Protesters took to the rain soaked streets of Madrid and dozens of other cities across Spain to raise the alarm against violence against women and demand tougher action.
Chanting "They are murdering us" and carrying signs reading "There is no justification" or "Women's lives matter", several thousand protesters, mainly women, took to the the central Puerta del Sol square despite a thunderstorm for the rally organised by various women's rights groups.
Many of them were decked out in purple, the colour of the feminist movement, or held candles, lanterns, torches and mobile phones to honour the memory of domestic violence victims.
Similar protests were held in cities and towns across the country from San Sebastian in the north to Seville in the southwest, as well as in Spain's Canary Islands in the Atlantic.
The demonstrations were called on Friday after a series of high-profile rape cases and a rise in the number of women killed at the hands of their partners or ex-partners.
"This ...

Protests held across Spain against gender violence

PTI Automatic

Iran's central bank governor has said that new US sanctions against the lender are a symptom of Washington's inability to exert "leverage", state news agency IRNA reported.
"The US adminstration sanctioning the central bank again shows how empty their hands are in finding leverage against Iran," IRNA quoted central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati as saying on Friday.
Washington has imposed a series of sanctions against Tehran since unilaterally pulling out of a multilateral nuclear deal in May last year.
US President Donald Trump announced new sanctions on Iran's central bank on Friday, calling the measures the toughest ever imposed on another country by Washington.
Hemmati contended that if US sanctions were effective, Iran's "economic condition would have been very different from what it is now."
The Trump adminstration had vowed a response after US officials blamed Iran for attacks that took place last weekend on Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure - an accusation denied by ...

Iran's central bank says new sanctions show US has no 'leverage'

The Huthi rebels announced late on Friday that they planned to halt all attacks on Saudi Arabia as part of a peace initiative to end the devastating conflict in Yemen.
Mehdi al-Mashat, the head of the Huthis' supreme political council, announced in a speech marking the 2014 seizure of the capital Sanaa "the halt of all attacks against the territory of Saudi Arabia".
He added that he hoped "the gesture would be answered by a stronger gesture" from the Saudis, according to the rebels' Al-Masirah television channel.

Yemen rebels announce plan to halt attacks on Saudi Arabia

President Donald Trump on Friday announced new sanctions on Iran that he said were the toughest-ever against another country but indicated he did not plan a military strike, calling restraint a sign of strength.
The Treasury Department unveiled action against Iran's central bank after US officials said that Tehran carried out weekend attacks on rival Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure which triggered a spike in global crude prices.
"We have just sanctioned the Iranian national bank," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "These are the highest sanctions ever imposed on a country."
But Trump indicated he did not plan a military response, attacking both critics who thought the mogul turned president would trigger war and hawks seeking a military response.
"The easiest thing I could do (is) knock out 15 different major things in Iran," Trump said.
"I could do it right here in front of you. And that would be it. And then you would have a nice, big story to report," he said.
"But I think 

Trump announces sanctions but says won't strike Iran

Legendary US gun manufacturer Colt has said it will no longer produce the AR-15, blaming market forces rather than the semi-automatic rifle's role in some of the country's worst mass shootings.
"Over the last few years, the market for modern sporting rifles has experienced significant excess manufacturing capacity," said the company's chief executive Dennis Veilleux in a statement released on Thursday.
For that reason, "we believe there is adequate supply for modern sporting rifles for the foreseeable future," he said, noting that his firm would continue to make assault rifles for the US military and law enforcement agencies, as well as its world-famous revolvers.
Veilleux did not mention the AR-15's popularity among the country's mass shooters who have killed hundreds of civilians in gun rampages, nor the increasing calls for curbs on the lethal weapon in the hands of civilians.
"Colt is committed to the Second Amendment" of the US Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to 

Colt to stop making AR-15 rifles, weapon of choice in US mass shootings

Saudi Arabia vowed on Friday to quickly restore oil production as it revealed extensive damage to key oil plants following weekend aerial strikes, which the US has blamed on Iran.
The attacks, which hit state-controlled oil giant Saudi Aramco's facilities in the country's east at Khurais and the world's largest oil processing facility at Abqaiq, were claimed by Yemen's Huthi rebels.
But Washington has pointed the finger at Tehran, condemning an "act of war" which knocked out half of Saudi's oil production and on Friday prompted President Donald Trump to sketch out the latest in a series of economic sanctions against Iran.
Abqaiq was struck 18 times while Khurais, 200 kilometres southwest, was hit four times in a raid sparking fires that took five hours to extinguish, Aramco officials said.
"Many critical areas of the (Abqaiq) plant were hit," an Aramco official said, declining to be named.
A stabilisation column, normally silver, had been charred black with a gaping hole blown in the .

Saudi vows quick recovery despite damage to oil plants

Facebook said on Friday it suspended "tens of thousands" of apps on its platform as a result of its review on privacy practices launched following the scandal involving Cambridge Analytica.
The review was launched in 2018 after revelations that the political consultancy hijacked personal data on millions of Facebook users and included attorneys, external investigators, data scientists, engineers, policy specialists and others, according to a Facebook statement.
The suspensions are "not necessarily an indication that these apps were posing a threat to people," said a statement from vice president of partnerships Ime Archibong, adding that some "did not respond to our request for information.

