Rajoy asks Catalan leaders if they have declared independence

The Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has asked the leaders of Catalonia to clarify whether or not the region has declared independence. His demand could be the first move towards suspending Catalonia’s autonomy. But Mr Rajoy said he wanted to restore “certainty” and accused the Catalan President of having created “deliberate confusion”. Yesterday the Catalan government made a symbolic declaration of independence and then immediately suspended it.