Spanish police arrested two suspected al Qaeda terrorists on Tuesday but said they had no indication of an imminent attack.
The Interior Ministry identified the suspects as Nou Mediouni, of "Algerian origin," who was arrested in the north-central city of Zaragoza, and Hassan El Jaaouani, of "Moroccan origin," and arrested in the southeastern city of Murcia.
Spanish police worked with their counterparts in France and Morocco to carry out the latest arrests, the Interior Ministry statement said.
FULL STORYTens of thousands of protesters are expected to turn out in towns and cities across Spain on Saturday to voice their anger over harsh austerity and the way the country's being run in the wake of its financial crisis.
Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Zaragoza are just a handful of the cities where big crowds are expected to join the mass demonstration, dubbed the "Marea Cuidadana" (Tide of Citizens).
Members of workers' unions and civil society groups are joining forces to swell their numbers.Organizers are using the hashtags #MareaCiudadana, #F23 and #YoVoy23F on Twitter to help protesters link up ahead of the marches.
The country's unemployment rate stands at 26% - its highest level ever - and the situation is even worse for young people, with more than 55% of 16- to 24-year-olds out of work. With no income, many Spaniards are finding themselves unable to afford the mortgage payments on homes that are no longer worth the prices paid for them.
FULL STORY
Early editions of Spain's leading newspaper Thursday displayed a large front-page photo claiming to be an "unprecedented" and "exclusive" look at Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's medical treatment in Cuba.
But the intubated man lying in a hospital bed shown in the photo wasn't Chavez, the newspaper soon discovered, and began backtracking.
El Pais took down the photo, which was on the newspaper's website for about 30 minutes, and also recalled the early editions of its newspaper from newsstands.
Three young women were killed and two others are in serious condition after being crushed in a crowd at a Halloween party in Madrid early Thursday morning, the spokesman for Madrid's ambulance service told CNN.
At least 14 passengers on a Spain-bound vessel died when the craft sunk off the coast of Morocco, a Moroccan official said Friday.
Mustapha Khalfi, Moroccan minister of communication, said the sinking took place Thursday in the Mediterranean Sea off the Moroccan city of Alhucemas. FULL POST
The efforts of an elderly parishioner to restore a 120-year-old fresco on a column inside a Spanish church have some wondering if a Mr. Bean movie was the inspiration for the effort.
The fresco, titled Ecce Homo (Behold the Man), is a depiction of Jesus Christ with a crown of thorns. It was painted on a wall of the Sanctuary of Mercy at Borja, near Zaragoza, Spain, by artist Elias Garcia Martinez more than a century ago.
Its troubling "restoration" occurred after the local Center for Borja Studies received the donation of a canvas done by Garcia from one his granddaughters who lives nearby, according to the center's blog.
Center staff noted that the only other known work by Garcia in the area was Ecce Homo, went to the church to photograph the fresco, and realized it was in bad shape.
Imagine being aboard a commercial airliner as it violently bucks and bumps through rough winds. Or, the feeling of terror as you realize the aircraft you're on has to make an emergency landing. You've gotta watch how some pilots handled intense moments like these - all caught on camera.
Planes landing in Bilbao, Spain, fight to land straight while flying in 50-60 mph winds.
In 2008, iReporter Dave Gering shared his experience of riding on a plane that nearly crashed in Germany.
The FAA released audiotapes of the US Airways flight that crash-landed in the Hudson River.
Spain's best-known judge was acquitted Monday of improperly investigating human rights abuses under the former dictatorship of Francisco Franco.
However, Judge Baltasar Garzon remains under suspension. He was removed from the bench by Spain's judicial authority last week following his conviction in a second case. The nation's Supreme Court said Garzon improperly ordered wiretaps while investigating a financial corruption case.
Monday's acquittal was on a 6-1 ruling, according to a court spokesman.
Earlier this month, the court dropped a third case against Garzon, saying the statute of limitations had expired on alleged abuse involving some courses he taught at New York University years ago.
FULL STORYThe son-in-law of Spain's King Juan Carlos arrived in court to testify before a magistrate Saturday as a suspect in a fraud scandal that has created unprecedented problems for the popular royal family.
