Spain edition

Change edition:
Austria ·
Denmark ·
France ·
Germany ·
Italy ·
Norway ·
Sweden ·
Switzerland

Photo: AFP

Expert: Catalan self-rule camp less than it appears

Although nearly two million people voted Yes' in Catalonia's symbolic ballot on independence, analysts say nationalists will struggle for a majority in their drive to break away from Spain. READ

Photo: AFP

Zidane promotes son to Madrid reserves

Real Madrid reserve team coach Zinedine Zidane has drafted his 19-year-old son Enzo into the side for a league match on Sunday, the club have announced. READ

Photo: AFP

Iglesias to head Spain's leftist Podemos party

Podemos, a fast-growing Spanish far-left party set up in January, on Saturday formally elected its 36-year-old founder Pablo Iglesias as secretary general. READ

Photo: AFP/Greenpeace/Arturo Rodriquez

Greenpeace activist hurt in Canaries oil clash

An Italian Greenpeace activist was hurt Saturday in a confrontation with the Spanish navy that intervened during fresh protests against a controversial oil exploration project in waters off the Canary Islands. READ

Photo: AFP

Spain cruise to victory against Belarus

A fabulous goal by Real Madrid midfielder Isco set Spain on the way to a comfortable 3-0 home victory against Belarus in Euro 2016 qualifying on Saturday. READ

Photo: Marc Hutten/AFP

Historic Che Guevara pics resurface in Spain

Lost for half a century, historic photographs of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara taken by an AFP photographer shortly after his execution have come to light in a small Spanish town. READ

Photo of mouldy food: Shutterstock

Spanish soldiers served rotten rations: report

Underpaid and demoralized Spanish soldiers are being supplied with rotten and insect-infested rations, a dissident lieutenant claimed in a newspaper piece on Friday. READ

Spanish Face of the Week

The president of Spains' Extremadura region, José Antonio Monago, said he would not resign and "give in to the bad guys". File photo: PP Madrid/Flickr

I paid for 'love flights' to Canaries: Politician

The president of Spain's Extremadura region on Friday said he was the victim of a "political lynching" after critics accused him of spending public money for flights to the Canary Islands to visit his attractive Colombian lover. READ

Photo of baby: Shutterstock

Spain's first-time mums oldest in Europe

Spanish women are putting off having their first baby until an average age of 32 with extremely low levels of state aid for parents playing a role, a new study reveals. READ

The iconic Telefonica building in Madrid. Photo: Javier Paredes

Telefonica: Nine-month profits dip 10 percent

The sale of subsidiaries in Ireland and the Czech Republic sapped Spanish telecommunications giant Telefonica's profits in the first nine months of 2014, the company said on Wednesday. READ

Features

The Local List

A warm welcome may not be forthcoming in the Spanish town of Adiós (Goodbye) Photo of two women: Shutterstock

Top ten: Spain's weirdest place names

How does a long weekend in the village of Malcocinado (Undercooked) grab you? What about Venta de Pantalones (Trousers Stall)? Welcome to the wonderful world of weird Spanish place names! READ

My Spanish Career

Madrid-based chef Moustafa Moussaoui says you should make hiring a business consultant (gestor) part of your investment plan.

'Spain is getting taste for foreign food'

After stints in locations as diverse as Caracas and Kazakhstan, this versatile chef has now bitten the bullet by setting up a catering business in Madrid. Meet Belgium's Moustafa Moussaoui, aka Mousse. READ

Photo: Dani Pozo/AFP

The Dummies' Guide to Spain's Podemos Party

Seven months ago almost nobody had heard of them. Now Podemos is the hottest political property in Spain. But just who are they, what do they want, and could they win the country's next elections? The Local takes a look behind the curtains. READ

Spain's stunning Alhambra Islamic palaces: Shutterstock

Take The Local's Spanish history quiz

Spain is full of famous places, faces and names. But how well do you know the history of this amazing country? Find in The Local's latest quiz! READ

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

More News

Photo: AFP

Protesters prepare to greet Canaries oil boat

Environmental activists rallied Friday in anger at the arrival of a boat due to start prospecting for oil in the waters off Spain's Canary Islands, a major tourist destination. READ

Photo of empty classroom: Shutterstock

Spain's school dropout rate highest in EU

Spain's must do more to lower its school dropout rate while improvements in training prospects for young people are being undermined by budget cuts to the education sector, the EU says in a new report. READ

Spain's possible recognition of a state called Palestine would be carried out in a coordinated manner with the European Union. Photo: AFP

Spain moves towards recognizing Palestine

A vote in the Spanish parliament next week could see Spain follow the lead of UK and France in moving towards a recognition of Palestine as the Spanish government joins a European Union drive to back a two-state peace deal between Israel and Palestine. READ

