Struggling Spanish banks will not be able to get fresh capital promised them from the Europe's new bailout fund until next year, a senior European official said Friday.

A Spanish court Wednesday brought charges against Rodrigo Rato, former head of the International Monetary Fund, over alleged corruption in the spectacular failure of Spanish lender Bankia.

Eurozone finance ministers may meet on July 20 to finalise a rescue of Spain's banks, European sources said Wednesday.

A bailout of Spain's banks comes with strings attached and Madrid's efforts to cut its deficit must be monitored closely, a top European Central Bank official said on Thursday.

A bailout of Spain's banks comes with strings attached and Madrid's efforts to cut its deficit must be monitored closely, according to a top European Central Bank official.

Spain cannot finance itself for long at the high rates it now pays on the markets, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy warned Wednesday on the eve of a European Union summit.

Spain's central bank said on Wednesday that the country's economy contracted at a faster rate in the second quarter than the 0.3 percent drop posted in the first three months of the year.

Shareholders in Spanish lender CaixaBank on Tuesday approved its takeover of Banca Civica, which will make it Spain's biggest bank by assets, the company said.

European stock markets and the euro wavered in cautious trading on Tuesday, a day after sharp losses and ahead of a key EU summit on how best to tackle the eurozone debt contagion.

Top eurozone finance ministers meet in Paris on Tuesday in a last-minute effort to ensure that a summit this week launches the EU on far deeper integration and stops debt contagion from engulfing Spain.

Top eurozone finance ministers meet in Paris on Tuesday in a last-minute effort to ensure that a summit this week launches the EU on far deeper integration and stops debt contagion from engulfing Spain.

European stock markets and the euro edged higher on Tuesday, rebounding from sharp losses a day earlier and ahead of a key EU summit on how best to tackle the eurozone debt contagion.

Diners finish their paella at a leisurely pace in the Hispania, a restaurant on Spain's sunny east coast, to the thwack of balls on a nearby golf course.

Asian markets mostly fell on deepening European debt concerns on Tuesday after 28 Spanish banks were hit with a downgrade as traders remained downbeat ahead of a European Union summit.

Stocks in London crept higher at the start of trading on Tuesday despite a credit downgrade for Spanish banks.

Spain formally requested a rescue loan of up to 100 billion euros ($125 billion) from its eurozone partners in a letter released Monday.

The European Central Bank said Friday it will widen the range of securities it accepts from eurozone banks in exchange for its loans in a move to boost lending to firms and households.

Spain will formally request eurozone aid for its stricken banks on Monday, Spanish Finance Minister Luis De Guindos said on Friday.

Troubled eurozone nations agreed to act quickly to save Spain's banks, and to send international creditors to Greece for an update from the new government.

Troubled eurozone nations agreed to act quickly to save Spain's banks, and to send international creditors to Greece for an update from the new government.