Spanish court rejects Airbnb appeal and keeps order to block nearly 66,000 listings

MADRID (AP) — A Spanish court on Thursday rejected an appeal by Airbnb and left in place an order to block almost 66,000 rental listings that the government said violated local rules.

The government has said the platform's short-term rentals in city centers and tourism hot spots are contributing to Spain’s housing crunch while the country welcomes record numbers of visitors.

Last month, Spain's government ordered Airbnb to block 65,935 listings in the country after the Consumer Rights Ministry flagged them for violations. It said Airbnb had to immediately take down 5,800 of them.

The ministry has said the listings it flagged did not include their license number or specify whether the owner was an individual or a company. It said others listed numbers that didn’t match what authorities had.

In a statement, Airbnb said the ministry's actions went against Spanish regulations that hold owners of short-term rentals, not the platform, as responsible for listing such information. It also said the Madrid court's decision was not made on the merits of the ministry's order, adding that will take longer to decide.

The company asserted that Spain's housing crisis comes down to “a lack of supply to meet demand,” and said anything else "is a distraction.”

Last month, Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy told The Associated Press that the tourism sector could not "jeopardize the constitutional rights of the Spanish people,” including their right to housing and well-being.

Carlos Cuerpo, the economy minister, said in a separate interview that the government had to tackle the unwanted side effects of mass tourism. He advocated for building more housing while regulating short-term holiday rentals.

FILE - A tourist walks past a homeless woman in downtown Madrid, Spain, June 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File)

FILE - Banners against tourist holiday rentals hang on the facade of a building in downtown Madrid, Spain, June 3, 2025. The writing in Spanish reads: "More neighbors, fewer tourists. Tenant power," and "Looking out for each other as neighbors, stirring things up." (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)

FILE - Demonstrators march shouting slogans against the Formula 1 Barcelona Fan Festival in downtown Barcelona, Spain, June 19, 2024, during residents protest against mass tourism. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)

FILE - Tourists carry their luggage in downtown Madrid, Spain, June 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo blocked a shot by LeBron James and stole the ball from him on consecutive possessions in the final minute, and the Milwaukee Bucks blew a fourth-quarter lead before rallying for a 105-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

Kevin Porter Jr. scored 22 points, and he hit two free throws to break a tie after Antetokounmpo blocked a driving layup attempt by James with 39 seconds left.

Antetokounmpo then knocked the ball out of James' hands from behind with 2 seconds left, and Porter hit two more free throws to seal Milwaukee's fifth win in seven games — its first over a team with a winning record since Dec. 11. Antetokounmpo finished with 21 points in his lowest-scoring effort since returning from his right calf strain.

Luka Doncic had 24 points and nine assists on 8-of-25 shooting for the Lakers. He had his lowest-scoring performance since Christmas, and he fouled out on Porter's 3-point attempt with 16.2 seconds to play.

James had 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, but Antetokoumpo got the best of the top scorer in NBA history at crunch time. Los Angeles has lost six of 10.

Milwaukee surged to a double-digit lead in the first half even with Antetokounmpo on a minutes restriction in his injury return. Doncic scored 12 points in the third quarter but also committed four fouls in the period, including his fifth of the game.

Los Angeles abruptly erased its deficit by going on a 17-4 run to open the fourth, with James putting the Lakers ahead when he stole the ball from Antetokounmpo for a layup with 6:02 left. Milwaukee missed nine of its first 12 shots in the period, but Porter's layup tied it with two minutes left.

Lakers starters Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura remain sidelined by injury, but Hachimura (calf) might return early next week from his six-game absence, coach JJ Redick said.

Bucks: At Denver on Sunday.

Lakers: At Sacramento on Monday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart, left, tries to shoot as Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, left, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. go after a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)