TEHRAN – The European Parliament’s president says no one will ever recognize Catalonia as an independent country. Antonio Tajani says Catalonia’s independence referendum was illegal and state of law should be restored. He also spoke against EU mediation, saying the crisis is an internal Spanish issue, AP reported. Catalonia’s separatist leader on Saturday called on […]

Despite obstruction by the U.S. and its allies, the United Nations on Saturday approved a non-binding resolution proposed by Iran for nuclear disarmament. It was ratified with 112 countries in favor, 44 against, and 15 abstentions. The resolution calls on all countries armed with nuclear weapons to destroy their arsenal in accordance with the Non-Proliferation […]

Kenya was stuck in a dangerous limbo Saturday as President Uhuru Kenyatta took an unassailable lead in a disputed poll that has sparked violent protests that have claimed nine lives.Kenyatta was leading with over 90% of vote compared to less than one percent for his rival Raila Odinga, who boycotted the repeat election, according to […]

Catalonia’s police force told its officers to remain neutral in the struggle over the region’s fight for independence on Saturday, a step toward averting possible conflict as the Madrid government starts to impose direct control.Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy dismissed the Catalan government, took over the administration and called a new election after the regional […]

Turkish troops have installed the second observation post in the northern Syrian province of Idlib, in line with the Astana agreements, local media reported Saturday.The post was set up to the east of Salwah village, where the first post was installed and the overall number of such posts will reach 14, Sputnik reported.Earlier, the official […]

Britain’s Royal Navy has discharged nine service personnel who tested positive for drugs while they were assigned to a nuclear submarine.The nine were dismissed following compulsory drugs tests on HMS Vigilant —one of four British submarines that carry Trident nuclear missiles. A royal navy statement says the service does “not tolerate drugs misuse by service […]

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Saturday the threat of nuclear missile attack by North Korea is accelerating.In remarks in Seoul with South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo at his side, Mattis accused the North of illegal and unnecessary missile and nuclear programs —and vowed to defeat any attack, AP reported.Mattis said North Korea engages […]

German civil rights groups are mobilizing against the newly elected far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and other more hardline groups, vowing to avert the even stronger rightward lurch seen in neighboring countries.Thousands of protesters were expected in the eastern city of Dresden on Saturday when the anti-Islam PEGIDA movement celebrates its third anniversary, Reuters […]

China’s President Xi Jinping is here to stay.The new lineup for the Chinese Communist Party’s all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC) was unveiled Wednesday, without an heir apparent to Xi, who analysts predict will continue to dominate the country’s politics for decades to come, CNN reported.Of the five new faces in the seven-member committee, the youngest […]

Republican Senator Jeff Flake has said US President Donald Trump’s “impulse to threaten and scapegoat” could turn the US into “backward people”.Flake, in a dramatic speech on the Senate floor, launched a fierce attack on the US president, saying American politics had become hardened to “reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior from the White House”, Sky […]