Building collapses in Spain, ’s Balearic Islands, killing at least 4 people
A two-storey restaurant building collapsed on the beach in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, killing at least four people and injuring 16.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez
Gunmen kill three Spanish tourists in Afghanistan, ’s central Bamyan province
Three Spanish tourists were killed and at least one Spaniard was injured in an attack by gunmen in Afghanistan’s central Bamyan province.
Spain’s Socialists hail ‘new era’ in Catalonia as separatist support dims in elections
Spain’s Socialists won the biggest share of the vote in Sunday’s Catalan elections, dealing a serious blow to more than a decade of separatist governance in Catalonia. The Socialists had 42 seats in the 135-seat chamber, while hardline separatist party Junts was in second place with 35 seats and the more moderate separatist party ERC had 20 seats. The result is an existential threat to separatist governance in Catalonia, which led an illegal independence referendum in 2017. Separatist parties do not have enough seats to form a coalition government, and there is a risk the vote may need to be repeated. Separatist sentiment in Catalonia has decreased, with the pro-independence movement losing energy and unity in recent years.
Catalans vote in an election that offers a new chance to exiled separatist leader
Catalans are voting in a regional election between an exiled separatist politician, Carles Puigdemont, and the Socialist Party led by Salvador Illa. Puigdemont, who fled Spain after a failed independence bid in 2017, is vowing to resurrect the bid if elected. Opinion polls predict a lead for the Socialists, with the possibility of forming a coalition government due to the likelihood of no party reaching a majority. If no agreement is reached by August, a repeat election would take place in October.
Socialist supporters call on Spanish prime minister to stay
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez considered resigning after a court launched a business corruption probe into his wife’s private dealings. However, thousands of Socialist Party supporters gathered in Madrid to urge him to stay, denying the allegations against his wife and stating he will announce his decision on Monday. Opposition parties condemned Sanchez’s move, while Madrid’s prosecuting authority appealed the court’s decision to investigate the complaint against his wife.