Stories from Madrid · Spain

Caritas allocated more than 157 million euros to solidarity economy initiatives between 2020 and 2025. This figure represents a record amount, increasing by 12.5 million euros compared to the previous year. The organization reported that over 6 million people in Spain suffer from food poverty. Additionally, the source noted that 50 kilograms of food are wasted per person annually in Spain. Caritas aims to move beyond simple insertion through these efforts.

The Spanish Ministry of Finance announced that prices are expected to rise by an average of 3.1% this year. Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo noted that 19 million salaried workers still maintain a positive dynamic in the labor market despite the seasonal downturn. The rise reflects the end of the summer campaign before new summer hiring is registered. The report stated that 10,700 jobs were lost in the region. Unemployment in the Community of Madrid has grown to nearly 8% according to first quarter data from the EPA. The report was cited by COPE regarding regional economic trends. The number of households where all members are unemployed rose by 10 percent through March. This represents the largest increase in this metric in 14 years. The report notes the rise occurs one year after previous energy-related disruptions.

Russian tennis player Vera Zvonareva reached the doubles semifinals of a tournament in Madrid. The final match is set to take place this Saturday. Jannik Sinner defeated Filz 6-2, 6-4 in one hour and 26 minutes to win his match in the Madrid tournament. He will face German player Zverev in the final after Zverev defeated Bloks 6-2, 7-5. German tennis player Alexander Zveref defeated 21-year-old Belgian player Blocks in straight sets to reach the semifinals of the Madrid Masters. Zveref has previously won the tournament in 2018 and 2021. The victory followed a dominant performance featuring strong serves and forehands. Zverev will face world number one Janik Sinner in the final on Sunday. This marks the fourth meeting between the two players this year. Zverev won with scores of 6-2 and 7-5 to secure a spot in Sunday's final. Zverev's last victory against Sinner occurred three years ago.

The Da Vinci robot was used for the first mammary reconstruction using a patient's own abdominal tissue in Spain. This hybrid approach of robotic and traditional manual surgery aims to reduce complications, speed up recovery, and minimize pain and scarring. The procedure avoids the typical scarring caused by taking tissue from the abdomen. The procedure marks a medical milestone in the country. The technology aims to improve patient recovery by reducing pain and long-term complications in the tissue donor site. The use of the robot avoids large incisions and reduces the risk of developing a hernia following the operation. A robot was used for the first time at La Paz Hospital to perform a medical procedure aimed at improving patient recovery. The procedure was reported at La Paz Hospital in Madrid.

The footage reportedly shows off-duty police officers allegedly strangling the victim. Baquero indicated the family intends for the case to proceed to a jury trial. Medical science is being used to support the evidence presented in the case. A family is seeking a jury trial regarding a case involving strangulation. The family of a victim in a strangulation case is seeking a jury trial in Madrid. Lawyer Rubén Baquero stated that dozens of videos recorded by neighbors serve as fundamental evidence for the prosecution. The incident occurred at 11:00 PM on June 17 in the urban center of Torrejón de Ardoz. The source mentioned a retired police officer is being investigated in connection with the case. The case involves a retired police officer and workers from a central laboratory recently awarded to Kiron by the Ayuso government.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs reports that 623,000 people in Madrid would benefit from a rental contract extension. The debate follows a briefing held at Europa this morning. Critics argue the policy will cause property owners to fear the regulations, leading to a decrease in rental supply. The debate was highlighted during an information breakfast in Madrid. However, critics argue these policies will cause rental supply to decrease as owners fear market instability. The regional government continues to advocate for price freedom despite the proposed extensions. The delegate for social policies stated that contract extensions cannot be canceled due to legal reasons and specific deadlines. The official response comes as a strike is already underway. Socialist politicians are citing management memory data from the Valdeming Gómez plant to criticize local waste handling.

The Spanish government has not clarified the future for tenants seeking contract renewals under the housing law. Residents have lived in these properties for 20 years and are protesting the sale at the Fidere headquarters in Madrid. Neighbors reported that monthly payments for those who remained have continued to increase. The sale follows a previous divestment by Blackstone to a different group. Blackstone has sold 1,860 public housing units to the Brookfield vulture fund for 1,050,000 euros. The sale occurs 13 years after the initial acquisition of these assets. Tenants in Madrid held a protest at the Fidere headquarters to denounce rising monthly payments and abusive rental practices. The Tenants Union is demanding more decisive measures despite a two-year rental extension expected to pass in Congress today.

A new report from the Spanish Railway Accident Investigation Commission has been released regarding a high-speed train collision. The accident occurred on January 18 and resulted in 46 deaths. These images show violent lateral and vertical movements of the carriages and passengers attempting to hold on to avoid falling. Incandescent debris was observed passing by the carriage windows. Investigators have ruled out anomalies in the two involved trains, reinforcing the hypothesis of a rail rupture. The report includes data from 11 sources, including CCTV footage from all 8 wagons of the IRIO train. The Analysis Commission warned that these findings are provisional and subject to change as the final report is prepared. Passengers are seen grabbing onto objects to avoid falling during the incident.

The Madrid Health Department has scheduled a meeting with the Madrid Doctors and Medical Staff Strike Committee for next Thursday. The meeting aims to address the group's demands. The Madrid Health Department reported costs of 11.7 million euros regarding health matters. This follows ongoing labor disputes within the regional health sector. The session is intended to discuss labor conditions and professional claims. The announcement was made by COPE in Madrid. The meeting, which aims to address organizational changes and on-call shifts, has been rescheduled for next week. No specific date for the rescheduled meeting has been set yet. The Madrid Regional Health Ministry has postponed a meeting with the doctors' strike committee scheduled for today.

Electricity prices in Spain are increasing due to soaring adjustment service costs, which have reached 23.6 euros per megawatt. Households face a 15 percent increase in costs. Small and medium-sized enterprises are seeing rises exceeding 20 percent. Electricity-intensive industries are experiencing a 50 percent increase. These industrial costs are expected to impact the daily prices of consumer products.