155 by two arrest carles puigdemont, for rebellionm to vote on 155 by two arrest carles puigdemont, for rebellion. it is possible but i think the president and the cabinet are ready. you have to go along with this when people choose you to represent them. critics, separatist, they would say this referendum is outside the law, that it this referendum is outside the law, thatitis this referendum is outside the law, that it is illegal, unconstitutional, some would criticise and condemn carles puigdemont for being an irresponsible politician, formatting people out on the streets, when you know that he is flouting and breaking spanish constitutional law. he is aware of that, but part of the independent movement is to not by the law, as we do not agree. it has happened plenty of times, when we have not been —— when women were not able to vote, when black people were in slavery. the majority, certainly, the region is split between those who want to stay part of spain and those who do not, figures vary from between 75,000 abdou warne 50,000, maybe somewhere in between, they do not speak for

rajoy has already labeled carles puigdemont as non-valid interlopers. after tuesday's declaration of independence, there is no unity in the camp. some members of parliament even in carles puigdemont's party have been trying to avoid unilateral declaration of independence. he is in the middle of a crossfire between knows who want quick independence versus those who think maybe carles puigdemont went too far. yeah, that is the possibility that the government collapses. even if that happens, new elections would have to be called and he would have to apply 155. brent: our correspondence in madrid and barcelona. thank you very much. here are some other stories making headlines around the world. the so-called islamic state has claimed responsibility for suicide attack in the syrian capital of damascus. three bombers killed at least two people and wounded several more. it's the second such attack on a damascus police station in recent weeks. u.s. bombers have thrown -- flown over the korean peninsula in a show of force after months of escalating tensions. the

puigdemont as blackmail to the state. this evening from carles puigdemont as blackmail to the statelj this evening from carles puigdemont as blackmail to the state. i would describe what abc say from the outset. the problem is there has been no communication whatsoever between catalan and spanish authorities and the problem is also no sharing of information between citizens and here the view of the catalans and of the rest of the spanish is diverging further and further. and becoming very dangerous. if they were to detain ca rles dangerous. if they were to detain carles puigdemont this would only make the situation more extreme. there were some declaration yesterday from a spokesperson from the popular party almost claiming that carles puigdemont had to be in prison and perhaps killed as the previous president was saying. tense days ahead, thank you very much for coming in. it has been less than two months since steve bannon left the white house but if anyone thought he would go quietly think again! the president's former chief strategist is declaring war on the republican establishme

the spanish police is ready to arrest carles puigdemont, if he declares independence. what are you seeing on the ground? >> on the ground, a show of force by the catalonia filets. -- police. of theme is who is in charge catalonia? seeing 100 of police officer's from catalonia. we have not seen a single spanish national police officer. a story we broke, two sources are telling us that if it were necessary, a special spanish police unit ready to enter the catalonia parliament and arrest him if it is necessary. vonnie: it seems like such a strong reaction, if it happens. nobody wants it. if it were to happen, would there be retaliation on the catalonia side? >> it could well be. what mark -- rajoy says in parliament, it will suspend catalonia's autonomy. i have been in barcelona for two weeks and there is frustration. to get rid of carles puigdemont overnight and think it will go away, is not a reflection of reality. the catalonia people have been promised for over a week that this will be our day and one for the books. carles puigdemont coalition, already weak, could imp

another route to bring legal sanctions against carles puigdemont himself. again more tricky, the third route, difficult decision for the spanish government, do they invoke the cause in the constitution that allows them to step in and imposed direct rule on catalonia, dissolve its autonomous status. article 155. it has never been used in spain and would be a drastic step. ifigured been used in spain and would be a drastic step. i figured the been used in spain and would be a drastic step. ifigured the minute the game of cat and mouse might continue but i'm sure we are likely to see the spanish government saying is they have all along that until the cattle on authorities renounce any talk of independence that cannot sit down and talk across the table because they see this as the cata la ns because they see this as the catalans trying to force the issue and forced the spanish government to the table to talk on an equal footing and they say that is just not possible when they believe they're being blackmailed by the catalonian side. that is the language they've

my in brussels with carles puigdemont. my colleague is in barcelona for us now and has been following this story from there. that was quite an extraordinary news conference. in the very first question he was asked and carles puigdemont confirmed he is not seeking political asylum. yes, which he denied, but then he went on to say that he was there for his safety and the safety of the region. there is a lot of anger amongst his hard—line supporters about what he's done. just to clarify, yesterday he said he would stay and carry on as normal, but in fa ct stay and carry on as normal, but in fact what he did was, and with five other colleagues, take a flight to brussels. he held talks with lawyers there, including a prominent lawyer who defended alleged members of a basque separatist group in the 1990s to fight their extradition to spain. it was a terrorist group which killed 800 people. and carles puigdemont saying he did not know when he would come back. but he had to stay there until the spanish government gave him guaran

