In Brief

With effect from next Monday, Ciutadella post office is to close in the afternoon. Workers and the unions were only told of the changes last Tuesday, the decision having been made in Palma for "financial reasons". The two employees who worked in the afternoons will be moved to the morning shift, and two workers who are retiring will not be replaced. Others who are not on permanent contracts will not have their contracts extended.

By contrast, Correos in Maó will continue to open in the afternoon.

Undercarriage problems forces plane to return to Palma

An Air Nostrum Dash turboprop aeroplane on a flight from Palma to Menorca last week was forced to return to Son Sant Joan airport when the captain was unable to raise the undercarriage due to a mechanical problem.Passengers waited on the aircraft while the problem was resolved; according to the captain, one of the maintenance crew had left a tool in the undercarriage, preventing it from being raised. The aircraft then took off again for Menorca, arriving only shortly after the E.T.A.

Menorca shows solidarity with Haiti

Two donations have been sent from Menorca to Haiti to help the victims of the earthquake.Manos Unidas Menorca has sent 308,000 euros to the Caribbean country to be used to buy basic necessities (such as food, clothing, hygiene products or household items), temporary shelter and drinking water in the areas of Jacmel and Lavial and the rural communities of Cayes and Mango Marion.

The Fons Menorquí de Cooperació has sent 60,000 euros to help with reconstruction in the area once the initial chaos has subsided.

The supermarket chain Eroski is also helping to raise money by inviting customers to make a donation of one euro or more when they are at the check-out. The money raised in the campaign will be sent to Haiti via Unicef.

Home defeat for ViveMenorca

ViveMenorca suffered their second successive defeat on Saturday when playing in front of a home crowd against Tenerife Rural, the final score reading 83-93. Despite this, the basketball team remain in second place in the Adecco LEB Oro league.This week the players face Girona in an away fixture.

Valeriano Allés still third despite losing

The Ciutadella women's volleyball team lost 3-2 on Saturday to Universidad de Burgos but remain in third position in the Spanish Superliga.Valeriano Allés will play host this week to CV La Caja de Canaria.

GOB proposes animal underpasses on Ferreries bypass

In order to ensure that hedgehogs and other small animals can cross the road safely, the ecological group, GOB, is proposing that underpasses be built along the new Ferreries bypass. This relatively cheap measure is used in the majority of European countries where it has proved successful in safeguarding wildlife.

In addition to building tunnels under the road at 500 metre intervals, the group would like to see some sort of barriers installed along the road, preventing small animals from being able to cross the highway.