Spanish judges say Catalan amnesty could help PM Sanchez but imperil rule of law
Madrid, SpainReuters Spanish judges have waded into a row over a possible amnesty for Catalonian separatists in return for their support for a new Socialist-led government, arguing that it serves the interests of acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez but not the country. The amnesty law has been proposed by Sanchez, who is trying to form […]
Spain’s election yields no clear winner, coalition negotiations loom
Madrid, SpainReuters No clear winner emerged in a nailbiting finish to Spain’s election on Sunday as the right failed to fulfill predictions of a victory big enough to push Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez from power. The two leading parties will seek to negotiate coalition deals in pursuit of a governing majority but analysts warned the […]
Spanish volcano victims feel forgotten, want change from election
La Palma, Spain Reuters Living in rows of look-alike makeshift homes as hardened black lava covers the once-bucolic valleys where they used to dwell, many residents of the Spanish island of La Palma feel resentment and yearn for political change in this month’s general election. The eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano over three months […]
First major fire of year destroys 3,000 hectares in Spain
Villanueva de Viver, Spain Reuters Spain’s first major wildfire of the year raged in the eastern Valencia region on Friday, destroying more than 3,000 hectares of forest and forcing 1,500 residents to abandon their homes, authorities said. An unusually dry winter across parts of the south of the European continent has reduced moisture in the […]
Spain vows more vigilance, protection as murders of women spike in December
Madrid, Spain Reuters The Spanish Government promised on Thursday increased police protection for victims of domestic violence after at least nine women in Spain were killed by their current or former partners in December, making it the deadliest month of this year. “The time has come to say ‘enough’,” Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told reporters […]
Spanish ombudsman set to probe church sex abuse
Barecelona, SpainAP Spain’s Prime Minister wants to task the nation’s ombudsman with the country’s first official investigation into the depth of sexual abuse committed by Roman Catholic clergy. The decision by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, head of Spain’s Socialist Party, was reported Sunday by the Spanish newspaper El País and confirmed by the government to […]
Spain hands list of 1,000 contested church properties to local authorities
Madrid, SpainReuters Spain’s government handed over a list of almost 1,000 properties claimed by the Catholic Church on contested legal grounds to a federation of local authorities on Thursday, taking a first step towards resolving long-running feuds over ownership. The conflict stems from a law introduced by former conservative Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar in […]
Spain: Catholic Church agrees to return usurped real estate
Madrid, SpainAP The body representing Catholic bishops in Spain has acknowledged that nearly 1,000 real estate properties across the country were registered as possessions of the Church despite having no proof of ownership or clearly belonging to others. The Catholic Church will now begin a process to “regularize” those properties, according to a joint statement […]
Spain vows to speed up aid to volcano-hit La Palma
La Palma, Canary Islands, SpainReuters Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Spain would speed up aid to the hard-hit agriculture and fishing industries on the island of La Palma, where part of the volcano’s cone collapsed on Saturday and red hot lava continued to flow over a month after the eruption began. Lava has covered almost […]
Spain’s PM Sanchez vows to rebuild La Palma as eruption gathers force
La Palma, SpainReuters Red-hot lava exploded high into the air from La Palma’s volcano on Sunday night as the eruption gathered force, hours after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Spain would help rebuild the island, adding that it was safe for tourists to visit. Local media reported the north side of the volcano had collapsed […]