Greece has kicked off a two-day celebration to mark 200 years of its independence. However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the celebrations have been limited.

Greece marks 200 years of independence

India is all set to celebrate its 74th Independence day on August 15 in the shadow of COVID-19 pandemic. Watch this video to know more.

India: COVID-19 looms over Independence day events

Reviewing The Progress Made By India Since Independence.

Gravitas: India Report Card: The Disconnect Between Ambitions & Reality

Ahead of next month's general election, Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez faced sharp criticism Sunday for his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/catalan-leaders-demand-talks-with-madrid-after-violent-clashes-256960">handling of violent Catalan separatist protests</a> even as calm returned to Barcelona and other cities overnight.

The centre-right Ciudadanos party, which was born out of opposition to Catalan separatism, held a rally in front of Catalonia's regional government headquarters in Barcelona under the slogan: "That's enough! Justice and coexistence".

"We have had enough of seeing how radicals roam freely and scare millions of Spaniards on their land. The streets belong to everyone," Ciudadanos leader Alberto Rivera tweeted before the rally began.

He has called on Sanchez to suspend Catalonia's autonomy just as the central government did in 2017 after the Catalan parliament declared independence following a banned secession referendum.

The streets of Barcelona and other Catalan cities have been rocked by protests since Spain's Supreme Court sentenced nine separatist leaders, many of them former regional government ministers, last Monday to jail terms of up to 13 years for sedition over the failed 2017 independence bid.

Nearly 600 people have been injured in clashes with police since the protests started. A police officer was in "very serious condition" and a demonstrator was in "critical condition" according to Barcelona mayor Ada Colau.

'No dialogue'

In an interview published in top-selling daily newspaper El Pais, the leader of the main conservative opposition Popular Party (PP), Pablo Casado, accused the government of "pretending nothing has happened" and promising that everything will return to normal "with moderation".

"There can be no dialogue with those who make Catalonia burn," he said in reference to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/violence-must-stop-now-says-catalan-president-as-barcelona-burns-256362">Catalonia's separatist president Quim Torra</a> who on Saturday called for "unconditional" negotiations with Sanchez.

That appeared to be aimed at ensuring that a legal referendum on independence, currently a non-starter for Madrid, was up for discussion.

Sanchez, who came to power in June 2018 with the support of Catalan separatist parties, refused to meet with Torra until he "clearly" condemns this week's violence and recognises that half of Catalonia's roughly 7.5 million residents do not want independence.

A poll published in July by a public Catalan institute showed support for an independent Catalonia at its lowest level in two years, with 48.3 per cent of people against and 44 per cent in favour.

'Increase polarisation'

The court's decision has <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/catalan-separatists-police-clash-in-fresh-violence-256595">thrust the Catalan dispute to the heart of the political debate</a> ahead of Spain's November 10 general election, its fourth in as many years.

According to the first poll since Monday's verdict, the ruling Socialists are likely to secure the most votes but again fall short of a majority. The PP was tipped to make significant gains.

Published by the daily El Mundo, the survey predicted Sanchez's Socialists would capture&nbsp;122 seats in the 350-seat parliament, slightly down from 123 it took in the last election in April, while the PP would win 98 seats, up from 66.

"Order and territory has never been a winning bet for the Socialists," Pablo Simon, a political science professor at Madrid's Carlos III university, wrote in a blog post on Saturday, adding the Catalan crisis will "increase polarisation" which would benefit parties with more extreme positions like the far-right Vox and radical separatists CUP.

Barcelona returned to relative calm Saturday night after six days of demonstrations against the jailing of separatist leaders.

But on iconic Las Ramblas street, protesters set up barricades and lit fires before they were dispersed by police firing foam projectiles.&nbsp;

Overnight Friday, radical separatists had hurled rocks and fireworks at police who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Ahead of next month's general election, Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez faced sharp criticism Sunday for his handling of violent Catalan separatist protests even as calm returned to Barcelona and other cities overnight.

Ahead of next month's general election, Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez faced sharp criticism Sunday for his handling of violent Catalan separatist protests even as calm returned to Barcelona and other cities overnight. The centre-right Ciudadanos party, which was born out of opposition to Catalan separatism, held a rally in front of Catalonia's regional government headquarters in Barcelona under the slogan: "That's enough! Justice and coexistence". "We have had enough of seeing how radicals roam freely and scare millions of Spaniards on their land. The streets belong to everyone," Ciudadanos leader Alberto Rivera tweeted before the rally began. He has called on Sanchez to suspend Catalonia's autonomy just as the central government did in 2017 after the Catalan parliament declared independence following a banned secession referendum. The streets of Barcelona and other Catalan cities have been rocked by protests since Spain's Supreme Court sentenced nine separatist leaders, many of them former regional government ministers, last Monday to jail terms of up to 13 years for sedition over the failed 2017 independence bid. Nearly 600 people have been injured in clashes with police since the protests started. A police officer was in "very serious condition" and a demonstrator was in "critical condition" according to Barcelona mayor Ada Colau. 'No dialogue' In an interview published in top-selling daily newspaper El Pais, the leader of the main conservative opposition Popular Party (PP), Pablo Casado, accused the government of "pretending nothing has happened" and promising that everything will return to normal "with moderation". "There can be no dialogue with those who make Catalonia burn," he said in reference to Catalonia's separatist president Quim Torra who on Saturday called for "unconditional" negotiations with Sanchez. That appeared to be aimed at ensuring that a legal referendum on independence, currently a non-starter for Madrid, was up for discussion. Sanchez, who came to power in June 2018 with the support of Catalan separatist parties, refused to meet with Torra until he "clearly" condemns this week's violence and recognises that half of Catalonia's roughly 7.5 million residents do not want independence. A poll published in July by a public Catalan institute showed support for an independent Catalonia at its lowest level in two years, with 48.3 per cent of people against and 44 per cent in favour. 'Increase polarisation' The court's decision has thrust the Catalan dispute to the heart of the political debate ahead of Spain's November 10 general election, its fourth in as many years. According to the first poll since Monday's verdict, the ruling Socialists are likely to secure the most votes but again fall short of a majority. The PP was tipped to make significant gains. Published by the daily El Mundo, the survey predicted Sanchez's Socialists would capture 122 seats in the 350-seat parliament, slightly down from 123 it took in the last election in April, while the PP would win 98 seats, up from 66. "Order and territory has never been a winning bet for the Socialists," Pablo Simon, a political science professor at Madrid's Carlos III university, wrote in a blog post on Saturday, adding the Catalan crisis will "increase polarisation" which would benefit parties with more extreme positions like the far-right Vox and radical separatists CUP. Barcelona returned to relative calm Saturday night after six days of demonstrations against the jailing of separatist leaders. But on iconic Las Ramblas street, protesters set up barricades and lit fires before they were dispersed by police firing foam projectiles. Overnight Friday, radical separatists had hurled rocks and fireworks at police who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Spanish Prime Minister under pressure over Catalan protests

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi not only led India to its independence but also influenced several other movements across the globe. Today, let's know more about that Mahatma. #GandhiAt150 #MohandasKaramchandGandhi #MahatmaGandhi

Gandhi at 150: One man who manged to inspire the 'whole world'

Lal Bahadur Shastri, born on October 2, 1904 was one of the key figures of the Indian Independence Movement, and also the second Prime Minister of independent India.&nbsp;

After the sudden demise of Jawaharlal Nehru, he took oath as the Prime Minister and led the country in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965. Famous for his slogan ''Jai Jawan Jai Kisan'', Shastri recognised the need for self-reliance in the process of nation-building.&nbsp;

Shastri shares his birthday with another great Indian leader, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mahatma-gandhi-the-champion-of-non-violent-activism-253152">Mahatma Gandhi</a>, and&nbsp;dropped his title "Shastri" (which means ''scholar") to display his rejection of the caste system. After completing his primary education at Mirzapur, Lal Bahadur was sent to Varanasi, where he stayed with his maternal uncle. He was against the prevailing "dowry system" and so refused to accept dowry when he got married to Lalita Devi. But on the insistence of his father-in-law, he accepted five yards of khadi as dowry.

His desire to join the fight against British colonialism was influenced by a speech by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/mahatma-gandhi-150th-anniversary-of-satyagrahas-heirloom-253166">Mahatma Gandhi</a> in 1915. In fact, he was so inspired to join the process of nation-building that he could not even complete his education.

In 1930, Shastri became the secretary of the Congress party's local unit, and later the president of the Allahabad Congress Committee. An important figure at the ''Salt Satyagraha'', he led a door-to-door campaign asking people to refuse to pay taxes to the British.&nbsp;

Influenced by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mahatma-gandhi-the-champion-of-non-violent-activism-253152">Gandhi's non-violent ideals</a>, he suggested the use of "water-jets" instead of lathis to disperse mobs.

As the Prime Minister, Shastri tackled issues like food shortage, unemployment, and poverty. At this time, he championed "the Green revolution" to yield better crop using new technology, and also became instrumental in promoting ''the White Revolution'', which changed the country's milk industry.

Lal Bahadur Shastri, who had earlier suffered two heart attacks, died of a third cardiac arrest on 11 January, 1966. Lal Bahadur Shastri was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award posthumously in 1966. 
&nbsp;

Lal Bahadur Shastri, born on October 2, 1904 was one of the key figures of the Indian Independence Movement, and also the second Prime Minister of independent India.

Lal Bahadur Shastri, born on October 2, 1904 was one of the key figures of the Indian Independence Movement, and also the second Prime Minister of independent India. After the sudden demise of Jawaharlal Nehru, he took oath as the Prime Minister and led the country in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965. Famous for his slogan ''Jai Jawan Jai Kisan'', Shastri recognised the need for self-reliance in the process of nation-building. Shastri shares his birthday with another great Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi, and dropped his title "Shastri" (which means ''scholar") to display his rejection of the caste system. After completing his primary education at Mirzapur, Lal Bahadur was sent to Varanasi, where he stayed with his maternal uncle. He was against the prevailing "dowry system" and so refused to accept dowry when he got married to Lalita Devi. But on the insistence of his father-in-law, he accepted five yards of khadi as dowry. His desire to join the fight against British colonialism was influenced by a speech by Mahatma Gandhi in 1915. In fact, he was so inspired to join the process of nation-building that he could not even complete his education. In 1930, Shastri became the secretary of the Congress party's local unit, and later the president of the Allahabad Congress Committee. An important figure at the ''Salt Satyagraha'', he led a door-to-door campaign asking people to refuse to pay taxes to the British. Influenced by Gandhi's non-violent ideals, he suggested the use of "water-jets" instead of lathis to disperse mobs. As the Prime Minister, Shastri tackled issues like food shortage, unemployment, and poverty. At this time, he championed "the Green revolution" to yield better crop using new technology, and also became instrumental in promoting ''the White Revolution'', which changed the country's milk industry. Lal Bahadur Shastri, who had earlier suffered two heart attacks, died of a third cardiac arrest on 11 January, 1966. Lal Bahadur Shastri was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award posthumously in 1966.

Remembering Lal Bahadur Shastri: Trials and tribulations of India's second Prime Minister

Bangladesh Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Sunday greeted the countrymen on the occasion of the 70th founding anniversary of Awami League Party.

In a message, Sheikh Hasina said that party along with the people would build a hunger and poverty free, happy and prosperous 'Sonar Bangla' as dreamt by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh.

"On this day I recall with respect the greatest Bengali of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. I recall Awami League’s founder president Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani and general secretary, Shamsul Haque," she said.

"Under the leadership of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, this organisation (Awami League Party) was well organised in the whole of Bangladesh. He also led the party to be elected in the 1970 election and the first sun of independent Bangladesh government rose on April 10 and April 17 at the Amrakanon of Meherpur in 1971," she said.

I recall with respect Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, she added in a message issued marking the anniversary.

Recently, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had missed PM Modi's swearing-in on May 30 for a second time.

Instead of her, Liberation War Affairs Minister of Bangladesh AKM Mozammel Huq attended the ceremony as the senior-most Cabinet member of the Bangladesh government.

Bangladesh Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Sunday greeted the countrymen on the occasion of the 70th founding anniversary of Awami League Party.

