U.S. Democrats to hear Iran 'progress'

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will brief Senate Democrats Wednesday on the latest round of talks with Iran.

• Biden and Kerry will brief Senate Democratic leaders on Iran nuclear talks


• They’ll be joined by chief negotiator Wendy Sherman and a top Treasury official


• Kerry will also talk to members of the Senate’s Banking Committee


• That committee may propose new Iran sanctions; one GOP senator says he will

Washington (CNN) — Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry will be among those briefing Senate Democratic leaders Wednesday on talks about Iran’s program, which have picked up significantly in recent months after years of bitter stalemate.

Chief negotiator Wendy Sherman and David Cohen, under secretary for terrorism and financial Intelligence at the Treasury Department, will join Biden and Kerry, according to sources familiar with the planned meeting.

The closed-door briefing it set to happen Wednesday afternoon, the sources said.

It comes in addition to another private meeting that Kerry will hold Wednesday with members of the Senate’s Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, chaired by South Dakota Democrat Tim Johnson.

Iran steps up cooperation with IAEA

Framework for Iran nuclear agreement

Iran talks blame game

These discussions come during a fast-moving time when it comes to Iran, as diplomatic talks to address the Middle Eastern nation’s nuclear program advance at a relative breakneck pace while some in Congress continue to push for more punitive sanctions against Tehran.

Three intense days of discussions involving top diplomats — including Kerry, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif — concluded early Sunday without an agreement, though numerous key players indicated that things were moving forward.

“A lot of concrete progress has been achieved, but some differences remain,” Ashton told reporters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Added Zarif: “I think we are all on the same wavelength, and that’s important. And that gives us the impetus to go forward.”

The next day, Tehran signed a deal with the International Atomic Energy Agency agreeing to give the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency’s inspectors access to long-unseen nuclear sites, including a heavy-water reactor in Arak.

This pact signified a new willingness by Tehran to cooperate with the IAEA, its director general told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.

“The atmosphere is very different, the meeting was very constructive,” Yukiya Amano said.

Yet some in Washington still don’t trust Iran’s leaders and are reluctant to ease sanctions that have wounded that nation’s economy, led to slashed crude oil exports and triggered problematic inflation.

Some of those restrictions originated in the Senate’s Banking Committee that Kerry will address Wednesday.

Senators from both parties have pushed for toughening sanctions — not weakening them — to increase pressure on Iran even given the seemingly promising talks.

Johnson won’t decide whether he’ll move forward a proposal for more sanctions until after this week’s briefing and talks with his colleagues, an aide with the banking committee said.

But Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, told CNN’s “State of the Union” program Sunday that he would not wait for the next round of negotiations.

A member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Graham said he intends to propose a measure that would mandate more sanctions, aimed at forcing Iran to dismantle its nuclear program — a move that runs counter to interim steps sought by negotiators in Geneva.

CNN’s Ted Barrett reported from Washington, and CNN’s Greg Botelho wrote this story from Atlanta.

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Australia's ex-PM Rudd quits politics

Former Australian PM, Kevin Rudd on September 6, 2013 in Sydney, Australia.

• Party infighting caused the Labor Party the prime ministership


• In 2009, Rudd formally apologized to the Forgotten Australians

(CNN) — Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd bid farewell to politics, telling parliamentarians Wednesday in an emotional speech that he will step down at the end of the week.

Rudd was first elected prime minister in 2007. Party infighting caused him to lose the post to Julia Gillard in 2010.

He reclaimed the position in June in yet more infighting in the Labor Party.

But when it came to elections in September, the bookish incumbent lost to the pugnacious style of Tony Abbott.

New Australian PM Tony Abbott sworn in

Victory for Abbott in Australia

Labor infighting boosted Abbott’s standing in the polls and — under Gillard — the party faced certain defeat at elections this year.

While the installation of Rudd as prime minister for a second time helped the party claw back some of the ground Labor lost under Gillard, many analysts said his arrival came too late to save the party.

