Spain

Europe's economy to suffer if chaos continues in France, Germany: Experts

Even before the French and German governments collapsed, Europe's economy had enough difficulties. Tepid growth and lagging competitiveness versus the US and China. An auto industry that's struggling. Where to find billions for defense against Russia? And now Donald Trump threatening tariffs. Solutions will be harder to find while the two countries that make up almost half of the eurozone economy remain stuck in political paralysis well into 2025. Where once there was the so-called French-German axis to push Europe ahead, now there's a vacuum. French Prime Minister Michel Barnier resigned Thursday after losing a vote of confidence, and while President Emmanuel Macron will appoint a successor, the new head of government will lack a majority. Elections are not constitutionally permitted until at least June. Germany's coalition led by Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz with the Greens and pro-business Free Democrats fractured in November, triggering an early election on Feb. 23.

US probes Spain's port denials of cargo ships carrying arms to Israel

The United States has opened an investigation into whether NATO ally Spain has been denying port entry to cargo vessels reportedly transporting US weapons to Israel. The Federal Maritime Commission, an independent body charged with monitoring and evaluating conditions that may affect shipping and US international trade, said it had opened the probe after receiving information that Spain had refused to allow at least three cargo vessels into its ports. The commission is concerned that this apparent policy of denying entry to certain vessels will create conditions unfavourable to shipping in the foreign trade, it said Thursday in a notice published in the Federal Register. If the investigation determines that Spain has interfered with such commerce, the commission could levy millions of dollars in fines, up to USD 2.3 million per voyage, it said. The notice said the commission had been informed on November 19 that Spain was denying port entry to ships, including those enrolled in the

Spain to grant residency to 900,000 migrants by 2027, job visas extended

The move comes as Spain seeks to address its labour shortage, requiring around 250,000 workers to sustain its economy

Week after Spain's floods, people hope missing are alive as 89 unaccounted

Francisco Murgui went out to try to salvage his motorbike when the water started to rise. He never came back. One week after catastrophic flooding devastated eastern Spain, Mara Murgui still holds out hope that her missing father is alive. He was like many people in town who went out to get their car or motorbike to safety, the 27-year-old told The Associated Press. The flash flood caught him outside, and he had to cling to a tree in order to escape drowning. He called us to tell us he was fine, that we shouldn't worry. But when Mara set out into the streets of Sedav to try to rescue him from the water washing away everything in its path, he was nowhere to be found. He held up until 1 in the morning, she said. By 2, I went outside with a neighbour and a rope to try to locate him. But we couldn't find him. And since then, we haven't heard anything about him. Spanish authorities issued their first tally of the missing on Tuesday when a Valencia court said that 89 people are confirm

Crowd of Spain's flood survivors toss mud, shout insults at King Felipe VI

A crowd of angry survivors of Spain's floods tossed mud and shouted insults at Spain's King Felipe VI and government officials when they made their first visit to one of the hardest hit towns on Sunday. Government officials accompanied the monarch who tried to talk to locals while others shouted at him in Paiporta, an outskirt of Valencia city that has been devastated. Police had to step in with some officers on horseback to keep back the crowd of several dozens. "Get out! Get out! and Killers! the crowd shouted among other insults. Bodyguards opened umbrellas to protect the royals and officials as protestors launched mud their way. After being forced to seek protection, the king remained calm and made several efforts to speak to individual residents. One person appeared to have wept on his shoulder. He shook the hand of a man. It was an unprecedented incident for a Royal House that takes great care to craft an image of a monarch who is liked by the nation. But the public rage ov

Understanding the deadly floods that have taken over 200 lives in Spain

In a matter of minutes, flash floods caused by heavy downpours in eastern Spain swept away everything in their path. With no time to react, people were trapped in vehicles, homes and businesses. Many died and thousands saw livelihoods shattered. Four days later, authorities have recovered 205 bodies 202 of them in the eastern Valencia region, two in Castilla La Mancha and one in Andalusia. They continued to search for an unknown number of missing people on Friday. Thousands of volunteers were helping to clear away the thick layers of mud and debris that still covered houses, streets and roads, all while facing power and water cuts and shortages of some basic goods. Inside some of the vehicles that the water washed into piles or crashed into buildings, there were still bodies waiting to be identified. Here are a few things to know about Spain's deadliest storm in living memory: What happened? The storms concentrated over the Magro and Turia river basins and, in the Poyo riverbed,

