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

Spain scraps controversial Israeli arms deal after uproar

Spain on Thursday cancelled a contract to buy bullets from an Israeli company following pressure from the Socialist-led government's far-left coalition partner -- a move swiftly condemned by Israel.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, one of the most outspoken critics of Israel's military operations in Gaza, halted weapons transactions with Israel after the outbreak of the war following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

The interior ministry sought to terminate the €6.8-million ($7.8 million) contract with Israeli firm IMI Systems, which was to supply bullets to the Spanish Civil Guard police force.

But on Wednesday the ministry said it had abandoned its attempt to cancel the deal after state legal services advised against it "due to the advanced stage of the processing of the contract" and because it would have had to pay without receiving the bullets.

The far-left Sumar party, the junior partner in Sanchez's ruling coalition, reacted angrily, calling the reversal "a blatant violation" of the government's pledge not to trade weapons with Israel.

On Thursday government sources said the contract would be "unilaterally" terminated.

Sumar's Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz said she had personally "negotiated" with the interior minister and the prime minister to pull the plug on the contract.

Spain "cannot buy arms from a government that massacres the Palestinian people", she told reporters.

500-year-old ship unearthed in Barcelona

After sinking 500 years ago in the Mediterranean, a ship dubbed"Ciutadella I" has been found five metres below sea level during City Hall excavations to build a parking lot near Barcelona's Ciutadella Park.

The boat, ten meters long and three meters wide, is understandably in a very fragile state, so to prevent the wood from drying out and degrading, it has been decided to keep it partially covered in sand while the Barcelona Archaeological Service works to document and conserve it.

Barcelona City Council has stressed the great archaeological value of 'Ciutadella I' as a unique source of knowledge about navigation and the shipbuilding techniques used in Barcelona in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Spain’s paediatricians call for screen-free learning in classrooms

Spain’s Association of Paediatrics (AEP) are arguing that "children learn best through traditional play" while speaking out about the negative effects digital devices are having on children.

The list is long: sleep disorders, eye strain, sedentary lifestyle, memory impairment, concentration difficulties, fragmented cognitive development, and social isolation.

Paediatricians also warn of the addictive danger of some applications used in classrooms and advocate for analog games instead.

This comes at a time when a growing number of Spanish regions are considering whether mobile phones should be banned from classrooms.

Long waiting times to see medical specialists in Spain continue

The number of patients waiting for surgery in Spain at the end of 2024 stood at 846,583, and the average waiting time was 126 days.

There were also four million people waiting for their first appointment with a specialist, in this case the average wait was 105 days.

These are the results of the latest report from Spain National Health System's Waiting List Information System (SISLE-SNS), published this Wednesday by the Ministry of Health.

Plastic surgery and neurosurgery are the specialties that experience the longest delays but other common procedures have a backlog: the wait for a coronary bypass is 45 days, cataract surgery is 69 days, hip replacement 103 days and knee replacement 120 days.