Spain Today – Last Spanish News

1. 03.81 - Sánchez and Feijóo set for 19 November face-to-face debate | Spain Today

   14.11.202620 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 81Als Nächstes

   🇪🇸 Spain's election campaign heats up as Sánchez and Feijóo prepare for a face-to-face debate on 19 November. Also today: inflation stuck at 4.9% with the 20-cent fuel discount kept through December; six boats …

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   🇪🇸 Spain's election campaign heats up as Sánchez and Feijóo prepare for a face-to-face debate on 19 November. Also today: inflation stuck at 4.9% with the 20-cent fuel discount kept through December; six boats with more than 700 people reach El Hierro; and prosecutors file a complaint against TikTok over child-abuse videos.Spain Today. More tomorrow.

2. 03.80 - Spain's election campaign kicks off for 29 November | Spain Today

   13.11.202618 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 80Als Nächstes

   🇪🇸 Spain's general election campaign has kicked off ahead of the vote on 29 November, with a big pre-election poll from the CIS showing how the parties stand. Also today: Rosalía sweeps six Latin Grammys …

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   🇪🇸 Spain's general election campaign has kicked off ahead of the vote on 29 November, with a big pre-election poll from the CIS showing how the parties stand. Also today: Rosalía sweeps six Latin Grammys, including Album and Song of the Year; Spain nears 50 million inhabitants, driven by immigration; and the government orders platforms to remove 8,352 illegal tourist rental listings.

   Spain Today. More tomorrow.

3. 03.79 - Spain's general strike ends with both sides claiming victory | Spain Today

   12.11.202620 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 79Als Nächstes

   🇪🇸 Spain's general strike is over and both sides claim victory. The unions CCOO and UGT call it a success, the employers' group CEOE says only five percent of workers stopped, and the day ended with blocked …

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   🇪🇸 Spain's general strike is over and both sides claim victory. The unions CCOO and UGT call it a success, the employers' group CEOE says only five percent of workers stopped, and the day ended with blocked roads, police charges and dozens of arrests in Madrid, Barcelona and the Basque Country. Also today: a WhatsApp scam that hijacks real chats to ask for urgent money transfers, police and Guardia Civil drones against illegal night-time car meets in industrial estates, and Storms Bruna and Charles keeping rain and wind across Spain.

   
   

   Spain Today. More tomorrow.

4. 03.78 - Spain holds nationwide general strike over housing | Spain Today

   11.11.202617 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 78Als Nächstes

   🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary – 11 November 20261. Nationwide 11N General Strike Demands Housing and Wage ReformsSpain is holding a 24-hour national general strike on 11 November, the first major nationwide …

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   🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary – 11 November 20261. Nationwide 11N General Strike Demands Housing and Wage ReformsSpain is holding a 24-hour national general strike on 11 November, the first major nationwide strike in 14 years and the first ever called with general elections already announced. Organised by the trade unions CCOO and UGT alongside civil groups such as the Sindicato de Inquilinas, the strike calls on 19 million workers across all sectors to demand affordable housing, decent wages and fair wealth distribution. The protest was sparked by the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal. Minimum services are in place, including 50% to 75% for Cercanías trains, 50% to 80% for Metro networks, emergency medical care, and up to 90% for critical security infrastructure.2. Police Officer Killed and Another Critically Injured in Oviedo ExplosionA National Police officer has died and a TEDAX bomb disposal officer was critically injured after an explosion in the Villafría neighbourhood of Oviedo. The incident began with a morning neighbour dispute in which a 17-year-old girl was shot and wounded. Officers found a backpack containing an explosive device in a building doorway and moved it outside to protect residents. The device detonated during handling, killing Sub-inspector Juan José and his 3-year-old police dog, Deny. The surviving officer lost a leg. Police have identified the suspect, who has a history of common crime, and launched a search.3. Red Weather Warnings for Torrential Rain and Severe WindsStorms Bruna and Charles, the latter undergoing explosive cyclogenesis, are hitting southern and western Spain and the Canary Islands. AEMET has declared red alerts for northern Cáceres, southern Ávila and La Palma. Rainfall could exceed 120–150 l/m² in the Sierra de Gredos and 300 l/m² in areas burned by summer fires, raising the risk of floods and landslides. Gusts could reach 120–130 km/h, with a risk of tornadoes in the Gulf of Cádiz.4. Official Title Approved for Single-Parent FamiliesThe Government has passed a Royal Decree-Law creating an official title for single-parent families. With an annual budget of more than €820 million, it covers over 760,000 households (nearly 3 million people), 80% of them headed by women. Single-parent families with two children will get the same status as large families, including a €1,200 annual tax deduction.

5. 03.77 - Spain braces for a 24-hour general strike over housing | Spain Today

   10.11.202614 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 77Als Nächstes

   🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 10 November 20261. Spain braces for a 24-hour general strike over the housing crisisThe major unions have called a general strike from midnight to midnight on Wednesday 11 November …

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   🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 10 November 2026

   
   

   1. Spain braces for a 24-hour general strike over the housing crisis

   The major unions have called a general strike from midnight to midnight on Wednesday 11 November, demanding affordable homes, better wages and action on the rising cost of living. Marches are planned in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Bilbao and dozens of other cities, mostly in the early evening.

   
   

   2. Train drivers strike today, the first of four strike days

   Rail drivers are walking out on the first of four strike days, running until 17 November, demanding the safety measures promised after two deadly crashes.

   
   

   3. Storm Bruna triggers a red rain warning as storm Charles approaches

   Northern Cáceres and southern Ávila are under Spain's highest weather alert, with up to 120 litres of rain per square metre in 12 hours and schools closed. A second, subtropical storm, Charles, arrives on Wednesday with heavy rain and very strong winds in the southwest and the Canary Islands.

   
   

   4. Spain asks prosecutors to investigate alleged child abuse material on TikTok

   The government has asked prosecutors to look into videos on the platform that allegedly contain child sexual abuse material.

   
   

   Spain Today. More tomorrow.

