cnn news on 12.27

I'm Nicole Lapin at the CNN center in Atlanta. Here are some headlines NOW IN THE NEWS.

A developing story out of Taiwan. Three-foot high waves are heading towards the east coast of the Philippines right now. Taiwan Central Weather Bureau says a tsunami was triggered by a powerful earthquake. US officials say the magnitude was about 7.1. Then a magnitude 6.4 aftershock hit. No reports of damages or injuries so far.

People are remembering the devastating tsunami that struck parts of Asia two years ago today. Survivors and mourners visited mass graves, lit candles along the beaches and observed the moments of silence. Indonesia held a tsunami evacuation drill to raise awareness. They also hope to test new technology. The tsunami killed about 230,000 people and left millions more homeless.

People in Florida have a lot of cleaning-up to do this morning. Powerful storms hit the state yesterday. Tornados destroyed at least two homes and damaged at least ten more near Jacksonville. One person was injured there. Six more people in Daytona Beach were injured when a storm swept their apartment building.

A fuel pipeline explosion in Nigeria has killed at least 200 people. It took twelve hours to contain this fire. The Nigerian Red Cross says thieves trying to steal fuel caused this explosion. Stealing fuel is very common in Nigeria and often deadly. Back in May, 150 people were killed in a pipeline explosion near Lagos.

In Iraq this morning, three more US troops killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. The death toll now passes quite a milestone. 2,977 Americans have died in Iraq, four more than the number of people killed on the September 11 terror attacks.

And overnight rebel forces in Somalia are retreating, and forces from neighboring Ethiopia advanced on the Somalia capital of Mogadishu. Islamic militants have been fighting for the control of Somalia since June. Somalia’s internationally-backed government called on militants to surrender and promised them amnesty if they stopped opposing the government.

In the Philippines, a horrible Christmas Day fire at a department store kills dozens. Look at this video right here. A woman on the roof right there is waiting to be rescued as intense smoke is surrounding her. Illegal fireworks being sold at this store sparked that blaze. People inside couldn’t escape because the exit was locked. So far, police haven’t been able to find the owner of the store.

And for more on these stories and continuing coverage of breaking news, log on to cnn.com or tune in to CNN television right now.