Photo of tourists in Barcelona: Shutterstock

The strange consular requests of Brits abroad

The British Foreign office has released a list of the strangest requests it receives from Brits abroad, from a chef to make the perfect haggis to advice on how to treat a cat’s infected paw. READ

Ukraine crisis

Pro-Russian separatists ride tanks in the eastern Ukrainian city of Lugansk on February 21, 2015. Photo: Vasily Maximov/AFP

Spaniards arrested for fighting for Russia

Police on Friday arrested eight Spaniards who were "inspired by the International Brigades" and had returned from fighting alongside pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, sources close to the investigation said. READ

Photo of a priest: Shutterstock

Priests defend secrecy in sex abuse confessions

Spain's bishops conference on Thursday defended the right of priests to maintain the secrecy of the confessional booth even in cases of serious crimes such as the sexual abuse of children. READ

Former Spanish Prime Minsiter Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero attends a press conference at the National Hotel in Havana, Cuba. Photo: Yamil Lage/AFP

Spain blasts ex-PM meeting with Castro

Spain's conservative government reacted angrily on Thursday to a visit by former Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to Cuba and his meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro, calling it disloyal. READ

Flooding in Villarcayo, Burgos. Photo: Protección Civil Municipal Burgos (@pcivilburgos)

The rain in Spain falls mainly...everywhere

Much of Spain was on high alert on Thursday as parts of the country were battered by high winds, heavy rains and rising rivers. READ

Photo: Curto de la Torre/AFP

International Brigades honoured at Jarama

Around 300 relatives of the volunteers who made up the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War have been marching to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Jarama. READ

Photo of Spanish flags: Shutterstock

Corruption bigger worry than terrorism in Spain

A new poll has found that Spaniards are much more concerned with unemployment and corruption than the threat of terrorism. READ

The Spanish economy grew by 1.4 percent in 2014, according to new figures. Photo: Gerard Julien/AFP.

It's official: Spanish economy is growing

Spain's economy expanded by 1.4 percent in 2014, after five years of recession or no growth, the country's national statistics agency Ine said on Thursday, confirming a provisional figure published in late January. READ

State of the nation debate

Pedro Sánchez meets Mariano Rajoy in Moncloa, July 2014. Photo: Javier Soriano / AFP

Opposition comes out top in debate poll

The head of the opposition Socialist party (PSOE) outshone Spanish Popular party Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, during the state of the nation debate, according to a poll published on Thursday. READ

A photo of the Kazakhstan national flag: Shutterstock

Kazakh dissent security chief wins Spain asylum

Spain's Supreme Court has ruled that a Kazakh dissident who rights groups warn would face torture if he returned to Kazakhstan has the right to asylum in Spain, according to a decision published Wednesday READ

Features

My Spanish Career

Samantha Chappell is an English primary school teacher in Oviedo

'There is joy in learning something new yourself'

Samantha Chappell took a sabbatical from a publishing job in London to spend a summer living in the northern city of Oviedo. She loved it so much that eight years later she is still there and has discovered her vocation. READ

Madrid Podemos rally

Photo: Pedro Armestre/AFP

Young and old, rich and poor join left-wing march

Not just young radicals: Spaniards of all ages and backgrounds came out in their thousands to support a left-wing political party currently making waves in Spain. The Local caught up with some of them to find out why they are such big fans of Podemos. READ

Opinion

Photo of a lady in Spanish glasses: Shutterstock

The five strangest things about Spaniards

After two years at the helm of The Local Spain, George Mills is moving on. Here he reflects on some of the most puzzling aspects of life in a country he believes is one of the greatest places to live in the world. READ 2 comments

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

More News

State of the nation debate

Pablo Iglesias, leader of Podemos issued the challenge to the PM on Wednesday Javier Soriano/AFP

Podemos challenges Rajoy to TV debate

The leader new anti-establishment party Podemos which is leading Spanish polls on Wednesday challenged conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to a television debate ahead of a series of elections. READ

Students demonstrating against the Constitutional Court decision to suspend the vote last October Lluis Gene / AFP

Court bans Catalan independence vote

Spain's Constitutional Court on Wednesday unanimously ruled that a referendum on secession called by the wealthy northeastern region of Catalonia in November was illegal, confirming an earlier decision to temporarily suspend the vote. READ 2 comments

The Local Video

Photo: The Local

Brooms up! Quidditch casts its spell over Spain

Just when you thought Harry Potter fever had well and truly died down, students in Spain are breathing life into a sport that many thought could never leave the pages of the bestselling books. READ

