Provincial Police agents have immobilized this Tuesday in Zuasti a vehicle whose driver, positive for cocaine, was traveling at 199 kilometers per hour.
As reported by the police force on his Twitter account, he has been intercepted during a summer mobility control carried out on the AP-15.
👎 Summer Mobility Control.
Zuasti (AP-15)
– 199 km/h. Vehicle immobilized due to positive for cocaine.#Security pic.twitter.com/i2eSRszEh5– Provincial Police – Foruzaingoa (@policiaforal_na) August 1, 2023
A 51-year-old man was arrested this past Monday after being intercepted walking three dogs on Samil beach (where it is prohibited), driving three times the permitted alcohol rate and, after all this, assaulting a police officer. Local police.
Precisely according to said security body, it was a citizen who raised the alarm when he saw how the man was walking the dogs through the sand, despite being prohibited.
Once at the scene, the officials told him to tie up the dogs and leave the beach, “responding aggressively and contemptuously” the now detainee, “ignoring” the instructions.
Finally, the man left the beach and got into his vehicle, despite showing signs of having consumed alcohol.. For this reason, it was intercepted, yielding a rate of 0.81 milligrams per liter in expired air, more than three times the allowed rate..
At that moment, the man tried to leave the place, for which the agents prevented him, reacting with a slap to the chest to one of the officials. In this way, an alleged crime of disobedience, resistance and attack on authority agents was arrested and investigated, as well as a crime against road safety.
The Alicante urban bus joins the Alicante Metropolitan Transport (TRAM) and will also be free for those under 31 years of age. Starting this Tuesday, August 1, users will be able to get on the municipal service lines without going through the cash register at least until the end of the year. The municipal government thus implements the measure to which it committed after approving the third modification of credits of the extended budget and providing urban public transport with six million destined to help families to alleviate the effects of inflation and the increase in prices.
To benefit from free transport, those interested must have the free Temporary Youth Monthly Ticket for the TRAM tram. On the other hand, the City Council also extends the 50% bonus for the rest of the travelers, which came into force at the beginning of this 2023, financed 30% by the Ministry of Transport and 20% by the Consistory.
🚌 #Alicante launches the free bus for young people under 31 years of age and maintains 50% bonuses for other users.
i ️ More info at 👇🏽 https://t.co/fv6fmT2pm9
– Alicante City Council (@alicanteayto) July 31, 2023
Previously, between July 2022 and February 2023, a 30% bonus was applied with the contribution of the Ministry of Mobility to respond to the economic and social consequences of the war in Ukraine to deal with situations of social and economic vulnerability.. In February 2023, the bonus was extended to 50%.
Price of transport passes
In the event of not having the aforementioned subscription, those interested may process it at the TRAM offices by requesting a prior appointment on the official website. With the 50% bonus, the titles have the following prices:
The free subscription is loaded onto an anonymous cardboard card, but it is personal and non-transferable since it must be associated with an identity document, DNI, NIE or passport. It is free, both the subscription and the cardboard support. A person other than the applicant can pick it up as long as they bring the original document and the receipt of the appointment.
The Plan to Fight Forest Fires of Extremadura (Infoex) has declared this Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. the level 1 of danger due to a forest fire originated in the town of Jaraíz de la Vera in Cáceres.
As reported by the Junta de Extremadura, the fire started around 1:42 p.m..
A total of 30 troops have worked in extinction tasks in the area, deployed in three ground units, two air units, six air means, two natural environment agents and an Infoex technician.
Declared LEVEL 1 dangerous due to a forest fire in Jaraíz de la Vera.
🔥 30 members of the INFOEX Plan are working against fire with the support of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
+ information: https://t.co/CZ6zHv0PWK@PLANINFOEX pic.twitter.com/OjKkXb3aaJ
– Board of Extremadura (@Junta_Ex) August 1, 2023
Likewise, they have received support in these tasks from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (Miteco).
Fires with danger level 1 are those that can be controlled by the means of the Infoex Plan but can affect people or property of a non-forest nature.
Finally, the Extremadura Forest Fire Fighting Plan (Infoex) has declared the fire that affected the town of Jaraíz de la Vera (Cáceres) extinguished..
The dammed water reserve has fallen this week to 42.2 percent of its total capacity, after losing 692 cubic hectometres in seven days, which represents 1.2 percent, according to data from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Challenge Demographic that informs that at this moment the reservoirs keep 23,637 cubic hectometres.
Currently, the reservoirs are 27.9% below the average of the last decade and are 4.01% above last year's figures on these same dates.
