Parts of Australia, including Sydney, sweltered through the hottest November night on record with temperatures likely to stay high on Sunday, prompting authorities to issue a total fire ban.
Sydney CBD surpassed 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) on Saturday while swathes of western New South Wales, South Australia and northern Victoria baked through even higher temperatures nearing 45 degrees.&nbsp;Temperatures are expected to cross 40 degrees for a second straight day on Sunday while the Bureau of Meteorology has predicted a five or six-day heatwave for parts of northern New South Wales and southeast Queensland.
The predictions for soaring temperatures prompted the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to say demand may exceed supply in New South Wales on Sunday afternoon.&nbsp;Australia has been experiencing hotter and longer summers with last season dubbed “Black Summer” by Prime Minister Scott Morrison due to unusually prolonged and intense bushfires that burned nearly 12 million hectares (30 million acres), killed 33 people and an estimated 1 billion animals.
The Rural Fire Service issued a total fire ban for most of eastern and northeastern NSW for Sunday, saying there was a “very high to severe fire danger forecast” as hot, gusty winds exacerbate dry conditions.

Australia has been experiencing hotter and longer summers

People gather at Bondi beach in Sydney, Australia on Saturday as temperatures soar past 40 degrees Celsius

Severe fire danger for Australia as temperatures smash records

Increased patrols and technology will be deployed along France's beaches under a new agreement between Paris and London aimed at stopping illegal migration across the Channel.
A growing number of migrants have tried to reach Britain across the perilous and busy shipping lane in recent months, with four deaths recorded in 2019 and seven so far this year.
The deal will see French patrols doubled from December 1, with drones and radar used to detect those attempting to cross, Britain's Home Secretary Priti Patel said Saturday.
Welcoming the deal, Patel said it would help the two countries with their "shared mission to make channel crossings completely unviable".
The issue has been a source of tension, with Britain accusing France of not doing enough to stop the crossings.
In September, French authorities said they had intercepted more than 1,300 people trying to reach Britain, including a handful who had attempted to swim the 30-odd kilometres (18 miles) across the Channel.
Around 6,200 attempted the crossing between January 1 and the end of August, with inflatable boats, paddleboards, kayaks or even lifejackets to keep them afloat.
Northern France has long been a magnet for people seeking to smuggle themselves to Britain in small boats or in one of the thousands of trucks and cars that cross over daily on ferries and trains.

Northern France has long been a magnet for people seeking to smuggle themselves to Britain

Migrants trying to illegally cross borders

Britain and France sign fresh deal to reduce migrant crossings

Chestnuts roasting, mulled wine steaming and music blaring from wooden chalets lined with artificial snow - the Landshut Christmas market in southern Germany has all the usual trimmings.
But this year, visitors must enjoy the sights and smells of the traditional Christmas market from inside their cars due to precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Every night after dark, several dozen vehicles roll into the Christmas market drive-in, their occupants cosy and socially distanced inside.
Once through the gates, they must wait for an employee wearing a mask and a Christmas hat to knock on their window and offer them a menu of savoury treats to choose from, such as crepes, sausages and roasted chestnuts.
Orders placed, they can then drive on to the next hut offering sweets such as candy floss or gingerbread hearts.
-We take our inspiration from fast-food chains- smiles Patrick Schmidt, 31, market organiser and owner of the Zollhaus Landshut restaurant.

-We wanted to recreate a bit of the Christmas atmosphere, even if it's more complicated this year.-&nbsp;The market is a way of helping his business get through "a difficult time", he said.

As Germany battles a second wave of coronavirus infections, leisure and sporting facilities have been ordered to close while restaurants and bars can only offer takeaways.
The restrictions also include limits on social gatherings and have been a huge blow to Germany's 3,000 or so annual Christmas markets.
The markets have been an annual fixture in Germany since the 15th century, when craftsmen and bakers were given special permission to ply their wares in town squares in the run-up to Christmas.
But many German cities have cancelled their Christmas markets entirely this year, despite the huge financial losses -- the markets draw about 160 million visitors annually and bring in revenues of three to five billion euros ($3.6 billion and $5.9 billion), according to the BSM stallkeepers' industry association.
To keep the spirit - and the economic benefits - of Christmas alive, cities across the country have come up with creative initiatives.

