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DPRK

US warned time running out for deal

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Tuesday repeated its assertions that the administration of President Donald Trump is running out of time to salvage nuclear negotiations, saying it's entirely up to the United States to choose what "Christmas gift" it gets from Pyongyang. The statement, attributed to a senior diplomat, came as Pyongyang continues to dial up pressure on Washington and Seoul ahead of top leader Kim Jong-un's end-of-year deadline for the US to offer mutually acceptable terms for a deal. Negotiations have faltered since a February summit between Kim and Trump broke down without an agreement. Working-level talks held in Sweden in October ended over what Pyongyang described as Washington's "old stance and attitude".

CHILE

21 die after bus plunges into ravine

Twenty-one people were killed after a bus plunged into a ravine in northern Chile, local authorities said on Monday. The accident, which occurred late on Sunday near Taltal, a community in Antofagasta Province, left a further 20 people injured, Taltal prosecutor Ricardo Castro told reporters. The double-decker bus had departed from the town of Antofagasta around 8:30 pm onway to Ovalle with some 50 passengers on board. According to reports, the bus was traveling along an alternative route to the highway in order to save time and the driver lost control of the vehicle at a point where the road slopes. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera expressed his "deep" regret for the loss of lives in a message on Twitter.

NEW ZEALAND

Clamp on foreign funds before poll

New Zealand moved to ban large foreign political donations and misleading social media advertisements on Tuesday amid concerns about offshore interference in next year's general election. Justice Minister Andrew Little said the move - which bars donations of more than $33 - was aimed at protecting New Zealand's democracy from a growing international threat. "We need to protect the integrity of our elections. These changes will reduce the risk of foreign money influencing our election outcomes," he said. But Little did not say which countries prompted the ban. New Zealand will go to the polls in late 2020, when center-left Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will seek a second term.

Xinhua

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