Man Arrested in Cala Llonga Murder
A 38 year old German was being held in prison over the death of a Swiss man in Cala Llonga, on Monday. The body of Reiner Peter Tino Briner, 58 years old, was discovered on Tuesday by a friend at the victims house in the Valverde complex, close to la Casita restaurant. The initial autopsy revealed he had died after receiving a beating in which a kick to the chest area had broken a rib which had subsequently punctured a vital organ. The man was discovered half naked and covered in his own blood. A knife was also found at the scene, but it was assumed the victim had used it in his defence, and he showed no signs of being stabbed.
Police immediately began the search for a German man who was eventually arrested on Wednesday evening as he entered the hostel where he was staying in the centre of Santa Eulalia. It is not yet clear how police linked the defendant with the murder, but it was later revealed the two had been enjoying a relationship. The arrested man, Daniel Alfred C, during a 3 hour statement on Friday, professed his innocence, although he did admit to having a heated argument with the deceased.
The accused has been on the island since the summer, and was a regular visitor to the duplex of the victim. He was also accused of robbing a 4x4 Cherokee Jeep from another friend, as well as several other items including a personal computer.
Reiner arrived on the island 10 years ago, and was described by neighbours as courteous and intelligent. He had previously worked as a cameraman for a Swiss television station, and had spent many years in Australia where his wife and daughter still live.

AROUND THE ISLAND

Alternative Regulations
The Consell Insular are trying to push through tougher new laws which could mean the big clubs on the island having to close for up to 101 hours a day. The moves which were discussed on Monday between the Consell and the five mayors on the island will try to ensure all of the clubs on the island are closed between 6a.m. and 4.30p.m. There will be two exceptions to this rule and that will be the opening and closing parties, in which the clubs will be able to stay open until 12noon. This will be on condition the opening party takes place between 25th May and the 5th June and the closing party between 1st and the 15th October. This is part of an attempt by the Consell to convince the clubs to stay open slightly longer in the future to try and increase the length of the season.
The new moves surprised some, one of those being the mayor of San Antonio, Jose Sala. He said he saw complications in carrying out the new regulations. He pointed out there were at least 30 businesses within his municipality which had café-concierto licences, which meant they would also have to abide by the same opening hours. He said measures had been discussed previously and an agreement had been reached which ensured any premises with this type of licence would have to close between 6a.m. and 12p.m. The new regulations were passed last year, and have been copied by the Town Hall of San Jose who confirmed in January they would follow the same blueprint as their neighbour.
Sala added that many bars and pubs which regularly opened during the afternoon to show football and rugby games would now no longer be allowed to do so. However, he said the new legislation was a long way off being approved and urged people not to worry for the moment.

Renovation Work
The British Consul in Ibiza, Helen Watson MBE, announced on Thursday that the Consulate building on the island is to be increased in size. The offices, which are based on the first floor on the corner of Avenida Isidoro Macabich and Calle Canarias, will be expanded to a total of 170 square metres compared to the current 70 square metres after the local next door was purchased. It is hoped the work will be completed in July.
Watson used the occasion to underline the importance of the British tourist market to Ibiza. It is estimated that well over 700,000 British visitors descend on the island every year. There are currently 3,500 Brits registered at the Consulate, although numbers currently living here are said to be higher. Please remember that if you are not currently registered, it only takes five minutes and could prove vital one day. Office hours are Monday-Friday 9am to 2pm.

Easter Opening
Just five per cent of hotels on the island plan to open this Easter, according to figures from the Hotel Federation. This is down considerably from the 12 per cent who opened over the festive period last year, which saw the island welcome a record number of visitors during April (30,000). However, 2008 will be far more trying as an early Easter (17th-23rd March) puts paid to any thoughts of an early jump start to the tourist season. Although around 15,000 visitors are expected over the Easter period, the vast majority are connected to the many sporting events which are due to take place, including the Ibiza Cup football tournament and the David Booth basketball memorial championships. After Easter most of those establishments open will either close or severely reduce capacity, with the season officially starting on 1st May, with regular direct flights from the UK beginning on 27th April.

