Spain

Bank of Spain hints at faster economic growth in 2022

Spain's economy is expected to bounce back in the second half after a slow start to 2021 and could grow more than expected next year driven by a delayed boost…

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UPDATED: Spain says will be ready for COVID travel certificate in June, on track for herd immunity

Spain will be ready in June to use COVID certificates that would facilitate travels, Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said on Thursday, urging the European Union to adopt this measure quickly.…

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Spain, Greece preferred for Med vacations – TUI

Spain and Greece are expected to be the most popular Mediterranean destinations this summer, according to travel company TUI. In a statement today, the company said that rising vaccination figures…

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Blame game in Spain after street parties break out as restrictions ease

The Spanish government and opposition blamed each other on Monday after crowds of mostly maskless youths partied in the streets of Madrid and Barcelona when a state of emergency imposed to…

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Regional election win boosts Spanish conservatives’ ambitions

Spain's conservative People's Party (PP) said on Wednesday that its resounding win in Madrid in regional elections signalled "the beginning of the end" for Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government.…

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Spain tourist arrivals slump 76% in March, recovery still far off

Foreign tourism in Spain in March fell 76% from a year ago when a lockdown was imposed in mid-month, data showed on Thursday, meaning a recovery of the crucial sector…

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Spain’s jobless edged down in April as COVID restrictions eased

The number of jobless people in Spain ticked lower for the second month in a row in April, government data showed on Wednesday as a gradual easing of pandemic measures…

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Spanish services expand in April for the first time since July

Activity in Spain's service sector expanded in April for the first time since July as businesses anticipated the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, a survey showed on Wednesday. IHS Markit's Purchasing…

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Founder of Spanish leftist Podemos party Pablo Iglesias retires

Pony-tailed Spanish politician Pablo Iglesias abruptly retired from politics on Tuesday night, a month after stepping down from his post as deputy prime minister of the central government. The 42-year-old…

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Isabel Díaz Ayuso’s wins Madrid election

Madrid's conservative regional leader won a landslide re-election, propelled to victory by her refusal to close down bars and shops during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of flag-waving supporters gathered outside…

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Madrid voters go to the polls in COVID-influenced crunch election

Voters in Madrid go to the polls on Tuesday to choose the legislative assembly in Spain's wealthiest region in an election that could reshape the nation's political landscape, in part due to Madrid's…

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Spanish manufacturing grows in April at fastest rate this century

Spanish factory activity recorded its strongest monthly growth in 21 years in April, a survey showed on Monday, with demand, output and employment all on the rise as economies around…

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Police bust gang trying to smuggle 7 tonnes of hashish into Spain

MADRID (Reuters) - A gang trying to smuggle seven tonnes of hashish into Spain was intercepted in one of the country's largest drugs busts this year, Spanish police said on…

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Clubbers hit dance floor again as Spain trials digital COVID-19 pass

GIRONA, Spain, May 2 (Reuters) - Mandatory face masks could not conceal their delight as clubbers in the Spanish city of Girona moved to the thumping beats of house music…

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Spain submits recovery plan to Brussels

FT - Spain has sent Brussels its landmark plan to spend €140bn from the EU coronavirus recovery fund as Pedro Sánchez’s government seeks to respond to criticism that it has…

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Spain extends AstraZeneca dose gap to 16 weeks, beyond EU approved limit

MADRID, April 30 (Reuters) - Spain is extending the gap between the first and second doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to 16 weeks for people aged under 60, the government said on Friday, going beyond the 12-week maximum interval approved byEuropean authorities. Spain is…

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Spain’s GDP contracts slightly in Q1, dragged by COVID measures

Spain's economy shrank slightly in the first quarter from the previous three months, preliminary data showed on Friday, as restrictions to curb a third wave of coronavirus and a massive…

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Portugal, Spain to fully reopen land border on May 1 after COVID restrictions

LISBON, April 29 (Reuters) - The land border between Portugal and Spain will reopen for all travel on Saturday after more than three months of restrictions and border checks to…

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‘No sign of contagion’ after the 5,000-person rock concert in Barcelona

Euronews - A rock concert held in Barcelona and attended by 5,000 people showed “no sign” of causing coronavirus contagion, officials said. The event at Palau Sant Jordi in the…

