The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Sunday that Islamic State fighters had seized control of the town of al-Qaryatayn in Homs province, part of a wider counterattack by the jihadists as they resist a fierce offensive in eastern Syria. There was no comment from the Syrian...

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Thousands of Catalans gathered at designated polling stations on Sunday morning as they sought to defy Spanish authorities by voting in a banned independence referendum that has raised fears of unrest in the wealthy northeastern region. The referendum, declared...

(Reuters) - Same-sex couples will marry in Germany for the first time on Sunday, when some civil registry offices will open specially to celebrate the coming into force of a marriage law that parliament passed in June. Around a dozen same-sex couples are expected to marry in Berlin on...

(Reuters) - Spanish police monitored schools earmarked as polling stations and occupied the Catalan government’s communications hub on Saturday in an effort to prevent a banned independence referendum which has divided Spain. Hundreds of supporters of the referendum spent the night in...