Typhoon Haiyan: One of most powerful storms ever batters Philippines with winds up to 190mph
One of the most powerful typhoons on record has slammed into the Philippines, setting off landslides, knocking out power in one province and cutting communications in island regions.
At least two people have died.
Telephone lines appeared down as it was difficult to get through to the landfall site 405 miles south east of Manila where Typhoon Haiyan roared into the southern tip of Samar island before barrelling on to Leyte Island.
A villager was electrocuted in southern Surigao del Sur province and another was hit by tree felled by strong winds in central Cebu province, officials said.
Astronomers spot six-tailed asteroid
Hubble telescope used to zero in on object located in main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have spotted a freakish asteroid with six comet-like tails of dust streaming from its body like spokes on a wheel, scientists said yesterday.
“We were literally dumbfounded when we saw it,” said astronomer David Jewitt of the University of California at Los Angeles.
“It’s hard to believe we’re looking at an asteroid.”
Asteroids normally have no tails. The asteroid, known as P/2013 P5, first appeared as a fuzzy point of light in a sky survey by the Pan-Starrs 1 telescope in Hawaii in August.
Mid-ocean stand-off as Australian customs vessel tries to turn back asylum seeker boat to Indonesia
November 8, 2013 - 10:35AMMichael Bachelard
Indonesia correspondent for Fairfax Media
Australia and Indonesia were involved in a mid-ocean stand-off in the early hours of Friday morning as a customs vessel tried unsuccessfully to return a boatload of rescued asylum seekers to a reluctant Indonesia.
Australian authorities are liaising with their Indonesian counterparts in relation to a vessel that has requested assistance as the vessel is within Indonesia's Search and Rescue zone
Up to 56 asylum seekers were rescued from their wooden boat in Indonesia’s search and rescue zone by an Australian ship on Thursday and, rather than taking them to Christmas Island, the crew sought to return them to Indonesia.
Zimbabwe opposition figure guilty after reporting vote fraud
A court in Zimbabwe on Thursday found an opposition official guilty of fraud and breaching electoral laws after he reported finding dumped ballot papers during the July general election.
Morgan Komichi, an aide of former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai, was arrested after telling the electoral commission that ballot papers marked for the opposition leader had been found dumped in a dustbin.
He made the discovery after security forces had voted at the Harare International Conference Centre in a special vote two weeks ahead of nationwide polling on July 31.
He was arrested after handing an envelope full of marked ballot papers to the authorities and has been held in custody ever since.
Colombia-FARC reach accord on ex-rebels' future political role (+video)
This is the second measure agreed to over the past year, and will allow ex-rebels to participate in politics if a broader peace agreement to end the conflict is reached.
A landmark agreement between leftist FARC rebels and the Colombian government over how the guerrillas could transition from violence into politics marks a crucial turning point on the road to end this country's 50-year internal conflict, though many pitfalls remain.
would take effect only once a broader agreement to end the conflict is reached.
On its own, the agreement is groundbreaking and forms the basis for future peace, says Christian Voelkel of the International Crisis Group, because it's the first time the FARC has publicly agreed to divorce violence from politics, and the government recognizes and accepts the FARC's political aspirations.
8 November 2013 Last updated at 09:23 GMT
Pakistanis react with dismay to new Taliban chief
Dejection and dismay has been the reaction of many people in Pakistan to the news that Mullah Fazlullah has been made head of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP).
He is seen as a particularly ruthless commander whose men in October 2012 shot teenaged schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai in the head as she was on a bus.
The world reacted with horror to the shooting, and her subsequent medical treatment drew international media attention - as has her ceaseless campaigning for the right of girls to have an education in northern Pakistan.
But Mullah Fazlullah's notoriety does not stem entirely from this incident.
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