Catalan Independence referendum and the "NEWS"

All our news is very parochial, though Channel 4 is slightly better than BBC 1 and ITV 1.

If you want to get a better picture of global news Al Jazeera is excellent.

A Times leading article this morning covers this topic of the Catalans and how the Spanish government have been using bullying tactics - sorry but don't know how to get the link.

I find increasingly that the BBC news spends a disproportionate amount of time covering petty items of gossip that are of great interest to those in the media & Westminster bubble - whilst ignoring major issues abroad. This is another example.
Frequently OH & I say "Do we have to listen to this no-news? Is nothing happening in the world?" And frequently we switch off.
I remember the Spanish government saying that if Scotland voted for independence they would veto them being in the EU - they are scared of losing Catalonia - scared also of what next? The Basque country?

as part of the Scottish independence movement I and many folk I know have been watching the Catalans progress for the past few years..like us they wanted to achieve independence peacefully.There have been countless numbers of marches and demos of upwards on a million people ...and more .With the date in sight noe why is Spain resorting to this action? Its clearly not legal...if the UN has said the Catalans must be allowed to have their vote .Thhe main stream media appear to be larely ignoring the whole thing

So are the Spanish. It's not a good combination...

The Spanish government seem to have forgotten that Catalonia was controlled by the anarchist and social trade unions in the Spanish civil War, very passionate people.

You're right, Petra. I've been reading up about it. It seems to me that the Spanish government is being less than accommodating. Their current actions seem to be more likely to inflame the situation rather than cool it. It's a bit incomprehensible, really.

It's been rumbling on for years. The Spanish government is never going to give up the money that Barcelona brings in.
It's their money pot, and as their economy is pants they need every euro they can get.

It's certainly on the BBC News website
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29478415
It's in all the broadsheet newspapers, not sure about the tabloid press.

I have heard about it and am appalled.

What do you think the BBC would hope to achieve by not telling us?