Today in Spain: A roundup of the latest news on Friday

Two thirds of Valencia Old Town properties bought up by foreigners

Valencia's historic centre continues to consolidate its position as one of the preferred destinations for international buyers.

According to the latest data from Engel & Völkers, 66 percent of the home sales transactions managed by the real estate agency in Ciutat Vella during the first quarter of 2024 were made by foreigners.

In total, the company closed 57 sales in the area, representing a 39 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Spain's govt updates its travel advice for the US

Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has updated its list of travel recommendations for Spanish tourists wishing to travel to the United States in light of the new restrictive measures approved by the Donald Trump administration.

The ministry has warned transsexual Spanish citizens that they will be required to report their biological sex at birth, otherwise they could face problems at US customs.

Spanish authorities have also made a point relating to the recent arrest of several European tourists in the US, stressing that attempting to re-enter the United States after exceeding the 90-day permitted stay as a tourist, or suspicion of attempting to work illegally, are now considered serious offenses by immigration authorities which can result in detention in an ICE detention centre and a deportation process that could last several months.

Fugitive Catalan separatist leader loses amnesty appeal

Spain's Supreme Court on Thursday said it had rejected an appeal by exiled Catalan separatist figurehead Carles Puigdemont against his exclusion from an amnesty law aimed at resolving years of crisis.

Puigdemont led Catalonia when the wealthy northeastern region held a banned secession referendum and unilaterally declared independence from Spain in 2017, sparking the country's worst political crisis in decades.

He fled to Belgium to avoid prosecution but stood to benefit from an amnesty law that Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez proposed in a bid to soothe tensions and secure another term with the backing of MPs from Puigdemont's Junts per Catalunya party.

But last year the Supreme Court ruled that the amnesty could not apply to Puigdemont and another senior figure in the Catalan independence movement, Toni Comin, because of embezzlement charges against them.

The court based its rejection of their appeals on the suspicion of misusing public funds, which could earn them several years in jail.

Spanish family killed in New York helicopter crash

A Spanish family of five on holiday in New York have been killed after their sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday, sparking a major water rescue operation, authorities said.

Although yet to be officially confirmed, the victims are believed to be Agustín Escobar, head of Siemens Spain, his wife and three young children.

Two of the victims were initially taken to a hospital, but later succumbed to their injuries. The pilot has also died in the crash.