A bin is thrown into a fire in Barcelona during a Blocus riot

What is Blocus, the mysterious TikTok craze sparking French-style riots in Barcelona – with huge demonstrations planned for Halloween?

Anonymous accounts used a French student-protest slogan to lure teenagers into nearly four hours of looting, and more calls to take to the streets are

27 Oct, 2026 @ 12:00

Barcelona·Catalunya·EXPLAINER·Lead

What you need to know about Pedro Sanchez’s housing decree and how it can affect homeowners, buyers and renters in Spain

Spain housing decree changes affect rent rises, temporary lets, tourist-property taxes and first-home loans, but some measures need local action or further approval before they

15 Oct, 2026 @ 13:17

EXPLAINER·Lead·National News·Property

Who will win Spain’s snap election on November 29 – and what do the five main parties stand for?

With elections taking place this month, who stands the best chance of winning this unexpected contest?

5 Oct, 2026 @ 10:22

Election 2026·EXPLAINER·Lead·National News·Politics

Spanish politics explained: Which of Spain’s five major political parties would win a snap election?

If Pedro Sanchez called a snap general election for tomorrow, or even November, the polling is pretty conclusive as to who would win.

2 Oct, 2026 @ 14:00

EXPLAINER·Lead·National News·Politics

EXPLAINER: Who is Maricarmen and why are thousands protesting in Madrid?

The eviction of an elderly woman from her lifelong home has become the rallying cry for Spain's housing movement. Here's what you need to know.

30 Sep, 2026 @ 13:24

EXPLAINER·Lead·Madrid

The International Brigades at 90: Who were the 35,000 foreigners who came to fight and die in the Spanish Civil War?

In the autumn of 1936, tens of thousands of international volunteers began arriving in Spain to fight fascism. Their story is still remembered today.

29 Sep, 2026 @ 08:30

EXPLAINER·Lead

EXPLAINER: Inside the row over the right-wing president of Madrid’s €6m penthouse – and why it could offer a lifeline to Pedro Sanchez

THE PP president of Madrid, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, is facing growing questions over her regional government's purchase of a €6.3m penthouse with public cash

6 Sep, 2026 @ 14:15

EXPLAINER·Lead·Politics·Property

Political round-up: Spain’s government returns from summer feeling the heat after Ceuta crisis

PEDRO Sanchez’s government faces mounting pressure over the Ceuta migration crisis, a proposed €226bn budget and calls for an early election.

30 Aug, 2026 @ 11:50

EXPLAINER·Lead·Politics

EXPLAINER: Why does Andalucia get so many earthquakes – and should residents be worried after magnitude-5 tremor rocks Granada?

RESIDENTS in Granada were abruptly awoken in the early hours of Saturday after a powerful earthquake shook the city, sending terrified locals fleeing into the

16 Aug, 2026 @ 15:45

Environment·EXPLAINER·Granada·Lead

A man and a policeman survey the Ceuta border wall

EXPLAINER: What to expect in beleaguered Ceuta this weekend

As Spain braces for a possible repeat of last month's mass border crossing, here is everything you need to know

15 Aug, 2026 @ 09:08

EXPLAINER·Lead·National News

The Ceuta crisis explained: Why did 60,000 migrants come, who’s to blame, and will they go on to the EU?

WHY are so many migrants trying to cross into the Spanish enclave and will your holiday plans be affected?

3 Aug, 2026 @ 19:26

Andalucia·EXPLAINER·Lead·National News

EXPLAINER: This is how Pamplona’s world-famous running of the bulls unfolds each year during the Sanfermines

EACH morning of the week between 7 and 14 July a rocket will be fired at eight o’clock precisely in the Navarre town of Pamplona.

1 Jul, 2026 @ 12:30

Animals·EXPLAINER·La Cultura·Lead·Northern Spain

EXPLAINER: These are the scandals threatening to topple Spain PM Pedro Sanchez’s government – involving his wife, brother and Socialist predecessor

ON Tuesday, Pedro Sanchez will celebrate eight years since a vote of no confidence toppled Mariano Rajoy and ‘El Guapo’, as an adoring public christened

31 May, 2026 @ 20:19

EXPLAINER·Lead·Politics

EXPLAINER: What will happen to Spanish passengers evacuated from hantavirus-hit cruise ship – including rigorous testing and 42-day isolation

SPANISH passengers rescued from the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius cruise will face up to six weeks in quarantine as authorities scramble to contain the outbreak. The

11 May, 2026 @ 12:01

EXPLAINER·Health·Lead

EXPLAINER: What is a ‘super El Niño’ phenomenon – and will it make this summer Spain’s hottest yet?

