blame

However, Jorge Galindo, director at the Esade centre for economic policy, says that available data makes it difficult to know exactly how many Spanish properties are owned by so-called “vulture funds” and being used for speculation.

He points to Bank of Spain figures from 2024 showing that only 8% of properties for rent are owned by companies.

Galindo says he concludes from the data available that there is not a notable accumulation of property to rent among a small number of owners in Spain.

“When it comes to explaining the rise in rentals, that is not the big cause,” he says. “What explains it is the shortage of supply compared to demand over recent years.”

The Bank of Spain appears to agree, and has estimated that the country has a housing shortfall of around 750,000 homes.

The institution’s deputy governor, Soledad Núñez, warned in September that by 2028 that could rise to one million.

There are 3.8 million empty properties in Spain, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE), but a large number of those are in depopulated rural areas and therefore have little relevance to the current crisis, which is most acute in urban hubs.

Other explanations for this high number include properties awaiting renovation, or legal disputes between family members who have inherited them.

Demographic changes play a major part in the imbalance between supply and demand.

Between 2021 and 2025, there were about 1.2 million new households in Spain, driven in great part by the arrival of migrants who have played a major role in the country’s recent economic growth.

However, house building has not kept pace, with fewer than half-a-million new homes during that period.

That was partly because Spain’s construction industry had shrunk in the wake of the Eurozone crisis, while the cost of materials rose substantially after Covid, and a lack of political consensus put legal obstacles in the way of building.

“It was not a priority for us to build new houses,” Galindo says. “But, once the demographic boom came, we realised how costly it was for us.”

He adds that short-term tourist accommodation, like Airbnb, which has been identified by both the Spanish government and many activists as a culprit, is likely to have had a more localised effect, pushing up prices in specific urban areas rather than having an overall impact.

A controversial pass-interference call cost the Rams dearly in their defeat by the Denver Broncos, but coach Sean McVay said Monday that neither he nor the team would play the victim card.

With just over a minute left in the game, Rams cornerback Josh Wallace battled with Broncos receiver Pat Bryant before intercepting a Bo Nix pass at the Rams’ seven-yard line. Had the play stood, it would have preserved a second consecutive Rams victory.

But officials cited Wallace for pass interference, giving the Broncos another set of downs. Nix eventually scored a touchdown to give the Broncos a 30-26 lead and an eventual victory that dropped the Rams to 1-2.

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Gary Klein breaks down what went wrong for the Rams in a 30-26 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.

“I’m not going to play the victim card,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters. “Doesn’t really matter. It is what it is. That was the call that was made, and there was a lot of opportunities that we had to be able to close the door on that game. … I wouldn’t have any additional coaching points for how Josh plays through the cycle of the snap.

“But I’m not going to make excuses either and we’re not going to play the victim card.”

Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie reviewed the play “over and over.”

“I told Josh, ‘Hey, nothing you can do. Refs got to call their calls. We can’t control that,’” McDuffie said. “But, I mean, looking back at it, I don’t know what they saw but I thought it was a great play. Got the interception for us.

“But like I said, whatever the refs saw they saw and threw the flag and ain’t much we can do about it, so it’s really just on to the next week.”

The Rams play the Eagles on Sunday in Philadelphia.

They will probably do so without cornerback Jaylen Watson, who left against the Broncos after suffering a dislocated right shoulder.

Watson will not be placed on injured reserve, McVay said, “but will probably be out for this week. We’ll see if we can kind of get him strengthened and harness it. It’s something that he’s dealt with before.”

Tight end Terrance Ferguson sustained an ankle sprain and is probably out against the Eagles. Tight end Colby Parkinson’s (shoulder) status will be evaluated this week.

Receiver Puka Nacua, who has been sidelined the last two games because of a hip injury, went through a lengthy on-field workout before the game against the Broncos.

Will he play against the Eagles?

”I’m hopeful,” McVay said, adding, “We’ll continue to see, but if he is able to progress the way that we hope there’s optimism that he’ll be able to play this week.”