Bangladesh Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Sunday greeted the countrymen on the occasion of the 70th founding anniversary of Awami League Party. In a message, Sheikh Hasina said that party along with the people would build a hunger and poverty free, happy and prosperous 'Sonar Bangla' as dreamt by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh. "On this day I recall with respect the greatest Bengali of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. I recall Awami League’s founder president Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani and general secretary, Shamsul Haque," she said. "Under the leadership of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, this organisation (Awami League Party) was well organised in the whole of Bangladesh. He also led the party to be elected in the 1970 election and the first sun of independent Bangladesh government rose on April 10 and April 17 at the Amrakanon of Meherpur in 1971," she said. I recall with respect Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, she added in a message issued marking the anniversary. Recently, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had missed PM Modi's swearing-in on May 30 for a second time. Instead of her, Liberation War Affairs Minister of Bangladesh AKM Mozammel Huq attended the ceremony as the senior-most Cabinet member of the Bangladesh government.

Awami League was formed to bring back Bangladesh’s independence: PM Sheikh Hasina

Only Two Cities In India Have Drinkable Tap Water. The Lack Of Clean Drinking Water Can Trigger A Major Crisis. By 2020, India Could Be Called 'Water Stressed'. Watch This Report From Gravitas.

Gravitas: Over 70 Years After Independence, Only Two Indian Cities Have Clear Tap Water

Dozens of activists in eastern Myanmar face charges of unlawful assembly, an activist leader said on Friday, after police broke up the latest protest against a statue of Aung San, the nation's independence hero and father of leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Police arrested 36 people on Thursday outside the headquarters of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party in the Kayah state capital of Loikaw, said Di Di, spokesman for the Karenni Youth Force Protest Camp Committee.

Another 10 people were arrested on Friday, he said.

A video posted on Facebook by another group, the Union of Karenni State Youth, showed police pulling away young men and women who were sitting in a circle singing a protest song.

The video could not be verified independently by Reuters.

An officer who answered the phone at Loikaw police station declined to comment, and state officials could not be contacted.

The protests began last year after the Kayah government announced plans for a gold-coloured statue of General Aung San riding a horse, which was inaugurated this month.

Members of the Karenni minority oppose the prominent monument to a leader from the country's Burman majority.

Aung San, the founder of Myanmar's armed forces, is credited with bringing the country's ethnic minorities together before his assassination in 1947. However, minorities say the goal of a fair federal system has not been achieved.

His daughter, Suu Kyi, won elections in 2015 but shares power with the military.

She needs to retain support in ethnic minority areas to win elections next year, and secure peace with armed groups that profess to fight for minority rights and autonomy.

A total of 54 protesters have been charged under the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law since protests against the statue began in mid-2018, said Di Di.

If convicted, the protesters face six months in jail.

Nine of the activists are also accused of defamation and incitement, charges that carry a jail term of two years, he said.

The protesters believe it is their duty to fight against a version of history that downplays Karenni autonomy in favour of the role of Aung San, Di Di said.

"We must have a right to self-determination and a right to regional autonomy. The government must guarantee these rights," he said.

Fortify Rights, which is monitoring the demonstrations, urged the government to end a crackdown on peaceful protesters.

"No one should spend any time in court or behind bars for exercising their human rights," the group's chief executive, Matthew Smith, said in a statement.

Dozens of activists in eastern Myanmar face charges of unlawful assembly, an activist leader said on Friday, after police broke up the latest protest against a statue of Aung San, the nation's independence hero and father of leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Dozens of activists in eastern Myanmar face charges of unlawful assembly, an activist leader said on Friday, after police broke up the latest protest against a statue of Aung San, the nation's independence hero and father of leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Police arrested 36 people on Thursday outside the headquarters of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party in the Kayah state capital of Loikaw, said Di Di, spokesman for the Karenni Youth Force Protest Camp Committee. Another 10 people were arrested on Friday, he said. A video posted on Facebook by another group, the Union of Karenni State Youth, showed police pulling away young men and women who were sitting in a circle singing a protest song. The video could not be verified independently by Reuters. An officer who answered the phone at Loikaw police station declined to comment, and state officials could not be contacted. The protests began last year after the Kayah government announced plans for a gold-coloured statue of General Aung San riding a horse, which was inaugurated this month. Members of the Karenni minority oppose the prominent monument to a leader from the country's Burman majority. Aung San, the founder of Myanmar's armed forces, is credited with bringing the country's ethnic minorities together before his assassination in 1947. However, minorities say the goal of a fair federal system has not been achieved. His daughter, Suu Kyi, won elections in 2015 but shares power with the military. She needs to retain support in ethnic minority areas to win elections next year, and secure peace with armed groups that profess to fight for minority rights and autonomy. A total of 54 protesters have been charged under the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law since protests against the statue began in mid-2018, said Di Di. If convicted, the protesters face six months in jail. Nine of the activists are also accused of defamation and incitement, charges that carry a jail term of two years, he said. The protesters believe it is their duty to fight against a version of history that downplays Karenni autonomy in favour of the role of Aung San, Di Di said. "We must have a right to self-determination and a right to regional autonomy. The government must guarantee these rights," he said. Fortify Rights, which is monitoring the demonstrations, urged the government to end a crackdown on peaceful protesters. "No one should spend any time in court or behind bars for exercising their human rights," the group's chief executive, Matthew Smith, said in a statement.

Myanmar activists charged after protesting independence hero statue

Thousands of demonstrators marched in Hong Kong on Tuesday to demand full democracy, fundamental rights, and even independence from China in the face of what many see as a marked clampdown by the Communist Party on local freedoms.

Over the past year, countries such as the United States and Britain have expressed concerns about a number of incidents they say have undermined confidence in Hong Kong's freedoms and autonomy under Chinese rule.

These include the jailing of activists, a ban on a pro-independence political party, the de facto expulsion of a Western journalist and barring democracy activists from contesting local elections.

The New Year's day march included calls to restart stalled democratic reforms and to fight "political repression" from Beijing.

"Looking back at the year that passed, it was a very bad year ... The rule of law in Hong Kong is falling backwards," said Jimmy Sham, one of the organisers.

Organisers said the march drew 5,500 people, revised down from an earlier estimate of 5,800, while police said 3,200 people were on the streets at the march's peak.

The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula, with the promise of a high degree of autonomy and universal suffrage as an "ultimate aim".

While authorities have clamped down hard on the city's fringe, pro-independence movement, that didn't deter around 100 independence activists from joining the march, holding up banners and chanting for the city to split from China.

China considers Hong Kong to be an inalienable part of its territory, and denounces "separatists" as a threat to national sovereignty, even though the movement has not garnered much popular backing in the city.

"There will be continuous suppression on the Hong Kong independence movement, but the movement will grow stronger and stronger," said Baggio Leung, an independence leader who said several of his members had been harassed by purported "triads" or gangsters, before the march.

Last year, in an unprecedented move, Hong Kong authorities banned a political group, the Hong Kong National Party, for its pro-independence stance on national security grounds.

A western journalist, Victor Mallet, was also effectively expelled from Hong Kong, soon after he hosted a talk at a press club by the head of the National Party.

Mallet's visa denial, which the government has so far refused to explain, was criticised by some foreign governments and the American Chamber of Commerce.

Some protesters carried "wanted" posters of Hong Kong's top legal official, Theresa Cheng, criticising a decision to drop a corruption investigation into Hong Kong's former pro-Beijing leader Leung Chun-ying, without a satisfactory explanation.

"I'm afraid the pressure will continue," said Joseph Cheng, a veteran rights campaigner and retired professor who was raising money for a "justice" fund for activists facing hefty legal fees for several trials.

"We're going to face a few difficult years, but we must stand firm ... Unlike in mainland China, at least we can still protest."

Thousands of demonstrators marched in Hong Kong on Tuesday to demand full democracy, fundamental rights, and even independence from China in the face of what many see as a marked clampdown by the Communist Party on local freedoms.

Thousands of demonstrators marched in Hong Kong on Tuesday to demand full democracy, fundamental rights, and even independence from China in the face of what many see as a marked clampdown by the Communist Party on local freedoms. Over the past year, countries such as the United States and Britain have expressed concerns about a number of incidents they say have undermined confidence in Hong Kong's freedoms and autonomy under Chinese rule. These include the jailing of activists, a ban on a pro-independence political party, the de facto expulsion of a Western journalist and barring democracy activists from contesting local elections. The New Year's day march included calls to restart stalled democratic reforms and to fight "political repression" from Beijing. "Looking back at the year that passed, it was a very bad year ... The rule of law in Hong Kong is falling backwards," said Jimmy Sham, one of the organisers. Organisers said the march drew 5,500 people, revised down from an earlier estimate of 5,800, while police said 3,200 people were on the streets at the march's peak. The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula, with the promise of a high degree of autonomy and universal suffrage as an "ultimate aim". While authorities have clamped down hard on the city's fringe, pro-independence movement, that didn't deter around 100 independence activists from joining the march, holding up banners and chanting for the city to split from China. China considers Hong Kong to be an inalienable part of its territory, and denounces "separatists" as a threat to national sovereignty, even though the movement has not garnered much popular backing in the city. "There will be continuous suppression on the Hong Kong independence movement, but the movement will grow stronger and stronger," said Baggio Leung, an independence leader who said several of his members had been harassed by purported "triads" or gangsters, before the march. Last year, in an unprecedented move, Hong Kong authorities banned a political group, the Hong Kong National Party, for its pro-independence stance on national security grounds. A western journalist, Victor Mallet, was also effectively expelled from Hong Kong, soon after he hosted a talk at a press club by the head of the National Party. Mallet's visa denial, which the government has so far refused to explain, was criticised by some foreign governments and the American Chamber of Commerce. Some protesters carried "wanted" posters of Hong Kong's top legal official, Theresa Cheng, criticising a decision to drop a corruption investigation into Hong Kong's former pro-Beijing leader Leung Chun-ying, without a satisfactory explanation. "I'm afraid the pressure will continue," said Joseph Cheng, a veteran rights campaigner and retired professor who was raising money for a "justice" fund for activists facing hefty legal fees for several trials. "We're going to face a few difficult years, but we must stand firm ... Unlike in mainland China, at least we can still protest."

Thousands march in Hong Kong against China 'repression' after grim 2018

The French Pacific islands of New Caledonia began voting Sunday on whether to become an independent nation, in a closely-watched test of support for France in one of its many territories scattered around the globe.&nbsp;

Some 18,000 kilometres (11,000 miles) from the French mainland, New Caledonia is home to a quarter of the world's known supplies of nickel -- a vital electronics component -- and is a strategic foothold for France in the Pacific.

Voting in New Caledonia's 284 polling stations opened at 8;00 am local time on Sunday (2100 GMT Saturday) and was to end at 6:00 pm, with results expected Sunday evening.

Some 175,000 people are eligible to vote in the remote islands fringed by spectacular beaches, with opinion polls predicting a large majority in favour of staying French.

But there are fears the referendum could inflame tensions between indigenous Kanak people, who tend to favour independence, and the white population, which boiled over into deadly violence in the 1980s.

The quasi-civil war claimed more than 70 lives. It led to the 1998 Noumea Accord which paved the way for the steady devolution of powers as well as Sunday's referendum.&nbsp;

On Friday, separatist activists drove along Noumea's waterfront in a convoy of around 20 cars, waving the Kanak flag to cries of "Kanaky" -- their name for New Caledonia.

Separatists have urged Kanak voters to choose self-determination, throwing off the shackles of "colonial" authorities in Paris.

But indigenous people make up less than 50 percent of the electorate and some Kanaks back staying part of France, not least due to the 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) the French state hands to the islands every year.

Going it alone, "I'm not sure we have all the assets we'd need to succeed," said Marc Gnipate, a 62-year-old pensioner.

Polls suggest 63 to 75 percent of voters will opt against breaking away from France, which claimed the islands in 1853 and once used them as a penal colony.

Under the 1998 deal, in the event of a "no" vote two further referendums on independence can still be held before 2022.

Balancing China in the Pacific?&nbsp;

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to give a televised address after the results at 1200 GMT (11.00 pm Noumea time) on Sunday.&nbsp;

He has largely stayed clear of the campaign, but declared during a visit to Noumea in May that "France would be less beautiful without New Caledonia".

