Catalonia

Catalonia has closed the Collserola natural park near Barcelona after six wild boars were found dead from African swine fever. This is the first outbreak of the disease in Spain since 1994, leading to restrictions on Spanish pork imports by some countries.

African swine fever has been detected in wild boars near Barcelona, Spain, marking the first case since 1994. This incident threatens pork exports to China, although the agreement allows restrictions only for the affected region.

The "Junts" party, an ally of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has decided to break ties with the ruling party over unfulfilled promises regarding Catalonia's powers, language policy, and amnesty. "Junts" leader Carles Puigdemont announced a party member vote on the final decision.

The city of Terrassa in Spain has temporarily banned the adoption of black cats from shelters from October 6 to November 10. This is done to prevent the use of animals in sinister rituals during Halloween.

July 2024 was the third hottest month on record globally. The temperature was 0.27°C cooler than the record-breaking July 2023 and 0.23°C cooler than July 2024.

In the first six months of the current year, Spain welcomed 44. 5 million tourists, which is 4.7% more than last year. The cumulative spending of travelers increased by 7.5%, reaching almost 60 billion euros.

Spain experienced a 5. 5 magnitude earthquake in the south of the country, including Costa del Sol and Alicante, which caused the collapse of the airport roof in Almeria and damage to a car dealership. This happened a day after sudden floods turned the streets of Catalonia into rivers and led to the evacuation of a hospital.

Europe has been engulfed by wildfires, record heat, and storms. In Portugal, 284 deaths from overheating have been recorded, while other countries have experienced large-scale destruction and paralyzed infrastructure.

Spain's Constitutional Court has confirmed the legality of the 2017 amnesty for Catalan separatists. This decision allowed Pedro Sánchez to retain the post of Prime Minister.

The Spanish government has approved a reduction in the working week from 40 to 37. 5 hours without changing wages. The proposal must be approved by the parliament, where there are already disagreements over its support.

116-year-old Japanese Tomiko Itooka, recognized as the world's oldest person by the Guinness Book of Records, has died of old age. She received this title in September 2024 after the death of 117-year-old Spaniard Maria Branias Morera.

The Spanish Meteorological Agency has canceled the red level of flood danger in Valencia and Malaga. The disaster affected 78 municipalities, and more than 4,200 people were evacuated.

Mass protests against the actions of the regional authorities during the deadly floods took place in Valencia. Demonstrators accuse the authorities of belatedly raising the alarm, which led to numerous casualties.

Catalonia is recovering from large-scale flooding that led to the closure of roads and the shutdown of the railroad. The search for missing persons continues in the province of Albacete. The total death toll has reached 215 people.

The maximum level of danger has been declared on the Barcelona coast due to the DANA storm, with up to 180 mm of precipitation expected in 12 hours. Due to heavy rains, part of El Prat airport is flooded and rail service is suspended.

The former head of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, unexpectedly returned to Spain after 7 years in exile. He spoke to supporters in Barcelona, after which the police launched an operation to find and arrest him.