The incredible game of cat and mouse between the Madrid government and the Catalan devolved government continues.

That's been the tactic all along from the Catalan government. It's been putting threats on the table, it's been speaking to the media and saying: "I will go ahead and declare independence from Spain come what may"; "I will hold that referendum of more than a week ago even though it has been declared illegal by the Spanish state, even though they try to arrest officials and try to break it up".

And now Carles Puigdemont is saying: "I am still going to declare independence from Spain, but I am giving them some time, a window."

That is a window where there can in theory be mediation - and we are hearing that there are mediation efforts tonight by an international organisation - according to our sources involving very very senior international political figures.

In a sense his stark warnings haven't changed. But he will still be under pressure, not only from his own party but other pro-independence Catalan parties which he depends on for a majority in parliament to actually keep this whole project going.

He's given them maybe enough, but is their patience going to run out? And then there's the other dimension in this - the Spanish government in Madrid.