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The Algarve has renewed calls for a rail connection linking Faro, Huelva and Seville by 2040, placing the long-discussed project among three major priorities for closer cooperation with neighbouring Andalusia.
The post Algarve pushes for Faro–Seville rail link by 2040 appeared first on Portugal Resident.
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A powerful explosion rocked an ammunition factory in southern Spain on October 30, injuring three workers and sending a large plume of smoke into the sky above the city of Granada.
The plant produces ammunition and missile components for Ukraine, making the incident the latest in a series of explosions and fires to hit European facilities linked to Kyiv’s arms supply chain.
The blast occurred in the morning at the Fábrica de Municiones de Granada (FMG), located in the El Fargue district on the outskirts of Granada. The blast was heard in nearby towns, including Fuente Vaqueros and La Zubia.
The regional emergency service said three workers, aged 40, 51 and 58, suffered minor hearing injuries and were taken to the Hospital Virgen de las Nieves for evaluation. Spain’s Civil Guard, National Police, firefighters, medical teams and bomb-disposal specialists were dispatched to the facility.
The Spanish trade union UGT state that a routine test was apparently being conducted at the factory when something went wrong.
“The site was cordoned off and there were no people nearby,” the union said, according to Spanish news agency EFE.
The factory’s owner, Czechoslovak Group (CSG), said the explosion occurred in its demilitarization area, which is used to dispose of old, damaged or unusable ammunition. The company added that the area was located at a safe distance from production facilities and civilian property, noting that workers had been evacuated and emergency protocols activated.
CSG also said there was no damage to production facilities or nearby civilian property and that the incident was not expected to have a long-term impact on operations.
The Granada facility has been producing ammunition of various calibers and missile components for Ukraine since the start of the Russian special military operation, according to Ukrainian media.
The facility is owned by Slovakia’s MSM Group, part of CSG, which is one of the main industrial participants in the Czech-led ammunition initiative for Ukraine. The program has delivered millions of artillery shells to Ukrainian forces since its launch in early 2024.
The explosion was the latest in a series of incidents at other European ammunition facilities supplying or supporting Ukraine. On August 13, a powerful explosion and fire struck a KNDS Ammo Italy factory in Colleferro near the Italian capital, Rome. The facility produces 155 mm artillery shells supplied to Ukraine through European partners. No injuries were reported.
In Bulgaria, explosions and fires struck ammunition facilities operated by arms manufacturer EMCO on August 10 and September 11-12. The September incident triggered an investigation into possible sabotage, although Bulgarian authorities had not established its cause.
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The post Explosion Rocks Spanish Ammunition Factory Supplying Ukraine (Videos) appeared first on South Front.
Pedro Sánchez vows to investigate crash that killed 69 people – and rebuild public confidence
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has admitted “trust in high-speed rail has been broken” after Wednesday’s train collision that killed at least 69 people, injured more than 100 and prompted a national debate on the safety of the country’s rail network.
Sánchez said Spain was “working tirelessly” to provide information as quickly as possible to the families of the victims – who include people from at least 23 different foreign countries – adding his government was committed to finding what had caused the country’s second deadly train collision this year.
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© Photograph: Óscar del Pozo/AFP/Getty Images
© Photograph: Óscar del Pozo/AFP/Getty Images
© Photograph: Óscar del Pozo/AFP/Getty Images
Pedro Sánchez vows to investigate crash that killed 69 people – and rebuild public confidence
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has admitted “trust in high-speed rail has been broken” after Wednesday’s train collision that killed at least 69 people, injured more than 100 and prompted a national debate on the safety of the country’s rail network.
Sánchez said Spain was “working tirelessly” to provide information as quickly as possible to the families of the victims – who include people from at least 23 different foreign countries – adding his government was committed to finding what had caused the country’s second deadly train collision this year.
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© Photograph: Óscar del Pozo/AFP/Getty Images
© Photograph: Óscar del Pozo/AFP/Getty Images
© Photograph: Óscar del Pozo/AFP/Getty Images
Healthcare authorities in Ceuta have confirmed five known Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) cases among the thousands of illegal migrants that invaded the city in July, a report published on Friday states.
The post Report: Ceuta Confirms 5 HIV Cases Related to Mass Migrant Invasion appeared first on Breitbart.
A Turkish mafia boss was executed in his hospital bed Thursday by an unknown individual in Tarragona, Spain, days after he had been ambushed and shot multiple times, local outlets reported.
The post Wounded Turkish Mafia Boss Executed in Spanish Hospital in Presumptive ‘Settling of Score’ appeared first on Breitbart.
A 49-year-old Portuguese man has been confirmed among the victims of the devastating train crash in Toledo, which has now claimed at least 69 lives. Portugal’s Foreign Ministry confirmed this
The post Portuguese man confirmed among 69 dead in Toledo train crash appeared first on Portugal Resident.