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Spanish tourism minister receives red-stained knife, follows death threats to others

MADRID (Reuters) -Spanish Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said on Monday she had received a knife covered in red stains by post, days after senior security officials and a left-wing party leader were sent death threats. The ministry released a photo…

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Spain to donate 5%-10% of its share of COVID-19 shots to Latin America

Spain will offer between 5% and 10% of its COVID-19 vaccine shots to Latin American and Caribbean countries this year, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said. "Spain will launch this commitment…

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Spain to trial mixing COVID-19 vaccines after restricting AstraZeneca shot

MADRID, April 19 (Reuters) - Spain will study the effects of mixing different coronavirus vaccines, government researchers said on Monday, responding to shifting guidelines on the safety of the AstraZeneca's…

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Reports Spain mulling delaying second dose of Moderna and Pfizer shots

Spain's Health Ministry is considering delaying second doses of COVID-19 vaccines for under 80 year olds to maximise the number of people who have received at least one injection, El…

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Spain opposes soccer Super League involving its star clubs trio

MADRID, April 19 (Reuters) - The Spanish government on Monday came out against the formation of a breakaway Super League by 12 clubs including its own Real Madrid and Barcelona,…

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Madrid to host charity bullfight for matadors left jobless by COVID-19

MADRID (Reuters) - Crowds will return to Madrid's Las Ventas bullring for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic next month for a charity bullfight to raise money for matadors left jobless by COVID-19, officials said on…

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Spain’s Iberia asks public to pick summer destination

MADRID, April 16 (Reuters) - Spanish airline Iberia will let social media users choose an additional destination for its summer flights, the company said, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to…

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Madrid may shut down mass vaccination centres unless more shots arrive

MADRID, April 16 (Reuters) - A shortage of coronavirus shots may force the Madrid region to close down mass vaccination centres next week, the regional public health chief said on…

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Spain confident on vaccination targets despite J&J suspension

Spain is confident it can maintain its coronavirus vaccination targets despite the United States suspending the Johnson & Johnson shot and delays to its European rollout over clotting concerns, the…

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From electric cars to rural internet, this is Spain’s recovery plan

Spain outlined its Recovery and Resilience plan on Tuesday aiming to revive and modernise its economy after a record 10.8% contraction in 2020, using 72 billion euros ($85.87 billion) in…

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Photo Story – Trail of Serbian national accused of murder in Andorra, Spain

Serbian defendant Norbert Feher (C) in court during the third day of his trial in Teruel, Spain, 14 April 2021. Feher is accused of murdering a farmer and two Civil…

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Photo Story: The Estampa art fair in Madrid

A woman looks at one of the artworks exhibited during the opening ceremony of Estampa art fair at Ifema convention and exhibition grounds, in Madrid, Spain. Estampa was the first…

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Spain to revise down 2021 growth forecast after tough first quarter

Spanish government will lower its forecast for gross domestic product growth in 2021 after the first quarter was worse than expected, Economy Minister Nadia Calvino said on Thursday. "We leave…

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Photo Story – Spanish far-right party VOX campaign kicks off in Vallecas

Spanish National Police members clash with protesters during Spanish far-right party VOX's regional election kick-off campaign rally in Vallecas, Madrid, Spain, 07 April 2021. Madrid will hold regional elections on…

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Spain plans to fully vaccinate 53% of population by late July

Spain is accelerating its COVID-19 vaccination rollout and will have fully inoculated 25 million people by late July, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said, also confirming the end-August target of giving…

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Spain’s Castile and Leon region suspends AstraZeneca shots

A regional Spanish health authority said on Wednesday it had suspended AstraZeneca COVID-19 shots pending a European Medicines Agency (EMA) safety report, though the national government said it would continue…

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Beach crowds defy COVID-19 restrictions across Catalonia

Beaches were packed across Catalonia on Saturday as fine spring weather attracted sunseekers despite government warnings to avoid breaching COVID-19 restrictions. In Barcelona, Tarragona and other popular cities along the…

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Police arrest 100 gang members who smuggled drugs into Spain on speedboats

Spanish police said on Saturday they had arrested 100 members of a gang which ferried hashish and marijuana from Morocco to Spain in high powered speedboats. The gang filled their…

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Fire bomb attack on Spanish leftist party’s office