“For our family, recent statements since the September election have been particularly hurtful,” Rudd told lawmakers. “As parliamentarians you might say we become inured to all of this, although I doubt it.”

Abbot’s office issued a statement saying “While Mr Rudd will no longer continue as a parliamentarian, I have every confidence that he will continue to serve our country and the values that he has always believed in.”

“Whatever disagreements my colleagues and I have had with Mr Rudd, we will always honour what he achieved on the day of the National Apology,” the statement said. “Ancient wrongs were addressed that day. It was a great moment in our country’s history and it happened because of him.”

In November 2009, Rudd — then the prime minister — formally apologized to thousands of adults who, as impoverished British children, were brought to Australia with the promise of a better life but found abuse and forced labor.

The so-called Forgotten Australians — children who came from British families struggling with severe poverty or from institutions in the UK — were brought to Australia in a program that ended 40 years ago.

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Israeli PM rejects settlement plans

Israel’s controversial separation barrier surrounds the Ras Khamis neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, on November 12, 2013.

• Israel cancels plans for thousands more settlements


• PM Netanyahu: “This is a meaningless step – legally and in practice”


• 23,000 settlement homes were planned for East Jerusalem, West Bank

Jerusalem (CNN) — Israel canceled controversial plans to construct thousands of new homes in East Jerusalem and on the West Bank, hours after the announcement sparked strong criticism.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked Construction and Housing Minister Uri Ariel to reconsider long-term plans to build more than 20,000 units, according to a press release from Netanyahu’s office.

“This step does not contribute to settlement,” the statement said. “On the contrary, there is damage here for settlement.”

“This is a meaningless step — legally and in practice — and an action that creates an unnecessary confrontation with the international community at a time when we are making an effort to persuade elements in the international community to reach a better deal with Iran. At this time, the attention of the international community must not be diverted from the main effort — preventing Iran from receiving an agreement that will allow it to continue its military nuclear program. As a member of the government, action must be coordinated and have the benefit of forethought.”

Kerry prods Israel, Palestinians on peace

Palestinian prisoners released

Israel: We’ve found tunnel from Gaza

Ariel said he would accede to Netanyahu’s request, according to the press release.

Lior Amihai of the activist group Peace Now said the Housing Ministry issued 23,786 planning tenders two weeks ago; the tenders are issued to companies to draw plans to be used in possible future construction.

The construction was to have taken place in a number of years, after the plans went through various stages of government approval, he said.

Lara Friedman, director of policy and government relations at Americans for Peace Now in Washington, said the plans had included construction in areas deep in the West Bank, east of the barrier that separates Israel from the West Bank.

“This is planning for areas that cannot possibly remain part of Israel or become part of Israel under any negotiated agreement,” Friedman said before Netanyahu’s announcement. “It’s impossible.”

A member of the PLO executive committee also said earlier that Netanyahu appeared to be intent on scuttling any hope for a solution in peace talks recently relaunched by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

“Obviously, Netanyahu is using settlements as a weapon of mass destruction to destroy the chances of peace and torpedo the negotiations,” Hanan Ashrawi said. “It is an affront to the whole world and particularly to John Kerry and a deliberate violation to international law.”

There are currently more than 300,000 settlers in the West Bank, according to the Israeli Bureau of Statistics, and about 200,000 in East Jerusalem.

CNN’s Michael Schwartz and Kareem Khadder reported from Jerusalem. CNN’s Tom Watkins reported and wrote from Atlanta.

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Where is Pussy Riot's Nadya?

• Frida Ghitis: Nadya Tolokonnikova, jailed Pussy Riot activist, has vanished


• Amnesty says she was taken from prison in car; family doesn’t know where she is, she says


• Ghitis: Her band, and Putin regime’s crackdown on it, shone light on Russia’s repression


• Ghitis: It’s feared she’s in Siberia, her health at risk. Russia making her an icon

Editor’s note: Frida Ghitis is a world affairs columnist for The Miami Herald and World Politics Review. A former CNN producer and correspondent, she is the author of “The End of Revolution: A Changing World in the Age of Live Television.” Follow her on Twitter @FridaGhitis.

