Interior minister says he is unaware of any EU law against measure. “Belgian police use it on occasions and other European countries as well,” Fernández Díaz argues

Brussels has sharp words for Spain over razor wire migrant fence

Lucía Abellán Brussels

Commissioner’s remarks coincide with fresh attempt to scale Melilla barrier by sub-Saharans

“They took 12 hours to sew me up after I jumped”

Ignacio Cembrero Valencia

Immigrants injured by razor wire on Melilla border tell their stories

BUSINESS

From the tatami to the cloud

Lluís Pellicer

Two Spanish karatekas hold the reins at Numintec, a technology company looking to take Latin America by storm

PUBLIC FINANCES

Treasury issues five-year debt at lowest rate since 2005

El País / Agencies

Moody’s improves outlook on Spain’s ratings as the economy recovers

BANKING SECTOR

IMF highlights solvency of Spanish banks after restructuring

Agencies / Íñigo de Barrón Soeul / Madrid

But troika members express concern about sustainable earnings

BUSINESS

Brazil urges Telefónica to sell stake in rival TIM Brasil

Reuters Brasilia

Alternative would be to find partner for Vivo unit

A image supplied by the Museo de la Evolución Humana of a drawing of Homo heidelbergensis, like those found at Atapuerca. / Kennis & Kennis (EFE)

Spanish site yields oldest human DNA

Alicia Rivera 1

Analysis of fossil from Atapuerca uncovers link to Siberian hominids

ENERGY SECTOR

Government agrees solution with power suppliers to avoid rate hike

Miguel Ángel Noceda Madrid

Utilities will be allowed to securitize 3.6-billion-euro tariff deficit

"ANTI PROTEST" LAW

Council of Europe slams PP bill hiking fines for protestors at rallies

Esperanza Escribano Claramunt Brussels 1

Security law violates right to assembly, says organization's human rights commissioner Muiznieks

Judges, lawyers and police argue Safety Law will curtail rights

María Fabra / Fernando J. Pérez Madrid 3

Government is seeking to protect itself with "unnecessary legislation" in country with relatively low crime rate

EDUCATION

No improvement in math, but students up in reading and science

J. A. Aunión / Elisa Silió Madrid

OECD’s latest Pisa global education survey places Spain slightly below average

CATALAN POLITICS

Catalan pro-sovereignty parties seek deal for united ballot front

Maiol Roger Barcelona

ERC will consider joint candidacy for EU parliamentary elections if independence vote goes ahead

Idea of an independent Catalonia gets a NATO no-go

Luis Doncel Brussels

Consensus among 28 Atlantic Alliance members required for any new member, spokesman warns Spanish region

35 YEARS OF SPAIN'S CONSTITUTION

King Juan Carlos signs the Constitution in Congress on December 27, 1978. / marisa flórez

Reform: mission impossible

Fernando Garea Madrid

Spain's major political forces have plenty of ideas on how to update the country's Constitution when in opposition. Only external pressure has produced actual changes

ECONOMIC INDICATOR

Services sector expands again for first time in three months

El País Madrid

New orders grow at fastest pace since 2007

LABOR

Unemployment falls in November for the first time in decades

El País / Agencies Madrid

Opposition points to falling Social Security affiliation as sign of declining active population due to emigration

LABOR LAW

One-year trial work contract without compensation ruled illegal

Clara Blanchar Barcelona

Judgment applied to case of a laborer who was dismissed eight days before the 12-month period ended

SOCIETY

A member of one of Barcelona's cannabis clubs. / TEJEDERAS

Barcelona to curb cannabis clubs

Jordi Mumbrú Escofet Barcelona

Municipal authorities estimate that the city has 200 such establishments

SECURITY

Portugal unveils new high-tech system to protect its coast

El País Madrid

It will have 20 radars and cameras installed along the coast

Musicians arrive at the Conde Duque cultural center for the auditions. / samuel sánchez

