Spain gives Catalan leader 5 days to clarify independence

Spain's prime minister says the central government has given Catalonia's leader a deadline of Monday to clarify whether he declared independence from Spain.

Mariano Rajoy says that if Catalan president Carles Puigdemont's response is that he indeed formally proclaimed independence, he will have a few more days to drop the implementation of the declaration.
The government source said that if Carles Puigdemont confirmed his region had split from Spain, the central government would give him an additional five days, to October 19, to reconsider, before suspending Catalan autonomy.

Both deadlines have been included in a formal demand sent to the Catalan government.

Rajoy announced the measure earlier on Wednesday in a veiled threat to trigger a constitutional article that could end with the suspension of Catalonia's autonomous Powers.