(CNN) — Why is Vladimir Putin scared of 24-year-old Nadya Tolokonnikova? What have his people done to her? Why won’t they let her family contact her?

Nadezhda (Nadya) Tolokonnikova, the Russian artist and activist who leads the provocatively named punk rock band Pussy Riot, was thrown into a car by Russian prison authorities three weeks ago, according to Amnesty International.

After an international campaign, including an Amnesty International petition, the office of the Russian ombudsman now says that authorities have confirmed suspicions that she is on her way to a prison camp in Siberia, thousands of miles away from her husband and her small daughter, with an Orwellian claim that the move aims to “promote her resocialization.”

Tolokonnikova and Pussy Riot became a thorn in Putin’s side with their performance pieces, when they wore the colorful face-covering balaclavas that became their trademark, and launched into routines that were clearly meant to outrage. Their work had a cutting political message.

She and her band, you may remember, got into serious legal trouble early last year after they staged a flash-mob style performance of their “Punk Prayer” at Moscow’s main Russian Orthodox cathedral, chanting “Virgin Mary, mother of God, put Putin away.” It was a protest against the church’s support for Putin’s increasingly controversial rule. The video quickly had millions of viewings. Within days, the performers were arrested and charged with “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred.”

Tolokonnikova, along with her Pussy Riot colleague Maria Alyokhina, was sentenced to two years in prison. She is scheduled to be released in March, but experience has shown that in Russia, the government can find ways to delay a prisoner’s release practically forever, if that is what it chooses.

Just ask Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the once-wealthy businessman who became a Putin critic. While he was already imprisoned in Siberia, the government brought new charges against him, piling more years to his incarceration.

As with Khodorkovsky, Putin’s Russia has turned Tolokonnikova into a symbol of state repression and proof that the government cannot tolerate dissent or criticism. Every day she is out of sight, the Russian government looks more frightened of its own people, more eager to suppress freedom of expression and more comfortable violating human rights.

That is definitely not a good look for a country preparing to host the world in the Winter Olympics.

Clearly, the tactics of Tolokonnikova’s Pussy Riot are not to everyone’s taste. Some find them deeply offensive. But the state’s ferocious response to the actions of a group of young activists was hardly warranted by the scale of their transgressions.

Authorities started by holding them without bail and compiling an indictment that ran almost 3,000 pages. Their lawyers were given two days to review the material, prompting the defendants to go on hunger strike to protest the unfairness of the proceedings.

Pussy Riot husband describes Navalny

Pussy Riot documentary director on band

Member of Pussy Riot band released

Tolokonnikova is a political prisoner. And now, in the worst tradition of Soviet Russia, Tolokonnikova, a musician, wife and mother, has been thrown into Russia’s Gulag system.

The timing of Tolokonnikova’s disappearance helps explain its motivation. The government is punishing her and her family and trying to intimidate her because, incredibly, even in prison she has not stopped pointing out the excesses of the regime.

On September 23, she went on a hunger strike to protest the brutal conditions experienced by her and her fellow prisoners at the infamous women’s prison camp in Mordovia. Before she started her hunger strike, she wrote a letter explaining the reasons for her protest.

“When they send you off to Mordovia,” she wrote, “it is as though you’re headed to the scaffold.” She described the sadistic punishments, the unceasing slave labor; the horrors of daily life. She told the story of a woman who was beaten to death in the third unit, “the third,” she explained, “is the pressure unit where they put prisoners that need to undergo daily beatings.”

The women, she said, work 17 hours a day with four hours of sleep and a day off every month and a half. The administration views the prisoners as free labor for the mass manufacturing of police uniforms, she noted, asking pointedly, “Where does the money they get for them go?”

