Reformers, including politicians and major clerics, boycotted Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s swearing in today. Protesters were outnumbered by riot police. What are the prospects for his second term as President with Iran threatened by economic collapse, political instability and international sanctions? Also, former president Bill Clinton is back on the world stage with the release of two American journalists from North Korea. What’s the benefit for the dictator Kim Jong Il? What were the roles of Secretary of State Clinton and President Obama? Is a breakthrough on nuclear weapons more or less likely?
Banner image: Former President Bill Clinton (L) and Vice President Al Gore (2nd-L) greet freed US journalists Laura Ling (2nd-R) and Euna Lee upon their arrival at the airport in Burbank, California on August 5. Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images