Guitars, trumpets and nerves

Cristina Pop Madrid

Madrid begins the new audition process for its street musicians

ECONOMY

Lending to households suffers record fall as banks play it tight

Álvaro Romero / Andrew Sim Madrid

Company credit also slumps to lowest level since 2007

Spanish manufacturing suffers renewed decline in November

Andrew Sim Madrid

First contraction in four months highlights “fragility” of sector

Institute of Legal Medicine in the failed City of Justice site. / ULY MARTÍN

Madrid’s €500-million “City of Justice” complex dies a death

Esther Sánchez / Pilar Álvarez Madrid

Opposition group asks where all the money has gone as coordinating company’s assets seen on slide

toward the end of eta terrorism

Prosecutors find no evidence of glorifying terrorism in ETA homages

El País Bilbao / Madrid

Government delegate criticizes Basque police "inaction" over receptions for prisoners released under “Parot doctrine” ruling

road safety

Catalonia wants to cancel licenses for at-risk drivers

Antía Castedo Barcelona

Planned measures focus on alcoholics, drug addicts and mental disorder patients, although health authorities express caution

constitutional debate

Nationalist regional parties to snub Constitution anniversary

Anabel Díez Madrid

CiU, PNV, ERC and ‘abertzale’ groups among those set to steer clear of December 6 parliamentary celebrations

INTELLIGENCE

Ex-spy for Spain and Mossad requests political asylum in Madrid

Ignacio Cembrero Madrid

50-year-old Algerian and his family have been living inside Barajas airport’s transit zone since late last month

MEMORIES OF THE EURO CRISIS

Who’s in charge in Spain?

Claudi Pérez

Experts criticize the letter sent by Trichet to Zapatero in 2011 as the euro crisis threatened to dismantle the single-currency bloc

Policemen jailed for stealing €2.7m from ex-minister

Andreu Manresa Palma de Mallorca 1

Bodyguards for Matutes “betrayed all principles of trust,” says retired Popular Party politician

POLITICS

Poll predicts fragmented political future for Spain

Fernando Garea Madrid 1

Metroscopia survey for EL PAÍS shows PP and Socialists well short of a majority as leftist IU and centrist UPyD rise

Más información

Spain gets tough draw for World Cup group stage

Holder will face the Netherlands, Chile and Australia in opening round

Former soccer Wold Cup winners Cafú, Cannavaro and Zidane during the draw for the 2014 tournament in Brazil. / Victor R. Caivano (AP)

TRANS-IBERIAN BLOG

¡Chicas! Chicos! and Sensacional Soul — digging into Spanish music

Time to stop overlooking the country's surprisingly fabulous pop history

REAL MADRID

Real Madrid turns against its fanatical Ultras

Diego Torres / El País Madrid

Bernabéu club rescinds passes for hardcore supporters after bar brawl

“After London people have taken more notice of women’s sport”

Handball players Eli Pinedo and Macarena Aguilar ready for the world

SOCIAL NETWORKS

Follow EL PAÍS in English on Twitter, Facebook and Eskup

Connect with us to get all the latest Spanish news in English

FEATURES

RTVV CLOSURE

Thousands protested the decision to close RTVV in the streets of Valencia on Saturday. / tania castro

The on-air demise of Canal 9

Ferran Bono / Sara Velert Valencia

Thousands call for Valencia premier Fabra's resignation after public TV switch-off

How politics has blighted Spain’s regional broadcasters

SPANISH INTELLIGENCE SERVICE'S DARKESt DAY

Ambush at Latifiya

Miguel González

A decade on from the killing of seven CNI agents in Iraq, the only suspect is a translator who was questioned at the time and sent to the notorious Abu Ghraib jail

JUSTICE

(Left to right) Josu Naberan, Alberto Gabikagogeaskoa, Juan Mari Zulaita and Julen Kalzada. / Txetxu Berruezo

The great priest escape

Natalia Junquera

A group of clerics is seeking justice in a court action against the crimes of former Spanish dictator Franco

state subsidies

Sinking money into a pit

Rafael Méndez / Patricia Peiró

The Miner Plan showered tens of millions of euros on the struggling mining regions of León, Teruel and Córdoba, but it failed to foment job-generating alternatives to coal

David Álvarez (seated, second from right) with his seven children in their last full family photo taken in 2005.

‘Falcon Crest’ at Spain’s top winery

Mábel Galaz

Feud divides Vega Sicilia-owning family as father fights to hold on to reins of business empire

HEALTHCARE

Around 20,000 homeopathic remedies were regularized in 1994 under a supposedly temporary measure. / C. B.

An end to limbo for homeopathic remedies

María R. Sahuquillo Madrid

The Health Ministry is to finally introduce regulations for thousands of products

interview

Former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who was in power from 2004 until 2011. / LUIS SEVILLANO (EL PAÍS)

“Talks must go as far as they can. Spain needs Catalonia; Catalonia needs Spain”

José Manuel Romero / Vera Gutiérrez Calvo 1

Former PM José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero defends the budget deficit cap his government passed, and downplays the need for a revision of the agreements that cover the Catholic Church