JK: Four militants gunned down in Budgam
A clash between civilians and forces also erupted near the encounter site resulting in an injury to a civilian.  The administration has suspended Internet services in the district to prevent spreading of rumours. 

'Doping not a football problem' as World Cup draw begins
Germany opens against Mexico in its quest to become the first country to win back-to-back World Cup titles since Brazil in 1962.  The Olympic doping scandal surrounding Russian Federation hung over the final countdown to the draw. 

Tennessee Volunteers To Hire Mike Leach As Head Coach
The Volunteers fired Butch Jones on November 12, the day after they lost 50-17 at Missouri to fall to 0-6 in the SEC.  Leach's name was the latest to get caught up in the firestorm that's become Tennessee's coaching search. 

The Riverdale Universe Is Expanding-to Netflix
This'll be a coming of age tale dealing with horror and the occult as Sabrina must contend with being half-human and half-witch.  A premiere date for the overall series, along with a rollout plan for the show, has yet to be revealed by Netflix. 

Shilpa Shinde Dances To Make Vikas Gupta,The New Captain
Vikas tells her that he won't reconcile with her, but Arshi tells him that she didn't understand him, and now she does.  Vikas and Priyank were really good friends initially, but their relation grew bitter with passing days. 

UK Manufacturing PMI Jumps to Over Four-Year High
Sterling rose briefly against the dollar after the PMI showed surging orders at home and from Europe's recovering economy.  Production grew at the fastest pace in eights months in November, driven by a further sharp increase in new orders. 

German Police Defuse Explosive Device Near City Christmas Market
Police described the contents of the package as a "cylindrical object with cables, batteries and nails", but no triggering device.  Brandenburg state police said they inspected the package and confirmed that it was a possible IED that was successfully defused . 

Jetstar and Qantas cancel all Bali flights
If conditions remain clear, Jetstar and Qantas will look to resume flights from Australian cities to Bali in the coming days.  But it warns: "Volcanic activity and ash cloud are unpredictable and flights may be cancelled at short notice". 

'Stranger Things' Renewed for Season 3, Naturally
Garnering an impressive 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, Stranger Things 2 was a worthy sophomoric entry into franchise.  But it's still great to have the next season set in stone, even if we know very little about where it's headed. 

The first trailer for the 'Batman Ninja' anime looks incredible

Batman is transported to medieval Japan and takes on The Joker in the first trailer for upcoming anime film Batman Ninja.  The film will be released in Japan first in 2018, while an American release date has yet to be announced.  Batman is missing all of his high-tech weapons, but he trains his mind to take on a powerful Joker, who now claims he's the most powerful figure in Japan.  The centrepiece of the film comes as the two clash on a rooftop, each wielding a katana. 

Batman Ninja is directed by Junpei Mizusaki of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and written by Kazuki Nakashima of Kill La Kill, with the English script being written by Eric Garcia and Leo Chu. 

The anime's story sees many of Gotham City's best-known residents, both good and evil, relocated to feudal Japan.  Rounding out the Caped Crusader's reimagined rogues gallery are Deathstroke, the Penguin, Harley Quinn, Two-Face and Gorilla Grodd. 

"When Japan is in a state of chaos like a mass of hemp, a ninja with a bat mask shall appear and restore order", notes the trailer's epic narration as Bruce teams up with Robin, Alfred, and a band of do-gooders to defeat the bad guys.  Interestingly, both projects take Batman back in time and away from the US, with Gotham by Gaslight set in a version of Gotham in Victorian Britain.  Are you looking forward to Batman Ninja? 

Starring Koichi Yamadera as Batman, Wataru Takagi as The Joker, Ai Kakuma as Catwoman, and Rie Kugimiya as Harley Quinn, Batman Ninja is due out on Blu-ray/DVD next year.