A powerful typhoon has brought heavy rains and strong winds to eastern Philippines, toppling trees, overturning tin roofs and cutting power lines in areas still bearing the scars of a super typhoon 13 months ago.

A 44-year-old British man, believed to be the fattest man in the world, has died from pneumonia following a lengthy battle with his weight.

The 21 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in east China's Fujian Province for more than a day were rescued today. Rescuers began pulling them out at 11:32 am. At a local hospital, their condition was described as fine.

And hereis a different take on what if Harry Potter was shot in India

Dismissing threats of outlawed Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed, Union Home minister Rajnath Singh today said "no one has the power to ruin India" and that a fitting reply will be given to any terror strike in the country.

A NASA spacecraft designed to one day fly astronauts to Mars has made a near-bullseye splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, wrapping up a flawless, unmanned debut test flight around Earth.

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck southwest China's Yunnan province on Saturday evening, the China Earthquake Networks Center said.The tremor was felt strongly at 6:20 p.m. at the Jinggu County, Pu'er City, which was jolted only about 16 hours ago by a 5.8-magnitude quake.

A CISF constable proved to be an "angel from heaven" for the father of a girl who says he will be able to conduct his daughter's wedding only because the former came to his aid and fought off robbers who had tried to snatch away his life savings.

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar was today admitted to a hospital here for treatment of pneumonia after he complained of cough and cold. "Dilip Kumar has been admitted for pneumonia. He is suffering from cough and cold. We have put him on antibiotic treatment. He is not in ICU," Dr Jalil Parkar of Lilavati Hospital told PTI.

West Bengal Transport Minister Madan Mitra, who had been summoned by CBI for questioning over the Saradha scam but could not face it due to illness, today said he was now fit and ready to face the grilling.

From the BBC: Joshua Wong, the teenage student who became an icon of Hong Kong's protests for greater democracy, has ended a hunger strike after four days.

BJP today criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her decision to not attend the chief ministers' meet called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow even as it asked her to rise above "partisan politics" for the development of her state.

American rapper Beanie Sigel is reportedly in a critical condition after being shot in the stomach. The 44-year-old rap artist was shot outside his home in Pleasantville, New Jersey on Friday morning, reported TMZ online. 

Rain lashed parts of the Philippines on Saturday as Typhoon Hagupit barreled toward the coast, bringing roaring winds and the threat of massive storm surges.

inamool Congress was ready to provide 'full support' to the Narendra Modi government at the Centre if there was "constructive work" for the benefit of all sections of people, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said today.

A day after four terror attacks set Kashmir Valley back on its heels, BJP today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go ahead with his election rally in Srinagar as scheduled on December 8.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today condemned the terror strikes in Kashmir valley yesterday calling it a 'shameful' attempt to attack Indian democracy.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said the government is determined to continue its fight against terrorism and their perpetrators in Jammu and Kashmir, which was yesterday rocked by multiple attacks, leaving 21people dead, including security personnel.   

Condemning the strikes as "cowardly", he said the sacrifices made by security personnel will not go in vain. "We (will) continue our fight against terror and their perpetrators," Parrikar tweeted late last night.   

"I condemn this cowardly act and assure that their(security personnel) sacrifice will not go in vain," he said. "I salute the soldiers and officers who sacrificed their lives while protecting our motherland," the minister said.   

2014 is the best year of job creation in the US since the 1990s with 2.65 million new jobs created during the period with still one month to go, President Barack Obama said today as he defended his economic policies.

"So far this year, our economy has created 2.65 million new jobs. That's the most of any year since the 1990s even with a full month to go. All told, our businesses have created 10.9 million new jobs over the past 57 months. And that's the longest streak of private-sector job creation on record," Obama said in his weekly address to the nation.

In November alone businesses created 314,000 new jobs, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet chief ministers tomorrow to discuss the structure, scope and role of the new body that will replace Planning Commission in the changed economic scenario under the new government.

"The prime minister will seek the views of the chief ministers on the shape and functions of the body which would replace the Planning Commission," said an official source.

According to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, empowering the states has been one of our critical beliefs. I do hope that after tomorrow's meeting, whatever decision will be taken, probably states will be in better position.

As per the agenda, Planning Secretary Sindhushree Khullar will make a presentation on the functions and contours of the new institution which will ultimately replace the Plan panel.

The youngest Indian to become a rated chess player, seven-year-old Dev Shah, has become the world champion in the Under-7 category in the World Schools Chess Championships that concluded at Juiz de Fora in Brazil on December 4.

Dev, a trainee of South Mumbai Chess Academy and student of Dhrubhai Ambani School, was among three boys who scored the highest score -- 7.5 points out of 9 -- to tie with Ochirbat Lkhahvajamts of Mongolia and Sindarov Islombek of Uzbekistan. The Mumbai boy was ruled the victor on account of a better aggregate score, said a media release.

