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BREAKING NEWS– New Rules and Laws
Regarding Both the Electricity Bills and Real Estate Markets !!!
Full translated articles in the News Section
(Sorry if these articles are a bit long. They seemed important enough to justify printing them in their entirety, translated from the original sources. -Ed.)
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Spain Public Holiday: Monday, Nov. 1st is All Saints’ Day, a national holiday.
End Of Daylight Savings Time: 31 Oct 2021.
When local daylight time is about to reach Sunday, 31 October 2021, 03:00:00 clocks are turned backward 1 hour to Sunday, 31 October 2021, 02:00:00 local standard time instead.
Sunrise and sunset will be about 1 hour earlier on 31 Oct 2021 than the day before.
Halloween Party at Cazbah Live Lounge: Fright Night!!!
**Adults Only** Entertainment includes Rocky Horror themed set by Drag artist Spice, followed by Money Makers Band.
Sunday 31st October from 8pm. Tickets on sale now, €10 !
Avenida de Rota 29649 Mijas FB link
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Archgrove Services: A family run light haulage/transport company with bases in Archez, Spain and near Oxford, UK.
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Macramé Plant Hanger Workshop in Vélez Málaga:
Friday 12th November 13:00 until 16:00.
Hello Friends! Come and join me in this fun workshop in central Vélez-Málaga.
Have fun & make new friends whilst doing the calming & mindful art of Macramé.
You will be taught three of the fundamental Macramé knots which enable you to make your own Hanging Basket in no time at all.
Enjoy this social activity while you sip on a glass of complimentary Cava.
All supplies provided including cotton cord and beads.
The cost is 20€. Message me on 608 966 663 if you are interested, I look forward to hearing from you.
Email: donnacarney49@hotmail.com
Items For Sale / Wanted / Rent
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For Sale: 4 Steel single bed bases 90 x180 with 28cm legs. €20 each or all 4 for €60. Collection only. Brian, Nerja. Call 643510605
Wanted: Filing cabinet with 3 or 4 drawers. Must be suitable for foolscap files. Sylvia, Velez Malaga
Email: sylvia4700 at hotmail.co.uk
Recommendations & Requests
Boiler Repair Needed: Urgent! Can anybody recommend a gas boiler repair person? My gas boiler has broken down – it won’t heat the water and is making strange noises. I urgently need it fixed. Jenny, Torrox.
jennytorrox at gmail dot com ; 665463169
Transport to Malaga Airport: Available for 3 persons on Wed 27th arrival 1900 hrs. Leaving Nerja/Torrox 1730_1800.
Donate to charity. Tony, Nerja.
sjc2714@gmail.com
News & Articles
(Click the link to read the full article)
{ Translations by http://www.DeepL.com/Translator }
COVID-19
Covid Spain- Spain’s Ministry of Health confirms 35 cases of the new Delta Plus coronavirus variant in five regions: In its latest report on ‘variants of interest’, published this Monday (25 October), Spain’s Ministry of Health, has acknowledged that up to 35 cases of this the new Delta variant – AY.4.2 – have already been detected in five different autonomous regions of the country.
The data shows that in week 41 (from 11 to 17 October) 35 cases of the AY.4.2 variant were registered, with 26 in Catalonia, Castilla-La Mancha (three), Castilla y León (two), Madrid (two) and the Valencian region (two).
In fact, the CCAES experts in Spain are convinced that the Covid-19 outbreaks that have led Benidorm entering the ‘extreme risk’ zone last Friday (by exceeding 250 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days) are caused by the emergence of the AY .4.2 variant, hand-in-hand with mass tourism. Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/spain/spains-ministry-health-20211025192149-nt.html
SPAIN
Electric Bill Madness- Distorted time slots & the new, constantly changing, electricity tariff timetables: {Translation of full article} Updated: 25/10/2021 16:04h
-On 1 June, a new electricity bill system was introduced in Spain for users of the regulated tariff in Spain. It established three timetables: the off-peak hour, the flat hour and the peak hour.
-The off-peak hour is the cheapest, established from 12 midnight to 8 a.m. and weekends and public holidays. There is also the flat hour, from 8 to 10 a.m. and from 2 to 6 p.m. and from 10 p.m. to midnight. And finally, the peak hour, the most expensive, from 10 am to 2 pm and from 6 pm to 10 pm.
-The escalation of prices since this summer in the electricity bill led the government of Pedro Sánchez to take measures to lower the bill. For this reason, last month it issued a decree lowering the special electricity tax from 5.11 % to 0.5 % and reducing electricity system charges by 90 % until the end of the year.