carles puigdemont has pulled back yet again. he was considering calling a snap election in december if madrid agree to suspend its plan to take back control of the region. the spanish government has appeared to renege on that. therefore carles puigdemont has decided against the election. this is what he has to say... translation: i was prepared to call these elections on the sole condition we were given guarantees they would be held in an absolutely normal manner. but there are no such guarantees that would justify calling these regional elections today. they are still speaking in the cata la n they are still speaking in the catalan parliament in barcelona. i think we can show you those pictures. you wait to see carles puigdemont. but he is in the audience. they are talking one by one at the rostrum. 0ur correspondent is in barcelona... what's the outcome of today's indecision? he was going to call this election. then he didn't. his coalition partners starting to drift away from him? they are. it has been away from him? they are

fascinating speech from carles puigdemont. but it is a fudge? absolutely and that is something i'm not the only one to have expected. i thought it was going to happen. one obvious reason why it is going to be difficult to declare independence is obviously the draining away of headquarters of businesses and banks. but another reason to try and insist on the importance of the vote on the 1st of october and the need to go towards independence is that the partner in the parliament on which the government depends, the government coalition depends as has been mentioned in that report, they are very impatient already long before this speech took place. what they wa nt this speech took place. what they want was actually an immediate vote the day after the 1st of october referendum, an immediate declaration of independence. and with this fudge it is quite possible they will withdraw support. i suspect, i it is quite possible they will withdraw support. isuspect, i may be wrong but i suspect that this long delay was part of the effort to try to keep the m

i havejust heard that carles puigdemont requested this delay for one hour. if he does announce some form of independence, what happens next? they are all talking about this article 155, talk is through that and how madrid might react? of course we don't know yet what will happen and what will happen next. but if we have to guess, the legal and official reply and reaction to a unilateral declaration of independence will lead to abide the law and reinforce the law in many ways. which would mean what? that could be the best way to just cancel any decision taken today. and if, as it's probably will happen, they will deny this reinforcement of law. probably police reinforcement, and i don't think it will be too strong, but probably some kind of retaliation. the local police, the cata la n retaliation. the local police, the catalan police, would they be sent home or would theyjust be under the orders of the national police? they would be put under the orders of central or national or state police. and madrid would impose direct rule over this area? so the regional

but a flash point could come tomorrow, if carles puigdemont tries to return to his old position. there are reports he could face charges linked to sedition and rebellion against the state. asi as i was walking through the crowd i off duty as i was walking through the crowd i met off duty regional police officers who said they did not want to be identified but were concerned. they were pro—unity and said many collea g u es they were pro—unity and said many colleagues felt the other way and it is causing divisions within the force. this is the wider question. while we have carles puigdemont potentially returning to work tomorrow, what about others who are returning to work, told they are controlled by spain. let's speak now to michael reid, senior spain editor at the economist. where do you think this goes now?|j think where do you think this goes now?” think everybody will be watching tomorrow as your reporter said. the government has taken over catalonia, direct rule, for only 55 days. it is easierfor the regional direct rule, for only 55 days. it is easier for the regional

sacked catalan president carles puigdemont has gone to belgium, amid reports he may claim asylum as spain considers charging him with rebellion. hundreds of refugees refuse to leave an australian—run detention centre that's set to close this morning because of fears for their safety. and our top business story — is it too little too late for the city of london? the bank of england warns as many as 75,000 jobs could be lost as a result of brexit. shortly i'll bejoined by inga beale, the boss of one of the world's most important insurance groups, lloyds of london. a warm welcome to the programme — briefing you on all you need to know in global news, business and sport. also to come — facebook, twitter and google will face tough questions from congress about russian meddling in us election, so we're asking do you trust social media as a source of news? tell us what you think — just use the hashtag #bbcthebriefing. the white house insists that criminal charges brought against former aides to president trump show no evidence of collusion between his election campaign and russia. mr t

carles puigdemont, the deposed catalan leader, faces charges of rebellion. he has now decided to escape before facing arrest. translation: key is in belgium, i think, arrest. translation: key is in belgium, ithink, to arrest. translation: key is in belgium, i think, to step away a bit and let things calm down. he didn't give me much more explanation. i am not his political assistant but his justice system. speculation is growing that carles puigdemont is preparing to seek asylum in belgium, now potentially a fugitive from spanishjustice. in now potentially a fugitive from spanish justice. in catalonia, now potentially a fugitive from spanishjustice. in catalonia, he won the hearts of these supporters by declaring independence on friday. but he has let others like these pro— unity campaigners furious. but he has let others like these pro- unity campaigners furious. this happening here at is like carles puigdemont is a dictator, that's it. i lost a lot of friends. we talk about politics, it isjust impossible to talk about. this stand—off is escalating, the

some were even chanting "traitor" referring to carles puigdemont. real anger. on the other side, those against independence may have been hoping he would call regional elections today, the hope being it would de-escalate what is becoming an increasingly tense situation here. brent: an increasingly tense situation and it leads us then to tomorrow and the weekend. the central government says it is prepared, it is ready to impose direct rule. will it and will it be peaceful? charlotte: that certainly looks highly likely. whether or not it will be peaceful is anybody's guess at this point. there were some rumors that some of the very pro-independence factions in the catalan government would try to prevent it from happening, though there were even reports on social media that they were giving people tips on how to stop some of the practical elements of direct rule being imposed, sort of guarding government buildings for example, to make sure that madrid cannot take charge. we have already seen some violence on the streets of barcelona, that was october 1, the day of

