spain
Pope Leo gives Spain’s ‘phoenix’ prime minister another turn in the global spotlight
Pope Leo XIV meets with members of the Spanish Parliament in Madrid on June 8. (Alessandra Tarantino/Pool via REUTERS) Earlier this spring, Spain’s defiance of U.S. President Donald Trump’s war plans in Iran briefly made the country the centre of global geopolitical friction. Now, Pope Leo XIV is visiting, thrusting the country back into the spotlight — only this time, welcoming an American who wields moral authority, rather than military might. Leo, who was born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, has been met with near-rapturous crowds in Madrid ever sinceRead more
Cuba’s battered tourism sector takes another hit as Spain’s Meliá hotel chain shutters some locations
A view of the exterior of the Gran Hotel Bistol, as seen on Wednesday in Havana. The Spanish hotel group Meliá will cease operations at 15 of the 34 hotels it manages on the island, according to state website Cubadebate, dealing a blow to Cuba’s vital tourism sector. (Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images) Spanish hotel chain Meliá has joined a growing list of companies with long-standing operations in Cuba that are withdrawing from or limiting their business on the island after the U.S. announced new sanctions while maintaining an oil embargo. MeliáRead more
Heat wave hampers fight against wildfires in Spain, Portugal, Greece
A wildfire burns near a highway in A Gudiña, in northwestern Spain, on Friday. (Cesar Manso/AFP/Getty Images) Firefighters in Spain, Portugal and Greece battled ongoing wildfires Friday, an important religious holiday in all three countries, as persistent hot, dry conditions challenged efforts to contain the blazes. Spain was fighting 14 major fires, according to Virginia Barcones, general director of emergency services. Temperatures were expected to climb over the weekend. “Today will once again be a very tough day, with an extreme risk of new fires,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro SánchezRead more