Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday called an early election for November 29, aiming to increase his parliamentary support after lawmakers last week rejected proposals to address a housing crisis that has drawn nationwide protests. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Mark Owen, Javier Carbonell, Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre, explains that Sanchez has chosen "the best moment in a sea of troubles" to call snap elections as he is likely to capitalise on the mobilisation of left-wing voters during the housing protests.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday announced they would develop a new legal tool to enable the EU to respond rapidly to trade wars or measures, such as dumping. While they did not say the proposal was a direct response to the actions of any particular country, it came days before EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen visits China to tackle trade frictions.

Erin Ogunkeye is pleased to welcome Letta Tayler, Senior Counterterrorism Advisor at Human Rights Watch. She warns of the detention of suspected Islamic State members transferred from northeast Syria to Iraq as part of a much wider "global detention crisis". The men and boys now held in Iraq are living in 'dire' conditions, including deaths from illness, allegations of torture, and serious questions surrounding access to effective legal representation. Can accountability be achieved through legal proceedings that respect the rule of law and provide genuine justice to both detainees and victims?

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday slammed Russia's increased strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. In a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Macron said he reviewed "the concrete support" Europe can provide Ukraine to defend itself against the attacks.

Two people have ⁠died and ​another is missing after heavy rains and flooding in Spain's ​Catalonia region, authorities said on Sunday.

Britain's disgraced former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, filed a legal action on Monday to quash warrants that led to searches of his residences. The police arrested the 66-year-old on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct over his links to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

Spanish ​Prime ​Minister ​Pedro Sanchez on Monday called an early ​election ‌for ‌November ​29. Facing the electorate now could be risky, as Sanchez's Socialist Party is trailing in opinion polls. 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to travel to Iceland on Monday, two weeks after Washington sealed a security pact with Denmark and Greenland on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Rubio will meet with officials in Reykjavik "to discuss economic and security collaboration", according to a statement by the US State Department. 

The Pentagon confirmed on Sunday that all US B-1 bombers deployed to Britain’s RAF Fairford had returned home following a security incident that prompted nearby evacuations. Police found no explosives after reports of suspicious activity at the base last Sunday. Five London-based British men arrested were subsequently released on bail.