Spain to face temperatures as low as -6C over Christmas, Spanish Treasury registers record revenue from non-residents, El Gordo Christmas Lottery sees winners in León and Madrid and more from Spain this Tuesday December 23rd.
Telefónica to shed around 5,500 jobs in Spain
Telefónica will cut up to 5,500 jobs in Spain under a voluntary departure plan agreed with trade unions last week, the debt-laden telecoms firm said in a statement on Monday.
The figure represents nearly a quarter of the company’s workforce in Spain, based on a Telefónica count given last year of 25,000 employees in the country.
Worldwide, Telefonica employs 100,000 people.
Last month, it announced last month a new, five-year strategic plan that will see it focus on its main markets of Spain, Germany, the UK and Brazil as well as restructure many of its operations.
It then began talks with Spanish trade unions about reducing jobs.
“An agreement was reached with the trade unions… concerning the implementation of a voluntary departure plan for approximately 5,500 workers,” Telefónica said in a statement released via the stock market regulator.
Spain’s Treasury registers record revenue from non-residents after collecting 71% more since 2022
Tax revenue in Spain is reaching record highs, particularly when it comes to Non-Resident Income Tax (IRNR). From January to October, IRNR generated €4.213 billion. This was 30.7 percent more than in the same period of 2024, according to data from the Spanish Tax Agency.
Compared to the first 10 months of 2022, the year in which these revenues began to recover after the sharp drop they experienced during the pandemic, the increase has been 70.9 percent.
IRNR) applies to income earned in Spain by individuals or legal entities that do not have a permanent residency, but may own property here for example. This means that income generated here is subject to Spanish taxation. The general tax rate is 24 percent for non-residents from outside the European Union or the European Economic Area (EEA) and 19 percent for those residing in an EU member state.
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Spain to face minimum temperatures as low as -6C during the Christmas period
The weather in much of Spain during Christmas will be cold, with very low maximum temperatures and widespread frosts during the Christmas week. The arrival of a polar cold front will bring rain and snow, as well as a drop in temperatures across the country.
Temperatures will reach their lowest point between Sunday December 28th and Monday 29th, with widespread daytime lows of up to 5 degrees below normal for this time of year. In some areas, they could fall as much as 8C below the average.
This is expected to bring frost to large areas of Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Madrid, and Aragón during the afternoon and evening this Sunday. The lowest temperatures will occur at the end of the day.
Maximum temperatures on Monday December 29th will remain below 10C across much of the country, with values between 3 and 6C in large inland areas. Minimum temperatures will be even colder, reaching as low as -6C in some areas.
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El Gordo Christmas Lottery sees big winners in León and Madrid
The number 79432 has won the top prize in the 2025 Christmas Lottery, nicknamed El Gordo or The Fat One. The total number was worth €4 million or €400,000 for a tenth of a ticket, which is typical in Spain.
The majority of the winning tickets were sold in León, specifically in La Bañeza, where 117 series were sold, along with 50 in Villablino and 15 in Pola de Gordón. A further 16 series went to Madrid, specifically to the Ciudad Lineal district.
The mayor of La Bañeza, Javier Carrera, said that the sale of the winning number by the football club means that it has widely distributed among the just over 11,000 residents of the municipality, among members and fans.
La Bañeza, which was hit hard by the wild fires this summer.
This year’s lottery draw handed out €2.77 billion among all the prizes, €70 million more than the amount distributed last year.
Additional reporting by AFP.
