Briefly

SPAIN

Ballots cast in general elections

Voters were casting ballots in general elections in Spain on Sunday. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the early election after his Spanish Socialist Workers Party and its left-wing partner, Unidas Podemos, took a severe beating in local and regional elections in May. Sanchez has been prime minister since 2018. Most opinion polls for Sunday's voting put the right-wing Popular Party, which won the elections in May, ahead of the Socialists. The elections came as Spain holds the EU's rotating presidency.

AFGHANISTAN

Monsoon rain causes floods, kills 30: Official

At least 30 people have been killed in Afghanistan after floods caused by a heavy monsoon rain spell washed away homes, Reuters quoted a disaster ministry official as saying on Sunday. Mohammad Shafi Rahimi, the ministry spokesman, said 26 of the deaths occurred in Jalrez district, 46 km east of Kabul, after the rain washed away hundreds of houses. Four more people died in Kabul, and over 70 were injured in both districts, he said, adding at least 40 others were missing.

UNITED STATES

Twitter logo ready for last chirp, says Musk

Elon Musk said on Sunday he was looking to change Twitter's logo, tweeting: "And soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds". Musk posted an image of a flickering "X", and later in a Twitter Spaces audio chat replied, "Yes" when asked if the Twitter logo will change, adding that "it should have been done a long time ago". The company has changed its name to X Corp.

Agencies - Xinhua