News of the Day From Around the World

The U.N. children’s agency warned Friday that the fight for the Islamic State group’s stronghold of Raqqa threatens more than 40,000 children, while overnight air strikes on the city in northern Syria killed more than a dozen people.

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces launched an attack on Raqqa earlier this week, and air strikes by the U.S.-led coalition have intensified since then.

The fighting broke out at a distribution site after some soldiers tried to steal food sacks meant for displaced people and other soldiers guarding the aid stopped them, said police Col. Isaq Hassan.

Iranian leaders on Friday accused the United States and Saudi Arabia of supporting the Islamic State-claimed dual attacks that killed 17 people in Tehran this week, as thousands of Iranians attended a funeral ceremony for the victims.

Reportedly two guards, 10 government staffers and five civilians were killed in the attacks Wednesday that simultaneously targeted the country’s parliament and shrine of late founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

During a massive funeral ceremony in Tehran following Friday prayers, thousands chanted “Down with the U.S.” and “Death to Al-Saud,” the Saudi royal family, while carrying coffins of victims.

Regional president Carles Puigdemont said Catalans will be asked to answer yes or no to a single question: “Do you want Catalonia to become an independent state in the form of a republic?” The country’s Constitutional Court has already invalidated previous attempts by the northeastern region to gain more autonomy.