Stories from Madrid · Spain

Madrid has restored direct high-speed rail connectivity with Malaga, reducing travel time to approximately two hours. The first train is scheduled to depart from Atocha station at 12:50 and is expected to arrive in Malaga shortly before 1:00 PM.

Brazilian tennis player João Fonseca has returned to the top 30 of the world rankings. His ascent follows the defeat of Spanish player Rafael Rodar by the world number one and Jannik Sinner reaching the semifinals of the Madrid Masters 1000 on Wednesday.

Aldama is allegedly linked to meetings held abroad with Begoña Gómez, the wife of the Spanish Prime Minister. Quiles is known for recording videos targeting left-wing politicians and media professionals. Witnesses observed a physical struggle between Quiles and two female companions of Gómez. Begoña Gómez, wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has filed a complaint alleging aggression by activist Vito Quiles. The complaint follows an incident where Quiles allegedly blocked the exit of a premises while questioning her. The incident was captured in a video showing two companions of the woman attempting to stop the pursuit. The People's Party (PP) has been urged to condemn the alleged harassment and intimidation. The source noted that some individuals are financing such attitudes in political circles.

The Euribor has risen to 3 percent, reversing downward trends seen over the last 18 months. This increase is driven by expectations that central banks may raise interest rates to combat inflation caused by the war. Mortgage holders with variable-rate loans will face significantly higher monthly payments. For a 150,000 euro mortgage remaining over 25 years, the impact will be substantial. Daily data suggests the Euribor is stabilizing between 2.7% and 2.8% after rising during April. While interest rates remain at higher levels than previous months, the recent trend indicates a potential plateau. The Euribor has seen two consecutive months of increases, with a rise of 0.2 percentage points in April. Variable-rate mortgages have become approximately 50 euros more expensive per month on average due to this trend. The current rate is reported at 2.74%.

Spanish opposition leaders have recognized Goncalves as the president-elect. The figure has held daily meetings in Madrid with current and former prime ministers, opposition leaders, parliamentarians, and regional heads.

Aldama provided an eight-hour statement alleging the People's Party (PP) has engaged in illegal financing for 20 years. The source claims Aldama cited Coldo to highlight the diligence of María Jesús Montero. The investigation follows testimony by Aldama at the Supreme Court regarding two alleged funding routes. These routes reportedly include Venezuelan oil and commissions paid to the party. Testimony from Aldama describes how a real estate businessman allegedly penetrated the Ministry of Transport. The individual reportedly became part of the inner circle of Minister Ávalos. A separate investigation by the Audiencia Nacional is examining allegations of illegal financing involving Aldama. Statements from Lieutenant Colonel Balas and Commander Montes reportedly detailed the operational roles within the scheme.

The regional government reported that 16,000 medical tests conducted in Madrid have incurred costs exceeding 12 million euros. Critics described the expenditure as an example of mismanagement by the government of Pedro Sánchez and Minister Mónica García.

Spanish player Rafa Jodar lost his match against world number one Jannik Sinner at the Madrid Open. Jodar is a 19-year-old player described as a sensation of the tournament. The match took place in Madrid.

A former Minister of Finance is under investigation by the Audiencia Nacional for a 200 million euro VAT fraud. The investigation also involves contracts for face masks that allegedly resulted in 5.5 million euros in payments.

BBVA reported an 11 percent increase in first-quarter profits, reaching approximately 3 billion euros. The growth comes amid economic uncertainty regarding the Middle East conflict and the status of the Strait of Hormuz. The bank's performance is noted alongside other major Spanish financial institutions. The source indicated these profit levels have not been seen in nearly two decades. The bank's performance comes amid concerns that the Middle East war could intensify due to stalled negotiations and issues with the Strait of Hormuz. Spanish bank CaixaBank reported profits exceeding 1.5 billion euros between January and March of this year. This represents a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2025. The bank is the owner of PPI in Portugal.