Sánchez makes Vatican visit, March mortgage approvals highest in 16 years, Vox councillor in Valencia faces three years in prison, and more news from Spain on Thursday 28th May.
Sánchez arrives at Vatican ahead of Pope’s Spain visit
Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, arrived at the Vatican on Wednesday for an audience with Pope Leo XIV.
It was their first meeting, coming just days before the Pope’s official visit to Spain, and both leaders highlighted their shared views on the global challenges facing humanity, including AI and war.
Following the meeting and the traditional exchange of gifts, Sánchez also had a meeting with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Mortgage approvals rose by 9 percent amid best March in 16 years
Mortgage signings in Spain held up in March despite rising prices caused by the war in Iran.
According to data published on Wednesday by the National Statistics Institute (INE), in March 46,661 mortgage loans were signed, 9 percent more than during the same period last year.
This is the highest volume of mortgages signed in March in 16 years.
Vox councillor in Valencia faces three years in prison for alleged hate crimes
Cecilia Herrero, a Vox councillor in Valencia, is facing up to three years in prison for alleged hate crimes relating to comments made online.
“The Moors are invading us” or “stop sponsoring the Moor” are just some of the messages written and shared by Herrero, who is to be tried by a provincial court for hate crimes.
Her appeal was dismissed and the courts are seeking three years imprisonment for disseminating messages against migrants, as well as the LGBTI community and people with disabilities.
This process began in 2024, following a complaint by regional leftist party Compromís, which provided examples of messages posted on X between 2020 and 2024.
Neighbours and police fooled by stuffed animal in Murcia town
Police in the Murcian town of Molina de Segura were involved in an odd incident after receiving several calls from residents alerting them to the presence of a supposed “dangerous animal” in the area.
Residents called the police claiming to have seen a large wild animal in the neighbourhood and several patrols were quickly dispatched to the area.
Spanish media reports suggest police were expecting “a potentially dangerous dog or an animal that is difficult to control”. However, upon arriving at the scene police discovered the supposed dangerous animal was in fact a large stuffed tiger toy on a rooftop.
Madrid’s Rayo Vallecano lose Conference League final to Crystal Palace
London’s Crystal Palace beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in the UEFA Conference League final in Leipzig on Wednesday to win their first European trophy in the club’s history.
This was the first time the team from the working-class Madrid neighbourhood of Vallecas had made it to the final of a European tournament, and 12,000 Rayo fans travelled to the German city for the occasion.
France striker Jean-Philippe Mateta turned in a rebound early in the second half to send departing manager Oliver Glasner out in style and dash Rayo’s own hopes of their first major trophy.