This week the reserve is at 84.9 percent in the Eastern Cantabrian; 87.3 percent in Western Cantabrian; 67.1 percent, Miño-Sil; 67 percent, Galicia Costa; 71.4 percent, the internal basins of the Basque Country; 53.7 percent, the Duero; 51.8 percent, the Tagus; 64.6 percent, Red, Odiel and Piedras, and 52.9 percent, Júcar.
Meanwhile, the Guadiana basins are below half their capacity, which is at 26.9 percent; Guadalete-Barbate at 19.4 percent; Guadalquivir, at 21.1 percent; the Andalusian Mediterranean basin at 29.6 percent; Segura, which is at 31.4 percent; Ebro, at 47.3 percent and the internal basins of Catalonia at 28.1 percent.
This week the rainfall has considerably affected the Mediterranean slope and to a lesser extent the Atlantic slope and the greatest amount has accumulated in San Sebastián, where 23.2 liters per square meter were collected.
Unearthing the Timeless Marvels of Ávila’s Old Town
In the 12th century, Ávila’s prominence soared as it became a thriving hub for the textile industry in the Pyrenees. Although local fabrics couldn’t match the quality of Flemish and Italian counterparts, the city thrived. However, the 14th century brought challenges, as Ávila faced attacks by British forces. As the pages of history turned, the city gradually lost its significance, experiencing a decline in population and economic prosperity. In 1809, the city bore the brunt of French troop looting, further impacting its trajectory.
Awe-Inspiring Attractions
The historic center of Ávila proudly boasts one of its most spectacular features—the Medieval City Fortifications. Enveloping the Old Town, these formidable walls are a testament to their medieval heritage. Constructed between the 11th and 14th centuries on Roman and Arab foundations, these powerful structures stretch for 2.5 km, with an average thickness of 3 m. Adorned with 88 towers and 9 city gates, they stand tall, offering a glimpse into Ávila’s past as an impregnable stronghold.
Embark on a captivating journey along the medieval walls, starting from the grandiose Puerta de San Vicente and Puerta del Alcázar, both built atop ancient Roman foundations, leaving visitors spellbound. Admire the striking Stork’s Nest Tower near Puerta del Carmen, beckoning you to unravel the secrets of Ávila’s architectural treasures.
An Architectural Marvel – The Cathedral
Among the crown jewels of Ávila stands the Cathedral of San Salvador, an extraordinary religious masterpiece and one of Spain’s oldest Gothic cathedrals. With its construction spanning several centuries, the cathedral harmoniously blends Romanesque and Gothic influences. Noteworthy features of the interior include exquisite white and red granite masonry, awe-inspiring stained glass windows from the 15th century, a majestic plateresque choir, and an enchanting altar and sacristy adorned with sculptures.
Embrace Religious Heritage
Immerse yourself in Ávila’s rich religious heritage by visiting the Monastery of the Incarnation of the Lord. This 17th-century monastery, built for Carmelite monks, holds a special place in history as the birthplace of St. Teresa, the revered patron saint of Ávila. Inside, the lavishly decorated baroque chapel and the museum offer insights into the life and legacy of this illustrious Catholic saint.
Discover the Basilica of San Vicente, a grand Romanesque church, believed to stand on the site of St. Vicente’s martyrdom. Much of its construction dates back to the early 12th century, incorporating elements from the 14th century, presenting a remarkable blend of architectural styles.
Stroll Through the Jewish Quarter
Step back in time as you wander through Ávila’s Jewish quarter, where the echoes of a once-prosperous and influential Jewish community resonate through the medieval cobbled streets and alleys.
Unveiling Architectural Splendor
Marvel at the architectural splendor of Mozen Ruby, a 16th-century chapel boasting a rich and illustrious interior. Originally a burial place for an influential aristocratic family, the chapel later became part of a female Dominican monastery.
Beyond the City Walls
Venture outside the city walls to discover the graceful Renaissance style of Santa Maria de Gracia monastery, a 16th-century sanctuary that stands as a testament to elegance and artistic refinement.
Explore the Diversity of Religious Structures
Delve into the diverse array of religious structures within Ávila, from the Renaissance charm of Las Gordillas monastery, a declared national monument, to the Romanesque beauty of San Andres Church, a national treasure boasting a simple three-nave layout.
Prepare to be captivated by the timeless allure of Ávila’s Old Town, where every step unravels a rich tapestry of history, art, and cultural heritage, leaving visitors enchanted by the resplendent beauty of this remarkable city.
