30+DEC

 **** __U.S. Had Early Signals of a Terror Plot, Officials Say__ **** By PETER BAKER and CARL HULSE The government had intelligence about a possible Al Qaeda attack around the holidays and had more information about where the suspect had been and what some of his plans were, an official said.

**** __New Slip in Housing Prices Undercuts Fragile Optimism__ **** By DAVID STREITFELD Fresh worries about housing came as economic growth for the third quarter was revised down to an annual rate of 2.2 percent from 2.8 percent.

**** __Terror Inquiry Looks at Suspect’s Time in Britain__ **** By JOHN F. BURNS A look at Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s years in London points out a difficulty in preventing terrorist attacks: no one can identify a trigger moment. **** __In Heart of Iraq, a Plan to Revive the Pulse of a Central Artery__ **** By RIYADH MOHAMMED and JOHN LELAND A $5 billion plan to rebuild Baghdad’s economic and cultural main street is the most ambitious vision put forward of a new Iraq, a testimony to the decline in violence of the last two years.

**** __Putin Sounds Warning on Arms Talks__ **** By ELLEN BARRY Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said the main obstacle to replacing START was the U.S. missile defense plan.

**** __Afghans Announce Spring Election__ **** By ALISSA J. RUBIN The consensus on parliamentary elections came over the objections of international organizations that fear a repeat of the summer’s fraud-tainted presidential vote. **** __Debate Over Full-Body Scans vs. Invasion of Privacy Flares Anew After Incident__ **** By JOHN SCHWARTZ Technology exists to reveal objects hidden under clothes at airport checkpoints, but privacy advocates say it is too intrusive.

**** __‘Shocked’ Nigerians in U.S. Express Fears of Guilt by Association After Arrest__ **** By MARY M. CHAPMAN A group of Nigerians has condemned the failed attack involving a Nigerian suspect, and several Nigerians said they expected prejudicial fallout.

**** __Red River Flooding Solution Is a Problem to Some__ **** By MONICA DAVEY A plan to create a large-scale floodwater diversion channel around the cities of Fargo, N.D., and Moorhead, Minn., has caused uneasiness among the cities’ rural neighbors. **** __Shoplifters? Studies Say Keep an Eye on Workers__ **** By STEVEN GREENHOUSE Employee fraud involving gift cards appears to be growing as retailers struggle to contain overall theft.

**** __Emerging Markets Soar Past Their Doubters__ **** By HEATHER TIMMONS Staggering gains this decade in Brazil, Russia, China, India and other developing nations have left even some bulls wondering if the good times can last.

**** __F.D.A. to Seek New Standards on Human Test Data__ **** By BARRY MEIER The Food and Drug Administration will seek tougher standards for data from tests by medical device makers.