6. 03.76 - Storm Bruna brings heavy rain and strong winds across Spain | Spain Today

   09.11.202621 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 76Als Nächstes

   🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 9 November 20261. Storm Bruna brings heavy, persistent rain and strong windsSpain's weather agency expects the biggest totals in western and southern Galicia, the Central System …

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   🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 9 November 20261. Storm Bruna brings heavy, persistent rain and strong windsSpain's weather agency expects the biggest totals in western and southern Galicia, the Central System, Extremadura and western Andalusia, with strong rain also forecast for the Toledo Mountains and the ranges of Cádiz and Málaga. Thunderstorms are likely on the Atlantic side and gusts will be very strong in places, while fog is expected in the east and the Ebro valley.2. Judge frees ten neo-Nazi Núcleo Nacional suspects but takes their passportsA court in Gijón released ten of the detained members of the far-right group, banned them from leaving Spain, withdrew their passports and ordered weekly court appearances. Investigators are looking at incitement to hatred and illicit association, and police also seized prohibited weapons such as brass knuckles and stun guns.3. Adif denies approving an executive bonus before its president resignedThe rail manager says reports of a bonus for its leadership were biased and incomplete, and explains its 2026–2030 financing agreements and variable-pay system after the Urda crash.4. Carlos Alcaraz wins the Paris MastersAlcaraz beat Ben Shelton 7-6, 7-5 for his first Paris title and a fifth consecutive Masters 1000 crown, a feat only Djokovic and Nadal had achieved before.

7. 03.75 - Spain maps more than 200 high-speed rail warning signs | Spain Today

   08.11.202612 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 75Als Nächstes

   🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 8 November 20261. Spain maps more than 200 high-speed rail warning signsSpain's rail safety agency logged 207 accident precursors on the high-speed network between 2017 and 2024 — …

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   🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 8 November 20261. Spain maps more than 200 high-speed rail warning signsSpain's rail safety agency logged 207 accident precursors on the high-speed network between 2017 and 2024 — failures that did not become crashes: 103 track deformations, 78 signal overruns and 25 broken rails. In the last two years they neared 50 a year, mostly signal overruns, up from fewer than ten. On the Madrid–Seville line, eleven track deformations sit near Palma del Río and nine signal overruns sit near Madrid Atocha — a third of that line's warnings, on the corridor that has seen two deadly crashes in nine months.2. Urda crash investigators recommend a temporary proceed-on-sight ruleThe independent body investigating the 28 October Urda crash recommended in a 6 November report that, when the main safety system fails and trains switch to backup signalling, circulation should resume only under a temporary proceed-on-sight rule until protocols are reviewed. At Urda that system failed about twenty minutes earlier; an AVE later hit a stopped train and 69 people died. Investigators have asked the safety agency and the high-speed manager to rewrite control-centre rules and to check where every train already on the line is.3. Sánchez calls for mass mobilisation against a PP–Vox governmentIn Tarragona, Pedro Sánchez told supporters that mass turnout is the best answer to what he called a step backwards under a PP–Vox government, saying that if people vote in large numbers Feijóo and Abascal would be sent home. The 29 November election campaign resumes after a pause for the Urda crash.4. Police in Barcelona arrest a suspected repeat jihadist offenderSpanish National Police arrested a man in Barcelona accused of jihadist indoctrination on social media. He was convicted in 2018 of glorifying terrorism and indoctrination, then released under supervision in 2021. Officers say he broke those conditions: he had to stay electronically locatable, report every two weeks, and stay off online spaces that could radicalise him. Police searched his home on Tuesday, seized devices, and Spain's National Court ordered him held in prison as a national-security risk.

8. 03.74 - European prosecutors probe Madrid-Seville rail safety funds | Spain Today

   07.11.202620 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 74Als Nächstes

   🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 7 November 20261. European prosecutors probe Madrid-Seville rail safety fundsThe European Public Prosecutor's Office has opened a second fraud investigation into EU money spent …

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   🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 7 November 2026

   1. European prosecutors probe Madrid-Seville rail safety funds
   The European Public Prosecutor's Office has opened a second fraud investigation into EU money spent renewing signalling, safety and communications on Spain's Madrid–Seville high-speed line, after a computer failure knocked out speed control before the deadly Urda crash. Investigators visited Adif, the rail safety agency and the Court of Auditors; a €94 million contract to replace the old system should have finished early this year.

   2. Spain orders mills to withhold olive oil to halt price collapse
   With a bumper harvest of about 1.6 million tonnes pushing farm-gate prices to around €3.30 a litre, below production cost, the government is forcing every mill to hold back 12% of monthly output — 188,000 tonnes — until the end of September 2027.

   3. Spain nominates Pablo Hernández de Cos for ECB president
   Spain has formally put forward the former Bank of Spain governor, now at the BIS, to succeed Christine Lagarde in February 2027. Surveys rank him the strongest technical candidate; his rival is Dutch central banker Klaas Knot. Eurozone finance ministers begin weighing the choice on 9 November.

   4. Judge refuses to investigate Zapatero over Saudi jewels
   A judge has rejected opening an embezzlement probe into former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero over Saudi jewellery gifts and halted related tax inspections.

9. 03.73 - Police search Ábalos home in new Koldo corruption case | Spain Today

   06.11.202613 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 73Als Nächstes

   🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 6 November 20261. Police search Ábalos home in new Koldo corruption caseSpain's UCO anti-corruption unit has searched the home of former transport minister José Luis Ábalos and …

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   🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 6 November 2026

   1. Police search Ábalos home in new Koldo corruption case
   Spain's UCO anti-corruption unit has searched the home of former transport minister José Luis Ábalos and requested information from rail manager Adif, with six people detained, in a new secret piece of the Koldo case.

   2. Adamuz Alvia safety recorders appear lost
   Spain's Civil Guard says it is impossible to recover the automatic DEUTA safety recorders from the Alvia train wrecked in Adamuz in January, where 46 people died. The main black boxes were already read in March; these missing units leave a critical gap.

   3. Labour Ministry proposes a 5.3% minimum wage rise for 2027
   The draft would take Spain's minimum wage to €1,286 a month over 14 payments, about €65 more per paycheck and five euros above the expert panel's 4.9% advice. The decree is in public consultation before the cabinet.

   4. False bomb threats force emergency landings across Europe
   At least 27 passenger jets were diverted or searched after emails claimed explosives on board. Madrid-Barajas handled four flight alerts; specialists cleared them and no bombs were found. The European Commission opened an information-sharing channel.

