The secession crisis festering in Spain's northeastern corner of Catalonia has spread to the political heart of the European Union nation. Twice in less than a year, separatist lawmakers from Catalonia have played the role of king slayer, with their votes in the national Parliament in Madrid proving the decisive push to topple consecutive governments.

Surrounded by miles of greenhouses where migrant workers grow fruit and vegetables for the rest of Europe, this sleepy town on the sunbaked Mediterranean coast has become a beachhead for the arrival of the far-right in Spain, the latest country to be hit by the wave of nationalist populism sweeping the continent. El Ejido was where the upstart far-right Vox party made its most impressive gains during Sunday's national elections, with its promises to defend Spain's unity and quash the separatist push in northeastern Catalonia, while also railing against the women's movement and animal-rights activists who want to ban traditional Spanish bull-fighting.

The blast of a traditional firework on Saturday opened nine days of uninterrupted partying in Pamplona's famed running of the bulls festival. The blast was met by an eruption of joy from revelers, who sprayed each other with wine, staining in pink the traditional attire of white clothes and a red scarf.

Around 4,000 people were evacuated Sunday because of wildfires that, for the second time in a week, ravaged the countryside of one of Spain's Canary Islands. The latest blaze broke out on Saturday afternoon near the town of Valleseco on Gran Canaria island in the Atlantic Ocean archipelago.

Thousands of Spaniards gathered in Madrid on Sunday to demand that the government take steps to curb the depopulation of rural areas. Sunday's march under the slogan "The Revolt of the Emptied Spain" was organized by grassroots groups from rural areas in the southern European Union nation.

A U.S. State Department spokesman says that the government had nothing to do with last month's assault on the North Korean Embassy in Madrid. Spain has issued two international arrest warrants for members of a self-proclaimed human rights group that allegedly led a mysterious attack on the North Korean Embassy on Feb. 22 before offering data stolen during the raid to the FBI.

Spain's maritime rescue service says it has saved 549 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea. The service'd craft intercepted six small smuggling boats carrying a total of 350 migrants on Saturday. On Sunday, another 199 migrants were pulled from five different boats, including two tiny inflatable boats meant for small bodies of water or near the beach.

Spanish police found the body of former alpine ski racer and Olympic medalist Blanca Fernández Ochoa in a mountainous area near Madrid on Wednesday after days of searching for her. Police said a tracking dog near a peak in the forested area came across a woman's body, which friends said was believed to be 56-year-old Fernández, Spain's first female Winter Olympic medalist.

Desperate to reach Europe from North Africa, two African migrants were discovered by police attempting to cross the Spanish border hidden inside a pair of mattresses. The two migrants told the police they each paid 4,500 euros to a human trafficker to attempt the crossing. The driver of the van fled on foot when agents asked to inspect his cargo.