spain

The FCDO has issued new advice to British people travelling in Spain after a train crash killed 69 people and injured dozens of others near Toledo on Wednesday

The Government has issued new advice to British nationals travelling in Spain, warning of “significant disruption”.

At least 69 people were killed and dozens more injured after two trains crashed on Wednesday morning near the town of Urda, in the province of Toledo.

A high-speed train travelling from Madrid to Seville, operated by state-owned railway company Renfe, crashed into the back of a stationary train on the same track, between the municipalities of Mora and Orgaz.

In the wake of the tragedy, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has warned British holidaymakers heading to Spain: “Significant disruption to rail services is expected.”

Those requiring assistance or seeking information about passengers affected by the crash are advised to contact Renfe on +34 900 10 10 20. The FCDO urged British nationals or their family members who are affected by the crash to contact the nearest British embassy or consulate on +34 91 714 6300.

Anyone travelling to Spain via France should check the travel advice for France before setting off. Those planning to enter Spain via Gibraltar are also advised to consult the travel advice for Gibraltar.

Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente said on Wednesday that 43 miles of track had been affected by an outage of the automatic control system, bringing all trains in the area to a halt.

But the control centre decided to “resume traffic in circumstances that, from our point of view, are inexplicable”, Puente said. The Renfe train travelled around 15 miles before striking the stationary train, which was operated by private company Iryo.

The control centre “had more than enough time to verify the error, and they did not fix it”, Puente added.

During a visit to the crash site, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who faces a general election on November 29, vowed to establish the cause of the crash.

“We are working day and night not only to support the victims’ families, but also to establish every last detail of this tragedy and strengthen safety measures to ensure it never happens again,” he said.

In January, two high-speed trains collided in the southern region of Andalusia after one derailed and crossed onto an adjacent track, killing 46 people. The investigation into that crash is ongoing.

Spain’s government has faced mounting criticism over its management of Spain’s railways.

Train drivers went on strike on Thursday “to defend rail safety”. The industrial action had been called before Wednesday’s deadly crash.

Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid and La Liga have apologised for the French striker’s comments about Mao Zedong, but the damage to their reputation in China will not be easily or quickly repaired, experts say.

The France captain, one of the best footballers on the planet, is at the centre of a controversy after a video emerged this week of him appearing to make fun of former leader Mao.

Mbappe talked about being amused by an internet meme of his face digitally altered onto “some guy, think he’s a Chinese dictator”.

Mao remains officially revered as the hero of the communist revolution and founder of the People’s Republic of China.

He is blamed by historians for millions of deaths, but publicly mocking him is taboo, and Mbappe’s remarks saw him become the latest foreign sports figure or entity to infuriate Beijing.

Leading Chinese brands cut ties with the 27-year-old, and Spanish top-flight matches will be pulled from state television broadcaster CCTV’s schedule.

Chinese state media and social media users lined up to lambast Mbappe, although they were left in the dark about what exactly he said.

China is the world’s second-biggest economy and most lucrative market. Within two days, as the video, purportedly filmed in April, circulated online, the striker, his club Real Madrid and La Liga apologised.

A spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government took Mbappe’s apology “seriously”.

‘Very damaging incident’

So is that the end of the matter?

“Viewed from a calm, objective and emotion-free standpoint, this is clearly a very damaging incident,” Yan Qiang, a veteran sports commentator, told the AFP news agency.

“It causes serious damage to the image of La Liga and Real Madrid in China.

“In the age of the mobile internet, things blow up on social media quickly and emotions run high.

“An apology does not necessarily mean the end of the story.

“It’s better to have an apology than no apology at all, but it’s definitely not the end of the story.”

The furore and the fallout are not an unfamiliar tale.

Various overseas sports leagues or players have found themselves in hot water for comments on topics that are politically sensitive to China.

China effectively cut ties with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the United States in 2019 after then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted his support for Hong Kong protesters.

NBA executives said Morey had the right to freedom of expression. In contrast, La Liga immediately distanced itself from what Mbappe said.

Basketball is among the most popular sports in China along with football. However, Morey’s remark saw the NBA wiped from CCTV for more than a year.

NBA preseason matches returned to China only last year.

Australian National University lecturer Debby Chan called the NBA case – and now Mbappe’s – an illustration of China’s consumer nationalism, where online sentiment and state media converge into “a spiral of outrage”.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league lost “hundreds of millions of dollars” over the split.

No way back for Mbappe, Real Madrid and La Liga?

Spanish football also has a lot to lose.

A source within La Liga told AFP that China and the US alone finance the “majority” of international broadcasting rights, which were valued at 748 million euros ($834m) for the 2024-25 season.

According to the Real Madrid-affiliated newspaper Marca, the Madrid club generates 10 to 15 percent of its jersey and other merchandise sales in China.

Real Madrid also counts Chinese companies among its main sponsors, with Hisense, sports betting firm Kaiyun Sports and Linglong Tire all featuring prominently.

Adam Zhang, founder of the Beijing-based Key-Solution Sports Consulting, said showing fast and heartfelt remorse was the first step.

“This will influence the decision on whether to continue the broadcast ban and, if so, for how long,” he told AFP.

Sports commentator Yan cast doubt on whether the reputation of Mbappe, whose face has adorned drink bottles and advertising campaigns in China, can ever fully recover.

“Judging by commercial sponsorships and big ad campaigns he appeared in during the World Cup, he has a huge influence in China,” he said.

“If that influence can’t be sustained, there can be no talk of commercial interests, and La Liga and Real Madrid will definitely be badly affected.”

Yan said it was “genuinely hard to predict” what happens next.

“In the short term, I’m certainly not optimistic,” he added.

“If they want to repair their image and the relationship, their future actions and behaviour will be key.”

Real Madrid and Barcelona offer messages of support following train crash as Spanish football orders Copa postponement.

Spain’s national football federation has postponed all 24 Copa del Rey games scheduled for Wednesday because of a train accident that killed at least 30 people in the country’s central region.

About 80 people were injured and the death toll could rise, authorities said, after a high-speed train slammed into the rear of another one that had stopped on the track.

“Shocked by the tragic train accident,” the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said.

It said it ordered the postponement of the games “in solidarity with the victims”.

“The entire Spanish football community stands united in grief over this tragedy and has made itself available to the authorities to assist the victims of this devastating accident,” RFEF added.

It said it would later provide a revised tournament schedule. First-round games on Thursday have not been postponed. Games were played on Tuesday as well.