Macron also raised concerns over increasing Chinese influence in the Pacific, where Beijing has invested heavily in Vanuatu, a territory which broke from France and Britain in 1980.

Accusing the US of "turning its back on the region in recent months", Macron said China was "building its hegemony step by step" in the Pacific -- suggesting an independent New Caledonia could provide Beijing's next foothold.

Australia has also expressed concerns about China's activities in neighbouring island states -- which the Lowy Institute think-tank estimates received US $1.78 billion in aid from Beijing from 2006-16 -- boosting its own spending in response.

While Australia officially remains neutral on New Caledonia's independence vote, Canberra's former consul-general in Noumea Denise Fisher said it appreciated the stability France's Pacific presence offered in the face of China's rise.

"It's been fortunate for Australia to have a well-resourced Western ally such as France engaged in the region, particularly at a time when there's a lot of geo-strategic change and new players like China coming into the region," she told the ABC.

"There are a few uncertainties arising now."

Home to 269,000 people, New Caledonia is one of a handful of French island outposts -- a legacy of the country's 19th-century empire -- which retain strategic importance.

The referendum will be a test of the appeal of remaining part of France for such far-flung territories, which are heavily dependent on state handouts but where many feel overlooked by Paris.

Both French Guiana in South America and the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte have been rocked since last year by major protests over living standards and perceived neglect.

In New Caledonia, there are fears that the vote could expose tensions over stark inequalities which persist despite government efforts to redress the economic balance in favour of Kanaks.&nbsp;

"In Noumea people earn a salary, but in the tribes no one earns a salary or any kind of monetary income," said veteran Kanak activist Elie Poigoune.

The Kanak community is plagued by high school dropout rates, chronic unemployment and poor housing conditions.

Gangs of delinquent youths have become increasingly common on the streets and both sides fear violence among them if the "no" vote prevails.

The French Pacific islands of New Caledonia began voting Sunday on whether to become an independent nation, in a closely-watched test of support for France in one of its many territories scattered around the globe.

The French Pacific islands of New Caledonia began voting Sunday on whether to become an independent nation, in a closely-watched test of support for France in one of its many territories scattered around the globe. Some 18,000 kilometres (11,000 miles) from the French mainland, New Caledonia is home to a quarter of the world's known supplies of nickel -- a vital electronics component -- and is a strategic foothold for France in the Pacific. Voting in New Caledonia's 284 polling stations opened at 8;00 am local time on Sunday (2100 GMT Saturday) and was to end at 6:00 pm, with results expected Sunday evening. Some 175,000 people are eligible to vote in the remote islands fringed by spectacular beaches, with opinion polls predicting a large majority in favour of staying French. But there are fears the referendum could inflame tensions between indigenous Kanak people, who tend to favour independence, and the white population, which boiled over into deadly violence in the 1980s. The quasi-civil war claimed more than 70 lives. It led to the 1998 Noumea Accord which paved the way for the steady devolution of powers as well as Sunday's referendum. On Friday, separatist activists drove along Noumea's waterfront in a convoy of around 20 cars, waving the Kanak flag to cries of "Kanaky" -- their name for New Caledonia. Separatists have urged Kanak voters to choose self-determination, throwing off the shackles of "colonial" authorities in Paris. But indigenous people make up less than 50 percent of the electorate and some Kanaks back staying part of France, not least due to the 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) the French state hands to the islands every year. Going it alone, "I'm not sure we have all the assets we'd need to succeed," said Marc Gnipate, a 62-year-old pensioner. Polls suggest 63 to 75 percent of voters will opt against breaking away from France, which claimed the islands in 1853 and once used them as a penal colony. Under the 1998 deal, in the event of a "no" vote two further referendums on independence can still be held before 2022. Balancing China in the Pacific? French President Emmanuel Macron is set to give a televised address after the results at 1200 GMT (11.00 pm Noumea time) on Sunday. He has largely stayed clear of the campaign, but declared during a visit to Noumea in May that "France would be less beautiful without New Caledonia". Macron also raised concerns over increasing Chinese influence in the Pacific, where Beijing has invested heavily in Vanuatu, a territory which broke from France and Britain in 1980. Accusing the US of "turning its back on the region in recent months", Macron said China was "building its hegemony step by step" in the Pacific -- suggesting an independent New Caledonia could provide Beijing's next foothold. Australia has also expressed concerns about China's activities in neighbouring island states -- which the Lowy Institute think-tank estimates received US $1.78 billion in aid from Beijing from 2006-16 -- boosting its own spending in response. While Australia officially remains neutral on New Caledonia's independence vote, Canberra's former consul-general in Noumea Denise Fisher said it appreciated the stability France's Pacific presence offered in the face of China's rise. "It's been fortunate for Australia to have a well-resourced Western ally such as France engaged in the region, particularly at a time when there's a lot of geo-strategic change and new players like China coming into the region," she told the ABC. "There are a few uncertainties arising now." Home to 269,000 people, New Caledonia is one of a handful of French island outposts -- a legacy of the country's 19th-century empire -- which retain strategic importance. The referendum will be a test of the appeal of remaining part of France for such far-flung territories, which are heavily dependent on state handouts but where many feel overlooked by Paris. Both French Guiana in South America and the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte have been rocked since last year by major protests over living standards and perceived neglect. In New Caledonia, there are fears that the vote could expose tensions over stark inequalities which persist despite government efforts to redress the economic balance in favour of Kanaks. "In Noumea people earn a salary, but in the tribes no one earns a salary or any kind of monetary income," said veteran Kanak activist Elie Poigoune. The Kanak community is plagued by high school dropout rates, chronic unemployment and poor housing conditions. Gangs of delinquent youths have become increasingly common on the streets and both sides fear violence among them if the "no" vote prevails.

New Caledonia votes on independence from France

Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Sunday that a total of 1.75 lakh pilgrims from India will go on Haj this year without any subsidy, a first after Independence.&nbsp

The announcement comes after the Centre increased the total quota for the second time. It was also announced that women from India will go without a male companion for the first time.&nbsp

The total pilgrims this year include 19,000 pilgrims from Delhi, 14,500 from Lucknow, 14,200 from Mumbai, 11,700 from Cochin, 11,610 from Kolkata, 8,950 from Srinagar, 7,600 from Hyderabad, 6,700 from Ahmedabad, 5,550 from Bengaluru, 5,500 from Jaipur and 5,140 from Gaya.

A total of 4,000 pilgrims from Chennai, 3,250 from Varanasi, 2,950 from Guwahati, 2,800 from Nagpur, 2,100 from Ranchi, 450 from Goa, 430 from Mangalore, 350 from Aurangabad and 254 from Bhopal will also visit Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.

As many as 1,28,002 pilgrims — including around 47 per cent females — will go on the Muslim pilgrimage through the Haj Committee of India while 47,023 will opt for the services of private tour operators.

The Minister said 355,604 applications were received for Haj this year, including 1,89,217 male and 1,66,387 female applicants.

He said at least Rs 57 crore less will be paid to airlines this year even after ending the Haj subsidy. A total of Rs 973 crore will be paid to airlines for 1,28,002 pilgrims.

Naqvi said that the Union government's decision to allow Haj pilgrims to choose the embarkation point most suited to them, instead of the earlier practice of fixing such a point for them, was benefiting those going to perform Haj.&nbsp

"Due to this new rule by the Union government, Haj pilgrims can board a flight from the airport most convenient for them. It has saved the government a lot of money," he added.&nbsp

The announcement comes after the Centre increased the total quota for the second time. It was also announced that women from India will go without a male companion for the first time

Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Sunday that a total of 1.75 lakh pilgrims from India will go on Haj this year without any subsidy, a first after Independence. The announcement comes after the Centre increased the total quota for the second time. It was also announced that women from India will go without a male companion for the first time. The total pilgrims this year include 19,000 pilgrims from Delhi, 14,500 from Lucknow, 14,200 from Mumbai, 11,700 from Cochin, 11,610 from Kolkata, 8,950 from Srinagar, 7,600 from Hyderabad, 6,700 from Ahmedabad, 5,550 from Bengaluru, 5,500 from Jaipur and 5,140 from Gaya. A total of 4,000 pilgrims from Chennai, 3,250 from Varanasi, 2,950 from Guwahati, 2,800 from Nagpur, 2,100 from Ranchi, 450 from Goa, 430 from Mangalore, 350 from Aurangabad and 254 from Bhopal will also visit Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage. As many as 1,28,002 pilgrims — including around 47 per cent females — will go on the Muslim pilgrimage through the Haj Committee of India while 47,023 will opt for the services of private tour operators. The Minister said 355,604 applications were received for Haj this year, including 1,89,217 male and 1,66,387 female applicants. He said at least Rs 57 crore less will be paid to airlines this year even after ending the Haj subsidy. A total of Rs 973 crore will be paid to airlines for 1,28,002 pilgrims. Naqvi said that the Union government's decision to allow Haj pilgrims to choose the embarkation point most suited to them, instead of the earlier practice of fixing such a point for them, was benefiting those going to perform Haj. "Due to this new rule by the Union government, Haj pilgrims can board a flight from the airport most convenient for them. It has saved the government a lot of money," he added.

1.75 lakh pilgrims from India to go on Haj this year for the first time after Independence

The family members of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar, demanded the status of national martyr for them.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>&nbsp;</h5>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a>: Family members of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar, demand the status of national martyr for them. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShaheedDiwas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ShaheedDiwas</a> <a href="https://t.co/8AL4OKZmfK">pic.twitter.com/8AL4OKZmfK</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/977087538321084416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=&lt;blockquote class=twitter-tweet data-lang=en&gt;&lt;p lang=en dir=ltr&gt;&lt;a data-cke-saved-href=https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw href=https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&gt;#Delhi&lt;/a&gt;: Family members of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar, demand the status of national martyr for them. &lt;a data-cke-saved-href=https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShaheedDiwas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw href=https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShaheedDiwas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&gt;#ShaheedDiwas&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a data-cke-saved-href=https://t.co/8AL4OKZmfK href=https://t.co/8AL4OKZmfK&gt;pic.twitter.com/8AL4OKZmfK&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— ANI (@ANI) &lt;a data-cke-saved-href=https://twitter.com/ANI/status/977087538321084416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw href=https://twitter.com/ANI/status/977087538321084416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&gt;March 23, 2018&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
<script async src=https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js charset=utf-8></script>
" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

A relative of Sukhdev Thapar said, &quot;Been 70 years since India got independent &amp; they&#39;ve still not got the status of &#39;National Martyr&#39;. What can be more shameful than this? They sacrificed their lives for India &amp; govt hasn&#39;t even sanctioned a day&#39;s leave to commemorate that&quot;.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>&nbsp;</h5>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Been 70 years since India got independent &amp; they&#39;ve still not got the status of &#39;National Martyr&#39;. What can be more shameful than this? They sacrificed their lives for India &amp; govt hasn&#39;t even sanctioned a day&#39;s leave to commemorate that: Relative of Sukhdev Thapar <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShaheedDiwas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ShaheedDiwas</a> <a href="https://t.co/K8h1RxozOi">pic.twitter.com/K8h1RxozOi</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/977091813306720256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=&lt;blockquote class=twitter-tweet data-lang=en&gt;&lt;p lang=en dir=ltr&gt;Been 70 years since India got independent &amp; they've still not got the status of 'National Martyr'. What can be more shameful than this? They sacrificed their lives for India &amp; govt hasn't even sanctioned a day's leave to commemorate that: Relative of Sukhdev Thapar &lt;a data-cke-saved-href=https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShaheedDiwas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw href=https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShaheedDiwas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&gt;#ShaheedDiwas&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a data-cke-saved-href=https://t.co/K8h1RxozOi href=https://t.co/K8h1RxozOi&gt;pic.twitter.com/K8h1RxozOi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— ANI (@ANI) &lt;a data-cke-saved-href=https://twitter.com/ANI/status/977091813306720256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw href=https://twitter.com/ANI/status/977091813306720256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&gt;March 23, 2018&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
<script async src=https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js charset=utf-8></script>
" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

March 23 was declared as Martyr&#39;s Day in 1931 to pay homage to Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru, the martyrs who infused fresh blood in the fight for India&#39;s independence.

