Spain

Cable theft in Spain delays thousands of high-speed rail passengers

Thousands of rail passengers in Spain were hit with delays after the cable used in the signalling system of the high-speed line between Madrid and Seville was stolen at four locations, Spanish rail authorities said Monday. The theft, which happened late Sunday, affected dozens of trains travelling between Madrid and Andaluca, just as many people were returning home to the capital after a holiday weekend. On Monday, Spain's state-owned rail operator Renfe told passengers with trains departing Madrid's Atocha station before 8 am to not arrive early to avoid crowding. The cable theft took place at four points on the high-speed line in Toledo in central Spain, Spain's railway infrastructure company ADIF said on X. The incident came a week after a massive power outage in Spain and Portugal ground high-speed train traffic to a halt, stranding thousands of train passengers.

Spain's blackout shows why India needs to prioritise power grid stability

For a build-out without blackouts, regulators and the government will also need to work on better data, a more robust grid, and better-run companies

Spain may find valuable lessons from South Australia's 2016 blackout

On Sept. 28 in 2016, the state of South Australia's grid was hit with a blackout. At the time it was generating a high proportion of its power from wind turbines

Here's all about Monday's sweeping power outage in Spain, Portugal

The sweeping power outage that hit Spain and Portugal this week has raised questions about the electricity grid in a region not normally known for blackouts. Monday's outage, one of the worst ever in Europe, started in the afternoon and lasted through nightfall, affecting tens of millions of people across the Iberian Peninsula. It disrupted businesses, hospitals, transit systems, cellular networks and other critical infrastructure. Authorities in Spain and Portugal are still investigating exactly what caused the failure, though some information has emerged about happened. Here's what to know: What happened? Spain and Portugal lost most of their electricity early Monday afternoon. Shortly after 12.30 pm local time, Spain lost 15 gigawatts of electricity or roughly 60 per cent of demand in the country of 49 million, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said. There had been two significant disconnection events or interruptions in power before the outage, Spain's electric grid operator Re

Decoded: Reasons behind massive power outage in Spain and Portugal

The blackout hit major cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Seville, and Valencia, disrupting public transport, air travel, mobile networks, and internet services

Spain's power supply almost restored after one of Europe's worst blackouts

Power had almost fully returned to Spain early Tuesday morning as many questions remained about what caused one of Europe's most severe blackouts that grounded flights, paralysed metro systems, disrupted mobile communications and shut down ATMs across Spain and Portugal. By 6:30 am, more than 99 per cent of energy demand in Spain had been restored, the country's electricity operator Red Electrica said. Power had returned to several regions across Spain and Portugal as the nations reeled from the still-unexplained widespread blackout that had turned airports and train stations into campgrounds for stranded travellers. Monday night, many city residents, including in Spain's capital of Madrid, went to sleep in total darkness. The normally illuminated cathedral spires of Barcelona's Sagrada Familia Basilica became indistinguishable from the night sky. Streets remained deserted even in neighbourhoods where lights flickered back on, as people stayed home after a day of chaos. We have a l

Here's why restarting a power grid after massive collapse is so hard

It's unclear what caused the initial disruption or why it cascaded so dramatically into a widespread failure. But, notably, Spain has been one of the leaders in rolling out wind and solar generation

A mystery power outage forces Madrid to adjust to life off the grid

By the time Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez finally addressed the nation six hours later, people in downtown Madrid were gathering around the old-fashioned transistor radio to get the latest news

Huge power outage in Spain, Portugal disrupts transport and communications

Authorities have not yet provided a timeline for full restoration, but emergency services are urging citizens to remain calm and limit travel where possible

Spain to grant Catalonia control over borders, migration in landmark deal

The issue of Catalan independence has dominated regional politics for years, fuelled by a deep-rooted nationalist movement seeking separation from Spain

At $3.8 trillion, India's top 500 pvt cos value more than the country's GDP

NSE, Bharti Airtel storm into top 10 for the first time in Axis Bank's Burgundy Private and Hurun India list; Motilal Oswal Financial Services was the fastest-growing company, the report suggests.

