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MADRID (AP) — Spain’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday rejected a Catalan regional parliament resolution setting a road map for independence from Spain by 2017.

The court ruling said the resolution adopted Nov. 9 by the Barcelona-based parliament violated five articles of the country’s 1978 constitution and articles of the region’s own statute.

The ruling followed a challenge of the resolution by the Spanish government in Madrid. The resolution was seen as one of the most serious confrontations facing the Spanish state in recent history.

It remains to be seen what practical effect the court ruling will have and what Spain will do should the Catalan parliament choose to ignore it, as it has indicated it will.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy welcomed the decision, saying it made those “who believe in Spain, national sovereignty and the equality of Spaniards, very happy.”

Pro-secession parties who pushed the resolution hold a slim majority in the Catalan regional parliament following September regional elections but the region of 7.5 million people is evenly divided over splitting with the rest of Spain.

Catalonia represents nearly a fifth of Spain’s economic output.

The acting Catalan regional government has said it intends to press ahead with the desire expressed in the resolution. It argues that the resolution is a political one with no legal standing and that the court cannot rule against a parliament’s political will.

The resolution authorized the incoming regional government to begin work on a Catalan constitution and to establish tax-collecting and security systems. It also exempted it from being forced to heed Spanish institutions, including the Constitutional Court.

Under a new law, the Constitutional Court is empowered to suspend public officials who ignore its rulings.

Pro-independence sentiment began to swell some four years ago at the height of Spain’s economic crisis with secessionist parties claiming Catalonia could do better on its own.

Also Wednesday, the National Court said it was investigating two Catalan towns for possible crimes against the Spanish crown and state for passing motions supporting the independence resolution.

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PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Welcomed by a military band and a guard of honor, Chinese President Xi Jinping began a state visit to South Africa on Wednesday, part of China’s effort to strengthen economic ties with Africa.

China became Africa’s largest international trading partner in 2009, according to the South African Institute of International Affairs. Trade was valued at over $201 billion last year, a sharp rise from just $10.6 billion in 2000.

Xi met his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma in an official ceremony in the capital Pretoria. After the red carpet procession, each president was flanked by row of cabinet ministers, who will be part of the talks on issues such as financial cooperation and infrastructure projects. The visit comes ahead of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, a meeting that brings together African and Chinese leaders every three years.

Xi’s visit to South Africa comes a day after meeting Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe in Harare, where the two countries inked deals worth more than $4 billion, according to Zimbabwean newspapers. In addition to China’s mining interests in cash-strapped Zimbabwe, the 12 agreements cover industries such as power and transport, and prevent double taxation for investors, according to the Herald, a state-owned Zimbabwean newspaper.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is travelling to South Africa this week, where he will also meet Xi, his office said in a statement. The two leaders are to discuss a coastal railway project in Nigeria, which Buhari’s government hopes will be financed by a $12 billion Chinese loan, the statement said.

While Beijing has traditionally maintained a policy of non-interference, staying out of Africa’s political affairs, its decision to establish a permanent representative at the African Union’s headquarters in Ethiopia may signal stronger political interaction, the South African Institute of International Affairs said.

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Hierarchy — this person commands that person, that person submits to that person — is one of the most fundamental ways humans organize themselves. 

Except for marriage.

“Every other relationship we’re in is hierarchical,” says relationship psychologist and Couples Institute cofounder Peter Pearson. “Kids grow up, parents are the boss. Go to school, go to college, teach is the boss. Go to work, your boss is the boss.” 

But in a healthy long-term relationship, nobody is the boss.

“That’s what makes marriage so tough,” Pearson tells Tech Insider. “We’re used to a hierarchy, and you’ve got no authority over the other person.”

In a hierarchy, somebody has authority over the other. If you don’t do your homework, you get an F. If you don’t execute on that project, you’ll get transferred to North Dakota. The threat of something bad happening gets things done. 

But in a marriage, Pearson says, all you can do is divorce. You’ve only got one bullet. 

He uses an example from his own life with his wife Ellyn, the other cofounder of the Couples Institute. If he were to leave clutter around the house, then she would (hypothetically) nag him to stop. 

“Over time, she’ll keep nagging or give up on nagging and disengage,” he says. “That’s about it. She has no authority. In a really non-hierarchical relationship, no one has authority over another one.”