The trio fought for India&#39;s independence from the British&nbsp;during the imperial British Raj.

Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were charged with the murder of John Saunders, assistant superintendent of police of that time, and were sentenced to death.

The executions were to be carried out on 24 March 1931, but the three prisoners were hanged a day before, on 23 March at 7:30 pm in Lahore Jail.

At the time of their execution, Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev Thapar were just 23 years old. And Shivaram Rajguru was only 22 when he was hanged.

Sukhdev's relative said: 'Been 70 years since India got independent & they've still not got the status of 'National Martyr'. What can be more shameful than this? They sacrificed their lives for India & govt hasn't even sanctioned a day's leave to commemorate that'

The family members of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar, demanded the status of national martyr for them. #Delhi: Family members of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar, demand the status of national martyr for them. #ShaheedDiwas pic.twitter.com/8AL4OKZmfK — ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2018 × A relative of Sukhdev Thapar said, "Been 70 years since India got independent & they've still not got the status of 'National Martyr'. What can be more shameful than this? They sacrificed their lives for India & govt hasn't even sanctioned a day's leave to commemorate that". Been 70 years since India got independent & they've still not got the status of 'National Martyr'. What can be more shameful than this? They sacrificed their lives for India & govt hasn't even sanctioned a day's leave to commemorate that: Relative of Sukhdev Thapar #ShaheedDiwas pic.twitter.com/K8h1RxozOi — ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2018 × March 23 was declared as Martyr's Day in 1931 to pay homage to Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru, the martyrs who infused fresh blood in the fight for India's independence. The trio fought for India's independence from the British during the imperial British Raj. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were charged with the murder of John Saunders, assistant superintendent of police of that time, and were sentenced to death. The executions were to be carried out on 24 March 1931, but the three prisoners were hanged a day before, on 23 March at 7:30 pm in Lahore Jail. At the time of their execution, Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev Thapar were just 23 years old. And Shivaram Rajguru was only 22 when he was hanged.

Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev's family members demand national martyr status

March 23 was declared as Martyr&#39;s Day in 1931 to pay homage to Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru, the martyrs who infused fresh blood in the fight for India&#39;s independence.

The trio fought for India&#39;s independence from the British&nbsp;during the imperial British Raj.

Activists at an early age, the three were determined to join revolutionaries fighting for independence.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A revolutionary organisation, Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), was established in 1928 by Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and others. Its aim was to uproot the British rule from India.

Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were charged with the murder of John Saunders, assistant superintendent of police of that time, and were sentenced to death.

The executions were to be carried out on 24 March 1931, but the three prisoners were hanged a day before, on 23 March at 7:30 pm in Lahore Jail.

At the time of their execution, Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev Thapar were just 23 years old. And Shivaram Rajguru was only 22 when he was hanged.

A few months before he was hanged, Bhagat Singh, who used to read a lot in jail, had written in a pamphlet titled &lsquo;Why I am an atheist&rsquo;:

&ldquo;I know the moment the rope is fitted round my neck and rafters removed from under my feet, that will be the final moment&hellip;.With no selfish motive, or desire to be awarded here or hereafter [in after-life], quite disinterestedly have I devoted my life to the cause of independence because I could not do otherwise. The day we find a great number of men and women with this psychology who cannot devote themselves to anything else than the service&nbsp;of mankind and emancipation of the suffering humanity, that day shall inaugurate the era of liberty.&rdquo;

Bhagat Singh is famous for his quotes, some of which are: &quot;If the deaf are to hear the sound has to be very loud&quot;, &quot;They may kill me, but they cannot kill my ideas. They can crush my body, but they will not be able to crush my spirit&quot;, &quot;Lovers, Lunatics and poets are made of the same stuff&quot;, &quot;Merciless criticism and independent thinking are the two necessary traits of revolutionary thinking&quot;, &quot;Love always elevates the character of a man. It never lowers him, provided love be love&quot;.

The trio fought for India's independence from the Britishers during the imperial British Raj

March 23 was declared as Martyr's Day in 1931 to pay homage to Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru, the martyrs who infused fresh blood in the fight for India's independence. The trio fought for India's independence from the British during the imperial British Raj. Activists at an early age, the three were determined to join revolutionaries fighting for independence. A revolutionary organisation, Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), was established in 1928 by Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and others. Its aim was to uproot the British rule from India. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were charged with the murder of John Saunders, assistant superintendent of police of that time, and were sentenced to death. The executions were to be carried out on 24 March 1931, but the three prisoners were hanged a day before, on 23 March at 7:30 pm in Lahore Jail. At the time of their execution, Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev Thapar were just 23 years old. And Shivaram Rajguru was only 22 when he was hanged. A few months before he was hanged, Bhagat Singh, who used to read a lot in jail, had written in a pamphlet titled ‘Why I am an atheist’: “I know the moment the rope is fitted round my neck and rafters removed from under my feet, that will be the final moment….With no selfish motive, or desire to be awarded here or hereafter [in after-life], quite disinterestedly have I devoted my life to the cause of independence because I could not do otherwise. The day we find a great number of men and women with this psychology who cannot devote themselves to anything else than the service of mankind and emancipation of the suffering humanity, that day shall inaugurate the era of liberty.” Bhagat Singh is famous for his quotes, some of which are: "If the deaf are to hear the sound has to be very loud", "They may kill me, but they cannot kill my ideas. They can crush my body, but they will not be able to crush my spirit", "Lovers, Lunatics and poets are made of the same stuff", "Merciless criticism and independent thinking are the two necessary traits of revolutionary thinking", "Love always elevates the character of a man. It never lowers him, provided love be love".

Shaheed Diwas: 87th anniversary observed

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called for a Catalan parliament to be formed on Jan. 17, the first step in reinstating a local government that was taken over by Madrid after illegally declaring independence in October.

Once the parliament is formed, members must put forward a candidate to lead the regional government who must then undergo a vote of confidence.

Separatist parties secured a slim majority in a Dec. 21 election, but they may have difficulty forming a government with many of their leaders facing legal proceedings over their role in the independence movement or in self-imposed exile.

Once the parliament is formed, members must put forward a candidate to lead the regional government who must then undergo a vote of confidence.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called for a Catalan parliament to be formed on Jan. 17, the first step in reinstating a local government that was taken over by Madrid after illegally declaring independence in October. Once the parliament is formed, members must put forward a candidate to lead the regional government who must then undergo a vote of confidence. Separatist parties secured a slim majority in a Dec. 21 election, but they may have difficulty forming a government with many of their leaders facing legal proceedings over their role in the independence movement or in self-imposed exile.

Spanish PM calls for Catalan parliament to be formed on January 17

Catalonia&#39;s deposed leader Carles Puigdemont Saturday launched his campaign for regional elections by calling on Catalans to make known their desire for independence.

&quot;We Catalans demonstrated to the world that we have the capacity and the will to become an independent state. And on (December) 21, we must ratify this,&quot; he said in Oostkamp in Belgium, where he travelled after the Catalan parliament declared unilateral independence.

Puigdemont was sacked as Catalan president after that declaration on October 27 as was his entire regional government. Madrid imposed direct rule on the once semi-autonomous region to stop the independence drive.

At the time, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also dissolved the Catalan parliament and called next month`s elections in a bid to &quot;restore normality&quot; to the region.

Puigdemont, who is awaiting possible extradition to Spain where he is wanted on charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds, is running at the head of the Junts per Catalunya (&quot;All for Catalonia&quot; in Catalan) grouping.

It comprises people from his conservative, separatist PDeCAT party as well as members of civil society. Puigdemont had hoped to form a united separatist front for the new elections, as was the case in the region`s last elections in 2015, when the pro-independence camp secured a majority of 72 seats in the 135-seat parliament, even though it won just 47.8 percent of the vote.

But ERC - the party of his former vice-president Oriol Junqueras, who stayed in Spain and was remanded in custody by a judge investigating him and other former regional ministers on the same charges as Puigdemont - rejected a joint ticket.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/sacked-catalan-leader-carles-puigdemont-freed-on-bail-in-belgium-23557">Sacked Catalan leader Puigdemont freed on bail in Belgium</a>&nbsp;

Opinion polls suggest that ERC is leading in the current campaign, which officially opens on December 5. And they predict that separatist parties and those for unity with Spain will be neck and neck.

&quot;This moment transcends political parties,&quot; Puigdemont said in Oostkamp. &quot;It`s time for us to be activists for Catalonia, which is what people want.&quot;

It is unclear whether Puigdemont will still be in Belgium when the elections take place.

If Belgium decides to extradite him to Spain, he faces jail pending a probe into the charges against him.

Spanish MEP Esteban Gonzalez Pons, a member of Rajoy`s conservative Popular Party, said Saturday it was &quot;surreal&quot; that Puigdemont was launching his campaign from Belgium.

&quot;He`s not in exile in Brussels, but looking for a hideout. Puigdemont doesn`t live in Brussels, he`s hiding there,&quot; he said in an event in Ibiza.

The separatist crisis began in earnest on October 1 when separatist leaders held an independence referendum despite a court ban, in which they said 90 percent opted to break from Spain even if less than half of eligible voters turned out in the deeply divided region.

Catalonia`s deposed leader Carles Puigdemont Saturday launched his campaign for regional elections by calling on Catalans to make known their desire for independence

Catalonia's deposed leader Carles Puigdemont Saturday launched his campaign for regional elections by calling on Catalans to make known their desire for independence. "We Catalans demonstrated to the world that we have the capacity and the will to become an independent state. And on (December) 21, we must ratify this," he said in Oostkamp in Belgium, where he travelled after the Catalan parliament declared unilateral independence. Puigdemont was sacked as Catalan president after that declaration on October 27 as was his entire regional government. Madrid imposed direct rule on the once semi-autonomous region to stop the independence drive. At the time, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also dissolved the Catalan parliament and called next month`s elections in a bid to "restore normality" to the region. Puigdemont, who is awaiting possible extradition to Spain where he is wanted on charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds, is running at the head of the Junts per Catalunya ("All for Catalonia" in Catalan) grouping. It comprises people from his conservative, separatist PDeCAT party as well as members of civil society. Puigdemont had hoped to form a united separatist front for the new elections, as was the case in the region`s last elections in 2015, when the pro-independence camp secured a majority of 72 seats in the 135-seat parliament, even though it won just 47.8 percent of the vote. But ERC - the party of his former vice-president Oriol Junqueras, who stayed in Spain and was remanded in custody by a judge investigating him and other former regional ministers on the same charges as Puigdemont - rejected a joint ticket. Also read: Sacked Catalan leader Puigdemont freed on bail in Belgium Opinion polls suggest that ERC is leading in the current campaign, which officially opens on December 5. And they predict that separatist parties and those for unity with Spain will be neck and neck. "This moment transcends political parties," Puigdemont said in Oostkamp. "It`s time for us to be activists for Catalonia, which is what people want." It is unclear whether Puigdemont will still be in Belgium when the elections take place. If Belgium decides to extradite him to Spain, he faces jail pending a probe into the charges against him. Spanish MEP Esteban Gonzalez Pons, a member of Rajoy`s conservative Popular Party, said Saturday it was "surreal" that Puigdemont was launching his campaign from Belgium. "He`s not in exile in Brussels, but looking for a hideout. Puigdemont doesn`t live in Brussels, he`s hiding there," he said in an event in Ibiza. The separatist crisis began in earnest on October 1 when separatist leaders held an independence referendum despite a court ban, in which they said 90 percent opted to break from Spain even if less than half of eligible voters turned out in the deeply divided region.

Polls must 'ratify' Catalonia's desire for independence: Puigdemont

Iraq&#39;s supreme court on Monday declared that September&#39;s referendum on independence in the autonomous Kurdish areas in the north of the country was unconstitutional.

A statement said the court &quot;rendered a decision declaring unconstitutional the referendum held on September 25, 2017, in Iraqi Kurdistan... and canceling all the consequences and results that resulted&quot;.

Monday&#39;s legal move was the latest stage in a crisis sparked by the referendum, which resulted in a resounding &quot;yes&quot; vote for independence in the Kurdish area.

Last month, the UN Security Council urged the Iraqi government and regional leaders in Kurdistan to set a timetable for talks to end the crisis.