carles puigdemont there. almost a month after hurricane maria devastated puerto rico, the us territory is still struggling to provide basic services like electricity and running water. 3a people were killed by the storm, and some estimates have put the clean—up bill as high a $95 billion. speaking on thursday, president trump gave his administration ten out of ten for its handling of the disaster. but there was strong criticism of the response from the very start, and some of the strongest came from carmen yulin cruz, the mayor of the island's capital. she has been speaking to the bbc‘s yalda hakim. in one of his tweets, president trump said that puerto rico is more or less broken. it has broken infrastructure, it is in trouble, it has debt. none of those things are factually incorrect? no, they're not. tell us something we didn't know, right? what is incorrect is for a president that is supposed to be the commander—in—chief to become the hater—in—chief, and to become the person thatjust tweets aw

catalonia's deposed leader, carles puigdemont, has urged democratic opposition to madrid's direct rule, a day after the region's parliament declared independence. it comes as thousands take part in rallies in spain's capital madrid in favour of unity with catalonia. the environment secretary michael gove apologises ‘unreservedly‘ for an on—airjoke about disgraced movie mogul, harvey weinstein. ‘warped and degrading' — jeremy corbyn says a culture which tolerates the abuse of women is thriving in westminster. the humanitarian crisis affecting almost 400,000 syrians in an eastern suburb of damascus — is described as an ‘outrage‘, by the united nations. also in the next hour, the zip—wiring and clubbing glasgow pensioners. the new scheme aiming to tackle loneliness and improve health among older people. england's teenagers are hoping to become the world champions against spain. they currently trail 2—0. coming up in the dateline london, after a full extremely few days in spain, what's next for catalonia? that is at liz30pm. good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. the s

"jail to carles puigdemont", the sacked catalan leader, the crowd chant. "put him in prison", this woman says. "put away all the pro—independence politicians". he has to go to prison. he's like a dictator. "we will vote", chant the crowd. local catalan elections will take place in december, an opportunity for this side to pick leaders who want to stay with spain. james reynolds reporting. a short time ago, he told me what the day has been like in barcelona. like ir been elona. like ir been peaceful here, certainly the demonstration i saw earlier was good—natured good—natu red and this good—natured and this may incredibly good—natured and this may be spain's most profound crisis in decades but there appears to be a certain order to it. each side takes turns to demonstrate and the pro—independence movement had its turn on friday and now the anti—independence movement took over the street and made it clear they wa nt to the street and made it clear they want to remain a part of spain. politically speaking, james, where is this likely to go next?

and in the end carles puigdemont, the cata la n the end carles puigdemont, the catalan president, marched his supporters almost up to the top of the hill but not quite. and then he marched them back a little bit as well. it was a crucial announcement by him. and it has left some separatists here disappointed. essentially what he said was the referendum gave him the mandate to declare independence. but then he suspended that declaration to allow some negotiation. will that please madrid? let's first listen to what mr puigdemont had to say. this was the first significant part of his speech to the parliament after several minutes condemning and criticising not only the madrid government, whom he said had tried to cause panic in the region, he was also critical of the king. translation: the government and myself propose that this parliament suspend the effect of the independence creation in order to establish dialogue, without which we cannot reach a solution. we wa nt we want to work towards putting into practice the result of the referendum. there were moments during this address when most

ball backthrown the into carles puigdemont's court. donald tusk, the european council president, was very clear on tuesday in saying that was out of the question, that this was an internal affair in spain. it is up to carles puigdemont to make the next step. mariano rajoy has thrown the ball back. rochelle: in the meantime, how catalonia's regional parliament reacting to all of this? claire: we have seen several reactions on the right and on the center, with the liberal party as well as the people's party. the catalonian versions of those 'srties -- we have seen two mp saying they want mariano rajoy to invoke article 100 55, which would allow him to impose direct rules on catalonia, dissolve the regional parliament, impose fresh elections. they say it is time for a shakeup. new elections are needed in the region. on the opposite side, the far left, which is a member of that party, that coalition in the m -- catalan regional parliament has said we are giving punched pushed them giving puigdemont 30 days. it is worth seeing mother divisi

but a flash point could come tomorrow, if carles puigdemont tries to return to his old position. there are reports he could face charges linked to sedition and rebellion against the state. and we can now cross to gavin who is live in barcelona for us. it is an intriguing prospect. if he turns up and tries to enter the building presumably he would be turned away or could be escorted away, which might not look good on camera after the confrontation we saw on the day of the referendum. yes we are creeping towards it. tomorrow morning, is it business as usual? the language we are hearing from those around carles puigdemont is he is the leader, this is a coup d'etat by the state and they will carry on as normal. we have heard little from him over the weekend. expect a speech when he said little from him over the weekend. expect a speeci hometown aid little from him over the weekend. expect a speeci hometown that yesterday in his hometown that people should democratically resist yesterday in his hometown that peo attempt d democratically resist yesterday in his hometown that peo attemp

