VinceTracy Podcasts

As the British House of Commons prepared to vote on Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal , the Spanish government has launched an information website listing the various issues that citizens and businesses will face after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.... Air travel In the air travel section, one of the questions involves flying to Britain with a Spanish airline “that could lose its license, according to media reports.” This is an indirect reference to former Spanish flag carrier Iberia, which is fighting to prove to EU authorities that it is Spanish – it, along with British Airways, is owned by holding group IAG – in order to preserve its flying rights on the continent after Brexit. The southern Spanish region of Andalusia is getting ready for a political change that will be “calm” and “conciliatory,” according to Juan Manuel Moreno, the Popular Party (PP) politician who is set to become the new regional premier. BAILED-out toll motorways are now free to use from midnight until 6am, and from 6.01am drivers will benefit from a 30 per cent reduction in fees. Spain’s previous government began the process of ‘buying back’ motorways run by ailing toll companies, and the new socialist cabinet, which came into power in June, has continued to see the plan through. A train was derailed on the Madrid-Zafra line 500 metres from the Torrijos station in Toledo Monday. THE first flight to land this morning at the latest Spanish airport, Murcia International Airport, was a Ryanair flight from East Midlands.Twenty-five minutes ahead of schedule, the FR1824 Ryanair flight. Theresa May's Brexit deal was dramatically crushed by MPs as she suffered the biggest Commons defeat in history. The PM's grip on power was left hanging by a thread after Tory rebels joined forces with Labour to trounce the plan by 432 votes to 202. ............ When Britain stood alone urged people to grow their own food — a campaign called Dig For Victory......The Dig For Victory drive was a triumph of British resilience, ingenuity and self-sufficiency in the face of great adversity. A British family are to be deported from New Zealand after locals say they wreaked havocthey trashed a beach, left a cafe without paying, damaged their apartment and allegedly stole a journalist's phone.

Terry Whitehead joins Neil and Vince for this edition of our weekly podcast. Madrid is currently drawing up contingency plans for its relationship with Britain. Citizens. Spain counts on the largest community of British residents in the EU (around 300,000), and a high number of Spaniards living in the UK (116,000). Aviation. Air traffic is a much more complex issue. Beyond the general uncertainty related to a key area for tourism, Spain is faced with the specific problem of Iberia – the former flag carrier is part of the British group IAG, which also includes British Airways........ Trade. The government already has an estimate as to how much it will have to increase its customs resources should there be a hard Brexit. I............... Fishing. In this area, Spain considers the work already done by the EC to have significantly reduced the adverse effects for the Spanish fishermen who are operating in the United Kingdom (there are around 80 boats who fish in British waters). Gibraltar. The issue related to Brexit that has consumed the most diplomatic efforts is the one that the government considers to be the best covered. The Spanish government believes that, even if the general Withdrawal Agreement were to be rejected – the document contains a specific protocol on Gibraltar – the bilateral arrangements that Madrid and London have signed up to relating to the British Overseas Territory would remain in force..............

Spanish politicians from all sides of the political spectrum have reacted to King Felipe VI’s Christmas message, which was broadcast on December 24 and was dedicated in large part to the challenges facing the country’s young people. “You have talent, you believe in peace, you are open to the world because you are, and you feel, European, you are humanitarian, you are committed to social causes, to the fight against climate change and the defense of the environment,” the monarch said in his address. AROUND 300 staff at one of Spain’s biggest airports have staged a month-long walk-out – because it’s too cold to work. Employees with the company Eulen, based at Adolfo Suarez Madrid Barajas airport, claim they are not being provided with warm enough clothing during ‘extreme weather’ and won’t return to work until January 21. The time period during which sex offenders can be brought to justice will start to run from the moment the victim reaches the age of 30, and not 18 as the law in Spain currently dictates. That’s according to one of the proposals that the Spanish Cabinet approved last week in the draft bill of the Integral Protection of Childhood and Adolescence against Violence Law. ….............................................. A FAKE priest who was never ordained has been dismissed from the Catholic Church in Spain after 18 years carrying out weddings and taking confessions. Miguel Angel Ibarra was reportedly found to be an imposter after a complaint was filed in his native country of Colombia, alleging that he had forged his documents. A ‘thorough investigation’ was carried out and it was found he had never been ordained. Brexiteers have slammed Sadiq Khan's 'disgraceful' pro-European Union fireworks display that lit up London's New Year's Eve celebrations but the mayor has stood by his actions. Mr Khan defended his decision to light up the London Eye to resemble the EU spectacular #LondonNYE fireworks showed that whatever the outcome of Brexit - #LondonIsOpen - to business, talent, ideas & creativity - and why London really is the greatest city in the world.' Apparently..... There is a migrant crisis on the South coast of England. Under international law, migrants allegedly fleeing oppression are supposed to seek asylum in the first safe country in which they arrive. In one case, that means Serbia. None of them should have any right to settle in Britain. British Transport Police officers are facing more than 12 attacks a week, it has emerged, just hours after one of them was stabbed at Manchester Victoria station. There were 1,939 reported assaults against British Transport Police (BTP) officers in the three years to October 2018, resulting in more than 230 injuries, Freedom of Information requests have shown. ….."Until the justice system fundamentally changes and criminals are actually punished and deterred there is zero point in increasing police numbers. There will just be more of them to attack. Criminals don't care because there's nothing to be worried about from a consequence perspective". The first vegan fish finger is being launched in the high street as supermarkets tap into a radical shift in eating habits –away from meat, dairy and fish. It is claimed more young people will give up meat in January – as part of the Veganuary campaign –

