Counting has started in catalonia. The polls closed an hour ago in Regional Elections that are, effectively, a referendum on independence from spain. In fact this election is happening after a referendum in october was declared illegal and the Catalan Government was sacked. Well today is close. This is coming in from the Reuters News Agency as saying after 30 of the votes counted, catalonia the socialist parties are on track for an absolute majority in the regional parliament. Secessionist parties. Turnout has been high. This is spains major newspaper highlighting voters, and many of them coming out and where they went looks crucial to the result. We have seen big keys through the day, these were from early on this morning. Reasonably long waits, completely peaceful throughout. That is worthy of note because what we saw in october, will surely remember, these pictures when the Spanish Police try to stop that referendum on independence going ahead. There were violent clashes became a Ma
Of the island in the pacific ocean. People in japan are expressing disappointment after north korean officials said on thursday theyll postpone the release of the longawaited results of an investigation. The probe into the fate of japanese citizens abducted by north korean agents decades ago began one year ago. But officials in pyongyang have not released any details and the families of the missing are growing frustrated. Nhk worlds Jun Yotsumoto has more. Translator its regrettable north korea is putting off the results of its investigation. Ive told foreign minister Fumio Kishida and yamatani to further press pyongyang to return abductees. Reporter north korean officials pledged a full scale negotiation with japan in may of last year. About one year later, officials in pyongyang set up a special committee to oversee the probe. In return japan partially lifted economic sanctions against the country. Japanese officials expected the north to report preliminary results within a couple of
They were aiming to take about a year to complete the investigation. Since then the Japanese Foreign ministry has contacted the north korean officials each month. Japanese officials considered the delay regrettable. They say they believe bringing about the abductees return will become more difficult if they tie sanctions on north korean and suspend negotiation. They plan to continue unofficial talks with their north Korean Counterparts and urge them to conduct the investigation sincerely and swiftly. The japanese officials have reiterated their position that securing the abductees return is the top priority. They maintain that north korean agents kidnapped at least 17 people in the 1970s and 80s. Pro russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine have unilaterally called a local election in october in a move to establish autonomy. Petro poroshenko reacted sharply to the plan. The leader of the prorussian separatists in donetsk made the announcement. He criticized the Ukrainian Government for r
They were aiming to take about a year to complete the investigation. Since then the Japanese Foreign ministry has contacted the north korean officials each month. Japanese officials considered the delay regrettable. They say they believe bringing about the abductees return will become more difficult if they tie sanctions on north korean and suspend negotiation. They plan to continue unofficial talks with their north Korean Counterparts and urge them to conduct the investigation sincerely and swiftly. The japanese officials have reiterated their position that securing the abductees return is the top priority. They maintain that north korean agents kidnapped at least 17 people in the 1970s and 80s. Pro russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine have unilaterally called a local election in october in a move to establish autonomy. Petro poroshenko reacted sharply to the plan. The leader of the prorussian separatists in donetsk made the announcement. He criticized the Ukrainian Government for r
Of the island in the pacific ocean. People in japan are expressing disappointment after north korean officials said on thursday theyll postpone the release of the longawaited results of an investigation. The probe into the fate of japanese citizens abducted by north korean agents decades ago began one year ago. But officials in pyongyang have not released any details and the families of the missing are growing frustrated. Nhk worlds Jun Yotsumoto has more. Translator its regrettable north korea is putting off the results of its investigation. Ive told foreign minister Fumio Kishida and yamatani to further press pyongyang to return abductees. Reporter north korean officials pledged a full scale negotiation with japan in may of last year. About one year later, officials in pyongyang set up a special committee to oversee the probe. In return japan partially lifted economic sanctions against the country. Japanese officials expected the north to report preliminary results within a couple of