An aerial shot of the 100,000 people massing in Madrid's Puerta del Sol: PEDRO ARMESTRE / AFP

100,000 join Madrid anti-austerity rally

At least 100,000 people poured into the streets of Madrid on Saturday in a huge show of support for Spain's new anti-austerity party Podemos, riding a wave of popularity after the election success of its Greek hard-left ally Syriza. READ

Doctors at Madrid's Gregorio Maranon hospital announce the successful trial. Photo: Gregorio Maranon hospital

Spain uses stem cells to repair damaged hearts

A Spanish hospital has successfully used stem cells culled from healthy donors to treat seven heart attack victims, in what officials said was a world first. READ

Spanish soldiers with the United Nations in Lebanon in an armoured emergency vehicle after picking up the body of Spaniard Francisco Javier Soria Toledo. Photo: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP

Israel agrees probe into Spanish soldier's death

Spain and Israel have agreed to carry out a joint investigation on the death of a Spanish UN peacekeeper who was killed in Lebanon during Israeli shelling near the border, Madrid said on Friday. READ

Immigration crisis

Immigrants rescued by the Spanish Red Cross in 2013. File photo: Marcos Moreno/AFP

At least six dead in shipwreck off Melilla

Six would-be migrants have died and four are missing after their boat ran into trouble off the coast of the north-African Spanish enclave of Melilla. READ

Spanish Face of the Week

A portrait thought to be of Miguel de Cervantes by Juan de Jauregui y Aguilar, The Bridgeman Art Library Photo: Botaurus/Wikipedia

Is 400 year Cervantes mystery solved?

Four hundred years after he died a pauper in near obscurity, archaeologists announced that they may have solved the mystery of his final resting place. Meet our Spanish Face of the Week, Miguel de Cervantes. READ

Madrid holds one of Europe's biggest gay pride marches every July. Photo: Dani Pozo/AFP.

Madrid stand at tourism expo deemed 'too gay'

Madrid is renowned as one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world, but the city's stand at this year's International Tourism Fair was reportedly repainted at the last minute because the city council deemed it "too gay". READ

Wreckage of the hashish-filled helicopter which crashed near the mountain town of Cortes de la Frontera in Malaga province. Photo: Jorge Guerrero/AFP

Hash helicopter pilot was Albanian major: reports

A helicopter loaded with hashish which crashed in southern Spain on Tuesday after hitting an electricity pylon was piloted by a major with the Albanian army, according to media reports. READ

Photo of Cordoba: Shutterstock

'Green' Cordoba wins global praise

Cordoba, in Andalucia, southern Spain, might already be world-famous for its medieval former mosque, but now its efforts to go green are also gaining global attention. READ

Smiles all round: Colombian pop star Shakira gave birth to her second site on Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America/AFP

Shakira gives birth to second son

Pop superstar Shakira and Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué welcomed their second child into the world on Thursday night. READ

"Hope is born," the leader of Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, said after the left-wing party Syriza was victorious in the recent Greek elections. Photo: Gerard Julien/AFP

Spain's far left to rally after Syriza win

Buoyed by its Greek ally Syriza's victory, Spanish protest party Podemos kicks off election year with a mass rally on Saturday, vowing to defeat a political elite it brands corrupt. READ

Features

My Spanish Career

Joel Serra moved to Spain after stints with the Australian Government and consulting with KPMG. Photo: Aldo Chacon

'I want to be known as a gonzo chef'

Chef, entrepreneur, Pilates instructor: meet Barcelona-based New Zealander Joel Serra — a man with many pots on the stove. READ

Photo: Steve Optix

Spain in stats: a portrait of a nation

From a very low crime rate to the largest wealth divide in the European Union, here are ten key statistics that shine a light on modern Spain. READ

The Local list

How many lives does an Iberian cat have? Photo: James Whitesmith

Top ten: must-know Spanish superstitions

If you're the kind of superstitious soul who never walks under a ladder and is always confused about whether black cats are meant to bring bad luck or good, then read on for the lowdown on all the strangest Spanish superstitions. READ

My Spanish career

Photo: Marjorie González

'The crisis hasn't put Spaniards off weddings'

In the latest instalment of My Spanish Career, The Local chats to Andreas Fischer, originally from Venezuela, now at home in Tenerife where he helps couples tie the knot as a wedding celebrant. READ

Guest blog

Photo of a rental contract: Shutterstock

5 things no one tells you about renting in Spain

From ancient appliances to dodgy apartment owners, finding a place to live in Spain can be a real nightmare. But before you tear your hair out, guest blogger Cat Gaa is here to lend a helping hand. READ

More News

People shopping in the Spanish sales. Photo: Gerard Julien/AFP.