Spain mounts biggest disaster recovery operation as death toll reaches 211

In a televised statement, Sanchez said the government was sending 5,000 more army troops to help with the searches and clean-up in addition to 2,500 soldiers already deployed

Spanish residents appeal for help, three days after floods left 205 dead

Three days after historic flash floods swept through several towns in southern Valencia, in eastern Spain, the initial shock was giving way to anger, frustration and a wave of solidarity on Friday. Many streets are still blocked by piled-up vehicles and debris, in some cases trapping residents in their homes. Some places still don't have electricity, running water, or stable telephone connections. Residents turned to media to appeal for help. This is a disaster. There are a lot of elderly people who don't have medicine. There are children who don't have food. We don't have milk, we don't have water. We have no access to anything, a resident of Alfafar, one of the most affected towns in south Valencia, told state television station TVE. No one even came to warn us on the first day. So far 158 bodies have been recovered 155 in Valencia, two in the Castilla La Mancha region and one more in Andalusia after Spain's deadliest natural disaster in living memory. Members of the security .

Spain searches for bodies after unprecedented flooding claims 158 lives

Crews searched for bodies in stranded cars and sodden buildings Thursday as residents salvaged what they could from their ruined homes following monstrous flash floods in Spain that claimed at least 158 lives, with 155 deaths confirmed in the eastern Valencia region alone. More horrors emerged Thursday from the debris and ubiquitous layers of mud left by the walls of water that produced Spain's deadliest natural disaster in living memory. The damage from the storm late Tuesday and early Wednesday recalled the aftermath of a tsunami, with survivors left to pick up the pieces as they mourn their loved ones. Cars were piled on one another like fallen dominoes, uprooted trees, downed power lines and household items all mired in mud that covered streets in dozens of communities in Valencia, a region south of Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast. An unknown number of people are still missing and more victims could be found. Unfortunately, there are dead people inside some vehicles, Spain

Spain searches for bodies after flooding claims at least 158 lives

Crews searched for bodies in stranded cars and sodden buildings Thursday as people tried to salvage what they could from their ruined homes following monstrous flash floods in Spain that claimed at least 158 lives, with 155 deaths confirmed in the eastern Valencia region alone. More horrors emerged from the debris and ubiquitous layers of mud left by the walls of water that produced Spain's deadliest natural disaster in living memory. The damage recalled the aftermath of a tsunami, with survivors left to pick up the pieces as they mourn their loved ones. Cars were piled on one another like fallen dominoes, uprooted trees, downed power lines and household items all mired in mud that covered streets in dozens of communities in Valencia, a region south of Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast. An unknown number of people are still missing and more victims could be found. "Unfortunately, there are dead people inside some vehicles," Spain's Transport Minister scar Puente said early Thurs

Spain searches for bodies after flash floods claim at least 95 lives

Survivors of the worst natural disaster to hit Spain this century awoke to scenes of devastation on Thursday after villages were wiped out by monstrous flash floods that claimed at least 95 lives. The death toll could rise as search efforts continue with an unknown number of people still missing. The aftermath looked eerily similar to the damage left by a strong hurricane or tsunami. Wrecked vehicles, tree branches, downed power lines and household items all mired in a layer of mud covered the streets of Barrio de la Torre, just one of dozens of towns in the hard-hit region of Valencia, where 92 people died between late Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Walls of rushing water turned narrow streets into death traps and spawned rivers that ripped into the ground floors of homes and swept away cars, people and anything else in its path. The neighbourhood is destroyed, all the cars are on top of each other, it's literally smashed up, said Christian Viena, a bar owner in Barrio de la ...

