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world newsWednesday 10 January 2018

Ex-Catalan leader Mas quits as pro-independence party chief

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — won the most seats — 70 news conference. Puigdemont led separat- sels to avoid a judicial in-
Former Catalan president out of 135 — in the Catalan vestigation into suspicions
Artur Mas announced Tues- parliamentary election in Mas was Catalan president ist lawmakers in unilaterally of rebellion by him and his
day he is resigning as head December. Catalan government for
of his regional pro-inde- Mas said that result was between 2010 and 2016 declaring Catalan inde- pressing ahead with the in-
pendence party, saying he “very good” and brought a dependence bid.
wants to clear the way for new phase in the secession before stepping aside, pendence from Spain on However, Puigdemont is
a new generation of lead- drive. demanding to be re-instat-
ers pushing for secession “(We need to ) clear the handpicking Carles Puig- Oct. 27. ed as Catalan president
from Spain. way for new people to lead and continuing with his in-
Pro-independence par- a project for the future” in demont as his successor. Spain responded by sack- dependence drive after his
ties including Mas’ PdeCat Catalonia, Mas, 61, told a strong election showing.q
Puigdemont became the ing Puigdemont and his

independence move- government, dissolved

ment’s leader but is cur- the local parliament and

rently a fugitive in Belgium. called a new election Dec.

Differences between the 21.

two have grown since Puigdemont fled to Brus-

Merkel faces criticism over reported climate backtrack

able energy. in the ‘grand coalition’?”

Germany still gets about asked Robert Habeck, who

40 percent of its electricity is running for the Green

from coal-fired plants. party’s leadership. “There is

The country plans to aban- no one I can see.”

don nuclear energy by Negotiators in the prelimi-

2022, but Merkel has resist- nary governing talks said

ed calls to set a deadline Tuesday that any agree-

for ending the use of coal ment on specific issues de-

— including the crumbly pends on them reaching

brown variety known as lig- an overall deal.

nite that still is mined in Ger- “Nothing is fixed,” said An-

many. Laschet, the gov- dreas Scheuer, the general

ernor of North Rhine-West- secretary of the Christian

phalia state — a region Social Union, the Bavaria-

known for lignite mining only branch of Merkel’s

— stressed that Germany Union bloc.

wants to comply with the Laschet’s comments

2020 targets set under the nonetheless caused irrita-

international Paris climate tion, since the parties had

agreement. agreed not to discuss de-

He argued it can’t do so tails publicly before they

by “suddenly saying we decide whether they have

German chancellor Angela Merkel delivers a statement in Berlin. Merkel’s conservatives and are getting out of an en- enough common ground

their prospective center-left partners in government faced criticism Tuesday over their reported ergy source, lignite, with- to move on to formal coali-

willingness to push back Germany’s target for reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2020. out knowing what conse- tion negotiations.

(Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP) quences that has for jobs, Scheuer said negotiators

BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor tion of the past four years. achievable, but taking but also for energy prices.” were closing in on the big

Angela Merkel’s conser- Conservative negotiator measures to close the gap A prominent member of issue of the next govern-

vatives and their prospec- Armin Laschet told a busi- as far as possible. Germany’s opposition ment’s financial priorities.

tive center-left partners in ness group Monday they The Redaktionsnetzwerk Greens — who were in- Moving on to formal talks

government faced criti- had wrapped up talks on Deutschland newspaper volved in Merkel’s failed would require the approval

cism Tuesday over their re- energy policy, but gave no group reported that the previous effort to form a of a Social Democrat con-

ported willingness to push details. new aim would be to reach government with two small- gress.

back Germany’s target for German news agency dpa the target “at the begin- er parties — said the direc- The party’s leadership,

reducing carbon dioxide reported that the agree- ning of the 2020s.” tion of the potential “grand who initially said the Social

emissions by 2020. ment involves officially giv- Merkel, who pledged be- coalition” of Germany’s Democrats would go into

Merkel’s Union bloc and ing up the country’s target fore September’s election biggest parties was worry- opposition following a di-

the center-left Social of a 40 percent cut in car- to stick to the 2020 target, ing. sastrous election showing

Democrats are holding bon dioxide emissions by has been dubbed the “Cli- “Who is going to fight for in September, will have to

preliminary talks this week 2020 compared with 1990, mate Chancellor” for her an exit from coal or a real overcome strong reserva-

on extending their coali- regarded by many as un- ambitious aims for renew- reduction of CO2 emissions tions among members.q

Greece limits Sharia law after European Court challenge

By DEREK GATOPOULOS The proposed law passed Greek legal experts — fol- math of the Ottoman em- ity, while redressing past
COSTAS KANTOURIS easily, with backing from low a complaint a Muslim pire’s collapse. The Muslim injustices against commu-
Associated Press parliament’s largest po- woman who lives in the minority in Greece is largely nity members “who were
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — litical parties. It eliminates northeastern Greek city Turkish-speaking. Minor- excluded from the legal
Lawmakers in Greece vot- rules that referred many of Komotini made to the ity areas were visited last guarantees and freedoms
ed Tuesday to limit the pow- civil cases involving mem- Council of Europe’s Court month by Turkish President that all Greek citizens must
ers of Islamic courts operat- bers of the Muslim com- of Human Rights over an in- Recep Tayyip Erdogan. enjoy.” Greek governments
ing in a border region that munity to Sharia law courts. heritance dispute. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in the past have been re-
is home to a 100,000-strong Greek courts now will have Legislation concerning mi- said in a statement that luctant to amend minority
Muslim minority, scrapping priority in all cases. nority rights was based on the new law respects the rights, as many disputes be-
procedures dating back The changes — considered international treaties fol- “special characteristics” tween Greece and Turkey
more than 90 years. long overdue by many lowing wars in the after- of Greece’s Muslim minor- remain unresolved. q