CNN100CNNNewsItem1TheU.S.governmentclosesitsembassyintheMiddleEasterncountryofYemen,andthatisbecauseofsecurityconcerns.OneofficialsaysthatagroupcalledalQaedaintheArabianPeninsulamightbeplanninganattackagainstthefacility.ThatsamegroupsaiditwasbehindanattemptedplottosetoffanexplosiveonboardaplaneheadingtoDetroit,Michigan.ThattookplaceonChristmasday.Thesuspectallegedlybroughttheexplosivesontheplaneinhisunderwear.Theplanfailedwhenthedevicehetriedtousedidn’tdetonatecorrectly.Somepeoplehaveaskedhowthesuspectmadeitpastsecurity.OneU.S.officialsaysit’sbecauseofhumanerror.PresidentObamahaspromisedthateveryoneinvolvedintheattackwillbeheldaccountableforit.Butsomecriticsarguethatthepresident’sresponsetothesituationhasn’tbeenfastenough,hasn’tbeenaggressiveenough.CNNNewsItem2It’sbacktoworkforIndiangovernmentoilworkersafterathree-daystrikethatcrippledIndiancommerce.Some45,000oilworkerswalkedoffthejobafterthegovernmentrefusedtheirdemandsforhigherpay.Thelaborstandoffendedafterdaysofintensegovernmentpressure,includingthreatsofjoblossandevenarresttostrikers.Meantime,talkswithasecondgroupofnationwidestrikersmaysoonbeunderway.TheIndo-AsianNews-ServicesaysIndia’stransportministerisreadytodiscussdemandsfromtruckers.ManyacrossIndiahaveparkedtheirrigs,callingforreductionindieselandtyreprices.CNNNewsItem3LawmakersinNebraskahaveapprovedabigchangetothestate’scontroversialsafehavenlaw.Underthenewmeasure,childrenolderthan30dayscannotbedroppedoffatstatehospitals.35children,manyofthem,preteensoreventeenagers,havebeenabandonedinhospitalssincetheoriginallawtookeffectinJuly.Statelawmakerssayitwasintendedtopreventnewbornsfrombeingdumpedintrashbinsorevenworse.Thenewlawisexpectedtogointoeffectatmidnight.CNNNewsItem4ThenationofIranmarkingamilestonelateronthisweek.OnThursday,thecountrywillcelebratetheanniversaryofwhenitbecameanIslamicrepublic.Thisgoesbackto1979,whensupportersoftheAyatollahKhomeini,areligiousleader,overthrewthecountry’sgovernment.KhomeinibecamethesupremeleaderofIran,andthenationofficiallybecameanIslamicstate.TheUnitedStatesandtheEuropeanUnionareworriedaboutpotentialviolenceduringThursday’scelebrations.U.S.andEuropeanUnionareurgingtheMiddleEasternnationto“enditsabusesagainstitsownpeople.”Iranianleadershavedeniedanyaccusationsthatthegovernmenthasabusedcitizens.CNNNewsItem5Iraqisputdemocracyintoactiontodayinelectionsheldacrossthecountry.Thepollshaveclosedandavote-countinghasbegun.Voterswentto6,000pollingstationstopickfromamong14,000candidatesincluding4,000women.Securityisverytightthough,votersweresearchedbeforetheyenteredthepolls.2TheborderswithIranandSyriaweresealedandacurfewhasbeenputintoplace.NoweventheUnitedNationswasinvolvedinmonitoringthoseelections.CNNNewsItem6IranianmediareportsformerPresidentMohammadKhatamihasannouncedhewillrunintheJunepresidentialelections.Today’sannouncementendsweeksofspeculation.Khatamiisconsideredareformistandoverwhelminglywonthepresidencyin1997buthecouldn’tbringaboutreligiousanddemocraticfreedomsbecauseofstrongoppositionfromthecountry’sreligiousestablishment.KhatamiwassucceededbycurrentPresidentMahmoudAhmadinejadfouryearsago.CNNNewsItem7MeanwhileU.S.PresidentBarackObamaistakingcrisistalkstoaninternationallevel.BritishPrimeMinisterGordonBrownistravelingtotheUnitedStatesonMondaytopushforglobalsolutionstotheeconomiccrisis.HewillbethefirstE.U.leadertomeett...
