Brexit
European Union diplomats are meeting to finalize the draft divorce agreement between Britain and the bloc, amid a warning from Spain that it will oppose the deal if it isn’t guaranteed a say over the future of Gibraltar.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tweeted that Britain and Spain “remain far away” on the issue and “if there are no changes, we will veto Brexit.”
Spain wants the future of the tiny British territory to be a bilateral issue between Madrid and London.
Spain doesn’t have a veto on the withdrawal agreement, which does not have to be approved unanimously. But it could hold up a future free-trade deal between Britain and the EU, which would require approval of all 27 EU nations.
MW
Sterling fell a quarter of a percent this morning over Spain’s eleventh-hour objections over Gibraltar.
The British currency briefly rallied more than a percent yesterday on news that Britain and the European Union had agreed a draft text setting out a close post-Brexit relationship.
It ended up 0.8 percent on the day, scoring its biggest daily rise in 10 days.
Black Friday Strike
Workers at Amazon’s biggest logistics centre in Spain went on strike today the day of the online retailer’s “Black Friday” sales bonanza.
Employees at Amazon’s San Fernando facility have been demanding better wages and work conditions for months and have already staged several strikes this year.
It was unclear exactly how many employees stopped work.
A CCOO union spokesman said the centre, which prepares packages for clients in Spain and other European countries, “is at a complete standstill.
“Lorries are not entering, nor are they leaving.”
But in a statement, Amazon said “the majority of workers on the morning shift” were working and processing orders.
The labor dispute started because Amazon changed employees’ work conditions, meaning they now lose out on sick pay.
Shooting
AN autopsy of the man shot dead outside his Marbella home on Tuesday has revealed that he was shot more than 20 times with an AK-47.
Also known as a Kalashnikov, the gun has been used by the Soviet military, terrorists and now a gangland murder on the Costa del Sol.
The unidentified 58-year-old Frenchman was gunned down as he entered the garage at his home.
It has now emerged that the victim had a police record for drug and arms trafficking and had been previously arrested as part of an operation against smuggling hash in helicopters.
The killer, believed to have been hired by a criminal gang, dumped the weapon in a bin, before speeding away on a motorbike.
Dog Attack
A mother and daughter have been mauled to death by their own pet dogs at their Spanish home.
The two women were found dead, with multiple bite wounds near Madrid.
While the mum was almost entirely covered in bites, the daughter had suffered a fatal neck injury.
It is said they were killed by two large Bordeaux mastiffs that had been raised at the family home from pups.
Four other dogs, of unspecified breeds, were also at the property at the time, but did not participate in the attack.
The mum, 57, and daughter, 41, were discovered by their husbands, who called the emergency services and locked the dogs away until they arrived.
Five people have so far been killed by dogs in Spain this year.
Train Strikes
If you’re planning a train journey in December, there might be disruption due to strikes on some days
One of the main unions has called for strikes to highlight problems caused due to a lack of staff and the abandonment of maintenance of the railway infrastructure
The first industrial action has been called for December 5, with a 23 hour strike, followed by partial stoppages on December 13, 21 and 28 with strikes lasting for 4 hours on each day.