The Spanish league has not announced any postponements for the weekend’s games.

Among Wednesday’s games to be postponed were Navalcarnero against Real Betis, Salamanca against Celta Vigo and Tavernes against Valencia.

Several Spanish football clubs expressed their condolences and solidarity following the incident.

“The club wishes to convey its support and solidarity to the families and friends of the victims and to wish all those injured a speedy recovery,” FC Barcelona said on social media.

Real Madrid also offered condolences and in a statement said the club shared “in the grief of everyone impacted during these moments of profound sadness”.

Sevilla FC took a moment of silence ahead of their training on Wednesday and cancelled manager Luis Garcia Plaza’s press conference, which was scheduled for Wednesday ahead of their match against Sporting de Hortaleza.

Rachel felt a little unwell in the Canary Islands hotel they were staying in in October – then suddenly collapsed

A British mum who thought she had come down with a nasty cold collapsed and died while on holiday abroad. Rachel Weston, 42, was away with her husband, Mark, 41, and two friends when she started to feel unwell.

The carer, from Bury, Greater Manchester, went to a pharmacy and at first seemed to be getting better. However, her condition then deteriorated, leading the couple to arrange emergency flights back home for the next day.

But Rachel then suddenly collapsed in their hotel room in Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote. Hotel lifeguards tried to help before paramedics turned up, but tragically she couldn’t be saved.

Local reports say Rachel suffered a cardiac arrest, though an underlying medical cause hasn’t been publicly confirmed. Mark said: “My world was completely turned upside down with the sudden and heartbreaking loss of my gorgeous wife, Rachel, while we were on holiday.

“Rachel and I were together for 11 years and one day – sadly only married for two of those years, but every single day was full of love, laughter and partnership.”

Rachel was a loving stepmum to Mark’s three children, Steven, 22, Charley, 19, and Mikey, 15. Mark described his late wife as “the absolute heart of our home”, adding that she had poured herself into helping him raise the children.

The couple tied the knot on May 11, 2024 after a memorable on-stage proposal at a Bowling for Soup concert. Mark contacted the band’s frontman, Jaret Reddick, before its December 2022 show in Torquay and was invited on stage during Punk Rock 101 to ask Rachel to marry him.

Rachel worked as a carer at Regency Care Home and had devoted her professional life to looking after others. She was also deeply attached to the couple’s two dogs, Maisie and Padmé. Mark said: “Losing her so unexpectedly is a total nightmare.

“Between planning the funeral and keeping life steady for the kids, it’s a massive weight to carry.” Rachel’s funeral is due to take place on November 6. Mark has launched a fundraiser in memory of his “beautiful wife” to help cover the costs.

He has requested that mourners wear something purple, which was Rachel’s favourite colour. To donate to the fundraiser, visit the GoFundMe web page here.

Two trains have crashed in central Spain, authorities said, with a local official saying some passengers were injured.

Spain’s rail system operator ADIF said that the incident occurred Wednesday morning in the province of Toledo.

The mayor of the nearby town of Urda, Manuel Galan, told Spanish state broadcaster TVE that passengers had been injured and that civil protection authorities had asked his town hall to prepare a sports pavilion to attend to passengers.

More to come…

The deportation was the first of its kind since a mass border crossing into the territory from Morocco in July.

Spain has deported more than a dozen migrants from its North African enclave of Ceuta, prompting criticism from Amnesty International, which said Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s left-wing government was endangering their human rights.

It was the first deportation of its kind since a mass border crossing into the territory from Morocco in July.

The Spanish Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that it had deported the migrants from Ceuta after their asylum applications were rejected, and that Morocco had agreed to receive them.

Nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) told the Reuters news agency that 16 people from African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries had been deported.

About 80,000 people entered from Morocco over a 48-hour period in late July. At least 100 people died during the mass crossing into the autonomous city, which covers just 18.5 square kilometres (7.2sq miles) and has a population of about 80,000.

The crisis has evolved into a major political challenge for Sanchez, who is seeking re-election in snap polls scheduled for November 29.

Tens of thousands of protesters have gathered across Spain in recent months to denounce the government’s handling of the situation. Meanwhile, right-wing parties have used the crisis to attack Sanchez.

The leader of the far-right Vox Party, Santiago Abascal, has branded the prime minister a “traitor”.

Human rights guarantees

Amnesty International has warned that the human rights of those deported from Ceuta on Tuesday could be at risk.

“Spain, despite its [progressive] speeches in Europe, is not ensuring that human rights guarantees are met for people who cross its borders in Ceuta and Melilla,” said Virginia Alvarez, an Amnesty International researcher.

“Morocco does not respect many human rights.”

However, Madrid disputes the rights group’s accusations. In a statement, the interior ministry told Reuters that the European Union considers Morocco to be a safe country, adding that deportations are carried out “with all the necessary safeguards”.

Most of those who entered Ceuta in late July left within days. However, about 8,000 migrants still remain. Some are sleeping on the streets, while others are being housed by Spain, charities and civil society groups.

Dutch withdrawal is the latest in a number of boycotts by countries unhappy about Israel’s inclusion.

The Netherlands has withdrawn from next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, its public broadcaster NPO has confirmed, citing “sensitivities” over Israel’s participation.

“We have known for some time that Israel’s participation elicits various reactions in society and causes discussion and division,” the NPO’s media director Jurre Bosman said in a statement.

“Therefore, after consultation with the board of broadcasters, the NPO has decided to forgo participation in 2027.”

The announcement follows a decision in August by Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS to boycott the competition. AVROTROS, which usually selects the Netherlands’ entry and broadcasts the show, said the event could “no longer be considered neutral”.

NPO stepped in last month, saying it would take responsibility for the Dutch entry to the competition, before reversing course on Tuesday.

Jet de Ranitz, NPO’s executive chairman, acknowledged that the decision would disappoint fans but stressed that the contest would still be aired on public channels.

“Due to the sensitivities surrounding the themes currently at play, we have decided to take a step back for the time being,” De Ranitz said.

The announcement follows the Netherlands’ boycott of the 2026 edition. Iceland, Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia all pulled out, with the latter three refusing to broadcast the show at all.

More withdrawals

In August, the organisers announced that countries would be unable to host the competition if “an armed conflict, a sensitive geopolitical situation, or any other situation materially affects the security, safety or stability of their state or immediate region.”

But that has not prevented withdrawals, with Ireland already having announced that it will not be participating in next year’s contest for the second year in a row.