Even from prison Tolokonnikova was able to rattle the system. Her critique of the prison system made waves, even as her health declined. After 10 days on hunger strike she was transferred to the prison hospital. When she stopped the strike, expecting to be moved to a more humane prison, she was returned to the same labor camp and she restarted her hunger strike.

Then she vanished.

In Russia’s dismal prison system, the family’s material and psychological support can make the difference between life and death. But while a prisoner is being transferred, the government has no responsibility to inform relatives of their whereabouts.

Prison authorities say Tolokonnikova is in transit, on her way to a new facility.

Her husband, Peter Verzilov, says he had good reason to believe his wife is being sent to a prison colony deep inside Siberia, probably the worst place on Earth to spend the winter. B

There is reason to fear for her health, after her lengthy hunger strike, and to worry about how she is being treated by correctional authorities.

The country’s human rights ombudsman, Vladimir Lukin, says he has been told by prison officials that she is in “satisfactory” health, in transit to a new prison.

By its vindictive treatment of Nadya Tolokonnikova and its efforts to frighten her into submission, the Russian government is turning someone who would have been a fairly obscure activist into a major international figure, and in the process it is shining a light on the very abuses to which she wants to draw attention. This may be ultimately good for the Russian people, but it is exceedingly dangerous for Tolokonnikova. Russia is a place where government critics have faced mysterious and tragic endings.

It is not a moment too soon for the Putin government to show Tolokonnikova, to show it is treating her humanely, and to make good on its word to release her as soon as her current sentence expires.

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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Frida Ghitis.

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Drones over U.S.? Time for a debate

• Daniel Suarez: FAA releases road map for drones in civilian airspace by 2015


• He says privacy advocates complain but believes FAA’s approach is sound


• He says civilian drones inevitable and useful; we must hash out best guidelines


• Suarez: Outcry over aircraft resulted in formation of FAA; drone debate is necessary

Editor’s note: Daniel Suarez is the author of “Daemon,” “Freedom,” “Kill Decision” and the upcoming “Influx,” high-tech and sci-fi thrillers that focus on technology-driven change. A former systems consultant to Fortune 1000 companies, he has designed and developed mission-critical software for the defense, finance and entertainment industries.

(CNN) — On Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration released its “Road Map” to integrate drones into civilian airspace by 2015, and it provoked strong reactions from privacy advocates. I’ve been a vocal critic against the creation of lethally autonomous combat drones, so you might expect I’d be concerned about the vague civilian privacy protections the FAA proposed for their six domestic drone test sites.

But actually I think their approach is a good one.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta rightly pointed out that his organization is focused on maintaining aviation safety and not proposing new privacy regulations.

The 74-page FAA civilian drone road map focuses a lot on developing “sense and avoid” technology to enable civilian drones to operate safely in skies already crowded with manned aircraft. But each of the test sites will come up with its own drone privacy policies and make them public, to (as the FAA put it) “help inform the dialogue.”

Consider that last statement the starting gun for what promises to be a vociferous and active debate on robotic vehicles in an open society. This is a debate that needs to happen, and with the FAA establishing these six “sand boxes” in which to practice various drone privacy approaches, we’ll see the good, the bad and the just plain ugly well before regulations are more widely adopted.

That might sound messy, but this is how an open society should ingest revolutionary technologies — by arguing like hell about them.

And make no mistake, there will be a constituency speaking on behalf of drones. That’s because in the next three years, civilian drones — that is Unmanned Aerial Systems — could be a $ 10 billion industry (with part of that presumably spent on public relations). And on both sides of this struggle, the first combatants will be legions of lawyers arguing drone law and establishing legal precedents in local, state and federal courts.

“In case you missed the starting gun for the civilian drone privacy debate –it’s just been sounded.”

This has happened before. Few will remember that at the birth of aviation, property laws were such that landowners owned the air above their heads, too– theoretically all the way up into space. And landowners were not happy with the idea of aircraft noisily “trespassing” over their property, and yet it was difficult for aviators to fly only over public right-of-ways, especially in poor weather conditions.

