THE
SPANISH MILITARY: While Spain havers over its initial proposal to
send troops to Mali to replace French counterparts, Germany has
announced it's sending 650 soldiers to allow some of the latter to
return to France for anti-terrorist duties. A bit embarrassing for
President Rajoy but, as I've said, he does have a looming general
election and this will outweigh all other considerations for the next
month.
FRAUD
NEWS: The latest - utterly predictable - scandal centres on subsidies
for cinemas based on customer numbers. Lo and behold, these were
inflated to the tune of many millions of euros. So cheeky/confident were the
perpetrators, they reported the numbers before the relevant film was even out.
BANKRUPTCIES:
These continue to happen, of course. And Spain's biggest ever is now
unfolding before our very eyes. This is of Abengoa, a multinational
outfit specialising in renewable energy and 'environmental services'.
The government is expected to do whatever it can to prevent it
collapsing ahead of the December elections. Though a bank-like
bailout is thought to be too sensitive right now. Maybe in January.
Abengoa owes huge sums to Spain's banks, with Santander leading the
pack, at €1.56 billion. It's reported that none of them have
provided for their imminent losses. Taxpayers - with €740 million
at stake - can't make such provisions, of course. And we may yet have to
fund a bailout.
A JUDICIAL
ADVANCE: In a case in which a 90 year old woman sought permission to
disinter Republican victims of Franco's murder squads, a
judge has surprised everyone by pronouncing that she can go ahead. A
first in determined-to-forget Spain. After her the deluge?
IT'S NEVER
TOO LATE: Another nonagenarian has been prosecuted for scratching
more than 20 cars badly parked in her barrio. A temptation which some
of us have to regularly suppress. Especially when you can't park
because drivers have left 2 or 3 metres between the cars in front of
or behind them.
FINALLY .
. . . NAIL WARS: I used to walk past a nail bar in our shopping mall
in which an Asian chap occasionally had a customer. Yesterday, I saw
it'd closed. I suspect this would have happened anyway but the poor
bugger never stood a chance once a snazzy place called something like
Global Nails opened right next door. It reminded me of a joke which
features Burtons Tailors, Jacksons The Tailors, and 'Main Entrance'.
Write for details. Though it's ruined now.
Query: How
did my rather-easily-irritated elder daughter get past the 2 PIN
numbers on my 'smart' phone to change the Notifications tone which
was driving her mad?
No comments:
Post a Comment