December 28th, 2012
10:29 AM ET
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Nelson Mandela back home, playing with grandkids

Former South African President Nelson Mandela, at home after a long hospital stay, is alert and playing with his grandchildren, his granddaughter Zaziwe Manaway told CNN exclusively Friday.

Mandela, who is 95, is aware of social media rumors that he's close to death, Manaway said. "That is absolutely not true. My grandfather is well," she said. "It can be very very hurtful for us to hear these messages out there in the social media that our grandfather is going to go home to die. It is insensitive."

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Filed under: Nelson Mandela • South Africa • World
December 28th, 2012
09:12 AM ET
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Drone strike kills 4, Pakistani sources say

A drone strike killed four militants in North Waziristan, one of the seven districts of Pakistan's volatile tribal region bordering Afghanistan, two Pakistani intelligence officials told CNN.

The officials said the drone fired two missiles at a militant hideout.

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Filed under: Pakistan • World
December 28th, 2012
08:37 AM ET
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U.S. officials: Syria using more accurate, Iranian-made missiles

The Syrian regime this week fired at least two Iranian-made, short-range ballistic missiles in what appears to be an effort to more precisely target Syrian rebels, two U.S. military officials tell CNN.

The Fateh A-110 missiles are more accurate than the older Scud variants that Syrian government forces have used in recent weeks.

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Filed under: Iran • Syria
December 28th, 2012
07:38 AM ET
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Friday's live events

The talk in Washington is all about the "fiscal cliff" and what the president and Congress need to do to avoid it.  Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage of the fiscal cliff debate.

Today's programming highlights...

11:30 am ET (est.) - Senate Democrats briefing on fiscal cliff - Sen. Tom Harkin and others will call on Congressional Republicans to help resolve the fiscal cliff crisis at a Capitol Hill briefing.

CNN.com Live is your home for breaking news as it happens.

 
Filed under: Budget • Economy • Finance • On CNN.com today • Politics • Taxes
December 28th, 2012
05:31 AM ET
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Russia's Putin signs anti-U.S. adoption bill

President Vladimir Putin signed a controversial measure banning the adoption of Russian children by U.S. families, the Kremlin said Friday.

The action could affect hundreds of American families seeking to adopt. Americans adopted close to 1,000 Russian children last year, according to U.S. State Department figures.

Read more: Russia's lower house approves bill to ban U.S. adoption

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Filed under: World
December 28th, 2012
02:49 AM ET
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More snow, more frustrations as powerful storm pushes on

A powerful winter storm that whipped its way across the United States this week still had more to give early Friday.

Portions of northern Maine face up to 13 more inches of snow, the National Weather Service said.

While the Northeast is used to dealing with heavy snow in late December, some parts of the country have not seen this kind of weather in decades. Canadians braced for a whiteout, too.

"If you are in Atlantic Canada ... you are just getting going. If you are in New York City the cold air is coming down the Hudson (River)," CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said.

"If you are off to the east, you're still going to get snow in Maine on up into New Brunswick. And that snow could be heavy at times. We're talking about another foot in some spots."

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Filed under: U.S. • Weather
December 28th, 2012
01:39 AM ET
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Ailing Mubarak returned to military hospital after fall

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was transferred to a military hospital after doctors found fractures in his ribs from a recent fall, his lawyer said.

Mubarak is serving a life sentence in a Cairo prison for his role in the deaths of protesters during last year's uprising.

The 84-year-old suffered a head injury and a bruised chest when he slipped in a prison hospital bathroom this month.

Last week, he was taken to a military hospital for X-rays on his head and ribs, and returned to Tora prison the same night, according to his lawyer, Farid El Deeb.

Doctors determined his condition requires more attention and better medical equipment not available at the prison, his lawyer said.

The lawyer is demanding that Mubarak remain at the military hospital permanently so he can get access to proper care.

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Filed under: World