Spain's conservative government has dealt a serious blow to Catalonia's plans to hold an independence referendum but it faces growing indignation in the region, which is closing ranks on Madrid.

Back in Syria, friends gave Malakeh Jazmati the nickname "Miss Spaghetti" because cooking up tasty traditional regional dishes wasn't exactly her thing.

On a good day it's a Caribbean paradise but Puerto Rico looked Thursday like it had been to hell and back after suffering the fury of Hurricane Maria.

Germans vote in a general election on Sunday after a campaign which has seen parties spar over how closely refugees and immigrants should integrate into the national culture, sparking fierce discussions about what it means to be German.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her beleaguered rival Martin Schulz embark on a final push for votes Friday ahead of a weekend election, both seeking to beat back a challenge from the emboldened hard-right.

Time pressed on Mexico on Thursday as rescuers looking for survivors picked through the rubble of buildings felled by a powerful earthquake two days earlier, with hopes fading as the hours rolled by.

Pakistan refuses to be a "scapegoat" for Afghanistan's bloodshed or to fight wars for others, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told the United Nations on Thursday.

The UN Security Council on Thursday warned that a referendum on independence by Iraq's Kurdistan region was potentially destabilizing, adding its weight to international opposition to the vote.

Bangladesh's prime minister on Thursday proposed creating UN-supervised safe zones inside Myanmar to protect Rohingya Muslims who are fleeing a military crackdown to seek refuge in her country.

At least three demonstrators were escorted out of the Marriott hotel in New York City Thursday, as Erdogan delivered remarks at an event there.

The national anthem protests have sparked plenty of conversation. Now, four of the NFL's top player-activists want to take things a step further.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un launched a salvo of threats aimed at President Donald Trump, days after Trump blasted the regime's leader for its missile tests.

"IT'S FOOTBALL, I'VE BEEN WATCHING IT FOR 40 YEARS! FORTY!"

Police in Oklahoma came under intense scrutiny Thursday for fatally shooting a deaf man who failed to respond to their commands, even as neighbors were alerting officers of the man's disability.

US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley tried to scotch speculation Thursday that she is gunning to become secretary of state, saying she is not interested in the role.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un launched a salvo of threats aimed at President Donald Trump, days after Trump blasted the regime's leader for its missile tests.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday took an indirect swipe at the United States, telling the United Nations that "military hysteria" over North Korea's nuclear and missile tests would lead to "disaster."

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon expressed concern Thursday about the Spanish government's crackdown in Catalonia, as demonstrators gathered in Glasgow in support of self-determination.

As Catalonia's independence referendum crisis deepens, EU officials are staying doggedly tight-lipped even as diplomats privately voice serious concern at a situation some regard as a challenge to fundamental European values.

European leaders braced on Friday for a speech by British Prime Minister Theresa May that is expected to spell out key positions on Brexit after wrangling and tension in her own government.