World briefs

SPAIN The standoff between Spain and Catalonia over the region’s move to secede approached a crucial juncture yesterday as the pro-independence Catalan leader ruled out calling an early election that some had hoped would defuse tensions with the Spanish government. Regional President Carles Puigdemont said it now was up to the existing regional parliament to determine how to respond to the Spanish government’s plan to take over significant powers.

JAPAN’s trade minister is voluntarily returning two months of his salary after a government-backed lender reported USD2.3 billion in shady loans based on faked documents that enabled companies to take advantage of government-funded low interest loans.

AUSTRALIA’s High Court will rule today on whether seven lawmakers including the deputy prime minister and two senior ministers are eligible to sit in Parliament in a case that threatens the conservative government’s slender majority. More on p12

KENYA Opposition supporters boycotted yesterday’s rerun of Kenya’s disputed presidential election, clashing with police in some parts of the East African country and forcing authorities to postpone voting in areas affected by the violence. At least three people were killed. 

TURKEY A court ruled that Amnesty International’s Turkey chairman Taner Kilic remain jailed pending a verdict in his trial a day after a separate court released eight other human rights activists on bail, the rights organization said.

ROMANIA Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church arrived yesterday in Bucharest on the first visit to Romania by a head of the Russian church since the end of communism in the country.

GERMANY The potential partners in Germany’s next government stressed yesterday their joint wish to form a pro-European administration that nurtures strong ties with France, though they gave few details as they began tackling tricky policy issues.

BRAZIL President Michel Temer’s administration turned its attention yesterday to pressing its reform agenda, but it is unclear if it has the support to govern after convincing a small majority in Brazil’s Congress not to suspend the leader and make him stand trial on corruption charges.