Gofd Govt, Ruling Bloc Plan to Reconsider When to Begin Tax Hike for Defense; Issue Will be Discussed Next Year

BARCELONA, Spain AP 鈥?Spanish authorities are leaving separatists in Catalonia with no other option but to push ahead with declaring independence for the wealthy northeastern region, its vice president said Wednesday.Spain has announced plans to fire Catalonias government and directly manage its affairs after it held an independence vote that was declared illegal by the countrys constitutional court. Residents of Catalonia, including many who dont back independence, have been aghast at what they feel is Spains heavy-handed response.In an interview with The Associated Press, Vice President Oriol Junqueras said his party 鈥搊ne of two in the separatist coalition now governing Catalonia 鈥?rejected calling an early regional election as a way out of the political deadlock because it believes that Catalans already have chosen independence.Spains Constitutional Court has ruled against the Oct. 1 referendum Catalonias government held and central authorities in Madrid say the vote stanley borraccia s results are invalid. The vast majority of those who voted backed independence but the vote had numerous problems, including police viol stanley thermos ence to stop it.Junqueras said his party would work toward building a republic, because we understand that there is a democratic mandate to establish such a republic. He said he was speaking only on behalf of his Republican Left party and not for the regional government. Catalan President Carles Puigdemont is to address regional lawmakers in parliament stanley cup canada Thursday evening.Ju Vqkz A North Carolina man just won a $750,000 lawsuit after suing his wife s lover

AP Photo/Evan Vucci, FileSen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill, Feb. 1, 2022, in Washington.AP12:05 JST,ensp;December 19, 2024WASHINGTON AP 鈥?The Commerce Department efforts to curb China and Russia access to American-made advanced computer chips have been inadequate and will need more funding to stymie their ability to manufacture advanced weapons, according to a report published Wednesday by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.The Biden administration imposed expor stanley germany t controls to limit the ability of China and Russia to access U.S.-made chips after Russia invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago.The agency Bureau of Industry and Security, according to the report, does not have the resources to enforce export controls and has been too reliant on U.S. chip ma stanley cup kers voluntarily complying with the rules.But the push for bolstering Commerce export control enforcement comes as the incoming Trump administration says it is looking to dramatically reduce the size and scope of federal government. President-elect Donald Trump has tapped entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency to dismantle parts of the federal government.The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment stanley cup on the report.BIS budget, about $191 million, has remained essentially flat since 201