that carles puigdemont was going to take them to independence. he has fiow take them to independence. he has now fled the country. he is not going to come back until he gets some commitments from madrid, which i don't think he will get, and some of his supporters say this has put the cause for independence back many years, although carles puigdemont said he will take part in elections called for in december. something which had he announced himself would have prevented according to spain the entire implementation of direct rule. thank you very much. i'm joined now in the studio by spokesperson for the catalan national assembly in england carles suarez. do you feel betrayed? not let's not forget that the last time that the spanish state put into jail a catalan president he was assassinated. but that is not going to happen now. he has been asked a 30 year sentence for organising a referendum. aren't revolutionaries supposed to stand and fight. these leader. but it is a democratic revolution. these revolutions are winnable in polls. that is what we

catalan leader carles puigdemont set to address the regional parliament today with the spanish central government concerned he may declare independence madrid has reportedly threatened puigdemont with arrest if he goes through with this pledge. calls for unity have been rising across spain and europe. germany and france put pressure on catalonia to abandon the separation plans three more catalonia-based businesses have said they are moving their headquarters away from the region. property group imboilia, telecoms company cellnex and abertis have relocated headquarters this comes after several other businesses said they would leav catalonia willem has the latest from catalonia this is a super charged day. >> it is there's 135 deputies inside the catalan parliament, that's where carles puigdemont, the catalan president, will address them later on today we are joined by one of them this morning she's a member of the socialist party in catalonia you will be traveling to the parliament in the next 30 minutes or so in a bus with colleagues because you can't go in ordinarily because of the se

the president of catalonia is mr carles puigdemont elected by people. mr mariano rajoy‘s government was elected by people and you say he acted without a judge but thejudges have people and you say he acted without a judge but the judges have said the independence declaration was illegal and any independence was illegal, so he acted with authority from the courts. it can be illegal but nobody said he could sack the officials leading catalonia. you think they should work as normal tomorrow?m course, of course. naturally. the prime minister can do what he likes this will be a democratic in spain. this will be a democratic disaster for all of in spain. this will be a democratic disasterfor all of us. we have in spain. this will be a democratic disaster for all of us. we have to follow. the rules. if we look in the spanish constitution, you will not see a single word on that. the central government will tell regional government to do this or that. in no case the central government canjust that. in no case the central government can just sack people in the

but it's deposed leader, carles puigdemont, says he isn't going anywhere. translation: we do not deviate, we continue persevering in the only way that can make us winners — without violence, without insults, in an inclusive way. but in madrid, thousands of people turned out on saturday calling for national unity. why they want to break up spain? it's affecting the whole of spain and the whole of europe. the spanish government has announced new elections in catalonia and they warn that mr puigdemont may face prosecution for charges of rebellion, but nevertheless said it would welcome his participation in those elections. he has no powers, no competences, no financial means so i insist that if he wants to continue in politics, which is his right, i think he should prepare the next elections to be held, as i mentioned before, on the 21st of december. and so the two sides remain poles apart. later today there will be another rally in barcelona held by those opposed to catalonia's independence. sarah corker, bbc news. we will be talking to our correspondent in

, carles puigdemont, relying oi in q and president, carles puigdemont, relying oi inard pushing éfiaséféiflé 1.,:;:”.£, prime minister, forget it, — w h ,.,, .. ,, one. you that me. you that referendum was outside the law that referendumjuas illegal and if you declare independence, we will act on article five 55. there has been no violence in terms of pro— separatist movement. we have seen instead the heavy—handed way the national police with riot police going in, pulling people by their hair saying you cannot vote. despite that, go of of leaving aejéq 1:5 fiaemf ii? risen? z'x—fr voter

the mayor of girona is a good friend of carles puigdemont. for her and other independence supporters, he remains the catalan president, whatever spain says. is he worried about going to jail? translation: of course president puigdemont is worried about being arrested. the spanish government has already jailed two independence activists, so he is concerned, but never afraid. l454: ‘1% sea—94w i think the catalan republic exists, so if most people of catalonia believe in catalan republic, wait and see, and the people will recognise that. but how can an independent catalonia work, i wondered, when spain is backed politically by the eu, and when the spanish government says it has seized direct control of catalonia? translation: we can't accept what spain says, that it has sacked the catalan government, the one we voted for. we have now declared our independence. what spain says is no longer relevant. ecstatic scenes in girona tonight after the local football club beat legends, real madrid. the game had been labelled david against goliath. ind

