Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 9 November 2017

Kremlin says Putin Catalonia:
and Trump likely to
meet in Vietnam Strike is muted but protesters block roads, trains

By V. ISACHENKOV By ARITZ PARRA prized tourism sector. independence. arrests were “an attack on
Associated Press LORNE COOK National railway opera- At mid-day, several thou- democracy and a humilia-
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian Associated Press tor Renfe said services sand pro-independence tion” of Catalan people.
President Vladimir Putin MADRID (AP) — A gener- were halted on dozens protesters packed a cen- Spanish authorities took
and U.S. President Donald al strike in Catalonia was of local lines as protesters tral square in Barcelona, the unprecedented step
Trump have a full agenda muted Wednesday, but blocked railway lines. Sev- waving separatist flags and of seizing control of Cata-
for their likely encounter on pro-independence pro- eral national high-speed chanting “Freedom” for the lonia, one of Spain’s 17
the sidelines of a Pacific testers blocked roads and lines were also affected. 10 people in custody in a autonomous regions, after
nations’ summit this week, stopped trains in Spain’s In northern Girona, several judicial probe into rebellion a majority of regional law-
the Kremlin said Wednes- northeastern region to pro- protesters pushed past po- and sedition in the days be- makers there ignored Con-
day. test the jailing of ousted lice controls to enter the fore and after Catalonia’s stitutional Court orders and
Putin’s foreign affairs ad- Catalan government of- city’s main railway station. parliament ignored Spanish passed an independence
viser, Yuri Ushakov, said the ficials and secessionist ac- Later, dozens of others oc- court rulings and declared declaration on Oct. 27.
Russian leader will meet tivists. Big traffic jams were cupied the tracks. independence Oct. 27. Spain removed the region-
Trump during sessions of reported on roads leading Intersindical CSC, a plat- Six hours later, thousands al government, dissolved
the Asia-Pacific Econom- to Catalan cities, including form of pro-independence gathered again to keep up the parliament and called
ic Cooperation leaders’ the regional capital Barce- workers’ unions, had called the pressure on the Madrid- a new regional election
meeting that opens Friday lona, and on major high- the strike for labor issues. based national govern- for next month. Prime Min-
in Danang, Vietnam. ways. But separatist parties and ment. Some shouted, “Free ister Mariano Rajoy said
Ushakov said the U.S. and But the strike wasn’t backed civil society groups asked the political prisoners.” Wednesday the elections
Russian leaders may also by Spain’s two main unions workers to join the stop- Agusti Alcoberro, the vice should open “a new politi-
have an “extensive” one- and wasn’t reported to be page to protest the Span- president of the grassroots cal era” in the region with
on-one meeting, although having any major effect on ish government’s moves Catalan National Assembly the return to normality and
a specific time has not industry or in the region’s against the Catalan bid for told the midday crowd the respect for Spain’s laws.q
been set.
“There are things to discuss
and we are ready for it,” UK minister quits over unauthorized meetings
Ushakov said, adding that
the agenda would include In her resignation letter, Pa-
the Syrian war, the standoff tel said her conduct “fell
over North Korea’s nuclear below the high standards
and missile programs, and that are expected of a sec-
a crisis in bilateral ties. retary of state.”
Putin spokesman Dmitry May replied that it was right
Peskov said Russian and Patel had decided to quit
U.S. officials are trying to “and adhere to the high
carve out a time slot for standards of transparency
Trump and Putin to meet and openness that you
separately. The probability have advocated.”
for a face-to-face meet- Patel said earlier that her
ing of the two presidents is meetings in Israel — ar-
“quite high,” Peskov said. ranged by Stuart Polak,
He said Putin discussed honorary president of the
preparations for the sum- group Conservative Friends
mit with members of the of Israel — stemmed from
presidential Security Coun- her “enthusiasm to en-
cil on Wednesday. gage.” But critics accused
Moscow’s hopes for an her of breaching ministers’
improvement of Russia- code of conduct and mak-
U.S. relations under Trump ing a major diplomatic
have been scuttled by the gaffe in a region of high
ongoing investigations into political sensitivity.
alleged collusion between In this Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017 file photo, Britain’s Secretary of State for International Development Israel’s Haaretz newspa-
Trump campaign officials Priti Patel arrives for a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London. In a new blow to Britain’s per reported Wednesday
and Russia. beleaguered government, Patel quit Wednesday over unauthorized meetings with Israeli that Patel visited an Israeli
Trump and Putin first met politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. military field hospital in the
in July at the Group of 20 (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Golan Heights during her
summit in Hamburg, Ger- By JILL LAWLESS ing ordered back from a al misbehavior in politics. August trip. Britain regards
many. Associated Press trip to east Africa and sum- Patel has been under pres- Israel as illegally occupying
Since then, dealings be- LONDON (AP) — In a new moned to 10 Downing St. sure since it was revealed the territory, which it cap-
tween the two coun- blow to Britain’s belea- by Prime Minister Theresa last week that she held 12 tured from Syria in 1967.
tries have become more guered government, the May. If she had not quit, meetings with Israeli groups After the visit, Patel dis-
strained, with Congress U.K. international devel- she would almost certainly and officials, including Ne- cussed with her depart-
imposing new sanctions on opment secretary quit have been fired. tanyahu, during a vacation ment the possibility of Brit-
Russia, Moscow capping Wednesday over unauthor- Patel is the second Cabi- in Israel in August — and ish aid being given to the
the number of U.S. diplo- ized meetings with Israeli net departure in a week for that she hadn’t told May or Israeli army to support
matic personnel in Russia, politicians, including Prime a government facing crisis colleagues about it. medical assistance for refu-
and the closure of Russian Minister Benjamin Netan- on several fronts, includ- Patel apologized, but when gees from the Syrian civil
diplomatic offices by the yahu. ing divisions over Brexit and details of two further meet- war arriving in the Golan
U.S. q Priti Patel resigned after be- growing allegation of sexu- ings emerged, May acted. Heights.q