10. 03.72 - Spain's rail infrastructure chief resigns after Urda crash | Spain Today

    05.11.202618 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 72Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 5 November 20261. Spain's rail infrastructure chief resigns after the Urda crashLuis Pedro Marco de la Peña, president of the rail infrastructure manager Adif, has resigned a day …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 5 November 2026

    1. Spain's rail infrastructure chief resigns after the Urda crash
    Luis Pedro Marco de la Peña, president of the rail infrastructure manager Adif, has resigned a day after transport minister Óscar Puente stepped down over the Urda high-speed crash that killed 69 people. He handed in his resignation to Carlos Cuerpo, the first deputy prime minister and economy minister, who has temporarily taken over the transport portfolio and says restoring trust in high-speed rail is now the priority.

    2. Constitutional Court treats Junqueras, Romeva and Turull as amnestied
    Spain's Constitutional Court has unanimously closed the appeals of former Catalan vice-president Oriol Junqueras and former ministers Jordi Turull and Raül Romeva, saying they have lost their purpose now that the Supreme Court has applied the amnesty law and declared their criminal liability for misuse of public funds extinguished.

    3. Experts recommend a 4.9% minimum wage rise for 2027
    A government expert panel recommends raising Spain's minimum wage by 4.9% in 2027, to €1,281 a month over 14 payments, about €60 more per payment. Unions wanted 7%, while employers oppose a new increase.

    4. Zelensky in Madrid during the Ibero-American summit
    Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky landed by surprise in Madrid during the 30th Ibero-American Summit and meets prime minister Pedro Sánchez at Moncloa today, ahead of US-Ukraine-Russia talks planned in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November.

11. 03.71 - Transport minister Óscar Puente resigns after Urda crash | Spain Today

    04.11.202612 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 71Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 4 November 20261. Transport minister Óscar Puente resigns after the Urda train crashSpain's transport minister, Óscar Puente, has resigned after the high-speed rail crash near Urda …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 4 November 2026

    1. Transport minister Óscar Puente resigns after the Urda train crash
    Spain's transport minister, Óscar Puente, has resigned after the high-speed rail crash near Urda, in Toledo, which killed 69 people. He announced it at the end of more than four hours of questions in parliament, saying a minister cannot stay in office after two rail accidents this serious in less than a year, and calling it a matter of political dignity.

    2. Junior doctors' on-call shifts capped at 17 hours
    A new royal decree ends 24-hour shifts for doctors in specialist training, capping each on-call shift at 17 hours, with minimum rest between shifts. Pay adds a training bonus that rises each year of residency, but the junior doctors' association says they will lose income and wants the reform scrapped.

    3. Rail unions protest and call an ADIF strike on 17 November
    Rail workers are demanding more safety after the Urda crash. Train drivers are preparing a strike at Renfe on 10 November, with partial stoppages on the 12th, and the works council of the rail infrastructure manager ADIF has agreed a strike for 17 November, with a rally outside parliament the day before.

    4. Cristina Fernández Cubas wins the 2026 Cervantes Prize
    Catalan writer Cristina Fernández Cubas, a master of the short story and of fantastic fiction, has won the Cervantes Prize, the most important award in Spanish-language literature. The jury praised a body of work that has renewed the contemporary short story.

12. 03.70 - Spain Today News 3 November 2026

    03.11.202620 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 70Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 3 November 20261. Police clear the Puerta del Sol housing campPolice have cleared the protest camp in Madrid's Puerta del Sol, where hundreds of people had been demanding the right …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 3 November 2026

    1. Police clear the Puerta del Sol housing camp
    Police have cleared the protest camp in Madrid's Puerta del Sol, where hundreds of people had been demanding the right to housing since 26 September. On Monday several groups had started moving out to neighbourhoods to prepare a general strike, but the movement had insisted the camp would stay.

    2. Urda rail crash: all 69 victims identified
    Forensic teams have now identified all 69 people killed in the high-speed rail crash near Urda, in Toledo: 54 Spanish and 15 foreign nationals. 39 injured people remain in hospital, nine of them in intensive care in Castilla-La Mancha, while 81 have been discharged. The government is set to approve an urgent aid package for victims, and Transport Minister Óscar Puente appears before parliament and rules out resigning.

    3. A decree to cut processed and fried food in hospitals, care homes and nurseries
    A new royal decree limits ready meals to three servings a month in hospitals and care homes, and just one for children, with fried food capped at two servings a week. Menus must include fresh fruit and vegetables every day, legumes weekly and fish twice a week. Centres will have twelve months to adapt.

    4. La Palma hit by an island-wide blackout
    La Palma, in the Canary Islands, lost power across the whole island for almost four hours after a stormy night, following a fault on a transmission line. It is the island's second total blackout in less than a year and a half, and the regional government says its grid has serious problems in generation, transport and distribution.

13. 03.69 - Spain Today News 2 November 2026

    02.11.202622 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 69Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 2 November 20261. Urda rail crash: 66 of 69 victims identifiedForensic teams have identified 66 of the 69 people killed in the high-speed rail crash near Urda, in Toledo; the three …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 2 November 2026

    1. Urda rail crash: 66 of 69 victims identified
    Forensic teams have identified 66 of the 69 people killed in the high-speed rail crash near Urda, in Toledo; the three still missing are foreign nationals, two from Australia and one from Japan. Renfe has ordered its drivers to slow to 40 km/h whenever the LZB safety system fails, and the government is preparing an aid decree for the victims for Tuesday.

    2. Prices jump with the Madrid–Andalusia high-speed line closed
    With the line, used by almost six million people last year, still shut, travellers are turning to car sharing and flights. New car-share drivers on the route have multiplied by eight and bookings by ten, the average Madrid to Seville ride rose from 30 to 41 euros, and one airline capped Madrid to Andalusia fares at 99 euros.

    3. Barcelona's police operation against Blocus ends with no incidents
    Hundreds of officers sealed off central Barcelona to stop riots and looting called online by the group Blocus. The operation ended with no incidents, three arrests, 1,440 people identified and 127 fined, a week after similar calls ended in serious riots.

    4. Sculptor Miquel Navarro dies at 81
    The Valencian artist, born and based in Mislata, was known for turning the city itself into sculpture, with his landscapes of small pieces evoking urban skylines, and later for monumental public works across Spain.

14. 03.68 - Spain Today News 1 November 2026

    01.11.202611 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 68Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 1 November 20261. The open questions after the Urda crashInvestigators are still trying to work out why the high-speed train that hit a stationary Iryo train near Urda, in Toledo …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 1 November 2026

    1. The open questions after the Urda crash
    Investigators are still trying to work out why the high-speed train that hit a stationary Iryo train near Urda, in Toledo, was cleared to move again at normal speed instead of "on sight" at a maximum of 40 km/h, and why the safety systems did not stop it. At least 69 people died; 56 victims have been identified. The Madrid to Andalusia line remains closed.