Earlier this month, the Czech broadcaster also pulled out of next year’s event, but cited spending cuts as the reason.

Bulgaria will host next year’s edition of Eurovision for the first time in the Black Sea city of Burgas, after Bulgarian singer Darina Yotova, known as Dara, won this year’s contest in Vienna, Austria, with her catchy floor-filler ‘Bangaranga’. 

Since its first edition in 1956, Eurovision has become the world’s biggest live televised music event. It catapulted Swedish icons ABBA to worldwide fame, as well as boosting artists such as Celine Dion and Olivia Newton-John. 

HOLIDAYMAKERS are swapping Spanish escapes for bargain breaks to North Africa, where glamour comes without the premium price tag.

Tour operator TUI has seen a rise in British passenger numbers for this winter, with particular interest in all-inclusive, luxury holidays to Egypt as well as Tunisia.

Meanwhile, easyJet recorded a growth of 14 per cent year on year to North Africa.

Garry Wilson, boss of easyJet holidays, said: “Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco offer huge potential, with high-quality hotels, brilliant value, warm hospitality and great connectivity from airports across the UK.”

Sophie Sweitochowski shares her pick of premium North African getaways for 2027 that won’t break the bank.

Grab them while they are hot.

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TAGHAZOUT, MOROCCO

THE Hilton Hilton Taghazout Bay Beach Resort & Spa is an absolute steal at under £700pp for seven nights with flights.

It’s chic and contemporary in style, with five swimming pools — one adults-only and a few overlooking the sea where you will spot surfers riding Taghazout’s notorious waves.

Bedrooms are generously sized and come with balconies, perfect for soaking up those 22C highs, plus there is a lavish spa dishing out local treatments like

Don’t skip brekkie. The extensive feast features freshly baked pastries, yoghurts, fresh fruits and live cooking stations as well as local honeys and traditional flatbreads.

GO: Seven nights’ B&B at the 5H Hilton Taghazout Bay Beach Resort & Spa is from £656pp including flights from Gatwick on December 3, plus luggage and transfers. See jet2holidays.com.

SHARM EL SHEIKH, EGYPT

IT is impossible to feel bored at the Jaz Mirabel Beach Hotel.

The sprawling resort is home to an on-site waterpark with whirling slides, a water sports centre where you can try windsurfing, parasailing and water-skiing, plus an open-air amphitheatre for regular shows and entertainment.

The highlight is the location, bordering the Red Sea. Guests can use the hotel’s private jetty to plunge into one of the best snorkelling spots in the area.

Scenic boat trips and desert safaris to traditional bedouin camps are some of the bucket list excursions on offer from the hotel.

GO: Seven nights’ all-inclusive at the 5H Jaz Mirabel Beach Hotel is from £762pp including flights from East Midlands on December 14. See tui.co.uk.

SOUSSE, TUNISIA

A CHAMPAGNE lifestyle on a lemonade budget is achievable in Tunisia, especially at the Sousse Palace Hotel & Spa.

Right in the centre of town, there are glam restaurants and bars right on the doorstep — not that you will need them with this all-inclusive package, however.

The main buffet restaurant operates around a theme of international dishes every night with live cooking and meat carving stations.

If you are willing to shell out a little extra, though, you should visit the hotel’s Le 12ème which serves elegant plates such as freshly-caught fish carpaccio and slow-cooked lamb shank.

Outside of the food, there’s a sandy beach, wellness centre with a traditional Tunisian hammam, steam rooms and massage suites, and several swimming pools.

GO: Seven nights’ all-inclusive at the 5H Sousse Palace Hotel & Spa is from £360pp including flights from Gatwick on November 25. See easyjet.com/en/holidays.

MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

ON the hunt for a relaxing couples break? The Be Live Collection Marrakech is an adults-only haven, set back from the chaos of the city centre but with a free daily shuttle bus direct to Jemaa el-Fnaa square.

There is a quiet pool if you are after complete relaxation, while the activity pool has a livelier atmosphere.

If you have never experienced a traditional Moroccan hammam, this is the place to do it.

The wellness area is equipped with two authentic traditional Moroccan hammams where therapists use authentic black soap to remove dead skin cells.

Come night time, indulge in a drink at one of the four sleek bars.

GO: Seven nights’ all-inclusive at the 5H Be Live Collection Marrakech is from £479pp including flights from Manchester on December 12. See loveholidays.com.

HAMMAMET, TUNISIA

ON a private beach and surrounded by greenery, The Sindbad offers pure luxury escapism in the heart of the town.

Its infinity pool looks a little like the sort you would get in a fancy Ibiza or Mykonos resort, only this place is a fraction of the price.

In to golf? The resort offers discounted green fees to Yasmine Golf Club and Citrus Golf Club, two of Tunisia’s top 18-hole courses, with free shuttle buses.

The buffet restaurant is excellent and a great opportunity to sample the local cuisine such as couscous and brik, a mashed potato dish usually served with fish.

GO: Seven nights’ B&B at the 5H The Sindbad is from £370pp including flights from Newcastle on December 10. See travelsupermarket.com.

A NEW attraction with an enormous lagoon and bright white sands is set to open a few hours from the UK.

Called Alovera Beach, it’s set to open in summer 2028 and the catch is that it’s nowhere near the coast.

Instead, the company called Crystal Lagoons is hoping to open Europe’s largest man-made beach just outside of Spain’s capital, Madrid.

The project itself that’s 104,000 square metres is being built at the cost of €29million (£24.3million).

At its centre will be a 21,000-square-metre artificial lagoon which will be surrounded by 16,000 square metres of white sand which makes for the perfect sunbathing spot.

The lagoon will be suitable for swimming as well as watersports like kayaking, paddleboarding and aqua fitness classes.

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There will also be children’s attractions, relaxation spaces, food outlets and cafes.

On the sand will be an adults-only beach club with separate lounges to relax in as well as restaurants.

During the summer it’s hoping to hold seasonal events too including concerts, guest celebrations and even business events.

Looking at the details on its website, it looks like entry will be through memberships and daily passes.

Plans for Alovera Beach started back in 2017 and it has just taken a huge step forward with developers signing a formal construction-start document on October 21, 2026.

If all goes to plan, work is set to complete in March 2028 with it opening to the public a few months later in the summer months.

When it does open, the inland beach will be easy for Brits to reach as Alovera is a 45-minute drive from Madrid.

