News
Ice crisis
Drowning increases
Between January and mid-August , 260 people have died in Spain through swimming-related tragedies , the same number as was recorded for the whole of 2021 . The chilling milestone was revealed by the National Drowning Report which has anticipated a total of 400 deaths for this year . Such incidents were the third leading cause of accidental deaths in Spain last year according to date from the National Statistics Institute .
Licence fraud
A 28-year-old Armenian living in Valencia has been found to have lost 321 points on his driving licence by taking responsibility for fines imposed for serious traffic offences committed by others . He charged the real offenders up to € 200 , plus the cost of the fine , so that their own licences would be unaffected . The Guardia Civil are reported to be investigating how he managed to accumulate so many penalty points without anyone apparently noticing .
Fair assaults
Police in Riogordo have been investigating two allegations of abuse during the town ’ s annual fair last month . In one case , a 16-year-old claims a 17- year-old assaulted her sexually and has been arrested , while no-one has yet been detained for an alleged attack on a nineyear-old girl . Both victims were taken to hospital in Málaga for a formal examination .
Caleta complaint
The acting mayor of Vélez-Málaga says the port of Caleta is in a “ state of total neglect .” Jesús Pérez Atencia has requested urgent maintenance and cleaning before the area becomes “ unsustainable ” because of accumulated dirt and debris . He complained that there are presently only two people responsible for the cleanliness of “ one of Andalucía ’ s most important fishing ports which has been totally abandoned to its fate .”
New fairground ?
Vélez-Málaga wants to acquire land on left bank of the Vélez river near its mouth . The deputy mayor for Torre del Mar , Jesús Pérez Atencia , is reported to be holding meetings with present owners and the regional government . The town wants land away from residential areas suitable for staging summer events including Torre del Mar ’ s annual fair .
A very hot summer and rising power prices have led to a shortage of ice in the province of Málaga and across Spain . Increased demand for cold drinks came as many factories producing ice commercially switched off their cold stores to save money .
Supermarkets either ran out of supplies or were forced to ration sales , while bars and restaurants were limiting customers to just one cube per drink . Anecdotal evidence strongly suggests that some hospitality outlets in the most popular tourist areas were charging € 1 extra for a cube .
Normally , ice which is frozen in the cool winter months is stored in chilled
F-gas tax reformed
The cost of new air conditioning units , fridges and freezers has just increased by up to ten per cent , thanks to the imposition of a new tax . From September 1 , sectors such as the automotive industry , hotels , supermarkets , the food industry and department stores which sell heating and cooling devices become liable to pay tax on fluorinated greenhouse gases , known as F-gases .
The tax previously existed but was only passed on to customers who directly purchased the gases . A reform means now that the manufacture or installation of products using the gases is taxed , and that cost is being passed on to customers .
Spain ’ s Association of Refrigeration and Technology Companies has estimated that this will increase the price of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment by between five and ten per cent . Up to 20 business groups protested the reform because of the impact it will have on various sectors of the economy , as well warehouses ready to meet the summer demands . But with the huge increases in electricity charges , some manufacturers decided to abandon maintaining very low temperatures in their facilities , describing the practice as “ unsustainable .” Only newly manufactured ice was then available for sale .
as small businesses and private households .
Convictions upheld
Sixteen former officials from the socialist PSOE party in Andalucía have had their convictions for offences , including embezzlement and misappropriating public funds , upheld by the Supreme Court . Three others had their convictions quashed . Manuel Chaves and José Antonio Griñán , both former heads of the Junta de Andalucía , were amongst those found guilty of cronyism and misuse of public money during their years in power .
Poor service
Ferrovial , which provides catering services on Spanish trains , has been denounced by the USO trades union which claims staff reductions have led to poor customer service . Ferrovial ’ s contract for high-speed AVE services was cut from € 460 million to € 211 million . Rail operator Renfe says it is working on a new collective bargaining arrangement with the government .
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