Zapatero to stand down

Spain's embattled socialist prime minister has announced he will not seek re-election as his country grapples with debt, high unemployment and a faltering economy badly hit by the international financial crisis.

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero told a meeting of party leaders he would limit his time in office to two terms, opening a process of primaries to elect his successor, though analysts say the Socialists are almost certain to lose unless the troubled economy improves substantially.