Kazakhstan vows to fast-track AZAL crash investigation amid rising diplomatic tensions
Kazakhstan has vowed to speed up its investigation into the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) crash near Aktau, as mounti...
April 3, 2025, marks the final deadline for non-EU nationals to apply for Spain's Golden Visa Program, offering residency through investments before the scheme ends.
April 3, 2025, is the final deadline for submitting applications for non-EU nationals interested in acquiring residency in Spain through the Golden Visa Program.
The Golden Visa Program of Spain, also known as the Residency by Investment Schemes, gives non-EU nationals the opportunity to acquire residency in this country in exchange for financial investments. The scheme provided residency in exchange for investing two million euro or more in state bonds, or for investing in emerging Spanish companies. The most popular option was the awarding of the visa, which could be obtained in exchange for buying property worth €500,000 or more.
However, the housing crisis that the country was dealing with forced the government of Spain to eliminate this scheme. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his government's intention to scrap the scheme was intended "to guarantee that housing is a right and not merely the subject of business speculation".
He said that the majority of visas awarded were linked to the purchase of properties in places such as Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga, Alicante and the Balearic Islands - all areas where the housing market "is under enormous pressure and where it is almost impossible for people who live and work in those places and pay their taxes each day to find affordable housing".
Since 2013, when the scheme was implemented in Spain, over 15,300 persons have benefited from this program. The record number reached in 2023, when Spain granted about 3,200 golden visas to foreigners.
Based on the statistics from the Housing Ministry of Spain, the largest number of golden visa recipients are nationals from China, followed by Russians and UK citizens. The top beneficiaries of the Golden Visa Program are also nationals from the United States, Iran, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Mexico.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
Türkiye raised its security level for Turkish-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to Level 3 on Sunday (2 March). The development follows Iranian restrictions on shipping after U.S. and Israeli strikes and confirmation of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death.
Strikes across the Middle East are intensifying, fuelling travel disruption, driving up global energy prices and forcing diplomatic missions to shut their doors as tensions continue to rise.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and is capable of sustaining military action indefinitely, as the conflict with Iran entered its fourth day.
The United Nations has called for an investigation into a deadly attack on a girls’ primary school in Iran, which Iranian officials say has killed more than 100 children. The U.S. has said its forces “would not” deliberately target a school.
U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 3rd of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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