By BARCELONA (Reuters) - When police ordered a local mayor in southern Spain to take down a rainbow flag put up to celebrate gay pride on Friday because it was illegal, more than 300 households in the village rallied to the cause and flew their own flags.Slideshow By the time gay pride celebrations took place in Spain on Sunday, the Andalusian village of Villanueva de Algaidas near Malaga was awash with flags hanging from balconies, windows and even a bar in solidarity.Juan Civico, Socialist mayor of the village of 4,000 inhabitants, only found out it was illegal for authorities to fly the...…By BARCELONA (Reuters) - When police ordered a local mayor in southern Spain to take down a rainbow flag put up to celebrate gay pride on Friday because it was illegal, more than 300 households in the village rallied to the cause and flew their own flags.Slideshow By the time gay pride celebrations took place in Spain on Sunday, the Andalusian village of Villanueva de Algaidas near Malaga was awash with flags hanging from balconies, windows and even a bar in solidarity.Juan Civico, Socialist mayor of the village of 4,000 inhabitants, only found out it was illegal for authorities to fly the...WW…

By BARCELONA (Reuters) - When police ordered a local mayor in southern Spain to take down a rainbow flag put up to celebrate gay pride on Friday because it was illegal, more than 300 households in the village rallied to the cause and flew their own flags.Slideshow By the time gay pride celebrations took place in Spain on Sunday, the Andalusian village of Villanueva de Algaidas near Malaga was awash with flags hanging from balconies, windows and even a bar in solidarity.Juan Civico, Socialist mayor of the village of 4,000 inhabitants, only found out it was illegal for authorities to fly the...…By BARCELONA (Reuters) - When police ordered a local mayor in southern Spain to take down a rainbow flag put up to celebrate gay pride on Friday because it was illegal, more than 300 households in the village rallied to the cause and flew their own flags.Slideshow By the time gay pride celebrations took place in Spain on Sunday, the Andalusian village of Villanueva de Algaidas near Malaga was awash with flags hanging from balconies, windows and even a bar in solidarity.Juan Civico, Socialist mayor of the village of 4,000 inhabitants, only found out it was illegal for authorities to fly the...WW…

By , LONDON/BARCELONA (Reuters) - Britain abruptly imposed a two-week quarantine on all travellers arriving from Spain after a surge of coronavirus cases, a dramatic and sudden reversal on Saturday to the opening of the European continent to tourism after months of lockdown.The quarantine requirement takes effect from midnight (2300 GMT on Saturday), making it almost impossible for travellers to avoid it by rushing home.The British foreign ministry also advised against all but essential travel to mainland Spain, a move likely to prompt tour operators to cancel package holidays and trigger...…By , LONDON/BARCELONA (Reuters) - Britain abruptly imposed a two-week quarantine on all travellers arriving from Spain after a surge of coronavirus cases, a dramatic and sudden reversal on Saturday to the opening of the European continent to tourism after months of lockdown.The quarantine requirement takes effect from midnight (2300 GMT on Saturday), making it almost impossible for travellers to avoid it by rushing home.The British foreign ministry also advised against all but essential travel to mainland Spain, a move likely to prompt tour operators to cancel package holidays and trigger...WW…

By , MADRID (Reuters) - Joggers, cyclists and surfers across Spain hurried out of their homes on Saturday, allowed to exercise outdoors for the first time in seven weeks as the government began easing tough coronavirus restrictions.In Madrid, cyclists and skateboarders streamed along the city’s wide boulevards. Barcelona’s beachside was packed with runners, while surfers and paddle-boarders were out enjoying the waves.“We are reaping the rewards of the sacrifices we have made during these long weeks,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said, but stressed that as the country opens up people will...…By , MADRID (Reuters) - Joggers, cyclists and surfers across Spain hurried out of their homes on Saturday, allowed to exercise outdoors for the first time in seven weeks as the government began easing tough coronavirus restrictions.In Madrid, cyclists and skateboarders streamed along the city’s wide boulevards. Barcelona’s beachside was packed with runners, while surfers and paddle-boarders were out enjoying the waves.“We are reaping the rewards of the sacrifices we have made during these long weeks,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said, but stressed that as the country opens up people will...WW…

