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WORLD NEWS Monday 11 February 2019
Thousands join right-wing rally

in Madrid, demand PM resign

By JOSEPH WILSON party event in northern votes from the Catalan
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain, Sanchez reminded separatists and other par-
Tens of thousands of peo- his political opponents that ties to pass it.
ple joined a right-wing rally when he was an opposition Even though Sanchez has
in Spain's capital Sunday to leader, he stood by Rajoy said he wants to see out
demand that Prime Minister on the situation in Cata- the legislative term through Demonstrators hold banners and Spanish flags during a protest
Pedro Sanchez step down lonia even after separatist 2020, a failure to win a bud- in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday, Feb.10, 2019. Thousands of Span-
iards in Madrid are joining a rally called by right-wing political
for his handling of the Cat- regional officials staged an get vote will crank up the parties to demand that Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez
alonia region's secession Oct. 2017 independence pressure on him to call for step down.
crisis. referendum in defiance of an early election.q Associated Press
Many in the crowd assem- Spanish courts..
bled in Madrid's Plaza de "And what I am doing now
Colon waved the national as prime minister, always
flag and chanted slogans respecting the constitution,
in support of Spain's securi- is to solve a national crisis
ty forces along with calling to which the Popular Party
for the Socialist prime minis- has contributed," Sanchez
ter's resignation. said.
The conservative opposi- "The unity of Spain means
tion Popular Party and the uniting Spaniards and not
center-right Citizens party confronting them as the
organized the rally, which right wing is doing in Plaza
the upstart far-right Vox de Colon today," he said.
party and other far-right Sanchez came to power
parties backed. in June promising to thaw
"The time of Sanchez's gov- tensions between central
ernment is over," Popu- authorities in Madrid and
lar Party president Pablo the Catalan leaders in Bar-
Casado said. He asked vot- celona. He met twice with
ers to punish Sanchez's So- Catalan chief Quim Torra.
cialists in the European, lo- Members of the central
cal and regional elections and regional governments
in May. had several more encoun-
The political tensions come ters.
as a highly sensitive trial Sanchez had said he would
at Spain's Supreme Court be willing to help Cata-
starts Tuesday for 12 Cata- lan lawmakers agree to a
lan separatists who face new Charter Law, which
charges, including rebel- determines the amount of
lion, for their roles in a failed self-rule the region enjoys.
secession attempt in 2017. But Sanchez's government
Sanchez inherited the broke off negotiations on
Catalan conflict from for- Friday, when Vice Presi-
mer Prime Minister Mariano dent Carmen Calvo said
Rajoy, the then-leader of the separatists wouldn't
the Popular Party. Rajoy budge from their demand
proved incapable of stop- for an independence refer-
ping support for secession endum.
from swelling in Catalonia Sanchez is trying to cobble
to roughly half of the north- together support to pass a
eastern region's voters. national budget. His minor-
Speaking at a Socialist ity government will need
Anti-India protests

erupt in Kashmir

after 5 rebels killed

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Indian government forces
Five rebels were killed in cordoned off a village in
fighting with government the Himalayan region's
forces in disputed Kashmir southern Kulgam area fol-
on Sunday, the Indian army lowing a tip that militants
said, triggering anti-India were hiding there, said Col.
clashes in which at least 10 Rajesh Kalia, a spokesman
civilians were injured. for the Indian military in
The fighting began after Kashmir. q