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here
Peunte begins by paying tribute to all affected by the incident.
He says that “at present, evidence points to a failure within Adif’s command and control centre,” but adds that investigators are still looking “to clarify what exactly happened.” He says he still has confidence in the system.
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© Photograph: Manu Fernández/AP
© Photograph: Manu Fernández/AP
© Photograph: Manu Fernández/AP
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here
Peunte begins by paying tribute to all affected by the incident.
He says that “at present, evidence points to a failure within Adif’s command and control centre,” but adds that investigators are still looking “to clarify what exactly happened.” He says he still has confidence in the system.
Continue reading...
© Photograph: Manu Fernández/AP
© Photograph: Manu Fernández/AP
© Photograph: Manu Fernández/AP
Next month’s poll no longer the contest it was, as Pedro Sánchez finds himself forced to defend government’s safety record
One of the most dependable cliches of contemporary Spanish politics is that it never pays to bet against Pedro Sánchez. Time and time again – as leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE) and as prime minister – Sánchez has shown an almost preternatural ability to profit from adversity, and to confound expectations and wrongfoot his opponents.
But next month’s snap general election, called by Sánchez after rightwing and far-right parties voted down the housing reforms his coalition government had announced in response to angry protests, may suddenly not be the contest it once was.
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© Photograph: Sergio R Moreno/GTRES/Shutterstock
© Photograph: Sergio R Moreno/GTRES/Shutterstock
© Photograph: Sergio R Moreno/GTRES/Shutterstock
Next month’s poll no longer the contest it was, as Pedro Sánchez finds himself forced to defend government’s safety record
One of the most dependable cliches of contemporary Spanish politics is that it never pays to bet against Pedro Sánchez. Time and time again – as leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE) and as prime minister – Sánchez has shown an almost preternatural ability to profit from adversity, and to confound expectations and wrongfoot his opponents.
But next month’s snap general election, called by Sánchez after rightwing and far-right parties voted down the housing reforms his coalition government had announced in response to angry protests, may suddenly not be the contest it once was.
Continue reading...
© Photograph: Sergio R Moreno/GTRES/Shutterstock
© Photograph: Sergio R Moreno/GTRES/Shutterstock
© Photograph: Sergio R Moreno/GTRES/Shutterstock
Angry port workers in Barcelona, Spain set a barricade ablaze Wednesday, blocking access to a cruise terminal and forcing passengers to haul their luggage on foot, according to local reports.
The protest took place near Barcelona's cruise terminals, where workers blocked an access road leading to the Porta d'Europa bridge, Spanish news outlet Crónica Global reported.
The workers were protesting potential pay cuts, with the road closures forcing cruise passengers to walk with their luggage instead of traveling by bus or car, the same outlet reported.
'NEVER-ENDING' CRUISE GRINDS TO DEVASTATING END, STRANDING OVER 200 PASSENGERS ABROAD
Roughly 200 workers took part in the protest, which lasted about four hours, Spanish outlet Metrópoli said.
There was a burning barricade made of branches. Riot police were reportedly deployed to the area, according to Crónica Global.
Four cruise ships carrying a combined total of more than 13,000 passengers were in port during the disruption, according to Cruise Hive.
The vessels reportedly included Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas, Mein Schiff 7 and AIDAmar, which were visiting Barcelona.
Norwegian Escape was also in port preparing to embark passengers for a new voyage, Cruise Hive reported.
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Spanish outlets reported that the protest followed a government audit that found discrepancies between approved salary budgets and the amounts workers were actually paid.
Workers fear the findings could lead to pay cuts of up to 8%, according to local news outlet betevé.
Employees have argued they should not be penalized for the discrepancies.
"The solution is not to cut salaries," the workers' committee said in a statement Wednesday, translated from Spanish, according to maritime news outlet Diario del Puerto.
In a statement, the Port of Barcelona said it was required to correct the payroll discrepancies identified in the government audit but maintained that the issue was not the result of wrongdoing by the port, according to local broadcaster betevé.
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Barcelona is one of Europe's busiest cruise destinations, with the port recording nearly 4 million cruise passenger movements in 2025, according to the Port of Barcelona.
The disruption comes as Barcelona continues to grapple with broader tensions surrounding tourism.
Earlier in October, Fox News Digital reported growing tensions over tourism in Barcelona, where protests have raised concerns about the impact on visitors to the popular Spanish destination.
Earlier this summer, Barcelona officials pushed to increase taxes on cruise passengers visiting the city for less than 12 hours to as much as $35, as part of broader efforts to curb overtourism.
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The U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Spain and Andorra issued a demonstration alert for Spain (not related to the port protests) on Oct.28.
"Demonstrations and protests continue to occur in Spain. While some demonstrations have been announced, including on October 31, other protests are spontaneous. Last minute changes can happen and may occur outside planned routes," the alert said.
