60 protesters and police hurt as Spain cabinet meets in Catalonia 0 SHARES Share it! The weekly cabinet meeting usually takes place in Madrid but Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialist government decided to hold it in the Catalan capital as part of efforts to reduce tensions. The timing of the cabinet meeting — a year to the day after Madrid held snap elections in Catalonia after blocking the region’s bid for independence — offended some Catalans. At the cabinet meeting itself, the government approved a 22-percent increase in the minimum wage, a pay hike for public workers and announced investments in infrastructure projects in Catalonia. Several Catalan independence leaders were detained on charges of rebellion or misuse of public funds, and prosecutors are seeking jail terms of up to 25 years.

Source: Manila Bulletin December 22, 2018 01:52 UTC