Madrid Times

European Central Bank Study Finds Limited Appetite Among Workers to Change Jobs

A European Central Bank study found that only 13 percent of employed Europeans are actively seeking another job, pointing to broadly stable labour markets including Spain even as wage growth and inflation remain concerns.

Cyberattack Drains More Than $116 Million in Bitcoin From Hardware Wallets

Spanish cybersecurity experts are monitoring the impact of a sophisticated attack that drained more than 116 million dollars in Bitcoin through a reported vulnerability affecting Coldcard hardware wallets, highlighting continuing securit...

Spain Launches Major Highway Operation for 5.6 Million Summer Holiday Journeys

Spain’s Directorate-General for Traffic has activated nationwide measures to manage an estimated 5.6 million vehicle journeys over the weekend, as domestic holiday traffic combines with international flows toward North African ferry ports.

Spanish Aerospace Startup FOSSA Systems Raises More Than Nine Million Euros for Satellite Expansion

Madrid-based FOSSA Systems has secured more than nine million euros in new funding led by Kibo Ventures and European space and defence investors, supporting the expansion of its low-Earth-orbit satellite constellation for telecommunicati...

Madrid’s Housing Divide Widens as Luxury Property Deals Surge Alongside Evictions

A rise in off-market luxury property transactions worth more than 10 million euros is unfolding alongside worsening housing pressures for middle-class residents, with growing reliance on rentals and an increase in corporate-managed evict...

Spain’s August Solar Eclipse Drives Rural Tourism Surge and Large-Scale Security Operation

Rural destinations across Spain are reporting exceptionally high occupancy ahead of the August 12 total solar eclipse, while the Guardia Civil is preparing extensive traffic and security measures and monitoring heightened wildfire risks ...

Spain Orders Destruction of Infected Citrus Trees as Virus Threatens Major Export Regions

Spanish agricultural authorities are urging farmers to uproot infected lemon trees and nursery stock as citrus yellow vein clearing virus spreads across Catalonia, the Valencian Community, Murcia and Andalusia, raising concerns for a maj...

Drought Hits More Than One Third of Ebro River Basin as Spain Endures Extreme Heat

The Ebro Hydrographic Confederation has classified 35 percent of the river basin as experiencing prolonged drought, intensifying pressure on farmers and rural communities across northern and eastern Spain during an exceptionally hot summer.

Puigdemont Accuses Spain’s Supreme Court of Undermining Catalan Amnesty Law

Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has accused the Spanish Supreme Court of obstructing implementation of the parliamentary Amnesty Law, keeping tensions over Catalan independence and the division between Spain’s political and ju...

Catalan Government Faces Growing Pressure Over Rail Disruptions and Public Services

Catalan President Salvador Illa is facing mounting opposition pressure over disruptions to the Rodalies commuter rail network, healthcare waiting lists and education disputes, giving Junts per Catalunya fresh grounds to challenge the Soc...

Spain Tightens Border Checks on Italian Travellers Amid Ceuta Migration Dispute

The Spanish government has introduced stricter identity checks for passengers arriving from Italy amid a diplomatic dispute over migration and reciprocal border measures following a surge in undocumented migrants and unaccompanied minors...

Spain Moves to Complete European Union Recovery Reforms Ahead of Final Funding Transfers

The Spanish government expects to complete nearly 90 percent of reforms required by the European Commission by the end of August, paving the way for final Next Generation European Union funding, with much of the money earmarked for green...

Spain and Portugal Submit Joint Bid to Host European Union Artificial Intelligence Gigafactory

Spain and Portugal have formally proposed a joint Iberian bid for a European Union-funded artificial intelligence gigafactory, highlighting the region’s renewable energy capacity and submarine cable networks as potential advantages for a...

Spain’s Economy Set to Outpace Eurozone Growth Despite Renewed Inflation Pressure

The Spanish economy is projected to expand 2.4 percent this year, supported by domestic consumption, strong employment and European recovery funding, although higher energy prices linked to conflicts in the Middle East could push inflati...

