The speaker at tomorrow evening’s Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group talk at Michael United Football Club, in Balleira Road, is John ‘Dog’ Callister.

From 7.30pm, Mr Callister will talk about wild wallabies in the Ballaugh Curragh. Topics covered will include how the animals have adapted to the habitat and whether they pose any threat to other species.

After the break, he will speak about the Paha Trust in Nepal where funds raised in the island have helped to build a new school.

Winners of the group’s calendar photo competition were Sarah Bucknall, Beryl Quayle, Alison Cowin, David Crennell, Charlie Moore, Claire Fletcher, Sue Sanders, Michael Howland, Peter Beaumont, Sarah Darke, Belinda Leach. Sponsors included Stuart Clague Services, Isle of Man Farmers, Sadler’s Agricultural Supplies, Farmers’ Combine, JDW Engineering, Isle of Man Bank and Scotmin Nutrition.

More than £800 was raised for the island’s Poppy Fund at a talk given by the leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party.

Nigel Farage filled the Gaiety last Tuesday.

He spoke confidently, glass in hand.

Farage is political Marmite, delighting many but horrifying others.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, his supporters outnumbered his detractors at the Gaiety. After all, they had to pay to see him.

And the majority of his audience revelled in anti-EU views.

But one critic who watched told the Examiner he was ‘like an obnoxious Dave Allen’.

Farage recounted stories from his life in politics, mentioning David Cameron, Ed Miliband, EU President Herman Van Rompuy, Gordon Brown, Nicolas Sarkozy, José Manuel Barroso, and Nick Clegg.

The retiring collection was held on behalf of the Royal British Legion Isle of Man branch, whose vice-chairman, Honorary Colonel Charles Wilson said: ‘Whether you agree or not with the policies of Nigel Farage, his evening at the Gaiety did the island’s Royal British Legion and our Armed Service personnel a great favour.’

‘The Sporting and Dining Club packed the theatre and very kindly allowed The Legion to have a bucket collection at the end.

‘Thank you as always to those who gave so generously.’

l Letters, page 22

The occupant of a building on New Castletown Road, Douglas, was trapped inside after a vehicle hit it this morning.

Fire crews rescued the occupant from the property by crews using a ladder.

The Manx Labour Party has called for tougher legislation to regulate digital currencies.

In a statement, the party’s press officer David Carter said: ‘Our Government stated in June this year that it wishes to lead on the regulation of digital currencies and ‘other jurisdictions will follow’. As yet little of substance has been done towards the achievement of this goal.’

The party claims that proposed legislative changes will not provide adequate oversight of the industry.

Mr Carter said: ‘The Isle of Man Government is proposing to include cryptocurrency businesses as ‘relevant businesses’ under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2008, but even this small amendment will not occur until 2015.

‘This proposal would put these businesses in the same category as non-profit organisations, whereas the MLP believes that cryptocurrency exchanges in particular should be categorised as financial institutions.’

The statement follows a meeting with the Department of Economic Development in which the MLP aired its concerns that the key risks of crypo-currencies have not been addressed.

Although they described the meeting as ‘fruitful’, the MLP have proposed that new legislation similar to the eGaming industry should be drafted to give cryptocurrencies ‘greater acceptance and credibility’ and ‘address the risks that are intrinsic to this industry’.

Isle of Man College is looking to set the world record for the largest all-male yoga class.

The idea is the brainchild of Kate Bergquist, health and well-being co-ordinator, who was keen to mark International Men’s Day.

The world record attempt takes place at the National Sports Centre, in Douglas, tomorrow (Wednesday) from midday.

Kate told iomtoday: ‘Normally the objectives for International Men’s Day include a focus on men’s and boys’ health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality and highlighting positive male role models.

‘We normally hold an event at college each year to celebrate International Men’s Day.

‘However, this year I thought we could try and pull all the boys together for a massive yoga class.

‘This will certainly meet the International Men’s Day objectives.’

Running the class and the college’s chosen positive role model for this year’s event is experienced yoga instructor Dave Smythe.

Among his clients are Ramsey Football Club.

Kate said: ‘We want to break down preconceptions boys have of yoga at the moment.

‘Manchester United star Ryan Giggs credits yoga for his longevity.

‘And hopefully some of the lads will feel the benefits of it and take it up afterwards.’

Students and staff at the college will be joined by TT riders Conor Cummins and Dan Kneen as well as some of the top Parish Walk competitors, who have all already seen the benefits of yoga.

The Children’s Centre and NSC staff are also showing their support.

But all males (minimum age 16) are invited to go along on the day.

The class is free to attend and will last 25 minutes. Participants should wear loose, comfortable clothing.

Kate said: ‘It’s never been done before. Currently the largest yoga class record stands at 62,824 participants which was organised and held in India.

