In this week's broadcast, we analyse the ongoing efforts towards having an EU-wide legislation against sexual violence which defines rape on the absence of consent. To gain a better understanding of the steps being taken to make this transnational law a reality and the challenges involved, we spoke with Lina Gálvez, Chair of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality at the European Parliament, and Evin Incir, rapporteur for the Civil Liberties Committee.We also discuss documentary films as the 23rd edition of the Documenta Madrid International Film Festival is taking place in Madrid this week. To find out more about this year's festival and the latest trends in documentary filmmaking, we are joined by Documenta Madrid's artistic director, Luis Parés. Finally, we discuss the challenges facing the Spanish documentary film industry with David Varela, director of the film 'El Milagro', which is being presented at Documenta Madrid.

The International Council of Museums established International Museum Day in 1977 to raise public awareness of the role of museums and promote their importance in the development of society. This year, the museums around the world, have celebrated on May the 18th the International Museum Day under the theme "Museums Uniting a Divided World." To mark the occasion, we visited the National Museum of Romanticism, in Madrid. This Museum houses an important collection of historical and artistic objects focused on daily life and customs of the 19th century, with special attention to the aesthetic movement of Romanticism. To learn more about the Museum of Romanticism, we were joined by curator Inés López Gómez and we also spoke to some foreing visitors that were discovering this museum.

Following Augusto Pinochet's arrest in London in 1998, his team approached British lawyer Philippe Sands. They wanted him to represent the Chilean dictator. "I would have done it, but my wife said she would divorce me if I did the case," Sands tells the English Language Broadcast. Instead, he ended up representing Human Rights Watch in the case against Pinochet. Last year, he published 38 London Street, a book in which he delves into the crimes of Pinochet's regime and the dictator's connection with a Nazi official who secretly lived in Chile.An expert in international law, Philippe Sands has appeared as counsel before international courts in many other significant cases, notably representing Mauritius in the sovereignty dispute over the Chagos Archipelago and Gambia in the ongoing genocide case against Myanmar. As an author, he has written about the Nuremberg trials, and he is currently working on a book about the killing of Ukrainian novelist Victoria Amelina in a Russian attack. We had the chance to discuss all this and more with Sands during his latest visit to Madrid, where he also reflected on the lack of accountability for the crimes of Franco's dictatorship in Spain. We also talked about Gaza, the definition of genocide, and Donald Trump's disregard for international law. "International law has always been a long game. Mr Trump can express the desire to tear up the rules, but I suspect that, in the long term, the rules of international law will outlive Mr Trump," Sands assures.

In this week's broadcast, we interview Philippe Sands, a lawyer, writer and international law expert. Having been involved in the Pinochet case in the '90s, and currently acting as counsel in the landmark genocide case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice, Sands reflects on the definition of genocide, and on Donald Trump's disregard for international law. "The rules of international law will outlive Mr Trump," he assures us.Sands, whose latest book, 38 Londres Street, recounts Spanish efforts to hold Pinochet accountable for his regime's crimes, also reflects on the open wound of the lack of accountability for human rights violations during the dictatorship in Spain. In his view, "Spain lives with a haunting of its own because it has never really come to terms with what happened after General Franco took power".On another note, this week we also celebrate International Museum Day, which took place on Monday. To mark the occasion, we visit the National Museum of Romanticism in Madrid -one of the few museums in the world focusing on this historical period- where we speak with curator Inés López and visitors from around the world.

The hantavirus outbreak on board the Hondius cruise ship has reignited fears and sparked a political confrontation in Spain. To shed some light on the true extent of this health crisis, we are joined by Dr Daniel López-Acuña, an epidemiology and global public health expert, and former World Health Organization executive. "This outbreak does not pose pandemic or epidemic threats. It is not the COVID infection," he reassures us.Following the complex evacuation of the ship's passengers in Tenerife, all eyes are now on the 14 Spanish nationals who were on board and are currently in quarantaine in a military hospital in Madrid. Against this backdrop, Dr López-Acuña stresses the need of conducting sufficiently lengthy quarantines, stating that countries choosing "light versions of quarantine" are making a mistake.In this week's broadcast, we also discuss architecture, given that Barcelona is the World Capital of Architecture for 2026. The event aims to showcase the city's urban diversity, with each district taking centre stage over the next few months through a variety of activities. To find out what it means to be the World Capital of Architecture, we are joined by architect Anna Ramos, Director of the Mies van der Rohe Foundation and one of the organisers, who gives us a sneak peek at the planned events ahead.

