At least one protester has died in the latest demonstrations in Chile, the National Institute of Human Rights (NHRI) confirmed Saturday, taking the overall death toll to 29 during months of unrest.
Friday's rally took place in Santiago's Plaza Italia, the epicenter of protests against President Sebastian Pinera's right-wing government since October.
The independent INDH, in a message on their official Twitter account, reported the fatality without giving further details.
The death brings the total number of those killed in the protests -- the most severe outbreak of social unrest since the end of the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet nearly 30 years ago -- to 29.
Demonstrators had gathered to protest on the last Friday of the year despite a heavy police presence.
Authorities have been trying to restore calm in downtown Santiago over the crisis as Chileans have taken to the streets to register their anger over inequality and to vent at the elites that control much of the country's ...

Death toll rises to 29 in Chile protests

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Spain pledged Saturday to send investigators to La Paz after its embassy staff were accused of trying to sneak into the Mexican diplomatic mission with several masked individuals, an action denounced by Bolivia as a "violation" of its sovereignty.
Bolivia's foreign ministry said the incident occurred on Friday when "people identified as staff members at Spain's embassy in Bolivia, accompanied by people with their faces covered, tried in a secretive and underhand manner to enter Mexico's diplomatic residence in La Paz".
Although the alleged intruders were stopped by Bolivian police, Foreign Minister Karen Longaric said La Paz had complained to Madrid in a letter about its "abuse" of diplomatic privileges which constituted a "serious trampling of Bolivia's sovereignty".
The letter would also be sent to the European Union, the Organisation of American States and the United Nations, Longaric said.
"Spanish embassy diplomatic and security staff in Bolivia are not authorised to carry ...

Spain to probe Mexico embassy incident that angered Bolivia

Hong Kong riot police arrested at least 15 people in clashes Saturday with dozens of pro-democracy protestors who targeted a mall near the border with China to demonstrate against mainland tourists and shoppers.
The fresh unrest ended a brief calm after protestors had battled riot police in shopping malls and streets of commercial districts across the city for three days over the Christmas period.
On Saturday afternoon, masked plain-clothed officers wielding batons arrested 14 people, including a 14-year-old girl, who were protesting inside the mall in Sheung Shui district, forcing shops to shut and harassing shoppers, an AFP reporter at the scene said.
Riot police charged into the mall to reinforce the officers and used pepper spray to disperse a crowd of residents who gathered to protest against the arrests.
After the police left, some protesters stayed on a footbridge linking the mall to an MTR metro station and harassed passers-by they thought were mainland Chinese ...

Hong Kong police arrest 15 in fresh shopping mall protests

The Sudanese government and nine rebel groups on Saturday signed an agreement on a roadmap towards ending the bloody conflict in the Darfur region.
The deal outlines different issues the parties will need to negotiate during the latest round of talks in Juba.
"We believe this is an important step," said Ahmed Mohamed, the chief negotiator on Darfur matters from the Sudan Revolutionary Front or SRF, a coalition of nine rebel groups involved in talks with the Sudanese government.
"This step no doubt will help the process to achieve a lasting peace in Darfur and also it will enable the transitional process in Sudan to move smoothly without hindrances," Mohamed told AFP.
Among the issues they agreed need to be tackled are the root causes of the conflict, the return of refugees and internally displaced people, power sharing and the integration of rebel forces into the national army.
The deal also states that the Sudanese government will address land issues, such as the destruction of ...

Sudan, rebels, agree plan to end conflict in Darfur

England were battling to save the first Test with South Africa after being set a challenging 376 to win on the third day at SuperSport Park on Saturday.
England survived a tricky short period at the start of their second innings and were 24 for no wicket at tea, needing another 352 to win.
Rory Burns was given out leg before wicket to Kagiso Rabada with his score on six in the first over but called for a review which showed the ball missing his off stump. He was unbeaten on 18 at the interval.
It was a rare moment of respite for the tourists, who gave up 200 runs in taking South Africa's last six wickets.
Fast bowler Jofra Archer claimed the third five-wicket haul of his short Test career, taking five for 102. But Archer was expensive and one of the main offenders as England persisted with short-pitched bowling for most of the morning on a pitch where a fuller length has challenged batsmen.
New cap Rassie van der Dussen (51) and nightwatchman Anrich Nortje (40) set the tone for South .