Five Star Ibiza
The number of places available in 5-star establishments on the island is set to double during 2008, with the opening of three new hotels. Of the total number of beds available in Ibiza during 2008 (60,000), a total of 1,080 will be in 5-star hotels. The recent trend towards higher standard of accommodation has been led in recent years by the opening of the Fenicia Prestige in Santa Eulalia, (344 beds), and El Mirador de Dalt Vila, (27 beds).
However, growth is due to double this year with the opening of three new 5-star establishments. The first to open will be the Ibiza Gran Hote,l opposite Pacha, which is due to be inaugurated this month (317 beds). It is hoped that in July the Aguas de Ibiza will open its doors, (223 beds) to the public. Finally, the Residenza di Palladium in Santa Eulalia, (53 beds) is due to be upgraded from a 4 to 5-star hotel during the summer. This move towards the upper end of the tourist market has been welcomed by the Consell Insular who see it as a positive move for the island.
In fact the number of beds is set to double once again over the next two years with at least five new hotels being built or re-classified. This year will see a start on the work of the new Parador in Dalt Vila which is set to increase the capacity by another 142 beds. However, by far the biggest project currently underway can be found in Cala de Bou opposite the Playa Bella apartments. It is there that the Hotel Xinxó is being built. Although permission was originally sought for a 4-star establishment, that was later changed to 5-star once the project had got underway. This new luxury hotel, with its Olympic-size swimming pool, is set to increase the number of beds on the island by 534. Finally, the S´Argamassa Palace Hotel situated on the es Canar road and the Playa Real Hotel in Talamanca, are both due to be upgraded in 2010 after an extensive refit.
The Irish company, LM Developments Ltd, is also planning on building a 5-star establishment in the bay of San Antonio, which it is hoped will be ready by 2011. Although all of the land for the project has been purchased, the exact location still remains a secret.
In fact, by 2010 it is hoped there will be just over 2,300 beds on offer, a startling increase from the 116 available in 2004, all of which belonged to El Hacienda Na Xamena in San Miguel.
Although European hotel ratings can vary significantly across the Continent, in general the Spanish hotel rating system concentrates on room size and amenities. To be classified as a 5-star the minimum size for a double room is 17 square metres. The bathrooms have to be designed in marble or similar material, and be a minimum of five square metres. They also have to include a bath of at least 1.70 metres. They also need to have a certain number of staff members who speak several different languages. Bizarrely also, in Spain, all 5-star properties need to have carpeting fitted on the main staircase and passageways.
Five-star properties on the island also need to stay open for twelve months of the year, just another reason the Consell sees them as an important plus for the island.
2008 will also see the start of the first 4-star hotel in San Francesc, Formentera, which is due to get underway this month. It will have a total of 19 rooms and be open eleven months of the year.

Medical Treatment
The total cost of medical attention received by non-residents within the Balearics rose to 5,061,417 last year. The estimated expenses involved in providing free medical cover to various different groups not resident on the island will be covered by various agreements on a National and European level. Just over 3.5 million will be received from a National fund which acknowledges the agreements within the European Union. The Social Security service also funded Ib-Salut (the Balearic Health Service) to the tune of 8 million, which is also partly for the medical service provided to non-residents.
EU citizens are entitled to free medical and hospital care by simply showing the new European Health Card (EHC). This entitles the holder to be seen by a local GP or at the A&E department of any hospital. In 2004 The European Health Card replaced the temporary stay forms - i.e. the E-111 and E-128. These cards entitle the title-holder to the same medical care as before, identical to that received by Spanish citizens. The cards are available from the relevant healthcare organisation within the UK.
However the following is not covered in Spain: dental treatment (apart from emergency extractions) and repatriation for medical treatment. Also the European Health Card is not valid if you have travelled to Spain in order to receive specific medical treatment. The same applies to all other EU countries.

New Hospital
The Health Secretary at the Govern Balear, Vicenc Thomas, revealed last week some of the ideas for the new hospital which is due to get underway next year, slightly behind schedule. The hospital will have a total of 199 rooms, 157 of which will be single rooms, the rest doubles. This will mean a 39 per cent increase in capacity, with the addition of 74 new beds.
There will be a total of eight operating rooms instead of the four currently available. There will also be an increase in the number of consultancy rooms from 38 to 51. The A&E department will also be substantially improved with 24 boxes being created compared to the current seven.
The maternity ward will also be upgraded, with a total of ten postnatal rooms being built.
The president of the Consell, Xico Tarres, revealed negotiations were still continuing with the owners of the land where the new hospital is to be located. He added that if an agreement could not be reached soon his administration would consider alternative ways of obtaining the land, clearly referring to a forced expropriation. The Consell needs a total of 40,000 square metres of land for the new installation, 20,000 of which has already been secured.
Medical professionals from Can Misses cast doubt a few days later as to whether the 157 planned single rooms would remain that way. They claimed they had been told that all of the rooms would be able to fit two beds, which they will be forced to do, due to the increasing demand of an ever-growing population.

