Good morning! Here’s your news update for Thursday, 29 May.

Happening Today: A general strike and mass demonstration will disrupt public services today. Expect reduced bus and metro service, limited hours in health centers, and some institutional closures. Follow @TransitValencia for real-time updates.
Weekend highlights will be out tomorrow!

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Politics in Valencia

A seventh mass demonstration is expected today against President Carlos Mazón’s leadership. Protesters will gather at Plaza del Ayuntamiento at 7 p.m.

• Metro and bus services join the general strike — Las Provincias
• How hospitals and medical centers will operate during the strike — Valencia Extra

Meanwhile, a new Levante survey reveals widespread dissatisfaction over the government’s response to last October’s floods: Over 80% of respondents say Mazón should resign, and nearly 90% say he should not seek re-election
4 out of 5 citizens blame the Generalitat for DANA management — Levante

Despite a visit by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to Valencia, relations between the national government and the regional Consell remain strained.
The government’s “quarantine” of the Consell after the floods — Valencia Plaza

Valencia’s budget has passed: The conservative PP and far-right Vox approved their 2025 budget in Les Corts, despite protests outside.
PP and Vox approve Generalitat budget after lengthy debate — Valencia Plaza

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Flood Recovery

The federal government has unveiled a €530 million flood prevention plan focused on protecting vulnerable areas, especially L’Horta Sud.
Government’s flood plan includes home protections — Valencia Plaza

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Crime and Policing

A dramatic anti-drug operation shook the Tres Forques neighborhood this week, involving helicopters and heavily armed police.
Police raid drug network with helicopters in Valencia — Las Provincias

Meanwhile, bike thefts continue to rise, especially targeting rental bikes.

• Inside the tricks and trade of Valencia’s bike thieves — Las Provincias
• How thieves use bolt cutters to break locks — Las Provincias

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Housing Shortage

To address the housing crisis, the City Council plans to purchase a 134-apartment building in La Torre, one of the areas hardest hit by flooding.
Ayuntamiento to buy apartment block for public housing — El País

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Changing City

Roig Arena is nearly complete, and the media were invited for a preview of the glitzy new complex. Major concerts are already being booked.

• Inside Valencia’s newest icon: Roig Arena — Las Provincias
• All upcoming concerts at the Roig Arena — Las Provincias

Valencia is also upgrading public play areas in Turia Park, with two new playgrounds inspired by Gulliver Park and renovating a 1,200 m² play area.

• Valencia renovates major Turia Park playground — Las Provincias
• New Gulliver-style playgrounds proposed near bus station — Las Provincias

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Culture Corner

One of the historic warehouses in Parque Central will be transformed into a museum dedicated to Manuel Valdés, a prominent Valencian artist. Part of a plan to open three new museums, including one by the Marina.

• Valencia to convert warehouse in Parque Central into art museum — Levante
• Three new museums planned for Valencia — Valencia Extra

Good morning! Here is your news update for Monday, 26 May.

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Politics in Valencia

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has agreed to hold a state funeral in October for flood disaster victims. The decision followed a three-hour meeting with victims’ families last Thursday, during which he accepted all of their demands. It was his first meeting with flood survivors since the disaster struck seven months ago.
State funeral for DANA victims to be held in October — Las Provincias
Sánchez fills his first meeting with victims with promises, seven months after the flood — Valencia Plaza

A seventh demonstration against President Carlos Mazón’s leadership over the handling of the disaster is planned for Thursday, 29 May, coinciding with a general strike. Organizers say the march will honor workers who died in the flooding — some trapped in their vehicles while rushing home.
Seventh protest against Mazón will demand truth, marking seven months since the flood — El País

The Spanish government has linked Russian disinformation campaigns to the October flood disaster. The report predates the recent national blackout and does not address disinformation related to that event.
National security report links Russian disinformation to the flood disaster — El País

As budget negotiations continue, far-right party Vox has presented a list of demands to the ruling Partido Popular, including removing references to climate change and gender equality. Meanwhile, the party has reorganized after a high-profile resignation amid investigations by the anti-fraud office.
Vox pushes cultural war demands in budget negotiations — Valencia Plaza
Nàquera mayor becomes Vox VP, amid anti-fraud investigations — Valencia Plaza
Valencia Activa shuttered in shadow of corruption allegations — El País

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Blackout Investigation

The cause of the nationwide blackout remains unresolved. Investigators have traced the trigger to a Granada power station. A report in The Telegraph suggests it may have been a renewable energy stress test — an allegation Spanish officials deny. Meanwhile, Valencia’s Cortes-La Muela hydroelectric plant played a critical role in restoring power.
Spain’s blackout story is unraveling — The Telegraph
Inside the Valencia hydroelectric plant that helped restart Spain — Valencia Plaza

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Homelessness Response

Valencia authorities are stepping up patrols in the Turia in response to a rise in homeless encampments and a series of alarming incidents, including petty theft, a stabbing, and the unexplained death of a young homeless man awaiting social housing.
Man arrested for stealing e-scooter in the Turia park — Las Provincias
Tourist attacked with a knife in Turia gardens — Las Provincias
Young homeless migrant dies in Turia while waiting for housing — Levante

The shanty town inside the former Formula One circuit near the Marina has also grown with a mix of migrants, seasonal workers, scrap collectors, and some displaced by the October floods.
Living on the F1 Circuit: “We have our own lives here” — Levante

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Sports News

Valencia’s Levante football team has been promoted to Spain’s First Division after winning against Burgos on Sunday night. The team returned to Valencia early Monday morning, welcomed by hundreds of jubilant fans.
Levante is back in the First Division — Levante

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Animal Welfare

A car owner near the Botanical Garden was shocked to discover a venomous snake in his car. Firefighters and animal welfare officers spent over two hours dismantling the vehicle to safely remove the animal. The car had been parked in a garage for over a week.
Three-meter snake found inside car engine in Valencia — Las Provincias

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Culture Corner

A lace mantilla by a Benimaclet textile firm worn by royalty has gained international attention.
Santos Textil, the designer behind Queen Letizia’s lace mantilla at papal inauguration — Las Provincias

A feature on the charmed childhood of two brothers who grew up inside the Mercado Central, where their father was the market’s manager. They share memories of a neighborhood that has since transformed.
Boro and Pepe, the brothers who lived 30 years inside the Mercado Central — Valencia Plaza