A POSSIBLE ‘super El Niño’ is raising concerns that this summer could bring extreme heat to Spain. Experts say there is a strong chance the

19 Apr, 2026 @ 16:10

Environment·EXPLAINER·Lead·Weather

EXPLAINER: Top tips for buying a used car in Spain – and avoiding the scammers that target expats

BUYING a car in Spain can feel daunting, especially with language barriers and unfamiliar rules. Many people, in fact, rely instead on deplorable public transport,

8 Apr, 2026 @ 17:45

Business & Finance·Crime & Law·EXPLAINER·Lead

The surprising way Franco saved Marbella from becoming a concrete jungle

MARBELLA wasn’t always glitz and glam or the international hub for the ‘manosphere’ it is today. In the 1970s, the town could have ended up

4 Apr, 2026 @ 15:00

EXPLAINER·Lead·Marbella·Olive Press Travel

EXPLAINER: Why have encounters with orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar collapsed by 80% in just two years?

ORCA encounters in the Strait of Gibraltar have dropped dramatically, falling by around 80% in just two years . As a result, sailboats operating in the

3 Apr, 2026 @ 15:25

Animals·Environment·EXPLAINER·Gibraltar·Lead

From dictatorship to European Union powerhouse: Spain’s 40-year journey of successes, setbacks and stories that transformed a country

IN 1986 Spain was a young, fledgling democracy, still shaking off nearly 40 years of a centralised, authoritarian dictatorship under General Francisco Franco – one

21 Mar, 2026 @ 12:00

Business & Finance·EXPLAINER·Lead

Spain launches its new €60-a-month public transport pass – here’s how it works

SPAIN has introduced a new nationwide public transport pass costing €60 a month, aimed at making travel cheaper for residents and encouraging people to rely

14 Mar, 2026 @ 14:00

EXPLAINER·Lead·Travel News

EXPLAINER: How has the war in Iran impacted wholesale energy prices in Spain – and what does it mean for my household bill?

WHOLESALE energy prices in Spain have skyrocketed by almost 700 per cent in just a week in response to the ongoing war in Iran, triggering

12 Mar, 2026 @ 09:25

Business & Finance·Environment·EXPLAINER·International Affairs·Lead·National News·Politics

EXPLAINER: The do’s and don’ts of finding a removal service when moving abroad

After a pair of Olive Press readers lost €25,000 furniture to a bogus removal firm, these are the crucial checks every expat must make before

25 Feb, 2026 @ 09:12

EXPLAINER·Lead

EXPLAINER: How British and American landlords in Spain finally have the same tax rights as EU neighbours

BRITISH and American property owners letting out homes in Andalucia and across Spain can finally breathe a sigh of relief. A landmark court ruling means

19 Feb, 2026 @ 08:00

EXPLAINER·Lead·Property

Dual nationality? What you need to know about travelling to the UK from Spain under new ETA rules

The issue has raised questions among those in Spain who have dual nationality. What passport should they travel on? And will they be denied entry

10 Feb, 2026 @ 13:45

EXPLAINER·Lead·Olive Press Travel·Travel News

The seizure of 10 tonnes of cocaine from a rust-bucket ship reveals how the cartels resurrect ‘ghost ships’ to smuggle drugs into Spain

RUSTING against the dock in Santa Cruz de Tenerife sits the United S, a vessel that looks like it belongs in the scrapyard. Instead, it

12 Jan, 2026 @ 17:00

Canary Islands·Crime & Law·EXPLAINER·Lead

What is El Gordo? Spain’s national Christmas lottery takes place this weekend

EXPLAINER: Why Spain is obsessed with the lottery – and how it really works as this year’s winners are announced

EVERY December, televisions across Spain are tuned to the same hypnotic sound: schoolchildren singing out long strings of numbers in a chant that seems to

22 Dec, 2025 @ 16:00