Whats the Story?
Those with 7 million spare have the opportunity of buying Noel Gallaghers villa on the island, after the Oasis front man put his home up for sale last week. Gallagher bought the property in 1999 for 4.2 million. However, after years of coming to the island he has finally decided to find another holiday destination, due to James Blunt. A close friend claimed Noel is fed up with hearing James Blunt constantly talk about Ibiza like he owns the place. It's taken the charm out of it for him, so he's put his villa up for sale.
He continued It's very close to Blunt's place and he says he can't stand the thought of Blunt making rubbish songs up the road!"
The popular Blunt, who became famous the world over after the release of Youre Beautiful, bought his home on the island for 2.2 million in 2006. He even has his own nightclub at the villa with a neon sign that says 'Blunty's Nightclub Where Everybody's Beautiful'.

Immigrants Sent Home
Eight of the nine illegal immigrants who arrived in a four-metre dinghy at ses Salinas beach in January have finally been repatriated. The 9th, who was under age, remains in a detention centre in Valencia, although it is expected he will be sent home shortly. The nine immigrants were discovered by a man walking his dog close to the beach on 16th January. He alerted the police and all of the men were rounded up, although all had to subsequently be taken to Can Misses, suffering severe dehydration and hyperthermia. Several days later they were transported to a centre in Valencia, from where officials began working on their repatriation.
It was feared that Algeria would refuse to accept responsibility for the men, worries which were dispelled as they were all identified and repatriated. They eventually reached Algeria last Tuesday after a far less dangerous boat ride home.

Licences Available
The temporary taxi licences, which have caused so much conflict over the last two months, were eventually put to tender last week. For the next 15 days those already holding a licence, and those currently employed as drivers, will be able to bid for one of the temporary licences. They will be valid for two years and split into two different date-lines, the first from 1st July-31st August and the second from 1st August-30th September. This will ensure that all of the 138 licences will cover the busiest month of the year.
The president of the Ibiza Taxi Association, Jose Serafin, repeated his dismay at the moves and promised the permanent strike - which began on Monday - would continue without any minimum service until a compromise could be reached with the Consell Insular. However, he did reveal there would be an emergency service available for those with disabilities and restricted movement, as well as journeys to the doctors.

IBIZA TOWN

New Health Centre
The third health centre in Ibiza Town will be opened in the next two weeks, it was confirmed on Wednesday. Building work on the centre, which is located in Avenida 8 d´Agost, has been finished and the installation is currently being cleaned. Medical services will be moved to the building in stages, with the Accident & Emergency department set to open first, having been transferred from the centre in es Viver. The paediatrics department will also be opened with a psychiatrist, psychologist and therapy group on hand. Finally, towards the end of March, the general practitioners will be moved to the centre.
The centre and its facilities are part of a long term plan to reduce the doctor-patient ratio in the capital. It currently stands at 1:2,500, way above the national average. It is hoped that with the new centre in operation, the ratio can be lowered to 1:1,700 within a few years.
There will be a total of 36 professionals contracted at the centre, including 10 doctors, 13 nurses, three paediatricians, administration staff and a porter. The building is 3,000 square metres in size and has a total of 33 consultancy rooms on three floors.

Cruise Concerns
On Wednesday, Mayor Lurdes Costa announced her administration would spend 15,000 in the promotion of Ibiza Town as a cruise destination at the upcoming Miami Sea Trade (10th-13th March). The fair, which will be attended by all of the major players in the cruising industry, is described as the meeting place for quality cruise line decision makers and knowledgeable industry suppliers. It will be, according to Costa, the first step in an attempt to convince cruise companies that a trip across Europe would be incomplete without a visit to the island. After five years of successive increases, last year saw the number of cruise-line tourists fall by 18,000. This was blamed on the Costa Cruceros company pulling out of the island, due to a lack of facilities. Just one of the reasons why the new plans for the port, which would include two new quays for cruise ships, is vital according to Costa, and needs to be approved soon.

Macro-Fine
More than 50 cars received fines of 150 on Wednesday morning for parking on the pavement outside their house, after a complaint from a neighbour in s´Illa Plana. Police confirmed they had received a denuncia during the night from a local man who said his path was being blocked by a car. A patrol was sent out to the neighbourhood close to Talamanca just after 2a.m. and found, as they had been doing for the past 11 years, most of the cars parked on the pavement in front of their homes. Police sources claimed they could not ignore the situation and decided to fine all of the vehicles, 55 in total. The owners will now have to pay 150 each. Those cars with foreign registration numbers were also clamped.
Angry neighbours said they would be making an official complaint to the Town Hall, and said the situation was scandalous.

