Local (Benalmadena & Malaga)
Vithas Xanit Hospital in Benalmádena marks 20 years, 250,000 surgeries, and three million consultations
The private hospital celebrated its 20th anniversary with over 250 attendees including the mayors of Benalmádena, Fuengirola, and Torremolinos, alongside regional authorities. With more than 1,000 staff, it ranks among Spain’s top 20 private hospitals and holds JCI international accreditation for quality and patient safety.
353 luxury apartments planned at former Meliá hotel site in Torremolinos, priced from €423k to €1.15 million
Seville-based ABU Group is investing €250 million to build the Magna residential complex on the abandoned plot near La Carihuela beach, featuring a commercial arcade, swimming pools, gym, and coworking space. The site has sat unused since 2009 after a previous hotel project collapsed, and Torremolinos council will receive 15% of the profits under the development agreement.
Torremolinos opens its seventh public dog park with agility equipment and LED lighting
The new canine park includes perimeter fencing, double access gates, a dual-use drinking fountain for people and pets, four dog agility elements, litter bins, and LED lighting. The facility reflects ongoing investment in pet-friendly public infrastructure along the Costa del Sol.
Man barricaded with knife in Torrox Pueblo safely disarmed by coordinated police response
A 46-year-old man with schizophrenia barricaded himself inside his sister’s home armed with a kitchen knife on Tuesday, prompting a joint response from Torrox Local Police, Guardia Civil, and Usecic public safety units. Officers negotiated with the man with help from family members, disarmed him without injury, and transferred him to Axarquía regional hospital for specialist care.
Alhaurín de la Torre resident films two masked burglars fleeing after dogs foil break-in attempt
Two suspects attempted to enter a property in the Capellanía residential area on Saturday evening but fled when the homeowners’ dogs — including a muzzled American Staffordshire terrier — startled them. A neighbour chased and filmed the pair, providing key evidence to the Guardia Civil, who are now investigating links to a broader string of burglaries across Malaga province.
Spain
Former PM José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero charged in alleged €2 million influence-peddling scheme
Zapatero has become the first former Spanish prime minister since the democratic transition to be formally investigated for corruption, accused of leading “a stable and hierarchical influence-peddling structure” linked to the €53 million public bailout of airline Plus Ultra. The judge alleges Zapatero and his daughters’ company received nearly €2 million in suspect payments routed through a consulting firm, and investigators are examining a possible money-laundering trail through Dubai; Zapatero denies any wrongdoing.
US to continue using military bases in Spain under existing agreements
The US will maintain access to its military bases in Spain, including Rota and Morón, following sustained diplomatic coordination between Madrid and Washington. The continuation underscores Spain’s role in NATO’s southern flank strategy even amid wider transatlantic tensions.
Spaniards rank as Europe’s least satisfied with their monarchy, new poll finds
Despite King Felipe VI’s efforts to restore the institution’s image after his father Juan Carlos I’s scandals, Spaniards remain the most disapproving of their monarchy among European nations surveyed. Republican sentiment continues to grow among younger demographics, though no referendum on the monarchy is currently on the political agenda.
Shakira wins €60 million victory in long-running tax residency battle with Spain
Spain’s National Court ruled that the singer was not a tax resident in Spain during 2011, annulling penalties imposed by the Tax Agency. The ruling does not affect her existing criminal conviction for later tax years, but marks a major financial win in a case that has drawn international attention to Spain’s aggressive pursuit of celebrity tax cases.
Catalonia drought eases but water restrictions remain as reservoirs reach 35% capacity
After two years of severe drought, recent spring rains have modestly improved reservoir levels in Catalonia’s internal basins, though the region remains under a state of emergency with strict consumption limits. Experts warn that one wet spring does not reverse the structural water deficit and call for accelerated investment in desalination and water recycling infrastructure.
World
Trump pledges 5,000 additional troops to Poland in apparent NATO U-turn
Just one week after the Pentagon cancelled a planned deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland, President Trump announced he would send 5,000 more soldiers instead, citing the need to “reinforce NATO’s eastern flank.” The reversal has puzzled analysts, with some speculating it reflects internal administration wrangling or a bargaining chip in broader negotiations with European allies over defence spending.
Iran escalates claim over Strait of Hormuz as IEA warns oil markets nearing ‘red zone’
Iran published an official map claiming “armed forces oversight” across more than 22,000 square kilometres of the strategic waterway, while the IEA chief warned that surging demand, low reserves, and reduced Middle East exports could trigger a global oil crunch by August. The dual developments have spooked energy markets with Brent crude climbing above $95 a barrel.
Greenlanders protest ‘No means no’ outside new US consulate as Trump pushes for control
Protesters gathered outside the newly inaugurated US consulate in Nuuk chanting “No means no” in response to Trump’s continued push for greater American control over the autonomous Danish territory. Denmark’s government has reiterated that Greenland is not for sale, while quietly expanding its own Arctic defence presence.
DR Congo: Angry crowd sets Ebola hospital tents on fire after relatives blocked from burial
Grieving family and friends of a suspected Ebola victim set fire to hospital tents in eastern DR Congo after being prevented from taking his body for burial — an incident highlighting the immense challenge of containing the latest outbreak in a conflict zone. The WHO has called the situation “very worrying” given the rare Ebola species involved, lack of vaccines, and ongoing armed conflict in the region.
Venezuela releases longest-serving political prisoners after 23 years behind bars
Héctor Rovaín, Luis Molina, and Erasmo Bolívar were released after being convicted without evidence over deaths during the 2002 protests that briefly ousted Hugo Chávez. Their release is being read by some as a gesture by the Maduro government amid international pressure, though critics note that hundreds of political prisoners remain detained.
AI & Tech
OpenAI makes breakthrough on 80-year-old maths problem
OpenAI researchers claim to have used large language models to solve a long-standing open problem in combinatorics first posed in the 1940s, representing what the company calls a significant step toward AI-driven mathematical discovery. While mathematicians caution that peer review is still underway and the solution’s generality remains unconfirmed, the result has reignited debate about whether AI is approaching genuine scientific reasoning or statistical pattern-matching at scale.
Trump delays signing AI executive order at last minute, citing concerns about “blocking” US leadership
President Trump postponed signing an AI oversight and access executive order scheduled for Thursday, stating it “could have been a blocker” for the jobs and “tremendous good” AI is creating. Critics argue the delay signals a deregulatory posture that prioritises speed over safety, while industry groups welcomed the restraint as protecting American competitiveness against China.
Anthropic in talks to use Microsoft’s Maia AI chips amid massive capacity push
Even after signing a reported $15 billion-per-year compute deal with SpaceX, Anthropic is reportedly in early talks to rent Azure servers running Microsoft’s custom Maia 200 chips. The move signals that demand for inference capacity is outstripping even the largest single-provider deals, and reflects the broader scramble for AI compute as models grow larger.
Intuit lays off 3,000 employees (17% of staff) to refocus on AI
The TurboTax and QuickBooks maker is cutting roughly 3,000 jobs as CEO Sasan Goodarzi redirects the company toward “AI-driven experiences” and automation of tax and accounting services. The layoffs mirror a broader trend of white-collar restructuring as major software firms bet that AI can replace routine knowledge work.
Nvidia reports record-breaking Q1: data center revenue jumps 92% to $75.2 billion
Nvidia’s first-quarter fiscal 2027 results smashed expectations with $81.6 billion in total revenue, driven by insatiable demand for its AI chips. The data center division alone surged 92% year-over-year, underscoring that the AI infrastructure buildout has not yet peaked, though some analysts warn of concentration risk if hyperscaler spending patterns shift.