Burdwan blast main accused Sahanur Alam, arrested by NIA yesterday, remanded to 14-day police custody.

Condoling the death of security personnel and civilians in the terror attacks in Kashmir Valley, Rahul Gandhi today said that these "destabilising attempts need to be crushed with resolve".

"I salute the martyrs of the armed and police forces and convey my deepest condolences to the families of the civilians killed in the deplorable and deliberate terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir," the Congress vice president said in a statement. He further said that these destabilising attempts, being escalated from across the border in Pakistan, need to be crushed with resolve.

"And the Congress party stands firm with the people of the state and government agencies in their efforts to counter terror and terrorists," Gandhi said.

A US journalist held by Al Qaeda in Yemen has died after a military operation to rescue him, US media reports say.

Luke Somers was shot by his captors during a raid and later died, a US official told the New York Times.

UK-born Somers, who was kidnapped in Yemen in 2013, had appeared in a video appealing for help.

Photograph: Reuters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid rich tributes to the architect of the Constitution Babasaheb Ambedkar on his 58th death anniversary which is also being observed as Mahaparinirvana Diwas.

"On his Mahaparinirvana Diwas, I bow to the venerable Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. His contribution to the nation is eternal and invaluable," Modi tweeted.

The PM, who paid floral tributes at Ambedkar's portrait in Parliament, said, "Dr Ambedkar was a man ahead of his time and we remember his efforts to eradicate social evils and the importance he gave to education."

Noting that Ambedkar had become "a voice for the oppressed and downtrodden", Modi said, "His ideals and thoughts continue to guide us in our quest for an equal society."

Sitarist Anoushka Shankar, daughter of late sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, has been nominated in the Best World Music Album category for her album, 'Traces of You' at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.

Anoushka has been nominated for the coveted award thrice in the past. 'Traces of You' is her seventh album, and features her half-sister, Norah Jones, on the track 'The Sun Won't Set.'

'Traces of You' brings Anoushka together with London-based producer Nitin Sawhney to interweave Indian and electronic musical influences. Writer-education activist Neela Vaswani has also been nominated.

Nepal has stopped the telecast of one of the episodes of a popular satirical TV show on its national channel for reportedly caricaturing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the country twice within four months.

Nepal Television prevented the telecast of one of the episodes of TV show 'Tito Satya', meaning bitter truth, yesterday. The NTV's editorial board withdrew 576th episode of the show, citing that some part of the episode need to be edited, Prakash Jung Karki, programme director of the television channel, said.

A top Al Qaeda terrorist indicted in the United States over a foiled plot to bomb the New York City subway was killed in Pakistan today, the army said.

Adnan el Shukrijumah, who was indicted in July 2010 for his alleged role in planned terror attacks in the US and Britain, was killed along with two others in a raid in South Waziristan, the military said in a statement to NBC News.

He was in charge of Al Qaeda's global operations. 

A major fire has broken out at a film studio in Hiranandani Gardens, Powai in Mumbai.

Eight fire engines have been rushed to the spot. No casualties have been reported yet.

According to Traffline Mumbai, roads inside Hiranandani Gardens have been blocked.       

A Std 6 boy has been killed in a blast outside DAV College in Roorke, Uttarakhand.

There was an explosive after the child picked something out of a garbage dump, said sources in the police force.

More details are awaited.   

Ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's India visit, the US has said it would not impact President Barack Obama's trip to the country in January but warned now was not the right time to do business with Russia.

"It is possible to have good relationships with multiple countries even when we disagree on things," State Department deputy press secretary Marie Harf told reporters.

"But again, it is not, to my knowledge, impacting any visits one way or the other," said Harf when asked about Putin's visit to India next week.

The visit, expected to focus two-way trade which currently stands at $10 billion, will be Putin's first since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over in May.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tributes to martyrs of Jammu and Kashmir terror attacks during an election rally in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.

"Lt Col Sankalp Kumar of Jharkhand will be remembered. I pay a special tribute to him. I pay my respects to all the soldiers who lost their lives yesterday," he said. 

"Yesterday, in Kashmir terrorists made a shameless attempt to attack India's democracy," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is is "right in blaming the rural background of Sadhvi Niranjan for her abusive language", says a Pawan Khera, a political analyst with the Congress.

Read the complete column here

CNN-IBN reports: Minister of State for Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh today condemned the terror attack on four towns of Jammu and Kashmir and said terrorists wanted to disrupt the state assembly polls as there has been a high voter turnout in the first two phases.

Singh said, "It is that terrorists want to disrupt polls. There has been an increase in infiltration bids by terrorists. I don't see any fall in polling percentage."