Spain Housing Shortfall Set to Reach 750,000 Homes as Affordability Crisis Deepens

The Banco de España expects Spain’s cumulative housing deficit to reach 750,000 units by the end of next year, with shortages concentrated in Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante, Valencia, Murcia and Málaga putting further pressure on rents and ...

Meta Raises AI Spending Target to as Much as $145bn Despite Pressure Over Returns

The company’s capital spending is consuming most of its free cash flow as it races to turn new AI models and products into a commercially durable business.

Danube Drought Exposes Nazi Wrecks and Pushes Central Europe’s Power System to the Brink

Danube Drought Exposes Nazi Wrecks and Pushes Central Europe’s Power System to the Brink

Record-low river levels have revealed armed Second World War vessels, disrupted navigation and forced emergency action to keep nuclear plants operating in Hungary and Romania.

Joe Biden’s Cancer Has Spread Beyond His Bones, Hunter Biden Says

Joe Biden’s Cancer Has Spread Beyond His Bones, Hunter Biden Says

The former president’s son described the advanced prostate cancer as painful and debilitating, while public details of his current condition remain limited.

Why 2027 Could Be a Strong Year for Stocks—and Why the Forecast Is Fragile

A bullish case rests on continued profit growth, easing policy uncertainty and a broader payoff from AI investment; high valuations leave little room for disappointment.

Why Markets May Look Quiet in August After Big Tech Earnings

A lighter calendar can suppress expected stock swings temporarily, while AI spending remains the deeper question for investors.

Salvador Illa Faces Mounting Budget and Structural Pressures in Catalonia

Catalan President Salvador Illa is entering his third year in office under pressure to secure long-term public financing and investment while negotiating housing, education and fiscal autonomy issues, with fragile regional political supp...

Mercadona Loses Some Market Share as Lidl, Aldi and Consum Expand in Spain

Mercadona’s national supermarket market share slipped slightly to thirty-seven point six percent in the first half of the year as Lidl, Aldi and regional competitor Consum gained ground, reflecting changing consumer habits and continued ...

Spanish Companies Begin Major Compliance Changes as EU Artificial Intelligence Act Takes Effect

Spanish banks, telecommunications companies and technology firms are beginning broad compliance reviews as key transparency and regulatory requirements under the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act take effect, requiring closer sc...

Spanish Rail Service Suspended After Fatal Talavera de la Reina Level-Crossing Collision

A fatal pedestrian collision at a level crossing in Talavera de la Reina has forced an indefinite suspension of the Alvia long-distance rail service between Madrid and Extremadura, highlighting continuing safety and infrastructure challe...

Iberdrola Commits More Than Five Hundred Million Euros to Brazilian Power Grid

Spanish energy company Iberdrola, through its Brazilian subsidiary Neoenergia, plans to invest more than five hundred and twenty million euros to modernize electricity infrastructure in Brazil’s Federal District, expanding its role in th...

Spain’s Water Reserves Fall Below Seventy Percent as Summer Heat Intensifies Drought

National reservoir levels have fallen to sixty-nine percent after successive summer heatwaves, with drought continuing to affect agricultural production and water supplies in southern Mediterranean basins including the Segura and Júcar r...

Spain Welcomes Record Forty-Six Point Five Million International Visitors in First Half

Spain received forty-six point five million international tourists in the first six months of the year, generating more than sixty-four billion euros in spending, but the surge is also intensifying opposition to overcrowding and short-te...

Santander Overtakes Inditex as Spain’s Most Valuable Listed Company

Banco Santander has reclaimed the top position by market value on Spain’s Ibex 35 for the first time in eight years, overtaking Inditex after a two hundred and sixty-five percent rise in its shares over recent years amid strong profitabi...

Banco de España Raises Inflation Forecast as Spanish Growth Remains Strong

The Banco de España expects the Spanish economy to grow two point three percent this year, supported by exports and tourism, but has raised its inflation forecast to three point six percent as persistent price pressures and high borrowin...

Spanish Opposition Escalates Pressure on Pedro Sánchez Over Ceuta Migration Crisis

Spain’s Partido Popular and Vox are intensifying their challenge to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez over the government’s handling of migration, with Vox leader Santiago Abascal proposing constitutional impeachment proceedings and the conse...