In Berlin's Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district, small clusters of huts have been spread across several streets, though food and drink cannot be consumed on site.
The world-famous Nuremberg Christmas market has been cancelled this year but managed to hold an online version of its traditional opening ceremony.
And in north-western Germany, the town of Kalkar is also offering a drive-in Christmas market.
The market in Landshut has been open since mid-November and is proving popular with locals, according to Schmidt. "Last Saturday we had 500 cars," he said.
And they're not just here for the mulled wine, served in thermos flasks to keep it warm - many are coming with the whole family in tow.
-I'm here to support the restaurants, because I miss them- said Markus Renneke, 55, visiting the market with his wife. -And I think it's a great idea.-
Sandra, joined by her teenage daughter Laura, is here to enjoy that special Christmas market "atmosphere".
-You have to put a bit of time aside and there are no stands selling anything but food, but that's OK- she said as a waitress arrived with two grilled sausages.
Her daughter, "starving", cannot resist starting to tuck into her sausage before the final stop: the checkout.
Once they've settled up, customers are free to return home basking in the glow of mulled wine - apart from the designated drivers, of course.

Schmidt: We take our inspiration from fast-food chains- smiles Patrick Schmidt

People visit with their cars a drive in Christmas market in Landshut, southern Germany

Drive-ins, scattered huts: German Xmas markets find ways around virus

London police said Saturday that they arrested more than 60 people as scuffles broke out when they moved to disperse thousands of people demonstrating against Britain's coronavirus restrictions.
-These were for a number of different offences, including breaching coronavirus restrictions. We expect this number to rise- Metropolitan Police said on their Twitter page.
Footage posted online showed police and protesters scuffling on main shopping throughfare Oxford Street after the march passed the centre of the capital.
Police earlier urged people gathering at Oxford Street and nearby Marble Arch to "leave the area and go home. If not, you may face arrest or enforcement action."
England is currently coming towards the end of its second national lockdown as it attempts to bring down infection rates during its second wave of the virus.
More than 57,000 people testing positive for coronavirus have died in Britain, the highest death toll in Europe

England is currently coming towards the end of its second national lockdown

Police arrest an anti-lockdown protesters near Regent Street in central London

60 arrested at London anti-lockdown protest

Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has teamed up with Marcus Rashford to tackle child food poverty.
United striker Rashford was awarded an MBE following his recent campaign which saw the government change their minds on providing free school meals for children during holidays.
Now the 23-year-old has said Ferguson is set to pledge up to £2 million ($2.6 million) towards the FareShare charity for which Rashford is an ambassador.
An appeal in the Times is aiming to raise funds and Rashford revealed Ferguson, alongside billionaire Michael Moritz, will match donations up to the aforementioned sum and described the news as "incredible".
Ferguson, 78, grew up in Glasgow in tough conditions and believes Rashford has done a great job in highlighting the plight facing families across Britain.
-You have to be shocked at the number of people who are in need of food-" he said in an interview with the Times.
-Marcus has opened the eyes of everyone in Britain. The work he's done has been fantastic and we're all so proud of him because of that.
--What Marcus has done is he's led the way - people will say, 'That boy he's only 23 years of age'. People who are in their later ages... should be saying, 'I can do something'.-
Rashford never played under Ferguson, making his United debut as an 18-year-old three years after the legendary boss retired in 2013.

