cnn news on 01.09

And thanks for staying with us. Here I'm Rechard Lui at the CNN center in Atlanta with your news update this hour.

A massive plan to security Baghdad said to be at the center of President Bush's new Iraq strategy. CNN has learned under this plan the capital and its neighbourhoods will be cordoned off and more US Iraqi troops will be moved in. President is expected to tell us more during the speech which is expected to happen on Wednsday at 9:00pm Eastern.

Scientists may have alternatives to a controversial embryonic stem cells. Researchers at Wake Forest and Harvard say they found stem cells in amniotic fluid donated by pregnant women. They say they've extracted them without harming the mother or the fetus. And the cells hold the same possibilities as the embryonic stem cells.

Colorado's latest snow storm is hurting rescurers' efforts to save thousands of cows stranded in the snow. Helicopters are dropping bales of hay to feed hungry cattle and an agricultural official says that about thirty five hundred cattle may have died in the state so far. He adds there that surviving cattle face the threat of lung infections from stress and dehydration.

Home Security at the port of Mami reporting all secure today. The cargo area was shut and three men were detained yesterday. The driver raised suspicions at a security gate. He did not have the right ID and he indicated he was alone and there were really three men in the truck in total. The two iraqis and a Lebanese national are in local police custody.

Today is the fifth anniversay of the "No Child Left Behind" act. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings commemorated the anniversary with the speech to education leaders this morning. The law aims to ensure that all children can do reading and math skills at grade level by 2014.

And while the college football season is ending, the NFL postseason is still going. We are down to the final 18, in the case you've been counting. It is the Eagles and the Saints on saturday night. The Bears and Seahawks will be swore to square off there on Sunday afternoon. Ah, the coaches, they will be in the place they used to call home Baltimore on Saturday afternoon. And the Patriots meet the Chargers in Santiago on Sunday. Some good matches up there.

And that's the news this hour. Remember whether you are on line or watching TV, we're your source CNN for up-to-minute headlines anytime day and night. Have a great one!

cnn news on 12.29

From the CNN center in Atlanta, I'm Nicole Lapin. Thanks so much for tracking in with us today, here is a look at what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

CHAOS IN SOMALIA
Chaos is unfolding in Somalia's capital. Ethiopian-backed Somali troops are in Mogadishu , and the government has imposed a state of emergency. The Islamic militia that controlled Mogadishu for months abandoned the city just hours ago. There are all reports of wide spread looting now. The Islamic militia has vowed to regroup and regain control of the Somalia capital.

HAJJ PILGRAIMAGE
Millions of Muslim from all around the world are in Mecca, Saudi Arabia for the start of the annual HAJJ Pilgrimage. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it must take a trip at least once in a life time. Saudi Arabia has stepped up security and has issued warnings to avoid deadly stampedes that have killed people in previous years.

DICTATOR ON DEATH ROW
It looks like Saddam Hussein's execution is no longer a question of "if" but "when". It could have been anytime over the next few weeks. An appeals court Tuesday upheld his death sentence for the 1982 Dujail massacre. In what can only be described as a goodbye letter. The former Iraqi dictator urges the Iraqis to unite. The letter was posted on the Baath’s website.

JOHN EDWARDS 2008
Former senator John Edwards made it official just hours ago. He is added again as a Democratic candidate for president. Edwards kicked off his 2008 bid for the White House from a New Orleans home being rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina. He says it represents the power people have to build a better America.

EN ROUTE TO THE APOLLO
The godfather of Soul takes to the stage of Apollo Theater today where fans will bid him farewell. A horse-drawn carriage with James Brown’s golden casket was followed by thousands of fans walking through Harlem. Saturday he will be buried near the James Brown Arena in Augusta,Georgia. Brown passed away on Christmas morning in Atlanta at the age of 73.

And with that you are now up-to-date, for more on these stories and other news of the day, CNN is always your source online or on television.

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.

cnn news on 12.28

From the CNN center in Atlanta, I 'm Nicole Lapin, here is some headlines NOW IN THE NEWS.

Former President Gerald Ford died last night .He was 93 years old .Ford helps the US recover from water gate Scandal .His presidency was defined by his pardon of Richard Nixon. Ford is the only person to have served as president and vice president without have being elected to either office .

