Spain

Spain seeks to extend smoking ban to terraces, include vapes

Spain will ban smoking on outdoor bar and restaurant terraces while extending smoke-free areas and regulating vaping products in ‌the same way as conventional cigarettes, Health Minister Monica Garcia said…

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Pressure mounts on Spanish PM Sánchez after former minister is convicted of corruption

Corruption cases keep pummeling Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whose former transport minister and key ally, José Luis Ábalos, was sentenced on Monday to 24 years in prison for rigging…

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More than 1,300 migrants have died trying to reach the Spanish coast in 2026

More than 1,300 migrants died while attempting to reach Spain during the first five months of 2026, according to a report published on Wednesday by advocacy group Caminando Fronteras (Walking…

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Pope Leo warns Spain’s parliament the world is in ‘profound’ crisis

Pope Leo told Spain's parliament that escalating conflict, deepening polarization and widespread disregard for human rights had pushed the world into a profound crisis, in one of his most ‌expansive…

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Spain registers record high sea temperatures for May

Spain registered record sea temperatures for the month of May along much of its coastline, the country's port ‌authority said on Tuesday, as the UN forecast a moderate or possibly…

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Nine arrested as Spain targets Mediterranean migrant smuggling operation

Spanish authorities arrested nine people and dismantled a migrant smuggling network that allegedly transported irregular migrants from Algeria to Spain and onward to other European countries, Europol said. The operation…

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Spain to introduce job-matching plan for migrants granted legal status

Spain will introduce a plan to match migrants to jobs under a programme ‌to grant legal status to about 500,000 undocumented workers to help drive economic growth, the country's top…

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Probe says sunken Russian cargo ship off Spain was transporting nuclear reactors to North Korea

Spanish investigators have discovered that the Russian cargo ship that sank in the Mediterranean in 2024 — originally believed to be part of a weapons retrieval mission to Syria —…

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Hantavirus: American CDC says risk to public ‘very low’

The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) said it was closely monitoring American passengers aboard the MV Hondius but added that the hantavirus outbreak posed a "very low" risk to…

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Spain closes airspace to US planes involved in Iran war

Spain has closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in attacks on Iran, a step beyond its previous denial of use ‌of jointly-operated military bases, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported…

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Spain’s parliament approves €5 billion package to curb impact of war in Iran

Spain’s parliament has approved a €5 billion package aimed at cushioning the economic fallout from the Iran conflict, with a strong focus on cutting energy costs for households and key…

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Spain permanently withdraws ambassador as rift with Israel deepens

Spain has permanently withdrawn its ambassador to Israel, deepening a diplomatic standoff between the two countries over Madrid’s opposition to US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The ambassador had already been recalled…

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12 members of money laundering scheme exploiting Ukrainian women arrested in Spain

An international operation in Spain targeting a money laundering scheme resulted in the arrest of 12 suspects. The disrupted criminal network systematically exploited vulnerable Ukrainian women to open bank accounts,…

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EU Rallies Around Spain After Trump Threatens Trade Embargo

European leaders have moved quickly to support Spain after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a trade embargo on the country, escalating tensions between Washington and the European Union.…

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Spanish PM insists he won’t bow to U.S. commercial pressure

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats would not cow Madrid into supporting the American-Israeli war in Iran. “We are not going to take a position…

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Spain’s Sánchez defies Washington as domestic popularity surges

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is walking a fine line between rising popularity at home and growing tension abroad, as his refusal to align with key US positions cements his…

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Spain’s youth minister floats countrywide ban on X

Spain’s youth minister has intensified Madrid's clash with Big Tech after suggesting the country may need to curb — or even ban — access to Elon Musk’s social media platform…

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Iberian Peninsula braces for more bad weather one week after Storm Kristin

Portugal and Spain are bracing for a new storm that authorities warn could trigger floods and further devastation, as the Iberian Peninsula still struggles with the aftermath of Storm Kristin.…

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Spain to ban social media access for children under 16

Spain will ban access to social media for minors under 16 and platforms will be required to implement age verification systems, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday as he…

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Spain to grant around half a million undocumented migrants legal status

Spain's Socialist-led government presented a draft decree to expedite legal status to hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants, in its latest move to integrate migrant workers even as other European…