ONLY 1,489 of the 10,816 Moroccans who arrived in Spain irregularly this year were afterwards expelled from the country. ........ The Spanish government is this week taking to Congress a new strategy for Africa that focuses on investment, peace missions, a greater business presence, and what it terms “orderly mobility” between the continent and Spain. There are notable differences between bilingual education in each of Spain’s regions, especially when it comes to the English skills required of teachers. In Asturias, where more students study in English than any other region (52.3% in elementary school and 33.7% in high school), teachers only need to have an intermediate level (B2). In the UK Ministers finally activated all no-deal Brexit plans today as Theresa May warned they could not delay any longer. With just 101 days to go until the UK crashes out and Parliament deadlocked, Cabinet signed off billions of pounds more spending on preparations. ...... ' In Monday's double bill of Coronation St., fans saw Kate reach breaking point in her quest to have a baby, breaking down in tears as she told Rana she wanted a child to fill the space in her life that had been left by her brother Aidan's suicide earlier this year. A new sign outside the Crown & Anchor, in Brixton, South London, reads: 'We will only be accepting card payments. Apologies, but it is the digital age.'The pub made the decision to go cashless in October this year, to deter burglars after several break-ins.

TRAIN union CC.OO. has announced two additional strikes for December 21 and January 7. There was an existing train strike planned for this Friday 14, which at present is still set to go ahead.Renfe and Adif announced in a press release this morning (Tuesday), the main reason for the industrial action is not having enough staff to cover train routes during the busy Christmas season. TERRORIST group Daesh have issued a video threatening future terror attacks on Spain, allegedly citing a return to Barcelona following last year’s attack in La Rambla.The video message, picked up by cyber-analysts, reportedly claims the “cells are ready and the objectives are designed”. The video has not yet been released to the public. THE Guardia Civil has detained 23 robbers in Spain. The arrest took place in Ciudad Real, Toledo, Cuenca, Badajoz and Zaragoza in homes inhabited by elderly people. In a Guardia Civil report, police claim that 23 individuals have been arrested and six more are being investigated. A REAL estate report predicts the ‘housing market boom’ will slow down from 2021.Prepared by the Institut de Tecnologia de la Construccio de Catalunya (ITEC), the document suggess ‘housing promotion’ will have grown by 11 per cent by the end of this year, which is down on the 16.3 per cent growth experienced in 2017. SINCE 2015, the number of requests from Britons to apply for Spanish citizenship has tripled. The Spanish media claim this increase is due to the uncertainty of Brexit.Spain’s General Department for Registries and Notaries reported that 166 Britons requeste Spanish citizenship so far this year. Although the number is not as high as Morocco (10,067) and Venezuela (2,001)........ A MOTHER claims she dumped her new born daughter in a rubbish bin after becoming ‘overwhelmed and distressed’ at having given birth alone on the floor of an apartment in San Sebastian. The Brexit mess knows no bounds as Theresa May deludes herself into thinking her Brexit deal will be carried by Parliament. However, there is a bigger picture and the signal from Mrs May that she is ready to step down once Brexit is delivered came after she vowed to fight with 'everything I've got' to beat the Eurosceptic coup bid. The contest is being held after hardliners secured the 48 letters from Conservative MPs needed to force a ballot that could bring her time as leader to a shambolic end. At a rowdy PMQs this afternoon, watched by husband Philip from the gallery, Colin Wing, 60, was caught on camera screaming insults at the Manchester City player in a Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Mr Wing, from Beckenham, south-east London, says that he has lost his job, and his season ticket at Chelsea after 50 years watching the club, adding: 'Everybody’s got what they wanted'. Concern is growing for the safety of homeless people across Britain following a number of unprovoked attacks - including being robbed, urinated on, ambushed and hosed with water.