By , MADRID (Reuters) - Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Sunday any further loosening of the country’s lockdown restrictions would depend on more progress in the fight against the coronavirus, a day before some companies plan to reopen their doors.The country’s overnight death toll from the infection rose for the first time in three days on Sunday, to 619, health ministry data showed, bringing the cumulative toll to 16,972. Confirmed cases increased by around 2.6% to 166,019.Tough lockdown measures have helped bring down a spiralling death rate that reached its peak in early...…By , MADRID (Reuters) - Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Sunday any further loosening of the country’s lockdown restrictions would depend on more progress in the fight against the coronavirus, a day before some companies plan to reopen their doors.The country’s overnight death toll from the infection rose for the first time in three days on Sunday, to 619, health ministry data showed, bringing the cumulative toll to 16,972. Confirmed cases increased by around 2.6% to 166,019.Tough lockdown measures have helped bring down a spiralling death rate that reached its peak in early...WW…

Spain has given pets the same legal status as humans in a sign of growing support for animal rights in the.Domestic animals will be considered “living beings” under Spanish law instead of mere objects as has been the case until now.This will mean that dogs or cats must be considered in the same way as children in divorce hearings or when inheritance or debts cases have to be settled by the courts.When judges decide who should have the family dog, they also must consider the welfare of the animal as they would do if they were dealing with children.Shared custody of the pet will be an option...…Spain has given pets the same legal status as humans in a sign of growing support for animal rights in the.Domestic animals will be considered “living beings” under Spanish law instead of mere objects as has been the case until now.This will mean that dogs or cats must be considered in the same way as children in divorce hearings or when inheritance or debts cases have to be settled by the courts.When judges decide who should have the family dog, they also must consider the welfare of the animal as they would do if they were dealing with children.Shared custody of the pet will be an option...WW…

By BARCELONA (Reuters) - Protesters on Sunday called for an end to the Spanish monarchy after the sudden departure of the former king Juan Carlos from the country this week amid a corruption scandal.Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014 in favour of his son Felipe, abruptly announced his decision to leave on Monday but there has been no official confirmation of where he went, setting off an international guessing game.“We have to clean up the system of corruption and we should start with the crown,” said Jose Emilio Martin, a bus driver, who was among about a hundred protesters in Madrid on...…By BARCELONA (Reuters) - Protesters on Sunday called for an end to the Spanish monarchy after the sudden departure of the former king Juan Carlos from the country this week amid a corruption scandal.Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014 in favour of his son Felipe, abruptly announced his decision to leave on Monday but there has been no official confirmation of where he went, setting off an international guessing game.“We have to clean up the system of corruption and we should start with the crown,” said Jose Emilio Martin, a bus driver, who was among about a hundred protesters in Madrid on...WW…

By BARCELONA (Reuters) - Spanish soldiers have been sent to build a camp for migrant strawberry pickers after a U.N. official criticised authorities for allowing seasonal farm workers to live in “inhumane” conditions, the government said on Saturday.The U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty and rights, Olivier De Schutter, said in a statement on Friday that urgent action was needed to improve “deplorable conditions” in worker settlements before people died.Three fires broke out in migrant shanty towns near the southwestern town of Huelva last week, injuring four people, and health...…By BARCELONA (Reuters) - Spanish soldiers have been sent to build a camp for migrant strawberry pickers after a U.N. official criticised authorities for allowing seasonal farm workers to live in “inhumane” conditions, the government said on Saturday.The U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty and rights, Olivier De Schutter, said in a statement on Friday that urgent action was needed to improve “deplorable conditions” in worker settlements before people died.Three fires broke out in migrant shanty towns near the southwestern town of Huelva last week, injuring four people, and health...WW…