Catalan mayors defy Spanish courts ahead of independence vote
BARCELONA (Reuters) – More than 700 mayors from across Catalonia gathered in Barcelona on Saturday to confirm their support for a planned independence referendum that Madrid has declared illegal.
Singaporeans protest against uncontested presidential election
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Hundreds of Singaporeans, most dressed in black, held a silent protest on Saturday against an uncontested presidential election this week in which applications from four candidates were rejected.
Jets strike U.S.-backed forces in eastern Syria: SDF
BEIRUT (Reuters) – U.S.-backed militias said they came under attack on Saturday from Russian jets and Syrian government forces in Deir al-Zor province, a flashpoint in an increasingly complex battlefield.
Pro-Damascus alliance declares Syria offensive near Iraq border
BEIRUT (Reuters) – A military alliance fighting together with the Syrian army said it launched an assault in the east of the country on Saturday to drive Islamic State militants from the border with Iraq.
Police arrest seven youths after deadly Malaysia school blaze
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Police in Malaysia have arrested seven youths in connection with a fire at an Islamic boarding school in Kuala Lumpur that killed at least 23 people, mostly teenagers.
At least 30 Burundian refugees die in clashes with Congolese security forces
KINSHASA (Reuters) – At least 30 Burundian refugees have been killed in clashes with Congolese security forces over plans to send some of them home, a Reuters witness and local activists said on Saturday.
Egypt court sentences Mursi to 25 years in Qatar spy case
CAIRO (Reuters) – An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced ousted president Mohammed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood to 25 years in prison in a final ruling over a case accusing him of spying for Qatar, judicial sources said.
Jets strike U.S.-backed forces in Syrian border zone: SDF
BEIRUT (Reuters) – U.S.-backed militias said they came under attack on Saturday from Russian jets and Syrian government forces in Syria’s Deir al-Zor border province, a focus of an increasingly complex conflict.
Merkel vows to restrict trade with Turkey over arrests
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany will have no choice but to restrict its economic ties with Turkey to pressure its NATO partner into releasing German citizens it imprisoned on political grounds, Chancellor Angela Merkel said in remarks published on Saturday….
UK’s Boris Johnson reignites leadership speculation with Brexit plans
LONDON (Reuters) – British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson set out his plans for a “glorious” Brexit on Saturday that angered colleagues and reignited speculation he would challenge Prime Minister Theresa May for the leadership of the Conservative part…
