WORLD

The Buffett Rule is a plan that would raise taxes on America's most wealthy, requiring those making $1 million or more per year to pay a minimum federal tax rate of 30 percent on all income. The idea is sparking heated debates, and that merits a closer look at how U.S. taxes are structured now, what sorts of changes Obama is pushing, and why exactly he's pushing them.

Texas affiliates of Planned Parenthood are suing the state over a law barring the women's health organization from receiving funding.

The U.S. economy expanded at a modest to moderate pace from mid-February through late March, but local industries remain concerned about high gas prices in coming months, the U.S. Federal Reserve said Wednesday in its new Beige Book.

Soon Tennessee classrooms will be able to debate the merits of creationism and evolution side-by-side, after Gov. Bill Haslam on Tuesday refused to sign a controversial proposal dubbed the Monkey Bill, but allowed it to become law anyway.

Heathrow, the third-busiest airport in the world, will be overwhelmed with the volume of passengers expected this summer for the London Olympics, with immigration wait times stretching beyond an hour and tourists forced to wait on circling aircraft or on the tarmac for blocked gates to become free.

The monthly US budget deficit widened to $198.16 billion in March from $188.15 billion in the same month a year earlier, partly because some benefit payments normally made in April were shifted to March, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday.

American International Group Inc., the beleagued insurance company that was brought to its knees by the subprime mortgage collapse, is re-entering U.S. real estate investment later this year.

A naval standoff in the South China Sea is pitting the Philippines against China, and is highlighting how a growing Chinese military presence in the region may create tension in a resource-rich area.

Jon Lovitz is known for making us laugh, but he's been using Twitter in a serious matter lately, decrying the hate-fueled, honey-drawn swastikas scribbled on his friend's doorstep last week.

North Korea's planned rocket launch has provided an opportunity for foreign journalist's to gain limited access to the reclusive nation under new leader Kim Jong-un. Have a look at some of the most recent photos from the communist Hermit Kingdom.

Florida Representative Allen West (R) thinks that 70 to 81 House Democrats are communists. There are currently 190 Democrats in the House.

The Yemeni government continued to battle an al-Qaeda insurgency in the south of the country on Wednesday, killing at least 30 militants on the third consecutive day of fighting.

New York remains on the fence whether or not to allow high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing, but already companies are knocking on the state's door.

Despite Kofi Annan's renewed confidence in his Syrian ceasefire plan during his visit to Tehran, many experts believe that the plan has already failed.

Rick Santorum has exited the Republican presidential race. While his unlikely candidacy resonated with many conservative voters, some ill-advised remarks underscored concerns about his values and viability.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's gives brief remarks about shooting death of unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

The Commander of North Korea's Satellite Integrated Control Center said on Wednesday that a satellite had already been successfully installed into the rocket and that the Unha-3 was now being fueled.

After ending exports to Spain and Greece, Iran continued with its counter-sanctions against the European Union on Wednesday by cutting oil exports to Germany.

The federal income tax for 30 companies was negative during the four-year period, even though they brought in a combined $205 billion in gross profit.

Prime Minister Lucas Papademos is expected to meet with President Karolos Papoulias later Wednesday to dissolve parliament and set a date for watershed elections, which are set to test Greek resolve for punishing austerity measures.

Captain Francesco Schettino of the ill-fated Costa Concordia cruise ship will remain under house arrest, Italy's Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday.

Mitt Romney tightened his grip on the Republican presidential nomination after Rick Santorum's decision on Tuesday to leave the race, with a procession of Republican leaders and a key Santorum financier declaring their support.

After two days of fighting, reports indicated the South Sudanese army (SPLA) has seized control of the Heglig oil fields, a vital strategic resource for Khartoum which accounts for over half of Sudan's domestic oil production.

Japan's core machinery orders rose in February against all expectations, indicating that the country’s economy is in the path of recovery in spite of deflationary pressures, a strengthening currency and decreasing foreign demand.

Iranian minister for Information and Communications Technology, Reza Taghipour, denied news reports about the government's plan to block the Internet and deny millions of people access to the World Wide Web. However, despite the denial, there is no proof that Tehran has shelved its plans to establish a national network to replace the free Internet

Iran has stopped oil exports to Spain in retaliation to the European Union ban on Iranian crude imports that comes into force in July, the Mehr News Agency has reported, citing sources familiar with the situation.

Venezuelan politics has almost willingly let President Hugo Chavez's terminal illness hijack the ongoing presidential election campaign, which would have otherwise been its best chance to reassess his 13-year-long governance and revolutionary brand of socialism.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind behind the September 11th attacks, will be arraigned at the beginning of May at Guantanamo Bay, according to U.S. Pentagon officials. Mohammed, along with four other co-conspirators, will face charges including terrorism, hijacking an aircraft and murder, for their roles in the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in 2001.

Mexican presidential hopeful Josefina Vázquez Mota has asserted control over her electoral campaign. As the candidate faces wilting prospects of becoming Mexico's first-ever female president, the move signifies an attempt to recover some momentum after a series of embarrassments.