Facebook suspends 'tens of thousands' of apps in privacy review

US President Donald Trump on Friday said he was not under pressure to strike a trade bargain with China ahead of next year's elections.
"I'm not looking for a partial deal. I'm looking for a complete deal," Trump told reporters during a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
"I don't think I need it before the election.

Trump says no need for China trade deal before 2020 election

President Donald Trump said on Friday that only a "complete" deal with China on trade will be acceptable and his tough approach won support from visiting Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
"I'm not looking for a partial deal. I'm looking for a complete deal," Trump told reporters during a joint news conference with Morrison at the White House.
Trump denied that he was under pressure to resolve the massive trade dispute between the world's two main economic powers, saying "I don't think I need it before the election" in 2020.
Morrison, enjoying an unusually lavish reception from Trump, said he backed the US push to force China to reform on issues that include routine violation of foreign companies' intellectual property.
"We need to make sure that we all compete on the same playing field," he said. China can't have "special rules."
Morrison's supportive stance contrasted with worries he expressed in June about smaller economies suffering collateral damage in the US-China ...

Trump, backed by Australia's Morrison, talks tough on China

The IAAF has decided to remove Stockholm from the Diamond League calendar next year, the meeting's organisers said on Friday.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) will also cut the amount of events from 32 to 24 in an attempt to make it easier to understand.
The 5,000 metres has already been removed, and the Stockholm organisers said on Friday that the IAAF is also considering dropping the discus.
"We can now freely decide how to use our finances and we are no longer bound by the rules of the Diamond League," said the Stockholm meeting director Jan Kowalski.
The meeting will continue outside of the prestigious Diamond League, having been part of the circuit since the inaugural edition in 2010.
Local Swedish stars Daniel Stahl, the discus world leader, and Armand Duplantis, the European pole vault champion, have already announced they will compete at the next edition on May 24, 2020.

Stockholm removed from Diamond League calendar

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday condemned weekend strikes on Saudi Arabian oil facilities, state media reported, with tensions in the Gulf region soaring after Washington blamed the attacks on Iran.
Xi made the comments during phone talks with Saudi Arabia's King Salman, and called "on relevant parties to refrain from from taking any actions that may escalate tensions in the region", Xinhua added.

China's Xi condemns oil attacks, urges restraint in call with Saudi king: Xinhua

The US Federal Reserve wrongly cut interest rates this week, needlessly offering stimulus amid low unemployment and encouraging risky debts, a voting member of the central bank said Friday.
"Additional monetary stimulus is not needed for an economy where labour markets are already tight, and risks further inflating the prices of risky assets and encouraging households and firms to take on too much leverage," Boston Federal Reserve Bank President Eric Rosengren said in a statement.
Along with two others, Rosengren on Wednesday voted against a decision to cut interest rates by 25 basis points.
But Rosengren's statement laid bare the intensifying disagreements among Fed policymakers.
Fellow voting Fed member James Bullard, president of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, said Friday that Wednesday's rate cut was not enough, arguing that instead the Fed should have cut by an even deeper 50 basis points.
The central bank has been pulled in divergent directions by mixed economic data while .

US Fed member: More stimulus 'is not needed'

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of the Algerian capital on Friday in defiance of a heavy security presence to demand the ouster of the country's army chief.
Demonstrators gathered near the capital's main post office square, the epicentre of Algeria's protest movement that forced longtime president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down in April, this time calling for the ouster of General Ahmed Gaid Salah.
"The people want the fall of Gaid Salah," the strongman in post-Bouteflika Algeria, they chanted. "Take us all to prison, the people will not stop."
Friday's protest marked Algeria's 31st consecutive week of rallies, but protesters faced a heavy deployment of security forces in the city centre and along its main avenues.
Salah on Wednesday ordered police to block protesters from outside Algiers entering the capital to boost numbers at the anti-regime rallies.
The tougher line on protests came just days after interim president Abdelkader Bensalah announced a December 12 date ..

Thousands protest in Algiers despite tight security

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will hold talks with President Donald Trump in New York next week, Kiev said Friday, the first meeting since Zelensky's May inauguration.
Zelensky will be in the United States between September 23-26 to attend the UN General Assembly, his office said.
The meeting with Trump comes amid renewed efforts to end the conflict with Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine's east, in which the US is a key backer of Kiev.
The announcement also follows US reports of a complaint filed by a US intelligence official that stemmed from Trump's communications with a foreign leader.
The Washington Post said the complaint centres on Ukraine, citing two people familiar with the matter. It allegedly involves a "promise" made by Trump.
Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani have been accused by policial opponents of putting pressure on the Ukrainian government for their own political ends, by withholding US security assistance among other things.
They allege that Trump and ..

Ukraine President Zelensky to meet Trump next week: Kiev

The New York Federal Reserve Bank said Friday it will inject billions into the US financial plumbing daily for the next three weeks in an effort to prevent a spike in short-term interest rates.
The Fed will offer up to USD 75 billion daily in repurchase agreements -- exchanging secure assets for cash for very short periods -- through October 10, it said in a statement.
In addition, it will offer three 14-day "repo" operations of at least USD 30 billion each.
Banks have struggled in recent days to find the cash needed to meet reserve requirements which has pushed up short-term borrowing rates.

