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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 19 december 2017
Catalan economy feels the pinch amid bid to split from Spain

Constitutional Court disal- A recent survey of more
lowed. Catalonia is cur- than 100 company direc-
rently being run by direct tors in the northeastern
rule from Madrid. Spanish region found that
The upcoming election 46 percent of them have
looks like being a tight put their 2018 spending
race between Catalans plans on hold while they
who support secession and await the election out-
those who prefer to remain come.
in Spain. They have reason to fear:
A lot is at stake when poll- Just over half of them said
ing stations open for 7.5 mil- their company sales fell
lion voters in a region that from September to No-
accounts for 19 percent vember, by an average of
of Spain’s gross domes- 9.5 percent, making them
tic product. A triumph for wary of the future, accord-
pro-independence parties ing to a survey published
could unleash further social last week by the econo-
and political mayhem that mist Fernando Trias de Bes
would ripple unpredictably in collaboration with the
across Spain, which has the ESADE Business School.
fourth-largest economy in The surveyed companies
the 19-country eurozone. together employ almost
In this photo taken Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017, a woman buys items at a fruit store in Barcelona, Spain. Citing the uncertainty over 158,000 people.
Jittery businessmen in Catalonia have put their investment plans on ice as they brace for the Catalonia, Spain’s cen- Just over 3,000 businesses
region’s parliamentary election on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017. tral bank on Friday cut its have moved their official
(AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) growth forecasts for next headquarters out of Cat-
By BARRY HATTON ing higher, recent figures that Spanish authorities year and 2019 to 2.4 per- alonia in recent months,
Associated Press show. deemed illegal. That came cent and 2.1 percent re- anxious they might no lon-
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Jit- Investors and consumers after an Oct. 1 indepen- spectively, shaving a per- ger be covered by Spanish
tery businessmen in Cata- react badly to uncertainty dence referendum in Cat- centage point off its previ- and European Union laws if
lonia, spooked by signs and conflict, and Catalo- alonia which the Spanish ous predictions. Catalonia broke away.q
the recent tumult over the nia’s push to break away
region’s latest bid to se- has brought Spain’s worst
cede from Spain is hurting institutional crisis in de-
the local economy, have cades.
put their investment plans The Catalan regional gov-
on ice as they brace for ernment was removed
the Catalan parliamentary from office by Spain’s na-
election on Thursday. tional government in late
Catalan retail sales and October after regional
tourist arrivals are falling lawmakers passed a dec-
and unemployment is edg- laration of independence
Israel finds no wrongdoing in

paraplegic Palestinian’s death

By TIA GOLDENBERG Trump’s move, which up-
Associated Press ended decades of U.S. for-
JERUSALEM (AP) — An in- eign policy and countered
vestigation by the Israeli an international consensus
military into the death of that the fate of Jerusalem
a paraplegic Palestinian should be determined in
man cleared Israeli troops negotiations between Isra-
of wrongdoing on Monday, el and the Palestinians.
saying it found “no moral or The military said Friday’s
professional failures” in the protest was “extremely vio-
incident. lent,” with protesters hurling
Palestinian health officials stones, burning tires and ex-
say Ibrahim Abu Thraya, plosive devices at troops. In
29, was shot in the head its findings Monday, it said
while demonstrating last no live fire was aimed at
week along Gaza’s border Abu Thraya and it was im-
with Israel, an area that has possible to determine the
experienced repeated un- cause of death. The mili-
rest since President Donald tary said it has repeatedly
Trump recognized Jerusa- requested details about
lem as Israel’s capital this Abu Thraya’s injuries and
month. will examine them if they
Abu Thraya’s death has are received. The military
become a rallying cry did not disclose from whom
among Palestinians against it had requested details.q