Catalunia
The Solicitor General, who represents the Spanish state in the courts, will not accuse Catalan secessionist leaders of rebellion. Instead, the written accusation due to be filed today will focus on the crimes of sedition and misuse of public funds in connection with the unauthorized referendum last october and the unilateral independence declaration that followed.
The Solicitor General’s Office has ruled out the rebellion charge against nine separatist leaders who are in pretrial detention. Rebellion was the most serious of all the accusations against them, and it underpinned the Supreme Court’s criminal inquiry into the unilateral independence push.
In recent weeks, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had suggested he disagreed with the rebellion charge, as he felt it meant the use of weapons.
Road Tunnel
FIREFIGHTERS were called out to deal with an incident after a car developed an engine fault and started belching out clouds of thick smoke in a major Costa del Sol road tunnel.
The incident happened in the Churriana tunnel on the A-7 near Malaga and brought traffic to a standstill causing a long tailback.
Emergency services were notified but drivers trapped in the tunnel claim they weren’t told what to do.
The tunnels are fitted with smoke extraction devices but it is not immediately clear if they worked as they should.
Migration
Morocco yesterday imposed a new rule requiring travellers to fill out an online travel form for approval at least 96 hours before leaving home.
The procedure applies to a range of African countries whose citizens currently can enter Morocco without visas.
The North African country has been grappling with a surge in migrants, arriving mainly on flights into Casablanca. Many intend to get into Europe and claim asylum by taking boats across the Straight of Gibraltar to Spain, or scaling fences into the enclaves of Ceuta or Melilla.
Budget Warning
The head of Spain’s Central Bank slammed the country’s planned 22 percent minimum wage increase yesterday claiming thousands of young people will lose their jobs as a result.
Banco de España chairman Pablo Hernandez de Cos openly criticised the governments decision to put Spain’s minimum wage up from €735 to €900.
The economist told journalists the salary rise would slash 150,000 jobs and “have the opposite effect to that intended of hindering those we want to help most, young people.”
Economy
Spanish manufacturing sector growth strengthened slightly in October from a month earlier, a survey showed today, with increased activity in employment and new orders.
Markit’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) of manufacturing companies stood at 51.8 in October, up slightly from 51.4 in September. The sector has held above the 50 line separating growth from contraction for every month since November 2013.