The alternative to the non-hierarchical marriage is any number of dysfunctional patterns of behavior. 

Pearson says that probably 60% of the couples that come into his practice have one of these two dynamics: 

• A conflict-avoidant dynamic is defined by fear. “For both people, the emotional risk of speaking up outweighs the potential benefit of bringing things up to the surface and working through them,” Pearson says. As a result, “you contort yourself to be acceptable to your partner so they won’t reject you or leave you,” he says. “Each person compromises their wishes, their desires, their identity — the things that make them themselves.”

• A hostile-dependent dynamic is defined by conflict. In this case, each person is “in a competition to be right,” Pearson says. There’s “lots of finger-pointing and blaming,” he says, all in an attempt to take control. The underlying assumption is that if you can define “the problem with the relationship,” then you can get the other person to shape up, and you’ll finally get some relief.

As uncertain and uncontrollable as it seems, Pearson says that the best way to operate is to acknowledge the non-hierarchical  nature of the relationship. And with that, recognize that you’re two different people. 

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A severe slowdown could be on its way to Houston.

John Moran and David Chen at Macquarie looked at multifamily (MF) and commercial real-estate (CRE) markets in Houston in a note on Friday.

The analysts say there has been much “handwringing” over the banking sectors’ loan exposure to oil and gas companies but there could be a more serious ripple effect.

“We have cautioned that second-order fallout, particularly around MF/CRE in ‘oily’ MSAs [metropolitan statistical areas], is potentially more troubling than energy credit per se,” the note said.

It added [emphasis ours]:

Recent economic data, anecdotal evidence, CRE contacts, and REIT/builder commentary suggest a more pronounced Houston slowdown may be materializing, with increased pressure on lease economics driven by: (1) free rent/tenant concessions, (2) fewer tenants/less demand, (3) new completions, and (4) an elevated sublease mrkt.

The note adds that Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin have been more resilient than Houston so far and that investors should be cautious of bank stocks with exposure to oil-patch metro areas, naming Cullen/Frost Bankers Inc., Prosperity Bancshares, and BOK Financial Corporation.

The most recent Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index report showed that Texas factory activity increased for the first time in nine months in October, but the demand component remained negative. There were no headcount changes after five months of declines, as the employment index rose to zero.

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Most members of the 12-member oil cartel OPEC are reportedly willing to agree to cut their output to prevent oil prices from tumbling much lower.

That’s according to the Iranian oil ministry’s website Shana, which cited comments from Mehdi Asali, Iran’s representative to OPEC. 

Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf Arab countries are the only ones that are not in agreement with a cut, according to the Shana report. 

OPEC member countries meet in Vienna on Friday to discuss their production targets.  

Iran had announced plans to boost production by 500,000 barrels per day once sanctions are lifted. Early next year, the agreement between Iran and world leaders is expected to kick in, which involves Iran returning to oil markets provided its nuclear program conforms to certain conditions.

After the reports crossed, West Texas Intermediate futures in New York were down about 2%, near $40.86 per barrel. WTI futures lost some ground after data from the Energy Information Administration showed that US oil inventories rose more than expected last week, by 1.2 million barrels. 

Brent crude, the international benchmark, was also down by about 2%, near $43.58.

SEE ALSO: Here’s where each of the 12 OPEC members stand ahead of this week’s meeting

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Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality headset is going to space thanks to a deal with NASA, according to Motherboard. 

Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) will get a “Holographic Instruction Manual” courtesy of HoloLens, which has not yet been released to the public. The headset will also allow engineers on the ground to annotate what the astronauts are seeing. 

Microsoft previously tried to send the headset to space in June but failed when the SpaceX shuttle that was carrying it blew up shortly after take off. 

HoloLens works as a “mixed reality” device which adds holograms to real-life situations. For example, a Skype window can be attached to a wall. 

Sending HoloLens to ISS may just be the first step into space. Microsoft has developed Project OnSight which could help those on Mars understand the planet better using the augmented reality applications of the headset. Whereas Mars has traditionally been looked at a screen, HoloLens could enable scientists to study the Red Planet just as geologists study Earth. 

NASA is planning to launch the headsets — along with other cargo — into space later on this week.  

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Just because Cyber Monday is over, doesn’t mean that the deals are done — if you’re shopping for pizza.