McVay apologized for taking only a few questions during a postgame news conference after the defeat by the Broncos.

“I understand my role and responsibility is to be able to talk whether it’s after a win or whether we don’t get the results that we want,” McVay said, adding that the brevity resulted from a mix-up in timing. “There was a pause in any sort of questions and obviously an emotional game and so that was kind of what led to that.

“But if there was any misinterpretation, do apologize for that.”

The Blame was back for another instalment on Monday, with viewers quickly issuing a complaint

ITV’s thrilling crime drama The Blame returned to screens on Monday.

The six-part series stars Michelle Keegan and Douglas Booth as DI Emma Crane and DI Tom Radley, who attempt to expose corruption and deep-rooted misogyny within the police force after the death of a teenage girl. But unexpected twists and secrets soon leave Emma questioning who she can really trust.

The official synopsis teases: “The drama dives into secrets, suspicion and systemic corruption – all under the surface of this seemingly quiet town. The series begins when the body of teenage figure skater Sophie Madsen is discovered, sending shockwaves through the town of Wakestead.

“As DI Crane and DI Radley dig deeper, what starts as a tragic death, spirals into a tangled web of lies, institutional cover-ups, and moral compromise. As the clock ticks and trust fractures, Crane must navigate both a murder investigation and the treacherous politics inside her own team,” reports Wales Online.

During the latest instalment on Monday (September 28), Emma and her colleague DC Lewis Brimah (Nathan Mensah) visited Tom, after he was put under investigation. As the police officers discussed the case, many viewers were left distracted by the ex-cop who was hidden in the bushes outside.

One person felt that the detail was “really odd”, while several others shared their frustration. That’s not all, as the drama soon continued when Tom’s house was later raided by a swarm of officers.

Viewers quickly questioned why so many detectives had been instructed to attend the scene. One person asked on X: “Omg what are they doing at Tom’s house.”

Another added: “200 police to search Tom’s house,” while a third said: “So they need 20 coppers to arrest one man???” Someone else commented: “All raiding Tom’s house! OMG!”

Despite the confusion, The Blame has garnered largely positive reviews from critics and viewers since its debut last week. One IMDb user wrote: “We found this an amazing series. Keeps you guessing all the way through. This is no slow burner.”

Another added: “I binge watched this series in one day and loved it. Highly recommend this series. The acting was superb especially by Michelle Keegan, Douglas Booth, Nathan Mensah and Ian Hart. The script was really well thought out and it was a massive shock to read the team group message chats – taken from actual UK police officers, that have since been dismissed from the force.”

Someone else commented: “Loved this show. The acting was really good. The twists kept twisting and the turns kept turning right till the end. I usually have these things figured out but I was genuinely surprised by this show.”

The series has been adapted by Megan Gallagher with co-writers Ashley Sanders and Namsi Khan from the 2023 novel of the same name by Charlotte Langley.

The Blame is available to stream on ITVX

Nathan Mensah is making his TV debut in The Blame, alongside Michelle Keegan and Douglas Booth.

Nathan Mensah has joined the cast of The Blame alongside Michelle Keegan and Douglas Booth.

The actor is making his debut in the second episode of the new ITV drama, airing Monday, 21 September. He plays young police detective Lewis, set on helping Michelle’s character DI Emma Crane uncover the truth about the death of a young girl.

The six-part series dramatizes corruption and systemic misogyny in the police force, after shockwaves are sent through a quiet town when a teenager’s body is found in the woods. With officers turning on each other, DI Crane and Douglas’ character DI Tom Radley dig deeper and are left reeling at the secrets they discover within a tangled web of lies and cover-ups.

“As the clock ticks and trust fractures, Crane must navigate both a murder investigation and the treacherous politics inside her own team,” the synopsis goes on to tease.

Nathan stars as DC Lewis Brimah, which marks his first TV role after working in commercial modelling and brand campaigns. Ahead of the new series airing, he teased his role on social media, writing: “GOD IS GOOD!!! First TV Series Job. Excited to get into this one with such an amazing cast.”

