Protests held in Barcelona as Spain plans to dismiss Catalonia govt

Protesters are gathering in Barcelona this evening, hours after the Spanish government announced plans to impose direct rule on Catalonia.

Spain gives Catalan President new deadline to clarify independence bid

The Spanish government on Monday gave Catalonia's leader three extra days to formally declare whether his region will seek independence -- a prospect that has been in limbo since last week.

Catalan president delays independence declaration, asks for talks

In a speech many believed could include Catalonia's declaration of independence from Spain, Catalan President Carles Puigdemont instead called for dialogue between the two governments.

Catalan parliament defies Madrid pressure, works on independence declaration

Catalan secessionists were working today towards a unilateral declaration of independence from Spain that could be adopted next week in defiance of a court order and increased economic pressure from Madrid.

En attendant Godot: French president asks Kurd leader to delay region poll

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday asked Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) President Masoud Barzani to postpone next week’s controversial referendum on Kurdish regional independence.

Iraq’s Kurdish parliament approves September 25 independence referendum

Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region's parliament approved a plan to hold a Sept. 25 referendum on independence, ignoring Iraqi, Iranian and Turkish opposition as well as U.S and Western concern that the vote could cause new conflicts in the region.

Spain summons Catalan mayors over independence vote

Spain's state prosecutor has ordered a criminal probe of all 700-plus Catalan mayors who have backed an independence referendum, as Madrid seeks to block the separatist vote it deems illegal.

Catalan independence rally: Thousands gather in Barcelona

Thousands of Catalans are thronging the streets of Barcelona to mark their national day - the "Diada" - and show support for an independence referendum.

Challenges remain after Mosul liberation: UN envoy

The path to conclusively defeat Daesh is fraught with difficulties despite a major victory in Mosul, the United Nations' special envoy on Iraq said Monday.

Scotland puts second independence referendum on hold

Scotland has delayed plans for a second referendum on independence until there is "sufficient clarity" on Britain's departure from the European Union.

Scotland makes formal request to UK for new independence vote

Scotland’s first minister formally requested a second referendum on independence on Friday, declaring that Scots have the right to exercise their right of self-determination.

Scottish parliament backs bid for new independence referendum

The Scottish parliament has backed First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's bid for a new independence referendum, further complicating Britain's political situation just as years of talks on the terms of Brexit were about to begin.

Erdogan Accuses Kurdish Chief Party of ’Treason’ over Autonomy Call

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday accused the leader of the main Kurdish party Selahattin Demirtas of "treason" over his call for autonomy for the country's Kurdish minority.

Kurdish opposition believes autonomy the only way for peace

A top Kurdish political organization has said the settlement of the Kurdish issue can only be achieved by granting autonomy to Turkey's predominantly Kurdish Southeast, while offering its support to terrorists that built barricades with explosives to create liberated zones in some towns.

Spain to use "all legal mechanisms" to block Catalan independence

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Monday said he would use "all of the available machinery" in order to thwart the motion passed in the Catalan regional assembly on Monday to "begin the process of disconnecting" from Spain.

US President Raises Tibetan Rights Issue with Xi Jinping

DHARAMSHALA: President Barack Obama raised the Tibet issue during a joint press conference in Beijing on Wednesday with Chinese president Xi Jinping, the Daily Mail reported.
‘We are not in favor of independence,’ President Obama said at the press conference.

‘But we did encourage Chinese authorities to take steps to preserve the unique cultural, religious and linguistic identity of the Tibetan people,’ he said.

Catalan president announces independence referendum

 Catalan President Artur Mas has signed a decree calling for an independence referendum on November 9, defying the Spanish national government’s vow to halt such a vote.

Mas said on Saturday that semi-autonomous Catalonia wanted to "vote and decide."

Calls for an independence vote have grown in the wake of fiscal crisis that hit Spain and led to austerity measures.

No matter the outcome, ‘Scotland will never be the same again’

Just a day before Scotland votes on the most important decision to face the country in centuries, people in the capital Edinburgh, like the rest of the UK, await the outcome of the referendum with a tangible mix of hope, fear, and apprehension.

In the historic city’s bustling pubs and cafés, the talk is of little else. Local radio and TV coverage is blanket, and tabloid headlines scream from newsagent windows. Hardly a wall in the capital isn’t covered with the now iconic “yes” and “no” posters, and on each of the capital’s cobbled streets are enthusiastic campaigners brandishing placards for both the rival camps.

Cameron warns of 'painful divorce' for Scotland

British Prime Minister David Cameron has said he would be "utterly heartbroken" if Scotland votes to leave the UK.
Mr Cameron issued a warning that Thursday's referendum is a "once and for all" decision as he made a last-ditch trip north to urge voters to save the union.
Speaking in Aberdeen, the prime minister warned that if Scots vote for independence it would result in a "painful divorce".

He said: "On Thursday, Scotland votes, and the future of our country is at stake.

Kurdish President: Conditions Favorable for Independence. (The Kurds tried to help build “a new Iraq.”)

As Iraq’s attempts at building a new government failed on Tuesday, Kurdish President Massoud Barzani said he would push for a referendum on independence for Kurdistan.

Barzani spoke with VOA's Persian service on Tuesday in Irbil, the largest city in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

The Iraqi army has struggled against offensives by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic militant group that has captured large sections of Iraq’s north and west.