US & World News, Friday 12/21

US & World Summary --- Higher Air Fares Arent Keeping Travelers At Home Today marks the start of the Christmas travel weekend for millions of travelers. A record 47-million people will fly to their destinations, while 65-million will travel at least 50 miles from home. According to "USA Today," it will be a record holiday travel season. The Transportation Security Administration says its bracing for increased volume and predicts travelers wont experience longer wait times at airport security checkpoints. Triple-A says even though gas prices have dropped slightly over the past few weeks, the national average for regular unleaded gasoline is three-dollars-a-gallon. Thats about 70-cents more than this time last year. --- Pan Am 103 Anniversary Today Its the 19th anniversary of one of the worst air disasters ever. Ceremonies today in both the U.S. and overseas will remember the downing of Pan Am Flight 103. The Boeing 747 was heading from Londons Heathrow Airport to JFK Airport in New York on this date in 1988 when a bomb took the aircraft down over Lockerbie, Scotland. Two hundred and 70 people died in the crash. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff will preside over a memorial service this afternoon at Arlington National Cemetery in Northern Virginia. --- At Least 42 Dead In Pakistan Blast (Islamabad) -- The death toll has risen to at least 42 after a bombing today at a mosque in northwest Pakistan. The blast happened after a former interior minister concluded prayers. He escaped the attack, but his son was injured. A police official says the suspected bomber sat in a middle row among worshippers and detonated his bomb as prayers ended and people gathered around the former minister. At least 80 other people were wounded by the blast. More than 400 people have been killed in bombings in Pakistan in recent months. --- Tani Wont Watch Mothers Funeral From Space Station (Chicago, IL) -- Astronaut Dan Tani has decided not to watch his mothers funeral from the International Space Station. According to the "Chicago Sun-Times," Tani says he chose not to have a video conference set up because he doesnt want to become the center of attention. Instead, Tani will send a taped message that will be included in the Sunday afternoon service. Ninety-year-old Rose Tani was killed Wednesday when her car was struck by a freight train in Lombard, Illinois. Dan Tani has been living aboard the space station since October and could return home on January 10th or earlier. --- Rare Illegal Drug Confiscated At Salt Lake City Airport (Salt Lake City, UT) -- Authorities have seized 450-pounds of a drug thats legal almost everywhere except in the U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement agents and local law enforcement officials found the drug called "khat" 1/81/8 cot 3/83/8 in a raid at Salt Lake Citys airport. Lieutenant Paul Jaroscak 1/81/8 jar-O-sak 3/83/8 says khat is a flowering evergreen shrub that grows in East Africa and Arabia. Jaroscak says the bust came after customs officials became suspicious of large quantities of what were labeled as spices. --- Zell Takes Over Tribune Media Conglomerate (Chicago, IL) -- Its a new day at the Tribune Company. The media conglomerate is officially under new ownership and operating as a private firm. In an eight-point-two-billion-dollar deal completed yesterday, billionaire Sam Zell takes over as chairman and chief executive of the Chicago-based media giant. Zell told the "Chicago Tribune" that hell play a larger role than he originally expected when he proposed the deal last April. --- Shortest Day of The Year Saturday (Seattle, WA) -- Tomorrow is the beginning of winter and the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The winter solstice arrives December 22nd at 1 a.m. Eastern Time and can bring on a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. Doctors say it affects many living in Northern states when there is less daylight. Symptoms can include problems with concentrating, feeling depressed and tired, and sluggish and hungry. (Copyright 2007 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-12-21-07 0843CST