TOP NEWS STORIES (dec 15, 2011)

1. Most Americans want Congress to vote to continue the payroll tax reduction, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll that comes as Democrats and Republicans wrestle over whether to extend the cut through 2012.

2. A French court found former President Jacques Chirac guilty of embezzling public funds to illegally finance the conservative party he long led, in a historic verdict Thursday with repercussions for his legacy

3. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin vehemently rejected opposition calls for a rerun of the parliamentary election.