    2. A new EU fee on parcels from outside the Union
    From 1 November, the EU charges a two-euro handling fee for every category of item in a parcel coming from outside the Union. It comes on top of the three-euro duty introduced in July on small parcels worth up to 150 euros, mostly aimed at cheap orders from platforms like Temu, Shein and AliExpress.

    3. Blocus founder jailed without bail
    A court in Valencia has sent two young men linked to the online movement Blocus to prison without bail, including the man police describe as its founder. They are investigated over calls on social media to riot and loot shops.

    4. ES-Alert warnings multiplied by ten
    Since the October 2024 floods in Valencia, Spain's ES-Alert emergency phone warnings have multiplied by ten. Fires and heavy rain are the most common reasons; in July alone, 159 alerts were sent.

15. 03.67 - Spain Today News 31 October 2026

    31.10.202625 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 67Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 31 October 20261. The warning before the Urda crashSpain's rail accident investigators warned in May 2025 that poor communication between traffic control centres and train drivers …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 31 October 2026

    1. The warning before the Urda crash
    Spain's rail accident investigators warned in May 2025 that poor communication between traffic control centres and train drivers was not a one-off but a "systemic" problem. Two days after the high-speed crash near Urda, in Toledo, where at least 69 people died, the probe is focusing on the orders the control room gave the drivers. Transport minister Óscar Puente says the people in the control centre "could see what was happening".

    2. Inflation stuck at 4.9%
    Inflation in Spain stayed at 4.9% in October, the highest level since February 2023. The average household electricity bill rose 7.2% to more than 92 euros because of high gas prices. The economy keeps growing: GDP rose 0.6% in the third quarter, 2.7% year on year.

    3. Mortgages still more expensive
    The Euribor closed October at 3.239%. For a typical 150,000-euro variable mortgage over 25 years, that means paying more than 85 euros a month more than a year ago, about 1,000 euros a year.

    4. Valencia floods: official toll rises to 234
    Two years after the October 2024 floods, the judge investigating the disaster has raised the official death toll in Valencia province to 234, while some ground floors and garages in the worst-hit area are still unusable.

16. 03.66 - Spain Today: what failed in the Urda train crash, a Spaniard tipped to lead the ECB, teens arrested over looting chats and fake news after the crash

    30.10.202623 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 66Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 30 October 20261. What failed in the Urda train crashThe death toll from Wednesday's high-speed crash near Urda, in Toledo, has risen to 69, with around 200 passengers treated in …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 30 October 2026

    
    

    1. What failed in the Urda train crash

    The death toll from Wednesday's high-speed crash near Urda, in Toledo, has risen to 69, with around 200 passengers treated in hospital. A Renfe AVE hit the back of an Iryo train that had reported it was stopped on the Madrid–Seville line. Early findings point to a computer failure that took down the LZB automatic safety system, followed by decisions at the control centre to let trains move again. The key question for investigators is why the AVE was travelling at around 200 km/h instead of the roughly 40 km/h the rules require in that situation.

    
    

    2. A Spaniard could lead Europe's central bank

    Christine Lagarde will step down as president of the European Central Bank on 7 February 2027, nine months before her term ends. The race to succeed her has already begun, and Spain's Pablo Hernández de Cos is the early favourite among economists, with the Dutch central banker Klaas Knot as his main rival.

    
    

    3. Teenagers arrested over looting chats

    Police have arrested two teenagers, aged 16 and 17, in Valencia and in Bellmunt d'Urgell, Lleida, accused of creating and running "Blocus" chat channels that called for looting, vandalism and attacks on police officers.

    
    

    4. Fake news after the crash

    After the Urda crash, social media filled with old photos from January's Adamuz rail accident, AI-generated images, conspiracy theories and even fake text messages sent to victims' families.

17. 03.65 - Spain Today: high-speed train crash in Toledo, drivers' strike, Valencia floods two years on and the Sijena murals

    29.10.202618 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 65Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 29 October 20261. High-speed train crash near Urda, ToledoAt least 68 people have died and dozens are injured after a Renfe high-speed train carrying 378 passengers hit the back of …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 29 October 2026

    
    

    1. High-speed train crash near Urda, Toledo

    At least 68 people have died and dozens are injured after a Renfe high-speed train carrying 378 passengers hit the back of an Iryo train that was stopped on the Madrid–Seville line near Urda, in Toledo, on Wednesday morning. The first findings point to a computer failure that knocked out the LZB signalling system over more than 60 kilometres, followed by a control-centre decision to let trains restart despite a red signal.

    
    

    2. Train drivers keep their strike

    The train drivers' union Semaf is going ahead with its 24-hour strike across the Renfe group this Thursday, calling for rail safety and urging caution about the causes of the crash, while the Madrid–Andalusia high-speed line remains closed.

    
    

    3. Valencia floods, two years on

    Two years after the deadly flash floods of 29 October, the "street of cars" between Alfafar and Sedaví, where dozens of vehicles piled up against homes and shops, lives a strange normality. Mud marks still show how high the water rose, some shops never reopened, and neighbours say people are still deeply shaken.

    
    

    4. The Sijena murals go back to Aragon

    Spain's Supreme Court has set May 2027 as the deadline for Catalonia to return the 12th-century Sijena murals to the monastery in Huesca, Aragon. The Catalan national art museum warns the move carries serious risks, while Aragon says it can be done safely.

18. 03.64 - Spain Today: tractors in Madrid, 2,500 affordable rental homes, unemployment at 10.2% and Storm Adam disaster zones

    28.10.202612 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 64Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 28 October 20261. Tractors take over MadridAround 500 tractors and thousands of farmers and livestock breeders from across Spain drive into Madrid this Wednesday in five columns …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 28 October 2026

    1. Tractors take over Madrid
    Around 500 tractors and thousands of farmers and livestock breeders from across Spain drive into Madrid this Wednesday in five columns, marching from Plaza de Colón to the Ministry of Agriculture under the slogan "Feeding people has to pay a living". They are demanding cheaper farm diesel, fair prices and no cuts to European farm aid. The protest comes hours after EU ministers reached a partial deal on the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy after more than twelve hours of talks.