What followed were legal battles, with one railroad trying to stop rival airmail by claiming “aerial trespass” if aviators followed their rail lines. There was aviation litigation about wrongful deaths, noise pollution, canceled flights, air crew working conditions, deferred maintenance, etc.

Eventually all that debate, legal precedent and working knowledge was boiled down into a regulatory framework that became the Federal Aviation Administration. Few would argue that FAA regulation has harmed the aviation industry or society. Just ask yourself if you’d be willing to step on an unregulated commercial aircraft. I thought so. Those regulations made a level playing field for airlines and allowed the entire industry to prosper while simultaneously benefiting the public.

But getting there wasn’t pretty.

And so it will be with civilian drones. It will take the passionate debate of civil rights activists, entrepreneurs, hobbyists, aerospace engineers, farmers, environmentalists, ethicists and many more for society to arrive at a stable legal framework to safely and equitably integrate robotic aviation and autonomous vehicles into our society.

There is no agency or bureau that will do this for us, and these are thorny issues.

For every privacy activist I agree with on the subject of drones, there is also someone with a compelling vision of how they could be used for good, such as entrepreneurs who envision precision agriculture drones that could reduce pesticide use through surgically precise and infinitely patient ministering to crops. Agriculture alone could represent 80% of the civilian drone industry. And as one drone industry executive put it: “corn doesn’t mind if you watch it.”

In case you missed the starting gun for the civilian drone privacy debate, it’s just been sounded.

Follow us @CNNOpinion on Twitter.

Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Daniel Suarez.

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Windshield grounds U.S. flight

• The plane was carrying 150 passengers and six crew members


• The flight was headed to Boston

(CNN) — An American Airlines plane made an emergency landing Tuesday night in Orlando after the crew noticed a crack in the cockpit windshield.

American Airlines Flight 160, with 150 passengers and six crew members, took off from Miami and was headed to Boston, said airline spokeswoman Andrea Huguely.

The Boeing 757 had reached cruising altitude when the crew noticed a crack on the exterior window of the double-paned cockpit windshield, Huguely said.

The size of the crack, or the cause, was not immediately known.

The pilot declared an emergency, and the plane landed in Orlando.

CNN’s Chuck Johnston contributed to this report.

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4 dead in U.S. hostage crisis

• Police say incident happened at single-family home


• Police: One woman burned in yard, teen girl found dead inside house


• Suspect found dead in alley near house

(CNN) — A hostage situation ended tragically in Phoenix, Arizona, with four deaths, including the suspect.

Phoenix Police said they responded after shots were fired in a single-family home in North East Phoenix.

It happened around 4 p.m.

When they arrived they found one person dead in the driveway of the house, according to Public Information Officer Trent Crump.

Police say a woman, believed to be the suspect’s wife or former wife, was found burned in the yard of the house.

A teenage girl was found killed inside the house.

The suspect was found dead in an alley near the house, police said.

Police said the incident might have stemmed from an effort by the occupants of the house to get a protective order against the suspect earlier in the day.

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$142M painting sale breaks record

“Three Studies of Lucian Freud” was painted by Francis Bacon in 1969.

• “Three Studies of Lucian Freud,” painted in 1969, sold for $ 142,405,000


• Christie’s says it’s the most money ever paid for a piece of artwork at an auction


• The previous record for a work of art sold at an auction was Edvard Munch’s “The Scream”

(CNN) — A painting by artist Francis Bacon sold for $ 142,405,000 on Tuesday, breaking the record as the most expensive piece of art ever auctioned, according to a statement from the auction house.

“Three Studies of Lucian Freud” was sold after six minutes of bidding in the room and on the phone at Christie’s in New York City, according to spokeswoman Elizabeth Van Bergen.

Painted in 1969, it is known as one of Bacon’s most iconic works, as it features Lucian Freud at the apex of his relationship with Bacon, according to the auction house’s statement.