EU must stay united against Trump's tariff threat: Spanish minister

EU leaders meeting at an informal summit in Brussels on Monday said Europe would be prepared to fight back if the U.S. imposes tariffs, but also called for reason and negotiation

Trump mistakes Spain for member of Brics bloc, repeats threat of tariffs

US President Donald Trump has apparently confused Spain for a member of the BRICS bloc of developing economies, causing some head-scratching and jitters over possible tariffs in Madrid. Spain is not in BRICS, whose initials stand for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Spain is a member of NATO, along with the US, and of the European Union. Trump erroneously said Spain was in BRICS when a journalist asked him about NATO countries like Spain which don't meet the NATO minimum of spending 2 per cent of economic output on defence. Spain ranked last in the 32-nation military alliance, estimated to spend 1.28 per cent on defence last year. Trump started his answer by saying Spain is very low, referring to its defence expenditures, but quickly veered into speaking about the BRICS. They're a BRICS nation, Spain. Do you know what a BRICS nation is? You'll figure it out, he told the reporter from the presidential desk in the Oval Office. Trump repeated his threat to put costly ..

Boat carrying migrants capsizes near Morocco; over 40 Pakistanis dead

Pakistan on Thursday said that a boat carrying 80 migrants attempting to reach Spain capsized near Morocco, with over 40 Pakistanis reportedly among the dead. Migrant rights group Walking Borders said as many as 50 migrants may have drowned. Moroccan authorities rescued 36 people a day earlier from a boat that had left Mauritania on January 2 with 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis. Forty-four of those presumed to have drowned were from Pakistan, Walking Borders CEO Helena Maleno said on X. They spent 13 days of anguish on the crossing without anyone coming to rescue them, she said. The Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement that its embassy in Morocco was in touch with the local authorities. Our Embassy in Rabat (Morocco) has informed us that a boat carrying 80 passengers, including several Pakistani nationals, setting off from Mauritania, has capsized near the Moroccan port of Dakhla. Several survivors, including Pakistanis, are lodged in a camp near Dakhla, it said. It

Spain plans 100% tax on non-EU home buyers after ending golden visas

According to the Spanish PM, non-EU residents bought a total of 27,000 properties in Spain in 2023, not to live in it but to make money from it

Jaishankar meets King Felipe VI of Spain, reaffirms bilateral partnership

A day earlier, Jaishankar met with Spanish President Pedro Sanchez in Madrid, reaffirming the strong partnership between India and Spain

EAM Jaishankar meets Spanish Prez, reaffirms 'long-standing' bilateral ties

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday called on Spanish President Pedro Sanchez and reiterated the "long-standing" India-Spain partnership, updating him on the progress in bilateral cooperation. Jaishankar arrived in Spain on Monday for a two-day official visit -- his first to the country as the external affairs minister. "Called on President @sanchezcastejon of Spain today in Madrid. Conveyed greetings of PM @narendramodi," he said in a post on X. "Recalled his successful visit to India which reaffirmed our long-standing partnership. Briefed him on my discussions in Madrid and apprised him of progress on our bilateral agenda," the minister added. Sanchez visited India for the first time in October last year, during which he held delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Jaishankar also held "productive" talks with Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles on enhancing bilateral defence cooperation. "A productive exchange of views with Defence Minister

Affordable housing crisis pushes Spain to plan 100% tax on non-EU buyers

Spain is planning a raft of measures to address its brewing housing crisis, including an up to 100 per cent tax on properties that non-European Union residents buy. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the plan this week which will tackle housing affordability and high rents in the Southern European nation. He said the overall goal was to provide more housing, better regulation and greater aid. However, it remains unclear if the plan put forth by Snchez's minority coalition would pass in Parliament. Here's a look at what's happening: Spain's housing affordability crisis Like most rich countries, Spain is in the throes of a growing housing affordability problem. Skyrocketing rents are particularly acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid, where incomes have failed to keep up, especially for young people. Housing prices are also steadily rising, especially in cities and coastal areas. Rental prices have also been driven up by short-term rentals mainly offered for tourist

India, Spain to mark 2026 as 'dual year' to celebrate culture: Jaishankar

He was confident in the trade ties and said that the ten billion business that is taking place today will see a rise in the coming days

Jaishankar, Spanish foreign min sign pacts on sports, urban development

Jaishankar called for greater cooperation between India and Spain to broaden the relationship between India and the European Union