he is carles puigdemont. translation: good afternoon. president, vice president, mps, everyone. i am here today as i requested myself to analyse the political situation. after the referendum results from the 1st of october and to explain to you the consequences of all that. it has become obvious that it is not an internal issue any longer. catalonia is now a european matter. today i am not planning any threat, any insults, this is a very serious situation and we are all responsible, we all need to take our own responsibilities so that we can de—escalated the tension in order not to feed this tension any longer. i want to address the population, eve ryo ne i want to address the population, everyone who has mobilised, especially on the first and the 3rd of october. also on saturday asking for dialogue, also on sunday, massively, in defence of a united spain. and also to those who haven't been out in the streets. all with all our differences, with agreements and disagreements, we are all the same part of the same community and we need to go forward together. what ever happens. be

as thousands take to the streets of barcelona, carles puigdemont makes a passionate appeal for the defence of catalonia's rights. we do what we do because we believe ina we do what we do because we believe in a democratic and peaceful europe. after growing international criticism, the world health organisation rethinks its decision to make zimbabwe's president, robert mugabe, a goodwill ambassador. as afghanistan buries victims of a mosque attack on friday, another car bomb kills 15 army personnel in kabul. also coming up: donald trump has announced he plans to release thousands of classified documents relating to the assassination ofjohn f kennedy in 1963. hello and welcome to bbc world news. the political crisis in spain has deepened. the leader of catalonia says the region will not accept madrid's plan to impose direct rule, and carles puigdemont described the spanish prime minister's plans as the worst attack on catalonia's institutions since the fascist dictatorship of general franco. mariano rajoy earlier announced plans to sack the regional government, suspend the parliament, and ho

puigdemont. the weekend's referendum has been declared unlawful by the european —— politicians in madrid say they will not accept "blackmail" from carles puigdemont. the weekend's referendum has been declared unlawful by the european commission. afghanistan's president ashraf ghani has told the bbc that a ‘corner has been turned' and the security situation in his country is improving. now it's time for world business report. catalan catastrophe looms for spain — as it risks the loss of a 200 billion euro economy — and a quarter of its exports and tourists. plus — it's a giant of the internet — but a minnow in the world of mobile phones. can google‘s new pixel device change that? we take a closer look.. welcome to world business report. i'm sally bundock. also coming up — business leaders are gathering in delhi for the world economic forum — we'll be going live to our correspondent there. but first. we start in spain where the region of catalonia is threatening to declare indep

they have been arrested on sedition charges and presumably this will apply to carles puigdemont, the cata la n will apply to carles puigdemont, the catalan president, for holding what madrid says is an illegal referendum and flouting the constitution. that's right. one of the many potential repercussions of this crisis is that, and carles puigdemont was aware of that when he pushed ahead with the independent road map. he was aware he could be the target of some severe judicial action possibly sedition. earlier this year his predecessor as the catalan leader was barred from office for having staged a non—binding referendum on independence in 2014, but this referendum in october was much more serious and the stakes were higher and potentially be consequences could be tougher for carlos >> studio: -- could be tougher for ca rles studio: -- could be tougher for carles puigdemont. carles puigdemont himself, we understand, will be making a statement at nine o'clock local time tonight, it will be interesting to see what he says, but before that we have a mass demonstration. the history he

the headlines: the leader of catalonia's devolved government, carles puigdemont, will address the regional parliament later on tuesday, and there is intense speculation that he could unilaterally declare independence from spain. more than a dozen wildfires raging across the us state of california's northern wine region have killed at least ten people and forced thousands from their homes. at least 1500 properties have so far been destroyed. a hearing is beginning in australia's highest court to clarify whether seven parliamentarians are entitled to hold office. the decision could deprive the government of its majority. iceland have got through to the football world cup finals for the first time in their history. they beat kosovo by two goals to nil in the group one qualifying round to secure a place in next year's competition in russia. now it's time for world business report. schools closed, flights cancelled and demonstrations — french unions urge more than 5 million workers to take to the streets. and staying relevant — the world bank says more needs to be invested in education, bef

want to bring you back to the government statement in response to the letter from carles puigdemont, again, we got that government statement out a few minutes ago. the highlights once again, the government of spain has verified at 10:00 a.m. this morning the last deadline the refusal of the president of -- the leader of catalonia to comply with the request sent to him on october 11th in which he was asked to record clearly and precisely if any authority of catalonia proclaimed the independence of that autonomous community and was urged to restore the constitutional order the government of spain will continue with the procedures provided for in article 155 of the constitution to restore legality in the self-government of catalonia as willem pointed out, next saturday the council of ministers, based on this statement, will be meeting in an extraordinary forum it will approve the measure that will raise the senate in order to protect general interests of spaniards including the citizens of catalonia and restore constitutional order in the autonomous community those are the first few lin

but it's deposed leader, carles puigdemont, says he isn't going anywhere. translation: we do not deviate, we continue persevering in the only way that can make us winners — without violence, without insults, in an inclusive way. but in madrid, thousands of people turned out on saturday calling for national unity. why they want to break up spain? there is no sense! it's a problem that's not only affecting catalonia, it's affecting the whole of spain and the whole of europe. the spanish government has announced new elections in catalonia and they warn that mr puigdemont may face prosecution for charges of rebellion, but nevertheless said it would welcome his participation in those elections. he has no powers, no competences, no financial means so i insist that if he wants to continue in politics, which is his right, i think he should prepare the next elections to be held, as i mentioned before, on the 21st of december. and so the two sides remain poles apart. later today there will be another rally in barcelona held by those opposed to catalonia's independe

