US President Barack Obama delivered his annual State of the Union address. Obama's speech took place in front of a joint session of Congress as many Americans watch from home. While inviting the president to give the yearly address, House Speaker John Boehner cited the country's "immense challenges" ahead. Obama urges Iran to diplomatic solution; US President Barack Obama told Iranian leaders it was
time they ended a standoff over the country's nuclear program, just two weeks before fresh talks with world powers. "The leaders of Iran must recognize that now is the time for a diplomatic solution, because a coalition stands united in demanding that they meet their obligations," Obama said in his State of the Union address. US President pledges not to send troops abroad to fight terrorists: To fight terrorists, the US does 
not have to send troops abroad or occupy other countries, said President Barack Obama while delivering his annual State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday. He made it understood that to counter the terrorist threat the US will help such allies as Yemen, Libya and Somalia. The US leader also offered assurances that whenever necessary, the US will continue countering terrorists by resorting to various means. The US has recently been frequently criticized for using drones to deliver pinpoint strikes to wipe out militants. Criticism comes from the fact that the drones also kill civilians quite often. Afghan war will
draw to a close by late 2014 – Obama: The Afghan war will draw to a close by late 2014, the US President Barack Obama told Congress as he addressed the lawmakers with his annual State of the Union speech. President Obama's decision to reduce troop levels in Afghanistan by 34,000 by this time next year still gives the coalition enough muscle to support Afghan security forces as they battle through another fighting season this summer while staying on track to wrap up the combat mission in two years, military officials and analysts say. "Tonight, I can announce that over the next year, another 34,000 American troops will come home from Afghanistan," Obama said. "This drawdown will continue. And by the end of next year, our war in Afghanistan will be over." Obama said the US adherence to the idea of a united and sovereign Afghanistan will be in place also after the troop pullout. The President pointed out that talks are under way with the Afghan government on drafting an agreement that would be focused on training and equipping the Afghan forces, as well as on antiterrorist efforts. The man in the White House added that the US would go ahead with the talks with Russia on further nuclear arsenal reductions. Obama hails Obamacare, targets
medicare, drugs for savings: President Barack Obama called on Congress to send him an immigration reform bill "in the next few months," upping the pressure on Senate and House members to find a compromise. "We know what needs to be done," Obama said in his State of the Union address. "As we speak, bipartisan groups in both chambers are working diligently to draft a bill, and I applaud their efforts. Now let’s get this done. Send me a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the next few months, and I will sign it right away." Obama has devoted considerable attention to immigration reform during the first weeks of his second term, including in a major address on the topic in Las Vegas at the end of last month. In that speech, the president said Congress needed to deal with immigration "in a timely manner" - without setting an exact timeframe - or else he would send his own legislation for a vote. Obama signs executive order on cyber defense: Barack Obama has signed an executive order on cybersecurity following 
rumors that he would do so. In his State of the Union address he cited “growing threat from cyber-attacks” as the reason he used his executive power against the will of lawmakers. The order, which does not have the same force as a law, directs the secretary of homeland security to "increase the volume, timeliness and quality" of information on cyber threats shared between the government and the private sector. To aid the process, the order will ease the process of sharing classified cyber threat information with eligible companies that provide or support critical infrastructure. It calls for expedited security clearance for some employees of such companies as well. Obama's executive action also orders the creation of a set of standards to reduce cybersecurity risks as well as a voluntary program, including incentives, for companies to adopt them. Cyber attacks in recent months targeted a succession of major U.S. companies and government agencies, continuing to raise the stakes in the debate about how the government and the private sector can best protect sensitive information. Obama delivers State of the Union address In a State of the Union address focused on creating middle-class jobs, President Barack Obama called on lawmakers to help pull working Americans out of poverty by raising the federal minimum wage and pegging it to
inflation. Obama's proposal to boost the wage floor to $9 an hour revives an old campaign pledge to the working poor that was derailed by the Great Recession and the stubbornly high unemployment rate of his first term. It also sets the stage for a fight with congressional Republicans and powerful business lobbies, who no doubt will assail the measure as a job-killer during a fragile recovery. "Even with the tax relief we’ve put in place, a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage still lives below the poverty line. That’s wrong," Obama said. "Tonight, let’s declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full time should have to live in poverty, and raise the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour. This single step would raise the incomes of millions of working families. "It could mean the difference between groceries or the food bank; rent or eviction; scraping by or finally getting ahead. For businesses across the country, it would mean customers with more money in their pockets." State Of The Union 2013 Live (VIDEO), Reuters, Huffington Post, RT, USA Today, AFP, RIA, TASS, Source:Voice of Russia