French President Emmanuel Macron caved in and suspended hated fuel tax hikes in a victory for the Yellow Vest protesters. In a humiliating U-turn, the government said it was planning to freeze upcoming increases on regulated electricity and gas prices following emergency talks at the Elysee Palace. Vox has swept its way into the Andalusian regional parliament on a national platform that includes no specific plans for the region. The far-right party rejects Spain’s highly decentralized system granting devolved powers to the regions (known in Spanish as the Estado autonómico), even though this system is encoded in the Spanish Constitution. Vox also does not believe in the electoral system that has just earned it nearly 400,000 votes and 12 seats in the regional legislature. With a populist 100-point program that smacks of Donald Trump (including calls for an “insurmountable” wall along the borders of the Spanish exclave cities of Ceuta and Melilla), Vox’s Andalusian candidate, Francisco Serrano, aims to begin the “reconquest” of Spain............No to immigration. The party plans to “control immigration flows depending on the needs of our national economy and of the new arrivals’ ability to integrate into Spanish society and accept our values. There will be country quotas with favorable treatment for nationalities who share our language and who have significant cultural and friendship ties with Spain.” As for illegal immigrants, Vox wants to deport them all and to go after non-profit groups that help them get to Spain. AROUND 1,000 people took to the streets of Malaga City on Monday to protest against the election of members of a far right political party to Andalucia’s regional assembly. SPAIN will now export an expanded range of pork products and table grapes to China following an agreement made as part of the framework of President Xi Jinping’s visit last month. PUPILS at the Mojacar Rey Alabez Institute in Almeria learnt about the potential dangers associated with social media at a talk given by Juvenile Court Judge Rafael Soriano Gruzman. Theresa May suffered three humiliating defeats on Brexit on Tuesday in the worst hour for a sitting Prime Minister in 40 years. The Commons voted to give MPs the power to demand a 'plan B' on Brexit if the PM's deal is voted down, hold the government in contempt for the first time in history, and forced ministers to publish the full legal advice on Brexit. The most senior judge at the European Court of Justice has concluded that Britain would not need permission from the 27 other states to halt the Article 50 process - and could retain the same membership terms. The opinion from Advocate General Manuel Campos Sanchez-Bordona comes after months of legal wrangling - with both the EU and the UK government trying to kill the case off. Nigel Farage warned Tommy Robinson’s appointment as an advisor on prison reform and ‘Muslim rape gangs’ risked turning Ukip into the new BNP. Announcing his resignation in a newspaper article, the former party leader wrote: 'And so, with a heavy heart, and after all my years of devotion to the party, I am leaving Ukip today. A bitter row between a step-father, a headteacher, and a police officer outside a high school over the man's 'frightening' cycling face mask has been captured on video. A father has been shot dead in front of stunned children while picking up children from school in Belfast. The incident happened near St Mary's Grammar School in West Belfast

