A Uruguayan Hercules C-130 transport aircraft performed the South American country's last relief flight, bringing out people from war-torn Israel to Madrid while Argentina was still evacuating its own Tuesday, it was reported.
Football's governing body FIFA announced Wednesday that the 2030 World Cup will be returning to the continent where it all started a century before but after opening games in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, the rest of the event will be held in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
Spanish political party leaders were called in for a new round of talks with King Felipe VI on Monday ahead of a fresh attempt to form a new government. After July's general election produced a strung parliament consisting of 350 legislators from 11 different parties, coalition-building has proven difficult.
Spanish Popular Party leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo fell short of the 176 votes he needed to become prime minister after a vote by lawmakers on Wednesday. Feijioo's conservative Popular Party won the most seats in the July 2023 general election, but he has struggled with putting together a coalition to form a government as he opposes giving concessions to separatist parties.
Tens of thousands of Spaniards took to the streets in Madrid on Sunday to protest against reports that acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez could grant amnesty to Catalan separatists in return for political support. Protesters chanted out, out and Sanchez, resign.
The former president of the Catalonian government, Carles Puigdemont on Tuesday demanded the complete abandonment of judicial proceedings against any members of the Catalan separatist movement. Speaking to journalists, Puigdemont said that any talks about his support in the formation of a new Spanish government were dependent on this condition.
Europol has supported the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) in dismantling a criminal organization smuggling large quantities of cocaine from South America to the European Union via the Canary Islands. The operation also involved law enforcement authorities from Croatia, Italy and Serbia. The investigation identified a significant threat; criminal organizations' increasing ability to collaborate closely and deploy members to different locations for longer periods to enable large-scale drug trafficking. The international cooperation of law enforcement authorities across the EU was therefore crucial for intercepting the suspects and halting their criminal activities.
The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned Uruguay's Ambassador to Madrid, Ana Teresa Ayala, in response to controversial statements made by acting Vice President of the Uruguayan government, Graciela Bianchi, concerning Spain's Socialist Party (PSOE) in the wake of the recent Spanish general elections.
By Shlomo Ben-Ami (*)
A few days ago, the Vox party appeared to be on the cusp of becoming the first far-right party in Spain’s government since the end of Francisco Franco’s dictatorship nearly 50 years ago. That did not happen, but Spanish politics may nonetheless be headed for a new and volatile chapter.
Spain's conservative opposition Popular Party (PP) won Sunday's general elections but is short of votes to make Alberto Núñez Feijoó, even though an alliance with the far-right VOX movement, it was reported in Madrid after over 98% of the polling stations were counted.