World

Spanish left-wing politician resigns amid sexual abuse allegations

Published

4 weeks ago

October 28, 2024

Spanish left-wing politician resigns amid sexual abuse allegations

Errejón’s departure is a major setback for Spain’s Sumar coalition, already weakened by declining support, and comes as the country faces heightened awareness around abuse of power in public life.

Íñigo Errejón, a prominent figure from the Spanish government’s junior coalition partner, Sumar, is under investigation for alleged sexual abuse, officials confirmed on Friday following his abrupt resignation.

Errejón, the spokesperson for the left-wing Sumar coalition, announced his departure from politics in a post on X on Thursday but did not directly address the allegations.

The accusations emerged after Spanish journalist Cristina Fallarás shared on Instagram an anonymous post accusing a “well-known Madrid-based politician” of engaging in “psychological abuse.”

Soon after Errejón’s resignation, actress Elisa Mouliaá publicly identified him as her alleged abuser.

“I am a victim of sexual harassment by Íñigo Errejón and I want to denounce it,” the actress posted on X.

The Ministry of Interior reported that a formal complaint had been lodged against Errejón.

In Mouliaá’s police statement, she described the events as occurring in September 2021 during a private gathering at a friend’s home.

According to the complaint, Errejón allegedly behaved violently and engaged in non-consensual touching, leaving the actress “paralysed and unable to react.”

The domestic press said that in a conversation with Sumar’s leadership, he has confessed to “machismo” — a term used in Spain to describe toxic masculinity, but also any form of unwanted behaviour against women.

In the post announcing his resignation, Errejón made a veiled reference to the allegations he’s facing. “Ideological struggle is also a struggle to build better ways of life and relationships — more caring, more supportive, and therefore freer,” he said.

Sumar’s crisis deepens with declining support

Sumar, a feminist-aligned platform, has been facing a significant decline in support in recent elections, leading to party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz stepping back from her leadership.

The coalition government, already reliant on the support of smaller parties, is now more vulnerable amid this controversy, especially as negotiations for this year’s budget become increasingly complex.

This scandal unfolds against the backdrop of Spain’s heightened scrutiny of abuses of power following last year’s high-profile case involving Spanish women’s national football team president Luis Rubiales.

Errejón, who co-founded the far-left party Podemos before forming Más País, now part of Sumar, had been a prominent political figure for over a decade. Sumar has announced an internal investigation following the accusations.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his support for women facing abuse while reaffirming trust in Díaz and Sumar.

“This is a very unpleasant moment, but we’ve taken action. This case is particularly painful for a feminist government, but the key is how one responds. As soon as the situation became known, Yolanda (Díaz) acted swiftly and decisively,” Sánchez told journalists.

Meanwhile, the opposition People’s Party has pressed Díaz to clarify when she first became aware of the allegations against Errejón, who had been considered a potential successor for the Sumar leadership.

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World

Adani's Bribery Scandal Raises Concern on Market, Public Disclosure Lapses

Published

3 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Adani's Bribery Scandal Raises Concern on Market, Public Disclosure Lapses

By Aditya Kalra and Aditi Shah NEW DELHI (Reuters) – In March, Adani Group’s head of corporate finance wrote an email to one of its lenders, calling as “baseless” a media report on the group’s alleged bribery investigation in the United States. That email was also marked to top finance executive …

World

A look inside the most expensive house in the world — the home of the UK’s monarch

Published

4 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

A look inside the most expensive house in the world — the home of the UK’s monarch

The world’s most expensive house is located in London, England.

Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the king, is widely considered the most expensive house in the world, valued at around $4.9 billion.

Buckingham Palace is far from a traditional house with 775 rooms and 50,000 people visiting each year for receptions, dinners, state banquets and other events, according to the royal family website.

Buckingham Palace is considered the most expensive house in the world. (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images I Fox Photos/Getty Images)

ROYAL FAMILY SPOUSES: KATE MIDDLETON, MEGHAN MARKLE, OTHER CURRENT SPOUSES OF ROYAL FAMILY MEMBERS

This, of course, is outside the half million tourists who visit the destination each year. In 2023-2024, about 530,000 tourists visited Buckingham Palace, according to Statista.

In addition to viewing the breathtaking palace, visitors often watch the famous Changing of the Guard ceremony.

For those who want a look inside Buckingham Palace, guests can view the state rooms in the summer as well as on select dates in the winter and spring when small guided tours are available, according to the Royal Collection Trust website.

The Changing of the Guard ceremony is one many tourists observe while visiting Buckingham Palace. (Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images)

OWNER OF WORLD’S LARGEST CAR COLLECTION HAS OVER 7,000 VEHICLES IN HIS POSSESSION

Since 1837, Buckingham Palace has been the official London residence of the United Kingdom’s sovereigns, according to the royal family website.

Among the 775 rooms located in Buckingham Palace are 19 state rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 bedrooms for staff, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms, according to the royal family website.

The royal palace is full of breathtaking places, including the White Drawing Room, the Throne Room, the Ballroom and the 47-meter Picture Gallery filled with historical art.

The royal family waves to the public from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during events. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

SET SAIL ON WORLD’S LARGEST CRUISE SHIP, WHICH CAN ACCOMMODATE OVER 7,000 GUESTS PER VOYAGE

The Grand Staircase and 39-acre Palace Garden are other highlights.

The balcony of the royal palace is where generations of royals have stepped out for public appearances.

Another home ranked as one of the most expensive is Antilia in Mumbai, India.

Antilia holds the Guinness World Record for the “most expensive private house in the world.”

The mansion is estimated to be worth between $1 billion and $2 billion, according to Architectural Digest India.

It is owned by business magnate Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries.

The most expensive private residence is Antilia in Mubai, India, which is owned by Mukesh Ambani. (Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The 400,000-square-foot residence is 570 feet tall.

The 27 stories of Antilia include numerous swimming pools, a spa and a theater, according to Guinness World Records.

The property also includes 168 parking spaces and three helipads.

Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital.

World

WHO says mpox remains public health emergency of international concern

Published

5 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

WHO says mpox remains public health emergency of international concern

UN health agency says its decision is ‘based on the rising number and continuing geographic spread of cases’.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it will keep its alert for mpox at the highest level amid a surge in cases.

A WHO committee made up of about a dozen independent experts made the decision at a meeting in Geneva on Friday, three months after the WHO first declared a public health emergency of global concern in August.

The WHO said its decision was “based on the rising number and continuing geographic spread of cases, operational challenges in the field, and the need to mount and sustain a cohesive response across countries and partners”.

There has been a surge in mpox cases this year, predominantly focused in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighbouring countries.

A first batch of vaccines was rolled out last month and appears to have had an impact on containing cases of the highly contagious disease, but the United Nations agency has been waiting for substantial proof to discuss the impact of vaccinations.

The African Union’s health watchdog warned at the end of October that the mpox outbreak was still not under control and called for more resources to avoid a pandemic that it said could potentially be worse than COVID-19.

The virus is usually mild, but it can be fatal in rare cases.

Mpox is believed to have killed hundreds of people in the DRC and elsewhere last year as it also spread to Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria and Uganda, causing a continent-wide emergency.

The disease can be spread through close contact with an infected person, sexual activity or breathing in infectious particles. The virus then replicates and spreads to the lymph nodes, leading them to swell before further spreading and causing rashes or lesions.