Ferguson grew up in Glasgow in tough conditions

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford

Ferguson teams up with Rashford after making poverty pledge

Five patients were killed in India on Friday in a fire that broke out in a COVID-19 ward, the fourth blaze in a novel coronavirus hospital since the outbreak began, which drew angry questions from the Supreme Court.&nbsp;The early morning blaze in Rajkot city in the western state of Gujrat gutted the intensive care unit (ICU) of the private hospital, television footage showed. The most likely cause was an electrical short circuit, said government official Udit Agarwal.
-Three of the patients in the ICU died on the spot, and two others succumbed on way to hospital. The two other patients in the ICU were unhurt,- Agarwal told Reuters.&nbsp;India has recorded 9.3 million infections, the second-highest in the world after the United States, and more 135,00 deaths. On Friday, the health ministry said it reported 43,082 new cases and 492 deaths in the past 24 hours.
The latest fire angered India’s top court, which asked both the federal and state governments to submit a detailed reply on recurring fires in COVID-19 hospitals.
In August, eight COVID-19 patients were killed in a fire in the ICU ward of a hospital in Ahmedabad, the largest city of Gujarat.&nbsp;Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hails from the state, said on Twitter that he was pained by the loss of lives on Friday.
Modi will visit three companies working on coronavirus vaccines, including one in Gujarat, on Saturday, his office said in a post on Twitter.

India has recorded 9.3 million infections, the second-highest in the world

Gujarat: 5 COVID-19 patients killed as fire breaks out at Rajkot hospital

Five COVID-19 patients killed in Indian hospital fire

French President Emmanuel Macron was “very shocked” by images purporting to show a Black music producer being beaten up and racially abused by Paris police, BFM TV reported, quoting comments given to it by the presidency.
French authorities are investigating allegations that the music producer was physically assaulted and racially abused during a police check after CCTV footage of the incident was released.&nbsp;The beating inside the entrance of a building was captured on closed circuit television and mobile phone footage which circulated online and was headline news on French TV channels.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told France 2 television on Thursday that the officers would be sanctioned if the alleged wrongdoing was confirmed.The alleged victim, who has only given his identity as Michel, told reporters he was jumped on by police at his music studio in Paris’s 17th arrondissement (district) on Nov. 21.
He said he had been walking in the street without a face mask - against French COVID-19 health protocols - and, upon seeing a police car, went into his nearby studio to avoid getting a fine. However, he said, the police followed him inside and began to assault and racially abuse him.

The beating inside the entrance of a building was captured

French president "very shocked" by alleged police beating of Black man: BFM TV

Germany, once a beacon of hope in Europe's coronavirus nightmare, logged its one millionth case on Friday, as questions emerged over just how much protection is offered by one of the leading vaccine candidates.
Like much of the continent, Germany is battling a resurgence of a pandemic that shows little sign of retreating before the release of several leading inoculations.
But the developers of one of the jabs, British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, said Thursday that further research was needed after mixed results were produced in a late-stage trial.
The complication came as millions of Americans gathered for Thanksgiving in defiance of Covid-19 guidelines, despite the US registering a six-month high of more than 2,400 deaths.
Germany had largely contained the spread of the virus in the spring but has been hit hard by a second wave of infections.
Its Robert Koch Institute for disease control recorded more than 22,000 new daily cases on Friday, pushing the country's total beyond the one million mark.
The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care nationwide has soared from just over 360 in early October to more than 3,500 last week.
Europe's biggest economy has shuttered restaurants, bars, sporting facilities and cultural venues, though schools and shops remain open.
But the rules will be temporarily eased over Christmas and New Year to accommodate the celebrations, allowing meetings of up to 10 adults from December 23 to New Year's Day.&nbsp;

Many nations are pinning their hopes on a vaccine to end the misery, with two jabs on the cusp of approval by authorities after showing about 95 percent efficacy in trials.
But a third candidate by AstraZeneca faced uncertainty Friday after researchers accidentally discovered it performed best when a half dose is given followed by a full one, rather than two full doses.
The vaccine has nevertheless been submitted to Britain's regulator for approval.
In the meantime much of the world faces a gloomy winter dampened by lockdowns, economic anxiety and devastating human loss.
US President-elect Joe Biden however offered a message of hope on Thursday in a Thanksgiving video address that rallied Americans to pull together to defeat the outbreak.
-I know better days are coming, I know how bright our future is. I know the 21st century is going to be an American century- he said.
Biden said he normally travels to the New England coast for a big family feast but would be staying home in Delaware this year for a small get-together.
-I know this isn't the way many of us hoped we'd spend our holiday. We know that a small act of staying home is a gift to our fellow Americans- he said.
But Trump's White House urged "all Americans to gather, in homes and places of worship" despite the health risk. 
Anthony Fauci, America's top infectious disease expert, said he was expecting "a surge superimposed upon a surge" caused by the holiday festivities despite many being toned down.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, a cherished tradition nearly a century old featuring giant balloons and colourful floats, went ahead in a truncated made-for-TV celebration across just one city block, with no crowds and much of it pre-recorded.

