World News Briefs -- October 1, 2017

Daily Mail: World leaders and the Pope condemn violence in Catalonia as Spanish prime minister claims riot police prevented illegal independence referendum after 844 protesters were hurt in crack down and fans were barred from attending Barcelona game

* Officers were seen storming buildings across Catalonia to seize ballot boxes and prevent voting
* The Spanish government in Madrid has declared the vote illegal and ordered it be shut down
* Separatists pledged to hold the referendum anyway and called on 5.3million eligible citizens to vote
* Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets to protest against their votes being taken away
* Barcelona's mayor said that at least 460 people had been injured in the clashes across Catalonia
* FC Barcelona is playing its match against Las Palmas 'behind closed doors' at an empty Nou Camp

World leaders have condemned the scenes of violence witnessed across Spain over the 'illegal' Catalan independence referendum after officials revealed that hundreds of protesters have been injured so far.

Hundreds of people have been hurt in the clashes with officers seen stamping and kicking protesters as they stormed buildings and seized ballot boxes.

Footage captured in the village of Sarria de Ter in the province of Girona showed authorities using an axe to smash down the doors of a polling station where Catalan president Carles Puigdemont was due to cast his vote.

And in Barcelona, the region's capital, officers fired rubber bullets at thousands of protesters demonstrating against their votes being denied.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

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ASIA

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AFRICA

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EUROPE

Violence mars Catalonia independence vote, hundreds hurt. Hundreds injured as riot police storm Catalan referendum polling stations.

'There was no independence referendum in Catalonia today' – Spain PM .

Barcelona game to be played behind closed doors amid Catalan referendum unrest.

Catalan referendum: muted response from EU leaders over police crackdown.

Austrian ban on full-face veil in public places comes into force.

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Ireland abortion law: Mass march in Dublin.

Norway agrees to host Israeli nuclear whistleblower.

AMERICAS

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ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

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