2022: The Year in Review – November

Saturday 31st December 2022 · Mike Smith
Source: Original

The World in November

The population of the world reached 8 billion people. Ukrainian forces recaptured Kherson, the only regional capital to be taken by Russia since they started their invasion of the country. NASA launched Artemis 1, the first uncrewed launch of its Space Launch System, the most powerful rocket ever launched into orbit. The Orion capsule orbited the moon before returning to the Earth, paving the way for future human missions back to the satellite. The cryptocurrency exchange FTX, once valued at $18 billion, filed for bankruptcy, in a collapse that affected the cryptocurrency environment. The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) on climate change took place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicked off in Qatar.

In Spain, the Congreso approved the coalition government’s 2023 Budget which included record levels of welfare spending to help households grapple with soaring inflation. MPs voted through the budget with 187 votes in favour and 156 against in what would be the last budget presented by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government before a general election, which is due by the end of 2023. A new and long-awaited Startup Law was passed which was aimed at attracting foreign investment, entrepreneurs and digital nomads to Spain by offering reduced tax rates and incentives as well as a new category of visa for digital nomads which would allow them to carry out work or professional activity remotely for companies located outside of the country. It was confirmed that the Spanish government and banks had agreed on measures to ease the burden of mortgage payments for families in the country earning less than €29,400, those most affected by rising living costs from the impact of the war in Ukraine, and the rise in the Euribor – the benchmark interest rate for variable-rate mortgages. Spain briefly closed part of its airspace on Friday as remnants of a Chinese rocket passed by, disrupting air travel in several cities including Barcelona. Flights were ‘totally restricted’ for 40 minutes in Catalonia and several other regions ‘due to the risk associated with the passage of the space object CZ-5B through the Spanish airspace’.

In the UK, former Health Secretary Matt Hancock participated in ITV’s I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! and was suspended by the Conservative Party; he would sit as an independent MP. The Bank of England increased its interest rate to 3% and forecast a UK recession which would last until 2024. ONS figures showed that the UK economy shrank by 0.2% in the third quarter of 2022. The UK agreed a revised deal with France to try to reduce the number of migrants and asylum seekers crossing the English Channel in small boats. Inflation reached 11.1% whilst the food price index rose even higher to 16.4%, its highest level since 1977. The Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish Government could not hold a second Scottish independence referendum without the UK government’s consent. Net migration into the UK hit an all-time high of 504,000 in the year to June, partly driven by the conflict in Ukraine, those fleeing persecution in Hong Kong, and the resettlement of Afghan refugees. The Royal College of Nursing announced that nurses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland would stage their biggest strike in NHS history, in a dispute over pay. The proportion of people in England and Wales describing themselves as Christian fell below half for the first time.

Xàbia in November

02: Evaluation tests would be carried on the rail link between Gata de Gorgos and Dénia as preparations were made for this final stretch of the FGV tranvía route to be opened by the beginning of next year.

03: It was reported that the reform of the Primer Montañar, the stretch of coastline between the port and the Arenal, was to be put on hold in anticipation of better times for public procurement and for a drop in the price of the raw materials that would be needed to carry out the 2.5 million euro project that was announced with great fanfare by the local government.

04: It was confirmed that Ximo Segarra, the councillor responsible for Finance, Contracts, New Technologies and representative for the historic centre, would be adding another feather to his cap when he takes on responsibility for Economic Development in Xàbia after the resignation of Marta Bañuls at the end of last month.

06: The port zone of Xàbia enjoyed the ninth edition of the popular seafood tapas festival, La Mar de Tapas, a gastronomic route which allowed the visitor to enjoy the great cuisine of the area, discover the bars and restaurants located just a stone’s throw from the waters of the Mediterranean, and enjoy some great live entertainment.

06: It was announced that the first session of the Consejo Municipal del Deporte, a participatory and consultative body for sports club and professionals, would be taking place this month, an initiative that will encourage the contribution of sports club and athletes in the planning policies and promotion of physical activity and sports at the local level in Xàbia.

06: The Centre Artístico Musical de Xàbia (CAM) kicked off its festive events to honour its patron saint Santa Cecilia with one of the most emotional acts; the collection of new musicians who become part of their groups.

08: Xàbia Council announced a series of economic measures to support residents and businesses in the municipality who are facing the rising cost of living, energy and uncertainty caused by global crises. And one of these measures included the total elimination of the tax charged for the collection of rubbish during 2023.

10: The Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar (CHJ) started cleaning and removing reeds from the Gorgos riverbed this week. The work, repeatedly requested by the local council in Xàbia, would be carried out between the Avenida del Pla bridge to the mouth of the river to remove the groups of giant reeds (arundo donax), an invasive species which is native to Asia but has colonized the Mediterranean area.

11: The FFCV Competition Committee kicked CD Jávea out of La Nostra Copa and handed a 1-0 victory to opponents CE Pedreguer. The rojiblancos had won the game 2-1 thanks to goals from Álvaro Tiscar and Javi Hernández and were looking forward to a Fourth Round tie in a competition that offers a chance for the winners to compete in the next season’s Copa del Rey.

11: The breakwater extension project to protect the restaurant overlooking Cala del Pope was finished, with two rows of four ton rocks having been carefully placed to provide a better defence against stormy seas.

12: Experimental data collection using mobile phones by the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE) confirmed that British tourists continue to dominate the international market in terms of foreign visitors to Xàbia.

15: Crime was increasing in Xàbia as a result of the shortage of manpower at the local police force in the town, claimed police unions. The lack of officers and job security for the current staff was the culprit as the Ministry of the Interior provided statistics that showed that general crime increased by 49% during the second quarter of 2022.

15: It was announced that a new music festival would debut in 2023 as Xàbia’s cultural calendar expands to offer styles for all tastes. In March, the first edition of ‘Arenal Blues’ will be held on the Paseo del Tenista David Ferrer, right next to the Arenal beach, and which will headline the guitarist Graham Foster and Valencian band ‘Los Fabulosos Blueshakers’.

18: The Town Planning Commission in Xàbia unanimously approved the creation of a study to analyze whether the municipal water company AMJASA was qualified to take on and manage the town’s sanitation and sewage network.

20: Archaeologists confirmed that the island of Portitxol was inhabited during the Roman and Byzantine eras after carrying out a number of excavations and uncovering plenty of evidence to be able to make the assertion.

23: It was reported that the contract to renew the lighting in the Tosalet de Xàbia estate had been awarded to Sociedad Ibérica de Construccciones Eléctricas (SICE) for 1.77 million euros, significantly less than the 2.79 million euro starting price.

24: British citizens officially resident in Spain will need to register to vote in next year’s local elections, even if they have voted before. This was confirmed during a special presentation organised by the Diputación de Alicante in collaboration with the Ayuntamiento de Xàbia to explain the right to vote for British citizens after the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union.

30: The November Plenary Session of the Ayuntamiento de Xàbia approved unanimously a motion to start proceedings to transfer direct management of the town’s sanitation network to the municipal water company AMJASA with the objective of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the service and centralizing everything into the integrated water system managed wholly by the company.