Globally, more than 60 million infections and 1.4 million deaths have been recorded since the new coronavirus emerged in China late last year, according to a tally compiled by AFP from official sources.
Countries that have seen strong success against the virus are now cracking down on new outbreaks.
South Korea closed bars and nightclubs this week as it braces for a third major wave, with virus cases at their highest level since March.
Britain and France meanwhile are mulling easing lockdowns soon, but authorities have said restrictions will remain.
-Basically what the prime minister is trying to do is save our lives, and I don't think people understand the seriousness of it- said David Walker, 75, a care worker in Darlington, north England.
-I think common sense has gone out of the window.-

They are hit hard by a second wave of infections

Customers stand on a balcony next to Christmas decorations in a shopping mall in Berlin.

Germany hits million virus cases as vaccine doubt emerges

Newly elected US President Joe Biden has confirmed that the Western Balkans will be among his foreign policy priorities, Avaz finds out. Namely, the office of the newly elected president of the USA announced what Biden talked about with the leaders of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance.
Newly elected president stressed the importance of US-EU co-operation on issues of common interest, including Iran, Belarus, Ukraine and the Western Balkans – among other things, it is stated in the official statement of Biden's transition team.
In this way, all previous predictions that Biden will strengthen the role of the United States in the region, and especially in B&amp;H, have been confirmed. Also, more specifically, Biden talked about the Balkans with European Council President Charles Michel.
- Newly elected president underlined his commitment to strengthening democracy, joint action and cooperation on common challenges, such as Iran, Belarus, Ukraine and the Western Balkans - it was stated.
The Western Balkans are therefore mentioned in terms of EU-US cooperation, which will be strengthened in the coming period. This indicates that Biden will act together with the leaders from Brussels, which can be crucial in the progress of our country towards membership in the EU and NATO.

Newly elected  US President Joe Biden officialy lined up priorities

Biden will strengthen the US role in the region

On Western Balkans US will act together with EU!

French winter sport resorts are free to open for the Christmas holiday season, Prime Minister Jean Castex said Thursday, but ski lifts will have to remain shut.
President Emmanuel Macron warned Tuesday that coronavirus risks made it "impossible" to allow winter sports to resume quickly, adding he hoped that restrictions could be lifted in January.
France's 350 ski resorts have been up in arms over the decision, saying the weeks around Christmas and New Year are crucial for their survival as they account for up to a quarter of their annual revenues.
Castex said mountain holidays were still on the cards but downhill skiing -- by far the most popular pastime for crowds of French and foreign skiers in Alpine and Pyrenees resorts -- was effectively ruled out.

-Naturally, everybody is free to travel to resorts to enjoy the clean air of our beautiful mountains, and the shops which will be open, although bars and restaurants won't be-Castex told a news conference.
-But all ski lifts and collective infrastructures will be closed to the public- he said.
Cross-country skiing, sledding and snowshoe hikes are among snow activities that do not usually require mechanical lifts.
France's winter sport sector says it generates some 11 billion euros ($13 billion) in revenues per year and employs 120,000 people during the season.
The Haute-Savoie region in the French Alps has reported the highest number of virus infections per 100,000 people in the entire country, followed by the neighbouring Savoie region.
Health authorities have warned that regional hospitals could be overwhelmed quickly if crowds of skiers from France and abroad were allowed to travel to those regions.
France aims to lift a nationwide lockdown on December 15, with shops authorised to reopen as early as Saturday after weeks of closure.

