Spain govt and Catalan parties agree new amnesty bill

Spain's ruling Socialists and Catalan independence parties said they had agreed on a new amnesty law bill that has polarised the country.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez pledged to pass an amnesty exonerating figures sentenced or prosecuted for their role in Catalonia's failed 2017 independence bid in exchange for crucial parliamentary support from hardline Catalan separatist party JxCat.

Mr Sanchez's Socialists failed to secure a majority in inconclusive general elections last year and his fragile left-wing minority government needs support of other groups to pass legislation.