Catalonia

At least four people have been detained as Spanish riot police clash with Catalan separatist protesters in Barcelona for a second consecutive day on Tuesday.

At the summit on 17 and 18 October, EU leaders will discuss how to incorporate climate change initiatives into the budget.

Police clashed with Catalan independence supporters at Barcelona airport during protests Monday after 12 separatist leaders were sentenced for their part in a failed secession bid in 2017.

A Catalan activist and political commentator has condemned the sentences handed out to pro-separatist as leaders as undemocratic. Andres da Silva told Euronews' Good Morning Europe that the severity of the sentences was undemocratic and greatly worsened the situation.

More than a dozen people have been injured as protesters clashed with police across the Catalonia region on Monday after the Supreme Court sentencing of pro-independence leaders.

"We call for an end to repression, for the release of the political prisoners, for the exiles to be free to return home, for an amnesty that should mark an endpoint for all of those who have suffered reprisals", said president Quim Torra.

The 12 defendants — including former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont currently in self-imposed exile — face up to 25 years in jail.

Barcelona is getting ready for the verdict from Spain's Supreme Court in the trial of the Catalan separatist leaders, nine of whom have been in pre-trial detention for close to two years.

A war of flags has taken over Barcelona's balconies with both pro and anti-independence supporters using their outside spaces to make clear where they stand on Catalonia's secession debate.

The 11 September holiday marks the fall of Barcelona in the Spanish War of Succession in 1714 and has become a focus point for the region's secessionist movement.

Catalonia celebrates on Wednesday its National Day despite internal divisions between the region's independentist parties.

The week was marked by controversies of behind-closed door deals and democratic deficits as EU leaders chose the next nominees to lead the continent into the next five years. It was also the first week new MEPs took up their seats and a fair few rhetorical fireworks ensued.

Catalan protesters demonstrate in front of EU parliament against exclusion of MEPs

Spain's Supreme Court blocked jailed Catalan leader Oriol Junqueras from leaving prison to collect credentials to join the EU parliament.

Twitter has announced that it has removed thousands of accounts in its latest purge of bad actors on the site and released information relating to state-backed content.

In Spain today, the trial of a group of Catalonian separatist leaders will end. The trial itself started in February, but the road into the court system for the activists started long before then.

Spanish MEPs elected last month are not being allowed full access into the parliament. They can only visit the building as guests since a political raw broke out between Catalan and other Spanish MEPs.

Charles Puigdemont declared independence from Catalonia and came to Belgium, where he was elected as an MEP. Now, he is being denied temporary EU accreditation. The decision was extended to all Spanish MEPs. Read more about why that was the resolution here.

Five elected Catalan leaders were allowed out of prison for a few hours today, in order to be sworn in at the opening of the Spanish Parliament.