The world body&#39;s appeal came after Baghdad dismissed an offer from Iraqi Kurdish leaders to freeze the outcome of the referendum and hold talks.

Rejecting the freeze offer, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi instead demanded the annulment of the independence vote.

Last week, as the deadline announced by the Supreme Court for its decision on the constitutionality of the referendum approached, the Kurdistan government said it &quot;respected&quot; the decisions taken by Iraq&#39;s highest court.

It also said it respected a previous decision insisting on Iraqi unity, which could be a basis for dialogue.

Parliament in Baghdad is currently reviewing the federal budget for the coming year, including the allocation for the autonomous Kurdish region.

September&#39;s referendum was initiated by then Kurdish leader Massud Barzani, for whom the repercussions were severe.

Barzani at the beginning of November announced he was stepping aside, having lost almost all of the territory disputed between Kurdish capital Arbil and Baghdad.

The Kurds also lost all of the oil resources in Kirkuk province that could have ensured the viability of a hypothetical Kurdish state.

Monday's legal move was the latest stage in a crisis sparked by the referendum, which resulted in a resounding "yes" vote for independence in the Kurdish area

Iraq's supreme court on Monday declared that September's referendum on independence in the autonomous Kurdish areas in the north of the country was unconstitutional. A statement said the court "rendered a decision declaring unconstitutional the referendum held on September 25, 2017, in Iraqi Kurdistan... and canceling all the consequences and results that resulted". Monday's legal move was the latest stage in a crisis sparked by the referendum, which resulted in a resounding "yes" vote for independence in the Kurdish area. Last month, the UN Security Council urged the Iraqi government and regional leaders in Kurdistan to set a timetable for talks to end the crisis. The world body's appeal came after Baghdad dismissed an offer from Iraqi Kurdish leaders to freeze the outcome of the referendum and hold talks. Rejecting the freeze offer, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi instead demanded the annulment of the independence vote. Last week, as the deadline announced by the Supreme Court for its decision on the constitutionality of the referendum approached, the Kurdistan government said it "respected" the decisions taken by Iraq's highest court. It also said it respected a previous decision insisting on Iraqi unity, which could be a basis for dialogue. Parliament in Baghdad is currently reviewing the federal budget for the coming year, including the allocation for the autonomous Kurdish region. September's referendum was initiated by then Kurdish leader Massud Barzani, for whom the repercussions were severe. Barzani at the beginning of November announced he was stepping aside, having lost almost all of the territory disputed between Kurdish capital Arbil and Baghdad. The Kurds also lost all of the oil resources in Kirkuk province that could have ensured the viability of a hypothetical Kurdish state.

Iraq top court declares Kurd referendum unconstitutional

The deposed leader of Catalonia Carles Puigdemont said Monday that there could be solutions to Spain&#39;s political crisis other than independence for his region, insisting he was still open to &quot;agreement&quot; with Madrid.&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;ve always been willing to accept the new reality of a different relationship with Spain,&quot; Puigdemont said in Brussels, where he traveled to after his government declared independence from Spain last month.

&quot;It&#39;s still possible. I&#39;ve been pro-independence all my life, working for 30 years to secure a different way of integrating Catalonia within Spain. I&#39;m still for an agreement,&quot; the former leader told Belgium&#39;s Le Soir newspaper.

Spain was plunged into its worst political crisis in decades when Catalan lawmakers voted to split from Madrid following a banned referendum in the wealthy northeastern region on October 1.&nbsp;

The central government hit back, revoking the region&#39;s autonomous powers, sacking its parliament and Puigdemont&#39;s government, and calling fresh regional elections for December 21.&nbsp;

The crisis has caused deep distress in the European Union as it comes to terms with Britain&#39;s shock decision to leave the bloc.&nbsp;

It has also sent business confidence plunging in Catalonia -- home to 7.5 million people and accounting for a fifth of Spain&#39;s GDP -- with more than 2,400 firms re-registering their headquarters outside the region.&nbsp;

Puigdemont says he wants to run as a candidate in the regional election but his PDeCAT party is lagging far behind another pro-independence group in polling.&nbsp;

The leftist ERC -- whose leader was Puigdemont&#39;s deputy -- said last week it would not allow its candidates to run on the same ticket as PDeCAT.

Several Catalan former lawmakers are in jail accused of violating Spain&#39;s constitution for declaring independence.&nbsp;

Puigdemont, who says he is in Belgium because he cannot get fair treatment from courts back home, has spoken of slowing his independence drive and last week accused Madrid of planning a &quot;wave&quot; of repression against separatists.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;We&#39;ve been forced to adapt our agenda to avoid violence,&quot; he already said at the end of October.&nbsp;

&quot;If the price to pay is slowing the creation of a republic, then we need to consider that as a price worth paying in 21st-century Europe.&quot;

The deposed leader of Catalonia Carles Puigdemont said Monday that there could be solutions to Spain's political crisis other than independence for his region, insisting he was still open to "agreement" with Madrid.?

The deposed leader of Catalonia Carles Puigdemont said Monday that there could be solutions to Spain's political crisis other than independence for his region, insisting he was still open to "agreement" with Madrid. "I've always been willing to accept the new reality of a different relationship with Spain," Puigdemont said in Brussels, where he traveled to after his government declared independence from Spain last month. "It's still possible. I've been pro-independence all my life, working for 30 years to secure a different way of integrating Catalonia within Spain. I'm still for an agreement," the former leader told Belgium's Le Soir newspaper. Spain was plunged into its worst political crisis in decades when Catalan lawmakers voted to split from Madrid following a banned referendum in the wealthy northeastern region on October 1. The central government hit back, revoking the region's autonomous powers, sacking its parliament and Puigdemont's government, and calling fresh regional elections for December 21. The crisis has caused deep distress in the European Union as it comes to terms with Britain's shock decision to leave the bloc. It has also sent business confidence plunging in Catalonia -- home to 7.5 million people and accounting for a fifth of Spain's GDP -- with more than 2,400 firms re-registering their headquarters outside the region. Puigdemont says he wants to run as a candidate in the regional election but his PDeCAT party is lagging far behind another pro-independence group in polling. The leftist ERC -- whose leader was Puigdemont's deputy -- said last week it would not allow its candidates to run on the same ticket as PDeCAT. Several Catalan former lawmakers are in jail accused of violating Spain's constitution for declaring independence. Puigdemont, who says he is in Belgium because he cannot get fair treatment from courts back home, has spoken of slowing his independence drive and last week accused Madrid of planning a "wave" of repression against separatists. "We've been forced to adapt our agenda to avoid violence," he already said at the end of October. "If the price to pay is slowing the creation of a republic, then we need to consider that as a price worth paying in 21st-century Europe."

Catalan ex-leader says independence not only solution to crisis

Spain is facing its deepest constitutional crisis since the restoration of democracy in 1977, and it&rsquo;s only getting deeper. On October 18, the Spanish government invoked Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, beginning the process of stripping the Catalan government of its autonomy and imposing the direct federal rule. Just hours after the announcement was made by the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, 450,000 people took to the streets in protest.

Citing the Catalan government&rsquo;s &ldquo;conscious and systematic rebellion and disobedience&rdquo;, this is a heavy-handed response to Catalonia&rsquo;s recent separatist moves. Spain hardened its line when it jailed the leaders of two of the largest separatist organisations. The national attorney general has now threatened to arrest the Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, and others for sedition should a further declaration of independence be issued.

These tough measures aren&rsquo;t just politically risky and pragmatically dubious, but also constitutionally untested. It is the first time that Article 155 has been invoked, allowing the government to intervene in one of Spain&rsquo;s regions if its autonomous government &ldquo;fails to fulfil the obligations imposed upon it by the constitution or other laws or acts in a way seriously prejudicing the general interests of Spain&rdquo;.

The Constitution of 1978 provides for a flexible and open framework that recognises both &ldquo;the indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation&rdquo; and &ldquo;the right to autonomy of nationalities and regions&rdquo;. And while the Catalan government&rsquo;s decision to hold the October 1 referendum undoubtedly violated both the Spanish Constitution and the Catalan Statute of Autonomy, the refusal of the central government to pursue dialogue with the Catalan government, and its attempts to oust democratically elected leaders and suspend regional autonomy will only deepen the antagonism between Catalonia and Madrid.

The question, then, is what an appropriate and reasonable response to this secession claim would look like. And inconveniently, this is something of a grey area.

Taking independence seriously

While international law affirms that peoples have a general right to self-determination, it provides little guidance on how that right should be exercised. It&rsquo;s particularly vague when it comes to secession, which leaves claims like the Catalans&rsquo; in something of a legal vacuum. In its Kosovo opinion of 2010, the International Court of Justice found that a unilateral declaration of independence does &ldquo;not violate general international law&rdquo;, but the specific international or domestic legal ramifications of a secessionist claim were left unclear.

The upshot is that different national governments can treat these claims almost as they see fit. The resulting ambiguity is a tricky problem, and it&rsquo;s played out vividly in two analogous independence movements: Quebec&rsquo;s and Scotland&rsquo;s.

In 1995, the Quebecois independence movement lost a referendum on independence by a mere 1.16 per cent. The result kicked off years of political talks and legal wrangling, and in 1998, the Supreme Court of Canada weighed in on whether secession claims were legitimate in principle.

It concluded that outside of a colonial context and in the absence of severe repression or exclusion from the state, there is no positive entitlement to claim statehood. But it also found that the Canadian state, at least on the basis of its own constitutional law, could not &ldquo;remain indifferent to the clear expression of a clear majority of Quebecers that they no longer wish to remain in Canada&rdquo;. Crucially, the court noted that under the Canadian constitution, the government has a duty to negotiate. Were it to refuse, that could undermine its claim to legitimacy, which could have international ramifications.

Following this logic were Quebec to vote for independence in some future referendum, that would impose a duty on the federal government and the province alike to enter into negotiations in good faith &ndash; though there would be no specific obligation to conclude the negotiations amicably.

Then there&rsquo;s Scotland. The UK Government took a similar approach to Canada, passing the Edinburgh Agreement in 2012, which granted Scottish nationalists legal authority to stage an independence referendum. They duly did so in 2014. And while that vote ultimately endorsed the status quo, had a majority been in favour of independence, it was largely accepted that the result would have been binding.

Refuse and reject

The Spanish government has chosen to pursue a different course. While the vast majority of Catalans wanted to vote in a referendum, the central authorities have been steadfast in their refusal to allow a vote, or recognise the result, and are now refusing to engage in dialogue with the Catalan authorities.

This intransigence dates back to at least 2010 when the independence campaign emerged in response to a growing dissatisfaction with current constitutional arrangements, a centralisation of the distribution of competences, and the impact of the financial crisis. With the Spanish government not responding to requests for dialogue, the Catalan authorities have for years continually invoked a &ldquo;right to decide&rdquo;, derived from a broad reading of self-determination as the right to &ldquo;democratic management of public affairs&rdquo;.

Legally speaking, it&rsquo;s a stretch to argue that the principle of self-determination guarantees the right to hold a vote on secession. Nevertheless, the principle of free political participation and representation is clearly established under international law, and it could certainly provide the basis of a demand for dialogue and negotiation where there is broad public support for independence.

Given that there is also scope for seeking dialogue under the Spanish Constitution, this latest sabre-rattling by the Spanish government is unwarranted, as are its actions in recent weeks &ndash; threats to arrest Catalan mayors, interference with civic budgets, raids on newspaper office, and mass police deployment including excessive force used by the Spanish police in attempting to prevent the Referendum taking place. These all reinforce the secessionists&rsquo; narrative of repression by an anti-Catalan Spanish regime.