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UPDATED: Fatal high-speed train crash in Spain

A high-speed train derailed and smashed into another oncoming train in southern Spain on Sunday, pushing the second train off the tracks and down an embankment in a collision that…

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Ibiza holiday rentals plunge as Spain cracks down on overtourism

The number of short-term tourist lets on Ibiza almost halved in 2025 from a year earlier as Spain's crackdown on holiday homes and overtourism started ‌to bite. The supply of…

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Spain to tighten rental rules with room rent caps, seasonal lease curbs

Spain's leftist government will further tighten rental rules and restrict medium-term leases to contain soaring rents and prevent price abuse under a decree to be approved in the coming weeks,…

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34 arrests in Spain during action against the ‘Black Axe’ criminal organisation

The Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional), in close cooperation with the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (Bayerisches Landeskriminalamt) and with the support of Europol, has conducted an operation against the…

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More than 3,000 migrants died trying to reach Spain in 2025

More than 3,000 people died trying to reach Spain by sea over the past year, a sharp fall from the previous 12 months. However, activists cautioned that the drop reflected…

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Spanish PM rejects calls for early election despite scandals

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez rejected calls for snap elections despite mounting sexual harassment allegations and corruption investigations involving members of his Socialist Party. In his end-of-year address on Monday,…

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Europe’s housing costs akin to ‘new pandemic’, warns Barcelona mayor

The spiralling cost of housing is like a “new pandemic” gripping Europe, Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni has warned, as he and 16 other city leaders called on the EU to…

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Sea urchin species on brink of extinction after marine pandemic

A marine pandemic is bringing some species of sea urchin to the brink of extinction, and some populations have disappeared altogether, a study has found. Since 2021, Diadema africanum urchins…

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Europe cracks down on badly behaved tourists

While cost-hiking measures serve a dual purpose of cutting visitor numbers and raising funds, other new rules are aimed more squarely at curbing undesirable tourist behaviour. San Sebastián is the…

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Migrant arrivals in Spain’s Balearics surge as smugglers switch routes

Nineteen boats carrying around 360 people reached Spain's Balearic Islands in the past two days, the latest surge in arrivals defying attempts by authorities to curb the fastest-growing migratory route…

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Three dead and 15 injured in Tenerife tidal surge

Three people have died and 15 others were injured after huge waves struck the popular Spanish holiday island of Tenerife. Emergency services said a woman died after being swept into…

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Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca Visitors Could Face Steep Tourist Tax Increase Under New Union Proposal

One of Spain’s largest trade unions is calling for a sharp increase in the taxes paid by visitors to the Balearic Islands, arguing that current measures have failed to ease…

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Barcelona’s Sagrada Família becomes world’s tallest church

The Sagrada Família has become the tallest church in the world, after workers placed the first part of a cross at the top of its central tower. Now measuring 162.91…

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Spain’s Sánchez Faces Setback as Catalan Allies Abandon Coalition

Catalan separatists voted to sever ties with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialists, further weakening his minority government. Citing a “lack of will” from the Socialists, separatist Junts’ party leader…

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Antonio Tejero, Leader of Spain’s 1981 Coup Attempt, Dies at 93

Retired Civil Guard Lt. Col. Antonio Tejero, rose to notoriety for his role in Spain’s failed 1981 coup and immortalized in a historic photograph taken during the attempted uprising, has…

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USS Gerald R. Ford Returns to Mediterranean

The U.S. Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), has returned to the Mediterranean Sea — the first American carrier to operate in the…

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Trump threatens tariffs on Spain over refusal to boost NATO defense spending

President Donald Trump threatened trade penalties, including tariffs, against Spain, saying he is unhappy with its refusal to raise defense spending to 5% and calling the move disrespectful to NATO.…

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Trump floats dropping Spain from NATO alliance

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the NATO alliance should weigh throwing Spain out of its membership ranks over a dispute about the Western European nation's lagging military spending. Members of…

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New routes and concealment methods identified in cocaine crackdowns in Spain

Europol supported Portuguese and Spanish authorities in two major investigations against cocaine trafficking involving law enforcement on both sides of the Atlantic. These operations exemplified a shifting landscape of global…