The triptych, a three-panel piece of art, features Freud sitting on a wooden chair in varied positions, the statement said.

The previous record for a work of art sold at an auction was Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” painted in 1895. It sold for more than $ 119 million dollars in 2012 at Sotheby’s New York, according to the statement.

Bacon’s previous record for his work was more than $ 86 million for another triptych painted in 1976 and sold in 2008 at Sotheby’s New York, according to the statement.

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Hawaii to legalize same-sex marriage

• Hawaii’s same-sex marriage law is set to take effect on June 1, 2014


• “Hawaii exemplifies the values we hold dear as a nation,” President Obama says


• Illinois becomes the 15th state when its governor signs a same-sex marriage bill


• 16 other countries (and parts of Mexico) allow same-sex marriage

(CNN) — Hawaii’s legislature gave final passage to a measure Tuesday to make it the 16th American state to legalize same-sex marriage.

“With today’s vote, Hawaii joins a growing number of states that recognize that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters should be treated fairly and equally under the law,” President Obama, a native Hawaiian, said in a statement.

Illinois is poised to become the 15th state when its governor signs a same-sex marriage bill given final passage by its General Assembly last week. Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn has said he would “put our state on the right side of history” by signing it November 20.

Hawaii’s Gov. Neil Abercrombie will sign the legislation Wednesday morning. The law is set to take effect on June 1, 2014.

“Whenever freedom and equality are affirmed, our country becomes stronger,” Obama said. “By giving loving gay and lesbian couples the right to marry if they choose, Hawaii exemplifies the values we hold dear as a nation. I’ve always been proud to have been born in Hawaii, and today’s vote makes me even prouder. And Michelle and I extend our best wishes to all those in Hawaii whose families will now be given the security and respect they deserve.”

In addition to Hawaii and Illinois, same-sex marriage is legal in 14 states — California, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington — as well as the District of Columbia. Colorado and Hawaii allow civil unions.

Same-sex marriage is banned in every state not mentioned above, except for New Mexico, which has no laws banning or allowing it.

Proponents of same-sex marriage say they have momentum on their side.

In June, the Supreme Court rejected parts of the Defense of Marriage Act in a 5-4 decision, dismissing an appeal over same-sex marriage on jurisdictional grounds and ruling same-sex spouses legally married in a state may receive federal benefits.

It also ruled that private parties did not have standing to defend California’s voter-approved ballot measure barring gay and lesbian couples from state-sanctioned wedlock, clearing the way for same-sex marriages in California to resume.

But opponents say the fight is far from over.

Shortly before the Illinois votes, the president of the National Organization for Marriage urged people to contact their state representatives to tell them they support marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

“We’ve seen how marriage redefinition leads to those who believe in traditional marriage being punished, labeled ‘bigots’ and ‘haters’ in the public square, and forced to be silent about their deeply held beliefs or face repercussions. And their children? They’re taught in schools that the values planted in them at home are bigoted and outdated, the equivalent of racism!” Brian Brown wrote in a blog post.

Worldwide, 16 other countries (and parts of Mexico) also have laws allowing same-sex marriage and domestic partnerships. Most of these are in Europe and South America.

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IAEA signs cooperation deal with Iran

• No results in weekend talks on Iran’s nuclear program


• But International Atomic Energy Agency hopes for better luck with deal signed Monday


• IAEA chief: “This is an important step, but this is a first step”

(CNN) — Negotiations aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions may have stalled in Switzerland this weekend, but the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency is optimistic about a new agreement struck with Tehran.

The International Atomic Energy Agency signed a cooperation deal with Iran on Monday.

It will give the IAEA greater access to long-unseen nuclear sites, including a heavy-water reactor in Arak, the very site that may have tripped up the Geneva talks.

Yukiya Amano, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the agreement signified a new willingness by Tehran to cooperate with the IAEA.

“The atmosphere is very different, the meeting was very constructive,” he said in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.

“This is an important step, but this is a first step, and much more needs to be done.”

