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MADRID — King Juan Carlos of Spain is abdicating in favor of Crown Prince Felipe, his 46-year-old son, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced on Monday. The king’s abdication, after almost four decades on the throne, follows health problems but also comes amid a decline in his popularity, particularly as a result of a corruption scandal centering on his son-in-law that has also put the spotlight on the royal family’s lifestyle and finances at a time of economic crisis and record joblessness. The king, 76, announced his abdication in a letter to Mr. Rajoy, who then made the decision public in...

The biggest political story recently in the Spanish-speaking world has been a confrontation in Chile between the king of Spain and President Hugo Chavez, a democratically-elected Venezuelan demagogue who will soon try to circumvent his country's constitution to become dictator for life. Mr. Chavez also has become the mouthpiece of a small axis of Latin American leaders...who advocate Marxist socialism and virulent anti-Americanism... ...Chavez kept on with his harangue until a man seated next to Mr. Zapatero leaned forward, pointed his finger at Mr. Chavez, and said "Why don't you shut up?" This man was the Spanish head of state,...

Venezuelan President released another attention-catching remark about his long-time foe U.S. President George W. Bush. Chavez also attacked Spanish King Juan Carlos I, with whom he had recently come into conflict in Chile’s capital Santiago. Chavez blasted the U.S. and Spanish leaders visiting Paris and Lisbon, ITAR-TASS reports. The Venezuelan president stated in Paris that George W. Bush should be placed in an asylum for his comments about a possibility to start Third World War if Iran developed nuclear weapons. In Lisbon Chavez said that the Spanish King could not make up with the fact that Latin American countries (former...

The king of Spain's recent undiplomatic outburst at the Venezuelan president has become a ringtone hit across Spain. An estimated 500,000 people have downloaded the insult featuring the words "Why don't you shut up?", generating a reported 1.5m euros ($2m). King Juan Carlos asked Hugo Chavez to "shut up" at a summit in Chile last week after the president said Spain's ex-PM Jose Maria Aznar was a "fascist". Branded mugs, t-shirts and websites featuring the row are also profitable. In Venezuela, a group of students who oppose Mr Chavez's government have also been downloading the ringtone, a US newspaper reported....

After the king's retort to Mr. Chavez, some Spanish commentators suggested it was not dignified for the king to speak in this way, as if he was making it into a street fight. Numerous British left-wing media and other continental commentators actually took Chavez's side. (This should be no surprise, considering the venomous hatred of the U.S. in European media circles,) There has been very limited coverage of this story in American mainstream media. But almost everywhere else, the king's rebuke has become a new rallying cry. In Venzuela, the oppositiion to Mr. Chavez has adopted "Por que no te...

CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez is not about to turn the other cheek after a catching a verbal slap from Spanish King Juan Carlos last weekend. The fiery leftist leader of Venezuela all but openly warned Spain that his country doesn't need Spanish investment, and that he expects the king to offer an immediate apology.

Madrid - Former Spanish chief of state José Maria Aznar spoke with the King of Spain and with current prime minister Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero this afternoon to thank them for the support they expressed for him in the Iberoamerican meeting yesterday in Santiago de Chile after Aznar was criticized by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The conversation with Zapatero was brief, just 10 minutes, and took place after Zapatero placed a floral offering at the memorial to victims of the military dictatorship in Argentina...government sources have confirmed Zapatero responded to Aznar, saying, "I acted according to my principles and for...

The Bush's welcomed King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain to a private visit at Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas, for the afternoon. Mrs. Cheney participated in topping the national Christmas tree in DC. President Bush ordered an internal review into whether the Defense Department should run covert paramilitary operations traditionally mounted by the CIA, administration officials said November 23, 2004. The presidential directive, signed by Bush last week, asks the CIA and the Departments of State, Defense, and Justice to report back to him in 90 days on "whether or not the paramilitary operations, currently under the...

The Spanish Socialist prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, yesterday faced a barrage of derision over his government's anti-Americanism following a snub by President George W Bush. Mr Zapatero was one of the first premiers to send a congratulatory telegram to Mr Bush after his election victory last week. But, in what was a stinging confirmation of the poor state of relations between Washington and Madrid, he has yet to receive a reply. Mr Zapatero had also telephoned Mr Bush before the election result was made official but was not put through to the president. Spain's newspaper columnists, the opposition...

King Abdullah, Spanish monarch review situation in occupied territories His Majesty King Abdullah smiles while talking to Spain's King Juan Carlos at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, Spain, on Wednesday (Photoby Paul White/AP) MADRID (Agencies) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday left Spain for London after holding talks with King Juan Carlos on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. The two leaders discussed “the role Europe can play to end the cycle of violence [in the occupied territories] and put the peace process back on track,” the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Spain currently holds the rotating EU...