Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has ordered security forces in Ceuta to seek judicial authorization to expel irregular migrants immediately if they are detained for crimes. The measure targets undocumented immigrants arrested for criminal acts in the autonomous city. Undocumented foreign residents in Ceuta now face a faster deportation process if they are arrested for any offense.
Defense Minister Margarita Robles delivered 12 veiled warnings to Morocco during a four-minute appearance in Ceuta, calling the July 30 mass crossing something that cannot happen again. She said any aggression against Ceuta or Melilla is an aggression against all of Spain. The crossing of 80,000 people was equivalent to nearly all of Ceuta's population, and Morocco's Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi said the issue remains pending. Robles did not confirm whether she will appear before the Senate on August 18.
An ICEX-KPMG study finds 97% of Chinese companies in Spain plan to maintain or increase investments in 2026, with 71% expecting to keep or expand workforces. Automotive and battery companies represent 13% of the firms analyzed and are among the top three sectors. Separately, the Defense Ministry will approve Chinese automaker SAIC's factory in Ferrol, reversing earlier security warnings about its location five kilometers from a naval base. Defense Minister Margarita Robles called Galician president Alfonso Rueda to confirm the favorable opinion, without prejudice to operational conditions that may be necessary.
Interest payments on Spain's regional debt will climb from €3,608 million in 2022 to €11,528 million by 2029, according to Fedea. The increase follows European Central Bank monetary tightening and higher interest rates. Rising debt costs may force regional governments to review spending in education, health, and fire prevention. The debate over regional financing reform is expected to open in September.
Diesel and gasoline prices in Spain steadied before the August 15 Operation Salida, with diesel at €1.806 per liter and gasoline at €1.691. Filling a 55-liter diesel tank costs an average of €99.30; a gasoline tank costs about €93. Prices remain below their March 21 peaks of €1.942 for diesel and €1.796 for gasoline. A July 29 royal decree ended the 10% VAT cut on fuels and reduced the special hydrocarbon tax rebate from 15 cents to 10 cents per liter.
A total solar eclipse crossed Spain on August 12, darkening more than half the country for the first time on the Iberian Peninsula since 1912. The total eclipse lasted 62 seconds at the Yebes Observatory and was the first of three total eclipses in Spain between 2026 and 2028. The band of totality passed through 13 autonomous communities, entering via Galicia and ending in the Balearic Islands. Visibility depended on a clear western horizon because the eclipse coincided with sunset.
Heat persists across Spain on Thursday, with temperatures above 35 degrees in much of the peninsula's interior and over 40 degrees in southwestern valleys. Madrid has an orange heat alert from 12:00 to 21:00, with highs of 39-40 degrees in the center and south. Tropical nights continue, with minimums above 25 degrees along parts of the Mediterranean coast. Strong afternoon storms are forecast in the east and southeast.
A wildfire at Las Peñas de Riglos in Aragon has burned 5,705 hectares and forced 577 people to evacuate. Botaya and Camping Pirineos were evacuated; Santa Cilia and Binacua were confined because of smoke. The blaze is about three kilometers from the Protected Landscape near San Juan de la Peña. The right flank, including the area threatening the protected natural space, was contained; the left flank is held at the A-132 road.
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