THE READER at Mallorca Online Nr.440

at Mallorca Online Issue No. 440

Headlines of February 21th to March 6th, 1998

Photos: M. Massuti/Diario de Mallorca;
El dia del mundo

PAPARAZZI AND TANKS

Last Saturday, Son Bonet aerodrome in Pont d'Inca was turned into a Bosnian NATO headquarters for a day during the filming of The People's Princess, based on the life of Princess Diana.
Light aircraft were replaced by tanks and jeeps, simulating Princess Diana's visit to Bosnia. Artemis Films, producing the Diana story, is using several locations on the island, adapting them to the episodes in the Princess's life. The film stars Amy Clare Seccombe as Diana and George Jakobs as Dodi Al Fayed.
On Sunday, it was the turn of Palma's Plaza Mayor (where THE READER office is situated). Princess Diana, being chased by dozens of paparazzi, was filmed as she rushed down the steps to the Via Roma where she managed to escape into a "mysterious black limosine". Although this scene never actually occurred in real life, the producers wanted to convey the constant persecution by the media that Diana had to endure. Among the 80 extras were real life journalists and photographers of the local press and TV channels. If everything goes as planned the filming should be have been completed by 27 February and is due to be screened from 15 April on TV channels across the world.

Photo: El dia del mundo

LOCAL MAN KIDNAPPED

Fernando Aguiló, a Mallorcan missionary doctor, was kidnapped by members of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) guerrillas from the hospital in Lunsar, Sierra Leone last weekend.
Dr Aguiló, one of 15 San Juan de Dios missionaries working in this African country, was kidnapped last Saturday along with two other members of the same religious order, Italian Gilberto Ugolini and Austrian Joseph Erhard and Spaniards José Luis Garayoa, an Augustine priest from Navarro (who was a patient in the hospital at the time) and Valencian pharmacist Antonio Mateu.
Twelve missionaries managed to escape the guerrilla attack, reaching Port Loko on foot, thirty kilometres from Lunsar hospital. The hospital was completely ransacked by the guerrillas as was the mission, church, school, staff living quarters and all other buildings belonging to the mission.
Fernando Aguiló, born in Palma, studied medicine and surgery in Barcelona. He later studied tropical medicine in Germany and Austria and went to Sierra Leone almost 20 years ago and is now the medical director of the hospital from where he was kidnapped.
Sierra Leone, which borders with Liberia, has been racked by civil war for the last ten years. The country has suffered four military coups in six years and John Paul Koroma, the last of a long line of dictators, has been forced to leave the country.
The missionaries hope to return "when things have calmed down a little" commented Father Cárdenas as the hospital run by the order is the only properly equipped one in the country.

Photo: El dia del mundo

FINLAND'S AMBASSADOR TO VISIT MALLORCA

The president of the Mallorcan Chamber of Commerce, Pau Català, met with the Finnish Ambassador to Spain, Pekka J Korvenheimo, last Monday with a view to promoting commercial relations between Finland and the Balearics.
The Chamber of Commerce President spoke of opening up new markets in Finland for Balearic goods such as shoes, leather goods and costume jewellery. According to Català, new markets in Finland could be as successful as those recently opened up in China, Japan, Australia, Mexico and Argentina. During his short visit, the Ambassador was also received by Balearic President Jaume Matas at government headquarters in the Consulat de la Mar.

Photo: El dia del mundo

BOAT FOR SALE

The heirs of Mexican millionaire, Emilio Azcárraga, have decided to sell his luxury yacht Eco, the fastest yacht of its class in the world.
The yacht is currently moored in the Club de Mar in Palma where it will remain until a buyer is found - not an easy task as the yacht has been valued at 7,900 million pesetas. However, despite the millionaire figure and the very high maintenance costs, two prospective buyers have already shown interest in the yacht. According to Camper & Nicholsons, the company with exclusive worldwide selling rights, an American and a European (no names were given) have both shown interest in the yacht and have already carried out sea trials.
The Eco, 74 metres in length and weighing 1,150 tons, can reach a speed of 32 knots, thanks to an 18,500 CV gas turbine engine, the biggest engine ever fitted to a yacht. As a comparison, the famous yacht Limitless has a maximum speed of 25 knots.
The luxury vessel, made of steel and glass fibre, has many unusual features including bevelled port hole windows. It can carry 12 passengers and 17 crew. The luxury yacht was built to Azcárraga's specifications in 1989 at Blohm & Bros, the same shipyard which built the Lady Moura, also based in Palma.


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