COLU @ CONCEPTS

Image copyright GETTY IMAGES Will they or won't they? The Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has told the BBC the region will declare independence from Spain in a matter of days, following a controversial, illegal independence poll which Spanish police tried to stop. If they did, independence may well be blocked anyway. But supposing the region did secede, would Catalonia be able to stand on its own two feet? Trappings of statehood To the casual observer, Catalonia looks like it has already got many of the trappings of a state. Flags. A parliament. The leader, Carles Puigdemont. The region has its own police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra. It has its own broadcast regulator, and even boasts a series of foreign "missions" - mini embassies that promote trade and investment in Catalonia around the world. Catalonia delivers some public services already - schools and healthcare, for example. There'd be much more to set up in the event of independence, though. Bor...

Image copyright NOTTINGHAM BUSINESS SCHOOL Image caption Nottingham Business School - part of Nottingham Trent University - has seen international student applicants increase by 25% Mention Nottingham in a conversation and for many people the first thing that comes to mind is Robin Hood. I've had the Disney movie song "Robin Hood and Little John walking through the forest…" stuck in my head since visiting the city. But the story being told here today is very different from the fable of old. Instead of stealing from the rich to give to the poor, it's students hoping to get rich who are flocking to this city two hours north of London. Nottingham Business School - which is part of Nottingham Trent University - has seen a 25% rise in interest from international students this year. That's believed to be partially due to an unlikely source: Donald Trump. While many Americans might have voted for the president partly because they valued his business acumen,...

Image caption Sheikha Hind represents a young, modern face for the blockaded Qatari ruling family If the personal is political, then Sheikha Hind, a senior member of Qatar's ruling royal family, gives a very direct answer to her views on the end of the driving ban for women in Saudi Arabia. "I have two asthmatic boys and when you need to take them in an emergency at 02:00 - and your husband is on a business trip... We're talking about safety." "It's a great decision," she says, as a parent as well as a driver, distancing herself from any suggestion that women should not have equal rights in such matters. Sheikha Hind, 33, is the sister of the ruler of the wealthy state of Qatar - a country currently at the centre of a tense blockade and Middle Eastern power struggle. If Qatar's neighbours want to isolate the country, Sheikha Hind is on a mission to reach out and present a distinctly modern, young and female face to the outside world. Image...

Image copyright AFP Image caption The protesters say the violent reaction of the Spanish authorities to their independence demands has strengthened their cause She cried when she saw the news, he could hardly believe what he was watching. Here in 21st Century Spain, police were beating people for trying to hold a vote. Never mind that Ana didn't turn out herself for a ballot she believes was illegal in her beloved Spain. Never mind that Xavier had already made up his mind to break away from the very same Spain. Like many others, both are deeply upset about the violence at the polling stations. At least, though, they have the comfort of being head over heels in love with each other. Rajoy's contribution On Laietana Street, there's no love lost for the police among the protesters. Media caption Protesting Catalan student Mauro Castro Soler "Spanish murderers!" they chant at the building marked with a furled Spanish flag that l...