Spain on a knife's edge as Madrid seizes control of rebel Catalonia

Spain was plunged into crisisFriday as Madrid seized power from independence-seeking Catalonia, the first curtailment of regional autonomy since the brutal dictatorship of Francisco Franco.After regional lawmakers voted to declare a Catalan "republic", Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy moved swiftly to dissolve the rebel government and parliament, and called December 21 elections to replace them.Secessionist lawmakers voted 70 to 10 in the 135-member parliament Friday to declare Catalonia "a