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"I understand the frustration of the Spanish people," said Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Tuesday. File photo: Gerard Julien/AFP

'Sorry': Spanish PM apologizes for corruption

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Tuesday begged for forgiveness on behalf of the country's ruling Popular Party a day after police arrested several party members in anti-corruption raids. READ

Spanish cuisine

Spanish celebrity chef Jordi Cruz at Barcelona's AbaC restaurant, which has been awarded two Michelin stars. Photo: AbaC

Top ten: brilliant Barcelona restaurants

With over 6,000 Barcelona restaurants listed on TripAdvisor alone, knowing where to go for a great bite in the city can be just a little daunting — but never fear! The Local has chosen ten places that will have you licking your lips in no time. READ

Immigration crisis

Would-be immigrants atop a border fence separating Morocco from the north African Spanish enclave of Melilla on October 22nd. Photo: Blasco Avellaneda/AFP

UN warns Spain over migrant deportations

The United Nations on Tuesday warned Spain over planned changes to legislation allowing the country to instantly deport migrants who clamber border fences into its north African territories, saying Madrid could fall foul of international law. READ

Social media

Photo: Policia Nacional/Instagram

Mr Biceps: Spanish cop heats up Instagram

A photograph of a handsome Spanish anti-riot policeman on the force's Instagram page has proved a winner with visitors, the latest success story for the innovative social media team at Spanish Police. READ

The number of Spanish people aged over 100 is predicted to rise from 13,551 to 372,000 over the next 50 years. Photo: Cesar Manso/AFP

Aging Spain: population to fall 5 million by 2064

Spain's population will shrink by 5.6 million in the next 50 years with much of the population aged over 65 and living alone, new official forecasts released on Tuesday warn. READ

Spain ranked only 84th in the world in terms of equal economic participation and opportunities between men and women. Office photo: Shutterstock

Backward step: Spain's gender gap grows

The new report from the influential World Economic Forum has named Spain and Greece as the two European countries with the greatest rise in gender inequality since 2006 in terms of political power, economic participation, education and health. READ

An undated photographed of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Photo: KNS/KCNA/AFP

N. Korea bans Spanish man over Ebola fears

North Korea has refused a Spanish cameraman entry using for a rare press visit due to Ebola fears, the trip's Dutch organizer said on Monday. READ

Credit card scandal

The scandal involving former finance minister and IMF Managing Director Rodrigo Rato (left) has embarrassed Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Photo: Pierre-Phillipe Marcou/AFP

Ruling party kicks out scandal-hit ex-IMF boss

Spain's ruling conservative Popular Party went into damage limitation mode on Monday, saying it had expelled ex-IMF head Rodrigo Rato and all other party members under investigation for allegedly misusing credit cards for personal spending while working at a bailed-out finance group. READ

Members of Omnium Cultural and the National Assembly of Catalonia demonstrate in support of the independence referendum planned for November 9th in Barcelona on October 19th. Photo: Lluis Gene/AFP

Madrid aims to block new poll on Catalan self-rule

The Spanish central government on Monday said it will challenge in court plans by Catalonia to hold a symbolic vote next month on whether the wealthy region should be independent from Spain. READ

Eurozone banking giant Santander, headed by Ana Patricia Botin, was shown to have a core capital ratio 2.34 per cent above the minimum required. Cesar Manso/AFP

No stress: Spain's banks pass ECB tests

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Sunday said Spain's banking system was in "stupendous" shape after almost all of the country's banks passed a European Central Bank stress test exercise. READ

Features

The Local List

You had better listen up. Photo of woman with wooden spoon: Shutterstock

Top ten: things your Spanish 'mamá' says

Spanish mothers are renowned for their close relationships with their children. But while they may come across as over-protective, they ultimately do it because they care. Here, The Local lists ten things she might say. READ

Cinema prize

Antonio Banderas has starred in over 100 movies, playing Benito Mussolini and Che Guevara along the way. Screen grab/YouTube

Gallery: Hits and misses of Antonio Banderas

The Málaga-born actor who cut his teeth with Pedro Almodóvar before conquering Hollywood is to be awarded the Goya (or Spanish Oscar) of Honour for lifetime achievement by Spain's Film Academy. Here The Local casts an eye over some of the best and worst films he's starred in. READ

Spanish Face of the Week

Francisco Nicolás Gómez Iglesias was one of just 2,000 people at the proclamation party for Spain's new king Felipe (pictured) in June. File photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images/AFP

Exposed: student conman who fooled king

A 20-year-old student from an elite business school who was arrested last week on suspicion of swindling, forging documents and impersonating public officials cozied up to the cream of Spanish society, even managing to attend King Felipe VI’s proclamation. READ

Spanish Language

Photo of a couple: Shutterstock

Top Ten: best new Spanish words

Spain’s royal language watchdog, the RAE, has just published its massive new dictionary. Here The Local lists ten of the best words appearing for the very first time for your reading pleasure. READ

JobTalk Spain

Spain has been accused of suffering from 'presentismo' – a culture of staying late in the office even when not doing much work. Photo: Shutterstock

Spaniards 'work longer hours than Germans'

The average Spaniard worked 1,665 hours in 2013 — more than people in Germany (1,388) or France (1,489), a new study published by Madrid's Institute of Economic Studies (IEE) reveals, but productivity remains a major obstacle to growth in Spain. READ

More News

Football focus

Photo: Pedro Armestre/AFP

Real Madrid to appeal Zidane coaching ban

French football legend Zinedine Zidane and his club Real Madrid were embroiled in an embarrassing dispute on Monday with the Spanish Football Federation who according to influential Madrid-based sports paper Marca handed him a three-month coaching ban. READ

British firm Vodafone purchased cable company Ono for €7.2 billion ($9.13 billion) earlier this year. Photo: Justin Tallis/AFP

