More than four million people in Spain live on less than €644 a month, EU court rules dogs are same as baggage for airline liability and more news on Friday October 17th.
More than four million people in Spain live on less than €644 a month
More than four million people or 8.4 percent of the population, live on less than €644 a month, according to the recent European Anti-Poverty Network report, using data from 2024.
It also revealed that around a quarter or 12.5 million people are still at risk of poverty. This is a slight improvement compared to the previous year – 200,000 fewer people.
The poverty map in Spain shows big differences not only between the north and the south, but also within the regions. For example in the Basque Country, Navarre and the Balearic Islands, more than 45 percent of people at risk of poverty and live on less than €644 per month.
Worker fired for bringing marijuana-laced birthday cake to the office
An employee in Burgos brought a cake in to share with colleagues in the office, but failed to tell them it contained cannabis.
Five employees tried the cake, and soon after, two of them began to feel unwell, experiencing dizziness, disorientation, and anxiety.
Two even had to be transferred to Burgos University Hospital, where they underwent treatment.
According to Diario de Burgos, the incident occurred at the regulatory center in the Villalonquéjar IV industrial estate, where several subcontractors manage the storage and distribution of tires for Bridgestone.
The cake was seized by the National Police and sent to forensic analysis laboratories to determine the exact amount of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis.
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Picasso painting vanishes en route to exhibition in Granada
Spanish police are investigating the disappearance of a Pablo Picasso painting, which vanished while in transit from Madrid to the Andalusian city of Granada for an exhibition, authorities said.
“Still Life with Guitar”, an oil-on-canvas painting valued at €600,000 was scheduled to go on display at an exhibition organised by the CajaGranada foundation last week, local newspaper Ideal reported.
National police sources confirmed that the painting’s disappearance was under investigation but provided no further details, citing confidentiality rules.
Thieves have frequently targeted Picasso works given their high value – two of his paintings sold for more than $140 million at auctions in recent years.
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EU court rules dogs are same as baggage for airline liability
The European Union’s top court ruled that a dog travelling in an aeroplane’s cargo hold counts as baggage, meaning airlines are not required to pay higher compensation if the animal is lost.
The ruling stems from a dispute between Spanish airline Iberia and a passenger whose dog went missing on a flight from Buenos Aires to Barcelona in October 2019.
The dog, which had to travel in the aircraft’s hold due to its size and weight, escaped while being taken to the plane and was never found.
“Even though the ordinary meaning of the word ‘baggage’ refers to objects, this alone does not lead to the conclusion that pets fall outside that concept,” the Luxembourg-based court ruled.
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Spain’s BBVA fails in Sabadell takeover bid
Spanish banking giant BBVA’s hostile takeover bid for smaller rival Sabadell has failed, dashing its hopes of creating a new European sector colossus, the stock market regulator announced on Thursday.
The offer gained acceptance from 25.33 percent of Sabadell’s shares and fell short of the minimum 30-percent threshold of voting rights needed for a possible second bid, the CNMV said in a statement.
“As a result, the public offer has had a negative outcome” and “is rendered null and void”, the CNMV said, announcing the result a day earlier than expected.
With additional reporting from AFP.