Presented by Debenhams

debenhams|christmas

Find your Christmas gift at Debenhams

Christmas stockings, fluffy cushions, or ornaments for the tree…whatever you’re looking for, you can find the fabulous gift at Debenhams. Bring the classic holiday shopping experience to you. READ

The two-and-a-half minute commercial for Spain's 'Fat One' lottery shows how people's lives are transformed when their lottery numbers come in. Screen grab: Selae/YouTube

Tear-jerker Christmas lottery ad goes viral

Christmas may still be six weeks off but Spain is already gearing up for its massive El Gordo ('Fat One') lottery with a cinematic advertisement that is a serious change of tack from last year's hugely unpopular effort. It hasn't been free of controversy though. READ

Telescope on the Spanish island of La Palma. Photo of telescope: Shutterstock

Spain's R&D spending falls to 2006 levels

The total of funds invested by Spain in research and development in 2013 was equivalent to just 1.24 percent of GDP, or the same level as in 2006, official figures released on Thursday show. READ

The leader of Spain's Socialist party, Pedro Sánchez, saw his personal website crash during its launch on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Spain mocks Socialist leader's 'cool' website

What was set to be a key moment for the fresh-faced leader of Spain's main opposition party has turned into a public relations disaster after his new website was mercilessly mocked on social media. READ

Photo of deer: Shutterstock

Spain allows hunting in national parks

Environmentalists have accused Spain's ruling Popular Party (PP) of being in the pocket of big business after the government on Wednesday voted to postpone an end to shooting in areas where wildlife is protected. READ

Historical files returned to the Catalonia National archives at Sant Cugat del Valles in Barcelona from Salamanca in 2006. Photo: Lluis Gene / AFP

Spain scraps plan to declassify military files

Spain's decision to shelve plans to declassify thousands of documents relating to the country's Civil War and the dictatorship of Francisco Franco is a mistake, a top historian has told The Local. READ

Immigration crisis

Would-be immigrants on a border fence separating Morocco from the north African Spanish enclave of Melilla in October. File photo: Blasco Avellaneda

'Why does Europe treat us like animals?'

A group of young Africans were left sitting on a Canary Islands beach for five hours recently over fears they might have Ebola. Most were then driven away in a rubbish truck. Now they have spoken up about the experience. READ

Read older articles »

From our other editions:

Islamic State fighters in Syria. Photo: APA

Red Bull drinks 'fuelling Syrian Islamists'

Truck loads of Austria's popular Red Bull energy drink are being shipped daily by Turkish traders into Syria, and being consumed by fighters in the civil war who are drinking it to help them stay alert during gruelling battles. READ

Photo: Chur city police

Englishman's lost wallet retrieved - 18 years later

Police in Switzerland have retrieved the wallet and identity papers of an Englishman, now living in the United States, who lost them during a trip in the mountain country 18 years ago. READ

JobTalk Germany

Photo: DPA

Working parents to get more options with Plus

The federal government has announced a new model of parental leave pay starting in July 2015 called Elterngeld Plus, heralded as a step forward for working mothers by the federal Families Minister - but not all working parents are happy about it. READ

Photo: Nicolai Perjesi/Copenhagen Media Center

Danes world's best non-native English speakers

Danes are the best in the world at speaking English as a second language, a major report released this week concluded. READ

Tiger hunt

Police and helicopter crews are trying to track down an escaped tiger (not the one above) in northern France. File photo of a tiger: Shutterstock

Escaped 'tiger' on the loose near Paris

UPDATED: Police and firefighters along with helicopter crews were called out to a town near Paris on Thursday after reports that a tiger had been spotted in a supermarket car park. Several other residents spotted the animal on Thursday afternoon. READ

International

A message purporting to be from the Isis leader, in which he says the militant group’s “advance on Rome” will not be stopped, has been released. Photo: al-Furqan Media/AFP

Isis: 'You won't stop our advance on Rome'

An audio message purporting to be from Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in which he says the militant group’s “advance on Rome” will not be stopped, was released on Thursday. READ

Doctor Mads Gilbert. Photo: Vegard Wivestad Grøtt / NTB scanpix

Israel shuts Dr Gilbert out from Gaza for life

A Norwegian doctor, Mads Gilbert, has been hit with a lifetime ban from entering Gaza by the Israeli government. READ

The Local List

Photo: Shutterstock

Ten things you should never say to a Swede

Making new friends in Sweden? Here are ten things you should never say to a Swede if you want to remain mates with them. The Local's latest list features everything from drinks and drugs to one very irritating Swedish chef. READ

RECEIVE OUR NEWSLETTER AND ALERTS