SAN ANTONIO

School Project
Quotes for building the new secondary school in San Antonio were being accepted last week as the project was eventually given the go ahead by the Government. The project, which is due to take around 16 months, will cost around 5.7 million. Building firms interested in the project will now have a total of 26 days to present their proposals to the Education Department after which the winning bid will be chosen and work will get underway. It is hoped it can be finished in time for the start of the 2010 school year.
The second in command at the Town Hall, Joan Pantaleoni, claimed the new school was desperately needed and added he was confident the institution would dramatically improve the educative system within the municipal.

Noise Control
San Antonio is to create a noise map which, it is hoped, will help control noise levels across the municipality. The plan, which is set to be approved this week, will include six different classifications. The minimum volume permitted will be in areas classed as special interest or cultural areas, where levels of 50 decibels during the day and 40 decibels during the night will be authorized. The maximum levels permitted will be alongside the dual carriageway and at special outdoor events where the levels must not exceed 75 decibels during the day and 70 at night.
Surprisingly the West End and the Sunset strip have been classified as noise tolerant areas, where levels must not exceed 60 decibels during the day and 55 decibels at night. This was described by some bar owners in the West End as excessively low and, in reality, impossible to abide by. Fines will range from 300 for the less serious offences to 300,000 for the gravest misdemeanours.
The Councillor in charge of tourism within the municipal, Jose Ramon Serra Pilot, said the changes would be important in controlling not only the normally busier areas of town, but also the quiet residential areas, where this summer illegal parties have been rife. Until now the police have been powerless to stop illegal parties on private property. At least now they will be able to fine the proprietor of the house, which may act as some deterrent.

SAN JOSE

Free Internet Access
Thursday saw the opening of the Consell backed Internet Centre in Cala de Bou by the mayor of San Jose, Josep Mari Ribas. The centre will offer free internet access to residents in the area and is the 8th such centre to be opened on the island following those in San Juan, San Mateu, San Miguel, Santa Gertrudis, San Carlos, Jesus and Puig den Valls. The 10,000 investment located in the municipal offices at Cala de Bou has come solely from the Consell and Mari Ribas revealed a qualified teacher would soon be added to help those at the centre.

SANTA EULALIA

Domestic Attack
A Moroccan man was being held in prison last week after attacking his wife after she refused to make him dinner. The discussion began in their apartment in Cala Llonga shortly after the man arrived home and ordered the woman to prepare a meal for him and his friends. After she refused, a discussion began in which the man punched and kicked the victim repeatedly in front of the couples two children. Police were alerted by neighbours who overheard the argument and were soon on the scene to make the arrest. The man was taken into custody, while his wife was taken for medical treatment at a local centre. The arrested man is now awaiting trial

FORMENTERA

Promotion Finance
An agreement was signed last week between the Minister for Tourism at the Govern Balear, Francesc Buils, and the president of the Consell of Formentera, Jaume Ferrer, which is set to ensure a total of 1.2 million for island promotion during 2008. The pact was described by Ferrer as historical and one which would benefit the island greatly. Previously, Formentera had always participated jointly with its larger neighbour Ibiza in most of their advertising campaigns. This new deal will ensure they are able to concentrate on their own unique markets.
The money will come from three sources. The major contributor is Ibatur, the Balearic Institute for Tourism, which will stump up a total of 650,000. Turespana, the Institute of Spanish Tourism will be financing the island to the tune of 300,000, with the rest being given by the Govern Balear.
Ferrer said that the promotion would start immediately and a campaign in northern Italy had already been planned for April to try and highlight the delights of the island during May and October.

Rubbish Collection
Formentera began its new rubbish collection service on Saturday which is set to ensure an environmentally friendly system which will benefit the 9,500 island residents as well as visitors to the island. The new system will cost the Consell on the island 15 million over the next ten years.
The president, Jaume Ferrer, claimed the new system would replace a service which was obsolete and costing the island money in the long term. He reminded everyone his administration had assured citizens the environment would be their top priority over the next four years, claims he is now backing up with firm action. He said rubbish collection was vital all year round but especially so in the busy summer months, to ensure the island stayed as clean as possible for all visitors.
The company now running the rubbish collection on the island, Cespa, revealed they had spent 3 million on new equipment. The island will now have a total of 200 regular rubbish bins and 75 of each of the recycling bins (paper, glass and plastic). They would also be doubling the amount of workers, as well as introducing two new road cleaning machines, which were non-existent until now.
The system for collecting the rubbish will also be the safest available on the market, with the easy-lift system ensuring the driver does not have to get out of the truck.
A company representative claimed they would be starting a campaign during April to raise awareness about recycling on the island and to inform residents what waste needs to be placed in which container. He said they could invest as much money as they wanted in a futuristic system but without the cooperation of the islands population it could not work.