Take care of the sweet defeat, said the augur in his ear when César Pedro Sánchez was going to the meeting of his people. They're not going to stab me, if that's what you're referring to, the Caesar answered, and he stretched out his arm to point with the palm of his hand as they burst into applause as soon as the door of the federal committee was opened a crack.. Nothing remained, it is true, of as many rumors as there were about the fall of the PSOE general secretary as soon as the polls closed on July 23. Everyone saw him finished, finished again, charred, so the calendar that awaited him was taken for granted.. Immediate resignation and extraordinary congress of the socialists. How many times had they repeated it? So now, after appearing again, walking calmly, as movie heroes do when they emerge unscathed from the door of a burning house, no one has the right to even discuss their plans.. Except for the augur who whispers in his ear, take care, oh Caesar!, of this sweet defeat that tastes like syrup.
No one will dispute that Pedro Sánchez is a leader who, with absolute cold blood, knows how to play his political cards in extreme situations for anyone else. Until now, all his bets have turned out well, or very well, no matter how risky they were, like this last one regarding the electoral advance, which paradoxically turns victory into a serious risk of disconnection from reality. Pride, as history knows, is the worst poison of a political leader, and it comes when someone considers himself invincible, invulnerable.. Sánchez's problem is that, after the elections, he has already begun to show clear symptoms of the arrogance that flows in every decision, in every expression.
When it is said, as we do, that Pedro Sánchez has triumphed in the elections, we are obviously referring to the fact that he has achieved the two objectives that he had set for himself, that his main adversary, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has not achieved an absolute majority in the Congress of Deputies, not even with the support of Vox, and that it is not possible for it to form a Government with the support of other parliamentary groups. Feijóo, simply, does not have within his reach the parliamentary sum to be president of the Government, while Pedro Sánchez can make it possible.
A democrat, leader of a political party like the PSOE, which is one of the two pillars of Spanish democracy, has to know how to distinguish between an electoral triumph and a parliamentary triumph.. His first democratic obligation is to recognize the victory of his adversary in the general elections and, from there, do the impossible to try to form an alternative government.. Sánchez is not respecting, once again, the minimum required in democracy on the forms. They are not mere gestures, it is not protocol; forms in democracy are fundamental principles. And the first of all of them is the recognition of who has won an election as soon as the polls close..
Pedro Sánchez, without the arrogance that has permeated him after this latest political odyssey, is obliged to allow the first to request the investiture of the head of state to be Alberto Núñez Feijóo, if the president of the Popular Party so decides.. And once it fails, as it seems it will, then it will be its turn, as the second most voted party, to try to form a government with the support it obtains from the Chamber. Pedro Sánchez, from what we are seeing, continues to behave as President of the Government and has no intention of getting out, not for a single second, of that treatment. His strategy now is to ignore what happened in the elections and go directly to the confirmation of his position, without a solution of continuity.. Continuously. But the legitimate right of those who have won the elections to present their candidacy, before the institution that represents Spanish sovereignty, cannot be considered an annoying interruption in anyone's plans..
It also happens, and this is the greatest danger that can be seen in this hasty and overwhelming strategy of the socialist leader, that the image that he seems to want to convey is that only a majority counts here, that of the block that Pedro Sánchez brings together, while the other, everything else that is not integrated there, should not even be considered. As if they were stinking votes… that add up to half of Spain.
The Pedro Sánchez of the electoral campaign was a creation —very effective, by the way—, but it already seems to have expired. That close politician, who would sit in the program for two fifteen-year-olds to chat with them as well as with their fiercest television critic. The politician who wanted to debate all the time no longer exists. He no longer debates, nor argues; Now he only communicates decisions. The time of La Pija and La Quinqui has already passed, because Bizcochito, as they called it, has turned into a cobblestone. (We will see, and it will be good to write it down here, when he returns again to the media, which he has despised for years and to which he resorted in the electoral campaign, as part of his strategy against “the right-wing media bubble”. ).
Therefore, the augur approached to whisper in his ear. Take care, Caesar, of the sweet defeats. In fact, she had already warned him on the night of the elections, when he left the balcony, fingering the red cloth bracelet he was wearing.. The one from the heart of the PSOE. Begoña, his wife, was given a sanxe bitch badge and he was given that bracelet, when they already knew that the elections had gone better for them even than they thought and it was just a matter of waiting. The augur whispered it in his ear, but Sánchez did not hear it because of the applause. Besides, he wasn't about to think about bad omens when he had just survived another announced political death..
