Two major deals involving the United States were worked out today at the G8 summit in Germany. The first, a deal to cut greenhouse emissions in half by the year 2050 was an important step on the road to getting the climate crisis under control and was praised by the G8 summit's host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who called it "a significant and important step forward."However, critics say there is little in the deal that will bind the U.S. to the agreement since no mandatory target was set for the cuts, but there is no debate that today's news is a sign that the world's leaders are taking the climate crisis seriously.The other agreement brokered at the G8 Summit today is between US President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin over a proposed US missile defense site in eastern Europe. In the weeks leading up to the summit, both countries had been exchanging barbs over the missile defense plan and were even beginning to stir up old cold war animosities. Yet Putin and Bush seemed to put any feelings of hostility to rest during a friendly press conference today in which both leaders vowed to work together to reach a solution that would benefit both parties, while also ensuring the security of Europe as a whole.Lastly, Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator Barack Obama made a speech reminding Americans of the plight of those struggling with life in the inner city. Obama evoked the LA Riots and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to make his point that inner city America is still going through a "quiet riot" in which urban communities are having to deal with poverty and the despair that goes hand-in-hand with knowing that you've been left behind by society.Those were the top headlines for Thursday, June 7, 2007. For more in depth videos on each of these stories, and today's other newsworthy headlines, visit yourworldtimes.com.

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