South Africa leave England with mountain to climb

The United Arab Emirates on Saturday denied reports that a popular mobile application developed in the country was used for government spying.
Apple and Google removed the ToTok app from their marketplaces last week following a report claiming it allowed the UAE government to track users' conversations, movements and other details.
But the country's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said in a statement that UAE laws "prohibit any kind of data breach and unlawful interception".
It continued: "The TRA reaffirms that all certified telecommunications applications in the UAE are in compliance with these standards." ToTok became popular by offering free calling and messaging to millions of users in countries like the UAE where internet calling services like Skype are blocked.
But US intelligence officials and a security researcher determined the app was being used by the UAE government for detailed surveillance, The New York Times reported on December 22.
Security researcher Patrick ..

UAE denies developing popular Mideast app as spy tool

Ukrainian authorities and pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country have agreed to swap dozens of prisoners on Sunday, the self-declared rebel republic of Donetsk said.
Both sides had said earlier this month they would carry out a prisoner exchange by the end of the year, following high-profile peace talks in Paris aimed at de-escalating Europe's only active war.
"Kiev and the Donbass (a term used to refer to rebel-held eastern Ukraine) have reached an accord on an exchange of prisoners... this Sunday December 29," Donetsk government spokeswoman Daria Morozova said in a statement.
She said two separatist territories Donetsk and Lugansk will get 87 prisoners, while 55 others will be handed over to Kiev, without giving details on the identity of those involved.
The prisoner exchange is expected to take place near the town of Gorlivka in the separatist-held Donetsk region.
Russian media reported that the operation will take place on the front line.
Ukrainian authorities refused .

Ukraine rivals to swap prisoners Sunday: separatists

Chinese lawmakers Saturday voted to abolish the "custody and education" punishment system, which allowed police to hold sex workers and their clients without charge for up to two years, state media reported.
Critics say the nearly three-decade-old system has little to do with education.
"Sex workers are subjected to police violence... forced labour, compulsory testing for sexually transmitted disease... humiliation and physical violence at these centres," said Shen Tingting, director of advocacy and policy at Asia Catalyst, an NGO working with marginalised groups in the region.  Abolishing this system is a "significant positive step," she said.
The arbitrary detention system will cease from December 29, and those held at "education centers" should be released immediately, state news agency Xinhua reported.
There has been a public push to close the centres ever since China's top legislative committee abolished its system of "re-education through labour camps" in 2013.
Shutting the ...

China bans 'custody and education' punishment for sex workers

Kazakhstan observed a national day of mourning on Saturday a day after 12 people died when an airliner crashed shortly after takeoff and slammed into a house.
The jet carrying nearly 100 passengers operated by budget carrier Bek Air was torn apart and its nose crushed on impact with a building in the country's biggest city Almaty, but many on board managed to walk away without serious injury.
In the capital Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan's largest flag was at half-mast while officials made urgent appeals for blood donations to help injured survivors.
Neighbouring Russia and China were among the countries to join the Vatican and the European Union in expressing condolences to the former Soviet Central Asian republic.
Officials say the Fokker 100 plane's tail hit the tarmac twice on Friday during take-off before it came down and crashed into the concrete building, splitting into two.
According to Kazakh emergency authorities, the 12 dead included the pilot. Another 47 passengers out of the 98 ..

Kazakhstan observes day of mourning after fatal jet crash

Rassie van der Dussen and Anrich Nortje shared the biggest partnership of the match as South Africa moved 300 ahead of England at lunch on the third day of the first Test on Saturday.
South Africa were 197 for seven at SuperSport Park, with new cap Van der Dussen (51) and nightwatchman Nortje (40) putting on 91 for the fifth wicket before being parted half an hour before lunch as England endured a frustrating morning.
The tourists fought back by taking three wickets, including both overnight batsmen and all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius. Two of the wickets fell to fast bowler Jofra Archer, who had figures of four for 83 at lunch.
First innings top-scorer Quinton de Kock added to England's frustrations, however, by scoring 30 not out off 17 balls. Three of his first four scoring shots were sixes, hooked off Archer despite fielders being placed on the boundary at long leg and fine leg.
England captain Joe Root was off the field for about 40 minutes on either side of the morning drinks break .

