Since the start of talks on Iran's nuclear program, Iran has asserted it has a right to enrich uranium — and the United States has disagreed. Both have refused to budge over nearly a decade of negotiations. Until now.
Iran has suddenly gone public with a significant concession just days ahead of a new round of talks with six world powers later this week in Geneva. It still insists that it has a right to the program, but it now says that the six no longer need to publicly acknowledge its claim, opening a way to sidestep the dispute and focus on more practical steps both sides can agree on.
Nuclear Deal With Iran Comes Closer As Tehran Concedes On Right To Enrich
'Apocalyptic' storm floods Sardinia, 16 dead
The Mediterranean island of Sardinia, prized by the jet-set for its white sand beaches and crystal-clear seas, was a flood-ravaged mud bath Tuesday after a freak torrential rainstorm killed at least 16 people, downed bridges and swept away cars.
Italian Premier Enrico Letta declared a state of emergency and set aside 20 million euros ($27 million) for emergency relief, saying the priority was reaching remote areas, saving the lives of those still unaccounted for and providing for those left homeless. Letta later traveled to the island, where he met with people hit by the floods.
Pastor found guilty by church court for officiating gay son's wedding
A jury of Methodist pastors ruled Monday that a Lebanon County, Pa., minister violated church doctrine when he presided over his son's marriage to a man - a decision that the Rev. Frank Schaefer said was made out of love, not as an act of rebellion.
The verdict was not unexpected; Schaefer, pastor of Zion United Methodist Church of Iona, admitted that he knew he was going against church doctrine by ministering to his son, Tim, at his wedding.
A red-eyed Tim Schaefer left the building after the verdict was read, and was greeted by applause from supporters in the chilly night air.
Neo-Nazi seeking all-white town charged in North Dakota
Craig Cobb and Kynan Dutton were taken to jail in handcuffs Saturday afternoon, after Leith citizens called 911 for help because the two men were confronting them with guns in a threatening and intimidating manner.
The two men are neo-Nazis and moved in take over Leith's government, posting new signs with ugly racial slurs and flying swastika flags on Cobb's property in town.
Their use of guns with Leith residents raises three months of tension to its highest level yet, and Grant County Sheriff Steve Bay said residents should feel at ease at least for now that the men are in custody at the Mercer County jail in Stanton.
Rep. Trey Radel charged with cocaine possession
Rep. Trey Radel, a freshman Republican from Florida, was arrested on Oct. 29 for possession of cocaine in the District of Columbia, according to D.C. Superior Court documents.
Radel, 37, was charged with misdemeanor possession of cocaine in D.C. Superior Court on Tuesday. He is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
Radel faces a maximum of 180 days in jail, as well as a possible fine up to $1,000.
Va. police: State senator stabbed, son dead of suicide
Virginia state police are investigating a tabbing attack on a prominent state senator as an attempted murder and suicide by his son, who died at the scene, an official said Tuesday.
Creigh Deeds, a Democrat and unsuccessful candidate for governor of Virginia in 2009, was reported in fair condition after being hospitalized with multiple stab wounds Tuesday.
State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said police were still investigating the "altercation" at Deeds' home west of Charlottesville. His son Gus, 24, was dead of a gunshot wound at the scene, she said.
Former Florida Sec. of State Katherine Harris’ husband dead in apparent suicide
The husband of former Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, who became known nationally for her role in the contested 2000 presidential election, was found dead Tuesday of an apparent suicide at the couple’s mansion on Sarasota Bay, police said.
Anders Ebbeson, 68, was found dead at the home, at 1420 Bay Point Drive, when officers were called Tuesday morning, said Sarasota police spokeswoman Genevieve Judge.
Justice, JP Morgan Chase Agree on $13 Billion Settlement
Thousands of homeowners could gain some measure of mortgage relief under a record-setting, $13 billion landmark settlement reached Tuesday between the Justice Department and banking giant JPMorgan Chase.
Long in the making, the settlement resolves allegations about the bank’s liability for financially toxic packages of mortgage-backed securities sold to unsuspecting investors. It includes some $4 billion in consumer aid and is, far and away, the largest and most highly anticipated settlement to arise from the housing market crash and general economic calamity that came to a head in 2008.
Senate GOP rejects another Obama judicial nominee
Senate Republicans on Monday stymied President Barack Obama’s latest judicial nominee, leaving one of the nation’s top appellate courts shorthanded and escalating the endless confirmation war.
Facing a nearly unified GOP front, U.S. District Judge Robert Wilkins failed to secure the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster and win a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The 53-38 vote late Monday afternoon marked the third time in three weeks that Senate Republicans used the filibuster to block an Obama nominee to the D.C.-based appellate court.
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