Catalan president cancels speech

The president of Spain's autonomous region of Catalonia unexpectedly called off a press conference at the last minute.

Carles Puigdemont had originally been expected to deliver a statement at 1230 BST, which was later postponed until 1330 BST and then apparently cancelled without any apparent explanation.

According to El Mundo, Puigdemont is now expected to speak "later in the afternoon".

In quick succession to Thursday morning's news, sources from within the far-left Catalan nationalist party ERC told daily La Vanguardia that they would exit the current coalition government.

-- More to follow --