Inaki Urdangarin, who was granted the title of Duke of Palma when he married the king's youngest daughter, Princess Cristina, in 1997, is under investigation for allegedly diverting public funds that were earmarked for his foundation for private use.
Urdangarin, with a serious look on his face and flanked by his lawyer, stopped briefly to make a statement to a group of reporters who were allowed inside a court-designated security zone.
"I am here today to demonstrate my innocence," Urdangarin said. "During these years I have carried out my responsibilities and have made decisions in a correct manner and with total transparency. My intention today is to clear up the truth about the facts."
FULL STORYPopular Party leader Mariano Rajoy is poised to become the next prime minister of economically embattled Spain, with his ascension assured after the ruling Socialist Party's candidate conceded Sunday's national election.
Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba made the concession before a somber crowd of Socialist Party supporters - a stark contrast to the raucous, celebratory crowd gathered outside the Popular Party headquarters in Madrid.
According to updates from about 10:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. ET) on the interior ministry website - at which point over 87% of all votes had been counted - the Popular Party had about 9.4 million votes (44% of the total votes counted) and was leading in the races for 187 seats in parliament. That compares with the just over 6 million votes for the Socialist Party, giving it an advantage in 110 legislative contests.
FULL STORYTwo Spaniards and an Italian were kidnapped overnight in Algeria from a Western Sahara encampment where they were providing aid, officials said Sunday.
Spain's Foreign Ministry said it has contacted the families of its two nationals, a man and a woman, but declined to provide details about them or the circumstances of the kidnapping.
The Italian Foreign Ministry also confirmed the kidnapping of its national, a woman.
The abductions occurred in the Raguni refugee encampment in the Algerian province of Tinduf, across the border from Western Sahara, a territory in dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Front.
Spanish news reports - citing Spanish aid organization colleagues of the two Spaniards kidnapped - said there apparently were shots fired during the kidnapping and that at least one of the three captives may have been injured.
FULL STORYThe Basque separatist group ETA announced Thursday a "definitive cessation of its armed activity" in a statement published on the website of Gara, a newspaper that the group has used to convey messages in the past.
Listed as a terrorist organization by Spain, the United States and the European Union, ETA is blamed for hundreds of deaths in its decades-long fight for an independent Basque state that it wants carved out of sections of northern Spain and southwestern France.
Thursday's announcement follows a recent push for the group to abandon violence permanently. That effort was led by international figures who include Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams of Northern Ireland and former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
In a nationally televised address hours after the announcement was posted, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero termed ETA's announcement as being of "transcendental importance" and a "victory for democracy."
"Ours will be a democracy without terrorism, but not without memory," Zapatero said, referring to 829 people killed by ETA and their families.
FULL STORYA Spanish judge has again indicted three U.S. soldiers in connection with the death of a Spanish TV cameraman in Iraq in 2003, according to a court order viewed by CNN Wednesday.
The long-running case stems from the death of the cameraman, Jose Couso in Baghdad in 2003. U.S. troops assaulted the Iraqi capital and directed tank fire against the Palestine Hotel, where journalists covering the war were staying.
The three U.S. soldiers were first indicted by the judge in 2007. The case was closed in 2008 but reopened last year after Couso's family appealed to Spain's Supreme Court.
The latest indictment, dated Tuesday but made public on Wednesday, alleges that the three U.S. troops were linked to U.S. tank fire directed against the hotel, where Couso was videotaping the battle. He died from his wounds shortly afterward.
The three, identified as Philip de Camp, Phillip Wolford and Thomas Gibson, were assigned to the U.S. 3rd Infantry, based in Fort Stewart, Georgia.
FULL STORY
With China’s first aircraft carrier completing sea trials this week, we thought it would be good to look at other countries that operate aircraft carriers.
Aircraft carriers give nations so-called blue water navies, with the ability to project military power far from their nation's shores. The carriers often are good neighbors, too, as essential platforms for disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.
Brazil: The Brazilian navy operates the Sao Paulo, a French Clemenceau-class light aircraft carrier it acquired from France in 2000. The Sao Paulo can carry up to 40 aircraft and operates with a mix of A-4 jets and helicopters. It was originally commissioned in France in 1963.
