Spain

Foreign tourism to Spain beats pre-COVID record in 2023, seen rising

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain received a record number of foreign tourists in 2023, 17% more than a year earlier and a 1% increase from the 84 million who came in…

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Amid drought, water curbs in Portugal’s Algarve, Spain’s Catalonia

By Sergio Goncalves and Joan Faus LISBON/BARCELONA, (Reuters) - Portugal's caretaker government has ordered cuts to the amount of water used in farmland irrigation and in urban environments including hotels…

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WHO sees ‘incredibly low’ COVID, flu vaccination rates as cases surge

By Jennifer Rigby and Julie Steenhuysen LONDON/CHICAGO Jan 12 (Reuters) - Low vaccination rates against the latest versions of COVID-19 and influenza are putting pressure on healthcare systems this winter,…

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Spain’s Ribera doesn’t rule out EU Commission job

By Pietro Lombardi MADRID, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Spain's Energy and Climate Minister Teresa Ribera on Thursday did not exclude that her future could be in Brussels as part of…

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Spain considers nationwide hospital mask rule, as flu, COVID hit Europe

MADRID, (Reuters) - Spain's government proposed a nationwide mandate for people to wear masks in hospitals and health clinics, and Italy said respiratory illness infection rates had hit a record,…

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Spanish regions reintroduce mask wearing in medical centres amid flu spike

Five Spanish regions have announced the reintroduction of rules making the use of face masks compulsory in health facilities following a spike in flu and COVID-19 cases over the festive…

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Irregular migrant arrivals almost doubled in Spain in 2023

By Joan Faus MADRID, (Reuters) - Around 57,000 migrants entered Spain irregularly last year, almost double the 2022 number as arrivals on the Canary Islands in fragile boats from west…

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Spain sees record December temperatures

Temperatures across Spain smashed records for December as a mass of hot air swept over the Iberian Peninsula this week, pushing the mercury close to 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit)…

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Spain airport ground service workers plan New Year strike, Iberia says

MADRID, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Labour unions representing ground service workers at Spanish airports plan to strike from late December into early January, Spain's Iberia, part of the International Airlines…

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Spain’s foreign minister says Gibraltar deal hinges on use of airport

A deal over the post-Brexit status of the British territory of Gibraltar depends on agreement over use of the airport, Spain's foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, said in an interview.…

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Europol’s Operation OPSON breaks up a counterfeit olive oil ring

In the framework of Operation OPSON, Europol’s coordinated effort to combat food fraud and counterfeiting, Europol has supported a spin-off investigation into counterfeit olive oil. The operation was initiated by…

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Spain arrests a man wanted by US over North Korea crypto conspiracy

MADRID, (Reuters) - Spanish police said they detained a Spaniard wanted by the United States for allegedly conspiring with a convicted American cryptocurrency researcher to help North Korea evade U.S.…

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Spain ready to sign a deal with Britain on Gibraltar

Spain is ready to sign a deal on the post-Brexit status of Gibraltar as early as Wednesday, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said, before setting off to meet newly…

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Spanish supermarkets lock up olive oil as shoplifting surges

By Corina Pons MADRID, (Reuters) - In Spain, the world's biggest olive oil producer, supermarkets are locking up bottles of the staple cooking oil as prices surge and theft increases.…

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Spain PM Sanchez keeps Calvino, other senior ministers in cabinet

By Belén Carreño MADRID, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez retained Nadia Calvino as his economy minister on Monday, revealing a largely unchanged new cabinet he…

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UPDATED: Shakira reaches deal with authorities to avoid 14.5m euro tax fraud trial

BARCELONA, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Colombian pop star Shakira on Monday reached a settlement with prosecutors to avoid a trial in Barcelona over charges she failed to pay 14.5 million…

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The Spanish amnesty law for Catalonia separatists, explained

Spain has undergone a period of great political uncertainty and upheaval since since general elections delivered an inconclusive result in July. In order to hold on to power and gain…

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Retired Spanish generals call for coup to eject Socialist PM Sanchez

A group of retired military officers in Spain have called for an army coup against the prime minister after Pedro Sánchez secured a new term through a controversial amnesty for…

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Sanchez wins Spanish parliament’s backing for new term as PM

MADRID, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Spain's lower house of parliament on Thursday voted to make Pedro Sanchez prime minister for another term by a wafer-thin margin, ending a protracted deadlock…

