machines and ordered a series of changes, mostly to the electrical connections, which he said had now been completed.
According to Agustinet the units will provide good quality water to around 80 per cent of the population of San Jordi, and a few of the surrounding zones including sa Carroca, the area to the east of calle Campanetes, as well as Cas Raspalls.
The modifications have been paid for jointly by both the Town Hall and the water company, Aqualia, which revealed it had spent a total of 600,000.
The councillor of the planning department, Josep Antoni Prats, pleaded for patience from new users, and said it would now take the technicians a few weeks to make minor changes to the quality of the water and the pressure. Water from a nearby well is set to be added to the purified water, and in the next few weeks customers will notice a dramatic change in the salinity of the water as tests continue to be carried out.

SANTA EULALIA
Promenade Improvements
The Town Hall of Santa Eulalia last week announced it was to begin remodelling work on the es Canar promenade during the winter. A spokesman said the job would go to tender this month with an estimate of around 150,000. The main work will include replacing 470 metres worth of railings, as well as new benches and waste paper bins, and the installation of three water fountains. It is hoped the work can be completed by the start of next season.

New School
The councillor for education and social services, Ana Costa, revealed the Town Hall had bought a piece of land at the entrance to San Carlos which is to be used to build a new kindergarten. The centre will have room for 67 children, from 0-3 years of age, and contain three separate classrooms.
The 2,000 m2 piece of land was purchased for 60,000 and will include a day centre for old aged pensioners. Costa hopes both can be finished by next year.

FORMENTERA
Differing Stories
The police sergeant stabbed in an incident in a bar on the island has declared that he saw his aggressor in another bar before the attack. This contradicts what he had previously stated, and puts into doubt the testimony of the injured man.
The officer, Juan Moreno, said he coincided with the defendant in the Sueno bar just hours before being stabbed. He also admitted he was on duty at the time, which he had previously denied.
The sergeant was stabbed in the leg outside the Pachanka bar in the early hours of 22nd June by a local Argentine businessman.
In his statement he also confirmed he had not heard the threatening comments made by the defendant, and said he was told of them by a fellow officer who was with him at the time. He said the man asked him to step outside the bar. Moments later he was stabbed in the leg. He said that although he did not see the defendant actually stabbing him, there was no one else in the vicinity.
His statements contradict some witness reports which said the defendant was hit several times by the officers before being dragged out onto the street.
The trial continues.

CRIME & INCIDENTS
Drugs Overdose
A young British tourist died in the early hours of Sunday morning after taking what police believe to be a drugs overdose. Although the results from the autopsy are still unavailable, friends of the deceased admitted he had been consuming large amounts of alcohol and drugs earlier in the evening. The police report suggested he had taken as many as 7 ecstasy tablets, as well as cocaine.
The body of the youngster was found by his friends after they returned from a night out. He was lying motionless on the floor of the bathroom. After failing to wake him, they alerted reception staff at the Central Park hotel in San Antonio who immediately contacted the emergency services, but they were unable to save the man who was pronounced dead at 3.25a.m.
This is the fourth such death so far this year involving a drugs overdose.

Molina Madness
The case of the actor, Miguel Molina Tejedor, better known as Micky Molina, began last week in Ibiza. The actor has accused a British man of causing severe cuts to his face and hand, and claimed the incident was close to costing him his life!
The case has already been suspended four times due to the non-appearance of several key witnesses, and although they again did not show on Wednesday, it was decided to continue with the trial.
The events date back to 13th August 2004. According to Molinas version of events, he was driving along the road with his then-girlfriend, when he was suddenly overtaken at high speed close to the roundabout leading up to Joan XXII. The driver proceeded to get out of the car and, without saying anything, punched the actor in the face and cut his finger with a sharp object. It was at this point that a car chase began through the streets of the capital. Molina insisted he just wanted to go to the hospital but could not as he was being chased by his aggressor, at speeds close to 200 kmph. The chase ended on the outskirts of Jesus where the actor, covered in blood, pleaded for help from the defendant whom he claims replied, Die, you Spanish scum. He also says the man insulted him several times for his gypsy look.
Unsurprisingly, the account of the British man is very different. He claims he was quietly driving down the road when he noticed the actors car zig-zagging in front of him. He beeped his horn to advise him he was driving in a dangerous manner. It was at this point that the actor got out of his car and bent the windscreen wipers on the mans car. He also threw a bottle to the ground. The actor then got back into his car and sped away, hitting the defendants vehicle twice as he left. The defendant followed the actor through Ibiza in order to take his registration number, which he eventually managed to do, close to Jesus. He denies hitting the plaintiff and said he was merely holding a pair of sunglasses when he got out of his car.
The defendant is facing a jail-term if found guilty, as well as a claim for substantial damages, with the actor claiming his injured finger has prevented him from working, and playing the guitar or clarinet, since the incident.
The case continues

