Ibiza holiday rentals plunge as Spain cracks down on overtourism

January 14, 2026 5:42 PM

Ibiza holiday rentals plunge as Spain cracks down on overtourism

The number of short-term tourist lets on Ibiza almost halved in 2025 from a year earlier as Spain's crackdown on holiday homes and overtourism started to bite. The supply of short-term rentals on the popular tourist island is now 80% lower than in 2017, tourism lobby Exceltur said. Across Spain, listings fell 4% in the second half of 2025 versus a year earlier - the first nationwide drop - though trends varied among the 25 biggest cities. Authorities are tightening rules as locals complain soa...

Storm Claudia kills three in Portugal, causes flooding in Britain

November 16, 2025 3:25 PM

Storm Claudia kills three in Portugal, causes flooding in Britain

Violent weather brought on by Storm Claudia killed three people and injured dozens in Portugal, authorities there said on Saturday, while in Britain rescue workers were organising evacuations due to heavy flooding in Wales and England. Portugal and parts of neighbouring Spain have faced days of extreme conditions brought on by Storm Claudia, which had reached parts of Britain and Ireland by Saturday. Rescue workers found the bodies of an elderly couple inside their flooded home in Fernao Ferro...

Trump threatens tariffs on Spain over refusal to boost NATO defense spending

November 14, 2025 1:28 PM

Trump threatens tariffs on Spain over refusal to boost NATO defense spending

President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened trade penalties, including tariffs, against Spain, saying he is unhappy with its refusal to raise defense spending to 5% and calling the move disrespectful to NATO. "I'm very unhappy with Spain. They're the only country that didn't raise their number up to 5%... so I'm not happy with Spain," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I was thinking of giving them trade punishment through tariffs because of what they did, and I think I may do that," T...

Picasso painting disappears en route to Granada exhibit

October 17, 2025 6:10 PM

Picasso painting disappears en route to Granada exhibit

A 1919 Pablo Picasso painting has disappeared in transit ahead of its display at a temporary exhibition in the southern Spanish city of Granada, prompting a police investigation, according to the foundation organising the exhibit. The CajaGranada Foundation said in a statement late on Thursday that the missing piece - a small framed gouache titled "Still life with guitar" - was part of a larger shipment of artworks moved from Madrid to the Andalusian city for the exhibition "Still life. The ete...

Trump threatens tariffs on Spain over refusal to boost NATO defense spending

October 15, 2025 2:27 PM

Trump threatens tariffs on Spain over refusal to boost NATO defense spending

President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened trade penalties, including tariffs, against Spain, saying he is unhappy with its refusal to raise defense spending to 5% and calling the move disrespectful to NATO. "I'm very unhappy with Spain. They're the only country that didn't raise their number up to 5%... so I'm not happy with Spain," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I was thinking of giving them trade punishment through tariffs because of what they did, and I think I may do that," T...

Trump floats dropping Spain from NATO alliance

October 10, 2025 12:40 PM

Trump floats dropping Spain from NATO alliance

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday the NATO alliance should weigh throwing Spain out of its membership ranks over a dispute about the Western European nation's lagging military spending. Members of the U.S.-backed security alliance agreed in June to sharply increase their military spending to 5% of gross domestic product, delivering on a major priority for Trump, who wants Europeans to spend more on their own defense. But Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said at the time tha...

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat highlights culture as global public good at UNESCO MONDIACULT 2025

September 30, 2025 10:10 PM

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat highlights culture as global public good at UNESCO MONDIACULT 2025

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat represented India at the World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT 2025), organized by UNESCO in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday. The event brought together ministers and cultural leaders from across the globe to chart the future of international cultural cooperation. In a significant recognition of India’s role, Shekhawat served as Chair of the Asia-Pacific Group during the Ministerial Plenary Session, which oversaw the ...

Spain return to top of FIFA rankings, Germany drop outside top 10

September 19, 2025 10:32 AM

Spain return to top of FIFA rankings, Germany drop outside top 10

Euro 2024 champions Spain have climbed to the top of the FIFA rankings for the first time in 11 years while Germany dropped out of the top 10, world soccer's governing body said. France moved up to second in the latest rankings published on Thursday with reigning World Cup champions Argentina slipping to third after their 1-0 loss to Ecuador in 2026 qualifying. Nations League winners Portugal climbed one spot to fifth. Germany dropped outside the top 10 for the first time in almost a year aft...

Volunteer firefighter dies as wildfires rage across heat-stricken Spain

August 13, 2025 2:20 PM

Volunteer firefighter dies as wildfires rage across heat-stricken Spain

A firefighting volunteer died from severe burns, while several people were hospitalised as dozens of wildfires fuelled by strong winds and scorching heat continued to rage across Spain on Wednesday. At least six large wildfires were still out of control on Wednesday, according to regional emergency services. The victim, a 35-year old volunteer, had been attempting to create firebreaks near the town of Nogarejas, in the north-central Castile and Leon region, when he became trapped in the blaze,...

Wildfire near Spanish capital under control as one person dies

August 12, 2025 2:51 PM

Wildfire near Spanish capital under control as one person dies

Firefighters have contained a wildfire near the Spanish capital Madrid, in the Tres Cantos area, which killed one person and prompted the evacuation of 180 people, regional authorities said on Tuesday. Favourable overnight conditions allowed for the fire to be contained, the Community of Madrid said in a statement. A man who had been taken by helicopter to the La Paz hospital after suffering burns on 98% of his body, later died, the Community of Madrid said. The fire affected more than 1,000 ...