One-way flights are as little as £20 and Brits can get there in less than two and a half hours.

The company has made 1,000 projects across 60 countries including the Evermore Orlando Resort.

It has a range of accommodation including guest rooms and suites to Walt Disney World around two enormous beach areas where visitors can try out kayaking and paddleboarding.

The lagoon here is larger than 25 Olympic-size swimming pools and has has two beach areas.

Real won their fifth straight game across all competitions and are finding their footing under veteran Jose Mourinho.

A Kylian Mbappe double, three vital points and bragging rights.

Sunday night could not get any better for Real Madrid fans.

When the action kicked off under the lights at Camp Nou for the Clasico, Jose Mourinho’s side were far from the favourites. But after 90 minutes of drama and fiery football, Real had the last laugh, beating rivals Barcelona 2-1 in a tantalising match.

The victory has renewed belief among the Bernabeu faithful, who are counting on Mourinho to lead them back to glory days.

Here are the key takeaways from Real’s El Clasico win against Barcelona:

Real earn bragging rights and snap Barca’s perfect record

Mbappe’s brace – which took his tally to 14 goals this season – was enough to silence the tens of thousands of Barcelona supporters at Camp Nou.

With that, Los Blancos became the first side to beat Barcelona in the league this season, ending the Catalan club’s nine-game winning streak in the top flight. Had Barcelona won, they would have broken Real’s 1968-69 record for a best-ever start in the Spanish top flight.

It also marked a second straight defeat for Hansi Flick’s side, coming only days after they fell to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

As for Real, victory brought home bragging rights. Real now lead the head-to-head record with 107 wins to Barca’s 106 in their all-time Clasico record.

Mbappe hits a century of Real goals

A day before the world tunes in to watch the Ballon d’Or ceremony for the best player of the 2025-26 season, Mbappe achieved another milestone.

The French forward’s brace brought up his 100th goal for Real across all competitions since joining in 2024 from PSG.

The 27-year-old, the second-best La Liga scorer this season, is building on a remarkable performance last campaign, which saw him finish as La Liga and the Champions League’s top scorer, the World Cup Golden Boot winner and the all-time leading World Cup scorer.

Those statistics have made him one of the frontrunners for the Ballon d’Or ahead of Monday’s gala in London.

Real are slowly closing the gap on Barcelona

Defeats to Real Betis and Atletico Madrid last month shook Real’s top-flight campaign, but recent results reflect stability.

Real have now won five matches in a row – three in La Liga and two in the UCL – and seem to be coming into strong form.

Even though Sunday’s victory was just a second in eight games against Barcelona, Real are slowly reducing the gap on Barca this season, with just over a quarter of the season played.

After 10 matches, they are third in the league standings on 24 points, three points behind Barcelona, while Atletico are sandwiched in between, sitting second with 25 points.

Can Mourinho bring Real back to glory days?

The improvement in form suggests Mourinho’s Real can challenge Barcelona’s recent La Liga dominance in his first season back in Spain.

After two seasons without trophies, Real turned to old boss Mourinho to find a way to stop Barca’s dominance.

Although Mourinho has not won a league title since guiding Chelsea to the Premier League crown in 2014-15, his record as one of football’s most decorated managers remains formidable.

Thirteen years after his first spell at Real ended, Mourinho’s return to the Clasico offered a chance to make an immediate statement, and victory over Barcelona made it all the sweeter.

The result should also help to boost morale and build unity within the Real squad. ‌‌‌‌More importantly, Mourinho now has evidence that his methods can help return Real to the summit of Spanish football.

“If we win today but lose at El Sardinero, it counts for nothing, because Madrid isn’t ‌‌‌‌playing ‌‌‌‌to win at the Camp Nou,” Mourinho said. “They’re playing to win the championship.”

Mourinho has made his intentions clear.

After celebrating Sunday’s Clasico win with his trademark knee slide, the 63-year-old manager knows his job is far from over.

Having led Real to three trophies during his first spell, including a record-breaking La Liga ⁠⁠⁠⁠triumph, Mourinho knows best what Real are capable of achieving.

French superstar Kylian Mbappe scores brace for Madrid to inflict Barcelona’s first domestic defeat of the campaign.

Kylian Mbappe struck twice to earn Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid a 2-1 El Clasico victory over La Liga leaders Barcelona at Camp Nou, cutting the gap to three points.

French superstar Mbappe opened the scoring before half-time on Sunday and then slotted home late on to inflict Barca’s first domestic defeat of the campaign after Raphinha had equalised for the champions.

Real Madrid remain third, behind Atletico Madrid and Hansi Flick’s Barca, who had won their first nine games before a chastening week.

The Catalans suffered a second straight defeat after losing on Tuesday against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Barca had won six of the seven previous Clasicos since the German arrived but were surprisingly subdued against Mourinho’s side.

“In general we didn’t have a great game, in the first half we weren’t ourselves, there were a lot of things we could have done better,” Barcelona midfielder Pedri told DAZN.

“We wanted to win the Clasico in front of our fans, but the season is very long … a league is not won here.”

Los Blancos, without suspended winger Vinicius Junior, won their fifth straight game across all competitions and are finding their footing under veteran Portuguese coach Mourinho.

After two trophyless seasons Madrid turned back to Mourinho to try and stop Barca’s dominance, and this result will give them hope they are on the right track.

The opening period of the game was cagey, with few opportunities.

Barca defender Pau Cubarsi twice reacted well to shut down Mbappe, while Real Madrid’s Marc Cucurella took a rapid liking for Lamine Yamal’s shirt, constantly grabbing at the 19-year-old winger.

Anthony Gordon, playing in his first Clasico since joining Barcelona from Newcastle, backheeled the ball to Raphinha, who fired narrowly wide as Barca threatened.

The hosts were dealt a setback when young defender Xavi Espart pulled up hurt and needed to be replaced by Alejandro Balde before the half-hour mark.

Andriy Lunin, playing in goal for Madrid after Thibaut Courtois pulled out of the squad with flu, saved at his near post from Gordon before the visitors took the lead.

Mbappe scored his 10th league goal of the season and also his easiest, with Barca’s Gerard Martin clearing a cross straight at the Frenchman, who deflected it into the net.

Barca responded by carving out a glorious chance for an equaliser but teenage sensation Yamal for once miscued in front of goal, firing wide when poised to level.

The game opened up and Yan Diomande came close to doubling Madrid’s lead before half-time, drilling into the side-netting.

