Page 4 - Spain

US allies reluctant on Red Sea task force to counter Houthi rebel attacks

Two of America's European allies who were listed as contributors to Operation Prosperity Guardian - Italy and Spain - issued statements appearing to distance themselves from the maritime force

Spanish govt to buy Telefonica stake worth as much as $2.2 billion

Sepi, Spain's investment vehicle, will buy as much as 10 per cent of Telefonica's shares - a stake that may total more than €2 billion - in an effort to provide "greater shareholder stability"

Disgraced ex-IMF chief Rodrigo Rato goes on trial for tax evasion

The credit card case sparked widespread anger at a time when Spain was recovering from years of recession and a banking crisis partly triggered by Bankia's massive bailout

Spanish newspaper association files suit against Meta over ad practices

A Spanish association representing more than 80 newspapers has filed a lawsuit against Facebook parent Meta accusing it of unfair competition in online advertising by allegedly ignoring European Union rules on data protection. In a statement, the Information Media Association said it is demanding 550 million euros (USD 600 million) from the social media giant. The association represents dozens of newspapers including Spain's principal dailies El Pas, El Mundo, ABC and La Vanguardia. The association accuses Meta of systematic and massive non-compliance with EU data protection regulations between May 2018, when they took force, and July 2023. It said Meta has repeatedly ignored the requirement that citizens give their consent to the use of their data for advertising profiling. The company declined to comment, saying it hadn't seen the legal papers. Meta's Facebook and Instagram platforms have long used behavioral advertising to make money. The practice involves tracking individual .

Why Barcelona may be forced to have fresh water shipped in by boats

Tighter water restrictions for drought-stricken northeast Spain went into effect Wednesday, when authorities in Catalonia said that Barcelona may need to have fresh water shipped in by boat in the coming months. Catalonia is suffering its worst drought on record with reservoirs that provide water for about 6 million people, including Spain's second-biggest city Barcelona, filled to just 18 per cent of their capacity. By comparison, Spain's reservoirs as a whole are at 43 per cent of their capacity. Spanish authorities and experts point to the impact of climate change in the increasingly hot and dry weather behind the extended drought in Catalonia. Barcelona has already been relying on Europe's largest desalination plant for drinking water, and a sewage treatment and purification plant to make up for the drop in water from wells and rivers. Catalonia officially entered the pre-emergency phase for drought, which lowers the daily use per person from 230 to 210 liters (60 to 55 gallons

Israel calls Spanish, Belgian ambassadors post criticism during Rafah visit

The Israeli government said Friday it would summon the Belgian and Spanish ambassadors following remarks by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez and his Belgian counterpart Alexander de Croo on the war between Israel and Hamas. The announcement came after the two leaders criticised Israel for the suffering of Palestinian civilians under Israeli military operations in Gaza. Snchez also called for European Union recognition of a Palestinian state, saying Spain might do so on its own. Speaking at a joint press conference at the Rafah border crossing in Gaza on Friday, Snchez said the time had come for the international community and the European Union to once and for all recognise a Palestinian state. He said it would be better if the EU did it together, but if this is not the case... Spain will take their own decisions. Snchez was speaking at the end of a two-day visit to Israel, the Palestinian territories and Egypt with de Croo. Spain currently holds the EU's rotational presidency an

Shakira reaches deal to avoid $15 million tax fraud trial in Spain

"Do you recognise the facts and conform with the new penalties that have been requested?" asked Judge Jose Manuel del Amo Sanchez. "Yes," Shakira responded

Vodafone to sell Spanish arm to Zegona Communications for $5.3 billion

London-listed Zegona, chaired and managed by telecoms executive Eamonn O'Hare, has previously bought and sold assets in Spain, including regional operator Euskatel

Vodafone to sell Spanish arm to Zegona Communications for $5.3 billion

London-listed Zegona, chaired and managed by telecoms executive Eamonn O'Hare, has previously bought and sold assets in Spain, including regional operator Euskatel

