美国有线电视 CNN 2008-12-27（在线收听）

From the CNN center in Atlanta, I'm Nicole Lapin. Thanks so much for checking in with us today. Here is a look at what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

Israel is reopening its border with Gaza to allow deliveries of humanitarian aid into the region. That's despite an increase in rocket attacks by Palestinian militants from Gaza into southern Israel. A tenure of six-months truce between Hamas government in Gaza and Israel, you may recall, expired a week ago. While under the deal Hamas agreed to end militant attacks on Israel from Gaza,and Israel agreed to halt raids inside the territory and ease its blockade on humanitarian goods.

And police in Lima,Peru are looking for the person who threw a tear gas canister into a crowded discotheque early Christmas morning.The accident triggered a stampede that killed 5 people. Several other people were also hurt. A Peruvian news agency says the disco did not have a license to operate or serve alcohol, and many nearby residents have been asking police to close it down.

Also authorities in southern Ukraine say 27 people died in Thuesday's explosion at an apartment building in Yevpatoria. Rescue crews say that there are still people at the scene, but they are all expected to wrap up their work there later this evening. Investigators say several large oxygen canisters were kept in the building's basement and likely caused that explosion.

 The first post-Christmas sales report card is out,and the news is not good. A report by MasterCard Worldwide Unit SpendingPulse  suggests that sales were down by 4 percent from Christmas of 07. Electronics, clothing apparel, luxury merchandize all fared the worst, by the way,the report also says the weak economy and lousy weather,especially this week kept a lot of shoppers at home.

But the retailers' loss could actually be your gain,especially if you are in the market for some new wheels, CNN MONEY.COM is reporting that carmakers are offering some of the best end-of-the-year deals ever. Those deals apply to foreign cars as well as those offered by the Big Three.

And those are the headlines at this hour. For more on those stories and other news of the day CNN is always your source, online, on TV, or on your cellphone.