Catalonia Parliament Votes To Declare Independence From Spain

Catalan separatist legislators have passed a motion to establish a new republic independent of Spain, in a vote boycotted by opposition members.It follows the police violence in the autonomous region earlier this month as Madrid moved to prevent a referendum taking place.The independence motion was passed in the 135-strong assembly with 70 votes in favour, 10 against and 2 blank ballots, the assembly’s speaker said.Lawmakers from the Socialist Party, the People’s Party (PP) and Ciuda