Martin redeemed himself early in the second half as he held off Jude Bellingham, who could neither beat the defender nor find a free Mbappe.

Raphinha, who had a quiet first half, pulled Barcelona level just after the hour mark.

Pedri fed the Brazilian, La Liga’s top goalscorer with 13, who fired through Bellingham’s legs and Lunin could not keep the shot out.

The Ukrainian goalkeeper did make a superb save to deny Martin at a corner, as Barcelona flowed forward with the wind finally in their sails.

Yamal bent an effort wide with Lunin at full stretch and Barca substitute Frenkie de Jong had a shot desperately blocked by Dean Huijsen.

There was a sting in the tail for the Catalans though as substitute Gabriel Jesus lost possession and Madrid raced through on goal.

Eduardo Camavinga beat Cubarsi and unselfishly cut the ball back for Mbappe to tuck home his second of the night into an empty net with Joan Garcia drawn out of position.

Demonstrators want pensions to remain indexed to inflation and the gender pension gap to be eliminated.

Approximately 25,000 people have gathered in the Spanish capital in support of the state pension scheme, as protests continue across Europe, prompted by a range of issues, including the cost of living, school conditions and alleged corruption.

Protesters from across the country marched through Madrid on Saturday before next month’s general election.

The pressure on Spain’s state pension scheme is being driven by several factors, including an ageing population, a low birth rate and wage stagnation, as well as a declining ratio of workers to pensioners.

Demonstrators are concerned that the state pension scheme could be significantly weakened depending on who wins next month’s election. The country’s monthly pension bill hit a record high this year of almost 14.5 billion euros ($16.2bn).

Protesters marched from Atocha train station to the Gran Via, Madrid’s busiest and most famous street.

Several of the demonstrators carried banners reading “protect and guarantee our pensions”.

Emilio Delgado serves as the deputy spokesperson of the left-wing party Mas Madrid in the Assembly of Madrid. Posting on X, he said that “no pension should be below the minimum wage. A lifetime of work deserves a dignified retirement.”

Protesters want pensions to remain indexed to inflation and are calling for the gender pension gap to be eliminated.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has accused the right-wing Popular Party (PP) of planning to weaken inflation-linked pension increases if it wins next month’s election.

However, leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo said on Monday that he would continue to raise pensions in line with inflation if his party wins the vote.

Sanchez has pledged to protect pensions if he remains in office and says the current pension system is affordable.

The system has gradually become more reliant on state funding because of a growing number of pensioners and increases in monthly payments.

Alora, Spain – The train chugs steadily out of Malaga station, its rhythmic clatter carrying it inland towards the mountains of the Guadalhorce Valley, where whitewashed villages cling to hillsides.

Beyond the window, pomegranate trees grow close to the tracks. Palms and cypress trees stand alongside young orange saplings planted in neat rows and, farther out, olive groves whose leaves shimmer between green and silver in the breeze. Above the rugged mountains, small white clouds float across an immense blue sky, like pieces of popcorn.

Over the train’s rattle, an announcement in Spanish comes through the speakers: “The next station is Aljaima.”

The name derives from the Arabic al-khaima, meaning “the tent”, a small echo of another language, another time.

And then Alora, where the town rises around a rocky hill crowned by the remains of an old fortress. Some etymologists suggest the town’s ancient name may derive from the Arabic al-lawra, loosely translated as “the light”.

The railway station is quiet in the midday heat.

A large black pick-up truck rumbles into the station car park and stops. Henrietta Szovati, a British-Hungarian Muslim, steps out, having driven down from the mountains to collect provisions.

Dressed in a loose blue shirt and cream trousers, she offers a warm embrace. Silver earrings dangle beside her face, and a sea-blue scarf is wrapped around her hair like a turban. A pair of red-framed spectacles rests on top.

She apologises for the truck’s state. Dust has settled on the dashboard, and bits of dried grass have found their way inside. “It is a working vehicle,” she says, more accustomed to hauling things across farmland than ferrying visitors from railway stations.

For the past two years, she and her husband, Ajmal Masroor, a therapist and imam, have been transforming an old farmhouse and its surrounding land into the House of Andalus. The project aims to bring people closer to southern Spain’s Islamic history and the natural world.

Nearly 400 olive trees dot the 14 hectares (35 acres). She wants to plant more and make it a thousand-tree olive grove, she says with a smile, glancing out of the truck’s open window.

The road winds higher into the mountains. Wildfires, Henrietta says, swept through parts of the surrounding region at the height of summer, and the landscape still bears the season’s harshness. Reddish-brown earth gives way to patches of parched scrub and exposed rock, while slabs of silvery-grey stone jut sharply from the slopes.

“That’s slate,” Henrietta explains, pointing through the windscreen. The Spanish word is pizarra, she adds, the same name as the neighbouring town.

Oranges flourish here, as do figs and avocados. And mangoes that are better than those from South Asia, Henrietta emphatically declares.

As we drive further into the mountains, Henrietta gestures towards a neighbouring property. “That’s my neighbour, Juan Garcia.”

Henrietta buys lemons, avocados and honey from him. Sometimes he comes over to help with the olives. It’s this sense of community and neighbourliness she found harder to come by in Britain, where she has lived since 2001, marrying Ajmal a year later.

“I feel like an outsider there. I’m still not ‘one of us’ after more than 20 years.”

As a Muslim and as a European, she says, Spain feels familiar in a way no other place does. Hungary was never an option, she adds, describing its government as “racist and right-wing”. And in Britain, she says, being Muslim can feel unavoidably political, her faith viewed through headlines and public arguments about Islam.

In the mountains above Alora, she feels her neighbours meet her first as Henrietta: the woman who lives up the track and joins in village life.

“Practising Islam here is just easier,” she adds.

Yet Spain is not immune to the political currents sweeping across Europe. The far-right Vox party has made opposition to immigration and what it calls the “Islamisation” of Spain central to its campaigning, raising questions about how secure that sense of belonging might be.

With a sigh, Henrietta acknowledges that being Muslim can be difficult anywhere in the world today. But she prefers to focus on what she can build, rather than on political circumstances beyond her control. “Circumstances change, but community, connections and faith don’t,” she says.

For her, that means building relationships with neighbours, even when they hold different beliefs. A sense of community, she argues, is forged through everyday encounters rather than political rhetoric.

On a visit to Juan Garcia’s home, his 79-year-old mother, Maria, is curious about the scarf wrapped around Henrietta’s hair.

