News
Cathedral shock
The Archbishop of Toledo has apologised after two music artists filmed a racy video in the city ' s 13th century cathedral . C . Tangana and Nathy Peluso ( pictured ) used the building as the background for their song Ateo ( Atheist ) which included scenes of them grinding against one another . Archbishop Francisco Cerro Chaves said he had been unaware of the project and undertook to take steps to avoid a repetition .
Birthday boost
Madrid is planning a culture boost for the half-million residents who celebrate their 18th birthdays next year . Ministers wants to give each € 400 to spend on activities including cinema and theatre tickets , books and concerts . However , attending bull-fights is to be specifically excluded from the deal .
Pay roads
The Government has confirmed that all drivers will soon have to pay to use Spain ’ s roads , although the collection system will not be called a toll . Infrastructure Minister Sergio Vazquez said last month that discussions were underway on how the charging process might work . Observers suggest a system costing drivers one cent per kilometre is being favoured at present , meaning that a return journey between Nerja and Málaga ’ s airport via the A-7 autovía would cost € 1.36 .
Residency problems
British nationals who failed to apply for Spanish residency before the end of last year are reported to be finding it difficult to be accepted . The only way to apply now is through Spain ’ s Consulate in the UK and legal experts say officials are being “ very strict .” Recent statistics suggest that 2,400 residency applications from British nationals have been rejected already this year .
Driving penalties increase
Increased penalties for a number of driving offences are likely to become law within weeks . Deputies in the lower house of Parliament have passed the new Traffic , Circulation and Road Safety Law , which replaces the current regulations dating from 2015 , and it now awaits approval by the upper house , the Senate .
The new penalty for “ holding cell phone devices while driving ” will be the removal of six points from the driver ’ s licence , an increase from the present three points . If the device is being used in “ hands free ” mode , however , the penalty remains at three points .
Spain ’ s traffic authority , Tráfico ( the DGT ), says unlocking a mobile phone or reading and answering text messages are distractions which caused 31 per cent of fatal accidents in Spain ’ s
Juan Carlos – a “ state problem ”
Claims have been made that King Juan Carlos , father of King Felipe , was “ injected with female hormones to control his rampant sex drive .” The Times of London reported last month that Spain ’ s National Intelligence Centre ( CNI ) took the drastic action after the Monarch ’ s libido was categorised as a “ state problem .”
The allegations have come from a former police chief who is presently on trial facing charges of blackmail . José Manuel Villarejo , a retired commissioner of the National Police force , told a Madrid court on October 20 that members of the country ’ s secret service administered “ testosterone blockers ” and insisted that he was asked to delete medical documents which recorded the treatment .
However , he denied having had any part in the move to bring the former King ’ s sex drive under control . Instead , he says , he heard of it from one of the many women with whom Juan Carlos is alleged to have had affairs . roads last year . That ’ s an increase of three points on 2019 .
Those who fail to wear a seatbelt will see the penalty raised from three to four points off their licences , while wearing a safety helmet while riding a scooter will become mandatory .
Professional drivers will be required to install a breathalyser in their vehicles which can immobilise the engine if they exceed the legal limit of alcohol in their blood .
However , one change which appeared in the draft version of the new legislation has not made it into the final text . The proposal was to make it illegal to overtake another vehicle if , in so doing , the speed limit is exceeded . It will thus remain legal to overtake if the speed required is no more than 20 kph in excess of the limit .
Nothing is new about allegations centring on the sex life of the King who reigned Spain from 1975 until he abdicated in favour of his son , Felipe IV , in 2014 . A book published by the author Martinez Inglés in 2016 referred to him as “ The King of 5,000 Lovers ” while claims have been made that several women had been handsomely paid off to stay silent about their affairs with him .
Juan Carlos , now 83 and living in exile in Abu Dhabi , is presently facing claims from one former lover that she was the victim of an eight year campaign of harassment . Corinna zu Sayn- Wittgenstein is taking her case to the High Court in London accusing him of phone hacks , a smear campaign and death threats . Juan Carlos , who is also facing accusations of financial corruption in Spain , claims that as a former monarch he cannot be sued .
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