For the good of Spain as a whole, a collaborative and productive dialogue needs to begin. The Spanish government&rsquo;s actions have not yet crossed the threshold of repression that would grant the Catalans a so-called &ldquo;remedial right&rdquo; of independence under international law, but its intransigent, hardline approach is inflaming tensions to no end &ndash; and enhancing the credibility of the Catalan claim.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/spains-hard-line-on-catalonia-is-no-way-to-handle-a-serious-secession-crisis-86243" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

Photo Credit: EPA

The Spanish government is dealing with the Catalonian secession movement in entirely the wrong way, its intransigent, hardline approach is inflaming tensions to no end

Spain is facing its deepest constitutional crisis since the restoration of democracy in 1977, and it’s only getting deeper. On October 18, the Spanish government invoked Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, beginning the process of stripping the Catalan government of its autonomy and imposing the direct federal rule. Just hours after the announcement was made by the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, 450,000 people took to the streets in protest. Citing the Catalan government’s “conscious and systematic rebellion and disobedience”, this is a heavy-handed response to Catalonia’s recent separatist moves. Spain hardened its line when it jailed the leaders of two of the largest separatist organisations. The national attorney general has now threatened to arrest the Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, and others for sedition should a further declaration of independence be issued. These tough measures aren’t just politically risky and pragmatically dubious, but also constitutionally untested. It is the first time that Article 155 has been invoked, allowing the government to intervene in one of Spain’s regions if its autonomous government “fails to fulfil the obligations imposed upon it by the constitution or other laws or acts in a way seriously prejudicing the general interests of Spain”. The Constitution of 1978 provides for a flexible and open framework that recognises both “the indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation” and “the right to autonomy of nationalities and regions”. And while the Catalan government’s decision to hold the October 1 referendum undoubtedly violated both the Spanish Constitution and the Catalan Statute of Autonomy, the refusal of the central government to pursue dialogue with the Catalan government, and its attempts to oust democratically elected leaders and suspend regional autonomy will only deepen the antagonism between Catalonia and Madrid. The question, then, is what an appropriate and reasonable response to this secession claim would look like. And inconveniently, this is something of a grey area. Taking independence seriously While international law affirms that peoples have a general right to self-determination, it provides little guidance on how that right should be exercised. It’s particularly vague when it comes to secession, which leaves claims like the Catalans’ in something of a legal vacuum. In its Kosovo opinion of 2010, the International Court of Justice found that a unilateral declaration of independence does “not violate general international law”, but the specific international or domestic legal ramifications of a secessionist claim were left unclear. The upshot is that different national governments can treat these claims almost as they see fit. The resulting ambiguity is a tricky problem, and it’s played out vividly in two analogous independence movements: Quebec’s and Scotland’s. In 1995, the Quebecois independence movement lost a referendum on independence by a mere 1.16 per cent. The result kicked off years of political talks and legal wrangling, and in 1998, the Supreme Court of Canada weighed in on whether secession claims were legitimate in principle. It concluded that outside of a colonial context and in the absence of severe repression or exclusion from the state, there is no positive entitlement to claim statehood. But it also found that the Canadian state, at least on the basis of its own constitutional law, could not “remain indifferent to the clear expression of a clear majority of Quebecers that they no longer wish to remain in Canada”. Crucially, the court noted that under the Canadian constitution, the government has a duty to negotiate. Were it to refuse, that could undermine its claim to legitimacy, which could have international ramifications. Following this logic were Quebec to vote for independence in some future referendum, that would impose a duty on the federal government and the province alike to enter into negotiations in good faith – though there would be no specific obligation to conclude the negotiations amicably. Then there’s Scotland. The UK Government took a similar approach to Canada, passing the Edinburgh Agreement in 2012, which granted Scottish nationalists legal authority to stage an independence referendum. They duly did so in 2014. And while that vote ultimately endorsed the status quo, had a majority been in favour of independence, it was largely accepted that the result would have been binding. Refuse and reject The Spanish government has chosen to pursue a different course. While the vast majority of Catalans wanted to vote in a referendum, the central authorities have been steadfast in their refusal to allow a vote, or recognise the result, and are now refusing to engage in dialogue with the Catalan authorities. This intransigence dates back to at least 2010 when the independence campaign emerged in response to a growing dissatisfaction with current constitutional arrangements, a centralisation of the distribution of competences, and the impact of the financial crisis. With the Spanish government not responding to requests for dialogue, the Catalan authorities have for years continually invoked a “right to decide”, derived from a broad reading of self-determination as the right to “democratic management of public affairs”. Legally speaking, it’s a stretch to argue that the principle of self-determination guarantees the right to hold a vote on secession. Nevertheless, the principle of free political participation and representation is clearly established under international law, and it could certainly provide the basis of a demand for dialogue and negotiation where there is broad public support for independence. Given that there is also scope for seeking dialogue under the Spanish Constitution, this latest sabre-rattling by the Spanish government is unwarranted, as are its actions in recent weeks – threats to arrest Catalan mayors, interference with civic budgets, raids on newspaper office, and mass police deployment including excessive force used by the Spanish police in attempting to prevent the Referendum taking place. These all reinforce the secessionists’ narrative of repression by an anti-Catalan Spanish regime. For the good of Spain as a whole, a collaborative and productive dialogue needs to begin. The Spanish government’s actions have not yet crossed the threshold of repression that would grant the Catalans a so-called “remedial right” of independence under international law, but its intransigent, hardline approach is inflaming tensions to no end – and enhancing the credibility of the Catalan claim. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Photo Credit: EPA

Catalonia: Spain's hard line is no way to handle a secession crisis

Catalonian president Carles Puigdemont is set to call a snap regional election on Dec. 20, local media said on Thursday, a move that could help break a one-month deadlock between the Madrid government and<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/catalonia-stops-short-of-formal-independence-declaration-to-allow-talks-21251"> Catalan separatists seeking independence from Spain</a>.

Barcelona-based La Vanguardia said Puigdemont had taken the decision in a bid to convince the government of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spain-to-suspend-catalonias-government-call-elections-22701">Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy </a>not to enforce the direct rule in the region.

Puigdemont will deliver an address at 1.30 p.m (1130 GMT), his office said.

Calling an election could either strengthen Puigdemont&#39;s mandate if pro-independence parties won, or allow him a graceful exit if they did not.

But it could also heighten divisions within the secessionist camp and bring the current campaign to a halt.

Cracks appeared late on Wednesday in the secessionist coalition as members backed a vote while others said there was no alternative to independence.

An opinion poll published by the El Periodico newspaper on Sunday showed a snap election would probably have results similar to the last ballot, in 2015, when a coalition of pro-independence parties formed a minority government.

Barcelona-based La Vanguardia said Puigdemont had taken the decision in a bid to convince the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy not to enforce the direct rule in the region

Catalonian president Carles Puigdemont is set to call a snap regional election on Dec. 20, local media said on Thursday, a move that could help break a one-month deadlock between the Madrid government and Catalan separatists seeking independence from Spain. Barcelona-based La Vanguardia said Puigdemont had taken the decision in a bid to convince the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy not to enforce the direct rule in the region. Puigdemont will deliver an address at 1.30 p.m (1130 GMT), his office said. Calling an election could either strengthen Puigdemont's mandate if pro-independence parties won, or allow him a graceful exit if they did not. But it could also heighten divisions within the secessionist camp and bring the current campaign to a halt. Cracks appeared late on Wednesday in the secessionist coalition as members backed a vote while others said there was no alternative to independence. An opinion poll published by the El Periodico newspaper on Sunday showed a snap election would probably have results similar to the last ballot, in 2015, when a coalition of pro-independence parties formed a minority government.

Catalan head Puigdemont set to call regional election: Media

Iraqi Kurdistan proposed Wednesday to annul the results of its independence referendum, which triggered a major crisis with Baghdad.

Iraq has called for the cancellation of the results of the vote as a precondition for all negotiations and in retaliation has seized large areas of territory held by Kurdish forces.

Iraq has called for the cancellation of the results of the vote

Iraqi Kurdistan proposed Wednesday to annul the results of its independence referendum, which triggered a major crisis with Baghdad. Iraq has called for the cancellation of the results of the vote as a precondition for all negotiations and in retaliation has seized large areas of territory held by Kurdish forces.

Iraqi Kurdistan offers to 'freeze' results of independence vote

Spain&#39;s government will take control of Catalonia and rule it directly if Catalan&nbsp;leader<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/independence-decision-day-looms-for-catalan-leader-22482">&nbsp;Carles Puigdemont</a> does not&nbsp;drop&nbsp;a bid to split the region from&nbsp;Spain&nbsp;by Thursday at 1000 a.m. (0800 GMT),&nbsp;deputy&nbsp;Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said.

&quot;Mr Puigdemont still has the opportunity to start resolving this situation, he&nbsp;must&nbsp;answer &#39;yes&#39; or &#39;no&#39; to the declaration (of&nbsp;independence),&quot; Saenz de Santamaria said.

Madrid had given Puigdemont until Monday 10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) to clarify his position on independence&nbsp;with a &quot;Yes&quot; or &quot;No&quot;, but the&nbsp;Catalan&nbsp;leader&nbsp;did not directly answer the question.

Saenz de Santamaria said, "Mr Puigdemont still has the opportunity to start resolving this situation, he?must?answer 'yes' or 'no' to the declaration (of?independence)"

Spain's government will take control of Catalonia and rule it directly if Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont does not drop a bid to split the region from Spain by Thursday at 1000 a.m. (0800 GMT), deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said. "Mr Puigdemont still has the opportunity to start resolving this situation, he must answer 'yes' or 'no' to the declaration (of independence)," Saenz de Santamaria said. Madrid had given Puigdemont until Monday 10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) to clarify his position on independence with a "Yes" or "No", but the Catalan leader did not directly answer the question.

Catalan leader must drop independence by Thursday: Spain Deputy PM

Calls for &ldquo;independence&rdquo; have been increasingly heard on the streets of Barcelona in recent days. Those powerful emotions can drive people to extremes, which in some cases include killing and dying. Yet for the high price often paid, independence movements are rarely successful and their outcomes are usually less than hoped for.

Catalonia&rsquo;s recent vote for independence provoked&nbsp;a heavy-handed response from the government in Madrid. This has, in almost textbook style, conversely increased support for independence.

The Spanish government&rsquo;s response was wrong if the intention was to secure Catalonia&rsquo;s loyalty, but perhaps the right response if the intention was to shore up falling nationalist support elsewhere.

Independence movements commonly start with a small number of idealists, yet quickly grow when central governments respond with repression. In such circumstances, the desire for &ldquo;freedom&rdquo; takes root and flourishes. So the first responses of central governments to secessionist movements are critical to their outcome.

There are currently well over 100 secessionist movements, including four in the Philippines, dozens in India, around eight in Myanmar, and several dozen in Africa. Many of these have produced bloodshed and trauma well in excess of possible practical gains. Yet, despite their numbers, very few secessionist movements are ultimately successful, while the costs for governments imposing a nominal unity can be high for all involved.

With high risks and limited chances of success, secessionist movements are rarely about pragmatism and more about fervour. Even with popular support, these movements rarely have the political or military capacity to impose their will on the state from which they intend to secede.

Such limited examples&nbsp;of secessionist success that there are have relied on either external intervention &ndash; such as Bangladesh and Kosovo &ndash; or agreement by a weakened parent state, such as Eritrea and South Sudan. Timor-Leste achieved independence on the back of both factors.

Having overcome daunting odds of achieving independence, the success of post-secessionist states has, on balance, been poor. Bangladesh has struggled between periods of incapable civilian government, military coups and a state of emergency. Since independence in 1991, Eritrea has been an authoritarian one-party state with no political activity allowed.

Kosovo has been marked by divisive ethnic politics, while South Sudan has been wracked by ethnopolitical fighting since independence in 2011. Timor-Leste is a successful democracy, yet survived intact only due to international intervention ending civil conflict in 2006.

Of the world&rsquo;s separatist movements, the most recent and notable, next to Catalonia, is Kurdistan. A&nbsp;Kurdish state would have a potentially sound oil-based economy and a very capable military.

Yet even an independent Kurdistan would require access to trade routes to export oil. This is currently blocked by its parent state, Iraq, and suspicion or hostility from neighbouring Turkey, Syria and Iran. Kurdistan may continue to pursue independence, but it would likely have a more viable economic future as an autonomous state in a federated Iraq.

Even when successful, the cost of independence can be high. It can bring destructive wars, lack of economic activity and independence leaders failing to translate as wise politicians and capable administrators. The skills needed to win independence are not those required to rebuild and run a successful state.

So the record of successful secessionist movements is, overall, poor. The rhetoric of freedom and reward is more usually reflected in little of either.

Catalonia is luckier than most, having an experienced set of politicians and administrators. It also has, for now at least, an intact infrastructure and a vibrant economy. Its chances of success, should Madrid let it go, would be better than most.