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2025 Summer Heat in Spain Breaks All Previous Temperature Records

Spain recorded its hottest summer in 2025, according to data released the national meteorological agency AEMET on Tuesday. The average temperature was 24.2 Celsius (75.56 Fahrenheit), going beyond the previous record of…

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Spain’s parliament kills shorter work week bill

Spain's lower house has shelved a bill that would have shortened the work week by 2-1/2 hours, dealing yet another blow to the fragile Socialist-led minority government which is struggling…

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Spain plans smoking ban at bar terraces, beaches, stadiums

Spain's minority leftist government introduced a bill on Tuesday to ban smoking at outdoor venues including beaches, bar and restaurant terraces, bus stops and stadiums. The ban would also apply…

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Spain’s far right gains as leading parties fight over fires

Spain has endured its worst wildfire season in 30 years, with nearly 400,000 hectares burned, sparking both environmental and political crises. The blazes have exposed tensions between Prime Minister Pedro…

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In Madrid’s Poorest Areas, Residents Ask for Trees to Survive Heatwaves

As Madrid sweltered at the peak of one of Spain's longest-ever heatwaves, the temperature on a street in one of its poorest neighbourhoods - Puente de Vallecas - measured 41.4…

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Extreme heat is a growing public health emergency, experts warn

Extreme weather events are not only a climate crisis but also a public health one, straining health systems, economies and the lives of those most at risk, the Pan-European Commission…

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Europe’s wildfires hit tourism spots and forests

Firefighters across Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and the Balkans are battling wildfires, with another heatwave pushing temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) across parts of Europe. Global warming…

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Southern Europe swelters under deadly heatwave as temperatures pass 40C

Deadly heat of up to 42C is searing southern Europe, as scientists warn of a “molotov cocktail” of climatic conditions that is fuelling vast wildfires across the Mediterranean. Météo-France placed…

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2025’s first summer heatwave was early, and deadly, for all of Western Europe

By Javier Martín Vide, Catedrático de Geografía Física, Universitat de Barcelona The first heatwave of the summer hit Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Germany early in the year, breaking June temperature records…

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Mediterranean heatwave sparks concern for marine life

A recent heatwave in the Mediterranean Sea has been so severe that scientists are concerned for marine life. The human-induced climate crisis is making marine heatwaves more intense and prolonged,…

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Europe’s busiest cruise port Barcelona to scale back amid overtourism concerns

The port of Barcelona, Europe's busiest for cruise ships, will scale back its passenger terminal capacity by 2030 as the city tries to put the brakes on surging arrivals and…

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Heatwaves in Spain caused 1,180 deaths in past two months

High temperatures caused 1,180 deaths in Spain in the past two months, a sharp increase from the same period last year, the Environment Ministry said. The vast majority of people…

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Spain eases visa rules to draw foreign students barred from US by Trump

Spain on Tuesday said it had approved expedited access to its universities for foreign students barred from entering the U.S. to study by President Donald Trump's administration. Students who can't…

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Spanish operation against migrant smuggling and drug trafficking across the Mediterranean

Europol has supported Spanish authorities (Policía Nacional) in a transnational operation against a highly-organised network involved in both migrant smuggling and drug trafficking between Spain and Morocco. Authorities believe the…

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Drug route from Costa Rica to Europe dismantled

n international operation coordinated on the European side by Europol has dismantled a transnational criminal organisation trafficking large quantities of cocaine from Costa Rica to Europe via Spain and Portugal.…

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Europe and Canada Gripped by Unseasonal Heatwave

Southern and central Europe are facing record-breaking heat this week, with temperatures in parts of Portugal and Spain nearing 40 degrees Celsius, raising concerns about crop damage and water shortages…

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Spain blocks more than 65,000 Airbnb holiday rental listings

Spain has ordered Airbnb to withdraw more than 65,000 listings for holiday rentals that violated existing rules from its platform as part of a general crackdown on a business blamed…

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No sign of cyberattack on grid operator during Spain’s blackout

Spain has found no indication of a cyberattack on its grid operator REE during the massive power outage that hit the country and Portugal on April 28, Energy Minister Sara…

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