PA: San Roque has the highest Council taxes but gets no services

Council car tax, one of the lowest in the province

San Roque

SAN ROQUE -- On studying the Report on Local Taxes issued annually by the Confederation of Cádiz Businesses (CEC, Confederación de Empresarios de Cádiz), the Partido Andalucista (PA) says it once more reveals the deficiencies in the government of Mayor Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix regarding one the heaviest taxes paid by the town's citizens: the IBI (Impuesto de Bienes Inmuebles), or Council Tax. San Roque pays the second highest taxes in the province. "Not only do we pay more, but there are sections with high taxes that get no or very few municipal services," says a spokesperson. The answer from the town hall is that the luxury of Sotogrande and Alcaidesa makes them demand the second highest taxes in Cádiz.

Violence in Spanish football: a substitute for war?

Few incidents at Jimmy's funeral
Among the mourners, former Depor President

Former Depor President at funeral (c.)

MADRID (OPINION) -- As you are probably aware, a radical football fan (such a minimal word for this article) was beaten and killed last Sunday before the Atlético de Madrid and Deportivo La Coruña match at the Vicente Calderón stadium in Madrid. The fight that led to 46-year-old Francisco Javier Romero Taboada's death was between two groups of extremists: the Frente Atlético and Riazor Blues, both of which arrived at around 8.40 in the morning, having planned the 'event' well ahead via Twitter, What's App, Twenty and Facebook, among others. There were also some 10 hurt, and at least 20 people arrested at the time, and 30 more identified. So how, or why, did this happen?

Gibraltar Government plans 1500 flats

895 flats already allocated

Watergardens, Gibraltar

GIBRALTAR  -- With all flats at Mons Calpe Mews and Beach View Terraces now allocated, the government has said it is planning two further housing projects; the first opposite Watergardens and the second on the Eastside reclamation. In late 2011, the GSLP-Liberals promised the electorate they would provide hundreds of new homes at affordable prices if elected. Construction for their first two housing schemes is well underway and a total of 895 flats have already been allocated, including 477 three bedroom flats and 312 two bedroom flats. The housing waiting list guided allocation, with priority given to those on the list at the time of the last general election.

A year ago today, Madiba

Google 'loses' Córdoba Mosque

Church quietly takes over historical sites throughout the country

Breathtaking columned hall
of the Mosque

CÓRDOBA -- One of Spain's, and the world's, most visited sites, the Cathedral-Mosque in Córdoba, suffered the indignity of not being properly named by the world's most-used websites. Google Maps, who had called it the Cathedral-Mosque for years, 'downgraded' the fabulous building to a mere cathedral. The official title given it by Córdoba Council in the mid-1990s was changed. Uproar. A temple built by the Omeya Califate that became a Roman Catholic bishop's headquarters in 1239 went back to normal by Tuesday. Behind all this, though, is a much more important issue: for years the Church in Córdoba has been trying to have the word Mosque removed from its official title. In more recent documents, including posters and even access tickets (see photo below), the word has been eliminated, according to reports. This would simply erase an absolutely unique piece of universal architecture that brings together not only the art of Al-Andalus but also that of the Gothic period, the Rennaisance and of the Baroque. The Cathedral-Mosque was granted the title of World Heritage Site by UNESCO as far back as 1984.

Economy of Andalucía to grow by 1.8% in 2015

Domestic demand grows thanks to fiscal encouragement

Tourism numbers also in expansion

SEVILLE -- The analysis service of BBVA bank reported recently that the economy of the Andalucía Region will show growth of 1.3% by the end of this year and increase by 1.8% in 2015. This, according to Rafael Doménech, head economist of the Developed Economies department of BBVA Research, is within the context of general growth of the Spanish economy, which "is growing despite stagnation in the EuroZone." And according to a previous report, Situación Andalucía, issued during the first half of 2014, "the economy of Andalucía is expanding well ... and it is evident that it is in full recovery."

