Political bombshell: Carles Puigdemont abandons bid to reclaim presidency of Catalonia

Catalonia's fugitive ex-leader has dropped a political bombshell, unexpectedly announcing that he is temporarily withdrawing his bid to get back his old job as president of Catalonia.

Carles Puigdemont said in a video message posted from Brussels, where he fled to escape arrest in Spain, that he is standing aside so the Catalan parliament can find another candidate to form a regional government that presses ahead with deadlocked efforts to win independence.