Ukraine and Russia-backed separatists in the country's war-torn east exchanged 200 prisoners on Sunday, swapping detained fighters for civilians and servicemen held captive in some cases for years in two breakaway regions.
Kiev handed over to separatists five riot policemen suspected of killing protesters during a pro-Western uprising in 2014 as part of the swap, sparking public outrage.
"The mutual release of the detainees has ended," the Ukrainian presidential office said in a statement on Facebook, adding that it would provide more details later.
The presidency said Kiev received 76 captives, while separatist officials said the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics took in a total of 124.
The head of the Lugansk stronghold, Leonid Pasechnik, congratulated his people on a new "victory" ahead of the New Year's festivities.
The exchange came after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky held their first face-to-face talks in Paris on ..

Ukraine rivals exchange 200 prisoners in controversial swap

PTI Automatic

A total of 2,231 people have died out of 3,373 declared cases of Ebola in the current epidemic in the DR Congo, according to the agency overseeing the response, health officials said Sunday.
Deadly unrest in the fragile state has hampered the fight against the disease during the latest epidemic, which broke out on August 1, 2018, with the eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri particularly badly hit.
Both areas, beset by violence for two decades, have seen repeated attacks on Ebola health workers by dozens of armed groups as well as on health sites set up to treat victims.
More than 200 civilians have been killed in the troubled east since November in clashes blamed on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militia group of Ugandan origin which officials blame for a string of massacres in recent weeks.
Health authorities meanwhile said Sunday that 341 suspected Ebola cases were being investigated, a day after the Multisectoral Committee for Epidemic Response (CMRE) monitoring the ...

DR Congo Ebola death toll 2,231 to date -- monitoring agency

A Turkish military plane on Sunday evacuated 16 gravely wounded victims of a devastating bombing that killed 79 people and overwhelmed local health services, in the latest attack on a city dogged by insecurity.
The aircraft also brought doctors to help treat the some 125 people injured in Saturday's blast, which happened when a vehicle packed with explosives detonated at a busy security checkpoint.
"The rescue mission continues since yesterday when the blast occurred and after long and diligent efforts, we have managed to evacuate 16 of the wounded people to Turkey for further medical treatment," Mogadishu mayor Omar Mohamed Mohamud told reporters at the airport.
No group has claimed the bloody attack, however President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has blamed Islamist group Al-Shabaab, which regularly carries out car bombings and other attacks on the capital, in their decade-long bid to topple the internationally-backed government.
Saturday's bombing was the deadliest since truck ...

Turkish military plane evacuates Somalia bomb victims

Borussia Dortmund have signed teenage goalscoring sensation Erling Braut Haaland from RB Salzburg, the German Bundesliga outfit announced on Monday.
In a statement, Dortmund revealed that the 19-year-old, who scored eight times in the group stage of this season's Champions League, had signed a contract until 2024 but did not mention a fee.
Haaland has caught the eye of clubs around Europe after scoring 28 goals in 22 games in all competitions so far this campaign, with RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann admitting earlier this month that they were trying for the Norway striker's signature.
"From the beginning I had the feeling I definitely wanted to switch to this club, to walk this path," Haaland said.
In a video posted to the Dortmund website, he wished Dortmund fans a happy new year as he pored over a 2020 to-do list topped with "learn German".
Earlier in December, the forward had been spotted by local media landing in the west German city to meet with club representatives.
"Despite 

Borussia Dortmund sign teen striking prodigy Haaland

Final scores on the fourth day of the first Test between South Africa and England at SuperSport Park on Sunday.
South Africa, first innings, 284
England, first innings, 181
South Africa, second innings, 272
England, second innings (overnight 121-1)
R Burns
c Rabada
b Nortje
84
D Sibley
c and b Maharaj
29
J Denly
lbw b Pretorius
31
J Root
c De Kock b  Nortje
48
B Stokes
b Maharaj
14
J Bairstow
c Hamza b Rabada
9
J Buttler
c Pretorius b Rabada
22
S Curran
c De Kock  b Rabada
9
J Archer c Van der Dussen b Nortje
4
S Broad
b Rabada
6
J Anderson
not out
0
Extras (B-8, LB-3, W-1)
12
Total (93 overs)
268
Fall of wickets: 1-92, 2-139, 3-158, 4-204, 5-222, 6-232, 7-251, 8-256, 9-262.
Bowling: Rabada 24-3-103-4, Philander 20-8-35-0, Nortje 17-4-56-3, Pretorius 16-6-26-1, Maharaj 16-3-37-2.