    2. 2,500 affordable rental homes
    The government has approved 201 million euros in grants for private developers to build 2,500 affordable rental homes on public, ready-to-build land in provinces such as Malaga, Seville, Valencia, Cantabria and Guadalajara. Rent can never exceed 30% of household income, contracts can last up to 75 years, and the public housing body sets the access conditions.

    3. Unemployment rises to 10.2%, employment at a record
    Spain's unemployment rate rose three tenths to 10.2% in the third quarter, with 95,900 more people out of work, the biggest summer rise in a decade outside the pandemic, for a total of 2.59 million unemployed. At the same time, employment hit a record 22.85 million people, with the new jobs going to foreign workers, and the active population reached a record 25.4 million.

    4. Storm Adam disaster zones
    The government has declared 25 territories in nine regions, hit by Storm Adam and other emergencies between 13 September and 20 October, as areas seriously affected by a civil protection emergency, opening the door to extra aid, including for people without insurance.

19. 03.63 - Spain Today: Bilbao riots, record mortgages, factory prices up 18% and a Supreme Court ruling on failed vasectomies

    27.10.202617 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 63Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 27 October 20261. Riots in Bilbao, 19 arrestedSeveral hundred hooded radicals burned cars, a police motorbike and dozens of rubbish bins, looted shops and threw stones at officers …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 27 October 2026

    1. Riots in Bilbao, 19 arrested
    Several hundred hooded radicals burned cars, a police motorbike and dozens of rubbish bins, looted shops and threw stones at officers in Bilbao on Monday evening, after a protest of several thousand people against a talk by a social media personality at the University of Deusto. The talk was cancelled for security reasons. Basque police arrested 19 people, seven of them minors. The violence came two days after riots in Barcelona that ended with at least 128 arrests, and new calls are circulating for Madrid and other cities on Saturday 31 October.

    2. Record mortgages
    The average new mortgage in Spain reached a record 181,285 euros in August, 7.7% more than a year earlier. The average interest rate rose to 3.08%, the highest since January 2025, and the typical loan now runs for 26 years. Even so, 33,841 mortgages were signed in the month, up 2.3%, and home sales rose 3.4% on August last year.

    3. Energy drives factory prices up 18%
    Spain's industrial prices rose 18.3% year on year in September, the fastest increase in almost four years, driven by energy (up almost 50%) and oil refining (up 76%). Factory-gate prices are an early signal for shop prices. On the markets, Brent crude touched 117 dollars a barrel and European gas moved towards 100 euros per megawatt hour.

    4. Failed vasectomy: the wife gets compensation too
    Spain's Supreme Court has ruled that the wife of a man whose vasectomy failed can also claim compensation, because doctors never explained the risk that the tubes could reconnect on their own. The operation took place at a public hospital in Madrid and led to an unplanned pregnancy. The court awarded 35,000 euros to each of them.

20. 03.62 - Spain Today: Montseny bus crash, Madrid teachers' strike, gender-violence units stretched and treatment-resistant depression

    26.10.202621 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 62Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 26 October 20261. Bus plunges down a slope near BarcelonaAt least 83 people were injured, seven of them seriously, when a bus came off a narrow, winding road in Fogars de Montclús …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 26 October 20261. Bus plunges down a slope near BarcelonaAt least 83 people were injured, seven of them seriously, when a bus came off a narrow, winding road in Fogars de Montclús, in the Montseny area near Barcelona, on Sunday afternoon and fell 20 metres down a slope. 23 ambulances and two medical helicopters took part, the injured were taken to hospitals in Granollers, Girona and Barcelona, and the cause is under investigation.2. Madrid's striking teachers and the 665-million billMadrid's regional government says the 600-euro monthly pay rise demanded by striking public-school teachers would cost 665 million euros a year, and denies that its teachers are the worst paid in Spain. Instead it is offering heating, cooling and accessibility work in 75 schools from 2027 and a new decree to strengthen teachers' authority in class.3. Gender-violence protection running on the bare minimumSpain's top prosecutor for violence against women says forensic assessment units for abuse cases are still missing in some places and overloaded in others, with families waiting months for reports. Police are tracking more than 111,000 active cases, and 43 women have been killed by a partner or ex-partner so far this year.4. When antidepressants don't workOne in six Spaniards aged 15 or over shows signs of depression, according to Spain's latest national health survey. For the thousands of patients each year who don't respond to the usual treatments, brain stimulation is offering new hope, though access in public healthcare is still limited.

21. 03.61 - Spain Today: Madrid pensions march, Barcelona student riots, grandchildren's law deadline and the King's cataract surgery

    25.10.202620 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 61Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 25 October 20261. Thousands march in Madrid for public pensionsTens of thousands of people marched through Madrid on Saturday to defend Spain's public pension system and reject any …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 25 October 2026

    1. Thousands march in Madrid for public pensions
    Tens of thousands of people marched through Madrid on Saturday to defend Spain's public pension system and reject any move to privatise it: 50,000 according to the organisers, 25,000 according to the government's office in Madrid. They want pensions to rise in line with real inflation, the minimum pension to match the minimum wage and a public audit of the system. Tenants' unions joined the march, warning that rents and the cost of living are hitting older people too.

    2. Barcelona student protest turns into riots
    A student protest in Plaça de Catalunya, called on social media and inspired by the school protests in France, turned violent. Shops were looted, bins and café awnings were set on fire, and riot police charged to break up the groups.

    3. Grandchildren's law: Supreme Court deadline
    Spain's Supreme Court has given ministers until Wednesday 28 October at 15:00 to hand over the names of 163,020 people naturalised under the "grandchildren's law" whose right to vote is suspended, or face fines of 1,000 euros. The foreign ministry has reinforced its consulates; so far 31,390 files have been reviewed.

    4. King Felipe VI has cataract surgery
    The King had routine surgery on a cataract in his left eye in Oviedo, right after a three-day royal visit to Asturias. In Llanes, Princess Leonor handed the Exemplary Town of Asturias award to the Santa Ana fishermen's guild, praising sustainable small-scale fishing.

