13: On Monday, Spain's Supreme Court sentenced nine Catalan separatist leaders for their role in the 2017 independence referendum. The convictions were for sedition, and the lengthiest prison term handed down was 13 years. Backers of Catalan independence are already protesting the rulings. This news comes just weeks ahead of national elections – Spain's fourth in four years.
15: At least 15 people were killed when gunmen stormed a mosque in northern Burkina Faso during prayers on Friday. It's the latest attack by ISIS or al Qaeda linked groups who have brought an Islamist insurgency across the border from neighboring Mali. About 500,000 people in the region have now fled their homes, a six-fold increase since January, according to the United Nations.
1,000: It's now been more than 1,000 days since Northern Ireland had a government. A power-sharing assembly, formed in 1998 by the Good Friday Agreement, collapsed in January 2017. Political deadlock persists as Brexit stands to disrupt the flow of goods and services across the border with the Republic of Ireland.
7: Seven candidates have been killed and 62 threatened or injured since campaigning began in late June for Colombia's local and regional elections set for October 27. These elections are the first of their kind since a breakthrough peace agreement was signed between the national government and FARC rebels in 2016, but weak implementation of that deal has allowed local violence to flourish.
