BARCELONA, Spain Voters in Catalonia faced a momentous choice in elections Thursday for their regional parliament: either support political parties that are determined to keep up the pressure to turn their region into Europe’s newest country, or opt for those that want it to stay as part of Spain. The pivotal election is aimed at […]

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba U. S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis visited the American Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to offer holiday greetings to troops Thursday. It was the first trip there by a Pentagon chief in almost 16 years. Mattis was meeting with troops, not touring the detention facilities or discussing detainee policy options. His […]

SYDNEY Australian police said there is no evidence of a terrorist link to a car ramming attack Thursday in central Melbourne that left 19 people injured. Police said the driver was a 32-year-old Australian citizen of Afghan decent who has a known history of drug use and mental health issues. The man was known to […]

NEW YORK Three women who have accused Dustin Hoffman of sexual misconduct say they are still able to watch his movies because they are able to separate the artist from his actions. One of his alleged victims, Cori Thomas, said she still has admiration for him — though she now sees him as a fallen […]

SEOUL, South Korea South Korean soldiers fired 20 warning machine gun rounds today, turning back North Korean soldiers apparently pursuing a comrade who had earlier dashed across the rivals’ shared border, officials said. It is the fourth time this year a North Korean soldier has defected across the world’s most heavily armed border. South Korean […]

NEW YORK Even after two terror attacks and a driver’s deadly rampage through Times Square, New York City is on track to smash its modern era low for homicides in a year. Through Dec. 17, the city of 8.5 million people, once America’s murder capital, had recorded 278 killings. That puts it on pace to […]