Devastating flash floods cause around 95 deaths, destruction in Spain

Flash floods in Spain turned village streets into rivers, ruined homes, disrupted transportation and killed at least 95 people in the worst natural disaster to hit the European nation in recent memory. Rainstorms that started Tuesday and continued Wednesday caused flooding across southern and eastern Spain, stretching from Malaga to Valencia. Muddy torrents tumbled vehicles down streets at high speeds while debris and household items swirled in the water. Police and rescue services used helicopters to lift people from their homes and rubber boats to reach drivers stranded atop cars. Emergency services in the eastern region of Valencia confirmed a death toll of 92 people on Wednesday. Another two casualties were reported in the neighbouring Castilla La Mancha region, while southern Andalusia reported one death. Yesterday was the worst day of my life, Ricardo Gabaldon, the mayor of Utiel, a town in Valencia, told national broadcaster RTVE on Wednesday. He said six residents perished a

Spanish President affirms aid for India's energy security, green transition

Spanish President Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday affirmed Madrid's commitment to help New Delhi enhance its energy security and green transition. He also said that the country is eager to advance negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union. Addressing a business meeting in India's financial capital, the President of EU's fourth-largest economy spoke strongly for greater partnerships on the digitalization front between India and Spain, and also bought a Ganesh idol using the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) at a merchant here. "We will be eager to advance the negotiations on an EU-India FTA. It is something essential to build up our position in the world economy for our two markets to grow both in size and diversity," Sanchez, who is on a three-day visit to India, said. He said India and the 27-member bloc need to develop "ambitious proposals" for the agreement, negotiations for which were relaunched in 2022 after a nine-year hiatus. "I am confident

Looking forward to advancing EU-India FTA talks: Spanish President Snchez

Spanish President Pedro Snchez on Tuesday said he looks forward to advancing EU-India FTA negotiations, highlighting the "enormous" potential for a stronger relationship between India and the 27-nation European Union bloc, including Spain. The European Union (EU)-India proposed a free trade agreement (FTA) aimed at further boosting bilateral trade and investments between the two regions. The two sides are negotiating FTA, investment protection treaty and agreement on geographical indications (GIs). "The potential for a stronger relationship between India and the European Union (including Spain) is enormous. Spain is one of the largest economies in the world and has invested USD 4.2 billion in India... We look forward to advancing negotiations on a European Union-India free trade agreement. This will help our markets grow in size and diversity," Snchez observed while addressing the CII Spain India Business Summit in Mumbai, a statement issued by the industry body said. This is Spanis

India, Spain must contribute in building open, secure Indo-Pacific: Sanchez

Underlining the need to protect freedom of navigation amid assertiveness of Beijing in the South China Sea, Pedro Sanchez, President of the Government of Spain, on Tuesday said his country and India must contribute in building an Indo-Pacific region that is open and secure. Speaking at an event organised by the Spain-India Forum and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in Mumbai, Sanchez maintained that the rules-based international order is at stake and hence Madrid and New Delhi must defend and work towards strengthening multilateral institutions. He said the world's centre of power has shifted towards Asia where India plays a key role. Sanchez announced that Spain is working to launch a new strategy for Asia which will revitalize his country's relations with the largest continent in the world. The central Indo-Pacific region accounts for 36 per cent of the world's GDP, pointed out the Spanish leader who is on an official visit to India. He said the vital region accounts for .

Building ecosystem to produce C-295 components locally: MEA on Spain deal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, jointly inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft

News updates: Delhi CM Atishi hits out at BJP over 'false case' against Arvind Kejriwal

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Spain an important partner of India within European Union, says MEA

This is the first visit by the President of Spain in nearly two decades. He is accompanied by his wife, Begona Gomez, and also two ministers

Visit of PM Sanchez brings new energy in India-Spain relations: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the visit of his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez to India has infused a new energy and enthusiasm in relations between the two countries. Sanchez said the two countries complement each other, and Spain looks forward to advancing the great cooperation. Both the leaders held bilateral talks at the Darbar hall of Laxmi Vilas Palace in Gujarat's Vadodara city. This is the first visit of Spanish PM Sanchez to India. Modi said Sanchez's visit has infused "a new energy and enthusiasm" in relations between the two countries. Earlier, the two PMs jointly inaugurated the Tata Advanced System Limited (TASL)-Airbus facility in Vadodara to manufacture C-295 military aircraft in India. The Tata-Airbus facility is the first private sector final assembly line for military aircraft in India. "Today, with the inauguration of the C-295 (aircraft) plant, a new chapter of our partnership has begun. Our partnership is centuries old. The shared belief in v

Tata's C-295 complex launch: Key details about India's aerospace leap

The C-295 manufacturing initiative aims to establish a comprehensive aerospace ecosystem within India, covering all stages from production through lifecycle management