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LAVAL, France (AFP) – French police raided the headquarters of dairy giant Lactalis on Wednesday over a baby milk salmonella scare that has sickened dozens of children and led to a major international recall. Dozens of police were searching the company’s offices in Laval, western France, as well as its factory in nearby Craon which was the source of the tainted milk. Lactalis has recalled baby milk from 83 countries, with anger growing after it emerged […]
BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — The two largest pro-independence parties in Catalonia said Tuesday they had agreed to nominate sacked regional leader Carles Puigdemont for president, despite his self-imposed exile in Belgium and Madrid’s insistence he cannot rule remotely. The separatist ERC and Puigdemont’s Together for Catalonia party reached an accord to support him “as a candidate for president of the Catalonia region,” a joint statement said. The central government in Madrid has warned it would maintain direct […]
MADRID, Spain (AFP) –Spain warned Monday that Madrid would maintain its unpopular direct control over Catalonia if ousted regional leader Carles Puigdemont tries to govern again from exile in Belgium. Speaking to party members in Madrid, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said Puigdemont had “to be physically present” in Catalonia to take office. And if that did not happen, he warned, the central government would maintain the direct rule imposed after Catalan leaders declared independence in October. Puigdemont is […]
MADRID, Spain (AFP) — The passenger of a Ryanair flight from London to Malaga in southern Spain, apparently tired of waiting inside the plane on arrival, got out and sat on the wing, a witness and the airline said Wednesday. “We had been waiting around half-an-hour to get out of the plane,” Fernando del Valle, another passenger, told AFP of the incident on Monday evening. “The man calmly went to the emergency exit, pulled the […]
MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Ousted Catalan president Carles Puigdemont on Saturday demanded Madrid reinstate his regional government, which was deposed after an independence referendum that Spanish courts judged illegal, as part of a political settlement. “As president, I demand the Spanish government and those who support it… restore all they have expropriated from the Catalans without their say-so,” Puigdemont said from Brussels as he called on Madrid to “negotiate politically.” Puigdemont’s administration followed up the October 1 […]
by Patrick Rahir Agence France-Presse MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Despite taking fire for losing a snap election in Catalonia, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy faces the new year better equipped to block a separatist drive in the wealthy region, analysts said. His detractors have called the results of the December 21 election, which saw separatist parties hold on to their majority in the Catalan parliament, a “fiasco” and a “rout” for Rajoy, in power since 2011. Pro-independence parties failed […]
by Serene ASSIR Agence France Presse MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Spain’s King Felipe VI in a Christmas speech on Sunday urged Catalan lawmakers to respect their region’s diversity and avoid another confrontation over independence. Felipe’s remarks came three days after separatist parties, led by ousted president Carles Puigdemont, won an absolute majority of seats in a parliamentary vote. The wealthy northeastern region’s newly elected parliament must “face the problems that affect all Catalans, with respect […]
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — Deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said from self-imposed exile in Belgium that it was indisputable that separatists had won Thursday’s key regional vote. “This is a result which no one can dispute,” Puigdemont told supporters in Brussels as partial results showed that pro-independence parties were on course for an absolute majority. “I think we have earned our right to be listened to.” As loyalists shouted “president, president,” Puigdemont also lashed out […]
BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — Catalan separatist parties looked set to win back their absolute majority in a crucial vote Thursday, though anti-independence Ciudadanos had scored the best individual result, a partial count showed. Together, the pro-independence Together for Catalonia, leftist ERC and radical left CUP parties were on course to take 70 seats — an absolute majority in a 135-seat parliament. Those results at 2120 GMT were based on a count of just over 65 percent of […]
by Marianne Barriaux Agence France Presse BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — Catalans take their independence struggle to the polls Thursday in a hotly-contested election that could mark a turning point for their region just two months after a secession bid ended in failure. The vote pits leaders of the wealthy northeastern region’s separatist movement against parties that want to remain in Spain, and opinion polls suggest both sides’ leading candidates are neck-and-neck. Will voters again hand […]
by Alfons Luna with Daniel Silva in Madrid Agence France-Presse BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — Campaigning hit fever pitch on Monday in Catalonia, just three days before a pivotal election aiming to break the deadlock in Spain’s worst crisis in decades. The regional vote on Thursday pits leaders of the wealthy northern region’s separatist movement against candidates who want to stay part of a unified Spain, with neither side showing a willingness to back down. Some of the […]
SEVILLE, Spain (Reuters) — A passenger train derailed in the Spanish province of Seville on Wednesday (November 29), leaving 21 people injured, one seriously, according to the Andalusia emergency services. The medium-distance train was traveling between Malaga and Seville and slid off the tracks in the municipality of Arahal due to adverse conditions caused by heavy rain, a spokesperson for the national transporter Renfe said. Andalusia emergency services said earlier on Wednesday that they had […]
