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

Spain's Iberian lynx population hits record high

Spain’s Iberian lynx population has reached a new record high, with more than 2,400 counted in 2024.

This represents a 19 percent increase on 2023 figures and consolidates, according to experts, “a positive demographic trend that has continued over the last 20 years in which actions were taken to reduce the risk of extinction.”

The data is provided by an extensive report drawn up by the Iberian lynx working group coordinated by Spain's Ministry for Ecological Transition. The fieldwork data shows there 2,047 lynxes are now registered in Spain (85.3 percent of the species) and 354 in Portugal, 14.7 percent of the total.

Ikea opens its first hotel in Spain

Popular Swedish furniture and home design chain Ikea is making its debut as a hotelier in Spain with the recent opening of its first establishment in the Canary Islands.

The Las Dunas de Santa Catalina Boutique House, a two-star boutique hotel in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is located a five-minute walk from the famous Las Alcaravaneras Beach.

With its first opening in Spain and a second in the works, the Swedish group is putting its confidence behind the Spanish hotel sector, which closed 2024 with more than 3 billion in investment.

Cantabrian Socialists want to make first year of university fees free

The Cantabrian Socialists (PSOE) have proposed free first year university tuition for all students to facilitate “universal access” to education regardless of academic performance.

With this proposal, the Cantabrian PSOE wants to follow in the footsteps of the Asturias regional government, headed by Socialist President Adrián Barbón, which has already implemented the measure.

In contrast to the proposal for free tuition based on academic excellence, which is fairly common across some parts of Spain, the PSOE proposes free tuition during the first year of university and that in the following years, not only academic performance but also the family's economic situation should be taken into account when giving out financial aid.

Spain PM's brother to face influence peddling trial

A Spanish court on Thursday ruled the brother of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will face trial for alleged influence peddling, increasing the legal pressure on the Socialist's family and allies.

The court, in the southwestern city of Badajoz, ruled that David Sánchez would go on trial over alleged irregularities in his role as the regional head of performing arts.

The investigation into the premier's younger brother began in November following a complaint from "Manos Limpias" (Clean Hands), a group with far-right ties.

Manos Limpias accused him of collecting a public salary without going to his place of work as required. It also questioned the circumstances surrounding his recruitment to the post in 2017 by Badajoz province's Socialist administration.

Jail term quashed in gay man's murder that shocked Spain

A Spanish court said Thursday it had cleared a man who had been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the 2021 murder of a gay man that outraged the country.

Samuel Luiz, a 24-year-old Brazilian-born nursing assistant, died in hospital after a group of men viciously punched and kicked him outside a nightclub in the northwestern city of A Coruña in July 2021.

A court handed prison sentences ranging from 10 to 24 years to four men over the death, with the harshest jail term given to the main accused, who shouted homophobic insults during the attack.

One of the defendants, Alejandro M.R., received a 10-year prison sentence as an accomplice for preventing Luiz from fleeing and blocking people from helping him.

But the top court in the northwestern Galicia region accepted on Thursday his appeal because the conviction "lacks evidence".

"No eyewitness states they saw him strike, confront the victim, prevent him from being helped, nor impeding his escape," the court said in a statement.