Catalan President Artur Mas says a vote on the region’s independence from Spain will be “impossible” to stop even if Madrid is against the referendum. “If the Catalan population wants to vote on its future, it’s practically impossible to stop that forever,” Mas said in an interview on Wednesday. He said the Spanish government should realize that it cannot stand... 

A Spanish mayor has been charged for setting a town on fire after ignoring a fireworks ban. The illegal pyrotechnics resulted in a massive hillside blaze, which forced some residents of the town to evacuate from their homes. Despite a ban, which had been implemented because of an extremely high risk of forest fires, Mayor Ernesto Sanjuan gave the go ahead for a fireworks display on April 26 in the... 

The EU Ambassador to Israel has warned that a growing number of EU states are dissuading their citizens from doing business with companies registered in Israeli settlements; France, Italy and Spain have already joined the trend. Ambassador Lars Faaborg-Andersen told a business seminar organized by the Geneva Initiative on Friday that six European nations have already issued warnings to the Israeli... 

Smoke of wood stoves rises over cities of Greece, Spain suffers from youth unemployment, Germany raises retirement age to 76 years, whereas in the heart of London, people gather to protest against austerity measures. Who benefits from multiplying the poor in Europe? Has the tale of good European life been destroyed? “In winter you can heat your house with gasoline-powered radiators, –... 

Felipe VI has become the new king of Spain after his father, King Juan Carlos, abdicated to pave the way for his son to take over as his successor. Felipe, 46, took the Spanish crown early Thursday as an act of parliament signed by his father came into force. Carlos,76, signed his abdication on Wednesday in a short ceremony in favor of his son. Carlos reigned as Spain’s king after 39 years. His... 

Juan Carlos, the king of Spain, plans to abdicate, according to the country’s prime minister. A new constitutional amendment will reportedly be proposed to allow for the abdication. Crown Prince Felipe is to become the new monarch. Spain’s King Juan Carlos is abdicating after almost 40 years on the throne and his son Prince Felipe will succeed him, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Monday... 

Thousands of activists took to the streets of Germany and Spain on Saturday to protest the EU’s policies as the union prepares for parliamentary elections at the end of May. In Germany, the EU’s powerhouse, people participated in a day of anti-Brussels protests in Hamburg and the capital Berlin. A rally in Berlin broke out into clashes between protesters and police. Around 1,000 people marched... 

Financial problems in Spain increase the number of children living below the poverty line. The charity Save the Children has warned of growing poverty among children in Spain, saying the situation needs to be addressed urgently. The charity launched a petition on Tuesday urging the Spanish government to do more for deprived children in the crisis-hit country. According to the aid group, a third of... 

A huge cloud was filmed engulfing the main beach in Alicante, causing concern among locals and holidaymakers and prompting debate as to its cause. The huge white mass is seen rolling across the sands of Albufereta beach, obscuring everything in its path – despite an otherwise cloudless sky. Some speculated that the cloud was smoke from a fire, while others compared the apocalyptic scenes to the... 

An anti-austerity demonstration that drew tens of thousands of people from across Spain to central Madrid has turned violent, leaving 88 injured and 29 arrested as protesters clashed with security forces. On Saturday, some protesters sought to break through a police barrier and make their way toward the nearby headquarters of the ruling conservative Popular Party. Riot police then attacked the protesters,... 

Official figures show that unemployment in the European Union (EU) has increased during the 12-month period ending in January 2014, with around 26 million people jobless in both the EU and the eurozone, Press TV reports. The EU statistical agency, Eurostat, said in its latest report that unemployment in the EU rose by 17,000 over the one-year time span. More than 26 million people of working age were... 

Nokia announced today its first Android series phones at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. Their new Android 4.4.2 KitKat series are entry level phones and Nokia’s Stephen Elop clearly said that their top high-end devices will always remain the Lumia Windows Phone series. Nokia did not launch only one Android phone but 3! Nokia X, Nokia X+ and Nokia XL which are all Dual... 

The European Commission is set to authorize the growing of genetically modified maize on European soil, despite 19 member states voting against the move, highlighting the “absurd” rules of weighted votes in the EU. In a debate on Tuesday, 19 EU member states indicated that they would vote against the authorization of genetically modified maize because of health and environmental concerns and opposition... 

Russia has warned that Moscow may consider quitting the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) as the United States has deployed a ballistic missile destroyer to Spain. Mikhail Ulyanov, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s top disarmament official, said Sunday that if the US continues to enhance its anti-missile capabilities through NATO’s missile defense shield in Europe, then Moscow may be forced... 

A Spanish court has charged Princess Cristina, the younger daughter of King Juan Carlos, with tax fraud and money laundering amid a lengthy corruption case involving her husband. Judge Jose Castro, an examining magistrate in Palma de Mallorca, announced the decision on Tuesday, saying there was evidence that Cristina had committed crimes. According to Spanish media, Cristina is scheduled to appear...