British Prime Minister Theresa May has denied she ceded to Spanish demands over Gibraltar in the negotiations over the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU, a process commonly referred to as Brexit. Speaking to the House of Commons on Monday, May said: “We are proud that Gibraltar is British and our position on sovereignty has not and will not change.” Her comments came after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the political agreement reached over Gibraltar – a disputed British Overseas Territory located in the south of the Iberian peninsula and ceded to Great Britain in 1713 under the Treaty of Utrecht – was a clear victory for Spain. May ended her speech with the following declaration: “Our message to the people of Gibraltar is clear, we will always stand by you, we are proud that Gibraltar is British and our position on sovereignty has not and will not change.” The conservative press has backed the British prime minister and attacked Spain for “grandstanding.” RYANAIR has been found guilty in Spain of violating the right to strike of cabin cre ws, and of breaching work safety regulations. Unions have revealed that the Labo ur Ministry has threatened to fine the budget airline on this basis, and for obstructi ng inspections. A TEAM of snipers are being sought by environment experts to patrol parks in Spain to eradicate wild parakeets. The population of the birds has apparently soared to uncontrollable numbers since they were first introduced to the country as pets in the 1970s. Their vast numbers are now ‘overshadowing quieter native fauna’ and ‘threatening to destabilise the ecosystem’. Donald Trump added to Theresa May's woes with an extraordinary attack on the package she has negotiated with Brussels. He jibed that the deal was 'great for the EU' - and warned it would hit trade with the US. The intervention - which was pounced on by Tory Eurosceptics - immediately sparked speculation that Mr Trump might have been listening to Mr Farage, whom he once backed as a candidate for US ambassador. A Tory MP revealed today he was 'evolving' a 'Plan B' Brexit to make it easier to a gree with Brussels if Theresa May's deal fails in Parliament. Nick Boles, a former minister under David Cameron, said instead of trying to negotiate a brand new tra de deal in just two years Britain should join a group called the European Free Tra de Association (EFTA) in 2021. Nevine Mann, 36, and her husband Richard, 37, claim they have enough 'essentia ls' to keep them going for four months after the UK leaves the European Union. Th e couple, of Illogan, Cornwall, have stockpiled chickpeas, kidney beans, tuna, pas ta, rice, couscous, chopped tomatoes, sterilised milk, tinned corn, beans, paraceta mol and ibuprofen. They have also bought mountains of aspirin, juice, hand soap, Calpol, dried milk, honey, tea, coffee, porridge oats, raisins, bread, flour, yeast and Marmite. A cyclist thug who pulled out a huge 'zombie knife' and began smashing a car window in a terrifying road rage attack was today spared jail, sparking fury. Shocking dashcam footage showed Joshua Gardner, 18, brandishing the enormous blade on a busy south London road before repeatedly slashing at the car and threatening its 19-year-old driver, who got out and ran away.

POLITICIANS across Spain jumped on comments from a senior official this week in which he let slip that the date of the next general election may be brought forward.Jose Luis Abalos, the left-leaning Partido Socialista’s (PSOE) Organisational Secretary, said the party had not ruled out holding a ‘Super Sunday’ on May 26. .............. A national vote has to be held no later than Sunday July 26 2020. THE Spanish government and authorities in Gibraltar have made a series of agreements which cover arrangements during the transition period following Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union (EU). ALMOST 4,200 judges and prosecutors walked out of courts across Spain today (Monday) in a national strike over pay rates, working conditions and the running of Spain’s justice system. AN international network of child pornography involved in producing and distributing material in 27 countries has been identified, and 14 arrests made in Spain. A further four suspects are being investigated, and the identities of more than 400 ‘users’ who viewed the images on WhatsApp groups have been passed on to Europol and Interpol. THE number of undocumented migrants arriving in Spain has broken records two months before the end of the year, according to government statistics. The latest data from the Ministry of the Interior showed more than 47,860 migrants arrived in Spain from the start of this year up to October 31. That is around 8,500 more than the previous record set in 2006, according to statistics. TWO neighbourhoods in Valencia City have made the list of the top five chosen by European holidaymakers using a tourist apartment booking site. A TOTAL of 81 million people from overseas are expected to have holidayed in Spain by the end of this year, 0.8 per cent less than in 2017. Figures from the Ministry of Tourism predict tourism figures for this year will not exceed the 81.8 million seen by the end of last year. The UK PM Theresa May has faced a week of intense pressure from Brexiteers since the publication of her 585-page withdrawal agreement with Brussels last Wednesday. Britain is at the mercy of Russian hackers who are plotting cyber attacks that could bring the country to its knees, politicians have warned. There are ten attacks happening every day, with many aiming to paralyse areas such as the NHS, the national grid and even Parliament. It has been suggested that the female reproductive system and stress responses are more sensitive to the negative effects of extreme physical activity. Scientists say there is some evidence that arduous physical activity can suppress normal female reproductive hormone activity, impair bone strength and elevate stress hormone levels to a greater extent than in men. Bingo and Bollywood dancing are being prescribed to help ease doctors’ workloads. Instead of giving out pills, GPs are referring ‘frequent attenders’ to activities including gardening, boxing and free coffee mornings. There are 112 activities on offer from the 37 practices in Croydon, south London. The pilot scheme receives nearly £800,000 in NHS funding but also relies on community volunteers. .

