Regional President In Spain Calls Vote For Independence

One of Spain's regional presidents said Sunday he would officially call for a Nov. 9 vote designed to allow the Catalonia region to declare its independence from Madrid, setting the country on a course toward a legal and political crisis. The Catalan Parliament passed a law Friday that allowed Catalonia President Artur Mas to hold the referendum, although the Spanish central government has said it would block such a vote in the courts because it would violate the national constitution.