Spain nears end of heatwave, wildfires claim fourth victim as firefighter killed, tax changes in Valencia exempt thousands of rich residents from paying wealth tax and more news on Monday August 18th.
Spain nears end of heatwave
Starting this Monday, Spain is heading toward the end of a heatwave that has affected the country for approximately two weeks.
National weather agency Aemet has forecast a widespread drop in temperatures for the beginning of this week, particularly noticeable in regions such as Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Aragón, Catalonia, and Castilla y León.
However, temperatures will remain very high in the east of the country and in the Balearic Islands.
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Barcelona pays tribute to 2017 terror attack victims
Barcelona on Sunday paid tribute to the victims of jihadist attacks which took place eight years ago on the city’s La Rambla and in the town of Cambrils in Tarragona.
A minute of silence was observed and a floral offering was laid during a ceremony attended by around 100 victims and their families, as well as local politicians.
On the afternoon of August 17th 2017, terrorist Younes Abouyaaqoub ploughed through a packed Rambla with a van knocking down everyone in its path. The heinous attack left 15 people dead and 131 injured.
Later that day, five terrorists were killed after bypassing a Mossos d’Esquadra checkpoint and running over six people. A woman died, making her the 16th victim.
Wildfires in Spain claim fourth victim as firefighter killed
A firefighter died when his truck flipped over in northwestern Spain, authorities said Monday, bringing the death toll from more than a week of forest fires hitting the country to four.
The firefighter and truck involved in the crash were part of the operation battling blazes in the region of Castilla y León, the regional government said on X, as Spain reeled from a series of fires fuelled by a summer heatwave.
Tax changes in Valencia exempt thousands of rich residents from paying wealth tax
The Valencian Government has admitted in a parliamentary response that raising the minimum exemption from €500,000 to €1 million in wealth tax revenue will result in a loss of almost €61 million for the Valencian public coffers.
In essence, 13,307 taxpayers in the region will not have to pay wealth tax because the right-wing coalition government has raised the threshold for the so-called impuesto al patrimonio.
A total of 14,404 millionaires in the Valencian Community will have to continue paying the wealth tax, but the amount they’re charged will be reduced on average by 27 percent, “from €12,932 to €9,436,” authorities point out.
READ MORE: Five key tax changes for people living in Spain’s Valencia region
With additional reporting by AFP.
