Syria demands withdrawal of
US and Turkish forces again
Thousands protest arrest
of Catalan separatists
MADRID, Sept 29: Several thousand Spaniards marched near Barcelona on Saturday to protest the jailing of seven Catalan separatists on suspicion they planned to carry out attacks with explosives. Protesters walked behind a banner that read "The repression won't stop us. Liberty" as they marched through Sabadell, the hometown of some of the arrested separatists. Police said 12,000 people demonstrated. — AP
'100,000' march for climate action
GENEVA, Sept 29: Tens of thousands of people - around 100,000 according to organisers - marched through the Swiss capital Bern Saturday calling for action to stop climate change, three weeks ahead of parliamentary elections. They marched a day after smaller demonstrations in Swiss cities for Friday's "climate strikes", which was also observed in cities across Europe. Saturday's march was organised by 80 campaigning groups who together call themselves the Climate Alliance. — AFP
HK police tear gas protesters
HONG KONG, Sept 29: Hong Kong police fired tear gas at protesters in a busy shopping district on Sunday after angry crowds surrounded and heckled officers who had made a series of arrests. The brief clash in Causeway Bay was the second day in a row that violence has broken out as democracy campaigners step up their rallies ahead of the 70th anniversary of communist China's founding on Tuesday. — AFP
36 die in expressway bus crash in China
BEIJING, Sept 29: At least 36 people were killed when a bus collided with a truck on an expressway in eastern China, authorities said on Sunday. A bus with 69 people on board crossed into the opposite lane and hit the truck on Saturday morning, the Yixing city information office said in a social media post. Initial investigation indicated a flat tire on the bus was the cause, the post said. — AP
Finnish PM pessimistic about Brexit HELSINKI, Sept 29: Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne said Friday he does not see any breakthrough in Brexit, after meeting with European Union (EU)'s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels. Talking to Finnish journalists in Brussels, Rinne said that the EU countries are prepared to negotiate, but in "such a way that the position of Ireland must not be disadvantaged in comparison with the agreement on Brexit already negotiated." Britain has not yet given the "expected, concrete suggestions," the prime minister said. — Xinhua
Brazilian film wins top prize
at Spain festival
MADRID, Sept 29: The Brazilian film "Pacificado" (Pacified), directed by American Paxton Winters, has won the top prize at Spain's San Sebastian film festival. The jury awarded the "Golden Shell" at Saturday's gala to the Portuguese-language film, which was produced by filmmaker Darren Aronofsky. — AP