Sadaam Hussein could be excuted as early as today .Yesterday ,an Iraqi appeal court upheld Sadaam Hussein death sentence .Iraqi law requirements to be carried out within 30 days .He was sentenced in Nov for his role in 1982 massacre .

Israel has launched what could be a major blow to maintaining its monthly ceasefire with the Palestinian authority.This morning , Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's vow to renew pinpoint attacks against rocket -launching cells in GAZA.The decision came after 2 Israeli boys were wounded by a rocket in a town On the Israeli Gaze border .

Ethiopian and Somalia government troops have taking control of major Somalia town from Islamic fighters .A somalia spoksman says Somalia troops are now heading towards Porter Town about 20 miles from Mogadishu. An Islamic militia controls Mogadishu and much of Somalia.Yesterday ,UN envoy to Somalia warned a deteriorating situation in that country .

Charges that US military had identified the 9.11 hijackers before the attacks are false .That's the finding of investigation .While Publican Congreeman Curt Weldon had charged ,that a secret military unit had collected data on hijackers a year before the attack. Waiters on the Senate intelligence now say there is no evidence to back that up .

We are just now take out from this one ,and i think another storm could probably snow a simpelly good .And they just can't catch a break in the mile high city .Meteorologists are say more snow is expected in the Denver's area tomorrow and on Friday rivaling last week blizzard .

The White house is expected to announce today that it wants to list polar bears as the endangered species .And An interior official deparment tells the Washington post bears are in trouble because warm temperatures are melting their habitat. It would be the first time in-administration acknowledges climate change as a reason for putting a species on that list.

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.

npr news on 12.26

From NPR news in Washington, I'm Carl Kasell.

Pope Benedict delivered his traditional Christmas speech to the world today, and the Pope called for solutions to conflicts across the globe. He especially mentioned the Middle East with as many grave crises and conflicts. The Pontiff said he hopes for a just and lasting peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. The Pope also mentioned violence in Lebanon, Iraq, Sri Lanka and Darfar and the whole of Africa. His message came as Ethiopian fighter jets bombed airports in Somalia, and more people died in suicide bombings in Iraq. Benedict delivered Christmas greetings in dozens of languages including English.

In Iraq violence has made it difficult for Christians in Baghdad to celebrate Christmas. NPR's Joe Riddle reports.

The Virgin Mary church is a largest church in Baghdad, It is simply overflowing with catholics on Christmas, but today it's half empty. The street of seats on was cordoned off. Extra guards were posted and a police general was in the audience. These are the latest security precautions the church is taking in an atmosphere of increasing religious persecution. While generally regarded as benign by most Muslims, Sunni and Shiite extremists have targeted at Christian of all stripes. This year at least 8 Priests have been kidnapped, 2 of them tortured. Christians and other religious minorities have fled their homes. Some assessments say that three out of every four Christians from the southern province of Basra have now left for the Kurdish North, Syria or Jordan. Joe Riddle NPR news, Baghdad.

The conflict in Somalia has intensified. Aircraft from neighboring Ethiopia today bombed the international airport in the Somalia capital. Somalia's Ethiopia-backed transitional government later announced that it had closed all land, air and sea borders. NPR's Ofiba Christ reports.
It is hard to see how Somalia’s beleaguered interim government which only just controls Baidoa, its provincial base in the south can order all the country's borders closed. Backed by neighboring Ethiopia, the transitional government is effectively encircled by Islamist fighters who are backing loyalist forces. Ethiopia formally waded into the conflict Sunday with fighter planes and attack helicopters acknowledging for the first time that it had combat troops on the ground in Somalia. At dawn, Ethiopia aircraft bombed the international airport in the heart of the Somalia capital Mogadishu, a city controlled by the Islamists. This was evidence that Ethiopia is making good on its pledge to hit Islamists positions in Somalia, justifying its attacks as legitimate self-defense. Ofiba Christiansen, NPR news, Dacca.

James Brown, the godfather of Soul has died. He was 73. His agent says James Brown died earlier today at hospital in Atlantic after being admitted yesterday with severe pneumonia. Along with Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, and a few others, Brown was one of the major musical influences of the past 50 years.

This is NPW news.

In Canada, retired passport office workers are being brought back to work to help clear \ backlog. New US regulations are blamed for the logjam. Richard Remold reports form Toronto.

