Catalonia votes on independence from Spain

This weekend, 700,000 people in Catalonia are eligible to vote in the region's first ever referendum on independence from Spain. Organised by activists and volunteers, the vote is not officially binding but it is taking place at a tense time in relations with Madrid. Supporters hope it is the first step towards a formal ballot for a separate state. Deep in the nationalist heartland of Catalonia, campaigners have been drumming up support for the vote. In the medieval town of Vic, hundreds of residents have already cast an early ballot at a tent in a corner of the main square. Many say the autonomy Catalonia already has is not enough, and they are voting "Yes" to independence. "More and more people think we have no room in the Spanish house, so we need a house of our own," organiser Alfons Lopez Tema says. "[The Spanish] don't want us, they don't love us, they don't give us what we want. So the best thing is to vote and decide." 'Subversive' Almost 170 Catalan towns and villages are holding ballots, staffed by thousands of volunteers. Vic has traditionally favoured independence but the vote will be a first indication of whether views here are spreading. The referendum has been the top...