-These changes have caused the time slots known by users to be distorted, without the government or other official bodies having commented on the matter.
-What are the changes detected in the time slots? In the last week it is possible to see how the time slots in the electricity tariff have changed. For example, last Monday 18 from 7am to 8am there was no off-peak period, but a flat period. And between 8 and 10 a.m., which should be flat, there was a peak period between 9 and 10 a.m. The same situation occurred in the morning.
-The same morning situation occurred on other days. On Wednesday 20, the peak time increased from 7 to 11 a.m., while on Thursday 21 and Friday 22 the peak times were between 8 and 10 a.m., losing flat hours along the way.
-In the afternoons, the situation has also changed and has benefited users, although the average price per Kw/h is around 200 euros. Thus, on Thursday 21 there were off-peak hours from 11am to 6pm, when it should have been between peak and off-peak, as established in June.
-As for weekends, which should have been off-peak hours, there have also been changes. For example, last Saturday, the most expensive since data has been available, the peak hours were between 0 and 2 am, from 9 am to 10 am and from 7 pm to 10 pm. And the off-peak hours were from 11 am to 6 pm. On Sunday, which until today was also the most expensive ever, the cheapest tariff was from 3 am to 6 pm and expensive between 7 pm and midnight.
-In this way, the time slots show numerous changes, as they change every day and even by the hour. What was useful a few months ago is no longer useful, so the best option is to consult the website of Red Eléctrica de España, where the demand graphs are published. Source, Spanish: https://www.abc.es/economia/abci-cuales-son-nuevos-horarios-tarifa-luz-nsv-202110251604_noticia.html
Real Estate News- New Bill Will Revolutionize the Dynamics of the Residential Sector- Smallholders can only raise rents a maximum of 10% in areas with rising prices, other rent controls and new rules, take effect 2024: {Translation of full article}
-The Council of Ministers will approve this Tuesday the first state housing law of democracy, an ambitious project that will completely revolutionise the dynamics of the residential sector. The law will serve to articulate measures such as rent controls in stressed areas, i.e. with skyrocketing prices. However, as ABC reported, these will not come into force until at least 2024.
-This is stated in the draft bill, to which this newspaper has had access. The text establishes that there will be a period of a year and a half from the approval of the law for “the application of this limitation referring to the reference index system, so that the state administration can establish a system that can be used to apply these limitations on rental prices in stressed areas”. Given that the law will not be passed until well into 2022 by the Cortes, this delays rent controls until the next legislature.
The designation of a stressed zone, which is essential to enforce these limits, will be the work of the communities, but will have to be approved by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda. The Government’s main requirement is that the average rent or mortgage burden in the area – plus basic expenses and supplies – must exceed 30% of the average household income.
-In addition, the purchase or rental price must have risen over the last five years by a cumulative percentage of at least five points more than the CPI in that community. In other words, if inflation in the region has been 1%, only those places where rents have exceeded 6% can be considered as a stressed area.
-More conditions. A zone will be considered to be under stress for a period of three years, which can be extended annually. In order to do so, the community in question will have to demonstrate that it has carried out certain measures to correct imbalances in the rental market that have not worked.
-Within these zones, large tenants will not be able to raise prices. The government understands large landlords to be those with more than 10 homes or 1,500 square metres, although it will give the regions the freedom to establish “additional criteria” to this definition.
-Small owners, on the other hand, will be able to raise prices by up to 10%. Although in principle a rent freeze was envisaged in these cases, landlords will be able to raise rents if they can prove that they have renovated the property in the previous two years, improved access or signed a ten-year contract with their tenants.
***IBI surcharges of up to 150%***
-With regard to empty homes, local councils will be able to demand a surcharge of up to 50% of the net amount of IBI. The Executive will understand empty dwellings to be those that remain unoccupied without justified cause for more than two years, provided that they belong to an owner with four or more dwellings for residential use.
-However, the surcharge may reach 100% if the period of unoccupation is longer than three years “and may be modulated according to the period of time of unoccupation”.
-In addition, local councils may increase the percentage of surcharge corresponding to the above by up to 50 additional percentage points in the case of properties belonging to owners of two or more residential properties that are unoccupied in the same municipality. In total, a 150% penalty.
-In any case, it will be considered justified that the property is empty when a series of circumstances occur. For example, temporary relocation for work or training reasons, a change of address due to a situation of dependency or for health or social emergency reasons, properties destined for second home use with a maximum of 4 years of continuous unoccupation, properties subject to construction or rehabilitation work… in short, the owner will be penalised when he/she is conditioned by circumstances that prevent the effective occupation of the property.