He said the deal would take a step by step approach to solving problems, bearing in mind the complications in dealing with the Iranian nuclear issue. Amano said Iran and the IAEA have agreed to focus on six practical measures that would be implemented in a three-month time line.

“The joint statement says Iran and IAEA agree to resolve all present and past issues,” Amano said. “Issues that are not included in the first step will be addressed in the subsequent steps.”

The IAEA’s talks with Iran are separate from the big power diplomacy, he said, referring to the recent nuclear talks between world powers and Iran in Switzerland, which disintegrated on Sunday.

Hopes for a deal had soared after top diplomats rushed to Geneva, but then faded amid divisions among the P5+1 countries. Representatives from Iran and those six countries are scheduled to meet again in Geneva on November 20, in another attempt to resolve the decade long dispute.

“Geneva talks and IAEA talks are independent, different and separate,” Amano said. “We are focusing on verification and technical issues.”

State Department: “We made significant progress in Geneva”

The IAEA chief has reason to be optimistic, given that this is his first agreement with Iran in years, said Joseph Cirincione, president of Ploughshares Fund, a public grant-making foundation focused on nuclear weapons policy and conflict resolution.

“This is for real, these guys are not playing a con game,” Cirincione said. “These Iranians are a much more pragmatic group. They want to make a deal, they want to end Iran’s isolation. They want to end sanctions. They are willing to make serious concessions.”

On Tuesday, the U.S. State Department also sounded upbeat, saying significant progress was made in Geneva.

“The P5+1 is united,” said Jen Psaki, State Department spokesperson. “There is still a gap between what language might be appropriate; that the Iranians are prepared to accept.”

Iran has always insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

Western powers and Israel accuse it of harboring ambitions for a nuclear weapon.

Iran’s refusal to stop enriching uranium has led to crippling sanctions that have stunted its economy, slashed its crude oil exports and triggered widespread inflation at home.

U.S. senators from both parties have pushed for tougher sanctions to increase pressure on Iran even as the Geneva talks showed early signs of promise last week.

But the White House warns lawmakers that tightening sanctions on Iran could derail the diplomatic push to curb Tehran’s nuclear program.

Secretary of State John Kerry will push diplomacy as he heads to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to meet with members of the Senate Banking Committee. Some of the restrictions originated in that Banking Committee.

The State Department said Kerry would make it clear that putting new sanctions in place would be a mistake.

“We are still determining if there is a diplomatic path forward,” Psaki said. “What we are asking for right now is a pause, a temporary pause, in sanctions. We are not taking away sanctions. We are not rolling them back. This is about ensuring our legislative strategy and our negotiating strategy are running hand in hand.”

“The momentum for this deal is almost irresistible,” said Cirincione.

“It may not happen November 20. It may take a few more weeks, but it is crystal clear, the majority of P5+1 believe a deal is in our best interest.”

CNN’s Christiane Amanpour contributed to this story

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U.S. mariners freed after kidnap

Three weeks ago armed men stormed a 221-foot U.S.-flagged C-Retriever and kidnapped the two Americans.

(CNN) — Two U.S. citizens who were kidnapped from an oilfield supply ship off Nigeria’s coast last month have been released, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki confirmed Tuesday.

News of the release comes nearly three weeks after armed men stormed the 221-foot U.S.-flagged C-Retriever and kidnapped the two Americans, identified at the time by U.S. and Nigerian officials as the captain and a chief engineer.

A high-tech hunt for pirates

The ship, owned by Louisiana-based Edison Chouest Offshore, was attacked October 23 in the piracy-plagued Gulf of Guinea off Nigeria.

Psaki said Tuesday she would not comment further about the Americans due to privacy concerns.

The oil-rich area off the coast of West Africa has increasingly drawn international attention as a piracy hotspot, with 40 pirate attacks reported in the first nine months of 2013, the International Maritime Bureau reported.

Partial amnesty for ‘boy pirates’?