This week, we are joined by Spanish photographer Luis Tato, who was recently awarded the World Press Photo prize in the Africa category. Having witnessed firsthand the growing difficulty and danger of practising journalism while reporting on conflicts in East Africa, Tato calls for more respect and protection for reporters and photographers.We also examine the increasingly dangerous situation facing journalists in Lebanon with our collaborator in Beirut, Elsa Yazbek Charabati. The latest symbol of this violence against the press is the murder of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil, known as 'the Butterfly of the South', who was killed in an Israeli strike.In this week's broadcast we also take a sneak peek at the new exhibition on the Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbarán at the National Gallery in London. This is the first major exhibition devoted exclusively to Zurbarán's work in the UK. It features 42 of the Baroque master's paintings, a third of which come from Spain, as the show's co-curator, Dr Francesca Whitlum-Cooper, tells us.

Gareth Thomas is living proof that you can have an active, full life while being HIV positive. On a mission to fight stigma, the Welsh rugby legend joins us on the English Language Broadcast after running a half marathon in Madrid to debunk the myths and misunderstandings that still surround HIV today. "So many people have an image of people who live with HIV to be weak. I choose to be strong. They expect them to be silent. I will be loud," he tells us.In this week's broadcast, we also look back at the historic power cut that left most of Spain and Portugal in the dark one year ago. To discuss the lessons of the blackout, the current state of Spain's electricity system, and whether it could happen again, we are joined by Pedro Fresco, general director of the Valencian Energy Sector Association and energy expert.

To celebrate World Book Day, we visit Desperate Literature, an international bookshop in the heart of Madrid. Co-owner Terry Craven gives us a tour and recounts the bookshop's history, from sleeping in the store in the early days, to being forced to relocate amid a dire real estate market after an investment fund bought the previous premises.Terry also tells us all about the events held at Desperate Literature, including their Short Fiction Prize, which is receiving entries from all over the world, including from writers in Iran, as well as a handwritten entry from a correctional facility in the US which arrived shortly after we walked through the door.Meanwhile, in the Middle East, where daily life is still shaped by uncertainty and the ongoing scars of war, reading is emerging as an increasingly important refuge and space of freedom. Despite the fragile situation there, the Instituto Cervantes in Beirut is continuing its cultural activities to mark World Book Day. Our collaborator in Lebanon, Elsa Yazbek Charabati, gives us the details.Finally, in this week's broadcast we also discuss 'The global economic impact of disinformation', a recent analysis which estimates the cost of disinformation at 417 billion dollars worldwide in 2024. Joining us to explain how certain actors are profiting from disinformation while it costs the rest of the world millions is Thomas Delorme, an Information Threats and Public Affairs consultant at Sopra Steria and one of the authors of this study.

To mark World Art Day, we explore the history and cultural significance of Guernica, Pablo Picasso's iconic masterpiece, which has become a universal symbol of civilian suffering in times of war. Joining us to discuss the painting is Pepe Karmel, an Art History professor at New York University and a world authority on Picasso's work.We focus in particular on the many journeys that Guernica has undertaken throughout its lifetime, amid the controversy surrounding the request to transfer the piece to the Basque Country for a temporary exhibition. Professor Karmel weighs in on the debate, while the Reina Sofía Museum has already opposed the move due to concerns over the painting's condition.This week, we also discuss European defence policy with Diego de Ojeda, Head of the Defence and Preparedness Unit at the General Secretariat of the European Commission, who took part in an event hosted by Club Diálogos para la Democracia this week. After his presentation, he told us about the opportunities for the Spanish defence sector in developing the EU's security capabilities.

In this week's broadcast, we interview Nadia Calviño, President of the European Investment Bank (EIB). Against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East, and with the EIB having quadrupled its funding for defence-related projects since 2024, Calviño asserts that Europe must "break free from its dependence on fossil fuels" and become autonomous in terms of security and defence as well.The former Spanish Vice President and Minister for Economy also weighs in on the evolving relationship between Europe and the United States. In her opinion, "there is a seismic shift in the tectonic plates that underpinned the global order" and the European Union is finding its voice in this new scenario. "Our unity is clearly our strength; that is why there is so many wanting to divide us," she says.We also speak to Blanca Hervás, a rising star in Spanish athletics who recently won two medals at the World Indoor Championships in Poland. Aside from discussing her latest successes, she talks about the implications of becoming an elite athlete and tells us how she has decided to leave her job to focus fully on her sporting career.Finally, to mark World Health Day this week, we are joined by Dr Manuel Valiente, Head of the Brain Metastasis Group at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO). His team has recently revealed a novel way in which tumours hijack immune cells to alter the brain and spread cancer, a discovery that could be valuable in treating not only brain metastases, but also other conditions.