South Africa stretch first Test lead over England to 300

A rocket attack in northern Iraq killed an American contractor and wounded several military personnel Friday, the first US casualties from a string of recent strikes, the international coalition against the Islamic State group said.
While the coalition did not attribute blame for the incident, it threatens to escalate already-high tensions between Washington and Tehran, which backs various paramilitary groups in Iraq that the United States has accused of being behind rocket attacks on its interests.
"One US civilian contractor was killed and several US service members and Iraqi personnel were wounded in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base in Kirkuk," the US-led coalition said in a statement.
Federal security forces and Shiite militia units -- as well as Islamic State (IS) group sleeper cells -- all have a presence in volatile Kirkuk province, which is claimed by both Iraq's Kurdish minority and Arab majority.
"Iraqi Security Forces are leading the response and investigation" ...

Iraq rocket attack kills US contractor, wounds military personnel

Ukrainian authorities and pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country have agreed to swap several dozen prisoners on Sunday, the self-declared rebel republic of Donetsk said.
"Kiev and the Donbass (a term used to refer to rebel-held eastern Ukraine) have reached an accord on an exchange of prisoners... this Sunday December 29," Donetsk government spokeswoman Daria Morozova said in a statement.
There was no immediate confirmation from Kiev, but both sides said earlier this month they would carry out a prisoner exchange by the end of the year, following high-profile peace talks in Paris.
The swap would come three months after Ukraine carried out a long-awaited exchange with Russia of 35 prisoners each.
More than 13,000 people have been killed and one million have fled their homes since pro-Russia militias in eastern Ukraine launched a bid for independence in 2014 -- kicking off a conflict that deepened Russia's estrangement from the West.
At the Paris summit on December 23, the ..

Ukraine separatists say to swap prisoners with Kiev Sunday

In bars across the United States, one product -- whether in bottles or on tap -- has become an absolute necessity for maintaining "cool" status: India Pale Ales (IPAs).
Over the past 10 years, Gene Barnett has worked in no fewer than seven bars in the nation's capital and the surrounding region.
Like many bartenders, he noticed an almost excessive thirst for IPAs, easily recognized by their marked bitterness, the result of a high hops concentration.
In his bar in the trendy U Street area in Washington, the most popular beer is an IPA. In a beer hall where he used to work, "we had 12 taps, and we would have three, four or five IPAs on tap, because there was such a huge demand for it," he said, sitting at a bar table.
In the massive beer family tree, IPAs make up only one small branch.
But "nobody was looking for your Pilsner; nobody was looking for your stout; they were looking for your IPA, because that was what was moving at the time," said the chatty 40-year-old bartender.
Although .

US drinkers hopped up for IPA beers

England captain Joe Root and wicketkeeper Jos Buttler joined England's lengthening sick list on the third day of the first Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park on Saturday.
Buttler did not take the field at the start of play because he was feeling "unwell".
Jonny Bairstow kept wicket and was due to keep the gloves at least until lunch. Root was on the field at the start but left before the morning drinks break. An England spokesman said both Root and Buttler remained at the ground but were in quarantine.
Illness has swept through the touring party, with Jack Leach, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood remaining in quarantine at the team hotel on Saturday together with two members of the support staff. Ollie Pope had recovered enough to travel to the ground and was expected to train during the day.

Root, Buttler join England sick list

South Africa's Aiden Markram has been ruled out of the rest of the Test series against England with a fracture to his left finger, Cricket South Africa announced on Saturday.
Opening batsman Markram suffered the injury on the second day of the first Test at SuperSport Park on Friday.
In a statement, Cricket South Africa said the fracture to his left fourth finger will require surgery and will keep him out of action for at least six weeks.
Markram was playing in his first Test since October, when he injured his right wrist after punching a wall in frustration following his dismissal in the second Test against India in Pune.
He had already batted in the second innings against England, scoring two after making 20 in the first innings.
South Africa named a 17-man squad for the series, which includes another specialist opening batsman in Pieter Malan, who plays for the Cape Cobras.
The Cobras home ground is Newlands in Cape Town, where the second Test starts on January 3.

Finger fracture ends Markram's England series

Twenty bodies have been recovered from a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a ferry blaze, local officials said Saturday.
The boat, which was transporting dozens of passengers as well as goods, caught fire overnight Monday in Tshimbinda, a village near Tshikapa, the capital of the central province of Kasai.
A report by a naval force in charge of waterway security in the DRC said a member of the crew lit a cigarette just as his comrades were filling up the boat with fuel.
It said 17 bodies were found on Tuesday and another three on Friday along the Kasai river, a tributary of the Congo River.
Several other people suffered burns and a number remain missing, the report said, without giving the total number of people on board the boat at the time of the fire.
Lake and river transport is widely used in the vast country as the highway system is poor, but accidents are common, often caused by overloading and the unsafe state of vessels.

