AFP - Quim Torra, Catalonia's new separatist leader, was sworn in Thursday in a brief ceremony without central government representatives where he avoided promising to obey the constitution and pledged instead to follow "the will of the Catalan people."

REUTERS - Spain’s government on Friday appealed to the Constitutional Court to block former leader Carles Puigdemont’s bid to lead Catalonia again, in an escalation of tensions between Madrid and Barcelona.

AFP - The speaker of the Catalan parliament on Monday proposed the region's ousted leader Carles Puigdemont as president of Catalonia, as Spanish prosecutors sought a European warrant for his arrest.

REUTERS - The Catalan parliament will meet on Wednesday in a first step toward forming a local government after December’s elections but questions remain over whether the wealthy northeastern region will continue to push for a split from Spain.

AFP - Lionel Messi has ensured he could become a free agent if Barcelona no longer plays in a major European league as a result of Catalan independence, Spanish media wrote on Friday.