WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) — The following are major news items in leading U.S. newspapers on Friday:

The Washington Post:

– Senate Democrats approved landmark legislation just after sunrise Christmas Eve that would transform the nation’s health-care system by requiring people without insurance to obtain coverage and protecting those who have it from the most unpopular private insurance practices.

– Yemeni forces, backed by the United States, launched a major attack Thursday on a meeting of senior al-Qaeda operatives thought to include the Yemeni American cleric linked to the suspect in the Fort Hood shootings, U.S. and Yemeni officials said.

The New York Times:

– The Senate voted Thursday to reinvent the nation’s health care system, passing a bill to guarantee access to health insurance for tens of millions of Americans and to rein in health costs. The 60-to-39 party-line vote, starting at 7:05 a.m. on the 25th straight day of debate on the legislation, brings Democrats closer to a goal they have pursued for decades and brings President Obama a step closer to success in his signature domestic initiative.