Spain and Italy Escalate Diplomatic Dispute Over Migration With Tit-for-Tat Border Controls

Spain has introduced stricter border and police checks on Italian travellers arriving at airports including Barcelona, in response to similar measures imposed by Italy, escalating a rare dispute between two European Union and NATO allies...

Logista Announces €0.58 Dividend as Spanish Logistics Sector Maintains Strong Profitability

Spanish logistics group Logista plans to pay a €0.58-per-share dividend in late August, highlighting continued profitability and strong balance sheets across parts of Spain’s commercial transport and distribution sector.

Spain Welcomes More Than 46 Million International Tourists in First Half of Year

Spain received more than 46 million international visitors during the first half of the year, generating nearly €64 billion in spending as tourists from Britain, Germany and France drove strong revenues across major destinations includin...

Spain Issues Extreme Heat Alerts as Summer Excess Deaths Rise

Spain’s meteorological authority has issued severe weather warnings across Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha and the Ebro Valley as temperatures again exceed 40 degrees Celsius, while health monitoring data indicate more than 3,000 excess de...

Spain Prepares Power Grid for Solar Eclipse as Solar Generation Faces Sudden Drop

Red Eléctrica de España and major utilities are testing emergency load-balancing measures ahead of the total solar eclipse, when a temporary decline in photovoltaic generation will challenge a national electricity system increasingly rel...

Spanish Companies Face New EU Artificial Intelligence Transparency Requirements

Businesses operating in Spain are adapting to new obligations under the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act, including requirements to tell consumers when they are interacting with automated chatbots and to provide artificial inte...

Agrifood and Fishing Exports Remain Major Pillars of Spain’s Economy Despite Climate Pressure

Spain’s agricultural and maritime industries continue to drive exports, with fruit shipments worth nearly €12 billion and meat exports worth €10 billion, while more than two-thirds of production is destined for consumers elsewhere in the...

Spanish Home Sales Fall to Multi-Year Low as Mortgage Costs Weigh on Buyers

Residential property transactions in Spain fell nearly six percent in the second quarter, reaching their lowest level since late 2024, while new-build sales dropped eleven percent as high borrowing costs continued to limit mortgage affor...

European Commission Asks Spain to Cut Recovery Fund Borrowing by €1.2 Billion

The European Commission is seeking a €1.2 billion reduction in Spain’s planned borrowing under its recovery programme after inflation made some social housing projects unviable and demand for electric vehicle subsidies fell below earlier...

Spain Tightens Border Checks on Italian Travellers Amid Migration Dispute

Spain has introduced stricter checks on passengers arriving from Italy after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government declined to lift restrictions affecting Spanish citizens following a surge in irregular migration into the Sp...

Spain Deploys More Than 24,000 Officers for Massive Solar Eclipse Security Operation

The Spanish Guardia Civil is deploying more than 24,000 agents across over 600 designated observation points as millions of domestic and international visitors prepare to watch the total solar eclipse, creating an unusually large peaceti...

Catalan Government Faces Growing Pressure Over Rail Disruptions, Healthcare Delays and Strikes

Catalan President Salvador Illa is facing mounting criticism from Junts per Catalunya over repeated problems on the Rodalies commuter rail network, growing healthcare waiting lists and education strikes that are putting pressure on the r...

UK Drought Cuts Harvests and Raises Food-Security Fears

Record July dryness, repeated heatwaves and water restrictions are reducing crop yields across England and Wales, while farmers warn of mounting pressure on domestic food production.

Ukraine Tells Senate Republicans Its Drone War Offers a Blueprint for America

Frontline commanders briefed Republican senators on cheap drones, electronic warfare and rapid adaptation as Washington pursues deeper defence cooperation with Kyiv.

Weight-Loss Drug Boom Tests the Limits of Prescription Advertising Rules

Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are competing for an enormous obesity-treatment market, but strict rules in Britain and Europe force them to promote awareness of the condition rather than the medicines themselves.