CNN news 2007-12-23 加文本

CNN 2007-12-23


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Hi, everyone, I’m Asieh Namdar at the cnn.com newsroom in Atlanta. Here’s a look at what’s happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

The holiday crunch is in full swing, for more than 65 million Americans will be on the move this weekend. AAA says most will be heading the roadways. For some that will be a long challenge, so pack your patience.

For people driving to the US from Canada or Mexico, or coming in by the ship from the Caribbean, some good news: they will not have to show their passports. ConGREss has delayed that requirement; it will not take effect until at least 2009 if President Bush signs the bill, that’s one year later than the Department of Homeland Security wanted. Passports are still required for anyone flying into the country.

New developments to tell you about the story of those destroyed CIA tapes. The New York Times reports that former members of the 9/11 commission made repeated and detailed requests to the CIA in 2003 and 2004. The commissioners were looking for documents concerning how Al-Qaeda operatives were being interrogated. The Times also says the panel was told they had been given everything they had requested.

Know more in Afghanistan front and center today, for two international leaders. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, seen right there, and new Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Both officials are pledging political and military support for the long haul. Sarkozy met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and spent time with some of France's more than 1900 troops deployed in Afghanistan as part of the NATO Force. Rudd also held talks with Karzai and met with more than 900 Australian troops there.

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani is back on the campaign trail. He is attending a town hall meeting in New Hampshire today. Giuliani made his first campaign appearance in New York last night after a brief hospital stay in Missouri for flu-like symptoms.

And those are the headlines this hour. For more on these stories and other news of the day, CNN is your source online, on TV or when you’re on the go.