Duchess of Alba's inheritance valued at €3,000 million

• Main title is inherited by eldest son, Carlos Fitz-James Stuart
• Most of her riches are owned by the Casa de Alba Foundation and non-taxable

Duchess and Alfonso Díez
(hellomagazine.com)

SEVILLE -- Doña María del Rosario Cayetana Paloma Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Fernanda Teresa Francisca de Paula Lourdes Antonia Josefa Fausta Rita Castor Dorotea Santa Esperanza Fitz-James Stuart y de Silva Falcó y Gurtubay, better known as the Duchess of Alba, died just a few days ago (November 20). A few days before that she had been declared the third richest woman in Spain by Forbes Magazine, which calculated her fortune at the €3 billion, including property, farms, jewelry, art works, financial investments and unique items such as castles, palaces and fifty-one nobility titles. Her funeral was 'very intimate', according to reports. So now comes the matter of her heirs and their inheritance.

As we all know, inheritances are subject to inheritance taxes (in Spain: Impuesto de Sucesiones), which are direct, personal, subjective, payable immediately and on a progressive scale, according to one translation of the law. Transferring property in cases of mortis causa is not taxable.

Annual nationwide Food Bank campaign collects 140 million kilos

• Second annual Food Bank collection gets over 135 tons of donations in the Campo area
• 1700 Campo de Gibraltar volunteers helped exceed expectations

ALGECIRAS (Cádiz) The second edition of a national annual foodstuffs campaign was a resounding success this year. Held throughout the country over three days last weekend and organized at local levels by several different groups coordinated by the Banco De Alimentos Foundation, the total collected came to over 140 million kilos to be distributed among the needy. In the Campo de Gibraltar area alone there were some 30 collection points, principally at supermarkets where you were handed an empty plastic bag as you went in and asked to do the best you could.

Trauma unit at Algeciras hospital to be closed over holidays

Unions criticize the 'imposition'
Aimed at avoiding overtime and holiday pay

Punta de Europa Hospital

ALGECIRAS -- The Andalucía Health Service (SAS, Servicio Andaluz de Salud) has decided yet again to close the Trauma Unit at the Punta de Europa Hospital over the holidays -- from December 20 to January 9 -- ostensibly because there is usually little activity during this period. On enquiry, the district authorities (Área de Gestión Sanitaria del Campo de Gibraltar) pointed out that other units will be reinforced and beds will be reserved for use if necessary.

The CSIF union raised the alarm over the temporary closure, declaring that it rejected the measure that will lose 27 of the available beds. It pointed out that patients and staff will be transferred to the Surgery Department. This was rejected out of hand two years ago as the result of adverse reports from the Preventative Medicine that pointed out the 'potential risks' possible when two separate services were brought together on the same floor. Now, says the union, the decision is 'imposed' on them.

Spain is officially free of Ebola

WHO makes declaration 42 days after the second Spanish victim is released

Teresa Romero on release

MADRID -- Teresa Romero, who survived a critical bout of Ebola, left her hospital confinement 42 days ago this week, while the repatriated Medicins Sans Frontieres volunteer doctor who had pricked herself accidentally with a possibly contagious needle has tested negative. She is still in hospital but not quarantined. These and other factors have allowed the World Health Organization to officially declare Spain as free from the deadly virus.

