Spanish parliament approves direct rule over Catalonia
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People react while the Catalan regional parliament votes for independence of Catalonia from Spain in Barcelona, Spain October 27, 2017. REUTERS
Madrid: The upper house of Spain's parliament on Friday authorised the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to rule Catalonia directly from Madrid, minutes after the restive region declared independence from Spain.
Rajoy is now expected to convene his cabinet to adopt the first measures to govern Catalonia. This could include firing the Barcelona government and assuming direct supervision of Catalan police forces.