Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Wednesday gave Catalonia's separatist leader five days to clarify his position on whether or not he was declaring independence, a government source said.

The 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.

source: AFP