A break-up every four minutes

SPAIN There is a divorce every four minutes in this country, according to a recent study by the Family Policy Institute using data from the Judiciary. The information reveals that there were 127,633 divorces in 2010, 3,050 more than in the previous year. The total implies that 350 marrieges broke per day, that is, one every 4.1 minutes. In fact, the name used is 'ruptures', or break-ups, the vast majority (93.64%) of which were divorces, plus 6.24% separations (7,960) and o.13% annullments (160).  Four of every ten break-ups (40.23%) were contentious, or 'conflictive'.  These figures do not include what used to be known in the UK as common-law marriages.

San Martín del Tesorillo begins official 'divorce proceedings' from Jimena

Belén Jarillo (photo), who heads the ELA (Local Autonomous Entity in its Spanish acronym) of  San Martín del Tesorillo (hereinafter called 'Tesorillo', as used by everyone except those who mistakenly insist on calling the village 'San Martín'), has officially presented the documents needed for that village to separate from its 'mother municipality', Jimena de la Frontera. She and her 'parallel' Council (Tesorillo is still officially governed by Jimena) expect to have an answer from the Governing Council of the Junta de Andalucía. There are several requirements involved in such a move, which has been on the agenda for a good number of years. Among these is a set number of inhabitants, square kilometres, and such. Opinions vary as to whether many these requirements can be met.