Spain minister says 'not too late' for Catalonia

Spain's interior minister has called for Catalonia's separatist leader to respect the Spanish Constitution and desist in his push for independence for the northeastern region.

Juan Ignacio Zoido has said "it is not too late to rectify the situation" and asks Catalan president Carles Puigdemont to "not be carried away by the radical minority he has as a partner in government that has pushed Catalonia to the edge of the cliff."

The Spanish government has given Puigdemont until Monday morning to clarify if he did or didn't actually declare independence earlier this week.

If he answers "Yes," Madrid has given him until Thursday to back down or else Catalonia's ample self-rule could be temporarily suspended.