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Migrant children treated like adults as record influx overwhelms Canary Islands

Orphaned during a coup in his homeland Guinea, teenager Moussa Camara took to sea in a wooden boat with 240 other migrants, enduring an 11-day voyage, half of it without…

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Spain’s Sanchez to seek new term as PM in lower house on Nov. 16

Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will seek to clinch a new term in a parliamentary vote on Thursday, the lower house speaker Francina Armengol said on Monday. The vote will follow…

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Catalan separatist Puigdemont rocks Spanish politics, again

By Joan Faus BARCELONA (Reuters) - Six years after leading Catalonia's failed bid to secede from Spain, Carles Puigdemont rocked the Spanish political scene again on Thursday, but this time…

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Former Catalan politician shot in face in Madrid

MADRID, (Reuters) - The former head of Spain's centre-right People's Party in the Catalonia region was shot in the face in the Spanish capital Madrid on Thursday, police said. Alejo…

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UPDATED: Spanish Socialists, Catalan Junts reach deal for govt support, amnesty

Spain's socialists, Catalan separatists Junts agree on deal for Socialists to form government Deal includes amnesty for Catalan independence activists and four-year support for Socialist-led government Centre-right PP Party calls…

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Migrants reaching Spain’s Canary Islands near 32,000 this year

MADRID (Reuters) - Nearly 32,000 migrants have reached Spain's Canary Islands on fragile boats from west Africa this year, passing a previous record posted in 2006, regional authorities said. So…

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Spain to create emergency accommodation for 3,000 migrants

MADRID, (Reuters) - Spain said it would create additional emergency accommodation for 3,000 undocumented migrants in military barracks, hotels and hostels amid a 55% jump in arrivals by sea this…

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Photo Story: Anti-terrorist drill in Barcelona with 500 pleople involved

Actors impersonate victims of a terror attack during an anti-terrorism drill at the Sants Train station in Barcelona, north-western Spain, 27 October 2023. Almost 500 people participated in the biggest…

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Spain’s Socialists, hard-left Sumar strike government coalition deal

Spain's Socialist Party and the hard-left Sumar have reached an agreement in an effort to form a new government after an inconclusive election three months ago left the country with…

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Spain seizes ancient gold jewellery stolen from Ukraine worth $64 million

MADRID, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Spain has seized ancient gold artefacts valued at 60 million euros ($63.6 million) stolen from Ukraine after thieves were caught trying to sell them in…

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Spain pledges 50 million euros for Canary islands migrant surge

By Borja Suarez ARGUINEGUIN, Spain, (Reuters) - Spain is readying a 50 million euro ($52.86 million) aid package to help the Canary Islands cope with an "extraordinary migration flow", Spain's…

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Photo Story: Royal family members attend military parade on Spanish National Day

Spain's King Felipe VI (R) and Crown Princess Leonor attend the military parade on the occasion of the Spanish National Day in Madrid, Spain on 12 October 2023. Crown Princess…

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Former Spanish king hints at return to public life after winning UK harassment case

LONDON, (Reuters) - Spain's former King Juan Carlos hinted at a return to public life after he won a bid to throw out a 126 million pound ($154 million) London…

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Spain calls for EU solidarity on Canary Islands immigration

By Gabriela Baczynska and Inti Landauro GRANADA, Spain (Reuters) - Spain cannot cope with irregular immigration without help from the European Union, the prime minister said as the bloc seeks…

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Thousands evacuated on Spain’s Tenerife as summer wildfire re-ignites

MADRID, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Authorities on the Spanish island of Tenerife evacuated some 3,000 people from their homes overnight as a wildfire sparked by high temperatures and strong winds…

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UPDATED: Emotional Zelenskiy asks Europe for more help against Russia

GRANADA, Spain, Oct 5 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told more than 40 European leaders gathered in Spain he was confident of America's continued support, and asked for their continued…

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Temperatures in Spain shatter records as October kicks off

MADRID, (Reuters) - The start of October in Spain this year has been the warmest since records began, the country's meteorological agency AEMET said, with nearly 40% of weather stations…

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‘Complex talks’ ahead for Spain’s Sanchez to form government

By David Latona and Belén Carreño MADRID, (Reuters) - Spain's acting Prime Minister predicted "complex talks" with other political parties to form a government, after he was nominated to seek…

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Spanish king nominates Pedro Sanchez for Prime Minister post

