Wednesday’s Spanish news headlines include European Parliament to debate pandemic corruption cases linked to funds in Spain, rake attacker on trial, and Seville will host the world premiere of the opera ‘La Bella Susona’. Plus, Inditex will be the star of Wednesday’s business news.
Spanish News Headlines
The plenary session of the
European Parliament will today debate cases of corruption in Spain that may have affected the management of European funds during the coronavirus pandemic, a debate that coincides with the case opened for the alleged collection of illegal commissions in the purchase of masks known as the ‘Koldo case’ in reference to one of those involved and former advisor to the then Minister of Transportation, José Luis Ábalos.
The point has been included in the agenda of the plenary session to be held in Strasbourg (France) at the request of the European People’s Party (EPP), a group whose responsibility in this session is to define the “current debate” by which the European Parliament spends just over an hour analysing a precise issue.
The sixth section of the Provincial Court of A Coruña, based in Santiago de Compostela, will begin to hear evidence from today against a
man who is accused of attacking two people with a rake, for which the Prosecutor’s Office requests more than five years in prison.
As stated in the document from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the events occurred on June 28, 2020, at around 7:30 p.m. At that time, “acting with the purpose of harming physical integrity”, when he was in the vicinity of an institute and after an altercation he attacked another person in the face with a rake, causing various injuries to his face and elbow.
Likewise, the accused also hit another person with the rake, who suffered “two puncture wounds on the back of his right hand after two teeth of the rake hit his hand.”
Legend has it that in 15th century Seville there was a beautiful Sevillian Jewish girl named
Susana Ben Susón who betrayed her father, Diego Susón, by revealing to her lover, a Christian knight of great lineage, the existence of a plot of which her father was ringleader.
That is the story behind La Bella Susona, the opera by composer Alberto Carretero, that will have its world premiere at the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville today. This is the first world premiere of an opera composed by a Sevillian at the Teatro de la Maestranza. The work, commissioned by the Royal Symphony Orchestra of Seville (ROSS), will bring to the Paseo Colón stage space a story of “love, betrayal and redemption in a Seville of legend”, in the words of Carretero. “His marked operatic character appears reflected in the context of the time, with the Jewish and Muslim worlds. “A tribute to Seville as a city of opera.”
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SpainToday.news
Business, Markets and Statistics
Spanish fashion retail chain Inditex, of which such popular brands as Zara, Pull and Bear and Bershka are part, the last Ibex 35 company pending to publish its 2023 accounts, will be the main reference in Spain on a day in which the industrial production of the eurozone in January will also be known.
Likewise, this Wednesday, data on GDP, the trade balance and industrial production will come to light, in this case in the United Kingdom.
In Spain, the day starts with all eyes on Inditex as they publish results for the 2023 financial year.
Later this afternoon, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, receives Paolo Gentiloni, Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, at Moncloa.
In the Eurozone, Eurostat publishes industrial production for January, and the ECB non-monetary policy meeting takes place.
In the UK we will see the Index of Production, construction industry output, and overseas trade, which is bound to once again highlight the “sunlit uplands” in a post-Brexit island.
We will also have results from E.ON, Adidas, and Balfour Beatty, amongst others.
Things to Do Today
For petrolheads, Guardamar del Segura will host a wide range of classic motors, cars and motorbikes, in the XII Fiesta del Motor Clásico de Guardamar del Segura taking place on 23 March 2024, starting at 10 a.m. in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento where, in addition to the exhibition of participating classic cars and motorcycles, there will be live music, paella to eat, and drinks.
You might also be interested in the Scooter Rally in Madrid on the 15
th.
Finally, the Iberia Motor Fest brings classic and unusual vehicles together at La Vila Joiosa on 22
nd, 23
rd, and 24
th of March 2024.
For more local events, pick up
The Leader newspaper every Monday, and
This is Torrevieja for Torrevieja events.
Local Markets
Midweek markets can be found today at
Guardamar del Segura,
La Mata (Torrevieja), San Isidro, and
San Miguel de Salinas.
The roads will of course be busy around those locations.
Traffic and Travel
Farmers in some parts of the country are resuming protests from today, so, as always, check the DGT map for information on any road closures.
All this week, and through the weekend, the Guardia Civil and Local Police I many areas will be joining in with a campaign, coordinated by the European Traffic Police network, ROADPOL, which will be focussing on the correct use of seat belts and safety systems, including child restraints and crash helmets.
These devices have one single purpose, that is to try to keep us safe, but they can only do that if they are used, and used correctly. Therefore, as part of the periodic awareness campaign, traffic police across Europe will be ensuring compliance with all of the regulations which aim to make the roads a little bit safer for all.
Remember that if you are venturing into the mountain areas, which in some cases might be less than an hour from the sunny coast, snow chains should be a consideration to avoid getting stranded.
For information and updates about driving in Spain, visit
N332.es
In the air, some 23,600 flights expected across Europe, slightly more than yesterday, but possibly reduced as industrial action by the DLH cabin staff at Munich has been announced for today.
In preparation for the implementation of a new system in the autumn, live trials are expected in the Paris Air Traffic Control system, which not only affects the immediate area but French airspace, and on Tuesday there will be a 30% reduction in capacity for one such trial.
Air Traffic Control staff in the Canaries again, this time at Fuerteventura.
Wind in the south of England may affect London airports.
Overnight capacity reductions at Alicante Elche Miguel Hernadez airport start at 9 p.m.
Amongst the many military exercises taking place this week, ETAP-C 24-1 will take place in Spain until 22 March 2024, with airspace around the central belt from Madrid to Barcelona mostly affected, though with minimal impact on commercial traffic.
Official Websites for Travel Information
On This Day
2023, in Castrocalbón, works begin that would end up destroying by mistake 1.3km of the old Roman road that connected Asturica Augusta (current Astorga) with Bracara Augusta (current Braga), which was signposted and in good condition.
1902, in Madrid, the first automobile is registered, belonging to the Marquis of Bolaños.
1841, the railway from Seville to Cádiz is inaugurated in Spain.