France: The French navy operates the Charles de Gaulle, a nuclear-powered light aircraft carrier. The de Gaulle can carry 35 to 40 aircraft and about 2,000 personnel. It entered service in 2001. Most recently the de Gaulle has been supporting NATO operations over Libya.
India: The Indian navy operates the INS Viraat, formerly the British carrier HMS Hermes, which it acquired in 1987. Viraat is a vertical short takeoff and landing carrier with displacement of almost 29,000 tons. It can carry up to 12 fighter aircraft and nine helicopters.
Spanish soccer powerhouse Real Madrid has made what is sure to be one of the most talked-about moves of the off-season, signing a 7-year-old Argentine to its youth system, according to an Argentine sports website.
The Spanish-language Ole ran an interview with Leonel Angel Coira in which the youngster said he had signed a contract to play in the Galacticos' youngest division.
Real Madrid had no word of the signing on its website, but goal.com reported that club spokesman Juan Tapiador confirmed the news Monday.
According to goal.com, Real Madrid snapped up the youngster to ward off attempts by other European clubs in the future – namely rival Atletico Madrid, which Ole said had already expressed interest in Coira.
Coira told Ole last week that he preferred making assists over scoring goals, that he can juggle a ball eight or nine times without dropping it and that his dream is to play for Real Madrid's first team, which is home to some of the world's greatest players, including Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo.
His training with the under-9 players - or Benjamins, as they're known - begins September 6, he added. The team's Benjamin A squad is composed of 10-year-olds and one 11-year-old.
Three things you need to know today.
Festival of San Fermin: The bulls begin running through the streets on Thursday, but a full week of partying begins at midday today in Pamplona, Spain, as the Festival of San Fermin begins.
iReport: Share your photos of Pamplona
The festival officially begins with the igniting of the Txupinazo rocket in the town's Plaza Ayuntamiento as Pamplona's mayor and town council open the celebrations.
Thousands of bottle champagne will be sprayed and consumed as the party goes into full swing.
For an idea of how the famous running of the bulls will go beginning Thursday, check out this great infographic from Spain's EITB.
Royals to visit destroyed town: Prince William and his wife, Catherine, will visit a fire-stricken town in central Alberta on Wednesday, the seventh day of their Canadian tour.
Slave Lake was devastated by a May wildfire that destroyed homes and other structures.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will meet emergency services personnel from the fire brigade, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the medical response team in the town before visiting with families affected by the disaster.
Clemens' trial: Jury selection begins Wednesday in the perjury trial of baseball legend Roger Clemens.
Clemens is fighting a six-count federal indictment for allegedly misleading members of Congress over use of performance-enhancing drugs.
The former all-star pitcher testified under oath in 2008 that he never used illegal performance-enhancing substances during his 23-year career.
Clemens has never tested positive for drug use, but his name was among 86 that appeared in a report by former Sen. George Mitchell. The 400-page report listed players who are said to have used drugs to improve their performance on the field.
Sports Illustrated's Michael McCann answers eight questions about the Clemens trial.
Elmo would think he'd gone to heaven.
The world's first tickling spa has opened in Spain, Time.com reports.
For $35 for a half-hour or $45 for an hour, discreetly covered clients lie down on a massage table and subject themselves to a professional tickling.
Clients of Cosquillarte, which opened in Madrid in December, swear it's relaxing.
The name of the spa can be translated "Tickle yourself" or "Tickle Art," Time's Lisa Abend reports.
"My dad used to tickle me to get me to go to sleep, so it's always relaxed me," owner Isabel Aires told Abend. "One day I just thought, why can't I pay someone to do this, in the same way as I can pay for a massage?"
Aires and two trained massage therapists developed a treatment.
"There's no school for tickling," she said. "We had to invent it ourselves."
"We use a variety of strokes," therapist Lourdes Nieto told Abend. "If someone is super ticklish, we'll press harder. The idea is to relax them, not stress them out."
The coach of Manchester United leads his team into the biggest soccer match of the year seeking a title of his own – greatest coach ever.
In his 25 years in charge of the club, Ferguson has won 12 league titles and countless other domestic trophies. If he leads United to victory Saturday, he will become the first manager to win three Champions League titles, reports CNN's Greg Duke.
The matchup Saturday between Manchester United and favored Barcelona will be played at one of the most famous stadiums in the world, Wembley in London, so the English side may have a edge in fans, but most experts favor the Spanish side on the field.
