Week in News: Christmas Comes Early, Politics Get Messy, and Trains Get Expensive

Bon dia! Valencia is gearing up for Christmas — a full two weeks earlier than last year. Christmas lights will be illuminated on Friday, 21 November, and the ice-skating rink is expected to be installed as well, reports Valencia Extra. Temperatures are also expected to drop into the single digits this week, says Aemet. Bundle up!

Political news

Mazón Questioned in Congress

Carlos Mazón is now the acting president of the Generalitat, awaiting his replacement. But on Monday, he will face a grilling over his handling of the DANA flood crisis. According to Valencia Plaza, some lawmakers were disappointed that he evaded their questions last week and are looking for clearer answers. Protests are expected outside Les Corts.

Succession Tensions

The Partido Popular has nominated Juan Francisco Pérez Llorca to replace Mazón. To secure his position, the PP will need a deal with the far-right party Vox — prompting a list of demands from Vox leader Santiago Abascal, reports El País. Among those demands, writes El Mundo, are a ban on the Muslim veil in public places and the expulsion of foreigners who break the law. Opposition socialist parties have rejected the nomination and are instead calling for new elections, adds El País

From Valencia to Brussels

Victims of the DANA floods met with EU lawmakers in Brussels, calling for justice and urging EU-level support to foster a stronger culture of prevention and long-term planning, reports El Pais.

Rethinking Growth After DANA

The Official College of Biologists (COBCV) has called for an urban reorganization in the wake of the DANA floods — not just rebuilding, but relocating people from high-risk ravine areas and restoring ecological buffers, writes Valencia Plaza.

Crime & Policing

Narco Violence Trial

A notorious Colombian gangster known as “La Negra Dominga” denied in court that he is responsible for the triple murder of his drug-dealing rivals in El Saler last year, reports Levante-EMV.

Policing Incident in La Vinalesa

The Guardia Civil confirms that two stepbrothers, now detained, attacked a police officer and left him in a coma, allegedly while trying to steal valuable racing pigeons, according to Levante-EMV.

Illegal dog breeding in Quatre Carreres

Police are investigating a suspected illegal dog breeding facility inside an 80 square meter apartment in Quatre Carreres, reports Las Provincias. More than a dozen dogs, including poodles and Yorkshire terriers, were rescued from the cramped and squalid conditions inside the apartment.

City Life

Farewell to Cheap Valencia–Madrid Trains?

Affordable train tickets between Valencia and Madrid may soon be a thing of the past. According to Levante-EMV, high-speed train fares have risen by 30% and are expected to continue climbing.

Tourist Apartments: Where Are They Concentrated?

New mapping data, reports Valencia Plaza, shows the highest density of tourist apartments in Valencia’s Ciutat Vella, the maritime neighborhoods of Cabanyal–Canyamelar and Malvarrosa, as well as Ruzafa / Ensanche.

Pigeons Taking Over Quatre Carreres

Residents near Plaza Miguel Asins Arbó in Quatre Carreres report an overwhelming pigeon infestation and concerns about bird flu, writes Las Provincias — raising questions about public health, urban wildlife management, and sanitation.

Environment & Heritage

Ecological Alarm in the Albufera

Another massive wave of fish deaths has struck the Albufera Natural Park, reports Levante-EMV — possibly driven by low oxygen levels caused by the buildup of discarded rice stalks in the lagoon’s sediment. Environmental experts warn that this reflects deeper systemic issues: pollution, poor water management, and the ongoing absence of a meaningful regeneration plan.