‘However, this was a multiple venue yoga class, with both sexes taking part.’

The class will be filmed by college media students and submitted as evidence to Guinness World Records.

Kate admitted: ‘Getting a bunch of construction lads on to a yoga mat will be my biggest challenge to date.’

Aspiring photographers are being invited to send their efforts into a charity and contribute to their new calendar.

The Society for the Preservation of the Manx Countryside and the Environment is offering the winning entrant vouchers for up to £200 worth of photographic equipment.

John Faragher, from the society, said it was partly a way of promoting the organisation, which has been around since the 1920s but has not been very prominent.

‘It’s partly to gain some new members, including young people,’ he said.

‘We have some funds for educational purposes and people can come along and do educational walks and talks and bird watching round the Calf and we do walks in Langness, the Chasms, Laxey and other places around the island.

‘We also have guest speakers from other smaller charities to talk about different aspects of wildlife for example. The idea is for it to be educational but fun as well.’

The competition is open to anyone under 18. It runs from January and the theme for the first photographs is winter or spring scenes. The first edition of the calendar is expected to run from September 2015 to August the following year.

For more details about the society or the photograph competition see Facebook or email manxfaragher@yahoo.com

A night of British patiotic fun is promoised in a Last Night of the Proms concert being held by Castletown Metropolitan Silver Band with guest soloist Debbie Gooding at 7.30pm this Friday, November 21, in Castletown Civic Centre.

‘We are planning a really fun night,’ said band member Simon Court. ‘There will be fancy dress hats, party bombs, poppers and flags and all the usual themes of the last night, including Land of Hope and Glory, Jerusalem and Sir Henry Wood’s Fantasia on British Sea Songs.

‘The audience is expected to raise the roof singing along, firing poppers, waving flags. All good fun is guaranteed. Debbie will lead the audience in Land of Hope and Glory. We hope to have some giant flag wavers as well.’

Admission, at £2.50, includes refreshments and tickets can be bought on the door.

Half the proceeds go to the Royal British Legion’s poppy appeal providing welfare for service personnel.

Police drop-in sessions, part of a recruitment drive, have been proving popular with the latest taking place at Davison’s cafe on Peel promenade.

Student constables are currently being recruited and the closing date for applications is Friday.

Inspector Cathryn Bradley said: ‘For the first time, we have run informal drop-in sessions, so those who may be interested in a career in the police can find out about the recruitment process and the requirements to be a police officer.

‘These sessions, so far, have proved very popular and we have the various proprietors to thank for allowing us to use their premises. We estimate that we have had about 60 people in total attend the sessions.

‘The feedback from those who have attended has been very positive. The overwhelming view has been that the informality of such an approach of us coming out into the community and using local venues has meant people are more willing to come and see us with their questions, rather than attend our formal open evening or pick up the phone with their questions.

‘We have one more drop in session on Thursday, between 3pm and 7pm at our training centre on Murray’s Road, Douglas.’

For those who cannot make this but would like a chat, call 631547.

Applications forms can be downloaded from the constabulary website.

The airport’s baggage handlers are facing a 20 per cent cut in pay.

Today’s Examiner reveals that they are being balloted on industrial action over the issue.

The paper has also made an access to information request to find out the baggage handlers’ pay.

Inside the paper, we reveal that a contract for a company to run the TT races is up for grabs.

The Examiner also reveals that Heritage Homes has gots its way over a proposed development in Peel.

The paper reports on the political week and looks forward to this week’s sitting of Tynwald.

It also reveals who’s bought the Strand Shopping Centre.

With Children in Need photos, an action-packed sports section, 12 pages of business news and your lively letters, the Examiner is a great read this week.

It’s in the shops now.

The island’s two biggest post offices are to close.

Isle of Man Post Office says it will convert Regent Street, Douglas, and Parliament Street, Ramsey, into sub post offices just like all its other branches across the network, in early 2015.

The Post Office says it is ‘deeply committed’ to maintaining its retail network and converting these two branches in to sub post offices means costs can be reduced and the business will become stronger and more sustainable while maintaining a high level of service.

Mannin Retail Ltd has been awarded the contract to operate both branches.

It operates five sub post offices already.

The new posto ffices will be housed within Mannin Retail Limited’s two retail (Spar) stores in Douglas and Ramsey which close to the existing two branches.

The Post Office says: ‘Customers of the two new branches will continue to enjoy the same level of service, product offering and convenience and will also benefit from extended opening hours of 30 extra minutes each week day.’

Confidence in the short-term economic prospects of the Isle of Man has fallen according to a survey released today.

Results from the September edition of the Omnibus Survey showed that while half of respondents had the same level of confidence as last year, the number with less or much less confidence was much higher than those whose confidence had grown.

