IRAQ

President Barack Obama has pulled out his most potent weapon -- the dry federal budget -- to try to carry out his promise of change, including winding down the Iraq war, expanding health care and tackling global warming.

Oil prices extended declines on Tuesday, sliding toward $38 on growing economic worries after U.S. stocks slumped to a 12-year low at the previous day's close. Wall Street shares tumbled on Monday as optimism over reports that the U.S. government could take a bigger stake in Citigroup gave way to fresh questions about whether Washington is doing enough to stabilize the ailing banking...

Just a month into his presidency, Barack Obama has had to deal with everything from Cabinet missteps that have strained his no-drama Obama image to an economic crisis that seems to worsen by the day.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for coordinated action to revive the global economy on Tuesday and invited Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso to meet President Barack Obama at the White House next week.

On Friday a female suicide bomber blew herself up in a crowd of Iraqi Shi'ite pilgrims on a pilgrimage to a Shiite holy city south of Baghdad on Friday, killing 40 people and injuring 69 others.

On Monday a suicide car bomber struck a U.S. patrol in northern Iraq killing four American soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's party has gained victory in the preliminary election results over Shi'ite religious parties during last weekend's provincial elections in Iraq.

On Tuesday a woman suspected of recruiting more than 80 female suicide bombers was arrested the Iraqi military said.

On Saturday Iraqis held their most peaceful election since the fall of Saddam Hussein, the voting for provincial councils ended without a single major attack reported anywhere in the country.

On Friday Iraq began sealing its borders, halting air traffic and ordering overnight curfews in some of its largest cities on the eve of its nationwide provincial elections.

Early voting for provincial elections in Iraq began on Wednesday. Smooth elections may encourage supporters of early withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq while elections marred by irregularities and violence could raise worries about Iraq’s preparedness.

A 29 year old New Zealand citizen found top military confidential files on an MP3 Player.

On Monday two U.S. helicopters crashed in northern Iraq, killing four American troops.

As all recovery hopes are now pinned on the efficacy of Washington's next stimulus package, President Obama has opened the bidding at $825 billion. Most Republicans

Obama was reported in world's major newspapers, television and radio broadcasts, generating an unprecedented 35,000 stories, 35 times more than the last presidential swearing-in, a monitoring group said Wednesday.

The U.S. awaited the inauguration as President of Barack Obama today, as the country's capital, packed with more than a million visitors, prepared to take in the moment of transition with a formal ceremony.

President Bush held his final White House press conference on Tuesday where he candidly addressed issues from pressing bailout decisions in his final days as president necessary to mistakes he made during his presidency.

Vice President Dick Cheney said on Thursday that Iraq would one of the top foreign policy challenges President-elect Barack Obama, according to an interview with the Associated Press.

Gold futures rose for a third straight session after the dollar fell against the euro and oil surged to a new record above $122 a barrel, boosting the appeal of the precious metal as a hedge against inflation.

Crude futures reached $122 a barrel inTuesday's trading as supply disruptions, overseas growing demand outlook and a falling dollar sent the prices to new all time records.

U.S. stocks retreated on Friday after Sun Microsystems Inc.'s disappointing results weighted on the technology sector and surging oil prices overshadowed a better-than-expected April jobs report.