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"Local authorities may increase security measures, including road closures, traffic restrictions, or increased security presence in areas where the demonstrations will occur. U.S. citizens should avoid demonstrations and areas of unrest.
"Stay away from areas with large crowds or significant police activity," it added. "Even peaceful protests can turn confrontational and escalate into violence."
Spain has begun three days of mourning to commemorate the 69 people who died in a high-speed rail collision. The trains – one from Spain's state-owned Renfe and the other from the private rail company Iryo – were heading from Madrid to to the southern region of Andalucía on the same line when they collided. The deadly crash came just 10 months after 46 people were killed when two trains collided on the same line. The disaster has raised fresh questions about safety on Spain's large, modern high-speed rail network. The Guardian's Laure Boulinier explains how it unfolded
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© Photograph: UME/AFP/Getty Images
© Photograph: UME/AFP/Getty Images
© Photograph: UME/AFP/Getty Images
The Spanish Commission of Investigation of Railway Accidents (CIAF) rectified this afternoon the last figure of death people of the train accident of Wednesday in Urda, in the Spanish province of Toledo, south of Madrid, mantaining at 69 the number of fatalities. The correction came minutes after the same agency raised the figure to 74 on its website.
Sources from the Ministry of Transport assured that the official data are those provided by the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha and that they do not confirm “any data” of those deaths, despite the figure published earlier on the website of the Commission of Investigation of Railway Accidents (CIAF), which is hosted on the page of the Ministry.
RELATED: Spain Declares Three Days of National Mourning After Toledo Rail Tragedy
According to the account provided by authorities, the LZB safety system on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line went down at 8:30 A.M. local time, forcing at least six trains to stop. Six minutes later, at 8:36 A.M. local time, the control center authorized the Renfe AVE train to resume its journey. It traveled 25 kilometers before hitting, at 8:53 A.M., an Iryo train that was stopped on the track. The investigation is ongoing and the sequence of events has not been confirmed in court.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente called the order issued from the Adif command center at Atocha station in Madrid “inexplicable.” He confirmed that the system was showing a red warning alerting to the presence of the stopped train.
The authorities reported that the person responsible for authorizing the advance is identified and under investigation, amid harsh questions about the state management of public transport after two serious accidents were recorded in the same year.
The judge in charge of the case barred access to anyone not involved in the work around the crash site, covering a two-kilometer perimeter along the high-speed line in both directions. The order bans the removal of materials and the dissemination of images in order to preserve evidence, traces and evidence for the clarification of criminal responsibilities.
The collision reignited harsh criticism of state management of public transport. Spain has now recorded two serious rail disasters in a single year.
The Spanish Union of Train Drivers and Rail Assistants (SEMAF) held a 24-hour national strike on Renfe services, including at Sants station in Barcelona, to demand better safety conditions on the rail network.
Drivers’ representatives said the lack of state investment in rail infrastructure directly compromises the integrity of workers and passengers. They demanded urgent hiring of more staff to avoid work overload and guarantee required rest, and a concrete protocol for extreme weather. They recalled recent weather events that caused derailments and infrastructure collapses, such as walls falling onto the tracks in Barcelona province.
The union urged the Government of Spain to direct budget funds toward renewing the network and strengthening safety across the public transport system.
The investigation remains open and the crash zone sealed. The union’s three demands, more staff, protected rest periods, and a weather protocol, now form part of a wider reckoning over how Spain runs its railways.
The results of the technical investigation and the judge’s inquiry will determine who bears responsibility. Authorities are expected to release updated figures as rescue and identification work continues.
“It was worse than an earthquake,” says 21-year-old Greek man who survived the fatal collision of the two high speed trains in Spain. “The impact caught us while we were standing; we were traveling at 170 kilometers per hour, and we all fell onto one another,” Marios recalled speaking to Mega TV Live News magazine. […]
The post “It was worse than an earthquake,” says young Greek survivor of the trains collision in Spain appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.
Spain has begun three days of mourning after at least 69 people were killed and more than 100 were injured in a crash between two high-speed trains. The town of Urda has become the site of a major operation, as emergency services continue to search through the wreckage and relatives wait for news of their loved ones. There is growing public anger over the incident, which is the second fatal train collision in Spain in less than a year. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s Madrid correspondent, Sam Jones
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© Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
© Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
© Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
Spain has begun three days of mourning after at least 69 people were killed and more than 100 were injured in a crash between two high-speed trains. The town of Urda has become the site of a major operation, as emergency services continue to search through the wreckage and relatives wait for news of their loved ones. There is growing public anger over the incident, which is the second fatal train collision in Spain in less than a year. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s Madrid correspondent, Sam Jones – watch on YouTube
Continue reading...
© Photograph: Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images
© Photograph: Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images
© Photograph: Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images
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