Europe

‘Independent’ Catalonia wakes up under Madrid’s control

by Daniel Bosque with Marianne Barriaux in Madrid © Agence France-Presse Barcelona, Spain | AFP Catalonia woke up Saturday under the direct control of Madrid as the Spanish prime minister took drastic measures to quash secession, deposing the region’s leaders and dissolving its parliament hours after lawmakers declared independence. In a dramatic escalation of a political crisis that has stoked alarm in Europe and sent shockwaves through Spain, Mariano Rajoy also decided to call snap Catalan elections on December […]

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Russia tests nuclear-capable ballistic missiles

PLESETSK, Russia (Reuters) — Russia conducted test launch of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles on Thursday (October 26) as part of a training exercise for the country’s strategic nuclear forces. Russian defence ministry released a video showing a Topol intercontinental ballistic missile being test fired from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia, hitting a target at the Kura military testing range on the Kamchatka Peninsula thousands of kilometres (miles) away. The ministry said test launches involved land, […]

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E.Guinea leader’s son gets suspended jail term in Paris graft trial

by Juliette MONTESSE and Clare BYRNE Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – A French court handed down a three-year suspended jail term on Friday to the son of Equatorial Guinea’s leader, Teodorin Obiang, after convicting him of using public money to fund a jet-set lifestyle in Paris. The 48-year-old vice president of the small west African state, who was tried in absentia, was also given a suspended fine of 30 million euros (35 million dollars) by judges […]

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Catalonia: What does it mean to declare UDI?

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) – Spain’s Senate on Friday voted to grant Madrid powers to impose direct rule on Catalonia, shortly after the semi-autonomous region’s parliament approved a motion declaring independence. Herewith are five questions about what it means to make a unilateral declaration of independence: What is a unilateral declaration of independence? Known by its acronym “UDI”, the term was first coined in 1965 when the former Rhodesia’s minority white government declared unilateral independence from British […]

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Russian helicopter crashes at sea in Arctic, 8 aboard: Norway

OSLO, Norway (AFP) — A Russian helicopter with eight people on board crashed at sea in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic on Thursday, Norwegian rescue services said, with fears growing over the fate of those on board. None of the eight aboard had been found six hours after the accident was reported. According to Russian media, they are all Russian nationals. Chances of survival were fading rapidly, with air and water temperatures in the […]

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Tillerson: No future for Assad in Syria

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson declared Thursday that Bashar al-Assad has no future as leader of Syria and will have to leave office as part of a UN-mediated peace process. Tillerson’s comments to reporters came during a visit to Geneva in which he met UN envoy Staffan de Mistura, who is trying to convene a new round of peace talks next month. The secretary said US policy has not changed, […]

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Catalan leader in last-ditch warning as Madrid takeover looms

by Daniel Bosque with Marianne Barriaux in Madrid BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) – Catalonia’s leader warned Thursday that the separatist crisis gripping Spain would escalate if Madrid follows through on its threat to seize the wealthy region’s powers. The crisis over an independence drive in Catalonia is coming to a head as regional lawmakers prepare to meet at 5:00 pm (1500 GMT) in a session in Barcelona which many fear will lead to a unilateral declaration […]

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Italy adopts new electoral law ahead of 2018 vote

ROME, Italy (AFP) – The Italian government adopted a new electoral law Thursday that is set to favor mainstream parties over the populist Five Star Movement (M5S) at general elections expected next year. The new law, which looks likely to land Italy with yet another coalition government at the national elections due between March and May, was adopted by the Senate by 214 votes in favor to 61 against. Furious M5S members have protested from parliament benches […]

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Catalan leader to make statement at 1130 GMT: regional govt

BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) – Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont will make a statement at 1130 GMT on Thursday, the regional government said, amid speculation he could declare independence from Spain or call new elections. The Catalan government said he would make an announcement, without giving further details. Puigdemont is under intense pressure from members of his party to call early elections to ease the separatist crisis, according to a source close to the Catalan leader, who […]

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Rift deepens in wrangle over Catalonia’s autonomy

by Marie Giffard with Mariette le Roux in Madrid BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — Catalonia appeared to be steering for a head-on clash with Spain  Wednesday after its separatist leader snubbed senators in Madrid preparing to depose his independence-seeking government before week’s end. As pro-secession activists protested in Barcelona, Carles Puigdemont turned down an invitation to address legislators in the Spanish capital on his threat of a unilateral Catalan breakaway. His refusal left little hope that Spain’s move to […]

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Iceland votes for second time in turbulent year as economy booms

by Jeremie Richard Agence France Presse REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AFP) — Iceland on Saturday holds its second snap election in just a year after a slew of scandals ensnaring its politicians in a nation whose economy is thriving thanks to tourism. Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson of the conservative Independence Party called the vote last month after a junior member of the three-party centre-right coalition quit the government over a legal scandal involving the prime minister’s father. […]

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New malware attack hits parts of Europe

by Dmitry Zaks Agence France Presse KIEV, Ukraine (AFP) — A cyber attack hit a Ukrainian international airport and three Russian media outlets Tuesday before also being detected by IT experts in Germany and at least two other European states. The malware called “BadRabbit” appeared to be the largest since “NotPetya” was launched from the same two countries before affecting the rest of the world in July. US and Russian cybersecurity experts said the computer […]

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