site.news_by_theme Independence

In December Kazakhstanis and permanent residents of the country will have 3 additional holiday.

Catalonia may have voted to kick off a process towards independence but the wealthy region is far from breaking up with Spain, and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy could actually benefit in upcoming elections.

Lawmakers in Catalonia officially kicked off a process to secede fromSpain by 2017, despite impassioned pleas against independence, in an unprecedented showdown with Madrid's central government.

Catalonia's pro-independence regional parliament is expected to launch a secession process in Spain's wealthiest region, in a showdown with the central government in Madrid.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vowed to use "all political and legal means" to block a Catalan independence bid after separatist parties submitted a bill on secession to the regional Catalan parliament.

The Catalan regional assembly opened a new session dominated for the first time by a secessionist majority that has vowed to break away from Spain within 18 months.

Spanish judges started questioning Catalan officials charged with breaking the law by holding a vote last year on their contested drive for independence from Spain.

Catalonia's president Artur Mas accused the Spanish government of suing him because its "pride was hurt" by his bids to let his region vote on independence from Spain.

Separatists pushing to make Catalonia independent from Spain were on track to win an absolute majority of parliamentary seats in a regional election.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy appealed for a "united Spain" in Barcelona as campaigning wrapped up for a regional election in Catalonia framed as an indirect vote on independence.

Scotland's First Minister warned that a united Britain was "on borrowed time" unless Prime Minister David Cameron devolved more powers to Edinburgh.

Some 1.4 million people joined a march demanding independence for the Catalonia region from Spain, Barcelona city police said.

Catalan leader Artur Mas kicked off campaigning for a regional election billed as an indirect poll on independence from Spain by urging voters to determine their "political future".

Catalan separatists hold a massive rally in Barcelona in favour of independence that will kick off campaigning for a regional election billed as a de facto referendum on secession from Spain.

Catalonia's president vowed to begin seceding from Spain if pro-independence parties win a majority of seats -- not votes -- in regional parliament elections set for later this month.

Vietnam's president urged further modernisation of the armed forces in the face of growing maritime territorial disputes as the nation celebrated 70 years since it declared independence from France.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak criticised organisers of a weekend protest demanding his ouster, saying the timing and venue of the demonstration would clash with independence day parade rehearsals.

Pakistani security forces said they had foiled a plot to bomb Independence Day celebrations in Karachi after arresting a Taliban gang in the city.

The leader of Spain's wealthy Catalonia region signed a decree calling early parliamentary elections on September 27 which he has said will act as proxy vote on independence.

Catalonia is poised to call on Monday an early regional election that will serve as a proxy vote on independence from the rest of Spain, raising tensions with the central government in Madrid.