Page 6 - Spain

Israel plans to ban diplomatic visits and visas for Norway, Ireland, Spain

Norway, Ireland, and Spain announced on Wednesday their countries' intentions to formally recognise a Palestinian state in the coming days

Two-state solution for Palestine should come through direct talks: Biden

Sullivan called Israel's decision to withhold funds from Palestinian authority 'wrong', noting that withholding funds destabilises the West Bank and undermines the search for security

Spain, Ireland, Norway to recognise a Palestinian state. Why it matters?

Spain, Ireland and Norway said on Wednesday that they would recognise a Palestinian state on May 28, a step toward a long-held Palestinian aspiration that came amid international outrage over the civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip following Israel's offensive. The triple and almost simultaneous decisions may generate momentum for the recognition of a Palestinian state by other EU countries and could spur further steps at the United Nations, deepening Israel's isolation. Malta and Slovenia, which also belong to the 27-nation European Union, may follow suit. Some 140 of 190 represented in the UN countries have already recognised a Palestinian state. Here's a look at how and why the new European announcements could be important: WHY DOES IT MATTER? The 1948 UN decision that created Israel envisaged a neighbouring Palestinian state, but some 70 years later control of the Palestinian territories remains divided and bids for UN membership have been denied. T

On hottest days, hospitalisation risk doubled in people having sugar: Study

On the hottest days, risk of hospitalisation for people with metabolic disorders such as those of sugar and blood pressure, and obesity, almost doubled as compared to days recording comfortable temperatures, a new study has found. The research analysing hospital admissions related to high temperatures during summer over more than a decade in Spain found that extreme heat impacted people with these conditions the most. "There are a number of reasons to explain this. For example, in people with obesity, heat loss responses work less efficiently, as body fat acts as an insulator, making them more susceptible to heat disorders," said Hicham Achebak, a researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health. Higher levels of air pollution further appeared to worsen the risk of hospital admission for people with these conditions, including diabetes, the researchers said. The study also found that on hotter days, men showed a higher risk of hospital admission due to injuries, while women

Mysterious blue meteor lights up skies in Spain, Portugal; watch video here

A mysterious blue meteor lit up the skies across parts of Spain and Portugal. Several X users shared videos of the meteor streaking through the night sky

European Union questions TikTok on new app that pays users for watching

European Union regulators said Wednesday they're seeking details from TikTok on a new app from the video sharing platform that pays users to watch videos. The European Commission said it sent TikTok a request for information on the TikTok Lite app that has been quietly released in France and Spain. The commission wants to know about the risk assessment that TikTok should have carried out before deploying the app in the European Union. We have already been in direct contact with the Commission regarding this product and will respond to the request for information," TikTok said in a statement. Such evaluations are required under the bloc's Digital Services Act, a sweeping law that took effect last year with the aim of cleaning up social media platforms. The commission is the 27-nation bloc's executive arm and top enforcer of digital regulations. TikTok Lite lets users "earn great rewards," according to its app store listing. The app, which launched this month in France and Spain, is

Italy, Spain's digital nomad visa: A checklist for you and your family

Italy has introduced a new visa programme specifically for digital nomads, enabling professionals to work remotely while exploring the country

EU, Britain, Spain to hold more talks on post-Brexit status of Gibraltar

British and Spanish foreign ministers will meet Friday with a top European Commission official for another round of negotiations over the status of the disputed territory of Gibraltar following Britain's exit from the European Union. The two ministers will hold talks with European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic in Brussels. Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo will also attend. Spanish Foreign Minister Jos Manuel Albares said that while the meeting with his British counterpart David Cameron may not be the final day," he was optimistic of an agreement as soon as possible. These are complex, technical issues, and then we will have to draft a whole set of documents, but we are already close to reaching an agreement on the general political lines, Albares told Spain's Onda Cero radio on Thursday. All sides are eager to clinch a deal before European elections in June. Britain left the European Union in 2020 with the relationship between Gibraltar and the bloc unresolved. T

Spain joins UK, Portugal in scrapping Golden Visas: All you need to know

The 'golden visa' offers a residency permit to individuals making substantial investments in a country, such as buying property or investing in businesses or government bonds

Will hold investors' meet in Spain to make TN trn dollar economy: CM Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin embarked on an eight-day trip to Spain on Saturday to woo investors to the state. During the overseas visit, he would engage some of the largest industrial companies, including ROCA and Gestamp, and the investment organisation Invest in Spain, in discussions and ensure investment into Tamil Nadu, he said. "Through this trip, I hope to attract the attention of the European Union and bring a lot of investments from those countries as well," the Chief Minister told reporters at the airport here before leaving for Spain on a state visit to attract new industrial investments to Tamil Nadu. His efforts are oriented towards making the state progress to become a one trillion dollar economy by 2030. The Chief Minister would return to the city on February 7. Recalling his past foreign trips, he said the visit to the United Arab Emirates led to the government signing MoUs for investments worth Rs 6,100 crore for creating over 15,000 jobs. Similarly, Singa

H&M to shut a quarter of Spanish stores and lay off 588 employees

The company will carry out the layoffs for unspecified organizational, productive and economic reasons, unions CCOO and UGT said in a joint statement

Protesting over poor prices, French farmers block road linking France-Spain

The protests are now affecting traffic trying to cross into France from Spain on the AP-7 highway that runs along the Mediterranean coast from southern Spain to the frontier

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