Today in Spain, Mud, rain, and flooding possible, Judge on trial for hate crime, Farmers summoned to Government meeting.
On Thursday the 15th, the focus of attention will be on the final reading of inflation in Spain and the preliminary GDP data for the United Kingdom in Q4 2023. On a day when the trend in the Eurozone trade balance will also be relevant, along with the United Kingdom.
In the UK, by-elections will dominate the headlines as voters in Wellingborough and Kingswood constituencies decide on their latest representatives on Thursday. The votes follow the ousting of Peter Bone, and the resignation of Net Zero review author Chris Skidmore.
Contents (click to jump ahead)
- Spanish News Headlines
- Things to Do Today
- Local Markets
- Traffic and Travel
- Weather
- On This Day
- Video of the Day
- Follow Mark Nolan’s Podcast
Spanish News Headlines
The presence of an anticyclone that still dominates large areas of the Peninsula and that leaves temperatures rising will break this Thursday with the possible formation of a DANA. The front will cause a drop in the mercury in almost all thermometers and precipitation in several areas of the country, especially in the Gulf of Cádiz and the Strait. Forecasters believe that “a DANA will cross Spain this Thursday with heavy rains and storms, accompanied by hail and mud.” For his part, meteorologist David Gómez explains on his “It is likely that the precipitation will pass more quickly and violently.”
A Judge based in the Criminal Court number 1 of Granada, declares this Thursday in a procedure in Court number 8, as being investigated for an alleged hate crime. This procedure was initiated by a complaint from the lawyer Carlos Aránguez regarding the continuous absolutely inappropriate comments on his Facebook account such as, for example, referring to the feminist movement as “feminazis”, making fun of the Queen and the Pope, calling the Supreme Court garbage and repeatedly using xenophobic and racist expressions.
Farmers, who have been protesting across the country, have been summoned to a meeting with the Government representative today, Luis Planas, the Minister of Agriculture. Now into the second week of the tractor protests, the Government is finally moving forward and calling on the representatives of farmers and ranchers. It will do so the day after the main agrarian organisations, in unity of action, showed their muscle in what they have called ‘Super Wednesday’, that is, the main day chosen to carry out the largest agrarian mobilisation since the beginning of the protests, having as its most important action a concentration at the doors of Mercamadrid, the largest logistics centre in Spain.
To read these articles in full, visit SpainToday.news
Business, Markets and Statistics
Thursday sees an avalanche of macro references. In Spain, the final CPI data for January stands out, in the eurozone, the trade balance; and, in the US, retail sales, industrial production, in Empire manufacturing and the Philadelphia Fed survey. This day, in addition, the Public Treasury auctions bonds and obligations. Meanwhile, the president of the ECB appears before the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee of the European Parliament.
In Spain, the INE publishes the final data of the CPI and harmonised CPI for January, the Public Treasury auctions bonds maturing in May 2027 and 2029 and obligations maturing in July 2033, and Vidrala pays a dividend of 1,018 gross euro per share.
In the Eurozone, Thursday starts with the appearance of Christine Lagarde, president of the ECB, before the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON) of the European Parliament in Brussels. Eurostat publishes international merchandise trade figures for December, and company and bankruptcy records for the fourth quarter. The ECB publishes the total reserve assets for January, and there is an informal meeting of EU Competitiveness Ministers.
In the UK, the industrial production figures for December are published, along with the trade balance for December, and the provisional GDP data for the fourth quarter.
Things to Do Today
Although we are in a quiet time once again, this weekend will see the Orihuela Costa Carnival in which no less than 27 troupes have already agreed their participation, with the route around Playa Flamenca and Los Dolses.
And, Unbroken is in Torrevieja, an urban endurance sports competition.
For more local events, pick up The Leader newspaper every Monday, and This is Torrevieja for Torrevieja events.
Local Markets
Thursday markets are held in Alicante, Bigastro, Campoamor (Orihuela Costa), El Altet (Elche), Gran Alacant, Lo Pagan (San Pedro del Pinatar), Rojales, and San Fulgencio (La Marina).
The roads will of course be busy around those locations.
Traffic and Travel
We still have farmers protesting in various areas, and snow on higher ground.
The same as last week, the weekend is going to be busy on the roads particularly around winter leisure areas, which includes second homes, but mostly the mountainous regions for winter sports. We will have the full details of the busiest times in tomorrow’s bulletin.
Flights could still be diverted today due to that live missile firing exercise in the Bay of Biscay.
For information and updates about driving in Spain, visit N332.es
Weather
On This Day
1993, in Madrid, the police dismantle a trafficking gang that had illegally introduced more than 2,000 Dominican citizens into Spain to dedicate them to prostitution.
1990, in Madrid, Argentina and the United Kingdom reach an agreement to reestablish diplomatic relations after eight years since the Falklands War broke out.
1966, Spain grants Germans entry into the country without the need for a passport, although they do require an identity card, for tourist purposes.
Video of the Day
Today’s Video of the Day has no relevance whatsoever to anything mentioned, but as I stumbled across it on YouTube, I thought we all love a bit of nostalgia, and so, considering the day, we could have a little #Throwback#Thursday and relax with a retro advert of a better time in many ways…
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The post Spain Today – Thursday 15 February 2024 first appeared on Mark Nolan´s Podcast.
Judge on trial for hate crime
Mud, rain, and flooding possible from Thursday
