Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said Friday he had dissolved the Catalan parliament and called regional elections on December 21 under sweeping powers approved by the Senate to stop a secessionist movement in Catalonia.

Rajoy said he had also formally removed Catalonia's separatist leader Carles Puigdemont and his executive from office as part of measures to "restore normality" after the Catalan parliament voted to declare independence earlier on Friday.

source: AFP