During the last 10 days, we have repeated that unfocused polls and a climate of opinion apparently adverse to Pedro Sánchez generated an excess of confidence in the PP during the electoral campaign. That caused his mistakes and his insufficient result. It's true. But actually, the problem goes back a long way..
In 1996, Felipe González had governed for 14 years and his government had been subjected to an unsustainable succession of shocks: the great crisis after the Olympics and the Expo, the GAL scandal, countless cases of corruption. José María Aznar had ideologically renewed the PP and made an implacable opposition, but his victory in the elections of March of that year came as if it were a predestined event. It was simply impossible for the PSOE to continue winning and governing. Something similar happened in 2011. A crisis broke out for José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero that ended a long period of unusual enrichment, announced the biggest cuts in public spending in democracy and was left without credible answers to the collapse of social trust. He believed that the agony of the PSOE government had already begun. Just a year ago, I assumed that this would be due to the sum of inflation and recession, a lethal combination for any government. That was the hypothesis preferred by the PP and Alberto Núñez Feijóo went so far as to say that “we are heading towards a deep economic crisis”. But that crisis did not fully occur, and the PP decided last April that the economy was not going to be its main electoral argument.. However, since he had already decided that the PSOE cycle was ending, he changed the reasons for that end. This would end, he thought, because of the approval of bad laws (the only yes is yes, the reform of the Penal Code) and the leading role in the government of undesirable partners. Many of us think that this would cause a significant loss of votes for the PSOE. But for the PP, a prisoner of that mentality, this served as an excuse to continue, after the regional elections in May, an incoherent policy of alliances. It helped him to give in to the temptation of using the terrible reference to Txapote. It helped him to think that his program could be limited to being a repeal of sanchismo. It did not matter. Victory, he thought, would fall like ripe fruit again..
A muscular program
The ripe fruit syndrome, that mentality according to which you have to wait for the PSOE to fall by itself, was already worrying in the past. Now, with the presence of Vox, it is even more damaging: Abascal's party and its radical theories not only take votes from the PP, but also give them to the left. Consequently, the PP has no choice but to equip itself with a muscular ideological program that allows it to define itself and appear, rather than as an inevitable but unappetizing plan B, as the embodiment of a certain vision of Spain.. “Muscular”, however, does not necessarily mean “more to the right”, as critics of the PP leadership often assume when it loses an election. It means, above all, “free from the low-hanging fruit syndrome”.
This is easier said than done, but if new elections are held before the end of the year, the PP should try not to repeat the role imposed on it by that mentality according to which it does not come to power on its own merits. However, even more important is that, if the PSOE manages to form a government after the summer, the PP gets rid of that mentality completely and forever.. Those responsible will be able to tell themselves that the new legislature will be even more complicated for Sánchez than the previous one due to his need for new and intractable allies.. They will be able to tell themselves that the recession, which did not come before this election, will come after, and that the cuts in public spending will certainly come too.. They will be able to tell themselves that the legislature will be short and that, next time, surely, the victory will be for the PP.
But we have already seen that this mentality is not effective and that the low-hanging fruit syndrome is paralyzing for the national PP, because it inhibits it from making a robust and coherent ideological plan, and bad for Spanish democracy.. Even those who don't vote for him, even those who aren't center-right, need him to stop thinking that his job is just to be there when we get tired of the PSOE.. And in putting his hands so that the power falls into them.
The investiture process is idling, but it does not stop. Yes it is true that the movements are, more or less, buried. And it is also true that there is a clear goal that will be key in what happens next.. That date is August 17, the day that the Cortes that came out of the general elections of 23-J will be formed and who will be the president of Congress and who will accompany him at the Table will be decided.. The operation of the legislature will depend on this decision, the progress of the laws that the future Executive wants to approve.. For this reason, in the PP, although they are aware of the difficulties, they slip the possibility that the majority in the body that governs the operation of the Chamber is not, as it is now, in the hands of the PSOE and Sumar. And thus be able to handcuff, as far as possible, a hypothetical Government headed by Pedro Sánchez.
Currently, the distribution in the Table is favorable to the Coalition Executive, which allows it to order the debates and place, for example, the voting date of the decree-laws. And that is not trivial in a context of extremely tight majorities that will probably encourage the new Executive to resort to this legislative figure that should be exceptional. Of the nine positions at stake, including the presidency, three are from the PSOE, three from Unidas Podemos, two from the PP and one from Vox.. The arithmetic that came out of 23-J will make difficult, if not impossible, that primacy of the left, which now controls six of the nine seats. A 5-4 deal for the block that reaches August 17 with the agreements closed sounds more logical..
