The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Separatist parties win Catalonia poll Independence referendum loses steam as main separatist group loses ground Barcelona, November 26 Separatists in Catalonia won a large majority in regional elections but a poor result for the biggest local nationalist party complicates a push for a referendum on independence from Spain. A deep recession and high unemployment have fuelled separatism in Catalonia, which represents a fifth of Spain's economy, piling political uncertainty on top of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's economic problems. Flying pro-independence flags, a lone star against yellow and red stripes, Catalan voters on Sunday handed 87 seats, almost two-thirds of the local Parliament, to four different parties that want a referendum on secession. But voters also punished the movement's figurehead, Catalan President Artur Mas. His Convergence and Union alliance, or CiU, remains the biggest party in the local Parliament, but it lost 12 seats and Mas will have to form an alliance with another party to govern. Mas had tried to ride the separatist wave after hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in the streets in September, demanding independence for Catalonia, which has its own language and sees itself as distinct from the rest of Spain. But Mas only recently backed Catalan independence, and while he stirred up enthusiasm for the idea, in the end he drove voters into the arms of parties seen as more genuinely representative of the separatist cause. With a population of 7.5 million people, Catalonia has an economy almost as big as Portugal. But it is labouring under a load of debt and Catalans think too much of their taxes go to the rest of Spain. Mas, who has implemented tough austerity measures to rein in Catalonia's steep public deficit, said the situation was more complex now but he would still push for a referendum. Unlike in Scotland, where the government of the United Kingdom has agreed to a 2014 referendum, a Catalan plebiscite on breaking away from Spain could trigger a constitutional crisis and the central government has vowed to block it. The push for a referendum will be more difficult now since Mas fell far short of his aim of winning an absolute majority, or more than 68 seats. "Having a large majority would have made the path towards independence easier. It will be more difficult to put pressure on Madrid now without that majority. In these processes it's important to have a single leader, a leader with whom people identify," said Jesus Gilabert, a supporter of Mas's CiU. In Madrid, where the ruling People's Party and the opposition Socialists have said they will block a Catalan referendum, political leaders read the Catalan result as a failure for a referendum. — Reuters A new model for spain? No matter what the election outcome, the revival of Catalonia's long-dormant separatist movement will eventually force Spain to rethink the model it chose after the Francisco Franco dictatorship ended in the 1970s The 1978 constitution gave significant self-governing powers to the country's 17 autonomous regions, partly to appease centuries-old dreams of nationhood in Catalonia and the Basque Country Catalans and Basques have continually tried to push the system for more autonomy, especially for more control over their taxes But in recent decades Catalan nationalists such as Mas had taken a moderate line of seeking more self-governance, but not a split from Spain
	Now, Egypt Prez amends trade union law Cairo, November 26 Days after Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi granted himself absolute powers, he brought in his first law allowing the government to appoint loyalists to the country's sole trade union federation, a move denounced as "Brotherhoodisation" by the worker's body. The amendments to the country's labour union law was ratified amid the political crisis that ensued after Mursi issued a Constitutional declaration immunising his decisions from judicial appeal and granting him absolute powers. This is the first law to be decreed by Mursi following his November 22 declaration, which granted his decisions immunity against challenges. According to the new law, the manpower minister, who is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, may appoint workers who are members of the group in leadership positions that would become vacant in the Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF), which has always been affiliated with the government. It also grants the minister the right to appoint board members of unions if the minimum required number of members is not attained for any reason, to fill the vacant seats on the board. Labour activists fear the law paves the way for Brotherhood control of the federation. Ahmed Abdel Zaher, chairman of the ETUF, criticised amendments to the law. The amendments, he said, violate international agreements Egypt had signed with the International Labour Organisation, especially those related to trade unions' freedom from governmental interventions. — PTI Power grab As per the new law, the Manpower Minister may appoint workers who are members of the group in leadership positions that would become vacant in the Egyptian Trade Union Federation It also grants the minister the right to appoint board members of unions if the minimum required number of members is not attained for any reason, to fill the vacant seats on the board The new law cancelled Article 23, which allowed union membership without age limit
