Simon Hunter

Simon Hunter has been living in Madrid since the year 2000 and has worked as a journalist and translator practically since he arrived. For 16 years he was at the English Edition of Spanish daily EL PAÍS, editing the site from 2014 to 2022, and is currently one of the Spain reporters at The Times. He is also a voice actor, and can be heard telling passengers to "mind the gap" on Spain's AVLO high-speed trains.

UK embassy in Spain posts driving licence update promising ‘final steps will be taken within the next few weeks’

THE UK’s ambassador to Spain Hugh Elliott has provided a new update to the desperate holders of British driving licences who have been left unable

22 Feb, 2023 @ 18:31

Lead·National News

Demolition of peoprty in southern Spain . Photo: AUAN

Could illegal home nightmare nearly be over for residents of Spain’s Lliber?

THE OWNERS of illegal properties in the Valencian village of Lliber are cautiously optimistic that their decades-long battle to regularise their homes may finally be

21 Feb, 2023 @ 20:00

Alicante·Lead·Property·Valencian Community

Madrid regional government puts tree-felling on hold after protest against new Metro stop

AFTER THOUSANDS of people came out to protest on Saturday, the Madrid regional government has put a Metro expansion plan on hold that would have

21 Feb, 2023 @ 17:45

Environment·Lead·Madrid

Forgetful father faces homicide charge in Spain after 'his daughter, 2, dies in locked car in ordeal lasting for hours

Woman in Madrid arrested after leaving four-year-old daughter alone at night to go to work

A WOMAN has been arrested by police in Madrid after leaving her four-year-old daughter home alone at night so that she could go to work.

21 Feb, 2023 @ 17:00

Crime & Law·Lead·Madrid

How the coronavirus pandemic took some of the chaos out of Madrid’s tapas bars

IT’S A FAMILIAR experience for lovers of Madrid’s tapas bars. There’s barely room to move, let alone find a space to set down your drink

19 Feb, 2023 @ 16:30

Food & Drink·Lead·Madrid

Civil Guard frees woman from two-month captivity

Spain’s Civil Guard frees French woman held for two months by violent partner in Castellon hotel

THE CIVIL Guard has freed a woman who was held and violently assaulted by her partner for a two-month period in a hotel in Castellon

19 Feb, 2023 @ 13:30

Castellon·Crime & Law·Lead·Valencian Community

Protestors come out in force in Spanish capital in bid to save trees and play park from Metro expansion plan

MORE THAN a thousand people came out to protest in the Spanish capital on Saturday, against a Metro expansion plan that will see the destruction

19 Feb, 2023 @ 12:45

Environment·Lead·Madrid

Spain’s Congress gives definitive approval to ‘trans law’ and abortion reform

TWO controversial pieces of legislation, the so-called ‘trans law’ and a reform to Spain’s abortion regulations, were definitively approved today by lawmakers in the Congress

16 Feb, 2023 @ 17:25

Lead·National News·Politics

Vulnerable families in Spain have until March 31 to request government’s €200 benefit cheque

FROM today, vulnerable families in Spain can apply for a one-off €200 cheque introduced by the government in a bid to help them with the

15 Feb, 2023 @ 20:15

Business & Finance·Lead·National News

Heroic police officers save life of unconscious baby in Spain's Valencia

Spain’s declining birth rate hits a new historic low in 2022

THE DECLINING trend for Spain’s birth rate has been confirmed once more by the latest figures from the National Statistics Institute (INE). According to an

15 Feb, 2023 @ 19:15

Lead·National News

Teacher in Spain’s Cordoba province slammed for using blackface and exaggerated accent in video about Africa

A TEACHER at a school in the Andalusian province of Cordoba has been widely criticised online after a video circulated in which she appeared in

15 Feb, 2023 @ 17:15

Cordoba·Education·Lead

Spain’s government planning to offer temporary residency to illegal migrants who take vocational training

THE SPANISH government is planning on granting temporary residence permits to illegal migrants in the country if they sign up for vocational training, which is

15 Feb, 2023 @ 16:30

Education·Lead·National News·Politics

Criminal gang providing fake residency cards to Nigerian migrants busted by Spain’s National Police

SPAIN’S National Police force has busted a criminal ring that was forging residency cards for migrants in an irregular situation, thus allowing them to work.

