Catalan Cabinet meets to plan independence declaration

BARCELONA – Catalonia's government was holding a closed-door Cabinet meeting Monday to discuss the next steps in its plan to declare independence from Spain following a disputed referendum marred by violence. Regional officials say the poll, which Spain insists was illegal and invalid, shows that the majority who voted favor secession.

The referendum debacle brought Spain and Catalonia closer to a potentially disastrous showdown as each side said Sunday's events proved them right and neither looked prepared to cede ground.

Catalan president Carles Puigdemont will chair the Cabinet meeting, which is expected to consider asking the regional parliament to vote on an historic independence declaration later in the week.