20 bodies recovered from DR Congo river after ferry blaze

Ten Afghan soldiers were killed in a Taliban attack on a military base in the southern province of Helmand on Saturday, officials said.
The Taliban dug a tunnel into the base in volatile Sangin district and then blew it up before their fighters could attack the compound, Nawab Zadran a spokesman for 215 Maiwand Army Corps in southern Afghanistan told AFP.
"There were 18 soldiers in the base at the time of the attack providing security for the people of Sangin. Four soldiers were wounded and four repelled the Taliban attack bravely," he said.
Provincial spokesman Omar Zawak confirmed the attack and said the soldiers were killed by the powerful blast inside the base.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in a statement sent to media claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack in Helmand comes as local and international forces brace for another deadly winter amid US-Taliban talks to end the violence in Afghanistan.
On Tuesday, seven Afghan soldiers were killed in a Taliban attack on 

Taliban kill 10 Afghan soldiers in attack on base

New Zealand pace spearhead Trent Boult fractured his non-bowling hand Saturday and will miss the third Test against Australia in a big blow for the Black Caps.
The veteran, who has only just returned from injury, was struck on the glove by a Mitchell Starc bouncer late in New Zealand's first innings 148 on day three of the second Test in Melbourne.
He needed medical attention but bowled in Australia's second innings.
"Trent Boult will return home to New Zealand following the second Test after suffering a fracture to the second-metacarpal of his right hand," a team spokesman said.
"He will require around four weeks of rehabilitation." A replacement is yet to be announced.
It was a bitter pill for Boult who missed New Zealand's last two Tests, against England and Australia, with a rib injury.
"Obviously gutting news for Trent and for our group to have someone like that ruled out with his injury. Disappointing," said New Zealand opener Tom Latham.

New Zealand pace spearhead Boult fractures hand

A massive car bomb exploded in a busy area of the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday, leaving more than 20 people dead, police and witnesses said.
"The blast was devastating, and I could confirm more than 20 civilians killed, there were many more wounded, but the toll can be higher," police officer Ibrahim Mohamed told AFP.
"I have counted twenty-two dead bodies, all of them civilians and there were more than thirty others wounded, this was dark day," said Ahmed Moalim Warsame, who witnessed the explosion.
The explosion occurred in a busy area prone to heavy traffic due to a security checkpoint and a taxation office.
"This was a devastating incident because there were many people including students in buses who were passing by the area when the blast occurred," said another witness Muhibo Ahmed.
Sakariye Abdukadir, who was near the area when the car bomb detonated, said the blast "destroyed several of my car windows". "All I could see was scattered dead bodies... amid the blast and .

Car bomb leaves over 20 dead in Mogadishu: police, witnesses

New Zealand were facing a massive run chase to save the second Test and the series after they were dismissed for 148 here on Saturday, with Australia batting again to rub salt in the wounds and extend their lead.
At the close on day three, the home team were 137 for four, building on their first innings 467 to be 456 runs in front.
First innings century-maker Travis Head was not out 12 and Matthew Wade was on 15, with skipper Tim Paine so far resisting the temptation to declare.
New Zealand began the day already in trouble on 44 for two, having lost batting kingpin Kane Williamson and makeshift opener Tom Blundell in a fiery bowling spell late Friday.
They didn't survive long with a world-class pace barrage from Pat Cummins, James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc destroying their middle order.
Paine could have enforced the follow-on, but opted to bat again and Australia raced to 62 without loss before Neil Wagner tempted David Warner into a drive on 38 and he was caught by ...

Stunned New Zealand fight to save second Australia Test

A massive car bomb blast left more than 20 people dead and many others wounded in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday, police and witnesses said.
"The blast was devastating, and I could confirm more than 20 civilians killed, there were many more wounded, but the toll can be higher," said police officer Ibrahim Mohamed.
"I have counted twenty-two dead bodies, all of them civilians and there were more than thirty others wounded, this was dark day," said Ahmed Moalim Warsame, who witnessed the explosion.

AFP

AFP

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