Catalonia Prepares For Independence Referendum Despite Opposition

Police have been ordered to seal off any buildings which can be used as polling stations. The Spanish government says the vote is illegal, but the devolved government in Barcelona is determined to press ahead with more than two thousand polling stations set up for the vote. Also: Saudi Arabia allows women to issue religious rulings known as fatwas, and cholera cases in Yemen are expected to reach 900,000 by the end of the year.

(Picture: Flags of European Union, Spain and Catalonia, Credit: BBC)