Severe weather hits southern US; 4 die

Severe weather hits southern US; 4 die

JACKSON, MISS.

Severe weather slamming the southern U.S. two days before Christmas killed at least four people, flipped cars, knocked out power to thousands and damaged several homes and businesses.

In Mississippi, Gov. Phil Bryant declared an emergency for two southeastern counties where officials say four people died in the storms and several more were injured. His office said thousands were without power Tuesday night around Columbia, which is about 80 miles southeast of Jackson.

Jones County Emergency Management director Marda Tullos said a man and woman were killed inside a mobile home in the storm’s path in Laurel. About 50 miles southwest, Marion County coroner Norma Williamson tells WDAM that two people were killed in Columbia. One person was in a trailer park, another at a strip mall.

Official: 151 Taliban killed in 12-day fight

KABUL, Afghanistan

At least 151 Taliban fighters have been killed by government forces during 12 days of fighting in the volatile east, near the border with Pakistan, the police chief of Kunar province said Tuesday.

Gen. Abdul Habib Sayedkhaili said at least another 100 insurgents were wounded in the fighting in Dangam district.

He said the Pakistani Taliban and Lashkar-i-Taiba — the group responsible for the attacks on Mumbai in 2008 in which more than 160 people were killed — also were taking part in the battle.

The presence of foreign fighters in Taliban battles in Afghanistan is not unusual. The Afghan Taliban leadership is believed to be based in the Pakistani city of Quetta, and Kabul has long accused Pakistan of turning a blind eye to the group.

FDA clears Saxenda, a weight-loss drug

NEW YORK

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a Novo Nordisk diabetes drug as a treatment for obesity. It’s the first injectable drug approved for weight loss.

The drug, liraglutide, will be marketed under the brand name Saxenda. It is approved for obese adults and for overweight adults who have at least one weight-related health problem such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.

The FDA approved liraglutide in 2010 as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, and Novo Nordisk sells it under the name Victoza as a treatment for that condition. Saxenda contains a larger dose of liraglutide than Victoza does.

Liraglutide is part of a new group of medicines, called GLP-1 agonists, that are designed to spur the pancreas to create extra insulin after meals.

Canadian killer gets life in prison

TORONTO

A Canadian man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for killing and dismembering his Chinese lover and mailing the body parts to schools and political parties across a horrified country.

Luka Magnotta, a former porn actor, was convicted by a jury of first-degree murder in the 2012 slaying of Jun Lin, 33, after eight days of deliberations. The conviction carried a mandatory life sentence, with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

Magnotta was convicted on four related charges and given maximum sentences allowed under Canada’s Criminal Code, ranging from two to 10 years, for those charges. Magnotta, 32, had pleaded not guilty. While he admitted to the slaying, he sought to be found not criminally responsible by reason of insanity but did not testify during the trial.

Associated Press