22. 03.60 - Spain Today: Princess of Asturias Awards gala, 8,318 holiday-flat ads removed, phishing refunds and quality of life by region

    24.10.202621 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 60Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 24 October 20261. Princess of Asturias Awards gala in OviedoPrincess Leonor, heir to the throne, told young people to hold on to hope and enthusiasm in times of social …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 24 October 20261. Princess of Asturias Awards gala in OviedoPrincess Leonor, heir to the throne, told young people to hold on to hope and enthusiasm in times of social disenchantment, extremism and a rising cost of living. Patti Smith, honoured for the arts, surprised the theatre by singing a cappella, astronaut Christina Koch spoke, and guests included Lionel Messi and Studio Ghibli.2. 8,318 holiday-flat ads ordered off two property websitesSpain's consumer ministry has told two property websites to delete 8,318 adverts for holiday flats disguised as seasonal rentals. A new decree says a seasonal rental must last at least 31 days and be justified by a reason such as study or medical treatment. About 80% of the ads are in the Madrid region, more than 6,500 in the capital. The ministry has already fined Airbnb 64 million euros.3. EU court ruling reopens phishing refund claimsThe EU's top court has ruled that falling for a phishing scam is not automatically gross negligence. Banks must refund the victim first and then prove the customer was reckless. Until now banks rejected about 85% of claims; experts say cases up to five years old can be reopened if the fraud was reported to the bank within 13 months.4. Quality of life in Spain by regionThe national statistics office says quality of life rose slightly in 2025. Navarra, La Rioja and the Basque Country score highest; the Canary Islands, Andalusia and Galicia lowest.

23. 03.59 - Spain Today: 11 November general strike, multi-flat landlords' rents, chlamydia rise and Patti Smith in Oviedo

    23.10.202617 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 59Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 23 October 20262. Landlords with more flats charge higher rentsSpain's main employers' group, CEOE, has dropped its plan to challenge in court the general strike called by the …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 23 October 2026

    
    

    2. Landlords with more flats charge higher rents

    
    

    Spain's main employers' group, CEOE, has dropped its plan to challenge in court the general strike called by the unions for 11 November. It says businesses are paying for a protest about something that is not their responsibility, housing, and hopes the day will be peaceful, with guaranteed minimum services. The leaders of the two biggest unions, CCOO and UGT, call it an unusual strike: the main demand is affordable housing and the second is higher wages, and they say success will depend on massive evening marches more than on stopping work.

    1. Spain's 11 November general strike goes ahead

    
    

    A study by the think tank EsadeEcPol of almost 800,000 rental homes declared to the tax agency finds that private landlords with several flats charge more than those with just one: 1.3% more for owners of two, 2% for three and 4.5% for five or more. Owners of five or more flats also raised rents the most and the fastest, and multi-property landlords accounted for 18% of the total rise in rents between 2019 and 2023. The authors propose tax breaks for landlords who keep rent increases moderate when contracts are renewed.

    3. Sexually transmitted infections level off, but chlamydia keeps rising

    Spain's Carlos III Health Institute reports 37,467 cases of gonorrhoea and 11,879 of syphilis last year, roughly the same as the year before and still at record levels after more than two decades of growth. Chlamydia is the exception: it rose again to 44,511 cases and is now the most diagnosed STI, with the highest rate among women aged 20 to 24. Ten cases of congenital syphilis were confirmed, the joint highest since records began in 2000.

    
    

    4. Princess of Asturias Awards in Oviedo

    
    

    Dozens of choir singers from Asturias surprised Patti Smith in Oviedo by singing "People Have the Power" with her, ahead of Friday's ceremony where she receives the Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Arctic Norway, which keeps more than 1.4 million seed samples from around the world as a backup for global agriculture, receives the award for International Cooperation.

24. 03.58 - Spain Today: Ceuta migrant children, San Sebastián Blackstone flats, robotic kidney transplant and Studio Ghibli

    22.10.202623 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 58Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 22 October 20261. Ceuta, three months after the mass crossingMore than 3,300 migrant children who arrived in Ceuta during the mass crossing from Morocco at the end of July are now …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 22 October 20261. Ceuta, three months after the mass crossingMore than 3,300 migrant children who arrived in Ceuta during the mass crossing from Morocco at the end of July are now in the city's protection system; only 288 have been moved to mainland Spain or reunited with family. Since 10 August, 12,705 people have returned to Morocco, most of them voluntarily, while Ceuta's president says around 15,000 migrants remain in the city. A High Court judge investigating the crossing has asked the Ministry of Defence whether Moroccan navy ships entered Spanish waters off Ceuta between 29 July and 10 August, though she says there is so far no evidence linking any such presence to the crossing.2. The Basque government buys 510 protected flats in San Sebastián from BlackstoneIn a first for Spain, the Basque government has agreed to buy 510 rent-protected flats in the Benta Berri neighbourhood of San Sebastián from Testa Homes, owned by the investment fund Blackstone, for about €100 million, €30 million of it from the national Housing Ministry. Their protected status was due to expire in November 2028; now about 1,700 people, some living there for nearly 30 years, can stay on at current rents of €600 to €1,000 a month.3. Europe's first single-incision robotic kidney transplantBarcelona's Bellvitge University Hospital has carried out Europe's first living-donor kidney transplant using a single-port robot through one seven-centimetre incision, a procedure previously done only in Cleveland in the United States. The patient, 58, received a kidney from her husband and says she is 95% recovered six weeks later; two more patients have since had the same surgery.4. Studio Ghibli in Oviedo for the Princess of Asturias AwardStudio Ghibli president Kenichi Yoda arrived in Oviedo ahead of Friday's Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities. He said Hayao Miyazaki, now 85, still draws every day, that the studio keeps its commitment to hand drawing, and that he would always choose a menu made by a human chef over one made by AI.

25. 03.57 - Spain Today: Storm Adam disaster zone, Catalan amnesty, depression and rent poverty