New Health Minister for 'political strength'

• Former PP Parliamentary Spokesperson is a party man, close to Soraya
• No further changes in Cabinet planned, says PP

New Minister (r.) and predecessor
at hand-over

MADRID -- Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy made the decision last Monday to include a party loyalist in his cabinet in substitution of Ana Mato, whose husband is under investigation in the Gürtel case and who resigned last week as a result. The new minister, Alfonso Alonso, was sworn in as Minister of Health, Social Policy and Equality  on Wednesday last. Alonso, 47, hails from Vitoria, Galicia, and is known to be politically close to Vice-President Soraya Sáenz de Santa María, whose power in the cabinet is thus increased. She was also instrumental in choosing the new Minister of Justice, Rafael Catalá when Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón resigned last month. The new man at Health

Alcaidesa Playa to get water supply at last

Problem has been around for a long time, takes denouncing to the media to get results

ALCAIDESA (Cádiz) The local newspaper of reference, Europa Sur, was told about a month ago that the problem of water supply to the Alcaidesa Playa area had not yet been sorted, after several years of contradictions between town halls, residents and the like. Apparently, the town hall had said that the urbanisation had not been officially 'received' in its enntirety at the time of handing it over to be provided with services. One of the problems with Alcaidesa is that the whole urbanization sits on the border of the municipalities of La Línea and San Roque, an opportunity for both to toss the ball into the other's court at the slightest provocation. This is presumably why Mancomunidad had to takle part in the matter. It may also do so, therefore, in other similar disputes that arise in the future.

Two dead, 36 arrested in anti-drugs operation on Chiclana beach

Storm capsizes launch as crew was unloading hash bales

(www.levante-emv.com)

CHICLANA (Cádiz) -- The first body beached last Sunday, The second turned up on Monday, but the dealers' schedule had planned to unload on Friday, which is when a big storm boiled up in the Straits and most of the province of Cádiz. In a lengthy press release, the Guardia Civil had the bodies as those of Moroccan nationality, who crewed one of four launches trying to drop their merchandise at the Sancti Petri beach in Chiclana. News of the accident had numerous people combing the beach searching for a part of the haul, resulting in the arrest of 36 people, most of whom are now released on bail. The GC did manage to grab a couple of tons of hash and arrest 3 people off the launches. The case is not yet closed.

Bilingual teaching improves Spanish

Study followed 244 students from four bilingual schools in Andalucía

ANDALUCÍA -- The headline is not a mistake. System Magazine, the International Journal of Educational Technology and Applied Linguistics, recently published an article in which it reported that it had followed written and spoken work by 244 13- to 17-year-old students for three years. The report concluded that being taught in English not only doesn't harm their usage of Spanish but does improve the development of their academic expressiveness. The study followed the development of the students' linguistic structure in one language (complex syntaxes and textual cohesion mechanisms) through three academic years, using the textual analysis system called Synlex. The data collected reflect the harmonious development of cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP) that appear in English texts. which are then put to use in Spanish. These conclusions contradict the extended opinion that developing profficiency in language hurts the development of others.

Topsy is safe now

Despite the fact that she has a changing but substantial number of dogs, Paula misses Topsy very much. After a frantic couple of days of searching and calling, she posted this on Facebook just a few minutes ago: "Topsy is in heaven! A friend was out cycling and found her body at the side of the lane about a half a kilometer away facing in the direction of home! We will never know what has happened but she looks very peaceful and I think it was quick!" She had a very happy life among all her friends down at the house...

Bhopal: Thirty years on -- and still seeking justice

(The Atlantic - Focus)

BHOPAL (India) -- History's worst industrial disaster happened on the night of December 2, 1984. That night, toxic gas had leaked from a factory run by Union Carbide India Ltd spreading fumes over a large residential area in Bhopal. The media in Spain and many other countries have reflected on the fact that justice has never been served for the people of Bhopal who suffered so very badly from the disaster. The Secretary General of Amnesty International, Salil Shetty, yesterday published a personal article on the subject. Pictures of the results are numerous, but a very good selection appears in The Atlantic. The fact that Union Carbide was taken over by another US company, Dow Chemical, largely, it was intimated, as a shield against multi-million dollar legal claims, makes no difference to the victims, mainly a relatively uneducated, non-powerful, almost-invisible population. It is also true that at the time, the Indian government held a non-controlling 49% interest in Union Carbide. Yet it has never lifted a financial finger to help its own countrymen, women and children.