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

Spanish union wants house prices to be linked to wage increases

Leading Spanish trade union UGT will promote making housing prices a structural indicator when negotiating wage increases within the framework of collective bargaining.

UGT Deputy Secretary General Fernando Luján has stressed that housing is a "basic right", so the difficulties in accessing it must be taken into account as they provide an accurate picture of the actual evolution of corporate profits.

A report by UGT found that wages would have to double in some sectors and territories so that mortgage payments would fall below 40 percent (10 percentage points above the amount recommended by the Housing Law) of many workers' net wages.

Swedish national arrested in Tenerife for distributing child pornography

Spanish National Police officers, in coordination with authorities from Sweden, the Netherlands, and Europol, have arrested a Swedish citizen in Tenerife.

He has been under investigation since 2021 for the mass distribution of child sexual abuse material through forums located on the dark web.

Agents identified an increase in his activity, including the production of material and files which were particularly heinous in nature.

The suspect had previous convictions in Sweden and Spain for similar offenses. His partner, who had a history of drug trafficking, was also under investigation for her alleged involvement.

Spain competition watchdog expands probe into Apple

Spain's competition watchdog said Tuesday that it had broadened a probe opened last year into the conditions Apple imposes on developers of mobile applications sold on its App Store.

The CNMC regulator began the inquiry in July 2024 into possible anti-competitive behaviour by the US tech giant for allegedly imposing "unfair commercial terms" on developers of mobile applications sold through its app marketplace.

The CNMC said it had expanded its probe to see "whether Apple may have established a pricing schedule that developers are required to follow in order to distribute their apps in its stores".

"This would constitute a restrictive practice of competition among businesses," it added in a statement.

Apple said it would continue to work with the antitrust watchdog "to ensure our concerns are fully understood".

"We designed the App Store to be a safe and trusted experience for users and a great business opportunity for developers in Spain and around the world," it added.

Apple's success is built on a closed ecosystem focused on iPhones and iPads, where it controls all aspects of its platform on the grounds this boosts security and user experience.

This approach, however, clashes with European competition regulations.

Spain's top prosecutor to face trial in new blow for PM

Spain's Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal by the top prosecutor to avoid a trial for allegedly leaking legal information against the conservative opposition, in another setback for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Álvaro García Ortíz will now go on trial accused of breaching judicial secrecy by leaking case files about Alberto González Amador, the partner of the Madrid region's influential conservative leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso.

The conservative opposition Popular Party (PP) has accused allies of Sánchez of organising the leak to damage Díaz Ayuso, a darling of the Spanish right.

Last year, Spanish media published a draft agreement between the public prosecutor's office and the lawyer of González Amador, a businessman who is under investigation for alleged tax fraud.

According to the reports, González Amador's lawyer proposed a plea deal in which his client would admit to the alleged offences in exchange for avoiding a criminal trial and a jail term.

The Supreme Court began investigating Ortíz in October last year after a complaint by Gonzalez Amador, who saw the earnings of his health company soar during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

Appointed by Sánchez's government in 2022, Ortíz has denied leaking any information about González Amador, either personally or through his office.

With additional reporting by AFP.