    21.10.202618 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 57Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 21 October 20261. Storm Adam: every affected town to be declared a disaster zoneStorm Adam left four people dead, more than 2,600 evacuated and around 1,000 rescued along the coasts …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 21 October 20261. Storm Adam: every affected town to be declared a disaster zoneStorm Adam left four people dead, more than 2,600 evacuated and around 1,000 rescued along the coasts of Valencia and Alicante, where up to 145 municipalities were placed under confinement orders. Visiting the command post in Oliva, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the Council of Ministers will declare all affected towns a zone seriously affected by a civil protection emergency, with funding and faster public contracting for reconstruction, and called for a national agreement on the climate emergency. The Valencian regional government announced initial direct aid of €23.5 million to repair homes, replace belongings and rehouse those who lost their homes.2. Supreme Court applies the amnesty to Junqueras, Turull, Romeva and BassaFollowing the Constitutional Court's ruling, the Supreme Court has applied the amnesty law for embezzlement to former Catalan vice-president Oriol Junqueras and former regional ministers Jordi Turull, Raül Romeva and Dolors Bassa, extinguishing their criminal liability from the 2019 independence-bid sentence, while criticising the Constitutional Court's reasoning. With their disqualification from office lifted, they can stand for election again.3. One in six Spaniards shows symptoms of depressionThe national health survey for 2025 finds that 16.2% of people aged 15 and over have depressive symptoms, 1.6 points more than in 2023. Two in three (66.2%) report a chronic illness, led by high cholesterol, high blood pressure and lower back pain, and the share rating their health as good or very good fell to 68.3%.4. One in three working renters is at the poverty line after paying rentA new Oxfam Intermón report estimates that 770,000 working renters are at the poverty line once rent is paid: in-work poverty among renters rises from 19.35% to 34.08% after rent, compared with about 10% for workers with a mortgage. Families with three or more children and non-EU migrant workers are hardest hit, with the greatest pressure in Madrid, Catalonia and Murcia.

26. 03.56 - Spain Today News 20 October 2026

    20.10.202620 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 56Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 20 October 20261. Storm Adam causes flooding and four deaths in eastern SpainStorm Adam has caused four confirmed deaths: two in Oliva (Valencia), one in Sagunto and one in …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 20 October 20261. Storm Adam causes flooding and four deaths in eastern SpainStorm Adam has caused four confirmed deaths: two in Oliva (Valencia), one in Sagunto and one in Barcelona. More than 600 to 700 litres per square metre fell in parts of Valencia and Alicante, the third most intense storm in Spain's recorded history. Over 450 people were rescued by emergency services and the Military Emergencies Unit (UME), confinement orders were issued in 145 municipalities, and classes were suspended for more than 102,000 students in the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visits the advance command post in Oliva on Tuesday, and heavy rain warnings remain active for Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.2. Unions register an 11 November general strikeMajor unions, including CCOO, UGT and CGT, have registered a 24-hour general strike for 11 November over the housing crisis and to demand wage rises of 4% to 7%. The employers' organisation CEOE says it will challenge the strike's legality, calling it politically motivated, as it falls two days before the official campaign for the 29 November general election begins. Pedro Sánchez pledged to raise the minimum wage every year if re-elected, while Alberto Núñez Feijóo presented a platform focused on economic relief for the middle class.3. Spain's richest and poorest townsAccording to 2024 INE data, Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid) remains Spain's wealthiest municipality with more than 2,000 inhabitants, with an average net income of €32,612 per person, followed by Matadepera (€28,607) and Boadilla del Monte (€28,382). Iznalloz (Granada) has the lowest average income at €9,153 per person. Fourteen of the 15 richest towns are in Madrid and Catalonia, while 11 of the 15 lowest-income towns are in Andalusia.4. Pogačar sets his sights on the 2027 Vuelta a EspañaAfter recovering from the collarbone fracture he suffered at the 2026 Vuelta, Tadej Pogačar says his goals for 2027 are a sixth Tour de France, regaining the world title and winning his first Vuelta a España. He returns to public action on 29 November 2026 at the BEKING charity event in Monaco.

27. 03.55 - Spain Today News 19 October 2026

    19.10.202613 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 55Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 19 October 2026Historic Tennis Triumph at the Shanghai MastersAlejandro Davidovich Fokina achieved the biggest success of his career by defeating Rafa Jódar (1-6, 7-6, 6-4) in an …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 19 October 2026Historic Tennis Triumph at the Shanghai MastersAlejandro Davidovich Fokina achieved the biggest success of his career by defeating Rafa Jódar (1-6, 7-6, 6-4) in an all-Spanish final at the Shanghai Masters. Davidovich Fokina became the first Spaniard ever to win the Shanghai tournament, climbing to 13th in the ATP rankings. Inspired by chess strategies shared with his coach Pepo Clavet, he wrote tactical phrases like "Defensa siciliana" and "Apertura española" on the court cameras after key victories.Political Battles and Pre-Election Pacts for 29 NovemberAhead of the 29 November general elections, Popular Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo tasked Badalona Mayor Xavier García Albiol with leading a national anti-squatting bill aiming for evictions within 48 hours. Meanwhile, left-wing parties finalized coalition agreements: the "Frente Amplio" platform, led by Ada Colau, and Podemos are running separately in most regions for the Congress, though progressive parties joined forces with the PSOE under the "Senado de Progreso" umbrella for the Senate.Severe Weather Crisis: Storm Adam Hits Eastern SpainStorm DANA Adam continues to cause severe weather instability across the Valencian Community, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, having already claimed two lives in Cabrera de Mar and Sagunto. Red and orange weather alerts prompted school suspensions across Mallorca, Ibiza, Formentera, 15 municipalities in Alicante and 27 in Valencia. Civil protection emergency alerts (Es-Alert) urge residents in affected areas to avoid all non-essential travel and stay away from riverbeds.Princess of Asturias Awards 2026 Festivities Kick OffPreparations and 65 cultural events have begun across Asturias ahead of the 46th Princess of Asturias Awards ceremony on Friday, 23 October, at Oviedo's Teatro Campoamor. Highlights include two anniversary concerts by Patti Smith (Arts), a youth gathering with footballer Lionel Messi, and retrospectives celebrating Studio Ghibli (Communication and Humanities). Princess Leonor will also hold audiences with each laureate individually for the first time.