a day after being deposed as the president of catalonia, the separatist leader carles puigdemont has called for democratic resistance to the central government's takeover of the region. mr puigdemont promised to work to build a free country. yesterday, spain's prime minister dissolved the catalan parliament after it declared independence. in madrid today several thousand people held a rally, waving spanish flags and calling for national unity. 0ur correspondent james reynolds reports from barcelona. this is the first full day of direct rule from madrid. and no one's yet sure quite what to make of it. catalan organisations have told people here to carry on as normal. right here, it's hard to tell that anything has changed one way or another. local catalan police officers still guard this, the catalan political headquarters. and separatist leaders, who have technically been sacked by madrid, are now trying to work out their next move. carles puigdemont, the catalan leader, featured on today's front pages, refuses to accept that he has been fired. translation: we do not deviate. we cont

the mayor of girona is a good friend of carles puigdemont. for her and other independence supporters, he remains the catalan president, whatever spain says. is he worried about going to jail? translation: of course president puigdemont is worried about being arrested. the spanish government has already jailed two independence activists, we found girona full of enthusiasts for the new catalan republic, people who say they will defend it peacefully but unrelentingly. i think the catalan republic exists, so if most people of catalonia believe in catalan republic, wait and see, and the people will recognise that. but how can an independent catalonia work, i wondered, when spain is backed politically by the eu and when the spanish government says it has seized direct control of catalonia? translation: we can't accept what spain says, that it has sacked the catalan government, the one we voted for. we have now declared our independence. what spain says is no longer relevant. ecstatic scenes in girona tonight after the local football club beat legen

the mayor of girona is a good friend of carles puigdemont. for her and other independence supporters, he remains the catalan president, whatever spain says. is he worried about going to jail? translation: of course president puigdemont is worried about being arrested. the spanish government has already jailed two independence activists, so he's concerned, yes, but never afraid. we found girona full of enthusiasts for the new catalan republic, people who say they'll defend it peacefully but unrelentingly. i think the catalan republic exists, so if most people of catalonia believe in catalan republic, wait and see, and the people will recognise that. but how can an independent catalonia work, i wondered, when spain is backed politically by the eu, and when the spanish government says it has seized direct control of catalonia? translation: we can't accept what spain says, that it has sacked the catalan government, the one we voted for. we have now declared our independence. what spain says is no longer relevant. ecstatic scenes in girona tonight

we are hearing from carles puigdemont that he did not come to belelgium, hehe came to brus, because he wanted to be heard by -- he said he wasn't e.u. citizen and had the right to move freely. he said that by going to belgium , he was exercising his right as a european citizen. as you know, since october 1, when this referendum took p pla, e.u. hasas been taking a verery silent stance, and their rereaction was to say they weren susupport of t the madririd governmentnt, that the referendm s unlawfulul and illegal. when the declaration of independence took place, e.u. institutions did not recognize it. it is clear that that press conference today was really fofocusing on being heard by e.. institutions and getting some help and support from them for the fight of carles puigdemont and his five associates. you heard him say he faces up to 30 years in prison if he goes back to spain. anchor: our reporter just coming out of the press conference. that is where we leave it for now. a change in pace. let's go to business. stephen carroll joins me. we go to troubles with airbus. analyst: the aer

our top stories: thousands take to the streets of barcelona as the catalan leader carles puigdemont makes a passionate appealfor the defence of catalonia's rights. we do what we do because we believe in a democratic and peaceful europe. millions of people across japan are voting in a snap general election. we'll have the very latest live from tokyo. after growing international criticism, the world health organization is set to rethink a decision to make zimbabwe's president a goodwill ambassador. storm brian batters parts of britain, bringing high seas and violent winds of more than 120km/h. hello and welcome to bbc news, i'm gavin grey. hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets of barcelona to protest against spain's plans to sack the regional government and hold fresh elections. the spanish prime minister said he'd been left with no choice but to restore the rule of law. carles puigdemont, catalan‘s leader, compared the actions of madrid to the fascist regime of general franco. tom burridge reports from barcelona. angrier than ever before, catalans who want independenc

carles puigdemont is under pressure from all sides. pro—independence groups here want him to say that he has declared independence. the government in madrid wants him to say that he has not. on this, in his last major appearance on the eve of madrid's deadline, the catalan leader refused to pick a side. translation: i want to reiterate that the government eyelid will make its decision based on commitment to peace, fortitude and democracy. even on the way out he made sure to give nothing away. president, your answer to madrid? spanish citizens in madrid are among many who want him to explain his position. they recently celebrated spain's national day. most of the people in spain wa nt to day. most of the people in spain want to be together. is part of spain cannot create this sort of issue that we are seeing today. here in catalonia, opinion is divided. many still displayed their desire for independence. and all wait to hear their leader's reply. this week the chinese communist party holds its five—yearly congress at the great hall

