Image caption, Sánchez's announcement comes after a series of measures to tackle the housing crisis was defeated in parliament on Friday Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called an early election for 29 November after recent defeats on legislation aimed at addressing the country's housing crisis. Speculation about a snap election had been building over the weekend after parliament rejected two decree laws put forward by the minority government to protect tenants in the rental market. The eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home after she was unable to afford a sharp rent rise has sparked nationwide protests and increased pressure for housing reform. In a televised address on Monday, Sánchez said that to push reforms through he needed a broader progressive majority that can overcome the resistance of the elites. Housing has not been the only issue causing problems for Sánchez's leadership in recent months, with his party having been caught up in numerous corruption scandals and facing pressure on other cost-of-living issues and immigration.

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Why are data centres such a big deal in Scotland? Every time you ask ChatGPT a question, read a Google summary or make an online bank payment, a data centre is working behind the scenes. Now Scotland is part of a global race to build many more of them - on a massive scale. The explosion in artificial intelligence (AI) over the past few years has seen tech firms scrambling to build new hyperscale data centres, including some which would rank among the biggest in the world. Plans are in place to build at least 23 giant AI-powered data centres.

Giving robot companions animal-like or anime-style faces and voices could maximise their emotional appeal to users, according to new research which could help guide the growing field of social robotics. Social robots can provide companionship and comfort to their owners by mimicking human or petlike behaviours. Although the robots are a fast-growing sector of the tech industry, surprisingly little academic research has explored how their designs can be optimised to make the robots as expressive and emotionally engaging as possible. In a new paper set to be presented at a conference this week, researchers from the University of Glasgow show how they have been working to close that research gap. With the help of a group of volunteers, they used augmented reality technology to test dozens of different combinations of faces and voices overlaid on the body of an existing social robot called a Qoobo, which has a soft, cushion-like body and a swinging tail.

The average interest rate on a new five-year fixed mortgage deal has hit 6% for the first time in three years, figures show. The cost of home loans has been rising in recent weeks, as lenders face higher costs amid international concern over rising prices, interest rates, and government borrowing costs. It means home buyers and anyone renewing a fixed deal have seen about 1,500 mortgage deals priced below 5% vanish since the start of September, according to the financial information service Moneyfacts. It described the situation as brutal for borrowers, with the average rate on five-year deals now at 6%, and at 5.98% on two-year fixed mortgages. For borrowers, the interest rate on a fixed mortgage does not change until it expires, usually after two or five years, and a new one is chosen to replace it.

Look Up Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable Selects Say More Top creators, ranked Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Creator Playbook In My Bag AI at School Safety Net Versus Trending Now All Series Prime Day kicks off soon, but the early deals have already started. Lois Mackenzie is a freelance reporter at Mashable. Over the years she has written for many publications, covering everything from the local news to the best pair of running shoes. You can find bylines in publications including Fit&Well, Metro, and Coach magazine, usually covering deals on everything from earbuds to TVs, or guides on how to beat your half marathon time. All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers.

For many Okinawa locals, the arrest of a US soldier accused of robbing and killing a woman in a hotel room has reignited decades of frustration over crimes involving US military personnel there. Honestly my first reaction was, 'Not again,' 52-year-old longtime Okinawa resident Ai Sato told the BBC. Nothing has changed since I was a child. How many times are we going to repeat the same thing, create more victims, cause their families to suffer, and ultimately, cause the people of Okinawa to grieve? I know we shouldn't get used to terrible things like this, but because they keep happening, I've stopped being surprised, she told the BBC.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is taking legal action against Thames Valley Police over his arrest in February. The former Prince Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, in the wake of information that emerged from the Epstein files in the United States. Mountbatten-Windsor's lawyers are said to be challenging the search warrants used in Sandringham and at Royal Lodge in Windsor relating to his arrest, as first reported by the Telegraph. Thames Valley Police confirmed: We are engaged in legal proceedings in relation to warrants previously obtained from the Central Criminal Court. As these legal proceedings are currently ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further, a spokesperson for the force that carried out the arrest said.

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