Socialists deal blow to separatists in Catalan elections but face uphill task to form government

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s ruling Socialist party scored a crucial victory in regional elections in the powerful northeastern region of Catalonia, garnering the most seats and dealing a blow to the region’s two main separatist parties that have governed for decades. But candidate...

Catalan separatists lose majority as Spain's pro-union Socialists win regional elections

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Six years after plunging Spain into its worst political crisis in decades, Catalonia's separatist parties are in danger of losing their hold of power in the northeastern region after the pro-union Socialist Party won the most votes in Sunday's election. The...

Commuter rail service in northeast Spain has been disrupted by theft of copper cables near Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Commuter rail service serving Barcelona and northeastern Spain has suffered major disruption because of the theft of copper cables from a train installation, Spanish rail authorities said Sunday. Thousands of commuters were stranded at train stations in and...

How far has Spain moved past Catalonia's secession crisis? Voters will decide in regional election

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Carles Puigdemont, Catalonia’s fugitive former leader, stares confidently out the backseat window of a car, the sun illuminating his gaze in a campaign poster for Sunday’s critical elections in the northeastern Spanish region. The image plays on another...

Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira. The Colombian singer is under investigation for the alleged evasion of 6.7 million euros ($7.2 million) in...

Real Madrid wins its record-extending 36th Spanish league title after Barcelona loses at Girona

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Real Madrid put its Spanish rivals out of their misery by clinching the league title on Saturday with four games remaining, just in time to turn its full focus to its Champions League semifinal with Bayern Munich. Madrid did the expected and beat...

Video reviews have changed the face of European soccer. One country is holding out

STOCKHOLM (AP) — As the Swedish league got underway this spring, yellow-and-black-clad supporters of Stockholm club AIK held up an enormous banner containing a long, vivid story about the dark forces of modern soccer conquering the world. “The whole world? No!" read the words on...

Venice tests a 5-euro entry fee for day-trippers as the Italian city grapples with overtourism

VENICE, Italy (AP) — Under the gaze of the world’s media, the fragile lagoon city of Venice launched a pilot program Thursday to charge day-trippers a 5-euro ($5.35) entry fee that authorities hope will discourage visitors from arriving on peak days and make the city more livable for its...

Spain's prime minister denies corruption allegations against his wife, but says he's considering resigning over them

Spanish judge freezes a bank account of Piqué's company amid probe into Saudi deal to host Super Cup

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A Spanish judge has ordered a bank account of a company run by former Barcelona player Gerard Piqué to be frozen while she investigates suspicions of corruption in the hosting of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. A Spanish court confirmed local news...