The women are standing in Maria’s living room, its shutters drawn against the afternoon sun. A portrait of Jesus hangs on the wall.

Henrietta explains that she is Muslim and that covering her hair is part of her faith, a way to feel closer to God. Maria is Catholic. The conversation turns to the Virgin Mary, who also covered her hair.

But Maria insists all that matters is being a good person. If you cannot be good, none of the outward signs of faith means very much.

There is no awkwardness between them, no need to defend or explain their beliefs. The conversation moves on.

It is such ordinary encounters that have made Andalucia feel like home, Henrietta says. But her connection to this part of Spain runs deeper than the friendships she is making. It also stems from a deep respect for a history that stretches back more than 1,000 years.

For British Muslim travel writer and historian Tharik Hussain, author of Muslim Europe, the fascination is understandable. Al-Andalus was the medieval Muslim-ruled territory of modern-day Spain and Portugal. Its heartland lay in the south, in what is now Andalucia, home to cities such as Cordoba, Seville and Granada, where surviving monuments still evoke a period when Muslims helped shape European civilisation.

Its eventual loss, he says, has given it an almost “Atlantis-like aura” in the Muslim imagination, a longing reflected in Muslim literature over the centuries, from the 17th-century historian al-Maqqari to the 20th-century poet Allama Iqbal.

For nearly eight centuries, Muslim dynasties ruled parts of the Iberian Peninsula, leaving behind palaces and fortresses with horseshoe arches, intricate zellij tilework, carved yeseria plasterwork, and curling Arabic calligraphy. Their legacy endured in irrigation channels known as acequias (from the Arabic al-saqiya), scholarship, language and traditions that continued to shape Spain long after the fall of Granada in 1492.

Britons have long headed to Andalucia in search of a place in the sun. But among those putting down roots here are Muslims drawn by something more: The chance to reconnect with a history in which Islam was part of Europe, and to build lives where their faith feels less like a defining difference.

Yet the Andalucia they are entering is not a vanished kingdom waiting to be rediscovered; it is modern Spain, with its own economic pressures, social divisions, and complicated relationship with the past.

What happens when the dream of al-Andalus meets the realities of living here?

Louis was flying home after a two-week holiday with his partner when cabin crew woke him to deliver some unexpected news about his ‘£5,000’ luggage

A Brit holidaymaker was left amazed after finding out that the plane he was aboard had driven over his suitcase – ‘completely destroying’ the bag and everything inside it. Louis Maybury, 27, was flying home from Madrid to Manchester Airport after a fortnight’s holiday with his partner when cabin crew woke him up with an unexpected request.

With approximately 30 minutes until touchdown, he was asked to remain on board once the other passengers had disembarked. He was then escorted to the cockpit, where the pilot delivered the unwelcome news: his luggage had been run over by the aircraft back in Madrid.

Louis could do nothing but watch in disbelief as his mangled suitcase appeared on the baggage carousel, containing what he claims was around £5,000 worth of belongings. His partner filmed the moment the battered bag was handed back to him in tatters on 11 July.

Louis, from Manchester, said: “I was extremely upset by the situation. I had packed two full weeks’ worth of belongings, including everything I needed for my trip.

“Unfortunately, all of my belongings were destroyed.” EasyJet staff informed Louis that his suitcase had been run over on the tarmac at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, resulting in a two-and-a-half-hour delay.

Since then, he has been engaged in a dispute with the airline over compensation for his possessions, which he valued at £5,000. Among the damaged items were a Burberry bag worth just over £1,000, an Invisalign retainer costing £500, and three Acne Studios shirts valued at roughly £300 each.

He said: “I was eventually left with no choice but to accept the minimum compensation offered and try to recover the remaining losses through my own insurance. Everything was destroyed, included a designer bag, four pairs of shoes, expensive chargers and an Oral B Toothbrush.”

An easyJet spokesperson said: “We’re very sorry that Mr Maybury’s luggage fell from a baggage cart and was damaged by an aircraft as it was coming onto stand. Safety is our highest priority and our engineers subsequently carried out an inspection of the aircraft and cleared it for departure.

“We know how important it is for customers to feel confident that their belongings are well cared for when travelling with us, so we investigated this with our ground handling providers in Madrid at the time and contacted Mr Maybury to apologise for his experience and provided him with the compensation he is due.”

Kylian Mbappe and Yan Diomande score stunners as Real beat Leipzig to make it three from three in Champions League.

Real Madrid claimed a third Champions League victory in as many games, thrashing RB Leipzig 4-1 on Wednesday, with Kylian Mbappe and Yan Diomande among the goalscorers for Jose Mourinho’s side.

Bernardo Silva opened the scoring for Madrid from close range late in a tight first half, with Arda Guler doubling the advantage of the record 15-time European champions soon after the interval.

Mbappe bent home a third before Tidiam Gomis pulled one back for the German side, and Diomande rammed a volley into the top corner late on to cap Madrid’s triumph.

Their fourth consecutive win across all competitions will boost Madrid’s morale ahead of Sunday’s La Liga Clasico against bitter rivals Barcelona.

Without a major trophy in two seasons and after a shaky domestic start, Madrid can at least boast a perfect record in Europe, unlike Barca after their defeat at Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

Mourinho started Vinicius, serving a four-match ban in La Liga, on the left flank and benched former Leipzig winger Diomande, despite his improving form.

The coach also brought Bernardo Silva and Eduardo Camavinga into midfield and put midfielder Federico Valverde at right-back again, as he did in Sunday’s win at Sevilla.

Visitors Leipzig created the first big chance, with Madrid stopper Thibaut Courtois getting down low to make a superb save from Romulo Cardoso.

Vinicius, who improved on a poor showing at Roma last week without breaking out of his rut, drew a full-stretch save from Leipzig’s Maarten Vandevoordt.

Madrid carved out an advantage in the final stages of a low-key first half when Valverde cut the ball back for Guler, whose shot Vandevoordt saved. However, the goalkeeper could not clear it, and Silva darted in to prod over the line.

It was the former Manchester City midfielder’s first goal for the club after joining this summer.

Vandevoordt saved well from Valverde’s fierce effort before Guler put Madrid two goals ahead in the 52nd minute.

Jude Bellingham crossed to the back post and Mbappe nodded the ball across goal, with Guler able to hold off a defender and turn home.

Mbappe lashed a shot into the side netting after Bellingham teed it up, as Madrid looked to put the game out of sight.

