Three January edition articles from around the World, including the arrest of a man who tried to order drugs at a drive-through, a gun-dog that shot his master and a snake charmer who released his snakey friends in the local Tax Office.
Three Kings in Salobreña
by Martin Myall •
The Three Kings weren’t short of company as 3,000 villagers turned out to follow the parade, but before they did the circuit, they shot off over to Hospital Santa Ana to sprinkle the younger patients with presents.
Three Kings in Motril
by Martin Myall •
If you have a port, why not use it? Well, that’s what their Multiple Majesties must have concluded because the Three Kings arrived in town aboard a fishing boat, docking on a quayside, thronged with expectant faces.
Changes to the Church Street
by Martin Myall •
The steep hill leading up from the town-hall square (Plaza de la Constitución) to the main church is to have some work done on the stone steps, which have caused a few slips and bumps for the unwary.
Three Kings in Almuñécar
by Martin Myall •
A dozen floats took part in the Almuñécar 3-Kings Parade, which set out just after six in the evening and took three hours to work its way round the thronging crowds of awe-struck kiddies.
Three Kings in La Herradura
by Martin Myall •
Everybody had fun at the 3-kings parade in the village; the kiddies before their sweet-hurling majesties, and the parents who enjoyed the fun gleaming in their children’s eyes.
The Imserso Cushion
by Martin Myall •
Many hotels on the Costa Tropical manage to keep going through the winter thanks to Imserso, which is a state-subsidized, pensioners’ holiday scheme. However, this winter, like the swallows, they’re staying elsewhere.
Salobreña Takes Out Another Loan
by Martin Myall •
The Salobreña Town Hall has approved taking another multi-million euro loan, this time for 2.8m. With the said funds to pay off local debts and for the Town Hall to be able to ‘function.’
The Mayor insists that the operation is not ‘a whim’, as under existing legislation town halls are obligated to terminate loan policies before the 31st of December. Having paid off the existing ones, they now need funds to operate.
Distant New Year
by Martin Myall •
Whilst many foreigners were spending their Christmas and New Year in Almuñécar, one Almuñequero was spending his in the Antarctic.
Carlos Cano is a naval rating on board the Spanish, oceanic-research ship, Hespérides, which is carrying out an expedition code-named Malaspina and has taken the crew and ship around the world during its 7-month voyage.
Three More Spanish National Articles
by Duncan Inglis •
Inlcuding the dangerous fad of ‘balconing’, palencia road horror and working week problems in Madrid.
Cameron Taylor Jackson & Burley
by Anon E. Mouse •
How can we describe David Cameron’s popularity at an EU summit; a bit like a fart in a lift, or maybe a french kiss at a family reunion?
But just how really nasty is the man with the perfect hair? Well, that appears to depend on where you live
The Return of Patrimonial Tax
by Maria Teresa Velasco •
Last September the Spanish government passed a new decree related to a temporary patrimonial tax for the fiscal year 2011/2012. Law 13/2011 of the 16th September was justified by the economical crisis and the need for the government to compensate the increasing deficit. According to the law this tax will be temporary and will apply to the fiscal year 2011/2012 and will have to be paid in the tax declaration of 2012/2013.
Doctors Don’t Like Vitamins!
by Axel E. Thieke G.P. •
Evidence is mounting, that vitamin and mineral supplements do have adverse health effects. The latest on the list are calcium and vitamin E.
So far it has been believed(!) that vitamin E and selenium supplementation lower risk for prostate cancer (in men!). However, when early results after 3 years from a large controlled trial showed no fewer cases but even an excess risk for prostate cancer, the trial had to be halted.
Bank Takes All
by Martin Myall •
It never crossed the mind of small businessman, Antonio Ruiz, that something like this could happen to him; but it has. One moment he was on top of the world, and the next he had been stripped of all he possessed – the bank took the lot: his business (Cuadros San Sebastian) his work shop, his house… and even the houses of his two offspring… they even took his grandchildren’s bicycles!
Expensive Impact
by Martin Myall •
(Malaga) A man with mental problems jumped from a 9th-floor to end his life after escaping from a mental ward… which is unfortunate enough, but he landed on a passerby who had just walked out of a bar, causing quite a lot of bodily mischief, which is not only unfortunate but also arguably clumsy.