http://www.earthtimes.org The Earth Times online newspaper, serving the planet with world news and current affairs that matter en-us PHP/4.4.4 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295532,defense-secretary-gates-us-withdrawal-still-on-schedule.html Washington - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday in Washington that US plans to reduce and eventually withdraw troops from Iraq have not been changed amid uncertainty whether planned January 18 elections will be held as scheduled. We are... US,World Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:40:27 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295532,defense-secretary-gates-us-withdrawal-still-on-schedule.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295521,obama-says-election-of-eu-president-will-strengthen-partnership.html Washington - US President Barack Obama believes the pick on Thursday of Belgian Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy as the European Union's first full-time president could strengthen trans-Atlantic relations. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obam... US,World Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:58:24 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295521,obama-says-election-of-eu-president-will-strengthen-partnership.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295519,geithner-forced-to-defend-his-own-job-before-us-lawmakers.html Washington - US Secretary Timothy Geithner fired back at his opponents during a testy congressional hearing Thursday, rejecting calls for his resignation and defending the administration's economic policies. In a rare public outburst, Geithner tore i... US,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:34:19 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295519,geithner-forced-to-defend-his-own-job-before-us-lawmakers.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295510,pentagon-launches-review-in-wake-of-fort-hood-rampage--summary.html Washington - The Pentagon plans a department-wide review to identify security gaps in the wake of the deadly shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, Defence Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday. Gates said the wide-ranging review would examine security... US,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:58:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295510,pentagon-launches-review-in-wake-of-fort-hood-rampage--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295453,amnesty-urges-obama-to-redouble-efforts-over-guantanamo.html London - The US government must redouble efforts to resolve the future of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre after US President Barack Obama acknowledged that the deadline set for the facility's closure would be missed, Amnesty Intern... US,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:58:26 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295453,amnesty-urges-obama-to-redouble-efforts-over-guantanamo.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295451,suicide-attack-kills-2-us-soldiers-as-karzai-starts-second-term.html Kabul - A suicide bomber targeted a NATO-led military base in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, killing two US soldiers, military officials said. The attack came as President Hamid Karzai said Afghan security forces should be able to take over the co... US,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:52:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295451,suicide-attack-kills-2-us-soldiers-as-karzai-starts-second-term.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295386,hurricane-katrina-victims-win-case-against-us-government.html Washington - A federal judge has awarded 720,000 dollars in damages to several victims of Hurricane Katrina, in an apparent precedent-setting ruling against the US Army Corps of Engineers. US District Judge Stanwood R Duval Jrfound in favour of four ... US,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:28:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295386,hurricane-katrina-victims-win-case-against-us-government.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295365,us-extends-sympathy-on-death-of-serbian-orthodox-patriarch-pavle.html Washington - The United States Wednesday extended condolences to members of the Serbian Orthodox Church community on the death of their leader, Patriarch Pavle. The patriarch holds a revered place in the hearts of Serbian Orthodox Church members thr... US,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:46:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295365,us-extends-sympathy-on-death-of-serbian-orthodox-patriarch-pavle.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295360,firestorm-follows-us-panels-ruling-on-mammograms--feature.html Washington - The US government moved Wednesday to quell a rising fury over the findings of an official panel that mammograms were no longer necessary for women in their 40s and that older women should have fewer tests for breast cancer. US Secretary ... US,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:04:27 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295360,firestorm-follows-us-panels-ruling-on-mammograms--feature.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295347,palin-jewish-settlements-should-expand.html Washington - Sarah Palin, the failed Republican vice presidential candidate in the headlines again with a new book, disagrees with the Obama administration's call for an end to Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories. I believe the Jewish ... US,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:34:17 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295347,palin-jewish-settlements-should-expand.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295332,california-bans-power-guzzling-flat-screen-tvs.html Sacramento - California regulators on Wednesday passed new regulations to ban power-hungry flat screen televisions from store shelves. The regulations adopted by the California Energy Commission are the strictest in the US and will require manufactur... US,World Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:16:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295332,california-bans-power-guzzling-flat-screen-tvs.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295329,thousands-throng-to-palin-as-she-begins-book-tour.html Los Angeles - Thousands of Sarah Palin fans thronged to the opening of her book tour Wednesday as the former Republican vice presidential candidate embarked on a campaign that appeared to be as much about relaunching her political career as selling c... US,World Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:04:22 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295329,thousands-throng-to-palin-as-she-begins-book-tour.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295323,un-extends-european-union-force-in-bosnia-for-one-more-year.html New York - The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday gave the European Union Stabilization Force in Bosnia-Herzegovina a new 12-month mandate to pursue implementation of the peace agreement there. The EU force arrived in the Balkan nation in 2... US,World Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:04:24 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295323,un-extends-european-union-force-in-bosnia-for-one-more-year.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295317,report-raul-castros-cuba-keeps-up-repressive-machinery.html Washington - Cuba maintains its repressive machinery under new leader Raul Castro, the non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released Wednesday. Raul Castro inherited a system of abusive laws and institutions, as ... US,World Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:58:17 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295317,report-raul-castros-cuba-keeps-up-repressive-machinery.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295311,un-team-to-probe-september-killings-in-guinea.html New York - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday urged three investigators to work independently to assess the facts that led to the deaths of scores of people who demonstrated against the government in Guinea in September. Moha... US,World Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:28:26 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295311,un-team-to-probe-september-killings-in-guinea.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295307,obama-admits-date-for-guantanamo-closure-will-be-missed--summary.html Washington - US President Barack Obama acknowledged on Wednesday that the January deadline for closing the Guantanamo Bay prison facility will be missed. In numerous interviews with US broadcasters while travelling through Asia, Obama also defended t... US,World Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:52:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295307,obama-admits-date-for-guantanamo-closure-will-be-missed--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295304,un-increased-security-fails-to-deter-somali-pirates.html New York - Pirate attacks have increased despite more effective measures adopted by several navies to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia, United Nations Security Council members said Wednesday. They called for more crucial and robust ways to fig... US,World Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:40:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295304,un-increased-security-fails-to-deter-somali-pirates.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295303,obama-to-announce-afghan-plan-over-coming-weeks.html Washington - US President Barack Obama said Wednesday that he will announce his revised strategy for the war in Afghanistan in the next several weeks. Obama has been holding high-level meetings with his war council in the last two months to map out ... US,World Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:34:25 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295303,obama-to-announce-afghan-plan-over-coming-weeks.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295298,obama-admits-deadline-for-closing-guantanamo-will-be-missed.html Washington - US President Barack Obama acknowledged on Wednesday that the January deadline for closing the Guantanamo Bay prison facility will be missed. In numerous interviews with US broadcasters while travelling through Asia, Obama also defended t... US,World Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:52:24 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295298,obama-admits-deadline-for-closing-guantanamo-will-be-missed.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295297,geezer-bandit-evades-capture-after-five-bank-hold-ups.html San Diego - An elderly bank robber, dubbed the Geezer Bandit by the US press, has robbed his fifth bank since August, prompting frustrated authorities to offer three rewards for his capture, the San Diego Tribune reported Wednesday. The robber, who... US,World Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:46:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295297,geezer-bandit-evades-capture-after-five-bank-hold-ups.html