More details in today’s Isle of Man Examiner’s business news section.

Support group Breathe Easy Isle of Man is having an awareness stand for World COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) Day

This year’s COPD Day is tomorrow (Wednesday) and Breathe Easy Isle of Man, a part of the British Lung Foundation (BLF), will be at Tesco, Lake Road, Douglas, between 10am and 4pm, to show how they can support people who are affected by lung disease.

Many people may consider breathlessness as a sign of getting old or being unfit, yet it is one of the most common symptoms of lung disease.

Early diagnosis of a lung condition can improve quality of life and care for patients, which is why people are encouraged to visit their GP if they are feeling breathless in situations where they would not expect to be, such as during non-strenuous exercise.

Breathe Easy provides free support and advice for anybody affected by any lung condition – from lung cancer and COPD to rarer conditions such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and mesothelioma.

A UK COPD patient survey, conducted by GlaxoSmithKline, found that nearly half of patients felt that being breathless affected their confidence and over a third felt it impacted negatively on their lives.

The island’s Breathe Easy group is for anyone living with a lung disease, their friends, family members or carers. Everyone is welcome to share advice, support and experiences with other people who are in a similar position.

The group’s Viv Osland said: ‘We really hope that this World COPD Day people will take the opportunity to come to our awareness stand and find out more about breathlessness and early diagnosis, what the group does and how we can help them.

‘It is also an opportunity to find out about the fantastic work that the British Lung Foundation does across the country.’

Tynwald will debate a proposal to introduce a permit system for towed caravans.

A select committee found that the widely held belief that caravans are not allowed in the island is actually a myth.

In fact, there is a just a ‘gentleman’s agreement’, with no basis in law, which means that Steam Packet will only carry a caravan if permission is first given by the government.

There were fears that by lifting the lid on the inadequacy of this unenforceable agreement, the select committee, chaired by Alex Downie MLC, could open the floodgates to a rapid influx of towed caravans.

The committee report concludes the towed caravan market represents an economic opportunity but it needs to be properly regulated. It recommends the introduction of a permit system and a temporary traffic restriction preventing caravans being brought to the island until that permit system is in place.

It also recommends consideration be given to the introduction of a central licensing body to administer a single all-island standard for camping sites.

In another matters, Tynwald will be asked to vote on spending £1.6m on a new endoscopy unit at Noble’s Hospital.

There will be a debate on the island’s new food strategy (see page 19) while a debate from last month on a scrutiny committee report recommending a £50,000 cap on farming grants will be reopened.

Tynwald will be asked to endorse a report by Sir John Elvidge, former Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government, on turning the government into a single legal entity.

In his foreword to the report, Chief Minister Allan Bell says: ‘I hope that in considering Sir John’s proposals, members will see this is not an exercise in organisational theory. It is about improving the way government delivers its services to its customers, the people of the Isle of Man.’

Economic Development Minister Laurence Skelly will seek the court’s approval for the Nunnery to be sold for £5m to become an International Centre for Technology.

Heads of terms have been signed with International Centre for Technology Ltd director Philip Vermeulen for the sale of the building and a number of parcels of land.

Mr Skelly told the Examiner that Mr Vermeulen is one of several investors who have invested seven-figure sums in the project.

He said the funding model had changed to an equity-based one and the Manx Educational Foundation, which first proposed the venture, retains an operational role and is a shareholder in ICT Ltd.

Mr Skelly said the earliest the centre could open would be the 2015-16 academic year and the facility would provide not only undergraduate degree courses but business training, MEF having signed a memorandum of understanding with IT giant Hewlett-Packard.

Speaker Steve Rodan will tell the court there is insufficient evidence for the need to introduce time limits on speeches which were trialed at the July sitting following a suggestion by Bishop Robert Paterson. Motions for debate on spending from reserves and on air services have been tabled respectively by Alfred Cannan (Michael) and Peter Karran (Lib Van, Onchan).

Turning to the question paper, there are 27 questions for oral reply and 23 for written reply. Glenfaba MHK David Anderson will ask Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson what plans he has to bring forward legislation for sexual offences connected with the internet.

The Strand Shopping Centre in Douglas has been sold.

A company owned by island business Brian Eaton has bought the centre from the receivers.

The shopping centre, which opened in 1990, was placed in the hands of receivers DTZ early this year.

Brian J Eaton Ltd took over ownership on November 3.

Cushman and Wakefield LLP, appointed by the receivers as agent for the property management of the centre, have been reappointed by the new owner.

The appeal by Peel Commissioners to stop Heritage Homes building 144 new houses in the town has failed.

The project to build the houses at Reayrt ny Cronk on the Poortown Road will now go ahead after the commissioners’ appeal was dismissed by independent planning inspector Alan Langton, a decision accepted by Department of Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne.