Centurion, Dec 29 (AFP) Final scores on the fourth day of the first Test between South Africa and England at SuperSport Park on Sunday.

South Africa broke down stubborn England resistance to win the first Test of their World Test Championship series by 107 runs at SuperSport Park on Sunday.
England needed 376 to win but despite some committed batting were bowled out for 268 on the fourth day of the five-day encounter.
An enthralling contest swung South Africa's way when left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj bowled Ben Stokes to halt a brief flurry of strokes as Stokes and captain Joe Root tried to lift the scoring rate before the second new ball was due.
The new ball then had an immediate impact with Kagiso Rabada having Jonny Bairstow caught at gully before Anrich Nortje claimed the crucial wicket of Root, who made a fighting 48 before he was caught behind.
It was the second time in the day Nortje claimed a wicket with the second ball of a new spell after he made the first breakthrough of the day by dismissing top-scorer Rory Burns for 84.
The remaining wickets fell quickly, with Rabada finishing with four for 103 and ...

South Africa see off stubborn England to claim 107-run victory

A Saudi court sentenced a Yemeni man to death Sunday for a knife attack on a Spanish theatre group, state television said, amid a controversial push to ease decades-old restrictions on entertainment.
The court also sentenced an accomplice to 12 and a half years in jail for the November 11 attack during a live performance in Riyadh, which state media linked to militant group Al-Qaeda, and which Madrid said left four performers wounded.
"The criminal court issues a preliminary ruling handing the death sentence to the perpetrator of the terrorist attack... in Riyadh," the official Al-Ekhbariya television reported.
The assailant, identified by Saudi police as a 33-year-old Yemeni, went on a stabbing spree during a musical in the capital's King Abdullah Park, one of the venues hosting the two-month "Riyadh Season" entertainment festival.
It was the first such assault since the ultra-conservative kingdom began easing restrictions on entertainment.
Last week, Al-Ekhbariya said the attacker ..

Saudi sentences Yemeni to death over Spanish theatre group stabbing

Dubai unveiled a 2020 budget on Sunday projecting record spending of USD 18.1 billion, up 17 percent on this year, as it seeks to revive its flagging economy.
The Gulf city state expects revenues too to rise sharply next year as it hosts Expo 2020, the global six-month trade fair set to open on October 20.
But it still foresees a deficit for the fourth year in a row of USD 700 million.
The government is hoping that Expo will draw some 25 million visitors, many of them from abroad, and is projecting a 25 percent increase in revenues to USD 17.4 billion.
Dubai is the only government in the Gulf not dependent on hydrocarbon revenues, and projects around 94 percent of income to come from non-oil sources.
Dubai is renowned for its skyscrapers, like the world's tallest building Burj Khalifa, but its key property sector has been sliding since 2014.
Last year, growth slowed to 1.94 percent, less half the 2017 figure and the worst in a decade.
It picked up slightly to 2.1 percent in the first .

Dubai plans record spending to revive flagging economy

A Saudi criminal court sentenced a Yemeni man to death Sunday for a knife attack on a Spanish theatre group performing in Riyadh last month, Al-Ekhbariya state television said.
The court also sentenced an accomplice to 12 years and six months jail for the November 11 attack which Riyadh has linked to militant group al-Qaeda, and which Madrid said left four performers wounded.

Saudi sentences to death Yemeni attacker on Spanish performers

A Turkish military plane arrived in Mogadishu on Sunday to evacuate those gravely wounded in a devastating bombing that killed 79 people and overwhelmed local health services, in the latest attack on a city dogged by insecurity.
The aircraft also brought doctors to help treat the some 125 people injured in Saturday's blast, which happened when a vehicle packed with explosives detonated at a busy security checkpoint.
No group has claimed the bloody attack, however Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has blamed Islamist group Al-Shabaab which regularly carries out car bombings and other attacks on the capital, in their decade-long bid to topple the internationally-backed government.
Saturday's bombing was the deadliest since truck exploded in 2017 near a fuel tanker, creating a fireball that killed over 500 people.
Farmaajo pinned the attack on the "terrorist organisation Al-Shabaab" in a televised message and slammed it as an attempt to "intimidate and terrorise the Somali public and to ...