28. 03.54 - Spain Today News 18 October 2026

    18.10.202616 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 54Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 18 October 2026Severe DANA Floods and Emergency Warnings across SpainStorm DANA Adam has brought torrential rainfall and severe weather to Spain's Mediterranean coast. In Cabrera de …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 18 October 2026Severe DANA Floods and Emergency Warnings across SpainStorm DANA Adam has brought torrential rainfall and severe weather to Spain's Mediterranean coast. In Cabrera de Mar (Barcelona), emergency services are searching for a missing person who fell into a swollen stream following intense rainfall of 60 liters per square meter in just 40 minutes. In El Ejido (Almería), rainfall exceeding 100 l/m² flooded streets and buildings, prompting authorities to activate emergency level 1. Red alerts have been issued for Valencia and Alicante, with forecasts predicting up to 300 l/m² in 24 hours, leading Valencia to close public parks, cancel outdoor events, and open emergency shelters.Supreme Court Rules No Annual Cap on Paid Caregiver LeaveSpain's Supreme Court ruled that workers are entitled to five days of paid leave to care for sick, hospitalized, or recovering family members as many times per year as new qualifying events occur. Rejecting an appeal by RACE group companies, the court confirmed that the Workers' Statute sets no annual limit on these absences. Additionally, the ruling clarifies that paid leave extends beyond hospital discharge if the family member still requires home rest and care.Sánchez and Feijóo Gear Up for the 29 November ElectionsPrime Minister Pedro Sánchez kicked off pre-campaign activities in Fuenlabrada for the upcoming 29 November general elections, calling for a "progressive wave" while promising to protect public pensions, increase the minimum wage, and tackle housing issues. Sánchez appeared on stage alongside his wife, Begoña Gómez, publicly thanking her for her support. The PSOE appointed Rebeca Torró as its new spokesperson following the resignation of Montse Mínguez, and closed a joint Senate pact with Frente Amplio titled "Senado de progreso". Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo criticized the Senate agreement as a "coalition of the desperate" and confirmed Badalona Mayor Xavier García Albiol as the PP candidate for Barcelona.Historic All-Spanish Final at the Shanghai Masters 1000In tennis, Alejandro Davidovich produced a dramatic comeback victory over world No. 1 Alexander Zverev (5-7, 6-4, 6-3) to reach the Shanghai Masters 1000 final. He will face fellow Spaniard Rafa Jódar, who defeated Daniil Medvedev in straight sets (6-3, 6-4), guaranteeing an all-Spanish final and a maiden Masters 1000 title for one of the two players.

29. 03.53 - Spain Today News 17 October 2026

    17.10.202621 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 53Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 17 October 2026New '400' Prefix Introduced to Combat Phone SpamStarting Saturday, 17 October, all commercial phone calls attempting to market products or services to prospective …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 17 October 2026

    New '400' Prefix Introduced to Combat Phone Spam
    Starting Saturday, 17 October, all commercial phone calls attempting to market products or services to prospective clients must display the new 400 prefix. This identification allows citizens to recognize telemarketing calls before answering; missed calls from a 400 number cannot be called back. Companies contacting existing customers will continue using geographic prefixes or 800/900 numbers. Consumers receiving non-compliant calls can submit complaints to the CNMC or the Telecommunications User Attention Office. Citizens can also register for free on the Robinson List to block unauthorized advertising. This step reinforces earlier measures, such as the June 2025 ban on using mobile numbers starting with 6 or 7 for marketing, and the September rollout of automated filtering for SMS from unregistered entities.

    Youth Housing Movement and Madrid's Sol Encampment
    The housing encampment at Madrid's Puerta del Sol enters its fourth week amid a broader wave of youth-led mobilization across Europe, including France, Belgium, Portugal, and Italy, addressing housing affordability, education, and rising living costs. Regional authorities temporarily closed the Sol Metro station, citing unsanitary conditions and accumulated waste from the encampment. Cercanías train services at Sol remain fully operational. Demonstrators emphasized that volunteer cleaning teams maintain hygiene in the plaza and that surrounding businesses have provided access to facilities. The High Court of Justice of Madrid (TSJM) previously rejected regional requests for an immediate police eviction.

    DANA 'Adam' Brings Heavy Storms and Temperature Drop
    Meteorological authorities have officially named Adam, the first high-impact DANA of the 2026–2027 season. Set to affect the Mediterranean coastline and the Balearic Islands from Saturday through Monday, this potential "retrograde" system, moving east to west, will pull moisture off the Mediterranean to produce heavy downpours, hail, and localized rainfall totals between 150 mm and 250 mm. Daytime temperatures will drop significantly across northern and central areas, falling by 4°C to 8°C.

    Rental Evictions Fall Sharply in Q2 2026
    Judicial statistics from the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) reveal that evictions for unpaid rent fell 57.7% in the second quarter of 2026 to 2,244 cases. Total judicial evictions decreased by 35.7% to 4,474, with Catalonia recording the highest proportion (21.9%). Concurrently, corporate and personal bankruptcy filings grew 5.1% to 19,024 cases, driven primarily by non-business individuals (+5.9%). Employment dismissal lawsuits increased by 11.2% to 45,230 cases, while court filings to recover illegally occupied properties fell 9% to 443.

30. 03.52 - Spain Today News 16 October 2026

    16.10.202621 Min.Staffel 3 · Folge 52Als Nächstes

    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 16 October 2026Isabel Allende Wins the 2026 Premio PlanetaChilean author Isabel Allende has been awarded the 75th Premio Planeta, Spain's highest-endowed literary prize worth €1 …

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    🇪🇸 Spain Today News Summary: 16 October 2026

    Isabel Allende Wins the 2026 Premio Planeta

    Chilean author Isabel Allende has been awarded the 75th Premio Planeta, Spain's highest-endowed literary prize worth €1 million, for her novel La hora antes del alba. Presented by King Felipe VI in Barcelona, the novel serves as a continuation of La casa de los espíritus, following the protagonist Alba through Chile's dictatorship. Valencian author Sergio Hernández Carrasco was named runner-up for his novel La añoranza.

    Tragic Care Home Elevator Collapse in Vélez-Málaga

    Two elderly residents—an 82-year-old woman and a 91-year-old man—have died following an elevator crash at a senior residential center in Vélez-Málaga. The elevator dropped from the second floor down to level -1. Four other residents remain hospitalised with severe fractures. The Policía Nacional is investigating the cause, while the facility confirmed the elevator had passed its latest inspection and had been fully renovated in 2023.

    Body of Missing 12-Year-Old Boy Recovered at Sea

    An 11-day search triggered by heavy torrential storms in Catalonia ended tragically after emergency services recovered the body of Rami, a 12-year-old boy with autism who disappeared in Granollers. A local fisherman spotted his body floating between Sitges and Castelldefels, where marine currents likely carried him. Regional authorities confirmed his identity following forensic tests and offered condolences to his family.

    Overview of Spain's Public Pension System in 2026

    Spain's public pension system currently supports 9.5 million beneficiaries with an annual budget of €190 billion (13% of national GDP). In 2026, the average monthly pension is €1,373.40, with a maximum pension of €3,359.60 paid across 14 annual instalments. The legal retirement age stands at 66 years and six months (or 65 for individuals with 38 or more years of contributions). Under recent legislative reforms, pensions automatically adjust to average CPI inflation, with experts projecting a 3.5% increase for 2027.

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