The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday approved a review of media ownership rules , including limits on ownership of broadcast stations by one company and on cross-ownership by broadcasters and newspapers. FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin said that the rules, which must be reviewed every four years, will be subject to more public hearings [...]

The US Marine Corps on Wednesday charged seven Marines and one Navy corpsman with murder and kidnapping in connection to the April 26 death of an Iraqi man outside his home in Hamdania. The eight men allegedly dragged an Iraqi civilian outside of his home, shot him, and then placed an AK-47 rifle and a [...]

The US House Judiciary Committee passed a non-binding resolution Wednesday asking the President and the Secretary of Defense to provide the House with information on the NSA domestic surveillance program . The resolution calls for: all information in the possession of the President or the Secretary of Defense relating to the collection of intelligence information [...]

Saddam Hussein and his seven co-defendants have begun a hunger strike to protest the abduction and murder of a defense team lawyer in Baghdad early Wednesday morning. Leading defense counsel Khalil al-Dulaimi said the defendants would end their strike when additional security is provided to the defense team. Saddam threatened to boycott the trial last [...]

A Nepal committee has started to consult rebels and civil society leaders in preparation for drafting a temporary constitution after the new Nepal government and Maoist rebels reached a landmark deal Friday. The two parties agreed to draft a power-sharing constitution within 15 days and dissolve the parliament reinstated by the popular people's uprising against [...]

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on the world's governments Wednesday to ensure the goal of nuclear non-proliferation by devaluing nuclear weapons and strengthening the treaties to limit and control them. Addressing the opening session of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva, Annan advocated renewed international efforts to secure compliance with the Nuclear [...]

A guard at a federal detention center in Tallahassee, Florida, shot and killed a US Justice Department agent before being shot and killed himself Wednesday as FBI and Justice Department investigators arrived at the prison to arrest six men, including the guard, who were indicted Tuesday on corruption charges. The six allegedly brought contraband into [...]

The United States and Japan have finalized a treaty that will allow law enforcement authorities from both countries to deal with each other directly to facilitate criminal investigations, rather than going through diplomats. The Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) , which the two countries initially signed on August 5, 2003, will take effect July 21 [...]

House GOP leaders on Wednesday indefinitely postponed consideration of the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 , which would renew provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 for an additional 25-year period. The unexpected decision to remove the bill from floor debate came after Republicans from southern states complained during a [...]

Speaking Wednesday at a news conference after a US-EU summit meeting in Vienna , President George W. Bush suggested that the White House is open to having Guantanamo Bay detainees tried in US courts, as opposed to Guantanamo-based military commissions where a few are currently facing trial. After reaffirming his commitment to "ending Guantanamo" and [...]