The Local list

Photo of tired woman at work: Shutterstock

Ten phrases you'll only hear at work in Spain

Late breakfasts, long lunches, and remember to always blame the intern – Spanish office etiquette may not be quite what you are used to. Here's The Local's guide to the ten catchphrases all foreign workers need to know. READ

Dominique Faget/AFP

Telefonica profits plummet a third in 2014

Spain's Telefonica on Wednesday reported a 34.7 percent plunge in profits to €3.0 billion euros ($3.4 billion) in 2014, citing Venezuela's economic crisis and other exceptional costs. READ

Migrants sit atop border fence attempting to cross into Melilla on Feb 10. Photo: Angela Rios/AFP

Amnesty slams Spain for migrant care in enclaves

Amnesty International slammed Spain for its unlawful treatment of migrants and asylum seekers seeking to cross into the country through the north African enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta. READ

Carlos García Preciado has been arrested in Rome. Photo: Spanish Interior Ministry.

Eta fugitive on run for 15 years arrested in Rome

An Eta terrorist sentenced to 16 years in prison has been arrested in Rome, after being on the run since 2000, Spain’s Interior Ministry has announced. READ

State of the nation debate

Spanish politician Celia Villalobos allegedly playing Candy Crush during the state of the nation debate. Screen grab: LaMarea/YouTube

Speaker played Candy Crush during PM address

While in the speaker´s chair Celia Villalobos was caught on camera appearing to play Candy Crush during the Prime Minister's speech at Tuesday's state of the nation debate. READ

State of the nation debate

Mariano Rajoy during the state of the nation debate on February 24th. Photo: Pierre-Philippe Marcou /AFP

'Spain has achieved the impossible,' insists Rajoy

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy defended his record during a key debate in parliament on Tuesday ahead of a series of elections in which he anti-austerity Podemos party is tipped for strong gains. READ

State of the Nation

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy during a visit to a Ford factory near Valencia on February 5th, 2015. Photo: Jose Jordan/AFP

'Spain to create half a million jobs in 2015': PM

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy predicted on Tuesday that Spain's economy, the eurozone's fourth largest, could grow by 2.4 percent in 2015, raising the previous 2.0 percent forecast. READ

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From our other editions:

The Local List

Photo: APA/epa

Ten phrases you’ll only hear at work in Austria

Austria is one of Europe’s smaller countries, but also one of the richest and most stable in the EU, with low unemployment. Austrians are known for their love of gemütlichkeit - a word encompassing coziness, security and friendliness - and this can mean some baffling conversations for those new to doing business with Austrians. READ

The avalanche buried five people. Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

Avalanche kills four skiers in Valais Alps

The death toll from an avalanche that swept away a group of Italian skiers in the Swiss Alps has risen to four after a man died from his injuries, police said on Sunday. READ

Jabbed! Photo: DPA

Measles kill toddler as Berlin school closes

UPDATE: Health authorities in Berlin announced a toddler has succumbed to measles. Earlier, a school in a Berlin suburb was closed because of a pupil infected with the disease. The capital is battling its most serious outbreak since 2001. READ

Opinion

The author argues that Americans would be better off if they ditched their dreams of a big house and SUV and instead adopted 'the Danish way'. Photo: Kasper Thye/Copenhagen Media Center

'The Danish way' trumps the American dream

The American author of a new book about Danish parenting writes that the Danes' focus on empathy makes them much happier than Americans who pursue material goods. READ

At least five drones were detected flying over specific areas of Paris on Monday night into Tuesday. Photo: Rahims/FLickr

Drones fly over Paris landmarks during night

Paris police were hunting on Tuesday for clues after several drones were flown over specific Paris landmarks in the early hours of Tuesday, including the Eiffel Tower and the American Embassy. READ

The drunken hooligans damaged one of the city’s most treasured fountains, the Fontana della Barcaccia. Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP

Dutch raise over €7k to apologize for Rome riot

A Dutch woman has raised over €7,000 online to pay for damages wrought in Rome last week by scores of football fans from the Netherlands. READ

Norwegian is increasingly hiring crews from low cost countries such as Thailand and Eastern Europe. Photo: Norwegian Air Shuttle

Norwegian faces first ever pilot strike

Norwegian Air Shuttle could see its first ever strike by pilots on Sunday, if it fails to end more than three months of fruitless negotiations and strike a deal with unions. READ

Missan is turning 30 this spring. Photo: Private / TT

Is Sweden's Missan the world's oldest living cat?

Missan, 29, may be the world’s oldest cat, according to its Swedish owner who says that aside from suffering from some minor back and kidney problems, there is no reason why her furry friend won't make it to the grand age of 30. READ