Spain PM's shock election call brings unruly coalition to heel

MADRID (AP) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's snap general election call breaks apart the coalition he built with the far-left United We Can party, marking a line in the sand with a movement born from grassroots activism whose electoral fortunes have nosedived. On Monday,...

Nicaraguan writer Gioconda Belli wins Reina Sofia poetry prize

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Nicaraguan poet and novelist Gioconda Belli, known for her feminist and erotic literature, was awarded the Reina Sofia Ibero-American Poetry prize Monday. Considered among Latin America’s best-known writers, Belli’s work has been translated into more than 20...

Spanish prime minister calls early general election after battering in regional vote

MADRID (AP) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday called an early general election for July 23 in a surprise move after his Socialist party took a serious battering in local and regional elections. Prior to Sunday's debacle, Sánchez had insisted that he would ride out...

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calls early general elections for July 23

Drought-struck Barcelona quenches thirst with costly desalination

EL PRAT DE LLOBREGAT, Spain (AP) — Where once the population of Barcelona drank mostly from its rivers and wells, Spain’s second city now relies upon a labyrinth-like mesh of green, blue and purple pipes inside an industrial plant to keep it from going thirsty amid a prolonged drought. ...

Spain swings right in local and regional elections

MADRID (AP) — Spain's conservative opposition Popular Party made significant gains in Sunday's local and regional elections, offering a dire assessment of public feeling towards the ruling left-wing coalition ahead of general elections in December. In the local vote, the Popular...

Disgusted by racism targeting soccer's Vinícius, his Brazilian hometown rallies to defend him

SAO GONCALO, Brazil (AP) — The chants of “monkey!” at the Spanish soccer stadium echoed across the Atlantic, reaching the ears of people on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. That's where Vinícius Júnior, who is Black, grew up and launched his soccer career. Now, despite his...

OpenAI boss downplays fears ChatGPT maker could leave Europe over AI rules

LONDON (AP) — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Friday downplayed worries that the ChatGPT maker could exit the European Union if it can't comply with the bloc's strict new artificial intelligence rules, coming after a top official rebuked him for comments raising such a possibility. ...

Spanish Socialists under pressure in key regional elections

MADRID (AP) — Spain goes to the polls on Sunday for local and regional elections seen as a bellwether for a national vote in December, with the conservative Popular Party steadily gaining ground on the ruling Socialists in key regions. Spain's 17 regional governments, plus two...

Weeks before EU and Latin American joint summit, trade deal remains elusive

BRUSSELS (AP) — Only weeks before a joint summit between the European Union and Latin American nations was supposed to seal an oft-delayed trade deal, the writing on the wall of EU headquarters Thursday made it clear why it still might not happen. “STOP EU-MERCOSUR,” the...