A letter sent to all interested parties said: ‘The minister has considered the report, concurs with the appointed person’s conclusions, and accepts the recommendation that the appeal should be dismissed.

‘Accordingly he has directed that the planning committee’s approval of the application should be confirmed.’

Chairman of the commissioners, Ray Harmer, described the decision as ‘deeply disappointing’.

The board is expected to discuss the issue at their next meeting, this evening.

Read today’s Isle of Man Examiner for the full story - in shops now.

The government has announced the next dates for the Big Debate.

The two events in December will be open to all.

The previous four were open only to people invited from the electoral roll.

Dates and venues:

Tuesday, December 2: Manx Museum lecture theatre, Douglas

Thursday, December 4: Queen Elizabeth II High School assembly hall, Peel

The presentation aims to engage the public in discussion about:

Reducing the size and cost of government and increase efficiency;

Modernising the welfare system;

Making government more responsive to the needs of the community, families and individuals.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/108-turn-up-to-vote-on-big-debate-issues-1-6936889|Click here to read our report on the last Big Debate}

The Isle of Man International Development Committee has pledged £100,000 in support of the UK Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal to address the ebola outbreak in west Africa, which has caused misery to thousands of families in the region.

The countries which are worst affected by this outbreak are Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

More than 5,000 people have now died and more than 13,000 have been infected by the ebola virus.

The current epidemic is the largest and most complex outbreak since the virus was discovered nearly 40 years ago.

The World Health Organisation recently declared the outbreak as a health and humanitarian crisis with global implications.

In its 50 year history, this is the first time that the DEC has mounted an appeal in response to a disease outbreak.

Minister Phil Gawne MHK, chair of the International Development Committee, said: ‘This significant contribution will help the DEC to provide practical support and vital public health information to millions of vulnerable people in West Africa in the fight to stop the spread of the disease.

‘I would urge the public to consider donating to the DEC ebola crisis appeal through the street collections this weekend across the island.’

Saleh Saeed OBE, Disasters Emergency Committee’s chief executive, said: ‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Isle of Man’s International Development Committee for their incredibly generous donation to the ebola crisis appeal, which will play an important role in combatting the spread of the virus.

‘Our member agencies and partners are working urgently in the affected regions to help stop the spread of the disease and provide support to those affected. We have been overwhelmed by the compassion shown by people since launching this unprecedented crisis appeal.’

Earlier this month, we reported on an island doctor who was working on the ebola front line. {http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/health/isle-of-man-doctor-on-ebola-frontline-1-6937668|Click here to read the story.}

The island has forged close links with Sierra Leone. Click {http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/phil-gawne-tells-conference-in-kenya-about-how-the-isle-of-man-has-helped-sierra-leone-1-6247878|here} to read one of our reports about that.

A meeting billed an alternative to the government’s ‘Big Debate’ meetings attracted 50 people on Friday.

The 2020 meeting, at Onchan Parish Hall in Royal Avenue, was addressed by Onchan MHK Peter Karran (Liberal Vannin), Douglas West MHK Chris Thomas and Onchan commissioner Rob Callister.

It was chaired by the Captain of the Parish Peter Kelly.

It looked at means testing, an issue that’s currently big in the news because of government plans to introduce more of it as the squeeze on public finances tightens. A government plan to introduce means testing for council and commissioners’ housing next year was recently scuppered when the government learned it did not have the power to introduce it.

An Examiner reader contacted us to point out that apart from Rob Callister, none of the other Onchan commissioners turned up, yet a commissioner from Patrick and one from Braddan attended. Onchan MHKs David Quirk and Zac Hall also didn’t go.

Another attraction in the village, the Manx Arms’ mhelliah, might have dented the attendance figures, he suggested.

The Manx Natural Healing Centre will hold a ‘dream therapy’ workshop on Saturday (November 22) .

The afternoon will cover learning about dreams which can provide guidance for healing and self development, dream recall techniques and analysis.

To ensure a place and CD to accompany the course call Chris on 393735. Workshop costs £15 and starts at 2pm.

It will take place at Centre 21, Greenfield Road, Douglas.

This week marks the launch of a new digital edition of the Isle of Man Examiner.

It’s a complete replica of the newspaper, with the same news, features and comment you expect, available for the first time in an easy to read format online through your computer, tablet or smartphone.

You just click to turn the pages online and read it as you would normally.

If you’re already a subscriber to the printed edition, you get the digital edition free of charge. You will shortly receive a letter with details your personal login details so you need never miss a copy of the paper again as you can read it wherever you can access the internet.

Find out how to subscribe and view a sample of the online edition by visiting our subscriptions page.

Call Emma Mann on 695648 for more information.