Domino’s is selling all pizzas for half-off menu prices until this Sunday, if customers order on the company’s website or using one of the chain’s apps. The deal started on Black Friday, making Domino’s one of many retailers to offer online deals throughout the week of Thanksgiving.

Additionally, on Cyber Monday, the pizza chain offered a deal in which customers received a $5 e-gift card for every $25 gift card purchased.

“Nearly 50 percent of Domino’s sales in the U.S. are placed through digital channels,” Domino’s spokesperson Jenny Fouracre said in a statement. “We hope customers who haven’t experienced the convenience of digital ordering yet try it with this great deal.”

While the retail business was flooded with online deals as stores kicked off the holiday shopping season, the restaurant business as a whole was less tapped into the digital market.

However, a few chains did have Cyber Monday deals. Starbucks offered 25% off all Holiday coffees purchased online until December 6, while Papa John’s Pizza offered $5 off online orders of $20 or more.

It makes sense that Starbucks and pizza chains would be among the few restaurant chains to tap into Cyber Monday deals, as online and mobile sales play a key role in their business.

Starbucks CFO Scott Maw recently bragged about the chain’s dominance in mobile payments, as 21% of Starbucks transactions in the US are made using mobile devices.

The pizza business is taking notes from Starbucks’ success, as around half of all sales at Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and Papa John’s are now digital. From Domino’s “tweet to order” system, to Pizza Hut’s connected car, major pizza chains are investing to build technology to grow digital orders and get ahead of the competition.

“We’re starting to think of ourselves as an e-commerce company that sells pizza,” Domino’s vice president of multimedia marketing, Dennis Maloney, told Digiday in April.

What better way to show off that e-commerce perspective than to get in on Cyber Monday deals? Expect Domino’s digital sales to be even higher than usual this quarter — and get your own 50% off pizza here.

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Videos believed to have come from Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, document the gruesome practice of militants throwing men they suspect of being gay off rooftops.

Daniel Halaby, 26, is a gay activist from Syria who said he narrowly escaped being killed by the terrorist group. Daniel Halaby is a pseudonym the activist uses to protect his identity.

“The biggest catastrophe for gays was the arrival of ISIS. It was also a turning point in the methods of killing,” Halaby said. “This is a very cowardly act because they are killing an unarmed person who has nothing, and most gays love peace, and love the people around them. This is a brutal and savage act.”

Halaby was outed by a childhood friend who was radicalized by ISIS. In 2013, when ISIS  threatened to take the city of Aleppo, Halaby learned that his name was on a list of people that ISIS demanded be turned over to them.

He fled to Turkey, and now works as an activist keeping track of the horrific acts committed against gay men by ISIS.

“What breaks my heart most is that I feel helpless and cannot do anything to help those gays being killed,” he said.

Story and editing by Andrew Fowler

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SEE ALSO: A Syrian refugee describes the hellish journey to Europe with a 25-day-old daughter

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Luxury shoppers are highly coveted customers for brands and retailers. The top 10% of US household earners (those taking home $120,000 or more annually) account for approximately half of all consumer expenditures.

This demographic’s growing preference for online shopping is changing the face of luxury retail, and it has significant implications for how brands target luxury consumers.

In a new report from BI Intelligence, we profile the luxury shopper and take a close look at the spending habits and preferences of high-income earners — including how and where they shop.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• Discretionary spending among the wealthy is growing faster than for the average US consumer. Discretionary spending among those earning $120,000 a year or more is expected to increase 6.6% in 2016, reaching $406 billion, according to YouGov. Among the top 1%, it’s expected to rise 10%. By contrast, discretionary spending for the average US consumer dropped 1% between 2014 and 2015.
• Wealthy consumers are expected to spend the most next year on fashion, travel, and dining. Among these categories, spending on fashion (specifically, apparel, accessories, and handbags) will grow the most, increasing 6.9% to $37.4 billion (roughly 9% of total discretionary spending). 
• Luxury brands are over-allocating ad spend to print media. The seven largest US luxury brands collectively spent $133 million last year on holiday ad spending, 57% of which was allocated to magazine ads, according to the Shullman Research Center. But among luxury shoppers, recall rates are higher for digital ads.
• There are signs that luxury shopping is less brand- and status-oriented than it once was. Luxury shoppers, like the average consumer, enjoy the convenience and low prices of online retailers like Amazon vs. shopping via official brand sites. Luxury shopping may become even more price-sensitive as millennials age. 