Canadians have always been allowed to enter the US without a passport. A driver's license and a birth certificate\ were all those required, but new regulations which take effect in January 23rd mean that Canadian citizens flying to the US must have a passport. This is usually a busy time of the year for the Canadian Passport Office, but applications are running almost double the rate they were last year at this time. People have been lining up as early as 5 AM at some offices to have their applications reviewed by an examiner. Compounding the effect of the new regulations is the fact that many passports issued just after 9.11, when there was a surge of applications, are now expiring and need to be renewed. Canadians crossing by car will have\\ until 2008 to get their passports. For NPR news, I'm Richard Remold in Toronto.

The Roman Catholic Church’s highest official in the Holy land celebrated midnight Mass in Bethlehem and appealed for an end to Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed. Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah made the remarks during his summitry to hundreds of worshippers. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attended the service and was escorted to the service by a large security detail to a front row seat. Earlier thousands of people were joined by marching bands clergymen and children dressed as Santa Claus. Most were local residents or Christian-Arabs from neighboring Israel. There was sparkling of foreign tourists. Bethlehem's tourist industry has been hard hit by the last six years of Israelis-Palestinian violence.

I'm Carl Kasell NPR news in Washington.

npr news on 12.25

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Nori Ram.

Iran is dismissing as illegal a UN Security Council resolution imposing sanctions on the country over its nuclear activities. The resolution calls on all countries to ban materials and technology that could be used for Iran's nuclear and missile programs. F reports from Tehran.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has called the resolution illegal and invalid in a statement read on state-run TV. Iran vowed to continue its nuclear activities, which it says are peaceful. The resolution demands Iran end all research on uranium enrichment, a key step in the nuclear fuel process that could be used to make bombs. The resolution also calls on Iran to stop all research and development that can make or deliver atomic weapons. If Iran does not comply, the Council could adopt other non-military sanctions. Iran's Foreign Ministry said the resolution would only discredit the UN Security Council. For NPR news I am R in Tehran.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the resolution a piece of torn paper. He said the Security Council would regret voting in favor of the sanctions, saying the west has lost its chance to make amends with Iran.

In Iraq today, officials say at least 7 police officers were killed in an attack on a police station, about 30 others were wounded. According to the report, a man walked into the station and blew himself up. Insurgents then fired 6 mortar rounds at the building.
Meanwhile in the southern city of Samara , at least 5 police officers were killed in fighting with militia members.

In Somalia, fighting between the Union of Islamic Corps militia and forces loyal to the UN-backed government has spread beyond Baidoa , where the government is now located to new areas of the country. Fierce clashes were reported today. BBC's Adam Meina has more.

The opposing sides blame each other for broadening the offensive. The Islamic Corps claim they've been attacked by Ethiopian artillery and helicopters, and there are also reports that Ethiopian military jets have been bombing Islamic forces in the town of Jaweler, near the Ethiopian border. Meanwhile the transitional government is accusing the Islamic Corps of opening their assault on new fronts. The BBC's Adam Meina reporting.

All 6 runways are supposed to be opened at Denver International Airport today for the first time since a blizzard hit Wednesday. Thousands of passengers were stranded, including Sherry Louis Cohoe (人名) of L., Idaho. She spent much of her time making new friends. “Only confiscated from caught, from captain there, so that we only thought somebody was in need, we can offer them to them and we can friendly have our a little community up here and it has been very pleasant.” Denver International is the fifth busiest airport in the country. The shutdown there has had a ripple effect across the country, causing delays and cancellations at one of the busiest travel times of the year.

You are listening to NPR news from Washington.

There are thousands of homes and businesses without electricity in central Wisconsin. A snowstorm brought down power lines Friday, interrupting services to about 30,000 customers. Utility officials say about half have been restored and crews are working to bring everybody back online.

Phoenix-based Mesa Air will be the first US-based carrier to operate flights out of mainland China. After a merger with Shenzhen Airlines, the combined carrier will also extend Shenzhen's reach into rural China. From Member station KJZZ in Phoenix, Mark Marine reports.

