After authorities in Madrid closed a gay sauna in the capital on Friday that had been
identified as a possible place of the origin of monkeypox in Spain, more suspected cases
have been recorded across the country, including the first infection of a woman. Spanish
media have reported that there are now ‘at least 30’ confirmed cases nationwide.
Authorities on Saturday were investigating whether parties on the tourist island of Gran
Canaria have been the source of several further infections, according to healthcare sector
sources. Around 80,000 people from Spain and other countries attended the Maspalomas
Gay Pride festival that took place there on 5-15 May.
The Spanish left-leaning coalition government approved a draft bill on Tuesday to
reinforce abortion rights and make Spain the first country in Europe to offer state-funded
paid leave for women who suffer from severe period pain. ‘Today we send an
international message of support to all women who are fighting for their sexual and
reproductive rights,’ Equality Minister Irene Montero told reporters, with the government
hoping to guarantee access to abortion across Spain and de-stigmatise menstrual health
with its new bill.
Qatar has committed to investing 4.7 billion euros in Spain as the country launches an
economic overhaul with its share of European Union pandemic recovery funding.
Qatar’s emir, Shekih Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, announced that the energy-rich gulf
state would boost its investments in Spain at a state dinner with Spanish king Felipe VI
late on Tuesday. The details of the investments were not made public beyond Spain’s
government saying that they would help guarantee the country’s ‘energy security’ and its
transition to a ‘green economy’.
But with Europe scrambling to find alternatives to Russian energy, Qatar has been looked
to a source of liquefied natural gas given its massive gas reserves. The emir and Spanish
prime minister met on Wednesday in Madrid and signed 12 agreements to solidify
stronger bilateral relations. The agreements covered topics ranging from the economy
and commerce to education, military cooperation, health and science.
Spain, which received the second-biggest EU allocation behind Italy, plans to deploy 70
billion euros of direct EU transfers during 2021-23. It is set for an additional 70 billion
euros in EU loans between 2023-26........................The Spanish government said the
money from Qatar would ‘provide a flow of investments into Spain for its projects for a
green and digital economy’.
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Moscow expelled 27 Spanish diplomats on Wednesday, as well as dozens more from
France and Italy, in retaliation for the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Madrid and
other European countries following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The employees of the Spanish Embassy in Moscow and the Spanish Consulate General
in Saint Petersburg ‘have been declared persona non grata’ and have seven days to
leave Russia.
“The last time we fished there it rained for most of the match and with the river rising, the
fishing was hard,” said Carp-R-Us secretary Steve Fell. This time conditions looked
particularly good as the river had a steady flow and everyone was looking forward to a
good match. “How wrong that turned out to be!” Steve said. “Everyone struggled for
bites and with at least 30 dead fish drifting down the river during the match there was a
strong feeling that something in the river was affecting both the fish and the fishing.