14 Feb, 2023 @ 19:30

Crime & Law·Lead·Malaga·Murcia

A man brandishes a pistol at a student protest

Student groups claim ‘Israeli officer’ pulled out gun during protest at university in the Spanish capital

OFFICERS from Spain’s National Police force are investigating allegations that an Israeli officer brandished a firearm during a protest last week in Madrid’s Complutense University.

14 Feb, 2023 @ 18:30

Lead·Madrid

priest church Saint John S Seminary Unsplash

While Spanish victims are forced to wait for justice, Portugal publishes report on abuses in the Catholic Church

A DEVASTATING report published this week has revealed that at least 4,815 children were sexually abused by members of the Catholic Church in Portugal over

14 Feb, 2023 @ 17:45

Lead·National News

Regional government in Spain’s Andalusia rejects request from more than 70 municipalities to halt renewable energy plants

THE REGIONAL government in Andalusia has rejected a joint request from a total of 72 municipalities for a moratorium to be put in place on

13 Feb, 2023 @ 17:15

Business & Finance·Lead·Politics

Firemen from Spain rescue woman, 50, who had spent 144 hours buried under rubble after Turkey earthquake

A TEAM of firemen from the Madrid region has taken part in the successful rescue of a 50-year-old woman who spent 144 hours buried under

13 Feb, 2023 @ 13:35

Lead·National News

Protestors come out in force on streets of Madrid to denounce regional government’s ‘dismantling’ of healthcare system

HUNDREDS of thousands of people came out to protest on the streets of Madrid today, to denounce what they called the ‘dismantling’ of the region’s

12 Feb, 2023 @ 17:15

Health·Lead·Madrid·Politics

Spain passes animal rights bill, but excludes hunting dogs from new protections

A CONTROVERSIAL new animal rights law has passed the Spanish parliament, but with an important exception: it will not cover hunting dogs or other animals

12 Feb, 2023 @ 14:15

Lead·National News·Politics

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo

Spain offers citizenship to more than 200 political prisoners freed from jail in Nicaragua

SPAIN’S Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares announced on Friday that the country is offering citizenship to the more than 200 political prisoners who were freed

12 Feb, 2023 @ 13:02

Lead·National News·Politics

Movie ‘As Bestas’ cleans up at Spain’s 37th Goya Awards

THE MOVIE As Bestas (The Beasts) was the big winner at the 37th Goya Awards, which took place on Saturday night in the Andalusian city

12 Feb, 2023 @ 12:38

Lead·National News

After 13 years, Spain’s Constitutional Court finally strikes down legal challenge to abortion law

THIRTEEN years later, Spain’s Constitutional Court has finally rejected an appeal filed against the current abortion law by the conservative Popular Party. The legislation covering

9 Feb, 2023 @ 17:15

Crime & Law·Health·Lead·National News

Why Netflix users in Spain will no longer be able to share their passwords with friends and family

THE DAYS of sharing your Netflix account with friends and family outside your own household are over in Spain. The streaming giant has just launched

9 Feb, 2023 @ 16:30

Lead·National News

Daytime TV show in Spain’s Andalusia under fire for debating photo of minister with nipples visible through shirt

A DAYTIME television debate show in Andalusia has drawn widespread criticism, even among its own staff, after it dedicated a segment on Tuesday to debating

8 Feb, 2023 @ 20:30

Lead·National News·Politics

Far-right Vox party humiliated in no confidence vote against Pedro Sanchez government in Spain

Lawmaker from Spain’s Popular Party accused of aiming death threat at prime minister in Congress

A LAWMAKER from the conservative Popular Party has been accused by his Socialist colleagues of making a death threat against Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez during

8 Feb, 2023 @ 19:15

Lead·National News·Politics