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by Adrien Vicente Agence France-Presse MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Spain and Portugal are grappling with a devastating drought which has left rivers nearly dry, sparked deadly wildfires and devastated crops — and experts warn that prolonged dry spells will become more frequent. Nearly all of Portugal has suffered extreme drought conditions during the last six months, which has not happened since 2005. A majority of Spain has also received considerably less rain than it normally would. “It’s […]
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — Several hundreds of people rallied in Brussels on Sunday to back the independence push in Catalonia, slam the EU and demand Spain release jailed regional officials. Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who is in self-imposed exile in Belgium, was a no-show at the demonstration that included pro-independence European Parliament members and several members of the exiled regional government. “Democracy in Spain is not only sick, it is practically dead,” Spanish MEP Josep-Maria […]
by Patrick Galey © Agence France-Presse MADRID, Spain (AFP) — The sacked speaker of Catalonia’s parliament left a prison near Madrid on Friday hours after supporters posted her bail of 150 000 euros ($175,000), ending her brief detention over the region’s controversial independence drive. A judge at the Supreme Court in Madrid on Thursday had ordered Carme Forcadell to be held on charges of “rebellion” — which carries a maximum jail term of 30 years — as […]
by Patrick Galey Agence France Presse MADRID, Spain (AFP) — The speaker of Catalonia’s sacked parliament was detained on Thursday over her region’s controversial drive for independence from Spain. Carme Forcadell was held by Spain’s Supreme Court in Madrid pending bail of 150,000 euros, a court spokesman said. Forcadell and five other deputies appeared in front of Spain’s highest tribunal on charges of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds — which carry a maximum […]
by Toni Cerda with Daniel Bosque in Barcelona Agence France-Presse BRUXELLES, Belgium (AFP) — Catalonia’s sacked leader on Tuesday slammed the European Union for backing Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in his bid to quash secession, after calling on pro-independence parties to unite for next month’s regional election. “Will you accept the result of the Catalan referendum or will you continue to help Mr Rajoy in his coup d’etat?” Carles Puigdemont, who was dismissed by Madrid last […]
by Daniel Bosque © Agence France-Presse BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — Catalonia’s deposed leader Carles Puigdemont, who has fled to Belgium and is facing an EU arrest warrant, has been a convinced secessionist since his youth, long before the issue moved to the centre of Catalan politics. Spanish prosecutors want to charge Puigdemont, with rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds over his role in the region’s tumultuous independence drive. The 54-year-old has ignored a summons to appear […]
by Simon Sturdee with Alfons Luna in Barcelona © Agence France-Presse MADRID, Spain (AFP) — A large chunk of Catalonia’s deposed government was behind bars Thursday after a Spanish judge ordered their detention pending probes into their role in the region’s independence drive, prompting fresh street protests. Carles Puigdemont, dismissed last week as Catalan president by the Spanish government and who has since been holed up in Belgium, meanwhile was facing a possible EU arrest warrant after […]
by Daniel BOSQUE Agence France-Presse DOSRIUS, Spain (AFP) – A month ago, residents of the Catalan village Dosrius were facing off against police in their struggle to break away from Spain. Now independence has been declared — but nothing, they feel, has been gained. Indeed, they have probably lost what they had. Spain’s central government has taken control of the region for the first time since the end of dictatorship in the 1970s. Catalonia’s separatist […]
by Simon Sturdee with Laurence Boutreux in Barcelona Agence France-Presse MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Axed Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont’s lawyer confirmed Wednesday his client will spurn a Spanish legal summons to be grilled about alleged rebellion and sedition in his quest for independence. “He will not go to Madrid and I have suggested that he be questioned here in Belgium,” Paul Bekaert told Spanish television channel TV3. Puigdemont, currently in Brussels, and 13 other members of his […]
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) — Catalonia’s axed separatist leader Carles Puigdemont will not return to Spain as there is a “good chance that he would be detained,” his lawyer has said. Speaking to Dutch public newscaster NOS late Tuesday, Belgian lawyer Paul Bekaert said “as far as he told me, that’s not going to happen” when asked if his client would go back to Spain. “That’s because we are awaiting further reactions from the Spanish […]
by Marine Laouchez with Daniel Silva in Madrid Agence France-Presse BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — Spain’s top criminal court on Tuesday summoned Catalonia’s axed separatist leader for questioning, hours after he appeared in Brussels insisting he remained the “legitimate president” of a region now under direct rule from Madrid. The National Audience in Madrid, which deals with major criminal cases, summoned Carles Puigdemont and 13 other former members of his administration, dismissed by Spain’s central government last week, […]
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — Carles Puigdemont, who was removed from office as Catalonia’s president last week by Madrid’s central government, spoke with a lawyer in Belgium on Monday as Spanish prosecutors sought rebellion charges against the region’s separatist leaders. But Paul Bekaert, who specializes in asylum issues, said “Puigdemont is not in Belgium to request asylum,” only to prepare a legal riposte to any eventual moves by Madrid. “On this matter (asylum) nothing has yet been decided,” […]
