Syrian state television reported on Friday that over 30 people were killed in twin suicide car bombings in Damascus. The Syrian government claims al-Qaida was behind the attack. On Thursday, an advance team from the Arab League arrived in Syria for an observer mission.

Responding to near-universal condemnation from the White House, The Wall Street Journal op-ed page, and senior members of their own party, the House GOP agreed Thursday to accept a temporary extension of the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits the Senate approved last Saturday. House Republicans rejected an almost identical proposal on Tuesday. The stunning about face came after members of their own party criticized the House GOP for handing a political victory to President Obama. The deal will keep the payroll tax at 4.2 percent and expands the holiday to small businesses that have temporary caps on wages.

Stephen Spielberg's adaptation of the Michael Morpurgo novel "War Horse," the adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's novel "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," and Cameron Crowe's "We Bought a Zoo" are slated to be this week's newly-released, big box office winners. "The Artist," which topped many years' best lists and has only been in a handful of theaters, also opens across the country this weekend. 

It's been a tumultuous year for U.S.-Pakistan relations. First came the arrest of a CIA contractor in Lahore who killed two Pakistani citizens, then the raid by U.S. special forces that ended in the death of Osama bin Laden. But relations hit a new low last month when a NATO air strike killed 26 Pakistani soldiers. A Pentagon report released Thursday says both countries share in the blame for the deadly attack, that Pakistani forces fired first.

With Christmas rapidly approaching, The Takeaway asked you to help us craft the ultimate holiday song. Listeners submitted their lyrics, and Takeaway producer Hsi-Chang Lin and former interim digital editor Ben Brock Johnson composed the music and performed it. Happy holidays from everyone at The Takeaway! (Download the song after the jump.)

This week North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il died, a Pentagon investigation into airstrikes that killed 26 Pakistani soldiers heightened tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan, Countrywide was ordered to pay $355 million for discriminating against black and Latino borrowers, and a terrorism scandal in Iraq's second-highest office broke. 

The House of Representatives is expected to pass an extension of the payroll tax holiday and unemployment benefits on Friday. The move comes after a week of drama on Capitol Hill in which House Republicans initially rejected the deal, before succumbing to pressure from other members of their party to pass it.

With less than two weeks until the caucus, many voters are unenthusiastic about the Republican presidential hopefuls. Ron Paul, a libertarian Texas congressman, is in the lead, but many voters don't believe his unconventional politics will get him elected. Tea Party members and evangelical Christians don't feel they are properly represented in any of the candidates. No candidate has a solid core of voters, so aggressive campaigning will continue until January 3rd.

The holidays are typically characterized as a time for joyous celebration with family and friends. But for many Americans, the reality of the holiday season could not be any more different. Over the last twenty-five years, the scientific community has grappled with the concept of loneliness, trying to quantify its presence in society in an effort to better understand the social phenomenon. The consensus seems to be relatively straight-forward: Americans have become increasingly lonely over time.

At least 30 people were killed in Damascus Friday morning when two suicide car bombs were detonated outside security and intelligence buildings. SANA, Syria's government news agency, reported that most of the fatalities were civilians. State TV also said al-Qaida militants were suspected to be behind the attacks. But opposition activists claim the government staged the bombings to influence observers from the Arab League, who arrived on Thursday. The monitors were sent to Syria to help end a months-long violent crackdown on the anti-government opposition. The U.N. estimates that 5,000 people have died in the uprising since March.

Sunday will bring a Christmas miracle for sports fans when the NBA begins its much delayed 2011-2012 season. A labor dispute kept players off the courts for weeks. Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin previews the shortened season.

Many people know Julian Koster as the saw, bass, and banjo player for Neutral Milk Hotel. But in addition to contributing to the sounds of this wildly and widely-acclaimed band, Julian is an enormous holiday enthusiast. Each year, he partakes in a holiday caroling tour with his experimental pop group The Music Tapes. He joins The Takeaway as part of our week-long "Remixing the Holidays" series.