Yet what is now more practically needed in Catalonia, and for most other secessionist movements, is a relatively high level of regional autonomy. Loosening the ties that bind can ease tensions and make states more stable, if in federated or similar form, rather than being tightly controlled and therefore presented.

Spanish President Mariano Rajoy&rsquo;s threat to revoke Catalonia&rsquo;s autonomy is, therefore, precisely the wrong response for a leader wishing to quell secessionist demands. It was, after all, Spain&rsquo;s Constitutional Court&rsquo;s decision to restrict Catalonia&rsquo;s existing autonomy that sparked the present calls for independence.

Spain&rsquo;s governing People&rsquo;s Party may strengthen its faltering support base by appealing to a wider nationalist sentiment in favour of state unity and imposing control over Catalonia. But imposed control will likely prompt further and more deeply entrenched separatist sentiment.

Given their vast differences, the fate of the handful of successful separatist movements cannot be used as indicators of an independent Catalonia&rsquo;s future. But the drivers of separatism and impediments to achieving independence are shared.

Catalonia has been at the forefront of Spain&rsquo;s domestic battles, and it could be that the current push for independence will spark another. Should it come to this, the cost of such conflict would exceed any possible benefits, for both Catalonia and for Spain.

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/85097/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />The question, then, is how Spain&rsquo;s national government and the Catalan independence movement can step back from a showdown. Failure to do so may mean the consequences become irretrievable.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" nofollow="" rel="">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/passion-and-pain-why-secessionist-movements-rarely-succeed-85097" nofollow="" rel="">original article</a>.

The skills needed to win independence are not those required to rebuild and run a successful state.

Calls for “independence” have been increasingly heard on the streets of Barcelona in recent days. Those powerful emotions can drive people to extremes, which in some cases include killing and dying. Yet for the high price often paid, independence movements are rarely successful and their outcomes are usually less than hoped for. Catalonia’s recent vote for independence provoked a heavy-handed response from the government in Madrid. This has, in almost textbook style, conversely increased support for independence. The Spanish government’s response was wrong if the intention was to secure Catalonia’s loyalty, but perhaps the right response if the intention was to shore up falling nationalist support elsewhere. Independence movements commonly start with a small number of idealists, yet quickly grow when central governments respond with repression. In such circumstances, the desire for “freedom” takes root and flourishes. So the first responses of central governments to secessionist movements are critical to their outcome. There are currently well over 100 secessionist movements, including four in the Philippines, dozens in India, around eight in Myanmar, and several dozen in Africa. Many of these have produced bloodshed and trauma well in excess of possible practical gains. Yet, despite their numbers, very few secessionist movements are ultimately successful, while the costs for governments imposing a nominal unity can be high for all involved. With high risks and limited chances of success, secessionist movements are rarely about pragmatism and more about fervour. Even with popular support, these movements rarely have the political or military capacity to impose their will on the state from which they intend to secede. Such limited examples of secessionist success that there are have relied on either external intervention – such as Bangladesh and Kosovo – or agreement by a weakened parent state, such as Eritrea and South Sudan. Timor-Leste achieved independence on the back of both factors. Having overcome daunting odds of achieving independence, the success of post-secessionist states has, on balance, been poor. Bangladesh has struggled between periods of incapable civilian government, military coups and a state of emergency. Since independence in 1991, Eritrea has been an authoritarian one-party state with no political activity allowed. Kosovo has been marked by divisive ethnic politics, while South Sudan has been wracked by ethnopolitical fighting since independence in 2011. Timor-Leste is a successful democracy, yet survived intact only due to international intervention ending civil conflict in 2006. Of the world’s separatist movements, the most recent and notable, next to Catalonia, is Kurdistan. A Kurdish state would have a potentially sound oil-based economy and a very capable military. Yet even an independent Kurdistan would require access to trade routes to export oil. This is currently blocked by its parent state, Iraq, and suspicion or hostility from neighbouring Turkey, Syria and Iran. Kurdistan may continue to pursue independence, but it would likely have a more viable economic future as an autonomous state in a federated Iraq. Even when successful, the cost of independence can be high. It can bring destructive wars, lack of economic activity and independence leaders failing to translate as wise politicians and capable administrators. The skills needed to win independence are not those required to rebuild and run a successful state. So the record of successful secessionist movements is, overall, poor. The rhetoric of freedom and reward is more usually reflected in little of either. Catalonia is luckier than most, having an experienced set of politicians and administrators. It also has, for now at least, an intact infrastructure and a vibrant economy. Its chances of success, should Madrid let it go, would be better than most. Yet what is now more practically needed in Catalonia, and for most other secessionist movements, is a relatively high level of regional autonomy. Loosening the ties that bind can ease tensions and make states more stable, if in federated or similar form, rather than being tightly controlled and therefore presented. Spanish President Mariano Rajoy’s threat to revoke Catalonia’s autonomy is, therefore, precisely the wrong response for a leader wishing to quell secessionist demands. It was, after all, Spain’s Constitutional Court’s decision to restrict Catalonia’s existing autonomy that sparked the present calls for independence. Spain’s governing People’s Party may strengthen its faltering support base by appealing to a wider nationalist sentiment in favour of state unity and imposing control over Catalonia. But imposed control will likely prompt further and more deeply entrenched separatist sentiment. Given their vast differences, the fate of the handful of successful separatist movements cannot be used as indicators of an independent Catalonia’s future. But the drivers of separatism and impediments to achieving independence are shared. Catalonia has been at the forefront of Spain’s domestic battles, and it could be that the current push for independence will spark another. Should it come to this, the cost of such conflict would exceed any possible benefits, for both Catalonia and for Spain. The question, then, is how Spain’s national government and the Catalan independence movement can step back from a showdown. Failure to do so may mean the consequences become irretrievable. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Catalonia: Secessionist movements rarely succeed

South Sudan marks five years of independence on Saturday with celebrations cancelled in the face of a deepening hunger crisis and fears the world&#39;s youngest country could slide back into war. 
 
Tens of thousands have died in a civil war since December 2013 that has left the economy in ruins, forcing the government to abandon independence celebrations for the first time since secession from Sudan. 
 
The International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned backers of a stalled peace process to act &quot;urgently&quot; to save it &quot;and prevent the country from returning to full-scale combat&quot;. 
 
The conflict has triggered a humanitarian crisis with over two million people forced from their homes and almost five million in need of emergency food, over a third of the population. 
 
&quot;Life is as bad as it has ever been in South Sudan,&quot; said human rights lawyer David Deng, pointing to soaring inflation, rising attacks by gunmen, hunger and intense distrust between rival forces.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;If this situation isn&#39;t salvaged soon, I feel we may be looking at a protracted conflict every bit as bad as the 22-year war&quot; that preceded secession, Deng said. 
 
Prices of goods and services have soared since 2011, with inflation running at almost 300 per cent, and the currency slumping by 90 per cent this year. 
 
&quot;The fact that government does not have money to celebrate the anniversary highlights the magnitude of the economic problem,&quot; said James Alic Garang, an economist with the Juba-based Ebony Center think tank. 
 
After a 1983-2005 civil war, the country split from Sudan on July 9, 2011, following a referendum six months earlier. 
 
Since then South Sudan has fought a brief war with old enemy Sudan over oil, before turning on itself in a civil war that broke out in December 2013. 
 
Rebel chief Riek Machar returned to the capital in April as part of a peace deal which saw him become vice president, forging a unity government with President Salva Kiir.&nbsp;Yet fighting continues. 
 
Babikr Yawa, a mother of three, fled fighting last month in the Kajo-Keji district, close to the border with Uganda. 
 
&quot;We are suffering here. There is no food, no good shelter,&quot; Yawa said. &quot;What we want is that President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar should end the conflict.&quot; 
 
In June, fighting in the town of Wau, now the country&#39;s second city after Malakal, Bor and Bentiu were razed during the war, forced some 88,000 people to flee their homes, with almost 20,000 seeking shelter beside a UN base. 
 
The peace deal is simply being ignored, the ICG said. 
 
&quot;Formerly warring parties are now flouting it and increasingly preparing for widespread conflict,&quot; ICG said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Unless something is done, it is a matter of only a little time before there is a return to war, and the agreement collapses.&quot; 
 
The mood on the streets is very far from the celebrations of 2011. 
 
Earlier this year UN chief Ban Ki-moon recalled the sense of euphoria, &quot;the pride, the spirit, the hope&quot;, when he witnessed the raising of the new country&#39;s flag at independence. 
 
Speaking after his last visit in February, Ban spoke instead of how &quot;that hope has been betrayed... by those who put power and profit over people&quot; in a speech citing &quot;massive human rights violations and epic corruption&quot;. The economic collapse is driving unrest and threatening peace, aid workers say. 
 
&quot;A peaceful South Sudan cannot be built without solid foundations,&quot; said Oxfam&#39;s country chief Zlatko Gegic. &quot;South Sudan&#39;s economy is in crisis. Without economic reform, its people will continue to suffer and the fragile peace process will be jeopardised.&quot; 
 
A kilogramme of sugar that used to cost eight South Sudanese pounds now costs 30 South Sudanese pounds , while a 50-kilogramme bag of white flour that once sold for 180 South Sudanese pounds , now costs 1,200 South Sudanese pounds . 
 
&quot;We are just living in problems and nothing is good,&quot; said Etisam Ahmed, sitting in a market on the dusty streets of Juba. &quot;We are just here by God&#39;s grace. If you go to the market today and buy something, tomorrow you will find the price has increased. So how can we survive?&quot; 
 
More than 160,000 civilians are living in UN-guarded camps across the country, down from a peak of more than 200,000 at the height of the war, a clear indicator that many feel it is still too dangerous to go home. 
 
South Sudanese say that there is no doubt independence was the right choice, but many are deeply saddened by the turn their nation has taken and are yet to see the benefits of peace. 
 
&quot;I think it will be hard to find a South Sudanese person who regrets independence, despite all that has happened,&quot; Deng said. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s not to say that independence was the silver bullet that people made it out to be at the time. It is clear now that even without the role of Khartoum there, in terms of destabilising South Sudan, we had our own share of issues that needed to be addressed.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

With soaring casualties in the civil war, inflation and a massive food emergency, the world's youngest nation struggles to stand on its feet

South Sudan marks five years of independence on Saturday with celebrations cancelled in the face of a deepening hunger crisis and fears the world's youngest country could slide back into war. Tens of thousands have died in a civil war since December 2013 that has left the economy in ruins, forcing the government to abandon independence celebrations for the first time since secession from Sudan. The International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned backers of a stalled peace process to act "urgently" to save it "and prevent the country from returning to full-scale combat". The conflict has triggered a humanitarian crisis with over two million people forced from their homes and almost five million in need of emergency food, over a third of the population. "Life is as bad as it has ever been in South Sudan," said human rights lawyer David Deng, pointing to soaring inflation, rising attacks by gunmen, hunger and intense distrust between rival forces. "If this situation isn't salvaged soon, I feel we may be looking at a protracted conflict every bit as bad as the 22-year war" that preceded secession, Deng said. Prices of goods and services have soared since 2011, with inflation running at almost 300 per cent, and the currency slumping by 90 per cent this year. "The fact that government does not have money to celebrate the anniversary highlights the magnitude of the economic problem," said James Alic Garang, an economist with the Juba-based Ebony Center think tank. After a 1983-2005 civil war, the country split from Sudan on July 9, 2011, following a referendum six months earlier. Since then South Sudan has fought a brief war with old enemy Sudan over oil, before turning on itself in a civil war that broke out in December 2013. Rebel chief Riek Machar returned to the capital in April as part of a peace deal which saw him become vice president, forging a unity government with President Salva Kiir. Yet fighting continues. Babikr Yawa, a mother of three, fled fighting last month in the Kajo-Keji district, close to the border with Uganda. "We are suffering here. There is no food, no good shelter," Yawa said. "What we want is that President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar should end the conflict." In June, fighting in the town of Wau, now the country's second city after Malakal, Bor and Bentiu were razed during the war, forced some 88,000 people to flee their homes, with almost 20,000 seeking shelter beside a UN base. The peace deal is simply being ignored, the ICG said. "Formerly warring parties are now flouting it and increasingly preparing for widespread conflict," ICG said. "Unless something is done, it is a matter of only a little time before there is a return to war, and the agreement collapses." The mood on the streets is very far from the celebrations of 2011. Earlier this year UN chief Ban Ki-moon recalled the sense of euphoria, "the pride, the spirit, the hope", when he witnessed the raising of the new country's flag at independence. Speaking after his last visit in February, Ban spoke instead of how "that hope has been betrayed... by those who put power and profit over people" in a speech citing "massive human rights violations and epic corruption". The economic collapse is driving unrest and threatening peace, aid workers say. "A peaceful South Sudan cannot be built without solid foundations," said Oxfam's country chief Zlatko Gegic. "South Sudan's economy is in crisis. Without economic reform, its people will continue to suffer and the fragile peace process will be jeopardised." A kilogramme of sugar that used to cost eight South Sudanese pounds now costs 30 South Sudanese pounds , while a 50-kilogramme bag of white flour that once sold for 180 South Sudanese pounds , now costs 1,200 South Sudanese pounds . "We are just living in problems and nothing is good," said Etisam Ahmed, sitting in a market on the dusty streets of Juba. "We are just here by God's grace. If you go to the market today and buy something, tomorrow you will find the price has increased. So how can we survive?" More than 160,000 civilians are living in UN-guarded camps across the country, down from a peak of more than 200,000 at the height of the war, a clear indicator that many feel it is still too dangerous to go home. South Sudanese say that there is no doubt independence was the right choice, but many are deeply saddened by the turn their nation has taken and are yet to see the benefits of peace. "I think it will be hard to find a South Sudanese person who regrets independence, despite all that has happened," Deng said. "That's not to say that independence was the silver bullet that people made it out to be at the time. It is clear now that even without the role of Khartoum there, in terms of destabilising South Sudan, we had our own share of issues that needed to be addressed." (AFP)

