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by Thomas Cabral Agence France Presse LISBON, Portugal (AFP) — At least 27 people have died in fires which have ravaged forests in northern and central Portugal over the past 24 hours, rescuers said Monday, as three people were killed in Spain in blazes sparked by arsonists and fanned by Hurricane Ophelia. In Portugal, Prime Minister Antonio Costa declared a state of emergency as more than 4,000 firefighters fought some 20 major fires still raging […]
by Patrick Galey and Adrien Vicente Agence France-Presse MADRID, Spain –Catalonia’s independence drive has sent dozens of firms fleeing as doubts grow over the economy of a region that, while one of Spain’s richest, is also deeply indebted and dependent on trade with the EU and the rest of Spain. The semi-autonomous region accounts for one fifth of national GDP and is Spain’s largest exporter, but as the country’s worst political crisis in a generation drags on […]
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — The euro held gains Wednesday after Catalonia’s leader stepped back from the brink in a standoff with Spain over independence while Asian markets pushed higher following another record close on Wall Street. The single currency has come under strain since Catalans voted in an unofficial referendum on October 1 to break away from Madrid, fuelling fears about one of the eurozone’s biggest economies. The region’s leader Carles Puigdemont signed a […]
by Daniel Bosque with Patrick Galey in Madrid © Agence France-Presse BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — Spain’s government prepared to hold crisis talks on Wednesday after Catalan leaders signed a suspended declaration of independence and called for negotiations with Madrid. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will chair an emergency cabinet meeting in response to Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont’s announcement on Tuesday that he had accepted “the mandate of the people for Catalonia to become an independent republic” following a banned […]
by Daniel Bosque with Patrick Galey in Madrid Agence France Presse BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — Catalan leaders signed a declaration of independence from Spain on Tuesday but immediately put it on hold and called for talks with Madrid on the country’s worst political crisis in decades. As Spain headed into the unknown, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was to chair an emergency cabinet meeting early Wednesday to discuss the central government’s response. In a speech to […]
by Adrien Vicente and Diego Urdaneta Agence France-Presse BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — When she heard Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont utter the word “independence” Merce shed tears of emotion — whereas Sergio scowled with disdain. Puigdemont’s Barcelona speech whipped up plenty of fervor among both supporters and rivals, but elation was mixed with confusion. There was joy among thousands of Puigdemont backers, who stood draped in Catalan flags at the foot of Barcelona’s triumphal arch, as they followed his […]
by Mark Mclaughlin Agence France-Presse GLASGOW, United Kingdom (AFP) — The Scottish National Party on Monday urged the Spanish government to “respect the overwhelming ‘si’ vote” in the Catalan independence referendum in a resolution at its annual conference. Members unanimously passed the motion, which called the banned referendum earlier this month an “expression of the democratic will of the people of Catalonia.” The motion also called on the UN and the EU to resolve the political impasse over […]
by Daniel Silva and Diego Urdaneta Agence France-Presse BARCELONE, Spain – Catalan leaders came under intense domestic and international pressure Monday to halt plans to break away from Spain after the region’s president repeated his threat to declare independence and the government warned it would act to block it. The sides dug in as the clock ticked down to a Tuesday evening session in the regional parliament where separatists have called for an independence declaration, a plan that […]
PARIS, France (AFP) — Catalan independence would not enjoy international recognition, France’s minister for European affairs said Monday as the Spanish region’s leader threatens to announce a split. Pressure has mounted on Catalan president Carles Puigdemont to back down after hundreds of thousands of protesters last week rallied to defend national unity. “If there were a declaration of independence it would be unilateral and it wouldn’t be recognized,” Nathalie Loiseau said on CNews digital […]
by Daniel Silva and Diego Urdaneta Agence France-Presse BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) – Pressure mounted on Monday against Catalan plans to declare independence after hundreds of thousands of protesters rallied to defend Spanish unity. The protests followed days of soaring tensions after police cracked down on voters during a banned October 1 Catalan independence referendum, prompting separatist leaders to warn they would unilaterally break away from Spain in days. Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who has yet to […]
by Alfons LUNA Agence France Pressse BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — In Spain the sight of countless red and yellow national flags was usually only seen at football stadiums — until Catalonia’s independence drive fanned the fires of patriotism this week. Despairing at what they see as dangerous Catalan nationalism, Spaniards opposed to secession wrapped themselves in the flag and demonstrated this weekend, chanting, “I am Spanish, Spanish, Spanish”. Catalan separatist leaders have threatened to declare […]