carles puigdemont said he wanted to suspend that declaration for two months to allow dialogue. the spanish prime minister said this answer was not clear enough and now carles puigdemont has until ten o'clock local time this morning spanish time to clarify or revoke his motion. madrid is threatening to take direct control using article 155, something that has never been done before. what would the reaction be of pro—independence leaders if he does this? and what about his supporters, who have shown they are prepared to ta ke to who have shown they are prepared to take to the streets. tim willcocks, bbc news. another spike in the tension, isn't it? for more on this story, go to the bbc news website. there's full background and analysis, plus video and audio content. go to bbc.com/news. the us says it holds myanmar‘s army responsible for the deepening crisis in bangladesh. hundreds of thousands of people have left their homes in myanmar, where they'd faced a military offensive after claims that militants were guilty of attacking police checkpoints. more than half a million roh

it is not a normal day at the office for ca rles not a normal day at the office for carles puigdemont. the rosier every morning at 830. —— he arrives here. todayis morning at 830. —— he arrives here. today is not an ordinary day because he has been replaced in all but title by the spanish deputy prime minister. he and his cabinet, who had been sacked, play nothing has changed. they see this as a coup d'etat by the state in madrid. we think he's been in his hometown over the weekend. he gave a brief pre—recorded television address for three minutes where he said people should peaceably, democratically, resist article 155, which is the garment reasserting control. they say this is a symbolic manoeuvre by madrid. —— which the government reasserting. also, you mentioned criminal charges. first of all, if he comes through the doors, does the spanish government apprehended and? some say he does not need to be arrested as he is ready lost authority. they may file charges today. they put sedition, usurping, and rebellion. rebellion could carry 30 years. they would have to be pas

carles puigdemont, the deposed catalan leader, faces charges of rebellion. he has now decided to escape before facing arrest. translation: he is in belgium, i think, to step away a bit and let things calm down. he didn't give me much more explanation. i'm not his political assistant, but his justice assistant. and speculation is growing that mr puigdemont is preparing to seek asylum in belgium, he's now potentially a fugitive from spanishjustice. in catalonia, he won the hearts of these supporters by declaring independence on friday. but he has left others, like these pro—unity campaigners, furious. this happening is like puigdemont is a dictator, that's it. i lost a lot of friends. like, we talk about politics, it's just impossible to talk about. and this stand—off is escalating. the prosecutor in madrid yesterday announced serious charges against catalan leaders, carrying a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. translation: in order to uphold the law, this office has five charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of funds against the main catalan lea

we expect carles puigdemont in the next hour oi’ carles puigdemont in the next hour orso, carles puigdemont in the next hour or so, the catalan president, to go to the main square to announce the turnout and the result. we know from other european leaders, people like the belgian prime minister, saying violence has been condoned and it needs to be political debate. three yea rs needs to be political debate. three years ago there was a consultation and 80% voted yes for independence and 80% voted yes for independence and catalonia. the leader at the time, artus mas, was moved out of office. there is talk in madrid that the current leader could ultimately also be taken from office, but ask any legal experts and they will tell you they do not know where this is going. the people here who have been up going. the people here who have been up all day are likely to be here all night. gavin, we will keep in touch with you in the next few moments and hours. thanks for now, live in barcelona. throughout the day, riot police tried to prevent people from voting in the referendum, with officers firing r

carles puigdemont, the deposed catalan leader, faces charges of rebellion. he's now decided to escape before facing arrest. translation: he is in belgium, i think, to step away a bit and to let things calm down. he didn't give me much more explanation. i'm not his political assistant, but his justice assistant. and speculation is growing that mr puigdemont is preparing to seek asylum in belgium. he's now potentially a fugitive from spanishjustice. in catalonia, he won the hearts of these supporters by declaring independence on friday. but he has left others, like these pro—unity campaigners, furious. this happening here is like puigdemont is a dictator, that's it. i lost a lot of friends. like, we talk about politics, it's just impossible to talk about. and this stand—off is escalating. yesterday, the prosecutor in madrid announced serious charges against catalan leaders, carrying a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. translation: in order to uphold the law, this office has five charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of funds against the main cata

that carles puigdemont would make an announcement after a vote. the spanish government have said it would be against the constitution, threatening a prison sentence potentially for sedition against the president of the parliament. now we're told there will be some kind of meeting on tuesday. the barcelona mayor says both sides should step down from the brink, negotiate between them. first carles puigdemont the catalan president should call off this immediate plan for declaration, wait a few weeks. you've got the spanish government is moving away the police forces after the violence on sunday night at the referendum. it's also worth saying, because there is one european commissioner who said he believes if events cohead next week we could end up events cohead next week we could end up in another civil war. spanish police based here have all been moved out of the hotel is because of the discomfort catalan hotel owners not wanting them. many officers say they are worried about being here. they have 30 incidents of assault or abuse because of violence

