Spain's acting premier Rajoy loses first confidence vote to win second term

Madrid: Spain's acting prime minister lost a parliamentary confidence vote for a second term on Wednesday, as expected, after he failed to win enough support from the opposition, bringing the country closer to a potential third election in a year.
Mariano Rajoy, of the centre-right People's Party (PP), secured the backing of only 170 representatives in the 350-strong assembly, six seats shy of the majority he needed.
Liberal newcomer Ciudadanos voted in favour of Rajoy, as did a small party from the Canary Islands. The Socialists, anti-austerity alliance Unidos Podemos, and regional parties from the Basque Country and Catalonia voted against him.