Protests held across Spain against gender violence

MADRID, Sept 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Protesters took to the rain soaked streets of Madrid and dozens of other cities across Spain on Friday 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…

Hurricane Lorena makes landfall at Mexico’s Los Cabos resort

Residents wade through a flooded road during a rainstorm caused by Tropical Storm Lorena on the outskirts of Manzanillo, in Colima state, Mexico. MEXICO CITY, Sept 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Lorena made landfall Friday as a Category 1 hurricane, lashing the turquoise waters of popular beach destination Los Cabos on Mexico’s…

US: Bus carrying Chinese-speaking tourists crashes in Utah, 4 dead

SALT LAKE CITY (Utah, US), Sept 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A bus carrying Chinese-speaking tourists careened off a road and crashed near Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah on Friday, killing at least four people and critically injuring at least another 12, authorities reported. The cause of the crash, which occurred at…

US lifts tariffs on 400 Chinese products, Pres Trump cites trade progress

WASHINGTON, Sept 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Donald Trump said his administration was “making a lot of progress” with China, as deputy-level trade talks continued for a second day and Washington lifted tariffs on over 400 Chinese products. Trump, speaking to reporters at a White House meeting with Australian Prime Minister…

Nigeria shuts Action Against Hunger aid group ‘for feeding militants’

MAIDUGURI (Nigeria), Sept 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigeria’s army has stopped the work of international NGO Action Against Hunger accusing it of supplying militant group Boko Haram with food and drugs. The army said it had warned the NGO against “aiding and abetting” Boko Haram in north-east Nigeria. Action Against Hunger,…

Saudi Arabia oil attacks: US to send ‘defensive’ troops to Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON, Sept 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US has announced plans to send forces to Saudi Arabia in the wake of attacks against the country’s oil infrastructure. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told reporters the deployment would be “defensive in nature”. Total troop numbers have not yet been decided. Yemen’s Iran-backed…

Nigerian elected president of United Nations General Assembly

Tijjani Muhammad-Bande (c) UNITED NATIONS, Sept 21 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Every year in September, all 193 members of the United Nations meet at the General Assembly at the organisation’s headquarters in New York.The General Assembly is one of the six main organs of the UN, where several international issues covered by…

UN: At least 28 displaced people killed in northern Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo KINSHASA, Sept 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 28 people have been killed in a northeastern province of Democratic Republic of Congo in the past two days, the UN stabilizing mission in the country (MONUSCO) said. A series of attacks in northeastern Congo has targeted civilians,…

Oil theft cost Nigeria $1.35 bln, group urges legal task force: govt committee reports

ABUJA, Sept 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigeria lost $1.35 billion to oil theft in the first six months of this year and needs a legal task force with special courts to tackle it, a government committee said. The committee, set up to investigate theft from the miles of pipelines that snake…

EU backs Romania’s corruption fighter as new Chief Prosecutor

 BRUSSELS/BUCHAREST, Sept 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) —Laura Codruta Kovesi, Romania’s former anti-corruption chief, looks set to become the EU’s top prosecutor, despite opposition from her own government. Kovesi gained the backing of most member states to head the new European Public Prosecutor’s Office. The European Council, which has previously backed Kovesi’s appointment to…