Hello, I'm Kristin Volk on this Thursday, the 24 day of April 2008 with a UPI news update. U.S. officials will tell lawmakers on Capitol Hill today that North Korea helped Syria build a nuclear reactor. The U.S. reportedly has video footage of a suspected nuclear reactor site in Syria with North Koreans inside. That site was destroyed by Israeli warplanes last September. Syria has repeatedly denied that it has any nuclear weapons program or any agreement with North Korea. President Bush will nominate his top Iraq commander to lead U.S. military operations throughout the Middle East. Army General David Petraeus will become head of Central Command. Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno who's the number 2 commander in Iraq will take Petraeus' current job. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the generals' promotions reflected an endorsement of the current course in Iraq. Political analysts say Senator Hillary Clinton faces an uphill battle in North Carolina. That state will hold its Democratic Primary early next month. North Carolina boasts African-Americans, young voters, upscale whites, and independent voters .all of whom Clinton's rival, Senator Barack Obama, has captured in previous state contests. But some Democrats believe Clinton can shave an Obama victory in the state to possibly five or six points. New home sales fell in March to the lowest level in more than 16 years. That's according to a government report just released. Sales last month slipped 8.5 percent to 526, 000. That's down 36 percent from a year earlier. Economists say the report indicates that the downturn in the housing market continues. That's all for now. Check out our wrap-up from the White House tomorrow on upi.com.