Spain
80 percent of Catalans say ‘Yes’ to independence in symbolic ‘referendum’
An overwhelming majority of Catalans have said “yes” to independence and secession from the central Spanish government in Madrid in a highly-anticipated but symbolic referendum poll on Sunday. Some 80.72 percent voted to form a state independent of Spain, Joana Ortega, vice president Catalonia said shortly after midnight, with over two million Catalans reportedly turning out for the unofficial referendum.
Ebola Pandemic Update: Probable Cases In Brazil And Paris, 7 More Isolated In Spain, WHO Warning
Despite claims of containment, Reuters reports seven more people turned themselves in late on Thursday to an Ebola isolation unit in Madrid; but following a visit by PM Rajoy, Spanish citizens can relax as the government is setting up a special Ebola committee. Following yesterday’s scare in Paris, The Independent reports authorities are investigating a ‘probable’ case of a French national who may have contracted the disease in Africa. The World Health organization has warned that East Asia is at risk of becoming a “hot spot” for diseases – but is well prepared after SARS and avian flu but it is the appearance of a confirmed case in Brazil that is most concerning.
Spanish nurse first to contract Ebola outside West Africa
A Spanish nurse who last month treated a priest in Madrid who died of Ebola has tested positive for the disease, becoming the first to contract it outside West Africa, a source within the health authorities said on Monday. The nurse treated elderly priest Manuel Garcia Viejo at the Madrid hospital Carlos III when he was repatriated from Sierra Leone with the disease. Garcia Viejo died days later, the second Spanish priest to die after being repatriated from Africa with the disease.
