Here is The Leader daily briefing for Thursday 4 January 2024, with the news from around Spain, things to do locally, the traffic and travel forecast, and a little trip back in time on this day.
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News Around Spain
The Public Treasury inaugurates the 2024 debt auctions this Thursday in Spain with several long-term issues in which between 4,5 and 5,5 billion euro will be placed. During the day, the main macro references will be the PMI of the composite and services sector for December that will be published in several countries, including Spain, as well as Germany, France, Italy, the eurozone as a whole, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan and China.
The number of unemployed people registered in the offices of the State Public Employment Service, at the end of December 2023, has decreased by 27,375 (-1%) compared to the previous month. In year-on-year terms, unemployment has decreased by 130,197 people (-4.59%). 2023 has therefore been a very positive year in terms of employment despite the uncertainty of the international situation. Registered unemployment stood at 2,707,456 people, the lowest figure for this month since 2007, before the outbreak of the financial crisis.
The Guardia Civil and the French National Gendarmerie have jointly carried out an operation in which a criminal organisation dedicated to international drug trafficking has been dismantled. 22 people have been arrested in Barcelona, Girona, Bordeaux and Toulouse. They are considered perpetrators of a crime of drug trafficking and membership in a criminal organisation. The organisation sold the drugs on the Telegram messaging application, made shipments through postal parcel services and received payments in cryptocurrencies.
Following on from the news earlier this week that under the new European directive, known as DAC 7, digital platforms such as eBay, and Vinted must share certain information about their sellers with the tax authorities, it has now been clarified that the notice will only be given if the user has carried out more than 30 operations or have obtained more than 2,000 euro in their sales.
The Supreme Court has supported a Guinean citizen to obtain temporary residence in Spain, after both the Administration and Justice prevented him from reuniting in the country with his family – wife and two children, all three Spanish – for not having the sufficient financial means to support the four of them. The high court clarifies that, in addition to economic factors, personal and family factors must be taken into account in such applications.
Companies large and small are being urged to do more to raise awareness and prevent cyber-crime, after the Spanish Association of Companies against Fraud (AECF) in its latest report, pointed out that 68% of Spanish companies acknowledge having been victims of more cases of fraud than the previous year, while only 5% have detected a decrease. Also worrying is that one out of every two affected people (47%) points out that the amount of losses caused by fraud has been higher than the previous year. “Companies must invest more in fraud prevention and control policies.” In the end, this investment is always profitable, since it helps detect and prevent it”, concludes the report, pointing out that “there are two types of companies, those that have been victims of a cyberattack, and those that have been, and still do not know it”.
Things to Do Today
On Playa de los Locos in Torrevieja there will be rugby on the beach on Thursday, aimed specifically at those aged between 10 and 14.
Again today in Torrevieja, the Three Wise Men of the East will collect the Three Kings Letters with the wonderful Royal Camp, at the door of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, and in the Plaza Encarnación Puchol, from the 4:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
The Three Kings are also in Guardamar today on Avenida los Pinos, where they will be meeting the little ones until 8 p.m., apart from during their lunch break.
In Orihuela, at 11 a.m., “Storytelling Workshop with Puppets” in Orihuela Centro (in Plaza El Salvador), “Pirates Children’s Theatre” in Molins (in Plaza de la Iglesia), “Christmas Workshop” in Hurchillo (in the Plaza de la Iglesia) and “Christmas Workshop” in San Bartolomé (in Plaza Civic Centre). Parades livening up the streets of the city of Orihuela by the Dacapo Musical Association.
Traffic and Travel
A little bit of advanced warning as the Christmas campaign continues on the roads of Spain and on Friday things are expected to get even busier from around 5 p.m. as many businesses close early for the Three Kings weekend, and some people start their journey back home from the coast and mountain areas, which will of course continue on Sunday.
There will also be road closures in various towns on Friday, mostly in the afternoon and evening, to facilitate the Three Kings parades.
The worst times this weekend are expected to be on Friday from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m., and on Sunday, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
In the air, Copenhagen is expected to be affected by snow, and Frankfurt by equipment problems, and there may be capacity issues across the centre of Spain, affecting Madrid and capacity issues might also affect Seville as the day continues. Air Traffic Control staffing shortages are continuing to affect UK air space, and Paris and Rome might also fall victim to that cause today.
There are also problems possible around Turkiye for a few days due to restrictions caused by test flights.
Weather wise, a frontal system over the northwest of Spain and into Portugal might affect flying, and winds will still be the protagonist in many areas, including the UK.
On This Day
Tragedy struck on this day in 1967 when Donald Campbell died while attempting to break his own water speed record in his jet-powered boat, Bluebird K7.
In 1958, Sir Edmund Hillary arrived at the South Pole, becoming the first explorer to do so since Captain Scott in 1912. On the same day, but in the year 2000, the first British women to walk across Antarctica to the South Pole arrived safely, more than two months after starting their record-breaking journey.
In the world of music, Thin Lizzy bassist Phil Lynott died of heart failure on this day in 1985, at the age of 36.
On this day in 1960, Michael Stipe, lead singer and songwriter with R.E.M., famous for such hits as “Losing My Religion” and “Everybody Hurts”, was born in Decatur, Georgia.
