In Brief

A 39-year old motorcyclist, J.B.A. from Maó, was seriously injured in an accident at the Es Grau junction on the Maó to Fornells road on Friday afternoon. The motorcycle crashed into the side of a car that was waiting to turn into the Es Grau road resulting in serious multiple injuries to its rider. The driver of the car involved and his four-year old daughter were unhurt.

Lidl granted licence for Maó supermarket

The supermarket chain Lidl has been granted an activities licence for its proposed new outlet on the Maó industrial estate. The German company is now waiting for building permission and, once received, will have to begin construction within six months and complete within 24.

Benefits for self-employed workers

A bill currently going through the Spanish parliament will give self-employed workers the right to claim unemployment benefits if they have to give up their work involuntarily. If approved, the law, which would give protection to the 6,850 "autónomos" in Menorca, would come into effect either later this year or at the beginning of 2011.

Contributions to the Seguridad Social (National Insurance) will be 2.2% for those paying voluntarily or 1.7% for self-employed workers in collectives, such as fishermen, farmers or miners, who already pay an obligatory contribution of 0.5% as they are in professions with more risk of accidents at work.

The payment scale will be: for each 12 months, two months can be claimed at 70% of the average pay over the last 12 months.

Heavy rainfall recorded last Monday/Tuesday

A heavy downpour hit the island last Monday night/Tuesday morning, with Es Mercadal being the district most affected. The meteorological station on Monte Toro recorded 140 litres per sq.m., equivalent to 5.51 inches.

New German ecotax could affect bookings

ASHOME (the Menorcan Hoteliers' Association) has warned that the "ecological tax" imposed on air transport by Germany to reduce the public deficit could have a negative effect on holiday bookings in Menorca. The new tax would add around 60 euros to the holiday bill for a family of four. Even though the tax will not be charged directly to the customer but to the airline, it will be added to the 'extras' paid by passengers. Destinations such as Menorca which rely on airlines to transport their clients and lack alternative means of access such as road or rail, will be the hardest hit by this new measure.

Vueling to introduce direct flight to Rome

With effect from next summer the low-cost airline Vueling is to introduce a direct flight between Menorca and Rome. At present the company only offers direct flights to Italy (Milan and Rome) from Ibiza, but from September Mallorca will also have a direct connection.

Beach information panels operative

The beach information panels installed in the Ciutadella district are now operating again and will do so until mid-September. Located on the southern bypass and at junctions leading to most of the district's virgin beaches, the panels inform beach-goers whether or not there are places available in the beach car parks.

Two new cinemas for Ciutadella in February
Ciutadella Council hopes to open the Canal Salat Cultural Complex next February to provide entertainment for the district's youngsters. The complex will have two 150-seat cinemas, which will show astronomical projections in addition to films, and a general purpose hall with a removable stage which can be used for concerts, dance shows, markets and cultural acts, etc. There will also be space for outdoor events and a car park. The 4.5 million euro project will be financed by the Balearic Government and Ciutadella Council.

Summer opening hours for Nature Centre

The Menorca Nature Centre in Ferreries is now on its summer timetable and will open Tuesdays to Saturdays 1030-1330 hrs. and 1730-2030 hrs. This season there will be two exhibitions related to the environment.

Roman censer found at Sanicera dig

Archaeological excavations of the Roman city of Sanicera have yielded a censer featuring the Goddess of the Sky, Tanit (or Tanith) which is 2,100 years old. University students are currently excavating a 70 x 25 metre villa which was occupied from the first century B.C. until the fifth or sixth A.D. and was located in the centre of the city built by the Romans next to the port of Sanitja.