anchor: welcome back to "france 24." it is 1:00 p.m. in the french capital. aheadand madrid pressing with expanding catalan sayingist leadership independence will be declared if there are no negotiations. a directive to use citizens to live in the u.k. to stay in the country after brexit from

theresa may, who is headed into talks with the block. also coming up, the clock ticks down to elections in japan. our correspondent meets the three front runners on the campaign trail. thank you for joining us. we start with catalonia, where carles puigdemont faced a final deadline this morning to drop a bid for secession from spain. has notfor independence been abandoned. the central government has announced it will move ahead in suspending catalan autonomy. many fear that could lead to unrest and catalonia. we have heard from the government spokesman for spain,

who talked about the lack of clarity from the catalan leadership. question ofthe whether or not catalonia had declared independence was asked, in the clearest terms, we did not receive an answer. the spanish government will therefore continue with the procedures outlined in article to of the constitution restore legality in catalonia's government. for more, we are joined by our international affairs editor. pushed intoas been a corner here. will he eventually have to backpedal? analyst: at the moment, the dynamic is going against that on both sides. puigdemont is under pressure at home, first of all, because the pro-independence catalans,

although they did not constitute a majority in opinion polls before the vote, are perhaps the most vocal. you remember those protests outside the catalan parliament when he made his suspended declaration of independence. they are still disappointed by that. and there is a slim majority of pro-independence parties in the catalan parliament. i think those things are going -- are pushing him ahead toward n-suspending independence if spain does send these forces according to article 105. all of this is going toward giving puigdemont this opportunity to keep holding the moral high ground, as he would in this narrative of repression by the spanish state. i do not see how that can be reversed at this point. stand ofe are at a here, on the break of a potential crisis. why is the e.u. staying out of this, not mediating, at a time

when we know all of this could eventually impact the bloc? at the european parliament yesterday. i spoke to a very senior official on one of the committees there. he sort of gave me a sense that the idea of setting a precedent is actually very important to european leaders at the moment. examples he mentioned -- firstly, on scotland, he said, remember that scotland held a referendum because there was an agreement between london and edinburgh at the time. what happens if the cattle am crisis as -- if the catalan crisis escalates? will that force european authorities to say, if they did this unilaterally, we cannot have an agreement with london, why can we do the same? on another possible precedents that was mentioned in this interview -- lombardy and venice are regions in northern italy

holding a referendum this weekend. we talked about that. anchor: there is so much fear this is setting precedents for other regions. analyst: the thing with northern italy is, these are two non-b inding referendums, but guess what? the catalan referendum in 2014 was nonbinding as well, and look where we are today. anchor: thank you for that analysis. as we just heard, in order to suspend catalonia's autonomy, mariano rajoy will have to invoke what is called article 155 of the spanish constitution, but what exactly does this article entail? reporter: spain is a notoriously decentralized country. grants 17h government autonomous regions varying degrees of political autonomy in health, education, security, or, and environmental policy. at the 1978 constitution also contains a safeguard for the

spanish government. article 155 unless the central government to take control over autonomous regions in times of crisis. if a self-governing community does not fulfill the obligations orosed by the constitution other laws, or acts in a way that is seriously prejudicial to the general interests of spain, the government, following approval granted by the overall majority of the senate, can take all measures necessary to compel the community to meet said obligations, which detect the above-mentioned general interest. the article is short and relatively imprecise. the second paragraph vaguely stipulates that the government may issue instructions to all the authorities of the self-governing communities. article 155 has never been uses, takiking it difficult to know ww itit would be applied in practi. specialist, this the government could choose between a number of different measures to restrict catalonia's autonomy. >> it could be anything from

economic intervention to control over the autonomous police forces. or even control over the region's institutions. and we could even get to a point where the government makes the decision to dissolve the regional parliament. and hold early elections. reporter: to trigger article 155, mariano rajoy will have to submit the exact measures he intends to invoke in the spanish senate. let's now cross to sarah morris, who is in barcelona. both of the governments have spoken this thursday. what next? well, we heard that expose talking about the various options available to the spanish government. we know they are talking very closely with the socialist opposition and with the citizens

party, each is the fourth-largest force in the spanish parliament, the second-largest force in the catalan parliament. government of spain really wants some consensus on this matter, as it is so contentious and because this is the third time that article 155 has ever been used. the hind me, at the catalan government, we know they are also talking to their allies. yes"ow the "together for coalition, which does not have a majority, is talking. decorate -- the court has said they want a declaration of independence very soon. they feel the referendum was binding even though it was judged illegal by the constitutionalal court. they say 90% of cattle lands who voted in that referendum want to break away from spain and want it to happen soon. what we don't know is, when with that declaration of independence come? when would it be voted for in the parliament? what preparations are going on behind those walls behind me, to

set in motion that independent republic? a lot of people who are pro-independence are very excited, but we do not know what kind of independent republic it would look like. with that mean taking over institutions which would provoke a reaction pretty speedily from the spanish government? inhor: you are currently barcelona, which is very much at the center of this crisis. ns must be extremely concerned about their future. are.: they certainly there is excitement from those who think an independent republic would be fairer and a better place to live, but many people who are worried and are against independence are phoning up local radio stations and televisions and asking what would happen to their pension if the independent republic was not in the european union, as it is expected it would not be.