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Egypt: State of emergency is over

The police academy compound holding the trial of ousted President Mohammed Morsy in Cairo, Egypt on November 3, 2013.

(CNN) — Egypt on Tuesday lifted a three-month state of emergency that was put in place after hundreds were killed in clashes involving security personnel and protesters in Cairo, the state-run Middle East News Agency reported..

The country’s administrative court ordered that the emergency — which was intended to limit public gatherings — be lifted Tuesday afternoon, two days earlier than expected, MENA reported.

READ: Mohamed Morsy trial interrupted by defendants’ chanting

Muslim Brotherhood ban upheld

Egypt’s Cabinet had said previously that the emergency would be lifted on Thursday.

Egypt has seen periods of unrest since a coup ousted former President Mohamed Morsy in July and the military installed an interim administration.

The emergency was ordered in August after clashes flared when security forces broke up huge Cairo sit-ins led by Morsy supporters. Hundreds died and thousands were injured.

OPINION: Egypt and the death of liberalism

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Deal to rescue American/US Air merger

The merge between American Airlines and US Airways would create the world’s biggest carrier.

• Justice Department had sued to block the planned combination of the two big airlines


• The deal announced on Tuesday requires the carriers to sell certain facilities to boost competition

(CNN) — The Justice Department has reached a settlement with American Airlines and US Airways that requires them to sell facilities at seven airports in order to complete their planned $ 11 billion merger to create the world’s biggest carrier.

The deal announced Tuesday allows low-cost airlines to increase their presence at Boston Logan, Chicago’s O’Hare, Dallas Love Field, Los Angeles, Miami, New York LaGuardia, and Washington National airports.

The Justice Department and attorneys general from several states and the District of Columbia sued in August seeking to block the merger on grounds it would lead to higher prices and less service for consumers.

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The agreement requires court approval as part of American’s bankruptcy restructuring. The carriers now expect to complete their merger in December.

Antitrust officials claimed the planned merger, which follows a wave of airline industry consolidation in recent years, would “substantially lessen competition” for commercial air travel.

The carriers fought back, saying that integrating their networks to benefit passengers was their motivation for merging and that blocking the deal would only “deny customers access” to a broader network that “gives them more choices.”

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New iPad Mini on sale if you find one

After a three-week wait, the new iPad Mini went on sale Tuesday — but not in Apple retail stores.

• Apple began selling its new iPad Mini on Tuesday, but not in its stores


• The small tablet can be picked up at stores after being ordered online


• Supplies may be limited; Apple’s online store lists shipping delays

(CNN) — In something of a surprise move, Apple began selling its new iPad Mini on Tuesday.

The small tablet, with a speedier processor and the same high-definition “retina display” as its bigger cousins, is available from Apple’s online store and from wireless partners AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. It’s also being sold by selected third-party retailers such as Best Buy.

Shoppers cannot buy them yet from Apple retail stores, although they can be picked up at stores after being ordered online. An Apple spokeswoman declined to say when they might become available for in-store purchases.

The new Mini’s release comes three weeks after Apple introduced the device and 12 days after the new full-size iPad Air went on sale. Many analysts had expected Apple to release the iPad Mini later this month, with speculation focusing on November 22. Apple tends to release new products on Fridays, giving them a full weekend to rack up sales while excitement is high.

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A product listing on Target’s website recently listed the release date for the iPad Mini as November 21, although that date has since been removed.

Supplies of the device appear to be limited at first, which may explain why Apple is not selling the new Mini in its stores. As of late morning Tuesday, Apple’s online store was listing shipping delays of one to three business days for 16GB and 32GB models and five to 10 business days for models with higher amounts of storage.

Early reports also have said Apple is facing a shortage of the Mini’s new, high-definition display screens.

The new Pad Mini has a 7.9-inch display (compared to 9.7 inches for the full-size iPad) and comes in two colors: silver or space gray. Prices range from $ 399 for a Wi-Fi-only, 16GB model to $ 829 for a 128GB model with cellular connectivity.

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