Obama's emotional gun control push at heart of speech
President Barack Obama brought the wounds inflicted by the recent spate of shooting deaths to Congress Tuesday, ending his State of the Union address with an emotional plea for tougher gun control.
13 February 2013
Obama vows US will back human rights in Middle East
US President Barack Obama vowed to maintain the pressure on the Syrian regime and to defend human rights in the Middle East on Tuesday, but offered no new ideas to halt bloodshed in the Arab world.
13 February 2013
Obama says 34,000 US troops to leave Afghanistan
President Barack Obama announced Tuesday that 34,000 troops would be pulled out of Afghanistan in the next year, and vowed that by the end of 2014 the US war in the country would be over.
With test, N. Korea threat looks more real
With a defiant nuclear test, North Korea has shown it poses an increasingly credible threat but some doubt whether even the notoriously bellicose regime would ever use weapons of mass destruction.
13 February 2013
US to launch free trade talks with EU: Obama
The United States and Europe will launch talks on what would be the world's largest free trade zone, US President Barack Obama declared Tuesday in his State of the Union address.
New Zealand lawmaker calls for Muslim flight ban A New Zealand politician has labelled young Muslim men a terrorist threat who should be banned from Western airlines, sparking condemnation from Prime Minister John Key on Tuesday.
Pentagon extends some benefits to same-sex partners The Pentagon officially extended some military benefits to same-sex partners Monday, but said provisions like medical coverage would not be offered to gay troops' spouses due to legal barriers.
12 February 2013
UN Security Council looms for Iran as IAEA tries again Iran faces possible referral to the UN Security Council in early March unless Tehran and the UN atomic agency defy expectations in talks Wednesday and reach a deal on enhanced inspections.