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.

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.

Thanjavur/Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Nov 26 : Heavy and continuous downpour for three days in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur District of Tamil Nadu has adversely hit the harvest of paddy crops causing a huge loss to farmers.

Large areas of paddy fields submerged under water due to incessant rain have left the farmers complaining.

“Last few days in Thanjavur district, there has been continuous rainfall. Due to heavy rains, paddy crops are submerged in water. Around 3000 hectares of land has been damaged due to water logging in Kalimedu, Sankasamam, Kadampakudi and Thenakudi.

New Delhi, Nov 26 : Hindu seers led by senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Pravin Togadia staged a silent protest in New Delhi on Wednesday, to show solidarity with Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, one of the accused in the Malegoan blasts case.

Earlier this month, Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in Maharashtra detained Thakur, Dayanand Pandey and Lietenant Colonel Purohit, all belonging to Hindu community, in connection with the Malegaon blasts case.

Togadia described the Malegaon probe as a conspiracy by the government to protect the extremists.

New Delhi, Nov 26 : Global recession has not affected us said Katsumi Takata, Joint Managing Director of Japanese two-wheeler giant Suzuki during the launch of their super bike Hayabusa in New Delhi on Wednesday.

“May be recession is starting, may be from the last month. May be this trend continues for a while but so far, as far as we are concerned, we are still growing. Every month we are going up,” said Takata.