Little to celebrate as South Sudan turns five

Heidi Alexander, who resigned as health policy chief for Britain&#39;s opposition Labour Party today, said she expected several of her colleagues in party leader Jeremy Corbyn&#39;s top team to do the same. 
 
The party is in open conflict following Britain`s vote to leave the European Union on Thursday. Labour&#39;s widely respected foreign policy chief Hilary Benn was sacked earlier after saying he had lost confidence in Corbyn. 
 
&quot;I think that there are a fair number,&quot; Alexander told ITV television in response to a question about how many of her colleagues she expected to resign. 
 
&quot;I know from the conversations that I&#39;ve had with colleagues that this is a very difficult time for all of us. It&#39;s not a decision that we want to take but some of the time you do have to take tough decisions in politics and so I know a lot of my colleagues will be asking themselves similar questions to the one I&#39;ve asked myself this morning.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Labour's widely respected foreign policy chief Hilary Benn was sacked earlier after saying he had lost confidence in party leader Corbyn

Heidi Alexander, who resigned as health policy chief for Britain's opposition Labour Party today, said she expected several of her colleagues in party leader Jeremy Corbyn's top team to do the same. The party is in open conflict following Britain`s vote to leave the European Union on Thursday. Labour's widely respected foreign policy chief Hilary Benn was sacked earlier after saying he had lost confidence in Corbyn. "I think that there are a fair number," Alexander told ITV television in response to a question about how many of her colleagues she expected to resign. "I know from the conversations that I've had with colleagues that this is a very difficult time for all of us. It's not a decision that we want to take but some of the time you do have to take tough decisions in politics and so I know a lot of my colleagues will be asking themselves similar questions to the one I've asked myself this morning." (Reuters)

'Fair number' of UK Labour policy chiefs to resign: Heidi Alexander

Britain&#39;s opposition Labour party plunged into turmoil today and the prospect of Scottish independence drew closer, ahead of a showdown with EU leaders over the country&#39;s seismic vote to leave the bloc. 
 
Two days after Prime Minister David Cameron resigned over his failure to keep Britain in the European Union, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn faced a revolt by his lawmakers who called for him, too, to quit. 
 
US secretary of state John Kerry will also fly first to Brussels and then on to London on Monday, amid dismay in Washington over Britain&#39;s decision. 
 
European leaders have called for a swift divorce amid fears of a domino-effect of exit votes in eurosceptic member states that could imperil the integrity of the 28-country alliance. 
 
Britain&#39;s political world is in disarray, while two new polls today showed a surge in support for independence in Scotland, where voters defied the national mood and chose to stay in the EU. 
 
European leaders meet on Monday to discuss the result, which wiped $2.1 trillion from global equity markets Friday amid fears of a new threat to the global economy. 
 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will host French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and EU President Donald Tusk for talks in Berlin. 
 
Cameron is then due to attend a summit of EU leaders on Tuesday to explain Britain&#39;s decision. 
 
Britons cast aside warnings of isolation and economic disaster to vote 52 percent to 48 percent in favour of quitting the EU in Thursday&#39;s referendum. 
 
The historic vote, fought on the battlefronts of the economy and immigration, exposed deep divisions in the country that politicians are scrambling to respond to. 
 
Cameron has said he will stay on until a successor is found from within his governing Conservative party, which could take until October, at which point the new prime minister will launch the EU exit negotiations. 
 
But EU foreign ministers on Saturday urged Britain not to delay, with France&#39;s Jean-Marc Ayrault directly calling on Cameron to go quickly. 
 
&quot;A new prime minister must be designated, that will take a few days but there is a certain urgency,&quot; he told AFP. 
 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Britain&#39;s exit talks should not &quot;drag on forever&quot; but said that until they were completed, Britain would remain a fully-fledged EU member. 
 
&quot;There is no reason to be nasty in the negotiations. We have to follow the rules of the game,&quot; she said. 
 
Labour revolt 
 
Likely candidates to succeed Cameron, including Brexit campaigner and former London mayor Boris Johnson, began sounding out support over the weekend. 
 
The referendum decision has also lit a fuse under disgruntled members of the Labour party, many of whom have been unhappy with Corbyn&#39;s leadership since he took office last September. 
 
Support for leaving the European Union was strong across northern England, the Midlands and Wales, including many areas that traditional vote Labour. 
 
The party leadership had campaigned to stay in the EU, but critics accuse Corbyn of failing to reach out to working-class voters drawn in by the &quot;Leave&quot; camp&#39;s anti-establishment rhetoric. 
 
After a symbolic vote of no confidence on Friday against Corbyn, he sacked foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn late Saturday for challenging his leadership. 
 
Hours later, health spokeswoman Heidi Alexander quit, and media reports suggested several other colleagues were poised to join her.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I do not believe you have the capacity to shape the answers our country is demanding,&quot; Alexander wrote in her resignation letter. 
 
But allies of the veteran socialist said he had no plans to step down. &quot;He&#39;s not going anywhere,&quot; finance spokesman John McDonnell told BBC television. 
 
The motion of no confidence is expected to be discussed at a meeting of the parliamentary Labour party on Monday. 
 
Any challenger would need the support of 20 percent of the party&#39;s 229 MPs and it would then be put to party members. 
 
Boost for Scottish independence&nbsp; 
 
As Westminster politicians bickered, Scotland appeared to be moving closer towards independence, just two years after they voted by 55 per cent to stay in the UK. 
 
&quot;The UK that Scotland voted to stay in in 2014 does not exist any more,&quot; First Minister and Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon told BBC television Sunday. 
 
Scots had defied the national trend and voted to remain in the European Union, and the prospect of being taken out against their will has boosted the nationalist cause. 
 
Two polls today support for independence at 59 percent and 52 percent respectively. 
 
Sturgeon has said a second independence referendum was now &quot;highly likely&quot;, and a meeting of her cabinet on Saturday agreed to start drawing up the necessary legislation. 
 
&quot;This is not going to be a re-run of the 2014 referendum. The context and the circumstances have changed dramatically,&quot; she told the BBC. 
 
Across Britain, more than three million Britons signed up to a rapidly-growing petition on an official government website pleading for a new vote. 
 
The number of signatories far surpassed the 100,000 required for a proposal to be discussed in the House of Commons. A committee will consider the motion on Tuesday.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

Scots defied the national mood and voted to stay on in EU. The 'leave' sentiment was strong in northern England, Midlands and Wales

Britain's opposition Labour party plunged into turmoil today and the prospect of Scottish independence drew closer, ahead of a showdown with EU leaders over the country's seismic vote to leave the bloc. Two days after Prime Minister David Cameron resigned over his failure to keep Britain in the European Union, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn faced a revolt by his lawmakers who called for him, too, to quit. US secretary of state John Kerry will also fly first to Brussels and then on to London on Monday, amid dismay in Washington over Britain's decision. European leaders have called for a swift divorce amid fears of a domino-effect of exit votes in eurosceptic member states that could imperil the integrity of the 28-country alliance. Britain's political world is in disarray, while two new polls today showed a surge in support for independence in Scotland, where voters defied the national mood and chose to stay in the EU. European leaders meet on Monday to discuss the result, which wiped $2.1 trillion from global equity markets Friday amid fears of a new threat to the global economy. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will host French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and EU President Donald Tusk for talks in Berlin. Cameron is then due to attend a summit of EU leaders on Tuesday to explain Britain's decision. Britons cast aside warnings of isolation and economic disaster to vote 52 percent to 48 percent in favour of quitting the EU in Thursday's referendum. The historic vote, fought on the battlefronts of the economy and immigration, exposed deep divisions in the country that politicians are scrambling to respond to. Cameron has said he will stay on until a successor is found from within his governing Conservative party, which could take until October, at which point the new prime minister will launch the EU exit negotiations. But EU foreign ministers on Saturday urged Britain not to delay, with France's Jean-Marc Ayrault directly calling on Cameron to go quickly. "A new prime minister must be designated, that will take a few days but there is a certain urgency," he told AFP. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Britain's exit talks should not "drag on forever" but said that until they were completed, Britain would remain a fully-fledged EU member. "There is no reason to be nasty in the negotiations. We have to follow the rules of the game," she said. Labour revolt Likely candidates to succeed Cameron, including Brexit campaigner and former London mayor Boris Johnson, began sounding out support over the weekend. The referendum decision has also lit a fuse under disgruntled members of the Labour party, many of whom have been unhappy with Corbyn's leadership since he took office last September. Support for leaving the European Union was strong across northern England, the Midlands and Wales, including many areas that traditional vote Labour. The party leadership had campaigned to stay in the EU, but critics accuse Corbyn of failing to reach out to working-class voters drawn in by the "Leave" camp's anti-establishment rhetoric. After a symbolic vote of no confidence on Friday against Corbyn, he sacked foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn late Saturday for challenging his leadership. Hours later, health spokeswoman Heidi Alexander quit, and media reports suggested several other colleagues were poised to join her. "I do not believe you have the capacity to shape the answers our country is demanding," Alexander wrote in her resignation letter. But allies of the veteran socialist said he had no plans to step down. "He's not going anywhere," finance spokesman John McDonnell told BBC television. The motion of no confidence is expected to be discussed at a meeting of the parliamentary Labour party on Monday. Any challenger would need the support of 20 percent of the party's 229 MPs and it would then be put to party members. Boost for Scottish independence As Westminster politicians bickered, Scotland appeared to be moving closer towards independence, just two years after they voted by 55 per cent to stay in the UK. "The UK that Scotland voted to stay in in 2014 does not exist any more," First Minister and Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon told BBC television Sunday. Scots had defied the national trend and voted to remain in the European Union, and the prospect of being taken out against their will has boosted the nationalist cause. Two polls today support for independence at 59 percent and 52 percent respectively. Sturgeon has said a second independence referendum was now "highly likely", and a meeting of her cabinet on Saturday agreed to start drawing up the necessary legislation. "This is not going to be a re-run of the 2014 referendum. The context and the circumstances have changed dramatically," she told the BBC. Across Britain, more than three million Britons signed up to a rapidly-growing petition on an official government website pleading for a new vote. The number of signatories far surpassed the 100,000 required for a proposal to be discussed in the House of Commons. A committee will consider the motion on Tuesday. (AFP)

UK's split with EU boosts Scottish nationalists

independence

Independence, News on Independence, stories on Independence, articles on Independence, Independence stories at Wion, Independence news, Independence latest news