France's winter sport sector says it generates some 11 billion euros in revenues per year

France says ski resorts can open, but no lifts allowed

Sweden's Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia are self-isolating after testing positive for the new coronavirus, the royal palace said Thursday.
Carl Philip, the 41-year-old son of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, and Sofia, 35, "have light flu symptoms" and are recuperating at home in Stockholm with their two young children, the palace said in a statement.
The king and queen, as well as Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel, will all be tested as a precaution, it said.
According to tabloid Aftonbladet, the royal family gathered for the funeral of the queen's brother last week, but they all tested negative for the virus before attending that ceremony.
Princess Sofia made headlines early on in the pandemic when she donned scrubs and began doing shifts as a healthcare assistant at the Sophiahemmet hospital in Stockholm, which she has continued to do part-time.
Sweden is known for its softer approach to the coronavirus pandemic, never locking down to the same extent as other countries. As of Wednesday, it had recorded a total of 230,514 cases of Covid-19 and 6,555 deaths.

They have light flu symptoms

Sweden's Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia

Swedish royal couple self-isolate after Covid diagnosis

Disney said Thursday it will cut 32,000 jobs in 2021, primarily from its US theme parks division, an increase from layoffs announced in September.
The company, which previously said it would cut 28,000 jobs, has struggled with the pandemic and social restrictions.
According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the cuts -- which Variety reported are part of September's announcement -- would be made in the first half of next year.

-Due to the current climate, including COVID-19 impacts, and changing environment in which we are operating, the Company has generated efficiencies in its staffing, including limiting hiring to critical business roles, furloughs and reductions-in-force-Disney said in a filing explaining the job losses.
The majority of the terminations would be in "Parks, Experiences and Products" it added.
Additionally, around 37,000 employees were placed on furlough from October 3, Variety reported.
Disney employs around 203,000 people globally, with around 20 percent part-time workers, according to CNBC.
Drawing millions of tourists each year, Disneyland in Anaheim near Los Angeles is the world's second-most visited theme park, after the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando.
But unlike the Disney theme parks in Florida, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Paris, the Anaheim resort has so far been unable to reopen due to the state's coronavirus restrictions.
The move comes on the heels of Disney's $4.7 billion loss in the most recent quarter, which reflected the hit to its theme park business and the derailment or postponement of major movie releases.&nbsp;

The company has struggled with the pandemic and social restrictions

Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California

Disney to lay off 32,000 workers in 2021

Four teenage students have been charged in France over the killing of Samuel Paty, including three for allegedly pointing out the teacher to his murderer, a judical source said Thursday.
Three other pupils were charged with complicity earlier this month over the beheading last month of Paty, who had shown his students cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed as part of a lesson on free speech.
Three of the four students charged Thursday were suspected of identifying Paty to his killer, 18-year-old Abdullakh Anzorov, who then tracked him down and beheaded him in a street near his school.
The three, who are between 13 and 14 years old, are being charged with "complicity in a terrorist murder," the source said.
The fourth is the daughter of Brahim Chnina, who launched a virulent online campaign against Paty denouncing the teacher's use of the cartoons published by satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.
She has been charged with "slanderous denunciation" of Paty after relating her version of events in the classroom, though she did not actually attend his civics lesson.
Paty's murder sparked a torrent of outrage that prompted President Emmanuel Macron to crack down on Islamist extremism and violence in a country reeling from a wave of jihadist attacks since 2015 that have killed more than 250 people.

Three are being charged with "complicity in a terrorist murder"

