El País

The regional government is seeking to reduce mobility and social interaction in the northeastern Spanish region in a bid to flatten the curve

Health Minister Salvador Illa says the emergency measure will remain in place until the region sees a larger fall in coronavirus transmission

Navarre, Catalonia and Andalusia say citizens should prepare for restrictions, while Madrid hopes to emerge from the state of alarm in 15 days

The event paid tribute to the frontline workers of the coronavirus crisis as the central and Madrid governments continue to clash over how to contain the virus

The National Police and the Civil Guard deployed 7,000 officers in different parts of Madrid on Friday afternoon, in order to ensure that the new restrictions were observed and that those confined to their municipalities did not leave the region

The central government has used a decree to lock down the capital and eight other municipalities. Residents of these areas who break the rules could be fined

The decision was taken by the Socialist Party-Unidas Podemos government after the regional administration of premier Isabel Díaz Ayuso failed to propose new restrictions by a 12pm deadline

The move comes after Pedro Sánchez gave premier Isabel Díaz Ayuso an ultimatum: if she does not implement coronavirus measures, the government will act unilaterally

Pedro Sánchez said he would like to reach an agreement with regional authorities and assured that the latter’s powers will be respected

As a result of the decision, fines cannot be levied on citizens who break the perimetral confinements of 10 cities and the continuance of the measures themselves is now hanging in the balance

A magistrate targets the Podemos leader in connection with the theft of an ex-colleague’s cellphone

The self-employed could soon pay according to their real income, rather than a fixed monthly amount regardless of how much they make

In Madrid, meanwhile, there was normality as residents of 10 cities woke up to their first working day under the Spanish government’s new restrictions

On Friday night a perimetral lockdown went into force across the region, despite the opposition of the local government and the resignation of citizens

Authorities have not released information about the thresholds they are working with, but papers seen by EL PAÍS prove that as early as July they set a top figure of 60 positive cases per 100,000 people

Meetings of more than six people will not be permitted across the region, while residents of the affected cities will not be able to leave their municipalities with exceptions such as getting to work

The region will implement the measures from 10pm tonight, but is filing an appeal against them with the Spanish High Court

The Popular Party premier Isabel Díaz Ayuso has resorted to legal action against the central government’s measures without the backing of her coalition partner Ciudadanos

The Health Ministry on Thursday published new regulations in the Official State Gazette that will see the capital and nine other municipalities in the region confined, something regional premier Isabel Díaz Ayuso has been fighting to avoid

Despite having agreed uniform criteria for Spanish cities in a bid to slow the coronavirus spread, the PP-run administration did a U-turn on Wednesday to the surprise of many

Spain’s High Court also cleared 33 other defendants accused of fraud in connection with the 2011 listing of a bank that had to be bailed out a year later

Quim Torra described the Supreme Court’s decision as a “coup” and urged separatist parties to stay united ahead of a regional election in the coming months

The Socialist Party administration of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is seeking a way to intervene in the region, which has the worst infection rates in Europe

Illegally spying on former Popular Party treasurer Luis Bárcenas was just one of the jobs carried out without judicial oversight by a group of officers who also disseminated false evidence against Catalan separatists and the leftist party Podemos. EL PAÍS has reconstructed events based on testimony from their targets

In an unusual turn of events, Health Minister Salvador Illa held a press conference on Friday where he made clear that, in the government’s opinion, the region is not going far enough

Right-wing parties warn they will legally challenge any move to grant clemency to the imprisoned leaders of the 2017 failed secession attempt