-Nor will the IBI surcharge be applied to properties that are subject to litigation or have a case pending a judicial or administrative resolution that prevents the use and disposal of the property. Or in the case of properties for sale, with a maximum of one year in this situation, or for rent, with a maximum of six months in this situation.
***Housing Advisory Council***
-Beyond the specific measures, the draft law also contemplates the creation of the Housing Advisory Council, a collegiate body “of a technical nature” in which future legislative changes in housing matters will be debated.
-The Government’s intention is that this new body will include representatives from the different ministerial departments with responsibilities related to housing, business associations, professional associations, financial institutions, associations from the third sector and those representing interests affected by the law. In addition, various professional experts in housing matters, as well as university and research experts, will also be able to form part of the Council. Source, Spanish: https://www.abc.es/economia/abci-viviendas-vacias-tendran-recargo-hasta-200-por-ciento-202110251232_noticia.html
WHAT!?! Spanish police duo sidelined, as punishment by superiors, for their award-winning work against animal abuse: Two officers from Alcalá de Henares are taking their case to court, claiming harassment by their superiors who allegedly told them to focus on other crimes.
The confrontation between these police officers and their superiors revolves around how the pair handled complaints of animal abuse. Together, Flor and Alberto have rescued up to 40 animals over two years, but, according to their superiors, in some cases, they did not follow the correct administrative procedure.
According to Flor and Alberto, the real reason behind the confrontation is that animal abuse is not a priority for their bosses, who urged them to focus on other crimes. The tension was such that an internal investigation was carried out. In a document to which EL PAÍS has had access, the investigation concluded that both officers had acted correctly and performed a “praiseworthy and admirable” job. Full article: https://english.elpais.com/spain/2021-10-25/spanish-police-duo-sidelined-for-their-award-winning-work-against-animal-abuse.html
ANDALUCIA
Sierra Bermeja forest fire is finally out after burning for more than six weeks: The huge blaze destroyed almost 9,600 hectares of land in the municipalities of Estepona, Casares, Jubrique, Júzcar, Genalguacil, Faraján and Benahavís and claimed the life of an Infoca firefighter. Photo:SALVADOR SALAS. Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/sierra-bermeja-forest-20211025095531-nt.html
MALAGA
Special DGT clampdown on bikes and electric scooters using the pavements: Spain’s Directorate-General for Traffic will increase surveillance and controls in large towns and cities in a special campaign that runs from 25 October until 7 November.
Riding electric scooters and bicycles on the pavements is a serious violation of the new traffic code that carries a penalty of 200 euros.
A campaign has been launched in Malaga this Monday, 25 October, and it will run until 7 November. It will involve a special control and surveillance of bicycles and ‘personal mobility vehicles’ on the pavements, with the support and collaboration of the main Local Police forces on the Costa del Sol.
The campaign is aimed at those municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants, so it will affect Marbella and Malaga city.
Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/marbella-san-pedro/special-clampdown-bikes-20211025174944-nt.html
COSTA BLANCA
Romance scam leaves octogenarian out of pocket to the tune of 67,000 euros: Officers arrested a 33-year-old woman as the alleged perpetrator of a fraud. She has a police record and has used this ‘modus operandi’ to swindle money in the past. She stole 67,000 euros from this elderly man. She used a romance scam to defraud her octogenarian victim.
A romance scam “basically consists of networks of fraudsters whose victims are elderly people whose trust is gained by using young women of different nationalities.
“These young women go as far as proposing marriage or long-term relationships in order to be included in the deeds of their flats and even as beneficiaries in their wills.”
During the investigation, the officers discovered that the woman had repeatedly borrowed money from the elderly man. She promised to pay him back once she had sold her property in Romania. Full article: https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2021/10/25/romance-scam-leaves-octogenarian-out-of-pocket/
UK
Britain to raise minimum wage to 9.50 pounds a hour: Britain will announce a rise in its minimum wage for those aged 23 and over to 9.50 pounds ($13.06) per hour from 8.91 pounds in the government’s budget statement on Wednesday, the finance ministry said on Monday. The increase in the minimum wage is due to take effect in April 2022. Rates for people aged under 23, who are paid a lower minimum wage, are also due to rise, the finance ministry said. Full article: https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-raise-minimum-wage-950-pounds-hour-bbc-says-2021-10-25/
SPORTS
Tennis News- Spain’s team to defend their Davis Cup title:
Tennis players Pablo Carreño, Feliciano Lopez, Roberto Bautista, Carlos Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers will be part of the Spanish team in the Davis Cup Finals, which will be held from November 25 to December 5 in Innsbruck (Austria), Turin (Italy) and Madrid. Rafael Nadal will not play due to injury.