Sports Illustrated's Jonathan Wilson says Ferguson will have an interesting decision to make with his tactical formation: Does he play the same lineup or opt for the addition of a defensive-minded player?
Not everyone thinks Barcelona is certain to win. Gabriele Marcotti says Manchester United has an advantage at the end of this very long season.
The Ithaca Public Schools superintendent reportedly wants Michigan's governor to put more money into schools.
Maybe the state should make them into prisons, he says in a letter to Gov. Rick Snyder, originally published in the Gratiot County Herald on May 11.
In part the letter reads: "The State of Michigan spends annually somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000 per prisoner, yet we are struggling to provide schools with $7,000 per student. I guess we need to treat our students like they are prisoners, with equal funding."
Bootz goes on to write that by providing more funding the state can help keep students out of prison.
The letter apparently was cheered but also booed by some in the state.
State Rep. Tom McMillin, a Republican from Rochester Hills, called the letter “inflammatory rhetoric,” according to the Michigan Capitol Confidential, a news service that "reports on the public officials who seek to limit government, those who do not, and those whose votes are at odds with what they say."
The Michigan Capitol Confidential looked at the budgeting issue a different way, saying that prisoners are in state care 24 hours a day while students spend only eight hours.
"Students cost roughly $6.46 per hour to educate. Prisoners cost $5.92 per hour to house," Tom Gantert wrote.
The mayor of Cordova, Alabama, has plenty of mad residents. Scott says a city ordinance passed in the 1950s doesn't allow for single-wide trailers as residences, reports say. But many people were displaced after a tornado hit the town April 27, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency offers the trailers as temporary housing.
So while some city bureaus are using trailers for offices, the mayor won't allow FEMA to give out the single wides, according to reports.
ABC 33/30 in Birmingham said it called the mayor to ask why, and he hung up on the reporter.
CNN affiliate WIAT-TV in Birmingham reports that some people have resorted to living in tents.
The 8-year-old was upset the U.S. flag flying on a pier in Oceanside, California, was damaged, according to CNN affiliate KSWB-TV in San Diego.
"I was actually standing right under this pier at the starting line (of a 5-kilometer race). I looked up at the flag and noticed it was all ripped up and tattered," he told KSWB.
So he wrote the man in charge, according to the station.
"Dear Mr. Mayor,
"During my last visit to the pier, while I was looking around, I saw the American flag at the top of the pole waving in the breeze. I felt proud, then I was sad. The flag was all ripped up and tattered. I think it was disrespectful to our country and the people who fight for it. I would be pleased if you would replace it.
"Thank you, sir, for your attention.
" Your friend, Luke Smith, 8 years old."
Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood said budget cutbacks made it harder for officials in the military town to spot such problems, according to KSWB.
Wood sent Smith a letter of proclamation and had the flag replaced, the TV station reported.
The office of Libya's prime minister sent a message to the Spanish government listing "a series of proposals that could lead to a ceasefire," a spokesman for Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said Thursday.
The message, from the office of Prime Minister Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi, was also sent to other European capitals, the spokesman said, adding that he could not name which capitals.
Spain has contributed military assets, including troops, to the NATO-led mission to enforce a no-fly zone and protect civilians in Libya.
Read CNN's full coverage of the Libyan ceasefire proposal
A British grandmother was beheaded in an apparently random attack in a supermarket in Spain's Canary Islands.
A man who stole a knife in the supermarket attacked Jennifer Mills-Westley and cut her head off, then ran away with it, government officials in Tenerife said Friday. Shopping center security guards chased the man and subduing him until police arrived. The man, a Bulgarian, was known in the area, a government spokeswoman said.
Mills-Westley was retired and living between Tenerife in the Canary Islands and France where her daughter and grandchildren live, her family said in a statement Saturday.
"She was full of life, generous of heart, would do anything for anyone," said her daughter Sarah. The family is "devastated by the news of her death ... We now have to find a way of living without her love and light."
Mills-Westley had been a county council worker in Norfolk, England, council leader Derrick Murphy told CNN. Murphy said he did not know Mills-Westley because he joined the council after she retired, but he planned to have current and former council employees organize a tribute to her.
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