spanish prosecutors say they will be seeking charges over sedition and invnvestment over carles puigdemont. latest in a few minutes. the kenyan electoral commission says it will not hold a view run of voting pay this as the nation waits for the official presidential results. the french state will begin their summing up against the two alleged -- we will be talking to our reporter, who is on the scene, covering that. our top story, the spanish government says that carles puigdemont could be jailed in regiont in the n's decoration of independence. this coming after thousands took to the streets to call for spanish unity. in the last half, spanish prosecutors say they will be seeking charges of rebellion, sedition, and embezzlement against carles puigdemont and his cabinet officials. let's speak to correspondent sarah morris. the state prosecutor having given a press conference, what was said? >> that is right. the chief prosecutor said that carlos lee want -- carlos puigdemont and his cabinet and face who helped could sedition, rebellion, and embezzlement charges. the rebellion charges parti

carles puigdemont is under pressure from all sides. pro—independence groups here want him to say that he has declared independence. the government in madrid wants him to say that he has not. on this, in his last major appearance on the eve of madrid's deadline, the catalan leader refused to pick a side. translation: i want to reiterate that the government i lead will make its decision based on commitment to peace, fortitude, and democracy. even on the way out, he made sure to give nothing away. president puigdemont, your answer to madrid? spanish citizens in madrid are among many who want him to explain his position. they recently celebrated spain's national day. most of the people in spain want to be together. this part of spain cannot create this sort of issue that we are seeing today. here in catalonia, opinion is divided. many still displayed their desire for independence. and all wait to hear their leader's reply. this week, the chinese communist party holds its five—yearly congress at the great hall of the people in beijing.

carles puigdemont declared that a coup was being mounted, and compared the actions of the government in madrid to those of the fascist dictator general franco. the spanish prime minister, mariano rajoy said he had been left with no choice by an "illegal" independence referendum. tom burridge reports from barcelona. angrier than ever before — catalans who want independence, digesting madrid's unprecedented move to temporarily scrap their devolved government. theyjust want to crush us down. and we've got dignity. we've got our dignity. we've fought for it for years. we couldn't speak catalan only, like, 40, 50 years ago. are we going to go back to that? i want to see the army here, we're going to see it at this rate. i don't want that. i'm young and i don't have that much knowledge, but i have enough knowledge to know that that isn't normal, and it shouldn't be happening in our country. we are a developed country, this isjust outrageous. i'm speechless. the leader of catalonia's devolved government in the crowd. tonight, he called it the biggest attack on catalonia's autonomy since t

the arrest of carles puigdemont? we are likened with common sense and we will pass from this situation to another in which all will go under the war. thank you. —— under the law. that is the situation, so people celebrating for the time being on the streets, but we understand the catalan president carles puigdemont will signa president carles puigdemont will sign a new government post for this, the world's newest country, according to them. that decision taken here inside the catalan parliament on october the 27th, the birth of catalonia. back to you. tim willcox there in barcelona, an extraordinary 2a hours and we will keep an eye on that story here on bbc news and if there are further developments we will bring them to you. let's take a look at some of the other main stories tonight. a cyber attack which crippled parts of the nhs in may could have been prevented if basic it security measures had been in place, according to a report by the national audit office. it's concluded that the health service wasn't prep

but its deposed leader, carles puigdemont, says he isn't going anywhere. translation: we do not deviate, we continue persevering in the only way that can make us winners — without violence, without insults, in an inclusive way. but in madrid, thousands of people turned out on saturday calling for national unity. the spanish government has announced new elections in catalonia and warn that mr puigdemont may yet face prosecution for charges of rebellion, but nevertheless said it would welcome his participation in those elections. he has no powers, no competences, no financial means, so i insist that if he wants to continue in politics, which is his right, i think he should prepare the next elections to be held, as i mentioned before, on the 21st of december. and so the two sides remain poles apart. sarah corker, bbc news. this is the scene live in barcelona where pro—unity supporters are holding a rally. they are in the heart of barcelona in the sunshine. to make the point, it is not by any stretch of the imagination all people in catalonia who support i

carles puigdemont says catalonia 's overwhelming referendum vote stance but he asks them to suspend the bid to give negotiations another chance. the spanish government refusing to budge, saying there will be no breakup. we will have complete coverage tonight in barcelona and madrid. also, kenya's opposition leader kohl's out of a rerun presidential election. raila odinga says that is no point in running for office if the old come unfair rules remain in place. could this destabilize the country? and wildfires continue to devastate northern california. at least 15 people have been killed and authorities say that number could rise. ♪ brent: i am brent goff. it is good to have you with us. the breakup of spain will not begin tonight. in a highly anticipated speech, the leader of catalonia has declared -- delayed declaring independence from spain saying more time and dialogue are needed. carles puigdemont told the regional parliament in barcelona that he has a mandate to declare independence, but that he will delay taking that step, quote, for a few weeks to encourage dialogue. in short, t