In full, the report:

• Sizes the market for personal luxury goods, by country.
• Measures the effectiveness of luxury marketing channels.
• Breaks down ad spend among luxury brands.
• Identifies where luxury consumers shop online and in-store.

Interested in getting the full report? Here are two ways to access it:

1. Purchase & download the full report from our research store. >> Purchase & Download Now
2. Subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and over 100 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you’ll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. >> Learn More Now

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — More than 7,800 men and women sit in Philadelphia’s overcrowded jails, three-quarters of them languishing while they await trial under a bail system that critics call outmoded and that cities — and the White House — are working to change.

Hundreds in the nation’s fifth-largest city would be free, including nonviolent and first-time offenders, if there were alternatives to bail, a recent tally of the daily jail population showed. People accused of crimes here have historically faced some of the country’s longest waits for their cases to be heard.

It’s a national issue that is increasingly seen not just a moral imperative, but also as an economic one, with the costs a huge burden on municipal budgets. The Philadelphia jail system puts the cost of housing an inmate at $120 a day, or nearly a million dollars at the current jail population. The current average pretrial stay is six months — or $16.8 million.

Philadelphia and its new mayor-elect, Jim Kenney, have set an ambitious goal of cutting the jail population by a third over the next three years. The city’s jails have been at or over capacity for at least 15 years.

“We’re using jails in a way that we never have,” said Cherise Fanno Burdeen, executive director of the Pretrial Justice Institute, an advocacy group. “These are just decisions that people are making, rather than services that are needed. What’s great in Philadelphia is that you’ve already begun a process of trying to address some of these things.”

On Thursday, the White House and Justice Department are meeting to discuss criminal justice practices, including in the bail system, that contribute to the what the administration said is a “vicious cycle of poverty and incarceration that traps many Americans.”

When Kareem Chappelle was arrested in Philadelphia with less than 2 grams of crack cocaine in June 2013, he went to jail for a couple of days before he was released prior to his trial. But then he forgot his court date. A bench warrant was issued, and Chappelle turned himself in the day before Thanksgiving.

If he’d had $600 for bail, Chappelle could’ve gone home for the holiday. Instead, the first-time offender sat in jail for more than a month, missing Thanksgiving and Christmas with his girlfriend and two young sons. He also lost his home, his car and his job.

“I was thinking, ‘Couldn’t they have handled this another way?’ It just didn’t seem fair,” Chappelle said.

If changes are made, the way his story ultimately ended could be the norm.

Because Chappelle had never been arrested, he was eligible for a program called The Choice Is Yours. He was given a chance at rehabilitation as long as he got and kept a job, stayed out of trouble, checked in weekly over the next year, and avoided a felony charge and criminal record.

Now 26 and a father of three, Chappelle works as a home caregiver to mentally disabled patients. He has not been arrested since.

“I made a dumb mistake and I got caught,” Chappelle said. “I thought, ‘If I wouldn’t have come up with (bail) when I did, how long would I have been sitting there?’ It could’ve been another way, but this was a second chance.”

Philadelphia is joining cities including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago in weighing changes to its bail system.

Leaders here are looking at who should get bail and are considering more alternatives to incarceration. And in coming weeks, the system will compete for one of 10 national grants from the MacArthur Foundation, which has a $75 million, five-year initiative aimed at reducing America’s incarcerated population.

On Philadelphia’s wish list: creating a computer model unique to the population that is focused on a defendant’s flight risk, starting more diversion programs, and expanding the electronic monitoring program and other supervised release options that would further reduce the need for cash bail.

One in three inmates is a repeat offender, said Prisons Commissioner Lou Giorla. But other issues can be addressed, he said, including the large number of inmates who use drugs or are mentally ill and could be better served elsewhere.

Philadelphia has introduced some changes in recent years, including specialty courts for mental health and veterans issues, as well as video court appearances to resolve cases more quickly.

“We’re trying to do as much as we can to reduce the pretrial wait,” said District Attorney Seth Williams, whose office is lowering severity of many charges, lowering bail for lesser crimes and focusing less on low-level cases. “My greatest concern is that the right people are in prison for the right reasons.”

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Errin Haines Whack covers urban affairs. Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/emarvelous.

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