Two rival rallies took place in Athens on Friday. Police estimate that 25,000 came out to support the ‘No’ camp, which calls for the rejection of a new bailout deal with creditors in Sunday’s referendum, while 20,000 gathered to back the “Yes” vote. Greece’s Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, who called the referendum last week to add more weight to his position in talks with creditors, addressed... 

Polls have closed in Catalonia where people have held a symbolic independence vote despite the Spanish government’s opposition. According to the regional Catalan government, almost two million people took part in the independence polls, which opened at 9 a.m. local time (0800 GMT) and closed at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Sunday. The regional government had earlier said that 5.4 million Catalans and resident... 

Thousands of pro-independence activists, determined to continue their fight for Scottish statehood, have launched a new campaign called ‘the 45 percent’, despite losing Thursday’s referendum. The campaign draws its name from the 44.7 percent of the Scottish electorate who voted ‘Yes’ to independence. Although the ‘No’ campaign secured a narrow majority at 55.3 percent, the appetite for... 

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond London politicians gulled Scottish voters out of independence by making a false “vow” to grant Glasgow extra powers, First Minister Alex Salmond has said. He also raised the prospect of another referendum, saying the break-up is inevitable. Alex Salmond, leader of the ‘Yes’ campaign and the outgoing head of the Scottish National Party (SNP),... 

Australia has called on Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom, warning that a breakaway would not be in the best interests of the international community. In an interview with the Times during a visit to London on Saturday, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said an independent Scotland would be cheered by those he described as enemies of “justice” and “freedom.” “But as a friend of... 

Communists equipped with red hammer and sickle flags rallied through Madrid Anti-monarchy communist protesters have taken to the streets of the Spanish capital after new King Felipe VI was proclaimed monarch. Thousands of communist Spaniards hit the streets of Madrid on Thursday to show their dissatisfaction with the monarchy system in their country. The protesters slammed the current political system... 

Donbass residents vote in the referendum on the status of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic. Donetsk People’s Republic has proclaimed itself a sovereign state and has asked Moscow to consider its accession into Russia, the Republic’s council said. “We, the people of Donetsk, based on results of the May 11 referendum and the declaration of sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s... 

Polling stations have closed in Ukraine’s self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk after a referendum on independence from the Kiev government. The turnout reached over 70 percent, according to organizers of the poll. The last polling stations in Lugansk and Donetsk regions wrapped up their work at 23:00 local time (20:00 GMT). There is no minimum voter turnout required for... 

Ukrainian security forces have launched a crackdown on separatist protesters in the eastern town of Slavyansk, where pro-Russian protesters have seized government buildings. “An anti-terrorist operation has begun in Slavyansk. It is being directed by the anti-terrorist center of the state security service. Forces from all the security units of the country have been brought in,” Ukraine’s Acting... 

Thousands of people celebrate with Kosovo and Albanian flags in Pristina on February 17, 2009 (L). Sevastopol residents at a celebratory show held after the referendum on Crimea’s status (R). The West has so far refused to legitimize Crimea’s decision to secede from Ukraine. Yet Kosovo, which was a part of Serbia, also broke away from its parent country, but has been recognized by the US and... 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law the documents officially making Crimea part of Russian territory. Putin signed the bills at the Kremlin on Friday, completing the process of making Ukraine’s strategic Black Sea region part of the Russian Federation. The Russian president also signed legislation creating two new Russian administrative districts: Crimea and the port city of Sevastopol. Before... 

The people of Crimea fixed a Soviet-era mistake with the Sunday’s referendum and the will of the people should not be punished by sanctions, said former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. “Earlier Crimea was merged with Ukraine under Soviet laws, to be more exact by the [Communist] party’s laws, without asking the people, and now the people have decided to correct that mistake. This should... 

Crimea has declared independence from Ukraine and formally applied to join Russia, following a referendum in which Crimeans overwhelmingly voted in favor of joining the Russian Federation. The Crimean Supreme Council passed the decree on Monday after all the 85 lawmakers present in the 100-seat assembly voted in support of seceding from Ukraine. “The Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of... 

The United States says it does not recognize the outcome of the referendum held in the Ukrainian region of Crimea and is preparing to impose retaliatory penalties against Russia if it annexes the strategic peninsula on the Black Sea. “The United States has steadfastly supported the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine since it declared its independence in 1991, and we... 

Britain’s opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband. Britain’s opposition Labour Party leader has pledged to hold a vote on the country’s membership of the European Union only if more powers are transferred to Brussels. On Tuesday, Ed Miliband said he would announce his strategy regarding the vote in detail during a speech on Wednesday. “I am announcing that the next Labour...