MADRID (AP) — Spain's government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros ($75 million) for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals, officials said Monday.
The move is the latest government action in Spain against short-term rental companies such as Airbnb and Booking.com as the country grapples with a housing affordability problem, particularly in city centers.
The consumer rights ministry said the rentals didn’t include license numbers — a requirement in many regions in Spain — or listed license numbers that didn’t match what authorities had. Other had incorrect information about hosts, it said.
Airbnb said that it plans to challenge the fine in court. The company said it was working with Spanish authorities to comply with a new national registration system for short-term rentals, and that more than 70,000 listings on the platform had added a registration number since January.
Spain's leftist government and many Spaniards across the political spectrum see short-term rental companies as bearing responsibility for driving up housing costs.
The nation on the Iberian Peninsula is one of the world's most visited countries and short-term holiday rentals have cut into many cities' stretched supply.
“There are thousands of families living on the edge because of the housing crisis, while a few enrich themselves with business models that evict people from their homes,” Spain’s consumer rights minister, Pablo Bustinduy, said Monday in a statement.
In May, the consumer rights ministry ordered Airbnb to take down around 65,000 listings because of rule violations.
In 2024, Spain's anti-trust watchdog fined Booking.com 413 million euros ($448 million), saying the the online travel company had abused its dominant market position in the country over the previous five years.
Local authorities in Barcelona have said they plan to phase out all of the 10,000 apartments licensed in the city as short-term rentals by 2028 to safeguard the housing supply for residents.
FILE - Banners against tourist holiday rentals hang on the facade of a building in downtown Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, 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)
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Veteran Usman Khawaja has missed selection to Australia's team for the third Ashes test against England with Travis Head kept at the top of the batting lineup with Jake Weatherald.
Just two days away from his 39th birthday, Khawaja was a notable omission Tuesday from Australia’s XI for the test beginning Wednesday at Adelaide Oval.
Australia leads the five-test series 2-0 and can retain the Ashes with a win or draw in Adelaide. England named its team Monday.
Captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon will return to the bowling attack at the expense of Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser, while the top seven is unchanged.
That means Josh Inglis will remain in the side at No. 7, while Khawaja was not included after missing the Brisbane test with back spasms.
Khawaja had enjoyed one of the great late-career resurgences since his recall to the test team at the start of 2022, starring at the top of the order. He averaged 58.7 in his first two years back in the side, but has now passed 50 just twice in his past 27 test innings.
Cummins said he doesn't feel Khawaja is finished as a test player.
“The selectors have been quite adamant about picking a side each week,” Cummins said. "It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s got to be exactly the same team as the previous week. We do that with bowlers.
“One of Uzzy’s great strengths is he’s scored runs at the top. He’s scored runs in the middle. So absolutely, I can see a path back at some point, if needed.”
Steve Smith was the first in the nets to bat on Tuesday after missing Monday’s session due to an unspecified illness. Smith captained Australia in the first two test victories due to Cummins’ injury absence.
Cummins, playing his first test since mid-July in the West Indies, predicted Australia will be even better in the Adelaide test as it tries to wrap up the Ashes.
“It feels like everything has come together and we’re not just hanging on until the end of the series, which sometimes you are," Cummins said Tuesday. “We’re actually peaking and hopefully have heaps of resources available.”
Lineups:
Australia: Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (captain), Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Australia's Pat Cummins, centre, talks with teammates before start of the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
Australia's Jake Weatherald, left, and Australia's captain Steve Smith walk off the field after winning the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
Australia's Travis Head plays a shot during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
