Here is The Leader daily briefing for Wednesday 3 January 2024, with the news from around Spain, things to do locally, the weather forecast, and a little trip back in time on this day.
News Around Spain
The unemployment and Social Security affiliation figures for December will be the main reference in Spain this Wednesday. Also, in Germany, the evolution of unemployment last month will be known. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, investors will be awaiting the minutes of the last monetary policy meeting of the Federal Reserve and the US manufacturing ISM in December.
The Guardia Civil, in collaboration with the National Police, arrested four people and investigated three others for the alleged crimes of robbery with continued force, illicit possession of firearms, membership in a criminal group, reception, against public health and against heritage. In the five searches carried out, four firearms, ammunition of different calibres, a bulletproof vest, three vehicles, two marijuana plantations, 50 hams and almost 57,000 electronic cigarettes were seized. During their crimewave, the criminals attacked the same warehouse three times, obtaining half a million euro in goods. Two of those arrested have been remanded in custody.
Despite Christmas being largely considered over by some, this last week in the run up to Three Kings is one of the busiest times for the toy retail sector in Spain. Historically, many parents leave gift shopping to the last minute in Spain, which results in a total of 22% of Christmas spending on these items being concentrated between January 2 and 5. In fact, the 4th alone accounts for 6% of all seasonal toy sales. In the absence of completing the sales campaign, the first data point to a decrease of close to 9% in toy sales this Christmas. On the one hand, Toys R Us and Juguetilandia manage to maintain average spending. On the other hand, brands such as Drim, Juguettos and Toy Planet experience decreases of between 4% and 8%.
Spain´s new Minister of Health, Mónica García, is keen to focus the attention on limiting tobacco consumption among its strategies for this legislature. Tobacco addiction represents the world’s leading cause of deaths and preventable morbidity today. Along these lines, the health official announced that she intends to resume the 2021-2025 anti-smoking plan, also opening the doors to expanding smoke-free spaces to areas such as terraces, strategies that had been parked for some time, and even withdrawn in some areas after they were implemented to reduce the spread of Covid.
The deployment of the new self-employed contribution system based on their real income will continue to be developed in 2024, in which self-employed workers will pay monthly contributions to Social Security that will range from 225 to 530 euro, depending on their net income. This contribution system, agreed with the main self-employed organisations, started at the beginning of 2023 and will have a transition period of nine years, until 2032. In 2024, the quota for a self-employed person with net income equal to or less than the minimum interprofessional salary will be cheaper at 225 euro, compared to 230 euro in 2023. At the other end of the scale, all the self-employed with net income greater than 6,000 euro will go up to 530 euro per month, which is 30 euro more than in 2023 but 60 euro less than what they will pay in 2025.
In 2024, Spain will celebrate a total of nine national holidays, commonly known as Red Days, to which we must also add regional holidays, local holidays, and, for those appropriate, extra school holidays. In some areas, to complicate matters further, holidays celebrated on a weekend are also moved. Specifically, in 2024 there was a holiday throughout Spain on Monday, January 1 (New Year), and the next is on Saturday, January 6 (Epiphany of the Lord). After that, we have to wait until Easter, with Friday, March 29 (Good Friday), and some regions celebrating the Thursday or Monday too. To get the full rundown of holidays where you live, you can consult your local Social Security office, who also offer a calendar online, and your town hall.
Midweek Weather
Over the next 10 days, we will see a maximum temperature of 21°c today, Wednesday, minimum temperature will be 6°c next Tuesday, 09. Most precipitation falling will be 4.24 mm on Friday to welcome the Three Kings, and the windiest day is expected to see wind of up to 49 kmph on Saturday.
Traffic and Travel
Wind is expected to have an impact on flights from the UK on Wednesday, particularly affecting the south of the country. There are also Air Traffic Control staffing issues which might have an impact on UK flights. In Spain, Barcelona is expected to be particularly busy and capacity issues might have an impact, meanwhile, in Madrid, morning fog might delay flights, and there is continuing industrial action but that is not having much of an impact. In the south, Seville might also suffer some delays due to regulating matters. There are some 24,100 flights expected today in the Eurocontrol network, with the weather being the main protagonist when it comes to anticipated delays.
Things to Do Today
On Wednesday and Thursday, January 3 and 4, 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 in Torrevieja and in the Plaza Encarnación Puchol, from the 4:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
In Orihuela, at 11 a.m., “Magic Show” in Orihuela Centro (in the Plaza Nueva), “Pirates Children’s Theatre” in Desamparados (in the Plaza de la Iglesia) and “Christmas Workshop” in El Mudamiento (in Church Square). At 6 p.m., “Magic Show” in La Aparecida (in the Civic Centre) and performances in the San Bartolomé Auditorium of “Father there is no more than one.”
On This Day
On this day in 1993, a reduction of nuclear warheads was agreed, when US President George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin sign the Start II arms reduction treaty in Moscow.
In 1977, the development into Europe was a key strategy for the UK, leading to former Home Secretary Roy Jenkins announcing he was leaving Westminster politics to become Britain’s first President of the European Commission.
In the world of music, it was on this day in 1987 that Aretha Franklin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the first woman ever to be given the accolade, only taking 100 entries on the R&B chart, 73 on the Billboard Hot 100, and 17 Top Ten hits.
Star of Mad Max, and Lethal Weapon, Mel Gibson was born on this day in 1956 in Peekskill, New York.
