🇪🇸Week of November 2

Spanish police detained at least 12 people, including the leader of the neo-Nazi group Núcleo Nacional, and carried out searches including at the group's headquarters. The operation targeted the group's leadership, and the proceedings remain open.1234

The detentions were made in several provinces, and the operation was still under way as the searches proceeded.41

The 12 members were held on suspicion of illicit association, weapons possession and a hate crime, according to elDiario.es.5

Dcoop and Acesur have won the bidding for the olive oil group Deoleo, owner of the Carbonell brand, in an operation valued at 520 million euros. The two Andalusian buyers prevailed over Coricelli and Migasa to take control of the company.1234

The purchase puts Deoleo in the hands of the Antequera-based cooperative Dcoop and the Sevilla-based producer Acesur, strengthening Andalusian leadership in the olive oil sector. The deal was reported by outlets across the political spectrum, from Cadena SER to ABC and Expansión.1354

The European Commissioner for Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, said it is "very worrying" that Spain has suffered two fatal rail accidents in the same year, adding: "Without doubt, it is something we do not want to see." Brussels is pressing for the ERTMS signalling system to be deployed "as quickly as possible," the system meant to replace LZB on the Madrid-Seville corridor.1234

Spain has asked the European Union Agency for Railways for technical support in investigating the Urda accident. Tzitzikostas said the investigation "remains completely under the authority and direction of the Spanish investigators."2

The Urda collision in the province of Toledo was the second fatal high-speed crash in Spain this year, and the commissioner's remarks came as the government faced pressure over rail safety. Transport Minister Óscar Puente resigned after the crash, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez named Carlos Cuerpo to replace him.52

The commission's call for ERTMS follows warnings that the LZB system on the Madrid-Seville line kept failing: Iryo chief executive Fabrizio Favara told the Senate that "every time the signal disconnects, the train stops," and El Mundo reports that ERTMS was the system meant to replace LZB on that corridor.1

The United States will hold trilateral talks with Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November, according to announcements carried by Spanish outlets. Russia confirmed the dates for the three-way meeting. The Emirati capital is the venue for the round.1234

Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff said representatives of both countries will meet in Abu Dhabi even though recent Russian attacks have left dozens dead. On 5 November, reports said the US would mediate technical negotiations between Ukraine and Russia the following week in Abu Dhabi, and Russia announced a new round of peace talks on Ukraine there for November.5678

Volodimir Zelenski rejected the option of speaking with Vladimir Putin by telephone and ruled out meeting him in either Moscow or Kiev. He offered instead to meet Putin in Turkey to negotiate an end to the war. Turkey proposed to Ukraine that it host a new round of negotiations with Russia and the United States.1910

European capitals are pressing to talk with Putin, driven by fear of Trump, public fatigue and the difficulty of financing further aid to Kiev. The US and Russia are also pressing Xi Jinping for a summit with Trump and Putin in China this month.1112

Andalusia's regional government is pressing for an urgent alternative transport plan after the Urda train accident severed rail connections between Andalusia and Madrid. The demand was made at the World Travel Market by the regional official Salado, according to the Málaga provincial council.12

The Andalusian government will ask airlines to add flights as an alternative to the AVE high-speed service while the line remains interrupted. The push comes as traders and passengers face the consequences of the rail cut between Madrid and Andalusia.23

Andalusia fears losing half a million euros a day because of the AVE shutdown, The Objective reported. The figure is the region's own estimate of the daily cost of the severed link.4

Two minors aged 14 and 17 have been detained as promoters of the Blocus disturbances in Barcelona, accused of coordinating the riots through WhatsApp. The Mossos d'Esquadra and the Policía Nacional carried out the detentions, linking the pair to groups that encouraged looting. A 21-year-old man has been sent to provisional prison for his role as an organiser.123

The man held over the Blocus organisation was detained in Cabrera d'Anoia, and a court ordered provisional prison for him over his connection to the group. In Bilbao, the Policía Nacional detained the administrator of an account tied to the Blocus movement that called for provoking incidents.234

The alleged head of Blocus had been in Paris before organising lootings in Spain and had the financial means to flee, according to the Guardia Civil's information service. That service found he administered the Telegram and Signal channels from an iPhone 18 Pro. He was detained in Picanya, in Valencia, on 30 October.5

Inside the Blocus groups preparing further lootings in Barcelona, participants asked: "Can anyone get flares?"5

The OPEP+ group decided to keep its crude oil supply unchanged for December, the third consecutive month it has held output at the same level. The decision leaves production targets for December where they stood.12345

The next meeting, on 29 November, will be the key date for setting production quotas for 2027, according to La Vanguardia.3

La Voz de Galicia reported that OPEP+ was weighing whether to change its December oil production before the freeze was confirmed.6

Attributed claim: El Periódico de la Energía reported that OPEP+ decided to keep its oil supply frozen for November, while El Debate reported the freeze applies to December.78

A storm system shifted course and put the Canary Islands on alert for heavy rain, with La Palma and Tenerife under an orange warning for abundant rainfall while the peninsula stayed stable. The Canary Islands government declared a maximum alert for rain on La Palma after 62 litres per square metre fell in a single hour.123

A widespread power cut added to the difficulties of a day already waiting on the weather's evolution and its possible effects on essential services. More than 160,000 homes lost supply in Tenerife, and an emergency situation was declared over the outage in Tenerife and La Gomera.456

The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) confirmed the points hardest hit by the rains as the storm kept discharging over the archipelago. El Confidencial reported that the maximum alert differs from Aemet's red warning and set out the recommendations to follow.74

Thousands of people marched through Valencia on the second anniversary of the dana, walking in silence along streets under heavy security. The march honoured the 234 victims of the flooding and pressed demands for accountability from those in charge of the emergency response.123

The demonstration renewed calls for Carlos Mazón to be judged over his handling of the catastrophe. Relatives of victims voiced their loss of confidence in the institutions, with one quoted asking: "What confidence can the families have?"42

The march was described as a procession of silence, dignity and a search for justice two years after the floods. It followed streets that had been sealed off by police for the event.13

A large police operation in Barcelona against a planned Blocus gathering on Halloween weekend ended without the disturbances the group had called for. The Mossos d'Esquadra blocked a second major Blocus callout in the city, and the operation closed without incidents.12345

Attributed claim: Outlets gave different totals for detentions and identity checks. RTVE reported three detained and more than 1,400 people identified, while El Mundo reported 10 detained and 2,300 identifications.46

The Catalan government rejected any suggestion that the operation targeted people on ethnic grounds. El Mundo reported that the Govern denied "ethnic motives" in the Mossos operation against Blocus.6

The operation was described as an unprecedented police deployment intended to prevent a repeat of earlier disturbances. El Confidencial reported that Barcelona was sealed off against the Blocus callout over Halloween, and Tot Barcelona described an extraordinary police shield that dissuaded the group's second major gathering.135