Mourinho sent on Diomande for Vinicius with 20 minutes remaining, and the Brazilian looked disappointed on the bench, knowing he cannot play again until November 4, when Madrid visit AEK Athens.

Madrid’s record 140 million-euro ($157m) signing, Diomande, pulled the ball back to Mbappe on the edge of the box for Madrid’s third, and the French forward bent it home.

Leipzig quickly grabbed a consolation goal at the other end as Dean Huijsen switched off, with Gomis firing past Courtois.

Diomande ended proceedings with a bang, rattling an emphatic volley from Brahim Diaz’s cross into the top corner for his third goal in his last four appearances.

ONE UK airport which closed in 2022 is taking another step closer to welcoming passengers back.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport closed after becoming “commercially unviable” and has been left empty since, but it has now announced it’s set to come under public ownership.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard called the deal a “major milestone” towards reopening the airport.

According to reports, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) will buy the airport becoming the freehold owner and landlord to the City of Doncaster Council lease.

Oliver Coppard said that the airport being bought by SYMCA would also “provide long-term control, certainty and flexibility” and attract private investment too.

The proposals are subject to approval next week.

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Doncaster Sheffield Airport is preparing to reopen to passengers in 2028 as part of a £193million project.

Before it closed, the regional airport acted as a gateway to Europe for those living in the north of England.

It had airlines like TUI and Wizz Air and flew to the likes of Spain and Portugal.

When it reopens, it’s possible certain routes could be reinstated, as well as longer ones too.

The airport is home to one of the longest runways in Europe, measuring 2,893 metres, which means it could host big jets for long-haul journeys.

As of yet, no airlines have been confirmed for when the airport reopens.

Christian Foster, Director of FlyDoncaster – the company set up to manage the airport – told Sun Travel: “It does feel like the world has changed post-Covid, whereas people were focused on two weeks in Spain or Greece, nowadays we’re seeing a lot of people keen to take city breaks.”

“We’d love to fly to places like Croatia, and other destinations that are a bit more quirky like Azerbaijan.

“We’re keen to look at emerging places to visit as well, like India.“

Another plan for the airport is that when it opens, it will have local businesses rather than chains like Costa or Starbucks.

There would be a mixture of restaurants, bars and shops as well as seating.

Student protests in France are into their second month, escalating into demonstrations across Europe.

What began in September in France with pupils protesting against overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages has grown into wider anger at the cost of living and planned cuts to public services.

Protesters in Albania, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain have also taken to the streets over the lack of affordable housing, rising costs and failing public services – with many young people saying they no longer expect to be better off than their parents.

Facing their anger are leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spain’s PM Pedro Sanchez and Portugal’s PM Luis Montenegro. Sanchez belongs to the left, Meloni to the right and Macron and Montenegro are conservative-leaning centrists. But while their politics vary, they all face mounting unrest because of soaring costs of living.

Are they out of touch with the experiences and sentiments of youth in their countries? Al Jazeera visualises how prices, wages, housing and education have changed in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal over the past 26 years, from when Macron, Meloni, Sanchez and Montenegro were in their 20s, much like many of the protesters angry with them.

How much more expensive is it compared to 2000?

The prices paid for everyday items such as food, energy, transport and bills have risen by between 59 and 78 percent since 2000 in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, according to Eurostat – the European Union’s statistics agency. Its harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) is the EU’s official measure of how much everyday goods and services cost.

Spain recorded the steepest increase at 78 percent, followed by Portugal at 71 percent, 68 percent in Italy and France at 59 percent.

That means goods and services that cost 100 euros ($112) in 2000 now cost about 178 euros ($200) in Spain, 171 euros ($192) in Portugal, 168 euros ($188) in Italy and 159 euros ($178) in France.

Prices rose by about 2 percent a year on average, but jumped in 2022, when annual inflation hit 8.7 percent in Italy, 8.3 percent in Spain, 8.1 percent in Portugal and 5.9 percent in France, the highest rate in all four countries since at least 2000.

The surge was driven mainly by energy costs, which soared after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. By October that year, eight months into the war, energy prices across the eurozone were almost 42 percent higher than a year earlier, and food prices were also rising sharply, according to Eurostat.

Between 2021 and 2023, prices increased by 12 to 15 per cent in the four countries. Wages failed to keep up, and because prices do not fall back once inflation eases, many households are still feeling the squeeze today.

How have salaries changed?

Once inflation is taken into account, the average full-time wage in Italy fell by almost 5 per cent between 2000 and 2025. Over the same period, real wages rose by 7 per cent in Spain, 11 per cent in France and 20 per cent in Portugal, according to OECD wage data adjusted with Eurostat’s price index.

In Spain most new jobs were in tourism and services, and were often seasonal and poorly paid,  Jaime Velazquez, a journalist in Madrid, told Al Jazeera’s Inside Story.

Julius Fintelmann, cofounder and editor-in-chief of The European Correspondent, said ageing societies were squeezing out opportunities for younger workers, adding that the pay gap between older and younger workers has been widening across high-income economies for decades, so the promise that each generation would be better off than the last no longer holds.

How has the cost of housing changed?

Housing has become harder to afford in all four countries since 2000, according to the OECD’s price-to-income ratio. It provides a broad picture of how house prices have changed relative to incomes over time. When prices rise faster than incomes, the ratio goes up, suggesting homes are becoming less affordable on average.

However, it doesn’t show which households or regions are hit hardest, does not account for mortgage and borrowing costs, and says nothing about the quality of the homes people are paying for.

Spain has seen the biggest change. Its price-to-income ratio is 56 per cent higher than in 2000, even after falling sharply following the 2008 financial crisis.

In France, the ratio is 39 per cent higher than in 2000, though it has eased slightly since peaking in 2022.

Italy is the exception where house prices have broadly kept pace with incomes, leaving the ratio just 5 per cent higher than in 2000.

Portugal has seen the sharpest change in recent years. Its price-to-income ratio fell steadily for 15 years after 2000, meaning homes became more affordable. But since 2015 the ratio has risen by 67 per cent.

The OECD publishes the price-to-income ratio with 2015 as its reference year. To compare it with the wage and price data in this article, which started in 2000, Al Jazeera has reset the figures so that 2000 = 100.

How has state expenditure on education changed?

Education has been at the heart of the unrest in France, where protests began because of overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages. While in Belgium and Albania, demonstrators have rallied against the rising cost of education and access to universities.

