CNN news 2007-12-03 加文本

cnn 2007-12-03


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Hey, there. I’m Virginia Cha at the cnn Center in Atlanta with the latest top stories.

They’re counting the votes in today’s Russian parliamentary election. The Associated Press reports exit polls indicate that President Vladimir Putin’s party won more than 60% of the vote. That could potentially pave the way for Putin to become Prime Minister after he steps down as president.

Observers say it’s a promising sign that two British envoys are delaying their departure from Sudan. They are trying to secure the early release of teacher Gillian Gibbons from a Sudanese jail. Gibbons is behind bars, charged with blasphemy for allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad. She was sentenced to 15 days in jail.

The snow and ice storm that pummeled the Midwest yesterday is now blamed for at least 7 traffic deaths. Some snow is still falling in several Midwest states, but the bulk of the storm is heading toward New England where it could dump up to a foot of snow in some places.

It’s no laughing matter for dozens of staffers on the Tonight Show, the employees who are not writers, have been laid off as the four-week-old writers’ strike continues. The show has been in reruns since the walkout started November 5th. Strike negotiations are on hold till Tuesday.

If you are planning to file your taxes early next year, you may not get your refund as quickly as you’d like. The IRS is considering delaying the start of its filing season if Congress fails to pass a tax bill in the next two weeks. If a delay goes into February, that could mean a halt on more than 87 billion dollars worth of refunds. Congress is trying to figure out how to handle an increase in the number of people facing a higher alternative minimum tax.

And those are your headlines at this hour. For more on those stories and all your other news of the day, cnn is your source on TV, even when you’re on the go.