Russia starts fresh attacks on Ukraine as Zelenskyy attends European forum

Russia targeted Ukraine with drones in another major attack early on Thursday as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to Spain to rally support from Western allies at a summit of around 50 European leaders. Ukraine's air force said that the country's air defences intercepted 24 out of 29 Iranian-made drones that Russia launched at the southern Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kirovohrad regions. Andriy Raykovych, head of the Kirovohrad regional administration, said that an infrastructure facility in the region was struck and emergency services were deployed to extinguish a fire. He said there were no casualties. The attack came as Zelenskyy arrived in Granada in southern Spain to attend a summit of the European Political Community, which was formed in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The key for us, especially before winter, is to strengthen air defense, and there is already a basis for new agreements with partners, he said in a statement posted on his ..

New wildfire on Tenerife island in Spain forces 3,000 evacuations

Soldiers and firefighters were battling to control a new wildfire on Spain's Tenerife island that has forced some 3,000 people to leave their homes for safety, the Canary Islands government said Thursday. The blaze, which started Wednesday, is centred on the towns of Santa rsula and La Orotava in the mountainous northeast of the island, away from the main tourist areas in Tenerife's southwest. The same area suffered one of the island's worst wildfires in decades in August when 14,000 hectares (35,000 acres) of pine forest and scrubland were burnt and some 12,000 residents evacuated over several weeks. Although that wildfire was brought under control it was never fully extinguished. Small fires have continued to break out periodically in the same area due to winds and high temperatures. Some 120 agents including soldiers and firefighters were taking part in the operation to put out the fire, the Canary Islands government said. So far, an area of just 30 hectares (70 acres) has been .

At least 13 people were killed at a nightclub fire in Spain's Murcia

A fire broke out in a nightclub in the southeastern Spanish city of Murcia on Sunday, killing 13 people and injuring several others, authorities said. The fire started around 6 a.m. in the popular Teatre nightclub and quickly tore through the venue, according to Spain's state news agency EFE. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire. A video shared by Murcia's fire service showed firefighters trying to control flames inside the nightclub. Police and emergency services worked to secure the interior of the club to avoid a possible collapse and were trying to locate and identify the bodies. Officials said the death toll could increase. The city council declared three days of mourning with flags flown at half-staff on public buildings throughout the region of Murcia.

Happy for C-295, Spain would like to be trusted partner for India: Envoy

Spanish envoy Jose Maria Ridao on Monday expressed delight over the arrival of the first C-295 military transport aircraft to India from Spain and asserted that Madrid would like to be a "very trusted bilateral partner" for New Delhi. The aircraft was inducted into the Indian Air Force in a ceremony at the Hindan Air Force Station on Monday. Ridao attended the ceremony, which took place in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and senior officials of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and those from Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems (TASL). The medium tactical transport aircraft arrived in Vadodara on September 20, days after it was handed over to the IAF in the southern Spanish city of Seville, where Airbus has a facility. "The first plane (C-295) coming from Spain in this programme, and we are very happy, and at the same time, we are very engaged with this programme we think that it is a great opportunity to become an important partner for India i

Prosecuting Spain's Rubiales for World Cup kiss illogical: UEFA president

Prosecuting Spanish soccer official Luis Rubiales for kissing a FIFA Women's World Cup-winning player on the lips without her consent seems completely illogical, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has suggested. Spanish state prosecutors are investigating Jenni Hermoso's accusations against Rubiales of sexual assault for the kiss at the August 20 final and coercion for then pressuring her to defend him. A restraining order was issued Friday by a judge in Madrid that prohibits Rubiales from being within 200 meters (656 feet) of Hermoso. Rubiales denied both accusations at the closed-door hearing. Ceferin, who was a criminal defence lawyer before being elected UEFA president in 2016, said in an interview published Sunday in his native Slovenia that what Rubiales did was inappropriate and not understandable. But, when I read it was deemed as a felony - as a lawyer, that seems completely illogical, Ceferin told Slovenian media outlet N1. Rubiales faced a torrent of criticism from the .

