Axed Catalan Leader Urges Resistance to Madrid Rule Spain Seizes Control of ‘Independent’ Catalonia
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SAFAR 9, 1439 AH SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017 Max 37º 32 Pages 150 Fils Established 1961 Min 21º ISSUE NO: 17367 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Fitch affirms Kuwait rating Zain Group records net income Hingis bids farewell with 2 at AA with stable outlook 17 of KD 40m for 2017 third quarter 14 doubles defeat in Singapore Axed Catalan leader urges resistance to Madrid rule Spain seizes control of ‘independent’ Catalonia BARCELONA: Catalonia’s secessionist leader Carles Puigdemont stood defiant yesterday against Madrid’s moves to depose him, urging “democratic resistance” to direct rule imposed in a bid to stop the region breaking away from Fists fly at Spain. In a televised statement, Puigdemont accused the central government of trampling on the will of independ- ence-seeking Catalans who rejoiced at Friday’s vote by raucous Amiri regional lawmakers to declare an independent republic. Madrid’s response to seize Catalan powers - the first cur- Hospital brawl tailment of regional autonomy since Francisco Franco’s bru- tal 1939-75 dictatorship - constituted an “aggression”, he By A Saleh said, but insisted “democratic opposition” was the only response. The central government’s intervention was “con- KUWAIT: A group of partygoers trary to the will expressed by the citizens of our country at were involved in a late-night fight, the ballot box,” Puigdemont said. “In a democratic society, which they continued after arriving at only parliaments can appoint or dismiss presidents.” In a Amiri Hospital at dawn yesterday. copy of his speech sent to AFP, Puigdemont signed off as After the video of the brawl went “President of the Catalan government”. viral on social media, health ministry Spain is on a knife edge as it grapples with the worst spokesman Dr Ahmad Al-Shatti said constitutional crisis in its contemporary history, triggered by in a statement that the fight had an unlawful Catalan independence referendum on October 1 nothing to do with the medical staff that was shunned by many, and marred by police violence. Throwing down the gauntlet in the escalating standoff, at the hospital. Catalan lawmakers on Friday passed a motion, by 70 votes He said that there was no damage out of 135 in the regional parliament, to declare a Catalan caused except to a door, and an republic. Opposition MPs refused to even vote on the issue undertaking was made to repair it by and walked out in disgust. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy those involved in the fight. Shatti responded swiftly by axing the Catalan government and added the brawl began at a party, then parliament, and calling Dec 21 elections to replace them. In MADRID: People hold signs reading “(Catalan regional president Carles) Puigdemont to prison” while waving Spanish the revelers came to the hospital for an official government notice published yesterday, Rajoy’s flags during a demonstration calling for unity at Plaza de Colon yesterday, a day after direct control was imposed on treatment, where they resumed their deputy, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, was put in charge of Catalonia over a bid to break away from Spain. — AFP fight. He said those involved were sent administering the region. Saenz de Santamaria was due to and his team will willingly step aside for caretaker envoys to well as more serious clashes between national police and to the police station and were meet secretaries of state who will likely take charge of be sent from Madrid. Analysts warn that upheaval is likely, as pro-independence activists,” said Federico Santi, an analyst released after signing undertakings. regional ministries. civil servants may defy direct orders, or worse. “We are like- at Eurasia Group, a US-based think-tank. The world is now watching to see whether Puigdemont ly to see more sustained unrest, possibly including strikes, as Continued on Page 11 Blast kills Bahrain Traffic laws to policeman; Amir be vigorously sends condolences enforced: MoI DUBAI: A Bahraini policeman was killed and eight oth- By Hanan Al-Saadoun ers wounded on Friday in a “terrorist” bomb attack on the bus in which they were travelling, the interior min- KUWAIT: The interior ministry’s assistant undersec- istry said. The eight wounded policemen sustained seri- retary for traffic affairs Maj Gen Fahd Al-Showai said Fahd Al-Showai Adel Al-Hashash ous to medium injuries and were admitted to hospital, in a bid to achieve traffic control and deter violating the ministry said on its Twitter account. It said the motorists, it has been decided to activate article 169 impoundment period. “According to articles 208 and attack was carried out by a “terrorist” group which BAHRAIN: The shrapnel-ridden bus hit by a blast is of the traffic code which bans parking vehicles in 210 of