NY Fed to pump USD 75 bn into money markets daily through Oct 10

President Donald Trump on Friday announced new sanctions on Iran's central bank, calling the measures the "highest" sanctions ever imposed on a foreign country by the United States.
"We have just sanctioned the Iranian national bank," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, later clarifying that he was referring to the Iranian central bank.
"These are the highest sanctions ever imposed on a country," he said.
Trump earlier this week announced what he said would be substantial new sanctions against Iran, in response to what US officials say was likely Iranian involvement in an attack on Saudi oil facilities.

Trump announces new US sanctions on Iran central bank

Crowds of children skipped school Friday to join a global strike against climate change, heeding the rallying cry of teen activist Greta Thunberg and demanding adults act to stop environmental disaster.
It was expected to be the biggest protest ever against the threat posed to the planet by climate change.
Yelling slogans and waving placards, children and adults across Asia and the Pacific kicked off the protest, which spread later to Africa and Europe with crowds filling the streets in Paris, London and Berlin.
"We are the future," said Vihaan Agarwal, 15, protesting in Delhi.
"We believe there is no point in going to school if we are not going to have a future to live in." Organisers forecast one million participants overall.
In Australia alone, they said more than 300,000 children, parents and supporters rallied.
"I'd like to ask you not to cut down forests, and reduce garbage production, and not to use so many petrol-fuelled cars," five-year-old Teo, told a crowd of 500 in ...

Schoolchildren throng streets in vast global climate strike

The oldest Austrian Holocaust survivor, who lived through four concentration camps, has died at the age of 106, Vienna's Jewish Community organisation (IKG) said Friday.
Marko Feingold, who survived Auschwitz, in Nazi-occupied Poland and three German  concentration camps, died in the city of Salzburg on Thursday after a lung infection, Austrian news agency APA reported.
Despite his advanced age, Feingold had remained active in speaking out against the Holocaust, taking part in numerous conferences and events for schoolchildren.
"I must have spoken to around half a million people all in all," he told AFP in a 2018 interview, adding he swore to himself in Auschwitz that he would tell his story.
Born on May 28, 1913, in the Austro-Hungarian empire in what is now Slovakia, Feingold was arrested in Prague and deported to Auschwitz in 1940.
"They said I had three months to live. And in fact after two and a half months I was about to succumb to exhaustion when I managed to get transferred to 

Austria's oldest Holocaust survivor dies at 106

US President Donald Trump again denied Friday that he did anything wrong during a mysterious phone call with an as-yet unidentified foreign leader after a whistleblower in the intelligence services sounded the alarm.
The Washington Post reported that the call was to Ukraine and that Trump had made a "promise" of some kind.
"There was nothing said wrong, it was pitch perfect!" Trump tweeted, without detailing whom he had spoken to or what was said.
He said his Democratic opponents and the media "think I may have had a 'dicey' conversation with a certain foreign leader" but this was only based on what he called "a 'highly partisan' whistleblowers statement."
Trump on Thursday had issued a similar denial of wrongdoing.
However, a political storm is rapidly brewing over the refusal by Trump's Director of National Intelligence to give Congress the whistleblower's report.
The allegations could refer to a call known to have been made in July between Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr ...

Trump denies 'dicey' conversation with foreign leader

Brexit talks are progressing with "momentum", the British minister in charge of negotiating the  divorce said Friday after meeting his EU counterpart, despite warnings from Europe that a deal is still some way off.
After talks in Brussels with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, Brexit Minister Stephen Barclay said there was a "shared sense of purpose" to reach agreement and avoid Britain crashing out of the bloc without a divorce deal.
Britain is racing toward its October 31 departure without an exit agreement and faces the threat of economic disruption that the government admits could cause food shortages and spark civil unrest.
Barclay and Barnier discussed three papers submitted by London with ideas on replacing the so-called "Irish backstop" provisions in the Brexit deal struck last year but rejected by British lawmakers.
"There is significant work still to do but there are serious discussions that are taking place," Barclay said after the talks.
"We are moving forward with ...

UK claims 'momentum' in Brexit talks despite doubts from Europe

Growth in the renewable electricity generation sector has returned to a double-digit pace thanks to a surge in the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, the International Energy Agency said Friday.
The IEA said it expects renewable capacity additions to grow by almost 12 per cent this year, the fastest pace since 2015, to reach almost 200 gigawatts (GW), mostly thanks to solar PV and wind power. Global solar PV additions are expected to increase by over 17 percent.
"Renewables have a major part to play in curbing global emissions and providing universal access to affordable, secure, sustainable and modern energy," said the IEA in a statement as marches take place across the globe calling for action on climate change.
It noted that last year was the first since 2001 that growth in renewable power capacity failed to accelerate year on year, largely due to a change in Chinese government policy.
"This highlights the critical role of governments for the deployment of renewables ..

AFP

AFP

Page 391 - Afp