A regional office of Spain's leftist Unidas Podemos party was hit by a fire-bomb attack on Friday, police said. The attack took place in Cartagena in southeastern Spain. The blaze…

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Photo Story: Holy Week in Spain amid coronavirus pandemic

Residents look at an old religious procession on a screen placed at Viriato square as all Holy Week's processions were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic in Zamora, northern Spain.…

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Ruling in Spain that face masks must be worn on beaches amid fears of fourth Covid wave

The Spanish tourist industry has reacted with dismay to the government’s decree that face masks must be worn in all outdoor spaces, including beaches and swimming pools, even when it…

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Photo Story – A metallic monolith appears on a beach in Catalonia

View of a metallic monolith that appeared on Sa Conca beach, in the town of Castell-Platja d'Aro, in Girona, Catalonia, Spain, 30 March 2021. The two-meter height sculpture is similar…

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Spain says digital vaccine certificates to be ready in June at latest

Spain expects digital vaccine certificates to ease travel within the European Union will be ready in June at the latest, foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said on Wednesday. Faced with…

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Spain removes age limit on AstraZeneca vaccine, to give J&J to over-66s

Spain has decided to remove an upper age limit of 65 years on AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine and give Johnson & Johnson's version of the jab to people aged over 66,…

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Mallorca ramps up testing to meet Germany’s requirements

Mallorca is scrambling to meet Germany's new requirement that its citizens on holiday there test negative for coronavirus before their return home, opening testing centres at the airport and in…

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Spain’s rising COVID-19 rate gathers pace

Spain's coronavirus infection rate rose by more than 10 since Friday, with 15,500 cases added to the tally, Health Ministry data showed on Monday, as a gradual uptick in contagion…

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Almost Surreal – 5,000 pack Barcelona rock concert after COVID tests

Music fans in Barcelona hugged, danced and sang along at a sold-out rock concert on Saturday night after taking rapid COVID-19 tests in a trial that could revive the live music industry…

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Spain’s coronavirus rate continues to rise

Spain’s coronavirus infection rate continued to climb on Friday after increasing steadily for over a week, suggesting a long decline could be in danger of reversing. The rate, which is…

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Spain’s coronavirus incidence inches up after long decline

Spain’s coronavirus infection rate edged up, highlighting concerns that a long decline that last week carried it to its lowest level since August is in danger of reversing. When the…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Barcelona, Spain

A general view of Barcelona city with the Sagrada Familia church (L), in Barcelona, Spain. Photo: EPA-EFE/Quique Garcia

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Spain hopes number of foreign tourists will rebound to half pre-pandemic level this year

Spain hopes the number of foreign tourists visiting its sun-kissed islands and picturesque villages can rebound this year to half pre-pandemic levels, Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said on Monday. "Maybe…

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Spain extends use of AstraZeneca vaccine to 18-65 year olds

Spain's public health commission has decided to extend the age range for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to 18-65 year olds from a previous range of 18-55 years, La Vanguardia newspaper said…

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Spain approves bill legalising euthanasia

Spanish lawmakers on Thursday legalised euthanasia and assisted suicide for people with serious and incurable or debilitating diseases who want to end their life, making Spain the fourth country in…

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Spain warns downward COVID-19 trend may be changing as infection rate edges up

Spain’s health minister warned that a seven-week decline in the national COVID-19 infection rate could have bottomed out after cases ticked higher in a handful of regions. “We could be…

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Spanish hotel chain Melia sues government for lockdown damages

MADRID, March 17 (Reuters) - Spain's largest hotel chain Melia Hotels has filed a complaint against the government with an administrative court seeking 116 million euros ($138 million) in damages…

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Spain’s deputy PM Iglesias to resign

Spain's far-left Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias said on Monday he would resign from the coalition government to challenge Madrid's right-wing leadership in a regional election. Fellow Unidas Podemos party…

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Up to 60 detained in operation against international drug organisation in Spain

Handout photos made available by the Civil Guard shows Civil Guard agents detaining a suspect during the anti-drugs operation held in Huelva, Spain, against an international organization dedicated to the…

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Some Spanish regions hold back AstraZeneca vaccine

Four Spanish regions have stopped administering doses from a batch of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine following reports of the formation of blood clots in some people who had been vaccinated, although…

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