Two American hikers who have been jailed by Iran on spying charges since 2009 were released from prison Wednesday afternoon. A judge approved an order for their release Wednesday after the posting of $1 million bail. The move follows days of delays as the two men waited for a second judge to return from leave […]
G8 Reaffirms Economic and Political Support for Arab Spring
Posted September 20th, 2011 at 9:40 pm (UTC-5)
The world’s major industrialized nations are pledging economic and political support to five North African and Middle Eastern countries that are transitioning to democracy after revolting against their authoritarian leaders. Foreign ministers from the G8 met in New York Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. They were joined by ministers from […]
Clinton Global Initiative Takes on Job Creation, Child Marriage, Sustainable Consumption
Posted September 20th, 2011 at 8:35 pm (UTC-5)
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton says economic troubles in the U.S. should not stop the global powerhouse from making investments in development in the rest of the world. Speaking Tuesday at the start of his third annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, the former president said most places are facing greater difficulties than the […]
Obama Launches Open Government Partnership
Posted September 20th, 2011 at 6:40 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama has told a forum in New York that open societies, economies and governments make the “strongest foundation for human progress.” The U.S. president spoke Tuesday at the United Nations to inaugurate a new international Open Government Partnership. There are eight founding members in the partnership, including Mexico, Indonesia, South Africa, the […]
Top US Military Officials Say Budget Cuts ‘Tough’ but Doable
Posted September 20th, 2011 at 5:43 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta says it will be “very difficult” to cut more than $450 billion over the next decade from the nation’s defense budget, but he says he also sees it as an opportunity to reshape U.S. armed forces for the future. Panetta told reporters Tuesday that defense spending has nearly doubled […]
Senate Republican Leader to Step Down
Posted September 20th, 2011 at 1:40 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, a Republican, says he will step down from the number three minority position in the Senate in January, to do more to make the Senate more effective. Alexander, the Republican conference chairman, made the announcement Tuesday in remarks before his colleagues. Last week, a CBS/New York Times poll found congressional approval […]
Clemency Denied for US Death Row Inmate
Posted September 20th, 2011 at 11:48 am (UTC-5)
A Georgia parole board has rejected a final appeal from U.S. death row inmate Troy Davis, whose case has drawn international attention because of claims he was wrongly convicted. Davis is set to be executed by lethal injection Wednesday in the southern state of Georgia for the 1989 shooting death of a police officer. This […]
US Court Calls 17-year Terror Sentence Too Short
Posted September 19th, 2011 at 1:40 pm (UTC-5)
A U.S. appeals court says the 17-year prison sentence imposed on convicted terrorism plotter Jose Padilla was far “too lenient.” The court also ordered a new hearing to determine what it calls a more appropriate punishment. The three-judge panel ruled Monday that Padilla got off “too lightly” for someone who trained to kill at an […]
US Airshow Crash Death Toll Rises to 10
Posted September 19th, 2011 at 1:18 pm (UTC-5)
The death toll from last week’s plane crash at an airshow in Nevada has risen to 10. A World War Two vintage fighter plane crashed into an area of box seats near a grandstand during the National Championship Air Races site outside Reno. Video taken at the scene showed the plane heading nose-down into the […]
US Airshow Crash Death Toll Rises to 10
Posted September 19th, 2011 at 1:13 pm (UTC-5)
The death toll from last week’s plane crash at an airshow in Nevada has risen to 10. A World War Two vintage fighter plane crashed into an area of box seats near a grandstand during the National Championship Air Races site outside Reno. Video taken at the scene showed the plane heading nose-down into the […]