Spain, which defends the title won in the last edition of the tournament, is in Group A along with Russia and Ecuador. Full article: https://spainsnews.com/spain-will-defend-their-davis-cup-title-with-carreno-bautista-feliciano-alcaraz-and-granollers/
Cricket News- T20 World Cup: Scotland crash back down to earth after defeat to Afghanistan. Afghanistan win by 130 runs. Full article: https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket/scotland-afghanistan-result-t20-world-cup-b1945078.html
OTHER
Fakebook Disruptions Again: Widespread outages reported by users and many that can connect have very limited functions or pages with blank spots. See comments in pic below. Source: https://downdetector.com/status/facebook/
New macOS Monterey is out now: Apple has released macOS Monterey, the latest version of the company’s operating system for MacBook, iMac, Mac mini and Mac Pro personal computers. As confirmed after last year’s MacBook Pro M1 Pro and M1 Max launch, today’s launch is a free upgrade for all compatible machines, whether they’re based on Apple Silicon or Intel processors. The update, which has enjoyed a lengthy beta period throughout the summer, is now available, brings updates to FaceTime, AirPlay from iPhone-to-Mac, a brand new version of Safari including Tab Groups, boosts to Universal Control, and plenty more. Full article: https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/macos-monterey-is-available-to-download-now-4175885
How to know if someone has blocked you on WhatsApp?: {Translation}
-Have you written to someone and they don’t reply, and the last message you sent to that person remains with just a ‘check’ and, no matter how much time passes, they don’t receive that message (and, therefore, the double ‘check’ doesn’t appear)?
-Don’t despair, there’s nothing wrong with your Whatsapp… but the person you’re sending your messages to has probably blocked you.
-Without going into the person’s motivation for blocking you, there are a series of signs to know if that person has indeed blocked you or deleted your Whatsapp chat and your contact.
-In addition to the ‘check’ (if you have been blocked, you will only see a ‘sent message’ check, but never the second ‘delivered message’ check), you will also know that you have been blocked because you will not be able to see the information about the last time the contact was online (if this option was not already deactivated), nor will you see the updates of the contact’s profile photo (in fact, there comes a time when the contact’s photo disappears completely for you) and you will not be able to call that contact via Whatsapp.
-If the blocking has been total, you won’t be able to call them via a classic call either, and you will constantly get the message that “the person you are calling is switched off or out of coverage”.
Source, Spanish: https://www.laprovincia.es/vida-y-estilo/tecnologia/2021/10/25/alguien-bloqueado-whatsapp-58805374.html
COVID Mobility Restrictions Info Reference
https://www.mapacovid.es/
For the latest COVID-19 statistics visit:
World– https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
World– https://www.ft.com/content/a26fbf7e-48f8-11ea-aeb3-955839e06441
Spain Coronavirus Data from Spain’s Ministerio de Sanidad, Official C-19 Pages:
https://www.mscbs.gob.es/en/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov-China/situacionActual.htm
AND
https://cnecovid.isciii.es/covid19/
Coronavirus Cases in Andalucia, Axarquia, Costa del Sol & Malaga Province:
http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/institutodeestadisticaycartografia/salud/COVID19.html
UK Coronavirus:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uk/
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Useful Links, Info & Numbers
Weekly Markets
Monday: Torrox Costa
Tuesday: Nerja, Salobrena
Wednesday: Rincon de la Victoria, Algarrobo Costa
Thursday: Velez Malaga, Torre del Mar, Frigiliana
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Saturday: Competa, Mezquitilla@Algarrobo behind the Sala Ottowa
Sunday: Velez Malaga, Nerja Car Boot
Taxi
Nerja 952 524 519
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Phone numbers for emergencies
Emergency Svcs.: 112
National Police: 091
Guardia Civil: 062
Ambulance: 061
Fire Station (Bomberos): 080
Emergency English Help Line: 902 102 112
Local Police
Torrox: 952 539 828
Nerja: 952 521 545
Frigiliana: 952 533 126
Torre del Mar: 952 549 238
Local News in English, The Sur: http://www.surinenglish.com/
Spain National News in English, El Pais: https://elpais.com/elpais/inenglish.html
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