Spanish economy grows by 1.4 percent in 2014

Spain's recovering economy grew by 1.4 percent in 2014, provisional official data showed on Friday, after shrinking by 1.2 percent in the previous year but remains plagued by mass unemployment. READ

Photo of a check-in queue at an airport: Shutterstock

Spanish airport staff announce major strikes

The two main unions at Spanish airport operator AENA on Thursday called 27 strike days between February and August in protest at the partial privatization of the firm. READ

Photo of Cala Tarida in Ibiza: Shutterstock

Marriage proposal ends in fatal clifftop fall

A young tourist in Ibiza has died after falling off a 15-metre (50-foot) cliff just moments after her boyfriend proposed to her. READ

The worst weather will hit Spain on Thursday evening and last until Sunday with only the Canary Islands being spared. File photo: Desiree Martin/AFP

Spain braces for weekend of wild weather

Many parts of Spain are set for wild weather conditions in coming days with gale force winds, rain and snow all on the cards. READ

Photo of a Spanish cemetary: Shutterstock

Gravedigger trapped under 200kg tombstone

A young gravedigger in northern Spain was trapped under a gravestone weighing 200kg (440 pounds) when the scaffolding on which he was working collapsed. READ

Photo of UK tourists in Spain: Shutterstock

Weaker euro to boost UK tourism to Spain

A drop in the value of the euro against pound sterling is expected to lift the number of British tourists visiting Spain this year. READ

Graham Wragg's family believe he may be in the Santander area of Spain (left) and are hoping he will get in touch. Photo: Photo of Santander: Shutterstock/Derbysh

Missing UK man thought to be in Spain

UK police are calling for help in their search for a man who went missing from his home in Derbyshire and who they now believe could be in the Barcelona or Santander areas of Spain. READ

Photo of a prostitute and client: Shutterstock

Police smash 'Pig's Head' prostitution ring

Police in Madrid have arrested six men thought to be members of a prostitution ring formerly led by an infamous Romanian clan leader known as 'Pig's Head'. READ

Environment

Photo of walkers in the Spanish Pyrenees: Shutterstock

Pyrenean snowfall halves in 60 years

Snow accumulation in the Pyrenees has halved since the 1950s, a new study shows, with some experts saying global temperature is to blame. READ

Spanish police examine seized Egyptian artefacts. Photo: Guardia Civil.

Looted Egyptian treasures seized in Spain

Over 2,200 looted artefacts, many from ancient Egypt, were seized as part of a Europe-wide crackdown that also snared 35 suspected traffickers, Europol announced on Wednesday. READ

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From our other editions:

File photo: Shutterstock

Man leaves baby on U6 metro

A desperate young father realized only after exiting the carriage of the U6 metro train that he'd left his baby on board. READ

Gareth Knott: "Thankfully design is a universal language." Photo: Handout

Anglo expats mine creativity to earn crust

Switzerland’s job market is appealingly lucrative but sometimes anglophones need to be creative to find a job in a country where English is not an official language, as The Local's Emily Mawson finds out. READ

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: DPA

Russia may declare 1990 reunification illegal

More than 25 years after the Berlin Wall's fall, Russian lawmakers are mulling a proposal to condemn West Germany's 1990 "annexation" of East Germany as Moscow's answer to Western denunciation of its seizure of Crimea. READ

Video

Mohammad Sharaa, Samih Alnakawah and other members of Syrian Touch at Aalborg's J.F. Kennedys Plads. Photo: Facebook

Syrian refugees hand out free coffee to commuters

A group of Syrian refugees in Denmark has started handing out free coffee to morning commuters to thank the country for the warm welcome they’ve received since escaping the ongoing civil war in their homeland. READ

France is home to 300,000 foreign students. Photo: Simone Ramella/Flickr

Studying in France: what you need to know

France is one of the most popular study destinations in the world, with nearly 300,000 foreign students. Relatively low tuition fees and the chance to live in France are certainly appealing, but France’s confusing higher education system can be frustrating to navigate. READ

The Local List

A bimbo in English is a rather unintelligent woman. In Italian it’s a young male child. Photo: Shutterstock

Ten Italian words used differently in English

Many Italian words are now embedded the English language – particularly in the realms of music and food. But not all mean the same thing in both tongues. Here we list ten of the most problematic expressions. READ

Ørjan Johannessen competes at the Bocuse d'Or Europe last May. Photo: Jessica Gow/NTB Scanpix

Norwegian chef wins world's top food prize

The world's most prestigious food competition, Bocuse d'Or, has wrapped up in Lyon, France, with a Norwegian talent taking the crown. READ

The Local List

A Viking - sometimes pronounced 'Wiking', in Sweden. Photo: Shutterstock

Ten ways talking in English baffles Swedes

While Swedes are among the world's best English speakers, there are a few common - and often charming - mistakes The Local's team has spotted while chatting to Swedes in their second language (because yes, of course, it is still better than our Swedish). READ