Production of C295 aircraft in India will be game-changer: India to Spain

The production of 40 Airbus C295 medium tactical transport aircraft in India will be a "game changer" as it would facilitate the creation of a world-class aerospace ecosystem in the country that would help in manufacturing other planes in the long-run, Indian Ambassador to Spain Dinesh K Patnaik said here. The Indian Air Force received the first C295 aircraft on Wednesday, two years after New Delhi sealed a Rs 21,935-crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space to procure the planes. Under the deal, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in 'fly-away' condition from its final assembly line in Seville by 2025 and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies. "The C295 project will be a game-changer project as it will create a world-class aerospace ecosystem in India," Patnaik told PTI in an interview. The first 'Make in India' C295 is set to come out of a productio

Three Real Madrid players arrested for sharing sexual video involving minor

Police said that the three players had been detained at the Real Madrid sports complex in Madrid, and a fourth player was being investigated

Airbus hands over first C-295 aircraft to IAF at ceremony in Spain

The Airbus Defence and Space on Wednesday handed over to the Indian Air Force the first of the 56 C295 transport aircraft kick-starting the delivery of the planes under a Rs 21,935-crore project that was sealed two year's back as part of an overall aim to modernise India's air assets. Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari received the aircraft at the aerospace major's production facility in the southern Spanish city of Seville. Under the deal, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in 'fly-away' condition from its final assembly line in Seville by 2025 and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies. In October last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the manufacturing facility for 295 planes in Vadodara. It will be the first military aircraft to be manufactured in India by a private consortium. The Indian Air Force (IA

Mamata to leave for 11-day tour of Spain, Dubai to attend business summits

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will leave for an 11-day tour of Spain and Dubai, during which she will attend business summits to attract investments to the state. Banerjee will leave for Dubai on Tuesday, and spend the night there due to the unavailability of connecting flights, before flying to Spain's capital Madrid the next day. "We will stay in Madrid for three days, during which we will attend a business summit and meet non-resident Bengalis. From there, we will take a train to Barcelona, where we will participate in a two-day meeting for the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS)," she told reporters at state secretariat Nabanna on Tuesday. She said this will be her first foreign tour in five years as the Centre "had not given her necessary permission earlier". Banerjee will be accompanied by Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi and senior office-bearers of renowned Kolkata football clubs Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting. She said former Indian cricket team

Rubiales resigns as Spain's soccer president 3 weeks after the Kiss scandal

Luis Rubiales, the suspended head of the Spanish soccer federation, finally folded under immense pressure Sunday and resigned three weeks after his kiss of a player on the lips overshadowed Spain's first-ever Women's World Cup title. Rubiales had been at the center of a controversy that had gone far beyond Spain's borders and the world of sport after he kissed Jenni Hermoso during the globally televised awards ceremony after Spain beat England to win the title on Aug. 20 in Sydney, Australia. The player said the kiss was without her consent. After my swift suspension by FIFA, and the rest of the cases building against me, it is clear that I cannot return to the post, Rubiales said on Sunday in a message posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. He had already been temporarily suspended from his job by FIFA for his conduct at the final and, after soccer's world body opened a disciplinary case, remained defiant and hostile toward those who criticized him. Then came the most serious thr

Sexism on scrutiny, Spanish female footballers seek higher league wages

First, Spain's FIFA Women's World Cup winners said they would no longer play for their country as they fight sexism in the nation's soccer federation. Now, Spain's women's league players are on strike and calling for what they call a dignified minimum wage. The Liga F Spain's women's league was supposed to kick off its second season on Friday, but instead, its players are striking for the first two rounds of games. The strike comes with the nation immersed in the scandal caused by soccer federation president Luis Rubiales when he kissed a Spain player on the lips without her consent during the August 20 awards ceremony in Sydney, Australia after Spain had beaten England in the final. Rubiales' conduct caused outrage in Spain. It also has drawn attention away from the greatest achievement in the history of Spanish women's soccer, which has undergone spectacular growth over the last decade, but still is fighting for a pay raise that, if granted, would still be just a fraction of ...