Europe

Joy and confusion after Catalan leader’s ‘independence’ speech

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 […]

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Macron takes EU reform push to Germany book fair

by Jérôme Rivet Agence France-Presse FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) — French President Emmanuel Macron takes his push for deeper European integration to Germany Tuesday, where he and Chancellor Angela Merkel will open the world’s largest book fair in Frankfurt. In his landmark speech on the future of Europe last month at the Sorbonne university in Paris, Macron stressed that “culture will always be the strongest cement of the European Union.” France is this year’s guest of honor […]

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Scottish nationalists urge Spain to ‘respect’ Catalan vote

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 […]

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Catalan leaders under pressure over independence threat

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 […]

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Catalan independence would not be recognized: France

  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 […]

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Pressure mounts on Catalan separatists after unity rallies

  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 […]

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Flags fly as Catalan crisis fans Spanish patriotism

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 […]

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Belarussian student becomes first-ever Miss Wheelchair World

WARSAW, Poland (AFP) — A psychology student from Belarus, Aleksandra Chichikova, was chosen Miss Wheelchair World in the first-ever edition of the beauty pageant held in Warsaw on Saturday. “Fight your anxiety and your fears,” the 23-year-old Chichikova said at a gala evening, after the contestants had presented themselves in national costumes and evening dresses in elaborate choreographies. Lebohang Monyatsi from South Africa was the runner-up ahead of Poland’s Adrianna Zawadzinska in the first contest […]

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Thousands demand Putin quit as birthday protests turn violent

by Marina KORENEVA with Theo MERZ in Moscow Agence France Presse SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (AFP) — Russian police violently broke up a rally in Saint Petersburg as thousands took to the streets across Russia Saturday on President Vladimir Putin’s 65th birthday, urging him to quit power. Heeding the call of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny to demand competitive elections, around 3,000 people rallied in Russia’s second city and Putin’s hometown while more than a thousand […]

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Protesters rally against Catalan independence in Barcelona

by Daniel Silva and Diego Urdaneta Agence France-Presse BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) – Protesters flocked to Barcelona on Sunday wrapped in Spanish flags to rally against plans by separatist leaders to declare Catalonia independent following a banned secession referendum. Catalans calling themselves a “silent majority” opposed to leaving Spain broke their silence after a week of mounting anxiety over Spain’s worst political crisis in a generation. Hundreds of people gathered on the city’s Urquinaona square waving red and […]

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Man held after people hurt in crash near London museum

by Patrice Novotny and Alice Ritchie Agence France Presse LONDON, United Kingdom — Police detained a man near London’s Natural History Museum on Saturday after a vehicle apparently drove into pedestrians at a busy tourist spot, injuring a number of people. Witnesses and footage posted on social media suggested the man was pinned down on the ground by passers-by near the Victoria and Albert Museum. A police spokesman said it was too soon to say […]

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Spain braces for mass protests in Catalonia crisis

  by Roland Lloyd Parry © Agence France-Presse MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Spain braced for mass street protests Saturday as anger swelled against Catalan leaders’ vows to declare their region independent and the national government’s handling of the volatile political crisis. Tentative signs have emerged that the sides may be seeking to defuse the crisis after Madrid offered a first apology Friday to Catalans injured by police in a crackdown on their outlawed independence vote on October 1. […]

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