Catalonia's leader Carles Puigdemont will speak at 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Saturday, a spokesman for his regional government said, after Madrid announced it will move to dimiss his administration.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has announced that his government will seek permission from the Senate to call new elections in the northeastern region as Puigdemont refuses to back down on a threat to declare a breakaway state following a banned independence referendum on October 1.