New Delhi  - A series of coordinated attacks by terrorists across India's financial hub Mumbai late on Wednesday killed at least 78 people, including three senior police officers, and left many more injured, officials and news reports said.

Groups of two to four heavily armed gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons and lobbed grenades in at least eight places in south Mumbai, including the five-star Taj and Trident hotels, the city's main railway terminus, a hospital and a cinema hall.

Armed gunmen were still holed up at the railway station and the Taj and Trident hotels, AN Roy, director general of police of Maharashtra state said. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra.

Hamburg  - English and Spanish clubs completed their Champions League charge when Liverpool and Atletico Madrid swept into the knockout phase on Wednesday.

Italian champions Inter Milan also progressed to join Serie A rivals Juventus in the last 16 despite a 1-0 defeat at home to Panathinaikos

Liverpool joined defending champions Manchester United and Arsenal in the last 16 with a 1-0 win over Olympique Marseille, while Atletico complete a Spanish quartet including city rivals Real Madrid, Barcelona and Villareal by beating PSV Eindhoven 2-1.

However last season's losing finalists Chelsea will have to wait after being held 1-1 at Girondins Bordeaux.

Washington  - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on African nations to take more steps to pressure Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to reach a political deal with the opposition.

Mugabe appears to be breaking his promise to form a power-sharing agreement with the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in the wake of disputed elections earlier this year, Rice said.

"It is shortsighted on the part of the region to let this continue, because it looks to me as if what Mugabe is doing is that he is pulling as much power into his own hands as he possibly can," Rice said. "MDC, I think, is being squeezed out and intimidated. And what started out as power-sharing talks don't look very promising."

Washington  - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice backed off plans to offer Georgia and Ukraine a formal roadmap for joining NATO, but said the United States is still committed to bringing the two countries into the alliance.

Rice is due to arrive in Brussels next week for a conference of NATO foreign minister December 2-3. She does not plan to push for quickly offering the former Soviet states a so-called membership action plan, which would place them on course to join NATO.

"Georgia and Ukraine are not ready for membership. That is very clear," Rice said, referring to the benchmarks countries must meet to enter NATO. "There does not need at this point in time to be any discussion of a" membership action plan.

Washington  - The United States condemned the terrorist attacks in India on Wednesday that killed dozens of people and offered US assistance to the Indian government.

"We strongly condemn the terrorist attacks that have taken place in Mumbai, India," State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood said. "Our sympathies go out to the families and friends of those killed and injured, and to the people of Mumbai."

At least 60 died and many more were wounded after alleged terrorists, armed with guns and explosives, attacked a train station, and hotels and entertainment venues in Mumbai's financial district.

Los Angeles  - Many of the biggest stars in music are donating their names and talent to a new format digital magazine aimed at helping fight the spread of AIDS in Africa, it was announced Wednesday.

The idea of RED(WIRE) is an offshoot of the activist organization RED founded by U2 frontman Bono last year and all proceeds will benefit HIV-infected people in Africa.

Subscriptions to the magazine will cost 5 dollars annually. For this users will receive a new issue every Wednesday, featuring an exclusive song from a major musician, a song from a new performer and a multimedia presentation about how the organization is helping Africans in need.