	Another factory fire near Dhaka Dhaka, November 26 Fire fighters today doused a fresh factory fire near the Bangladeshi capital, a day after one of deadliest blaze razed a readymade garments unit, killing over 100 persons and raising questions about the safety standards in the world's second largest garment exporting nation. Officials and witnesses said the latest fire did not claim any life as most workers jumped out, breaking safety grills in the 10-storey building housing three garment units. The fresh blaze came as the nation conducted a mass burial for victims burnt in Saturday night's fire as police said they had opened a "murder case" after the incident attributing it to "criminal negligence". Firefighters recovered at least 100 bodies from the factory, and 12 more people died at hospitals after jumping from the building to escape the fire. Thousands of workers staged a protest, demanding better protection as the two fires trapped thousands of staff forcing them to jump from upper floors. The cabinet of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced a nationwide mourning tomorrow for the victims of the Tazrin Fashion Plant at Ashulia area. — PTI
	Pak TV anchor escapes bid on life Islamabad, November 26 A senior Pakistani journalist and television anchor today escaped a bid on his life as an improvised explosive device was found planted under his car. A bomb disposal squad was called in to defuse the bomb that was found under Geo News anchor Hamid Mir's car by his driver. The driver spotted the IED after Mir returned to his home in Islamabad from a nearby market. The bomb, hidden in a black bag and packed into a tin, contained a locally made explosive, a detonator and a battery, the channel reported. It aired footage of a member of the bomb disposal squad, clad in protective clothing, defusing the bomb. No group claimed responsibility for the attempt on the life of Mir, who hosts a night-time talk show on Geo News. Interior Minister Rehman Malik told the media that an inquiry has been launched into the incident. He announced a reward of Rs 50 million for anyone who provided information leading to the arrest of those involved in the attack. Malik said the IED had contained half a kilogram of explosive material. He added that complete security will be provided to Mir. Two journalists would be included in the fact-finding committee under the chair of the magistrate to probe the incident, Malik said. The minister acknowledged that several other media representatives had received threats from terrorists. He said security alerts were issued as there were reports that a group from Miranshah in North Waziristan was planning attacks on journalists. — PTI
	Ireland to act speedily on abortion law London, November 26 Ireland will act “speedily” to implement legislation providing limited access to abortion if an expert group’s recommendation is accepted by the Cabinet, a minister has said, amid the raging controversy over the death of an Indian dentist. The expert group set up to examine how the state deals with the issue of lawful abortions has favoured legislation allowing for limited provision of abortion along with regulations to deal with practical matters, according to media reports. Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin insisted the coalition would not be the seventh administration to fail to act on the 1992 Supreme Court judgment on the X case. The X case is a landmark Irish Supreme Court case that established the right of Irish women to an abortion if a pregnant woman’s life was at risk because of pregnancy, including the risk of suicide. The remarks by the minister come amid the controversy over the death of 31-year-old Savita Halappanavar from blood poisoning at the Galway University Hospital on October 28 after doctors allegedly refused to perform an abortion stating “this is a Catholic country”. The expert group’s report will be discussed by the Cabinet tomorrow. — PTI
	Minister doesn’t want Mittal in France for ‘damning lies’ Paris, November 26 French Industrial Renewal Minister Arnaud Montebourg does not want steel giant ArcelorMittal in France anymore and is looking for an industrial partner with which to take the group’s operations there over on a temporary basis, he said today in an interview. “We do not want Mittal in France any longer because they do not respect France,” Montebourg told the French financial daily Les Echos. “Mittal’s lies since 2006 are damning,” the French minister said, adding that the company “has never honoured its commitments” to the country. ArcelorMittal has shut down blast furnaces in Florange, eastern France, but wants to maintain its other activities there, in what has become a showdown with the new Socialist government in France. Montebourg told Les Echos he was working on a “transitory nationalisation” project for the site. The newspaper said that “the idea would be to associate an industrial operator with a minority capital stake for as long as it takes to stabilise activity” at the plant. On October 1, ArcelorMittal said it would shut down the furnaces for good and gave the French government two months to find a buyer. With the Saturday deadline approaching rapidly, tension between the steel giant and France has risen sharply because the government says it has two offers, but only for the entire site. After Mittal refused to sell the entire operation, Montebourg raised the threat of a temporary nationalisation in a hearing before French senators last week. That was followed by Mittal warning that a sale of the entire Florange site would threaten the viability of the rest of ArcelorMittal’s activities in France, where the group says it employs 20,000 workers. — AFP Mittal to meet Hollande today The head of steel giant ArcelorMittal, Lakshmi Mittal, will meet French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday amid a showdown over the steel giant’s operations in France, a source close to the matter said. The meeting will come before a Saturday deadline ArcelorMittal gave the French government to find a buyer for its shuttered blast furnaces in Florange, eastern France We do not want Mittal in France any longer because they do not respect France. Mittal’s lies since 2006 are damning... he has never honoured his commitments. — Arnaud Montebourg, French Industrial Renewal Minister