what would happen to the savings in their banks. some experts have even advised shed bankset up a spaint in another part of to make sure savings are protected. at the moment, any savings in the european union are protected by the european central bank. well aboutrns as jobs, big companies that have moved their headquarters out of catalonia to other parts of spspain, now about 800 companie. the sarah morris reporting from barcelona. she will be bringing us the latest on this story throughout the day. also this thursday, brexit negotiations for theresa may, heading to a european union summit in brussels. the british prime minister has pledged to treat e.u. residents well once her country leaves, in a bid to bring around her counterparts in negotiations. although both sides

are eager to reach an agreement, brexit talks are in deadlock. neither camp is willing to concede on the cost of the exit settlement, with brussels saying the 20 billion euros outlined by may in september is not enough. we have to work really hard in between october and december bit --t december to finalize this phase. reporter: at a summit on thursday, theresa may plans to change the talks by offering more concessions for the 3 million in use citizens currently living in the u.k. she is expected to make it as easy as possible for them to stay. try minister may: we are in the process of a negotiation on brexit. we will leave the european union in march of 2019 and we are negotiating for the best deal we can for the united kingdom. reporter: the summit comes as

may is under increasing rusher from her own party to reach a deal, with calls for her to walk away. opposition leader jeremy corbyn will also be in brussels on thursday, to meet e.u. lawmakers and try to break "the brexit logjam." corbyn: many people's jobs and living standards depend on the success of these negotiations. if this government cannot negotiate a deal for britain, they should make way for a team that can. with only 17 months to marchil britain leaves in 2019, may is being pushed from all sides to push talks forward or risk leaving without a deal. anchor: in japan, millions are heading to the polls in a snap election called by shinzo abe. who are the main candidates? our reporter headed to the campaign trail to take a looook. it only had six

members when it was formed in early october. now, the constitutional democratic party, headed by yukio, has emerged as a dark course in the race. it is attracting people uncomfortable with government plans to reform the constitution. >> a government that does not respect to the constitution has no legitimacy. these candidates are remnants of the democratic party, formerly the biggest opposition group. it was knocked out of existence by scandndals. people were going home, the right-wing governor of tokyo called on voters to say goodbye to the tired old politics by the elite. >> we cannot change society unless we get rid of politicians who are tied up in vested interests. >> i support her call to change this and create a new society. the party of hope

became the biggest opposition movement overnight. his party struggle to gain momentum, shinzo abe toured the country, trying to convince voters the ruling coalition was the only one capable of protecting the nation against regional threats. abe: we are going to force north korea to open up and start a dialogue. reporter: with the main opposition parties being only two weeks old, the prime minister's gamble may pay off on sunday. anchor: time for business news. starting with the market reaction to o our top story, whh is the crisis between the catalan and spanish governments. delano: stocks across europe are trading in the read this thursday after spain said it

would suspend catalonia's autonomy. the ibex in madrid at leading the declines, trading down 0.8%. across all the main indexes, including the tack and the dax, all down over half a percent. tourism authorities in the spanish region of catalonia say there has been a drop in the number of visitors over the last month. in august, a terror attack took place on las ramblas. but followed from the political crisis is also weighing on tourist city -- sentiment. reporter: last year, 18 million torists came to catalonia grab some son, take a dip, and visit its cultural hotspots. it o over the lastst monon, sine the october 1 1 refereum o on independence, the tourism industry has been feeling the pinch. a drop of 15% compared to last year. that is triple the dip that

occurred when the region was hit by terrorist attacks in august. then, tourism slipped by 5%, but rebounded quickly. this time, losses could reach 1.8 billion euros. ia,front of the sagrada famil tourists abound, but many hesitated to come. >> we have been talking about whether to stay or go for two weeks. we decided to stay because they need our money, these separatists. therter: in this hotel in historic center, reservations have been falling fast. look at november. we are supposed to be fully booked but only have reservations for 60% of the hotels. fewer clients, and many of those that have made the trip are apprehensive. >> all the tourists are worried. i tell them it is fine, just a political crisis. reporter: but worries remain about violence in the streets. >> it is true it is a bit scary,

because apparently there were some fights. thister: on las ramblas, souvenir shop has lost 20% and profits. >> if the situation gets worse, it will be an issue for me and the entire sect or. tourism somerop in argue is just the end of the summer season. delano: poor weather in europe and hurricanes and the americans hit third-quarter results of unilever. the consumer goods group reported sales of 13.2 billion 2.6%. an increase of sales in emerging markets rose 6.3%, that fell 2.3% in developed markets. unilever's chief executive says there are signs of improvement in some of the biggest markets, including china and india. the chinese economy grew 6.8% in the third quarter of 2017. the figure is above the government's for your target.

