The Spanish government has threatened to put Catalonia, which accounts for a fifth of the economy, under direct central rule if its government does not abandon independence by Thursday. Justice Minister Rafael Catala hit back saying the jailing of the leaders of the Catalan National Assembly and Omnium was a judicial, not a political, decision. “We can talk of politicians in prison but not political prisoners,” he said. Street protests of hundreds of thousands of people have been held on both sides of the divide, including in Catalonia. A string of companies, including two major lenders, have decided to move their headquarters outside Catalonia since the referendum.

Source: bd News24 October 17, 2017 13:30 UTC