Spain's King Felipe on Tuesday nominated acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to face a parliamentary vote for a new mandate after his conservative rival failed in his bid to become…

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No more dead or missing in nightclub fire in Spain, authorities say

By Eva Máñez MURCIA, Spain, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Rescuers have not found any more casualties in the wreckage of three nightclubs ravaged by a deadly fire in the southeastern…

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Climate leaders gather ahead of ‘challenging’ COP 28

By Pietro Lombardi MADRID, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Spain's Energy Minister Teresa Ribera has warned that talks at the COP28 climate summit will be "challenging" as she opened a gathering…

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UPDATED: Nightclub fire kills at least 13 in Murcia in Spain

MADRID, Oct 1 (Reuters) - At least 13 people have been killed in a fire in adjoining nightclubs in Murcia in southeast Spain, emergency services said on Sunday, adding that…

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Spain’s conservative leader says he has failed to form government

MADRID, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Spain's conservative opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo said he expected to lose a vote on Friday on his bid to become prime minister, effectively clearing the way for acting premier Pedro Sanchez to…

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Teenager attacks teachers, pupil with knife in Spain

MADRID, Sept 28 (Reuters) - A teenager on Thursday stabbed three teachers and at least one pupil in a high school in Jerez de la Frontera, southern Spain, police told…

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UPDATED: Spain’s conservative leader Feijoo fails in first bid to become prime minister

MADRID, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Spanish conservative leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo failed on Wednesday to secure enough votes in the lower house to become prime minister. Feijoo, whose People's Party…

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Shakira owes $7 million in second Spanish tax fraud case, prosecutor says

A Spanish prosecutor has lodged a second tax claim against Colombian singer Shakira, accusing her of defrauding the state of 6.6 million euros ($7.0 million) in 2018, according to a request…

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Socialists would win Spain election over conservative PP, poll shows

MADRID, (Reuters) - Spain's Socialists would win a new general election by a narrow margin and fall short of a parliamentary majority, beating the conservative People's Party (PP) that secured…

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Photo Story: Protest against real-estate sector at the District World Summit in Barcelona

A demonstrator (R) splashes coloured powder on an attendant (C) at a protest outside the facilities during the opening day of real-estate sector 'The District World Summit', at Fira Barcelona…

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Photo Story: Spain’s first prototype of floating offshore wind turbine connected to the grid

A view of Spain's first prototype of floating offshore wind turbine connected to the grid, named DemoSATH and created by Saitec, during the official commissioning at the BIMEP experimental field…

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Spain to invest $12.85 billion to alleviate drought impact

MADRID, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Spain will spend more than 12 billion euros ($12.85 billion) to alleviate the impact of the long-running drought afflicting the country, Environment Minister Teresa Ribera…

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Photo Story: Spain’s emeritus Queen Sofia helps to clean a beach

Spain's emeritus Queen Sofia (C) helps to clean a beach as part of the Libera project against garbage in the nature promoted by the SEO bird organization, in San Javier…

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Four killed in Spain train accident

MADRID (Reuters) -At least four people were killed on Sunday when they were hit by a locomotive near Barcelona while trying to cross railway tracks, emergency services said. The accident…

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Rain in Spain leaves two dead, two missing, people stuck on roofs

MADRID, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Two people died and two were missing as torrential rains caused heavy flooding in central Spain on Sunday and early on Monday, shutting roads, subway…

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UPDATED: Torrential rain sweeps across Spain

MADRID, Sept 4 (Reuters) - A few subway lines in Madrid and high-speed train connections with southern cities were closed on Monday morning and two men were missing after torrential…

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Photo Story: Full Blue Moon in Spain

A full Blue Moon rises over El Pilar Basilica in Zaragoza, Spain, on Wednesday night. The super full moon is named this way because it is at its closest to…

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Spain’s acting PM rejects conservative leader’s request to back 2-year government

MADRID, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has rejected a proposal made by conservatives' leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo to support his People's Party for a two-year…

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Spanish labour minister denounces ‘systemic chauvinism’ after football chief kiss

Spain's Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz said on Monday male chauvinism was "systemic" in the country and had been shown in its worst form when national soccer chief Luis Rubiales grabbed…

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P&O Cruise passengers injured after ‘weather-related’ incident in Mallorca

A small number of people were injured on Sunday during a "weather-related incident" involving P&O Cruises Britannia ship moored in the Spanish island of Mallorca, a spokesperson for the company said.…

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