Today in Spain: A roundup of the latest news on Monday

Record number of women over 50 giving birth in Spain

For the first time in a decade, 2024 saw an increase in births in Spain with 322,034 babies born.

However, there were never so many women over 50 given birth, nor so few women under 19 having children.

Last year, 313 women over 50 gave birth in Spain, a figure almost three times higher than the record posted ten years earlier, when 121 births were recorded in this age group, according to data from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE).

Four young men arrested for gang rape in Valencia

Spanish police have arrested four men from for an alleged sexual assault on a young woman on Malvarrosa beach in Valencia, very close to the Akuarela nightclub.

The suspects, aged between 18 and 20 and from the Spanish region of La Rioja, were spending a few days in Valencia for the May 1st bank holiday.

They were quickly identified and arrested hours after the incident at a tram stop thanks to the testimony of a friend of the alleged victim.

Galicia to launch fish voucher for residents

The northwestern coastal region of Galicia, known for its fishing industry and sea-themed gastronomy, will soon have its own Bono Peixe (Fish Voucher) as a means of allowing locals to afford the price of fish.

The goal is not only to get Gallegos to eat this healthy source of food, but to also ensure that local fishmongers don’t lose customers.

It’s not completely clear yet how the Bono Peixe will work but the Galician government hopes 50,000 people will have access to a weekly €5 fish bonus for an initial trial period of 10 weeks.

Inflation has caused people from all corners of Spain to change their eating habits, in general lowering their intake of fresh produce, meat and fish.

Thousands of train passengers suffer delays due to cable theft

Around 10,700 commuters and 30 trains were affected this Sunday by a cable theft in several locations in Spain’s central Toledo province, an incident which caused late-day delays and a halt to the high-speed rail line between Madrid and Seville.

Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente described the incident as "a serious act of sabotage" and called for public cooperation in finding those responsible for the theft, which was particularly disruptive as thousands of travellers were returning home from the May Day long weekend.

By early Monday morning, all affected services had been restored, Renfe head Álvaro Fernández de Heredia reported.