To gain control of the Table, PSOE and Sumar need their partners from the investiture block. And also to Junts, since the majority scenario is similar to that of a possible investiture. With these wickers, in the PP there are voices that slip the idea of seducing one of those partners so that the left does not have control of the Table. “Governing by decree-law would come to an end”, points out a popular source, referring to the delay in initiatives that come out of Moncloa and do not have the force of law. The same source admits that there have not yet been negotiations with any of the parties susceptible to this maneuver..
The popular ones have a difficult time convincing, for example, the PNV, who already gave Alberto Núñez Feijóo a loud slam of the door when the Galician wanted to speak with the jeltzales for a possible investiture. With Junts, despite the confusion caused by Pedro Rollán, it seems difficult to reach any kind of agreement. And the same with ERC or Bildu, who are at the center of the PP's strategy to erode Sánchez due to his pact policy. But in Genoa they trust that one of these parties matches their diagnosis and wants a position on the Board that does not leave all control to PSOE and Sumar.
The Socialists, questioned by this possibility, believe it is difficult for the entente to take place. Not because of the strangeness of an alliance of the PP with its investiture partners, but because of the dispute between the nationalist aspirants to keep that seat in the body that governs the operation of the Chamber. In the PSOE, they also admit that the negotiations are in a preliminary phase in this kind of summer rest that the parties have decreed after the elections. The lack of initial agreement between PP and Vox caused the president of the regional Assembly to be the socialist Blanca Martín, despite the fact that popular and ultra-conservatives have the majority in Mérida. Before María Guardiola gave in to pressure from her party and agreed on the regional government with Vox, the president of the Extremadura legislature accelerated the investiture process to make way for the candidate on the most voted list, her partner Guillermo Fernández Vara. The former president of the Junta de Extremadura ended up resigning from the process after Guardiola's step back, but the Assembly Table will already be in the hands of the entire legislature, with three members of the PSOE and one from the coalition of Podemos and IU compared to the two that the PP has.
The message that comes out of Genoa, despite the difficulties, is that Sánchez's partners could raise the demand to be on the Table as a way of controlling the hypothetical Executive. And they reserve the possibility of allying themselves with this wayward partner. It is no coincidence that Andoni Ortuzar, the president of the PNV executive, complained this Monday in an interview in El País about the bad arts of the Executive in Congress. And they remember that the motion of censure that exalted Sánchez came out at the last minute after a change of position, precisely, of the jeltzales.
The relevance of the Roundtable grows in a context like the current one. It has the power to, for example, qualify parliamentary initiatives, set the date of the committees or decide on the agenda of the plenary sessions. With the Senate in the hands of the PP by an absolute majority, the body could speed up as far as possible the processing of regulations that the popular would like to delay in the Upper House. The parties still have to take several steps to reach this goal and the August bridge is in the middle, but it will be the first step to find out the state of the negotiations to find out if the country is approaching a repeat election or for a new government with the current majority, since Sánchez announced this Monday his intention to reissue it. And Feijóo today has little chance of avoiding it if the socialist reaches an agreement with the nationalists.
The holidays and bridges for next year 2024 in Extremadura are already known, so the inhabitants of this autonomous community can plan their trips and vacations in the long term, if they wish to do so with anticipation. The Governing Council of the Junta de Extremadura set these days by decree, which amount to twelve. In addition, there will be two other holidays to be determined, which will be local depending on what has been agreed with each city council.. In this way, the 14 annual holidays contemplated by Spanish regulations will be reached.
It should be noted that, as the Day of the Immaculate Conception (December 8) falls on a Sunday, this holiday is moved to Monday 9, in use of article 37.2 of the Workers' Statute, which allows the holidays that occur to be transferred in this way on a sunday. For this reason, the people of Extremadura will enjoy a four-day bridge in December, since the Day of the Spanish Constitution will be on Friday, December 6.
In addition, there is another holiday that falls on a Sunday: Extremadura Day (September 8). In this case, and instead of also moving it to the following Monday, it has been preferred to replace it with a break for Shrove Tuesday, February 13.
Holidays in Extremadura 2024
These are the twelve days confirmed as holidays for Extremadura for the year 2024, between national and regional, in the absence of also defining the two local days that they will enjoy in the different municipalities of the region.
In addition to the December long weekend, there is also the Easter long weekend at the end of March, and there are “mini long weekends” at New Year and All Saints. On the other hand, those who can request an additional day off, or if their local festivals allow it, can link the holidays of Carnival (Tuesday) and Asunción de la Virgen (Thursday) to enjoy more bridges.
