POLITICS
Police arrest high-ranking Catalan officials in raids
By Jordi Bou
September 20, 2017 - Spain’s Guardia Civil police have detained a dozen senior Catalan officials and raided regional government ministries ahead of a planned referendum on independence, which Madrid insists is illegal. Following the raids, Catalan President Carles Puigdemont accused the Madrid government of "de facto" suspending the region's autonomy and imposing a state of emergency.