Spain's Sánchez sorry for corruption scandal as opposition calls for resignation

Pedro Sánchez faces mounting pressure after an escalating corruption scandal brought down a senior colleague.

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Sánchez, who has led Spain since 2018, said there was no such thing as "zero corruption" and he sought to put to distance himself from the affair, ruling out early elections.

Opposition conservative leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo said it was time for Sánchez to resign: "Survival is no longer an option."

A downbeat Sánchez admitted he had been wrong to trust Santos Cerdán, the secretary of his Socialist party, and spoke of his deep disappointment.

Cerdán has been asked to testify in court after a judge suggested he may have acted with former party officials in improperly awarding public contracts in exchange for kickbacks.