the number released as the communist party conference is underway in china. yesterday, xi jinping said the economy rose during his first five years in office. china's growth target for 2017 is around 6.5%. according to experts, the l latt figure indicates the chinesese economy does very well on the surface, but many the surface, potential market stress is still persist. higher earliered this week as oil companies remain in "wait and see" mode in how u.s. sanctions on iran could escalate. the market also reacting to tensions in the middle east after iraqi forces took control of the kurdish-held territory of kirkuk. the government in baghdad has urged british firm bp to quickly make plans to develop the oil field. iraq wants to double kirkuk's oil output to over one million barrels per day. the iraqi oil ministry is warning companies not to sign

contracts with the region of kurdistan. the pacific island nation of start issuingill green bonds. the funds raised will be used by fiji to meet the challenges of climate change. according to the world bank, green bonds are fixed income, liquid financial instruments that are used to raise funds dedicated to starting climate -- to fighting climate change. be offered an attractive investment proposition as well as an opportunity to support environmentally sound projects. here is what the finance minister had to say. take a listen.n. >> we decided to go with a green bond. it gives the ability to raise funds. but it also creates a particular level of awareness in the international markets -- awareness within the region -- and gives people the opportunity to be able to invest in the area of climate change and help vulnerable countries like ours.

are the only sovereign in thehe pacific region to issue green bonds. we hope the green bonds can also provide an opportunity to our neighboring pacific island countries. delano: fiji's economy minister speaking. back to you. latest business news. now, time for the press review. time for a browse through the pages. thanks for joining us. let's start with reactions to chinese president xi jinping's speech yesterday at the communist party congress. analyst: we have been looking gt the front pages of the chinese papers. "striding into a new era." that is what "the china daily" says, with a regal photo of xi jinping. a new era, heralded by the leader himself, to build china into a modern socialist country. "the shanghai daily" says president xi used the phrase

times in that speech. the paper hails his vision for a prosperorous china -- i'm quotig -- which will hold income inequality and pollution. from the western press, there is a lot more skepticism. "the guardian" reminds us the event is all about mr. xi. many suspect he will not step 2022, per the presidential term limits, and he is not expected to put forward an heir. he is the master of all and it seems he wants to keep it that way. anchor: from one closely watched leader to another -- donald trump. analyst: donald trump is embroiled in a controversy. la david johnson was an american servicemen killed in niger. his name has become a national headline because trump called up his pregnant widow to offer condolences, as presidents do,

and told her, "he must have known what he signed up for." in the process, he made this pregnant women cry -- pregnant women cry, and even worse, did not seem to remember the name of the soldier, trumping public outrage. donald trump has denied the events, but johnson's family who were present during the call say it did happen that way. richard wolff from "the guardian" rips into the president, saying, and you thought there was nothing left to destroy, trump proved us wrong. you cannot screw things up this spectacularly by chance or human error. it takes a lifetime of effort and have it to be this incompetent. the writer says this could be the worst thing of trump's residency, reminding you it has barely been a year. anchor: inrush of, reportedly a new candidate is expected to face vladimir putin. has beenthe candidate dubbed russia's paris hilton,

because she is a socialite. local, raunchy version of "big brother," and entertained the tabloids with a string of scandalous relationships. if anything, her star appeal is sure to energize what would otherwise be a predictable election. "hat is what "the independent says. ksenia sobchak describes herself as a candidate against all other candidates, but comes from somewhat political royalty. her father was a man who gave vladimir putin his first job in politics. some say putin might be her godfather. in 2011made headlines when she attended anti-putin protests. it is not clear where she stands politically. "politico" says some kremlin critics are suspicious about this bid. they wonder whether she might be there to run interference for vladimir putin and take votes away from other opposition leaders. not think she is deemed a serious threat to

vladimir putin. a medical breakthrough. frfrench scientists have made a signgnificant discovery in the course -- in dyslexia. says is >>e monde" he at affects some hundred million people around the world. it is a widespread disorder. french leaders think they have linked it to a malformation in a miniscule part of the eye. they have compared people with and without dyslexia, and among the dyslexic people, they found in this miniscule zone of the eye, part is asymmetrical. there is no dominant eye through which the brain can send messages. hence the reason dyslexic people often are confused when they look at written words or jumbled up numbers and words. they are proposing a special lamp that could combat difficulties in reading, and say it could be diagnosed with an easy eye test. science news,ore it seems researchers at the

university of manchester have made an amazing discovery about dolphins. tell us more. analyst: dolphins are very close to humans, extremely intelligent animals. they might have the gift of gab, or the gift of gossip. researchers at manchester university have observed that they use individual signature whistles to greet each other. what is fascinating is that these calls are referring to a particular individual, used in the absence of that individual, suggesting dolphins may be gossiping about other dolphins find each other's backs. drawback is that dolphins hear chatter from other dolphins up to eight kilometers away, given that dolphins move around at the same speed. they have to wait an hour for a dolphin to leave in order to start talking about that dolphin. anchor: maybe we will see dolphins in the newsroom. thank you for the headlines. for more on today's latest, you can go to our website, france24.com. that is it for now.

do stay tuned for more news coming up with me in a few minutes.

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