The BBC has not observed any change of positions between Catalonia and Spain, with just hours until Catalan president Carles Puigdemont is required to reply to the ultimatum given to him by the Spanish government to reject the declaration of independence. "Catalonia: No sign of movement as Spanish deadline looms", is the headline offered by the British public broadcaster.
The broadcaster explains that the day before the expiry of the ultimatum, Puigdemont had attended the homage to his predecessor, the late president Lluís Companys, on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of his execution by the Francoist government in 1940. It also reminded readers of the declarations of Spanish government spokesperson Pablo Casado earlier this week when he said that the current Catalan president might go the same way as Companys, "clarifying later that he had only meant he might end up in prison".
The BBC points out that since the Catalan parliamentary session at which Puigdemont appeared last Tuesday, "there have been no negotiations with the Spanish government, which regards a self-determination referendum held in Catalonia on 1 October as illegal".