Afternoon Update: Bomb Blasts Hit 2 Security Facilities in Syrian Capital

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December 23, 2011 Afternoon Update

TOP NEWS Bomb Blasts Hit 2 Security Facilities in Syrian Capital By KAREEM FAHIM At least 30 people were killed in what seemed to be the most brazen attack since the uprising began. But there was much contention about who did it. Pakistan Military Denies Conspiracy to Seize Power By SALMAN MASOOD A day after the prime minister warned of conspiracies to subvert the civilian government, the military issued an unusual denial of rumors that it was planning to take power. Standoff Ends, No Objections: Payroll Tax Cut Bill Passes By JENNIFER STEINHAUER and JACKIE CALMES The House and Senate dispensed with weeks of partisan bickering to pass a two-month payroll tax cut extension that President Obama signed hours later. Provision May Halt Pipeline, but Oil Is Still Likely to Flow By JOHN M. BRODER and DAN FROSCH A provision in the payroll tax bill requires President Obama to determine the fate of the Keystone XL project within 60 days. Times Topics: Keystone XL Pipeline The Caucus Aloha, Mr. President By MICHAEL D. SHEAR President Obama is set to depart from Joint Base Andrews on Friday to begin his vacation with family in Hawaii. • NYTimes.com Home Page »

Magazine Interactive Feature: The Lives They Lived Ira Glass and his team from "This American Life" edited a special section devoted to ordinary people who died in 2011. Opinion Room for Debate Is Americans' Religious Freedom Under Threat? In airports, classrooms and doctors' offices, Christians and religious minorities say, Americans are falling short of the founders' First Amendment ideals.

BUSINESS On the Exterior of Jetliners, a Parade of Plain Vanilla By JAD MOUAWAD The colorful paint jobs on airplanes have gone the way of free meals and pillows. DealBook MF Global Trustee Seeks Money From British Arm By MICHAEL J. DE LA MERCED The trustee liquidating MF Global's trading operations said that his office was seeking the return of more than $600 million from the failed firm's British arm, potentially setting up a cross-border fight over customer money. U.S. Consumer Spending Rise Is Slim By REUTERS Americans spent less than expected in November as tepid income growth put a squeeze on households, the Commerce Department said. The Caucus Standoff Ends, No Objections: Payroll Tax Cut Bill Passes By JENNIFER STEINHAUER In under an hour on Friday, the House and Senate dispensed with weeks of partisan bickering and extended the measure. Post a Comment | Obama Departs for Hawaii 11:55 AM ET Times Topics: Payroll Tax Debate Bank Deposits at European Central Bank Reach High for Year By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The overnight deposits are another sign that Europe's debt crisis is still putting pressure on the banking system despite loans from the central bank. • More Business News »

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