After bruising political campaigns, Austrian political parties are heading into an election that could turn the country rightward after decades of centrist governance amid voter concerns over immigration and Islam.

Sunday's vote is coming a year ahead of schedule after squabbles led to the breakup last spring of the coalition government of the Social Democrats and the People's Party. A total of 16 parties are vying for 183 seats in the national parliament. But less than a dozen have a chance of getting seats.

The election of UNESCO's new chief has been narrowed down to two candidates, one from Qatar and the other from France.

The winner to be selected on Friday will succeed outgoing Director-General Irina Bokova, whose 8-year term leading the U.N. cultural agency was marred by financial woes and criticism over Palestine's inclusion as a member.

Spain marked its national day Thursday with a show of unity in the face of Catalan independence efforts, a day after the central government gave the region's separatist leader a deadline to abandon his secession bid.

The country is suffering its worst political crisis in a generation after separatists in the wealthy northeastern region voted in a banned referendum on October 1 to split from Spain.

A husband and wife from Colorado have dropped their bid to prevent a 2,300-year-old marble bull's head from being returned to Lebanon, where New York prosecutors say it had been stolen during the country's civil war in 1981.

Iran on Wednesday warned of a tough response if President Donald Trump presses ahead with his threats to scuttle the landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told lawmakers during a closed session of parliament that Iran "will never renegotiate" the deal brokered with the U.S. and five other world powers, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

A multimillion dollar reward offered by the Trump administration in return for information leading to the arrest of two senior operatives of Hizbullah is part of ongoing U.S. efforts to "demonize" the group, a Hizbullah official said Wednesday.

The new U.S. measures, including recent sanctions, will not affect Hizbullah's operational activities, the official told The Associated Press.

War-torn Syria's hopes of qualifying for next year's World Cup ended in a 2-1 extra-time loss to Australia.

Tim Cahill again delivered for his country with two goals in a comeback win in an Asian playoff on Tuesday that ended moments after Omar al-Soma hit the base of the post with a free kick that could have instead earned Syria the place in the final stage of qualifying.

Russian operatives likely spent tens of thousands of dollars on ads across Google products, including YouTube and Google search, according to reports.

Accounts connected with the Russian government spent $4,700 on search and display ads, while another $53,000 was spent on ads with political material that were purchased from Russian territory, from Russian internet addresses, or with Russian currency, The New York Times reported . The Times cited an unnamed person familiar with the ongoing inquiry by the search giant.

As U.S. President Donald Trump threatens the Iran nuclear deal, those living in Tehran feel that an accord they have yet to benefit from may already be doomed, hardening their skepticism about America.

Trump is set to deliver a speech on Iran this week in which he is expected to decline to certify Iran's compliance in the landmark 2015 agreement, referring it to Congress, and perhaps targeting the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard with new sanctions.

The Lebanese Air Force on Monday received two U.S. A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft, the National News Agency said.

The two planes were delivered at the Hamat military airport in northern Lebanon.