Read the full report here

Despite Friday's serial terror strikes in Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go ahead with his programme to address two election rallies on Monday, sources in the PMO said.

Modi condemned the terror attacks in Kashmir, saying these are "desperate attempts" to derail the atmosphere of hope created by the increased voter turnout. The coordinated attacks were carried out in places which are going to polls on December 9.

Rich tributes were today paid to the architect of Constitution, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his 58th death anniversary, observed as 'Mahaparinirvan Din' by thousands of followers from all over the state who converged at his memorial 'Chaityabhoomi' near Shivaji Park in Dadar.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Education Minister Vinod Tawde were among the leaders who paid homage to Ambedkar at 'Chaityabhoomi'.

At Mantralaya, the state secretariat, floral tributes were offered to the late leader. At Vidhan Bhawan, Legislature staff paid tributes to Ambedkar.

The gravest attack on Friday was on an army camp in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir. Nine soldiers, including an officer, and three policemen were killed. Six terrorists were shot dead.

Sources say food packets and other items recovered from the terrorists had stamps of Pakistan. Six assault rifles and more than 50 magazines were found on the attackers. They had 10 grenades each, reports NDTV.

Jammu and Kashmir, which is in the middle of polls, witnessed a series of terror attacks on Friday. 

Read the full report here     

China's former top domestic security official, Zhou Yongkang, has been arrested as part of a corruption probe, the country's state-run Xinhua news agency reports.

Zhou -- who had been one of nine members of China's top decision-making body, the Politburo Standing Committee, before stepping down in late 2012 -- was also expelled from the Communist Party, according to Xinhua, citing a decision made Friday at a meeting of the party central committee's political bureau.

The decision comes amid a much touted anti-corruption campaign launched by President Xi Jinping, one that has already ensnared several men who had once been prominent figures in government and the ruling Communist Party, reports CNN. 

Also read: Zhou Yongkang: China's fallen security tsar

On the 22nd anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition today, Ayodhya is on high alert.

Ten thousand security personnel have been deployed amid calls by Muslim outfits to mark the day by hoisting black flags even as Hindu bodies seek to commemorate it. Prohibitory orders have been clamped in the city and mounted police will be among about 10,000 police and anti-riot personnel keeping a vigil, reports CNN-IBN. 

The local administration has laid a three-tier security cordon around the twin cities of Ayodhya and Faizabad. Officials of superintendent rank will be manning the key areas.

Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag will visit Srinagar today for a final farewell to the martyrs who were among 13 killed yesterday in a series of terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. 

The United States has strongly condemned the terrorist attacks in Kashmir ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's poll rally, and said it remained firm on its "commitment" to work with India to defeat terrorism in all forms.

"The United States strongly condemns Friday's terrorist attacks in Kashmir, which claimed the lives of innocent civilians, military, and police personnel," a senior State Department official said.

Kashmir Valley was yesterday rocked by four terror attacks by militants from across the border who stormed an army camp in Uri leaving 11 security personnel including a Lt Colonel dead and killed two civilians in Tral.

"The United States remains firmly committed to working in close partnership with India to defeat terrorism in all its forms," the State Department in a statement issued last evening.

Image: Soldiers engage in gunbattle with terrorists in Uri. PTI photo

Egypt's prosecutor general today ordered a probe into leaked audio tapes allegedly depicting a conversation among military and security officials, discussing how to forge trial evidence against ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. 

The United States today warned that now was not the right time to do business with Russia as Russian President Vladimir Putin prepared to visit India. 

France agreed on Friday to compensate Holocaust victims who had been deported via its state railway during World War II.

Pele has recorded a video message from his hospital room to thank his fans around the world for praying for him while he underwent treatment for a urinary tract infection. 

Key suspect in the Burdwan blast Shahnoor Alam, alleged to be the financial brain of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terror group, was arrested tonight by NIA with the help of central security agencies from Nalbari district of Assam.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate, China's top prosecuting body, said it had opened a formal probe against him.

A British tribunal today ruled that intelligence gathering practices used by the national electronic eavesdropping agency GCHQ do not constitute a privacy violation. 

The former flatmate and chauffeur of the notorious BBC presenter Jimmy Savile was found guilty today of a series of rapes and sexual assaults of young girls. Ray Teret, a 73-year-old former pirate radio DJ, was convicted of seven rapes and 11 indecent assaults, in relation to 11 victims. 

 Friends and family of Nelson Mandela laid wreaths Friday at a bronze statue of the late statesman to mark the anniversary of his death.

A senior Iranian official confirmed on Friday his country had conducted air strikes against Islamic State (Isis) extremists in Iraq, saying the action was carried out at the request of the Baghdad government but was not coordinated with the US.

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