CRIME & INCIDENTS

On the Rocks
A 20 year old local man spent the night on sa Caleta beach on Sunday, after breaking his leg in a fall. The man explained to his rescuers the following day that he had gone for a walk in the area during the afternoon. Whilst ambling along the rocks above the beach he stepped on a piece of earth, which immediately gave way. He fell just under six metres, breaking the femur close to his hip. He tried calling for help, but was not heard until the following morning when someone eventually made out his cries for assistance and called the police. Although the man was dressed normally and within yards of the sea, he was said to be in reasonably good shape and not suffering hyperthermia.

Awaiting Trial
The barman involved in an incident which left a client seriously injured has been set free, although he will have to appear before police every 15 days until his trial date is decided. The 38 year old man maintains he did not mean to injure the victim, who according to witnesses was drunk at the time and annoying other clients in the bar. He claimed it was an instinctive reaction, as he suddenly felt he was being attacked by the man.
Police will now take a statement from the victim before a trial date is set. The injured man was rushed to hospital where he was operated on. Fortunately, no major arteries were affected and he was able to leave hospital several days after being admitted.

Organised Crime Bust
Various arrests have been made in Madrid in a police operation into organised crime on the island. The operation carried out by agents from the special unit against drugs and organised crime (UDYCO) concentrated on a gang which had reportedly robbed numerous houses and commercial properties in Ibiza during the last two years, and planned more assaults this summer. In total the eight people arrested, all in Madrid, are being blamed for a total of 450 crimes in Ibiza, Madrid, Lugo and Malaga. The operation included two apartments on the island being raided. One was located in the Buena Vista complex in Siesta, Santa Eulalia. Plain-clothed police officers smashed down the front door of the residence in a surprise attack on Tuesday morning. No one was located, but an assortment of stolen goods including jewellery and weapons - several knives and a gun - were found, and will hopefully be used in a future trial. The couple who lived in the house were said to be from Madrid and had worked the summer on the island for the last few years. It was revealed they were part of the eight people arrested in the Spanish capital.

Untimely death
A 67 year old German man was found dead floating in the sea at the bottom of cliffs in Cala en Baster, Formentera, on Wednesday. His car was found close by and police believe he fell accidentally while taking a walk in the area. The man had lived on the island for the past 20 years.

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!!

If you have any stories for our incidents section then call or fax 971-348-271 or e-mail on: editor@theibizasun.com

NEWS FROM THE MAINLAND

D-Day Draws Near
The two main candidates for the upcoming national elections, which are due to take place this Sunday, came into their last week of campaigning neck a neck. Both Jose Luis Zapatero and Mariano Rojoy faced each other in two head to head debates on national television. The first debate between the Socialist Prime Minister and Popular Party leader Mariano Rajoy, which took place last Monday, was watched on television by a record 13 million people. It was the first amongst the leading candidates since 1993 and it comes as polls show the 9th March election will be the most fiercely contested in decades.
Although there were no personal insults and constant interruptions, no candidate appeared to score a knock-out punch while snap opinion polls released after the debate showed that more voters felt Zapatero had won.
The main points of conflict were terrorism and the economy, with Rajoy claiming that under Zapatero's first term in office prices for basic goods like milk and eggs increased faster than real wages, while unemployment continues to rise. He said the Government had inherited an extremely healthy economy and had, in four years, completely destroyed it.
However, Zapatero replied saying Spain's gross domestic product had grown by an average of 3.8 per cent per year during his four years in office, a higher rate than the European Union average, helping to create three million jobs. He continued by predicting that the economy, the 5th largest in the European Union, would slow next year, but still continue to grow by a faster rate then the rest of Europe.
The most heated part of the debate concerned the subject of terrorism, with both men claiming the other had lied to the country on the subject.
However, it remains a tight battle with one figure claiming around 20 per cent of the voting public had yet to make up their minds which way they were going to vote.

Ibiza News powered by Ibiza Sun

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!!

If you have any stories for our incidents section then call or fax 971-348-271 or e-mail on: editor@theibizasun.com