the traffic code, the traffic department will not remotely detonated a home-made bomb. Shiite mili- seen in this handout photo. — KUNA pedestrian crossing zones or on sidewalks. be liable for any damage that occurs during the tants applauded the attack and attributed it to a little- Showai said effective today (Sunday, Oct 29, 2017), impoundment process,” he underlined. known group. the God’s Promise Brigade, which carried out a 2015 all violating vehicles will be impounded for a maxi- The ministry’s relations and media security depart- The attack took place near the Shiite town of Jidhafs attack on police, was responsible. mum of two months and fined a maximum of KD 15 for ment manager Brig Adel Al-Hashash stressed that in outside the capital Manama. Authorities opened an HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- parking on pavements and sidewalks. Showai collaboration with the traffic and the operations sec- investigation into the attack and police began a man- Jaber Al-Sabah sent a cable to Bahraini King Hamad explained that according to article 207 of the traffic tors, his department will conduct a public awareness hunt to find and arrest the assailants, the ministry said. bin Issa Al-Khalifa over the terrorist attack. In the law, “All types of vehicles can be impounded if found campaign to explain the aim of activating the afore- A ministry-released photograph showed shrapnel pelt- cable, Sheikh Sabah expressed Kuwait’s strongest con- parked on a spot blocking or jeopardizing traffic flow mentioned articles and penalties. “These measures aim ed the bus. A statement later released by the Mukhtar demnation towards the attack. HH the Amir also voiced or found parked on pavements or entirely or partially to intensify deterrent measures against law violators as Brigade, a Shiite militant group that has claimed several Kuwait’s support and solidarity with the Bahraini lead- on public roads.” well as protect motorists themselves,” he said, noting similar attacks, said the bombing “gave the enemy a ership and people. Showai added owners will be charged KD 10 for that the awareness campaign will cover all audiovisual taste of what they’ve been doing to us all along”. It said Continued on Page 11 towing their vehicles plus KD 1 per day during the media, in addition to various social media networks. Intriguing details Saudi agenda in JFK files - but shifting power no bombshells WASHINGTON: Cuban and Russian spies, DUBAI: The Saudi crown prince is false leads, strippers, bizarre CIA murder plots charting a new, more modern course for and a furious FBI director. Newly released a country so conservative that for secret records are full of intriguing details sur- decades there were no concerts or film rounding the assassination of president John F screenings and women who attempted Kennedy. But Kennedy scholars say the thou- to drive were arrested. Since catapulting Prince Mohammed bin Salman sands of documents do not appear to contain to power, Mohammed bin Salman has any bombshell revelations about the Nov 22, pushed forth changes that could usher in ism that appeals to international investors 1963 murder that shocked the world. a new era for one of the United States’ and maybe even non-Muslim tourists. US President Donald Trump ordered the DALLAS: In this Nov 22, 1963 file photo, US President John F Kennedy waves from his most important allies and swing the The prince grabbed headlines in recent release on Thursday of 2,800 classified car in a motorcade. — AP (See Page 9) kingdom away from decades of ultra- days by vowing a return to “moderate Kennedy assassination records but held back conservative dogma and restrictions. Islam”. He also suggested that his father’s other “sensitive” documents under pressure “Most of the documents that were released that conclusion has failed to quell years of He’s introduced musical concerts and generation had steered the country down from the CIA and FBI. That last-minute deci- last night are documents we’d already seen speculation that others were involved. movies again and is seen as the force a problematic path and that it was time to sion left many Kennedy historians frustrated - before,” Shenon told AFP. “We just saw them in Hundreds of books and movies such as the behind the king’s decision to grant “get rid of it”. In his sweeping “Vision and provided more fuel for the thriving con- redacted form previously. The really important 1991 Oliver Stone film “JFK” have examined women the right to drive as of next year. 2030” plan to wean Saudi Arabia off of spiracy industry around the shooting of the documents, sort of the super-secret docu- scores of conspiracy theories, pointing the fin- Prince Mohammed’s agenda is its near total dependence on petrodollars, charismatic 46-year-old president in Dallas, ments, most of them are not part of the ger at Cold War rivals the Soviet Union or upending the ruling Al Saud’s longstand- Prince Mohammed laid out a vision for “a Texas.