Mesa Air already operates its regional carrier for a number of larger airlines including Delta, United and US Airways. Now it will combine with Shenzhen Air to reach in the parts of rural China. Under the deal, the combined airline which is yet to be named will have 20 50-seat planes operating before the 2008 Beijing Olympics with plans to operate 100 planes within 5 years. Right now, Mesa Air flies to 173 cities and 43 states, the Bahamas, Canada and Mexico. China is the world's fastest growing travel market, with the population of more than 1.2 billion people. Forty of the country's 50 largest airports have expansion projects underway. For NPR news I am Mark Marine in Phoenix.

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger broke his leg, skiing yesterday in Sun Valley, Idaho. A spokesman for the governor's office said the governor was vacationing with his family in Sun Valley when the accident occurred. He said no one else was hurt.
I'm Nori Ram, NPR news in Washington.

npr news on 12.24

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Barbra Client.

A meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has reportedly ended. Agreement has been reached on several confidence-building measures. NPR's Linda Grustin has more on the surprise meeting.
It comes after heavy international pressure on Olmert to do more to strengthen Abbas over the ruling Hamas Movement. Abbas recently announced he will call new Palestinian elections, an announcement that sparked violence between his Fatah and Hamas in Gaza that left at least 10 Palestinians dead. Palestinian officials say what would most strengthen Abbas is an Israeli release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. But Olmert has said he won't do that until Hamas frees an Israeli solider captured in June. Linda Grustin, NPR News Jerusalem.

The UN Security Council has unanimously approved sanctions on Iran because of its nuclear activities. The resolution prohibits all countries from supplying materials and technologies that could contribute to Iran's uranium enrichment program. Acting US ambassador to the UN Alejandro Wolff says the resolution is the result of intense diplomatic discussions. "We are working nationally with our friends and allies, with the institutions like the EU to implement these measures and ensure that there is no assistance provided to Iran's enrichment, reprocessing heavy water or ballistic weapons programs. " Iran says the resolution is illegal and vows to continue its nuclear activities.

Coalition forces in Afghanistan say they have killed a top Taliban leader. Military spokesmen say Akhtar Mohammed Osmani had been leading the insurgency in southern Afghanistan where it has been the strongest. The BBC's John Migivering has more.
The statement from Coalition forces in Afghanistan said Osmani and two of his associates were killed in an air strike while traveling in a vehicle in Helmand province close to the border with Pakistan. It described his death as a major breakthrough. But the spokesman for the Taliban denied that Osmani has been killed, and dismissed the news as Coalition propaganda. The BBC's John Migivering in Kabul.

Islamists fighting the weak western-backed transitional government in Somalia are calling on Muslims around the world for help. Government forces have been defending Baidoa, its only stronghold, from Islamic Courts Union fighters since Tuesday. The Islamists are also targeting Ethiopian troops which are supporting the official Somali government. The Islamists want Somalia to be under Koranic rule.

Outgoing UN Secretary General Kofi Annan says Sudan may be willing to approve a peacekeeping force for the Darfur region. He said Khartoum might agree to African Union peacekeeping troops with support from the United Nations. Annan recently sent a special envoy to Sudan.

This is NPR News.

Some 15, 000 striking GoodYear workers in the United State and Canada could return to work as early as January third if they ratify a tentative agreement reached yesterday. We have details from Mark Uricky of member station WCPN in Cleveland.
The deal between the largest American tyre company and the United Steel Workers Union could end a two-and-half-month-old strike that affected 12 plants in the US and four in Canada. Union spokesman Wayne Ranick said key to the agreement was saving health care benefits for retirees. "We believe that this is something that the current retirees have already earned and they should not have taken away from them, and also we have many people who have worked a number of years in anticipation of having this type of coverage in retirement years. " Retirees will pay what Rudnick called a very modest increase in premiums. The company also agreed to reverse its plans to shut down its plant in Talor, Texas, pledging to keep it open at least one more year. For NPR News, I'm Mark Uricky in Cleveland.

Denver's International Airport has reopened after a blizzard forced it to close for 2 days. But spokesman Chuck Cannon says delayed travelers shouldn't expect to get on a plane anytime soon because travelers with tickets for today have priority. "They are getting on the planes first, the ones whose flights were canceled are being put on standby, and the problem is there are not many empty seats to use for standbys, so there are a lot of those people whose flights were canceled earlier that are not gonna get where they wanna be by Christmas.
Meanwhile the fog is lifted over London's Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest stand. Some normality is returning after more than 1000 flights were canceled over the last 3 days.

I'm Barbra Client, NPR News in Washington.