News in Altea

LOCAL COSTA BLANCA ALTEA

• Government to ban regional authorities from excluding newly-registered citizens from essential social services. January 23, 2023
  The Council of Ministers has approved the preliminary draft of a new law on social services, leaving overall power, as it is now, in the hands of the autonomous communities, but establishing a common framework of minimum services with which all regional authorities will have to comply. Within this framework, services deemed to be essential […]
• Joy in the ski resorts as the first major snowfalls of the season arrive January 16, 2023
  The first big snowfalls of the season started falling in the early hours of Monday morning and have brought smiles to the faces of skiers, snowboarders and ski resort staff alike.
• 'Rolling Stone' ranking: Who are Spain's 'greatest singers of all time'? January 5, 2023
  TWO Spanish singers have made it into Rolling Stone magazine's 200 'greatest of all time' ranking – both of them women, but only one of them still living.
• Value-added tax reduced on staple groceries January 4, 2023
  CUTTING value-added tax on basic foodstuffs has already borne fruit for households in Spain, and the move will continue for at least the first six months of 2023, the national government confirms.
• Cash for companies which cut working hours for same wages January 4, 2023
  SMALL and medium-sized businesses will get up to €150,000 if they reduce staff's working hours by at least 10% without cutting their salaries, as long as they keep the new system in place for a minimum of two years.
• Best-ranked Roscón de Reyes and cava: Consumer group gives its verdict  January 3, 2023
  EVEN though the festive season is now over for most of the world, the great news for anyone spending the holidays in Spain is that the country makes use of the full 12 days of Christmas – presents are given on the night of January 5 when the Magi parade through towns, or the Three […]
• Spain's 'chime babies': First newborns of 2023 January 2, 2023
  THE first baby to be born in Spain in 2023 is Iratxe, who came into the world exactly on the stroke of midnight at Madrid's Gregorio Marañón hospital weighing 3.72 kilos (8lb 3.2oz).
• King's Christmas speech calls for 'unity': “A society divided never progresses” December 25, 2022
  SPAIN'S reigning monarch, King Felipe VI, has given his ninth annual Christmas speech on TV with a call to unity in government to find solutions for society in light of inflation and the effects of the war in Ukraine.
• Have you won the lottery? 'Lucky' date of birth takes jackpot December 22, 2022
  A LOTTERY shop manager in Madrid is grateful that her son Luis, 32, had her rushing to a maternity ward when he did: If he had not been born on April 5, 1990, she would not have sold the jackpot-winning El Gordo ticket this year.
• Arts and entertainment vouchers of €400 extended to everyone born in 2005 December 20, 2022
  A VOUCHER worth €400 to spend on arts and entertainment for anyone who turned – or has still to turn – 18 in 2022 will be offered again next year, reveals minister for culture Miquel Iceta.
• Valencia-province village gives free Serrano ham to residents (plus vegetarian options) December 20, 2022
  A VILLAGE in southern Valencia province has handed out free legs of Serrano ham to all its residents 'to combat the effects of inflation'.
• Spanish airports ranked best in Europe: Three of the top four December 14, 2022
  MADRID'S Adolfo Suárez-Barajas airport has been named number one in Europe in terms of services, efficiency, complaints handling, and quality of its shops and restaurants, and Bilbao airport has come second.
• 'Trailblazer' Mahou is Spain's highest-rated beer – 320 awards since 2018 December 12, 2022
  SPAIN'S most 'distinguished' beer is Mahou – it's official, according to the company's latest award count: In 2022 alone, the brand earned 98 medals, of which 38 were gold, in some of the most prestigious international competitions.
• 'Spanish Friday' is born: Nation's answer to 'Black Friday', in December December 12, 2022
  'BLACK Friday' comes just once a year, but if you want to buy authentically-national goods for discounted prices, 'Spanish Friday' is your chance.
• Christmas plans for Spanish residents reviewed: Shopping, spending and socialising December 11, 2022
  RESIDENTS in Spain will spend around €735 on Christmas, an increase of 15% on last year's festive season, according to a leading consumer organisation.