Four more students charged in France over teacher's beheading

An Australian-British academic jailed for spying by Iran has been released after two "traumatic" years behind bars, in a swap for three Iranians linked to a botched Bangkok bomb plot.
Middle East scholar Kylie Moore-Gilbert said Thursday that departing Iran was "bittersweet" despite "injustices" endured during more than 800 days detained in the country's toughest prisons.&nbsp;-I came to Iran as a friend and with friendly intentions- she said, praising the "warm-hearted, generous and brave" Iranian people, despite what she called a "long and traumatic ordeal".
The 33-year-old was arrested by Iran's hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 2018, after attending an academic conference in the holy city of Qom in central Iran. She was later charged with espionage and sentenced to ten years in jail.
Her release was secured as part of a prisoner swap for three men: Masoud Sedaghatzadeh, Mohammad Khazaei and wheelchair-bound Saeid Moradi, who blew off his own legs with homemade explosives.
All three were linked to a failed plot to assassinate Israeli diplomats in Thailand in 2012. Thai corrections authorities on Thursday confirmed that Sedaghatzadeh and Moradi were transferred back to Iran as prisoners, while Khazaei was granted a royal pardon in August.
The first images of a freed Moore-Gilbert emerged from Iranian state television late Wednesday, sparking elation from friends and family who had campaigned for her freedom and maintain her innocence.
-We are relieved and ecstatic- the family said in a statement. -We cannot convey the overwhelming happiness that each of us feel at this incredible news- 
In footage broadcast by Iran's Irib news agency from Tehran airport, Moore-Gilbert was seen wearing a headscarf and a face mask, accompanied by the Australian ambassador. 
Seemingly aware of the camera, she removed the mask to confirm her identity.
Irib also showed footage of three men -- one of them in a wheelchair -- draped in Iranian flags and being greeted as heroes by officials, including the deputy foreign minister.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had spoken to Moore-Gilbert and confirmed she would receive health and psychological support on her return to Australia, which has been complicated by Covid-19 restrictions and 14-day mandatory quarantine.
-She is an amazing Australian who has gone through an ordeal that we can only imagine and it will be a tough transition for her- he said at a virtual press conference.
The University of Melbourne Islamic studies lecturer herself said in a statement she faced a "challenging period of adjustment" at home in Australia.
Prison letters&nbsp;Letters smuggled out of prison told of Moore-Gilbert's deep psychological and legal struggles.
She wrote that the first 10 months she spent in a wing of Tehran's notorious Evin prison had "gravely damaged" her mental health.
-I am still denied phone calls and visitations, and I am afraid that my mental and emotional state may further deteriorate if I remain in this extremely restrictive detention ward- she said.
She also recounted rejecting Tehran's offer to work as a spy.
 -I am not a spy. I have never been a spy and I have no interest to work for a spying organisation in any country.-&nbsp;She said she had been shown two different draft decisions to her appeal -– one for a 13-month sentence, another confirming the original sentence of 10 years.
She was eventually transferred to the general women's section of Evin prison, where British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was held until being granted temporary leave because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband said she was "really happy" when he told her about Moore-Gilbert's release.
Throughout Moore-Gilbert's internment, friends and family had become increasingly critical of Australia's diplomatic approach.
Australian foreign minister Marise Payne said the release followed "determined work" and described the case as "complex and sensitive".
The US State Department welcomed Moore-Gilbert's release but said "she should never have been imprisoned", accusing Iran of "hostage diplomacy".
British foreign secretary Dominic Raab, in a tweet, called on Iran to "release all the remaining British dual nationals" detained in the country.
Iran, which has tense relations with the West, has over the years arrested several foreign nationals, often on accusations of spying.

Kylie Moore-Gilbert: detained for more than 800 days

Australian-British lecturer freed in Iran prisoner swap

A severe cyclone slammed into India’s southern coast early on Thursday, killing at least five people and uprooting trees and power lines.Cyclone Nivar made landfall near the city of Puducherry, located near the southern state of Tamil Nadu, with winds of up to 130 km per hour (81 miles per hour), according to the India Meteorological Department.
Heavy rains from the storm caused flooding in some streets of the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu’s largest city which is home to many large automobile manufacturers, according to a Reuters witness.
The storm caused at least five deaths in and around Chennai from trees falling, drowning and electrocution, the Times of India reported.
A spokesman for the chief minister’s office declined to comment on the reported deaths.
Local administration workers have been working to remove fallen trees and power lines, city corporation officials said on Twitter.People in Velachery, a low-lying suburb of Chennai, said the storm’s impact was mitigated by steps taken by the government ahead of the storm, compared to the hundreds of deaths during floods in 2015.
-The situation was terrible here during the floods in 2015. This year, because of the precautions taken, the situation has not been that bad- said S. Sakthivel, a shopkeeper in Velachery.
More than a hundred cars were parked on the edge of a bridge in Velachery to keep them above the floodwaters, according to a Reuters witness.
While rains are expected to subside in Tamil Nadu, heavy precipitation is expected in the Rayalaseema region of the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.
The streets around the Lord Venkateshwara temple, one of the world’s richest, in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh, were flooded and officials were working to drain the water, the New Indian Express newspaper reported.Tens of thousands of people were evacuated from low-lying areas of Tamil Nadu ahead of the storm’s landfall, a state minister said on Wednesday.
The Meteorological Department said Nivar’s intensity had dropped to 85 to 95 kph (53 to 59 mph) and is expected to weaken further.