Turkish military plane arrives to evacuate Somalia bomb victims

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said his team need to mirror the fighting spirit of century-maker Tom Blundell if they are to bounce back from their second-Test thrashing by Australia.
Opener Blundell was the last man out in Melbourne after compiling a battling 121 as team-mates threw their wickets away in the improbable 488-run chase to save the match.
Williamson called it a "magnificent" innings.
"Obviously it was hard work out there, the task was immense. But you look at some small positives... that was a truly fantastic innings," he said after the 247-run defeat -- their second Test loss inside four days.
"He led the way and it is important that we all take something from that.
"The effort from the bowlers throughout was something that is inspiring to us as a team, that never-give-up attitude.
"But at the same time if we are looking for areas to improve there are a few of them. We do need to try and put Australia under a bit more pressure before their first innings total gets .

Williamson urges more fighting spirit from New Zealand

Captain Tim Paine pointed to teamwork on Sunday as the crucial factor in Australia winning all four home Tests so far this summer -- and all inside four days.
After crushing Pakistan twice, they have now done the same to New Zealand, wrapping up their three-Test series against the Black Caps with a 247-run thrashing in Melbourne.
A first-innings Travis Head century, 85 from Steve Smith and 79 by Paine took the game away from the visitors after Australia lost the toss and were put into bat.
Pat Cummins, James Pattinson and Nathan Lyon then led the attack in dismissing New Zealand twice.
Paine said it was all about players stepping up when others were having an off day.
"I think it shows that we're starting to spread the load," he said.
"When we work together as a team and build pressure -- one day it's going to be Pat (Cummins), the next day it's going to be Nathan (Lyon), the next day it's going to be James Pattinson, another day it's going to be Mitchell Starc.
"We just keep driving .

Paine hails teamwork as Australia crush New Zealand

Ukrainian authorities and Russia-backed separatists in the war-torn east of the country on Sunday began a prisoner swap in a frontline operation that has stirred controversy.
As part of the swap, Kiev was expected to hand over to separatists several riot policemen suspected of killing protesters during a pro-Western uprising in 2014, in a move that sparked public anger.
"At the Mayorske checkpoint the process of releasing detained persons has begun," the official Twitter account of the Ukrainian president said.
It was still unclear how many people were involved in the exchange.
A representative of the separatist stronghold of Donetsk, Daria Morozova, said earlier that separatists would get 87 prisoners, while 55 people would be handed over to Kiev.
The two sides were seen preparing the exchange prisoners early Sunday, with vehicles arriving near the village of Odradivka, some 10 kilometres (6 miles) from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, an AFP correspondent reported from 

Prisoner exchange between Ukraine rivals begins in the east: Kiev

Tehran accused Paris on Sunday of "interference" in the case of an Iranian-French academic held in the Islamic republic, saying she is considered an Iranian national and faces security charges.
France said Friday it summoned Iran's ambassador to protest the imprisonment of Fariba Adelkhah and another academic, Roland Marchal of France, saying their detention was "intolerable".
Their imprisonment has added to distrust between Tehran and Paris at a time when French President Emmanuel Macron is seeking to play a leading role in defusing tensions between Iran and its arch-foe the United States.
"The statement by France's foreign ministry regarding an Iranian national is an act of interference and we see their request to have no legal basis," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said in a statement.
"The individual in question (Adelkhah) is an Iranian national and has been arrested over 'acts of espionage'," he said, adding that her lawyer had knowledge about the details of the .

Iran blasts France for 'interference' over jailed academic

An intruder stabbed and wounded five people at a rabbi's house in New York during a party to celebrate the Jewish festival of Hanukkah late Saturday, officials said.
The victims, all Hasidic members of the Jewish faith, were transported to local hospitals -- two in critical condition -- the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) tweeted after receiving a call at 9.50 pm.
A suspect has been taken into custody and a vehicle safeguarded, a spokesman for the NYPD told AFP.
Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, said in a statement that he was "horrified" by the "despicable and cowardly act", and had directed the State Police hate crimes task force to investigate.
"We have a zero tolerance for anti-Semitism in NY and we will hold the attacker accountable to the fullest extent of the law," he tweeted.
CBS New York reported that a man brandishing a machete went into the rabbi's property in Monsey, New York State, an area with a large Jewish population, and knifed at least three people ..

Five wounded in stabbing at New York rabbi's house

Nathan Lyon took four wickets as Australia thrashed New Zealand by 247 runs to win the second Test at Melbourne and the series Sunday with a battling century from opener Tom Blundell proving futile.
The Black Caps, chasing a massive 488 to win, were in serious trouble after a fiery James Pattinson ripped through the top order to leave them reeling at 38 for three.
But some fighting partnerships spearheaded by Blundell delayed the inevitable until Lyon worked his magic as the pitch deteriorated.
Blundell was last man out for a swashbuckling 121 -- his second Test century and his first for two years -- as New Zealand were dismissed for 240 with Trent Boult not batting after fracturing his hand in the first innings.
It was the second heavy defeat for the Black Caps, who lost by 296 runs in Perth and will be playing for pride only in the final Test at Sydney later this week.
"It's very pleasing. I thought the way we went about this Test from the moment we lost the toss was outstanding," ..