Vodafone examines Ono tax fraud claims

Mobile phone giant Vodafone said Monday it was investigating allegations of tax fraud at its recently-acquired Spanish unit Ono. READ

Royal affairs

Photo: Cristina Garcia Rodero/Spanish Royal House/AFP

Queen Letizia flies solo for Austrian art affair

Spain’s Queen Letizia will be in Vienna on Monday for the opening of a major new exhibition of works by Spanish painter Velázquez at the city's Kunsthistorisches Museum, her first overseas trip without her husband. READ

Ebola outbreak

Protesters at a demo supporting Spanish nursing assistant Teresa Romero, now recovered from the deadly Ebola virus, and against health sector budget in Madrid on October 11th. Photo: Curto de la Torre

Ebola crisis: ten patients go home after all-clear

All of the patients who were isolated a Madrid hospital after having contact with a Spanish nursing assistant who contracted and beat the deadly virus left the facility on Monday, after being given the all-clear by doctors. READ

Photo of woman using her tablet: Shutterstock

Barcelona to beef up free Wi-Fi network

Anyone needing internet access in Barcelona will soon get a boost with the city planning to extend its free public Wi-Fi network to include locations including public buses and metro stations. READ

Francisco Granados was arrested for his alleged involvement in a massive kickbacks scandal involving businesses and local officials. File photo: Popular Party Madrid

Massive anti-corruption raids rattle Spain

Updated: In a new blow to Spain's ruling conservative Popular Party, over 50 people have been targeted in anti-corruption raids across Spain on Monday including the former secretary general of the party for Madrid. READ

Most of Spanish Eurofighters (like the one shown here being landed by King Felipe VI) are said to be non-operational due to a lack of spare parts and delayed inspections. Photo: Cristina Quicler/AFP

Most Spanish Eurofighter jets can't fly: report

Sources inside Spain's military have reportedly told a Spanish newspaper that only a handful of the country's Eurofighter Typhoon jets are fully operational and that semi-retired F-18 aircraft are being called back into full service to meet NATO commitments. READ

Almost 2 million Spanish moviegoers took advantage of reduced prices during April's 'Fiesta del Cine'. Photo: Fred Dufour/AFP

Spain's cinemas slash prices for film fiesta

Movie fans in Spain will be able to snap up tickets for just €2.90 ($3.60) in over 2,500 cinemas from Monday to Wednesday as part of a promotional festival organized by the Spanish Federation of Cinemas. READ

Ebola outbreak

A protester with a placard reading "We are all Teresa" during a demo in support of Spanish nurse Teresa Romero infected with Ebola. Photo: Curto de la Torre/AFP

They treated us as scum: husband of Ebola nurse

The husband of Spanish nursing assistant Teresa Romero who beat the Ebola virus has slammed the handling of the country's Ebola crisis as a "complete disaster", saying he now plans to take Madrid's health boss to court over comments made about him and his wife. READ

Members of the Podemos party, which has Pablo Iglesias as its most public face, recently held a critical vote on the party's future structure and platforms. Photo: Dani Pozo/AFP

Spain's 'indignant' party runners-up in new poll

Updated: Spain's new anti-austerity party Podemos is the second most popular choice among voters, an opinion poll released on Sunday showed while party members have now voted to accept the policies and party structure put forward by charismatic leader Pablo Iglesias. READ

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From our other editions:

A lorry on the A10 near the Tauern tunnel. Photo: APA/Gindl

Snow causes chaos in western Austria

Winter has come early to western Austria, leaving hundreds of homes without electricity on Wednesday night. Snow and rainfall also caused numerous problems on roads, and is expected to continue until Thursday evening. READ

Nadal: calling it quits for the season after upset loss. Photo: AFP

Nadal calls time as Federer advances

Teenage wildcard Borna Coric stunned Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals of the Swiss Indoors tennis tournament in Basel on Friday, a defeat which marked the end of the Spaniard's season. READ

Sonneborn in the EU Parliament. Photo: DPA

Satirist lives the dream on EU gravy train

Martin Sonneborn can’t believe his luck. The German comedian, leader of the political party “Die Partei”, managed to get elected to the European Parliament in May, and has found himself overwhelmed with fresh material. READ

A spokesman for Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta's government said the proposal "borders on racism". Photo: Thomas Mukoya/Scanpix

Kenya to Denmark: Keep your refugees

Kenyan officials slam suggestions from the Danish People’s Party and Liberal Alliance that Denmark should stop accepting refugees and instead get other countries to host them. READ

A French mum had to have four limbs amputated due to complications following an abortion. Photo: Shutterstock

Mother has four limbs removed after abortion

A woman who had an abortion in Bordeaux is suing the medical team that performed the procedure after she ended up having to have partial amputations to both arms and legs. READ

An article in The Spectator speaks about Italy being a "very European tragedy".Italy photo: Shutterstock

'Italy is the real sick man of Europe'

Italy comes under scrutiny in this week's edition of the British political magazine, The Spectator, with a front front cover saying "Arrivederci, Italy" and an article that speaks about a "very European tragedy". READ

Minister of Defence Ine Eriksen Søreide under fire about new autonomous missile technology. Photo: Torstein Bøe / NTB scanpix

Norway's 'killer robot' technology under fire

The Norwegian government is set to develop a new controversial robot-controlled missile for its fighter jets, but faces opposition from MPs and peace organizations claiming the technology may break international law. READ

Diplomacy

File photo: Athena Center for Leadership Studies

US to get first female ambassador in Sweden

The United States Embassy in Stockholm is set to get its first female ambassador after the White House announced it was nominating the Iranian-American ex-investment banker Azita Raji to take over from Mark Brzezinski. READ

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