Tens of thousands of people were evacuated

Municipal workers remove fallen tree branches from a road during rains before Cyclone Nivar's landfall

Cyclone Nivar slams into southern India causing five deaths

A car with slogans scrawled on its sides crashed into the gate of the office of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Wednesday, a Reuters witness said.&nbsp; Reuters pictures from the scene showed police inspecting the estate car at the gate with the words “Stop Globalisation Politics” written in white on its right side and “You damn killers of children and old people” on the other.&nbsp;
There were no immediate reports of casualties and it was not clear if Merkel was inside the building. Dozens of police and a fire engine attended the incident. The driver, who appeared to be in late middle age, was taken away in a wheelchair.&nbsp; -We are establishing if the driver deliberately drove against (the gate)- Berlin police said on Twitter. -He has been taken into custody.-&nbsp;
A firefighter subsequently moved the car, which had a license plate from the northwestern county of Lippe, away from the gate. Both fence and car appeared largely undamaged.
 Merkel was scheduled host a video conference of German state premiers on Wednesday, at which an extension to the coronavirus lockdown and further steps to combat the pandemic were due to be discussed.&nbsp;Europe is on high alert after suspected Islamist militants killed eight people in Paris, Nice and Vienna in recent weeks. On Tuesday, Swiss police have identified a Swiss woman who knifed a victim in the neck and grabbed another by the throat in a Lugano department store as a known jihadist.
Four years ago, a failed Tunisian asylum seeker with Islamist links, hijacked a truck then drove it into a crowded Berlin Christmas market, killing 11 more people and injuring dozens of others.&nbsp;The chancellery office, a white post-modernist structure set across a square from the Reichstag building that houses Germany’s parliament, is well set back from any main roads.

Europe is on high alert

A car crash into the gate of the office of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin

Severe fire danger for Australia as temperatures smash records

Britain and France sign fresh deal to reduce migrant crossings

Drive-ins, scattered huts: German Xmas markets find ways around virus

60 arrested at London anti-lockdown protest

Ferguson teams up with Rashford after making poverty pledge

Five COVID-19 patients killed in Indian hospital fire

French president "very shocked" by alleged police beating of Black man: BFM TV

Germany hits million virus cases as vaccine doubt emerges

On Western Balkans US will act together with EU!

France says ski resorts can open, but no lifts allowed

Swedish royal couple self-isolate after Covid diagnosis

Disney to lay off 32,000 workers in 2021

Four more students charged in France over teacher's beheading

Australian-British lecturer freed in Iran prisoner swap

Cyclone Nivar slams into southern India causing five deaths

Car crashes into gate of Merkel's office

World

Severe fire danger for Australia as temperatures smash records

Britain and France sign fresh deal to reduce migrant crossings

Drive-ins, scattered huts: German Xmas markets find ways around virus

60 arrested at London anti-lockdown protest

Ferguson teams up with Rashford after making poverty pledge

Five COVID-19 patients killed in Indian hospital fire

French president "very shocked" by alleged police beating of Black man: BFM TV

Germany hits million virus cases as vaccine doubt emerges

On Western Balkans US will act together with EU!

France says ski resorts can open, but no lifts allowed

Swedish royal couple self-isolate after Covid diagnosis

Disney to lay off 32,000 workers in 2021

Four more students charged in France over teacher's beheading

Australian-British lecturer freed in Iran prisoner swap

Cyclone Nivar slams into southern India causing five deaths

Car crashes into gate of Merkel's office