Australia thrash New Zealand despite battling Blundell century

Nathan Lyon took four wickets as Australia thrashed New Zealand by 247 runs to win the second Test at Melbourne and the series Sunday with a battling century from opener Tom Blundell proving futile.
The Blacks Cap, chasing a massive 488 to win, were dismissed for 240 in the evening session of the fourth day with Lyon taking 4-81 and Blundell last man out for 121.
It was the second heavy defeat for New Zealand, who lost by 296 runs in Perth and will be playing for pride only in the final Test at Sydney beginning later this week.

Australia beat New Zealand by 247 runs in second Test, win series

The number of deaths from a powerful storm that hit the Philippines on Christmas has climbed to 41, authorities said Sunday, with tens of thousands still in evacuation centres.
Typhoon Phanfone left the Philippines on Saturday after devastating several islands in the central Visayas, including popular tourist destinations, but the extent of the damage continued to grow as assessments came in.
The death toll of 41 -- up from 28 on Friday -- included three boat crew who died after their vessel capsized due to strong winds, a policeman electrocuted by a toppled post, and a man struck by a felled tree.
"We're hoping that there will be no more fatalities," national disaster agency spokesman Mark Timbal told AFP, with authorities still searching for 12 people missing.
The latest agency report showed over 1.6 million people were affected by the typhoon, which damaged over 260,000 houses and forced almost a hundred thousand people to flee to emergency shelters.
Many of the affected residents .

Philippines Christmas typhoon death toll climbs to 41

Tropical Cyclone Sarai was moving slowly away from Fiji on Sunday, leaving two people dead and more than 2,500 needing emergency shelter.
The cyclone damaged houses, crops and trees, cut power and forced the cancellation of several international flights, stranding holidaymakers visiting the island nation, which is a major tourist draw.
National Disaster Management Office director Vasiti Soko said an 18-year-old student drowned off the island of Kadavu.
"The man is believed to have been swept away by strong currents when he was swimming with his friends," she said.
The body of a man in his 40s was found on Sunday off the coast of the main island Viti Levu a day after he was swept away by strong currents when crossing a river.
Another person was in intensive care in hospital after being hit by a falling tree.
Soko said that at the height of the storm, there were 2,538 people packed into 70 evacuation centres although by Sunday evening 500 had been cleared to return home.
Electricity was 

Two dead, 2,500 seek emergency shelter in cyclone-battered Fiji

Multiple people were stabbed at a Jewish place of worship in upstate New York late Saturday night, a public affairs group said.
"At 9:50 this eve, a call came in about a mass stabbing... It's the house of a Hasidic Rabbi. 5 patients with stab wounds, all Hasidic, were transported to local hospitals," the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) tweeted.
Two people were reportedly in critical condition, OJPAC added.
CBS New York reported that a man brandishing a machete went into the rabbi's property in Monsey, New York State, an area with a large Jewish population, during a Hanukkah celebration and knifed at least three people before fleeing.
Yossi Gestetner, a co-founder of the OJPAC for the Hudson Valley region, told the New York Times one of the victims was a son of the rabbi.
"The house had many dozens of people in there," Gestetner said. "It was a Hanukkah celebration."
Police in the US have been battling a rash of attacks against Jewish targets in recent years.
Saturday's .

'Mass stabbing' at US rabbi's house

Hundreds of people demonstrated Saturday outside Morocco's parliament demanding the release of a journalist detained for criticising a judge in a tweet.
Omar Radi, 33, was detained Thursday in Casablanca and immediately put on trial for the tweet about a judge prosecuting protest leaders, his lawyer said.
If found guilty of insulting a magistrate the journalist could be sentenced to up to one year in jail. The next hearing is set for January 2, according to Radi's lawyer Said Benhammani.
Outside parliament crowds of supporters chanted "Free Omar", accused the government of "corruption" and said judges were "at the order" of authorities.
Radi's case has sparked an uproar as well among local and international human rights group who have denounced increased attacks on human rights and individual freedoms in Morocco.
"Radi's unjustified detention and trial comes amidst an increasingly suffocating atmosphere for Moroccan journalists, dissidents, and artists who speak out on social media," .

AFP

AFP

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