World News Roundup: Iran sanctions waivers, Sony Music HQ stabbing incident, killing of Saudi journalist

Spain's public prosecutor on Friday sought jail terms of up to 25 years for nine leaders of Catalonia's independence movement, filing charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds over a failed secession bid that they spearheaded last year.

Spain prosecutor seeks long jail terms for Catalan pro-independence leaders

Spain's public prosecutor on Friday sought jail terms of up to 25 years for nine leaders of Catalonia's independence movement, filing charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds over a failed secession bid that they spearheaded last year. But the State Attorney - a separate government-appointed body also prosecuting in the case - said rebellion charges should be dropped in favour of the lesser offence of sedition and that it would seek maximum sentences of 12 years.

Indian politician says had consensual relations with journalist accusing him of rape

An Indian politician who resigned from the government last month after more than a dozen women accused him of sexual harassment, said on Friday he had a consensual relationship with a New York-based journalist who has accused him of raping her. Pallavi Gogoi, the chief business editor at National Public Radio, wrote in a Washington Post column on Thursday that the former junior foreign minister, M.J. Akbar, "ripped off my clothes and raped me" in a hotel room in India 23 years ago.

U.S. grants eight countries Iran sanctions waivers: Bloomberg

The U.S. government has agreed to let eight countries, including close allies South Korea and Japan, as well as India, keep buying Iranian oil after it reimposes sanctions on Tehran next week, Bloomberg cited a U.S. official as saying. Iran's biggest oil customers - all in Asia - have been seeking sanctions waivers to allow them to continue buying some of its oil and have argued that a total ban would spur a further rally in the price of crude.

Two hurt in London stabbing incident at Sony Music HQ

Police said two people had been stabbed in an ongoing incident in central London on Friday, with armed officers on the scene at Sony Music UK's head office in Kensington. London's Metropolitan Police said they were called to the incident at Derry Street where Sony's offices are based at about 1100 GMT. They said one person had been arrested and it was not being treated as terrorism.

Indonesia struggles with the damaged black box from the crashed jet, hunts for the second

Indonesian divers hunted on Friday for a second black box from an aircraft that crashed into the sea this week with the loss of all 189 people on board, as investigators tried to get data from a partly damaged recorder already found. The Lion Air Boeing Co 737 MAX, which only went into service in August, crashed on Monday into the Java Sea.

Dissident cartoonist cancels Hong Kong show after China 'threats'

Hong Kong organizers of an exhibition by a dissident Chinese-Australian cartoonist, a persistent thorn in the side of leaders in Beijing, cancelled the event in the Chinese-ruled city on Friday given what they said were threats by China. The exhibition by Badiucao was to have been his first international solo event. His work highlights themes including rights violations and abuse of power under Chinese Communist Party rule and he often satirizes President Xi Jinping.

Netanyahu condemns the killing of Saudi journalist but keeps a focus on Iran

Israel on Friday condemned the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul but said cooperating with Riyadh against Iran was a greater priority. In his first public reaction, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Khashoggi's death, which has caused global outrage, was "horrendous" and must be dealt with.

A problem for Ethiopia's leader: the young men who helped him to power

They were tortured for their political beliefs. They saw friends shot dead by security forces. They were forced to cut their hair and give up other cultural traditions. This year, they say, they caused a revolution. Young men from Ethiopia's Oromo, the country's largest ethnic group, proudly declare "we won" when describing their role in the rise of 42-year-old reformer Abiy Ahmed, also an Oromo, to become prime minister.

Erdogan adviser said Khashoggi's body was dismembered and dissolved: newspaper

An adviser to Turkey's president has said the team that killed prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul cut up his body in order to dissolve for easier disposal, the newspaper Hurriyet reported on Friday. Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist critical of the Saudi government and its de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, disappeared after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul exactly one month go on Oct. 2.

Trump says had the good talk with China's Xi on trade, North Korea

U.S. President Donald Trump in a tweet on Thursday said he had a "very good" talk with Chinese President Xi Jinping on trade and North Korea and that the two planned to meet at the upcoming G-20 summit. "Just had a long and very good conversation with President Xi Jinping of China. We talked about many subjects, with a heavy emphasis on Trade," Trump wrote. "Those discussions are moving along nicely with meetings being scheduled at the G-20 in Argentina. Also had a good discussion on North Korea!"

(With inputs from Reuters)