Today In Spain: A roundup of the latest news on Monday

Spain's El Gordo Christmas lottery to give out millions

Spain's iconomic El Gordo Christmas Lottery jackpot kicks off on Monday morning. This year, a total of €2.7 billion are up for grabs, with more that 30.3 million tickets sold.

From 9 am until approximately 1.30 pm, the children of San Ildefonso will sing out the winning numbers for the Christmas Lottery on the stage of Madrid's Teatro Real. Good luck to everyone!

READ MORE: What you need to know about Spain's El Gordo Christmas lottery

Spanish consumer group seeks to sue Google in data row

A Spanish consumer rights association on Friday said it had launched preliminary legal action against Google for allegedly collecting sensitive personal data and violating their right to privacy.

The Association of Communication Users (AUC) says the US tech giant collected data about users' personal opinions, religion, sexuality and health through applications and the Android operating system, supporting their claim with a study by a Dublin-based university professor.

"Technology and the desire to provide a service have taken precedence over putting in place safeguards to protect people's privacy," AUC secretary general Bernardo Hernandez told AFP.

"The issue of privacy is extremely scandalous because not even the bare minimum is protected," he added, saying Google could have provided the same services without unnecessarily collecting "an excessive amount of data".

The AUC said it had asked Madrid courts to collect the names of Google and Android product users, estimating that up to 37 million people in Spain could be affected.

Spain extends incentives for airlines operating at regional airports

Spain's airport operator, Aena, has approved an extension of incentives for airlines operating at more than thirty regional airports, which will now run from the 2026 summer season to the 2028 winter season.

Airlines will benefit from a 100 percent refund of passenger, security and PRM (Passenger with Reduced Mobility) fees for additional passengers on a route compared to the equivalent previous season. The airports and heliports to which this incentive will apply are those with fewer than 3.5 million passengers in 2025.

This comes as budget airline Ryanair withdraws seats from Spain's regional airports amid an ongoing war of words with Aena over airline fees.

US threatens to close ports to Spanish ships

The United States' Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has proposed closing its ports to Spanish ships while it continues its investigation into Spain's refusal to allow US cargo ships carrying weapons for Israel to call at Algeciras in Cádiz.

According to a statement, it is examining options that include "cargo restrictions, denial of entry to ships operating under the Spanish flag, or the imposition of fines" of $2.3 million per voyage on Spanish-flagged ships.

However, it also stressed that no final decision has been issued and that the FMC "will carefully evaluate the evidence and all relevant considerations".

With additional reporting by AFP.