The Spanish general election held November 10 has left a record for history, as never before had so many sub-state parties —12— won seats in the Congress of Deputies, the lower chamber of the Spanish parliament. Of these, the two largest are Catalan pro-independence parties. But the figure is paradoxically reached in the same election where the Spanish far right, for the first time since the end of Franco’s regime, wins more than 50 seats. Keep reading

After several electoral defeats that seemed poised to continue in 2019, the Quebec sovereignty camp has suddenly regained some confidence after the Bloc Québécois achieved its best electoral performance since 2008 in the federal election held yesterday 21 October in Canada. Having secured 32 seats, the pro-sovereignty party will have more influence in the Ottawa Parliament, as no party achieved an absolute majority. Independence, however, is still a long way off. Keep reading

Nine Catalan pro-independence politicians and grassroots social leaders were given, 14 October, jail terms of between 9 and 13 years, after the Spanish Supreme Court found them guilty of sedition for their role in the 2017 independence referendum. Several civil society groups in Catalonia were today announcing “massive” and “weeks-long” protests. Several thousands people poured into the streets of Catalan cities and towns. Keep reading

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the start of the military operation against Rojava in northern Syria on Wednesday 9 October. The operation is led by the Turkish army with the support of Syrian fighters brought together under the umbrella of the self-proclaimed Syrian National Army —not to be confused with the Syrian Armed Forces, the army of the Syrian Arab Republic, loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. The operation, which may herald the beginning of the invasion of most of Syrian Kurdistan, comes four days after US President Donald Trump gave Erdogan a free hand. Keep reading

Most countries of Oceania, having been colonized by European powers during the 19th century, gained their independence throughout the 20th century. Several cases, however, were not resolved, as some decolonization processes remained pending, while in other cases new demands for sovereignty emerged within post-colonial republics. Bougainville, which will be holding an independence referendum in November, and West Papua, in a renewed conflict escalation, are two examples of that. Keep reading

In the streets of Srinagar, phones have not been ringing for seven weeks now. Since the Indian government decided, 5 August, to dissolve the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and withdraw its special autonomy status, the most militarized region in the world is living under an “emergency closure.” The closure of educational centres, restrictions on public transport and vehicle movement, and the ban on street meetings of more than four people, are some of the restrictions which, although relaxed over the course of the days, continue to be imposed on the territory. While the Kashmir Valley cries ‘azadi’ —freedom—, New Delhi celebrates annexation as a pending victory since 1947. Keep reading