SPANISH PM Mariano Rajoy told the Catalan regional president yesterday he had three days to renounce independence or face direct rule from Madrid.

Carles Puigdemont refused to give a clear Yes or No answer demanded by Madrid in his response just hours before the deadline Mr Rajoy set last Wednesday.

Instead he stalled, asking for two months of talks over the result of the October 1 independence referendum. More than 90 per cent voted to leave Spain on a 43 per cent turnout after Madrid declared the vote illegal and sent in federal police to violently close down polling stations.