Storm Adam brought torrential rain and flooding to eastern and south-eastern Spain on October 17. Firefighters are searching for a woman who fell into a stream in Cabrera de Mar. Emergency alerts warned several Catalan areas of torrential rain, while rescuers freed two elderly people from a trapped car in Sentmenat.
Housing decrees approved on October 7 await parliamentary validation. Property portals and industry groups report a temporary freeze of 2% to 5% of rental listings, not a mass withdrawal. The extensions would protect tenants whose contracts expire before 2029 from eviction or rent rises at expiry.
Sánchez and Feijóo both see the campaign moving their way, but experts see a map that favours a PP-Vox option. Sánchez launched his pre-campaign on October 17 for the November 29 election and warned of PP pension cuts. Feijóo sees Mínguez's resignation as weakening the PSOE's housing message.
The Supreme Court upheld a temporary voting suspension affecting 163,020 people nationalised through the Ley de Nietos for the November 29 election. It applies to those granted nationality under a later instruction presuming exile status. Those covered directly by the law can vote; legal challenges remain open.
Home purchases by foreigners fell 13% in the first half of the year, the biggest drop since 2020. Most regions recorded declines, including tourist areas, while buyers faced higher costs. Dutch buyers led among non-residents, and Comunidad Valenciana was the preferred destination of non-resident foreigners.
Spain has gone more than 1,000 days without the government presenting a new budget bill and continues to use the extended 2023 accounts. Experts warn that repeated extensions hinder investment and transparency. Public spending continues, and Spain's rules do not provide for US-style government shutdowns.
New contributory retirement pensions average €1,711.4 a month, passing €1,700 for the first time. That figure applies only to newly awarded retirement pensions. Across the whole pension system, the September average was €1,374.6, up 4.6% over a year.
Social Security affiliation rose by almost 750,000 over a year, but unemployment fell by just 42,000. Contributors reached a record 22.43 million. Registered unemployment fell 1.74% year on year in September, compared with 5.97% a year earlier, showing that job growth is not producing an equally sharp fall in unemployment.
The Supreme Court ruled that employees can claim five days of paid care leave whenever a new qualifying situation arises, rejecting a five-day annual cap. The leave covers serious illness, accidents, hospital stays, and surgery requiring home rest for eligible relatives and people sharing the employee's home.
Speed restrictions and cancellations are lengthening journeys on the Madrid–Barcelona high-speed line. Some sections have a 160 km/h cap, and operators have revised timetables and cut services. An AVE train fire in Ricla on October 12 added to disruption on a route already facing restrictions since January.
Semaf has called a 24-hour Renfe drivers' strike for October 29 after talks failed on October 16. The union says safety and staffing commitments have stalled; Renfe says it has met them. Semaf also announced Ouigo strikes on October 30, November 2, 6, and 9, and December 4 and 8.
Teachers in Madrid are using rotating shifts and resistance funds to sustain an indefinite strike, with each strike day costing about €100 in lost pay. Early childhood educators in the PLEI platform have been on strike since April. The strike adds pressure on Ayuso.
Since October 17, commercial calls must use nine-digit numbers starting with 400, so people can tell them apart from customer-service calls. People cannot call these numbers back. Anyone getting commercial calls from other numbers can complain to the telecoms user office (OAUT) or report them to the CNMC.
HBO Max announced Antonio Banderas and Nicolas Cage as the leads of True Detective's fifth season, with production starting in 2027. Banderas will play Rai García, and Cage will play Henry Logan. Issa López returns as showrunner, and both actors will also serve as executive producers.
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