Cocaine Delivery
A mother was arrested by police at the port in Ibiza on Thursday as she attempted to disembark from a ferry with two kilos of cocaine. The drugs were hidden in the pram of her 21 month old baby. She was sent to prison while her son was initially taken into care, although it was later revealed that he was being cared for, together with his elder brother by the womans family members.
Police were alerted to the woman after they saw her acting suspiciously in the port. They approached the suspect and began to question her, before deciding to search her belongings. In amongst a number of baby items was the 2-kilo bag of cocaine.
The woman immediately said she was acting as a courier, and had been forced into making the trip due to her drug dependency and troubled economic situation. She confirmed she was waiting for a phone call in order to finish the delivery.

Meningitis Alert
It has been revealed that two cases of meningitis have been detected on the island. Both were discovered three weeks ago, firstly at Can Misses and then at the private hospital Nuestra Sra. Del Rosario.
The first involved a 20 year old South American man who started to show symptoms of the disease two days after returning from a trip to his country of origin. He was first seen in Can Misses, and then transferred to the private hospital where he was kept under observation for ten days. Staff at the hospital later claimed they did not raise the alarm as they were convinced the man contracted the disease while visiting his country of birth, as the disease needs an incubation time of 5-6 days before the symptoms show.
The second case was less serious and involved a 60 year old German man. It was firstly thought he had picked up the disease after a trip to Central America and having been bitten by a spider which carries the disease. However, this was ruled out and after being kept in for six days, the man was released with a clean bill of health.
Meningitis is the inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. Meningitis may develop in response to a number of causes, usually bacteria, viruses and other pathogens, but also physical injury, cancer or certain drugs. While some forms of meningitis are mild and resolve on their own, meningitis is a potentially life-threatening condition due to the proximity of the inflammation to the brain and spinal cord. The potential for serious neurological damage, or even death, necessitates prompt medical attention and evaluation. Infectious meningitis, the most common form, is typically treated with antibiotics and requires close observation.

Another Package
The owner of ECO, the telecommunications shop in San Juan, has once again been arrested by police, after another package containing cocaine was received through the post. The German man, who had been released on bail last week, was initially asked to come to the station, after police intercepted the package sent from Costa Rica, which was again addressed to a Lithuanian man who remains in prison. He was also brought to the station where police opened up the package in front of them both. On registering the contents, 600 grams of cocaine, the owner was re-arrested and will be sent before a magistrate today.
On raids which took place at the mans business, drugs officers found more than a kilo of cannabis, most of which was already bagged up for re-sale, and even included the price tag. He was later released on bail for the second time.
In the initial hearing, which took place on Friday, police officers revealed they believed the second man was not actually Lithuanian, and that all of his documentation were forgeries. He admitted to working for a group of drug dealers based in Costa Rica, where he said the material in question came from.

Hooligan Arrests
Three British youths were arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning in San Antonio. Officers reported they found the three men singing and dancing in the fountains situated close to the waterfront. When the officers ordered the men to get out, they were greeted with a shower of beer bottles which smashed at their feet. As a result they decided to arrest the youths, an operation which resulted in two of the officers being slightly injured.

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