Catalonia

Fired up by Scotland’s looming independence referendum, thousands of nationalists in Catalonia take to the streets for mass protests to demand their own vote on breaking away from Spain.

Merkel supports Spanish PM on Catalan referendum

MADRID -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has voiced support for Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who opposes a referendum on Catalonia's independence.

A total of three airlines will have direct flights from Sofia Airport to Barcelona during the summer season, Sofia airport announced.

The low cost carrier Vueling, as well as Bulgaria Air and Wizz Air will provide frequent flights to Barcelona this summer.

The Spanish Parliament has rejected a request by the Catalan authorities to hold a referendum on independence on 9 November.

Following 7-hour debates, a total of 299 MPs opposed the motion, with 47 votes in favor and one abstention, according to reports of the BBC News.

The votes in favor came from Catalan and Basque nationalist parties.

Catalonia does not have the right to call a referendum on independence, Spain's Constitutional Court said.

The Spanish autonomous region has declared it would hold a referendum on November 9 regardless of what the government in Madrid thinks of the vote.

Catalan independence referendum would be illegal - PM

MADRID -- Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy has said that a referendum on Catalonia's independence, announced for November 9, would be illegal, and will not take place.