Free Republic

TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran's supreme leader said the country's political establishment should be open to criticism, following a rare protest against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, state radio reported on Wednesday. "We should be wary of the day when our young people in universities do not have the motivation to raise questions, issues and demands," Ali Khamenei told a group of students and political activists on Tuesday night. "If sometimes we have said there should be no opposition to the country's officials, this does not mean there should be no criticism," Khamenei said. "This applies to the leadership too." Khamenei's comments came...

AM - Friday, 11 August , 2006 08:42:00 Reporter: Matt Brown TONY EASTLEY: British Prime Minister Tony Blair believes an agreement on a United Nations resolution for the conflict in Lebanon could be reached within the next 24 hours, but it's made little difference on the ground. Columns of Israeli tanks moved into two border towns, but said it had put its broader offensive on hold to give diplomacy a chance. The difficult diplomatic path ahead has been highlighted by comments made by the President of Lebanon, Emile Lahoud, who says he can't guarantee Hezbollah won't be able to re-arm...

States Face Growing Prison Population Despite Drop in Crime Rate Sun Jul 27, 6:27 PM ET Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo! By CURT ANDERSON, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - America's prison population grew again in 2002 despite a declining crime rate, costing the federal government and states an estimated $40 billion a year at a time of rampant budget shortfalls. The inmate population in 2002 of more than 2.1 million represented a 2.6 percent increase over 2001, according to a report released Sunday by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Preliminary FBI (news - web sites) statistics...