According to the latest data from Eurostat, France’s public spending on education amounts to 5.1 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) compared to 5.6 per cent in 2000.

Italy spent 4.4 per cent of its GDP on education compared to 4 per cent in 2024, Spain spent 4.1 per cent in 2000 and the same in 2024. Portugal spent 4.8 per cent in 2000 and 4.3 per cent in 2024.

Eight areas in Spain remain under lockdown as Storm Adam continues to wreak havoc

Eight areas in Spain remain under lockdown after restrictions were lifted for some 137 municipalities earlier on Monday, October 19.

Large swathes of the country were ordered to stay indoors as Storm Adam wreaked catastrophic havoc across eastern Spain. Initially, the emergency lockdown covered 78 municipalities in Valencia province and 67 in Alicante. However, according to the Olive Press: “Restrictions have ended for 137 of 145 municipalities, but eight towns in La Safor and La Marina Alta remain under lockdown.

“Please be aware that the following areas are still confined: Bellreguard, Daimús, Oliva, Xàbia, Pego, Miramar, Piles, and Els Poblets. Stay safe and always check local guidelines before travelling through these areas.”

Two fatalities have been confirmed, with a third potential victim of the storm discovered on Monday afternoon when Military Emergency Unit (UME) personnel uncovered the body of an elderly woman in her flood-ravaged home in Oliva, Valencia province. Authorities are yet to officially confirm whether the death was a direct result of drowning or natural causes.

According to the Majorca Daily Bulletin, rainfall totals surpassed 600 litres per square metre, rivers burst their banks and residents were left stranded on rooftops. Helicopters were deployed to rescue those trapped as torrential downpours swept through eastern Spain on Monday, triggering devastating floods that claimed at least two lives and prompted authorities to issue shelter-in-place orders for more than 800,000 residents.

Real Madrid beat Sevilla 4-1 a day after Barcelona thrashed Real Betis 5-2, as the Spanish giants prepare for El Clasico.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Real Madrid closed the gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona to six points with ⁠⁠a 4-1 win over Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu, a week before the rivals meet.

Despite the absence of suspended Vinicius Jr, Real produced the fluid attacking football the team had been lacking of late, with Arda Guler again orchestrating their best work on Sunday.

After a stale opening, the Turkish international sparked the match into life.

Sevilla appealed for a red card following an incident involving Guler and Peque Fernandez, but Guler responded minutes later by collecting Yan Diomande’s pass and arrowing a shot into ⁠⁠the top corner.

Mbappe scored an equally impressive second in the 37th ⁠⁠minute, turning brilliantly to burst through on goal before calmly beating Odysseas Vlachodimos.

Fede Valverde, restored to right back by coach Jose Mourinho, made a crucial block to deny Felix Correia just before the hour as Sevilla threatened to work ⁠⁠their way back into the contest.

Diomande then exploited the space created by Sevilla’s more adventurous approach, evading his marker before sending Mbappe in ⁠⁠behind the defence. Andres Castrin brought down the French forward, ⁠⁠who got to his feet to convert the resulting penalty and effectively settle the contest.

Substitute Manu Bueno reduced Sevilla’s arrears with a composed finish 10 minutes from time after Mbappe cheaply surrendered possession deep inside his own half.

Diomande restored Real’s ‌‌three-goal advantage two minutes later, capping a fine display with a thunderous strike.

Eder Militao received a warm ovation when he came on in the 85th minute for his first appearance since undergoing ‌‌hamstring ‌‌surgery in April.

Mourinho will take encouragement from one of the most complete performances of his second spell at Real as they prepare for next Sunday’s pivotal meeting with Barcelona.

Real, who have won three straight games in all competitions following the international break, climbed ⁠⁠to third on 21 points, one behind Atletico Madrid, while Sevilla are sixth on 14.

Earlier on Saturday, Barcelona beat Real Betis 5-2 to make it nine wins from nine and ⁠⁠stretch their blistering league tally to 39 goals.

Lamine Yamal lit the fuse with a dazzling opener before Rodri, Gabriel Jesus, Eric Garcia and substitute Dani Olmo joined the party, while Valentin Gomez and Ez Abde replied for Betis, who played much of the ⁠⁠second half with 10 men after Facundo Bernal was sent off for head-butting Lamine.

Barca moved to 27 points, five above Atletico, who won 1-0 at Espanyol, while third-placed Betis have 19 and Real Madrid sit fourth on 18 before welcoming Sevilla on Sunday.

Elsewhere, Osasuna withstood second-half pressure from Racing Santander to win 2-0 in Jagoba Arrasate’s first game back as manager.

Two flying saves from Ionut Radu denied Alaves a point in a 2-1 defeat to Celta Vigo, while ‌‌Real Sociedad won 5-2 at Malaga.

Netflix publicly reported box office results for the first time in its history this weekend as it released its queer drama “La Bola Negra” in U.S. theaters.

The Spanish-language film opened in limited release — just four theaters in Los Angeles and New York — and brought in $277,500 on a reported production budget of $15 million to $17 million. That averaged out to about $69,375 per screen, the second-highest per-screen average for a non-English language film.

Netflix acquired the U.S. rights to the film at Cannes, reportedly for about $5 million.

The Los Gatos-based streaming giant plans to expand the number of locations in the coming weeks to as many as 300 theaters across the country. The film already opened in Spain in late September.

“La Bola Negra” will be available on Netflix on Dec. 2.

Netflix has high hopes for the film, which won six audience awards on the festival circuit and will be Spain’s entry for the Academy Awards.

But the U.S. debut comes at a rocky time for Netflix, which cut 6% of its workforce, or about 1,000 jobs, last week. The layoffs, which are believed to be the largest in company history, included Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria, who was replaced by former Disney executive Peter Rice.

The move arrives as Netflix’s stock price has tumbled, and the company is under pressure from shareholders to churn out more hit films and TV shows, while increasing engagement on the platform.

Elsewhere at the box office, Paramount Pictures’ video game adaptation “Street Fighter” took the top spot, with a domestic haul of $31 million. It is the first major release from Skydance, the company formed when Paramount completed its $111-billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery earlier this month.

A24’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary, “You Can See Everything,” which opened on only 855 screens, made about $15 million, while Universal Pictures’ “Other Mommy” ($8.3 million), Disney-owned 20th Century Studios’ “Whalefall” ($8 million) and Universal-owned Focus Features’ “Sense and Sensibility” ($7.2 million) rounded out the top five.