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English Edition Dear readers, It has been a big week in Spanish politics. On Friday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a snap general election for April 28 after his 2019 budget failed to pass Congress. Sánchez needed the support of pro-Catalan independence parties, but they voted against the plan because the Socialist Party (PSOE) government had refused to negotiate Catalonia's right to self-determination. On Tuesday, the highly anticipated trial of 12 pro-Catalan independence leaders, who are facing charges over their involvement in the separatist drive, began at the Supreme Court in Madrid. The separatists argue their rights have been violated throughout the judicial process, while prosecutors maintain the trial is "in defense of Spanish democracy." And on Sunday, Spain's right-wing parties rallied tens of thousands of people to a demonstration in Madrid to protest against Sánchez and his handling of the Catalan independence drive. We took a closer look at the protest and its implication in the fifth episode of our new podcast ¿Qué?, and, on a lighter note, spent time considering the accuracy of Spanish stereotypes. We hope you enjoy this selection of articles from the EL PAÍS English Edition. Thanks for reading. Melissa Kitson Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announces snap elections on Friday morning. / Samuel Sanchez Spanish prime minister calls snap general election for April 28 Pedro Sanchez's decision has been triggered by the defeat this week of his Socialist Party's budget plan in Congress. Spaniards will be going to the polls for the third time in four years As a general election is called, which policies will have to be shelved? The Socialist Party government of Pedro Sánchez has been in power for nearly nine months, and will now have to abandon a number of plans in areas such as health and climate change Former Catalan deputy premier in court: "I am a political prisoner" Oriol Junqueras, who is on trial for his role in the pro-independence drive, has refused to answer the public prosecutor's questions, and denies having committed any offenses Francisco Franco's tomb. / S.S. Spanish government set to approve exhumation of Francisco Franco The dictator's family, who will be given 15 days to choose an alternative resting place, have promised to fight the decision at the Supreme Court Prosecutors answer Catalan separatists' lawyers: "This is a trial in defense of Spanish democracy" The prosecution says that leaders of the failed independence bid employed violence, a point that the rebellion charges hinges on Owner of property where Julen Roselló died is named suspect in court probe The Spanish toddler was killed when he fell down an unlicensed borehole that David Serrano had paid a company to drill White paint on Dolores Ibárruri's tomb. / F. J. B. Vandals desecrate graves of Spanish Republican heroine and Socialist Party founder Civil War monuments, including those commemorating the "Thirteen Roses," were also vandalized in Madrid's La Almudena cemetery Crowds with Spanish flags at Sunday's demonstration. / Jaime Villanueva Right-wing parties attract tens of thousands to protest against Spanish PM The conservative Popular Party, center-right Ciudadanos and far-right Vox called the demonstration in response to Pedro Sánchez's handling of the Catalan independence drive People wait to request asylum in Madrid. / V. S. Only one in four asylum requests are being accepted in Spain Germany received nearly three times as many applications last year and granted protection to 50% of them, according to the Spanish Refugee Support Commission ¿Qué? podcast, episode five: The Spanish right gets out to protest In the latest installment of our new audio series, journalists from the English Edition probe the causes behind a demonstration aimed at throwing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez out of office Anti-government protester in Madrid. / Andrea Comas How Spain's right-wing parties misled protesters at anti-government march EL PAÍS debunks four false accusations made against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in a joint manifesto from the Popular Party, Ciudadanos and Vox Spanish ex-pilot of Emiliano Sala plane: "It didn't fall to pieces" Eduardo Hernández talks to EL PAÍS about his previous experiences flying the aircraft that crashed over the English Channel while carrying the Argentine forward Have Spaniards turned their back on the Mediterranean diet? More than half of the country have swapped fresh fruit and vegetables for processed foods rich in saturated fats and sugars, according to new studies Bar owner who threw out patrons for color of their skin fined €1,500 The judge ruled that the accused acted with "undisguised contempt" when he told the group: "I don't want black people here" The vegan era, or the end of carnal pleasures In Spain, there are now millions of "flexitarians," vegetarians and vegans, but while meat consumption is falling, industrial farming is on the rise The top of Penyagolosa. / Àngel Sánchez In Spain, Valencia government buys landmark peak known as 'Stone Giant' In a bid to preserve the second-highest mountain on their territory, regional authorities have purchased a third of the summit from private owners for €1.14 million Surgical team during a kidney transplant. / G.B. Video: How robots are revolutionizing kidney transplants in Spain Watch Spanish surgeons and an electronic assistant named Da Vinci successfully extract an organ from a live donor at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona An avocado farm in Uruapan. / G.S. The curse of the Mexican avocado The state of Michoacán is the world's top producer of the fruit but the commercial boom for the superfood has brought with it violence, deforestation and job insecurity José Antonio Vázquez. / óscar corral Court unsure how to deal with 79-year-old vandal who terrorized a neighborhood The senior citizen, who is alleged to have damaged a thousand cars in Vigo, is being sent to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation Practice for Chinese New Year parade in Usera in Madrid. / J.V. The Chinese Madrileños who are fighting persisting stereotypes As the Year of the Pig begins, members of the third-biggest foreign community in the region discuss their affinity with the people and culture of the Spanish capital El Roto El Roto cartoon, February 12, 2019 OPINION Putin in Caracas A Venezuela free of the influences of the Russian autocracy and the Cuban dictatorship is an objective that the world's democracies should support Catalan independence leaders on trial The only arguments that should influence the outcome of this high-profile Supreme Court case are legal ones, not political ones Thanks readers! Sign up for more newsletters from EL PAÍS " You have received this communication because you have registered with EL PAÍS and you have subscribed to the ENGLISH EDITION editorial newsletter. If you believe you have received this message due to an error or you want to stop receiving this bulletin at the email address tworaho.mail18@blogger.com, you can unsubscribe. 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