“Biggest congrats Nathan,” one fan replied. Another follower said: “Congratulations!! Bravo.” A third added: “wow! such a great cast, congrats,” while someone else wrote: “Yesss Nathannnnnn.”

Introducing his role in a Q&A during a press event, Nathan shared: “Lewis is a good guy, in fact, he’s a great guy… He’s coming to the system, going through the fast-track graduate scheme which means he hasn’t had the experience that a lot of the other officers and other detectives have.

“But he’s ambitious and he just wants to do a good job, like that is his focus. He’s by the book and he wholeheartedly believes in the job.

“He believes in the system, he believes in the people that he works with, and he has a very strong moral compass. He’s a very simple man, he believes things are black and white, there’s right and wrong, good and bad.

“For me, what I found really interesting is seeing someone like Lewis placed in an environment that is morally complicated, and how he navigates those areas without losing his integrity.”

Nathan went on: “He felt like me, like the new guy coming in, not necessarily seasoned but working with the vets. He just wants to do a good job and he really cares.”

The six-part series also marks the first time Michelle has played a police officer, as she revealed she couldn’t believe she’d not played one before. She previously shared a personal link to her role in The Blame, saying: “The thing is, my dad was in the police force, he was an inspector since he was 17.

“So I used to go to him and go, ‘Dad, what do you think about this?’ And when I was doing the meeting scenes, it was quite a high-up rank, so I was like, ‘How would you talk to people in the police force and how was your body language?’ I used to go to him quite a lot for resourcing.”

Michelle elsewhere revealed she was “hooked” on The Blame from the moment she read the script, and hailed her character as being “a strong female in a male-dominated environment”.

She went on: “She’s one of those girls that will take no nonsense, and it just felt exciting. We love to see it on screen and there’s not enough of it on screen.”

The Blame continues on Monday, 21 September at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX

Sir Tom Jones proved he’s “still got it” on The Voice UK tonight with an impromptu rendition of It’s Not Unusual.

The Voice UK fans slam ITV’s “huge mistake” in getting rid of Sir Tom Jones as he shares heartwarming story about his career.

ITV’s hit singing contest The Voice UK returned tonight, Saturday, September 19, as the judges continued to blindly listen to singers hoping one of stars would give them a chance.

As always was veteran The Voice UK icon Sir Tom Jones who recalled when he first realised the moment he “made it” in his music career, after he was asked by Will.i.am.

“It’s Not Unusual I did in 1964 so that was 61 years ago”, Tom said.

“My band and myself were driving back to London and It’s Not Unusual came out on the Friday but I didn’t know until I picked up the Sunday paper in a transport cafe, and there it was, It’s Not Unusual, number 10.

“There were truck drivers there right and I was like ‘You see this!’ And they were like ‘yeah, yeah, yeah yeah!’

“And just seeing my name at number 10 I thought ‘This is it. It was a tremendous feeling.’

This story then prompted the audience to ask for him to sing It’s Not Unusual which Sir Tom happily obliged with many fans impressed by his performance.

However, it also angered viewers as they were reminded that the 86-year-old will not be returning for The Voice UK next year as he will be replaced by former Girls Aloud star Cheryl.

“To the powers that be at The Voice UK this is the legend you dropped!”, someone angrily wrote.

A second agreed: “ITV making a very big mistake getting rid of Sir Tom Jones, idiots.”

Another agreed: “It was such a huge mistake axing Tom Jones”, with another writing: “Still can’t believe they fired THE Tom Jones. He’s amazing.”

While a fellow viewer added: “Don’t care what anyone says Sir Tom Jones has still got it!” Silliest move to let this frigging legend go..shame on you producers who make stupid decisions on The Voice UK.”

Sir Tom has also shared that it wasn’t his decision to go, explaining on social media: “The reason given is because of a financial difficulty with insurance.

They now say in the press they wanted to ‘refresh’ the show, and with a new coaching line-up there wouldn’t be a chair for me.”

He has instead been offered a reduced role in the series, something that Sir Tom isn’t “thrilled” about.

The Voice UK continues every Saturday on ITV and ITVX