News
Rock city
Gibraltar has found out that it has been a British city since 1842 . Its status was awarded by Queen Victoria but had subsequently been omitted from the official list of recognised cities , although it is unclear how this happened . The Rock was ceded to Britain in 1713 after the War of the Spanish Succession and is now one of only five British cities outside the UK .
Form scrapped
Spain ’ s decision immediately to scrap the SpTH form required by travellers entering the country was announced on September 19 . The health control form no longer needs to be completed and presented on arrival in the country . The government recently extended until November 15 the requirement for travellers from non-EU countries to have a Covid-19 vaccination , test or recovery certificate to enter Spain .
VAT reduction
ITV ( Value Added Tax ) on gas is reduced from 21 % to just 5 % this month . PM Pedro Sánchez said the move will “ lower the heating bill of Spanish families this autumn and winter .” The reduction will last until December 31 but Sr Sánchez indicated that the government is open to extending it into next year .
Topless campaign
Cataluña ’ s Department of Equality and Feminism says women should be allowed to swim topless in the region ’ s swimming pools to end sexualisation and discrimination . A campaign launched this summer alleges a double standard between genders because it is acceptable for men to go topless . However , photos of women included in campaign posters have complained because their permission to use their images was not sought .
New law : “ Only yes means yes ”
New legislation passed by Congress at the end of August states that sexual consent must be affirmative and cannot be assumed by default or by silence . The law , referred to as “ Only yes means yes ,” was prompted by an horrendous incident in Pamplona in 2016 .
The new law was passed with 205 votes in favour . Deputies from the Partido Popular and Vox voted against and there were three abstentions . Equality Minister Irene Montero described the adoption of the legislation as “ a victorious day after many years of struggle .” She added , “ From now on no woman will have to prove that violence or intimidation was used for it to be recognised for what it is .”
During the bull-running festival in
British expats were expected to demonstrate outside the UK ’ s embassy in Madrid late last month in an effort to get officials to speed up negotiations on driving licences . Those who failed
to exchange their British licences for a Spanish licence by the end of May this year have been unable to drive legally in the country since then .
In early July the British Ambassador to Spain , Hugh Elliott , said that a deal was due to have been reached by the end of July but this did not happen . The Embassy in Madrid said more recently that it was urgently trying to reach agreement with the Spanish authorities and claimed to be “ genuinely ” making progress . “ We know this frustrating ,” it added , “ and we don ’ t under-estimate the impact on those of you who are affected .”
Pamplona in 2016 an 18-year-old woman was raped by men who became known as “ the wolf pack .” When the case came to court , the man ’ s defence lawyers argued that mobile phone footage which showed the victim lying unmoving and with closed eyes , was proof of her consent .
The men were first charged with sexual abuse and sentenced to nine years in jail , but after public outrage , the charge was increased to rape and the sentence was increased to 15 years .
The new law states , “ Consent can only be considered consent when it has been freely manifested through actions that , in accordance with the circumstances , clearly express the person ’ s wishes .”
Driving licence demo
These comments appear to have prompted calls for the demo at the end of September . In addition , there is anger that British tourists can drive legally in Spain on a UK licence , alongside claims that many other EU countries continue to accept UK licences held by British residents .
Missing millionaires
Spain lost 17,000 millionaires in 2021 according to a Global Wealth Management report published last month . The fall in the number of people with a net wealth of more than $ 1 million was even greater in Italy , Germany and France . The report added that the average wealth per adult in Spain at the end of last year was $ 222,888 (€ 225,000 ).
Amazon halted
Amazon is reported to have suspended construction of nine new distribution warehouses around Spain because of economic uncertainty and rising inflation . The company reported its first quarterly losses in May this year . The suspension will continue until 2024 and will leave 150,000 square metres of land undeveloped .
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