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will step down as German Chancellor, a position she has held since 2005, when her current term ends in 2021, a source inside her CDU party has said. Two seven-year-old children have died in the Mediterranean as hundreds of migrants sought to reach Spain from Morocco, a Spanish NGO said Saturday. Meanwhile 16 Moroccan migrants were reported missing after another boat capsized off the coast of north Morocco. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) 42,500 migrants have arrived by sea in Spain since the start of the year and another 433 have been killed during the journey, ....... SPANISH naval ship has stopped an illegal whaling ship off the coast of Somalia as part of ongoing efforts to tackle piracy off the Horn of Africa. The Castilla assault vessel intercepted the whaler near to Somalia’s coast line last Saturday morning. A WATERSPOUT on the island of Menorca on Sunday left a trail of destruction and 38,000 residents without electricity. Spain’s Minister of Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, confirmed the damage to numerous electricity infrastructures, telephone cables and homes which occurred around 10am on Sunday morning. Spanish police said Sunday they had smashed a trafficking ring which brought Romanians, many of them with disabilities, to Spain where they were forced to beg in the streets dressed as mimes and human statues. ...................... A year after threatening the unity of Spain with an attempt to declare independence, The former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont launched a new party on Saturday, as he tries to rally separatists from his base in Belgium. In the UK the helicopter crash which killed the chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha's at Leicester City's ground has dominated the news. Prince William described him saying: 'He was a businessman of strong values who was dedicated to his family and who supported a number of important charitable causes. He made such a big contribution to football'. The billionaire perished with his assistant Kaveporn Punpare and Nursara Suknamai, a Thai beauty queen turned PA. The AW169 AgustaWestland helicopter's hero pilot Eric Swaffer and his girlfriend co-pilot Izabela Lechowicz also died - but potentially saved hundreds of lives by crashing away from the crowds of fans. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry met Tonga's King Tupou VI and his wife Queen Nanasipau'u at the Commonwealth Canopy Tupou College and as is custom for a duke and duchess, greeted them with a bow and a curtsy . This is the disturbing moment Keith Maden (inset, bottom), 59, lay dying in the street after he was viciously attacked when he tried to enter a chicken shop only to find the entrance blocked by student Jafar Ali ........... Huge farms of computers used to mine Bitcoin produce the same amount of carbon dioxide per year as every car in the UK combined, warns a new study. The y could produce enough greenhouse gases to raise global temperatures 2C (3.6F) within the next 15 years. This level of warming is forecast to bring catastro phic droughts, flooding and storms to regions across the globe by scientists. ............... The Chase is one of the most popular quiz shows on TV - but how do you beat The Chaser? People are now even accusing the chase of cheating........

Spain has not joined the group of European countries most critical of the death of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who went missing on October 2 after walking into Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul................... A Spanish-Saudi consortium has built the high-speed train to Mecca, a €6.7-billion project that began in 2011 and was inaugurated this month. SPAIN’S ruling political party has reportedly watered down plans to reform laws which have seen protests banned after the Prime Minister previously said changes were urgently needed. FIFTY FIVE immigrants who scaled the fence between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla on Sunday have already been expelled from Spain. Theye were amongst a group of more than 200 who broke through police lines to enter Melilla in an attempt to gain entry to Spain. Cristina de Borbón, sister to Spain’s King Felipe VI, is getting preferential treatment from prison authorities on her visits to her husband Iñaki Urdangarin, who is serving a five-year, 10-month sentence at Brieva penitentiary, in Ávila province. The city of Alicante suffered up to 71 bombings during the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939. In these guided tours, visitors are introduced to the historical and social context that surrounds the construction and use of shelters in the city of Alicante. In the UK Hate preacher Anjem Choudary has been seen out and about with a woman, thought to be his wife, for the first time since he was freed from jail. The Queen has spoken publicly about Brexit for the first time, telling the King of the Netherlands that 'shared values' are what binds Britain to Europe as she 'looks to a new partnership'. Ninestiles School, which educates 1,345 pupils aged 11-18 and is rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted inspectors, wrote to parents about the change last week. The letter said: ‘All student movement including to and from assembly, at lesson changeover and towards communal areas at break and lunch will be carried out in silence. .............catbail, Farnham, United Kingdom, about 2 hours ago What surprises me is how these days students have to change classrooms for each lesson. When I was at school (a grammar school), we had our own form room and teachers came to us, apart from science which was in labs obviously, and art, which was in the studio.................... A six-year-old girl saved her mother's life after telling her teacher: 'My Daddy is hu rting my Mummy'. Jodie Keegans, 36, endured three years of domestic abuse by her controlling husband Scott Keegans - described by a judge as one of the most ' Satanic' cases he'd seen before Keegans was jailed for 18 years last month. Alar m bells were initially raised when Jodie's 'superhero' daughter told her teacher about Keegans' abuse in October last year...................... A colleague of mine was travelling back from abroad a few weeks ago and no sooner had the plane touched down than the man in front of him powered up his mobile phone, connected to the internet and started to watch pornography. My colleague was horrified ............