COMMODITIES

Can you really protect your allies while still cutting the military? That's the conundrum the U.S. is now facing, even as it talks about pivoting back to Asia and returning in force to the Western Pacific.

Facing what seem to be minute-by-minute rejections of various bailout scenarios, Spanish bank Bankia S.A. -- the country's fourth-largest financial institution, which is currently embroiled in a crisis of insolvency -- is putting its faith in the web-shooting hands of a Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer for more than a year now. He has been in power since 1999 and intends to run for re-election in October, but questions remain about whether his health will hold up and who could replace him in the event it does not.

A history of the Russia-Syria military relationship, starting with the 1973 Arab-Israeli War.

Several western celebrities have adopted a child from Africa, and a new report from the African Child Policy Forum shows that many other hopeful parents are following suit. But the inter-country adoption process is rife with complications, and the ACPF explains exactly why it is in need of reform

The situation is so dire, Maliki declared, that states could conceivably go to war over the precious substance.

The Chinese government says it will allocate the equivalent of $27 billion to renewable energy and energy efficiency programs in 2012, but the battle against the deterioration of China's environment will be a long and tough one.

With Europe rattling markets and the rush to dollars, traders have dragged down Brent Crude to cap-off what looks to be its worst performance in two years.

Sudan withdrew its troops from Abyei, the disputed, oil-rich region on the border with South Sudan, handing it over United Nations peacekeepers on Tuesday.

Turkey's indictment of four Israeli military officials on Monday raises questions about its diplomatic ambitions in the Middle East.

Since Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook in 2004, the social network has become one of the most important centerpieces in society, especially as it becomes increasingly digital and mobile. Yet, the value of Facebook has not yet translated to revenue dollars. That may change, however, if Facebook decides to build its first-ever piece of hardware: A Facebook smartphone.

The atrocities committed in the Syrian village of Houla on Friday -- when dozens of men, women, and children were killed, and hundreds more were wounded -- were condemned in the strongest possible terms by the United Nations Security Council on Sunday.

In this issue we talk to Greg Firtik of Global Ag, LLC, a registered CTA with NFA.

The contemplated union of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain forms only one part of a potentially much wider alliance -- the political, military and economic integration of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which comprise Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman.

It?s a showdown between the government and the private owners of Domodedovo Airport, with the former trying by many accounts to pry control of Russia's most lucrative airport away from the shadowy company that runs it.

You can't blame investors for feeling a bit squeamish regarding deploying new money in the U.S. stock market these days, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average?s (DJIA) recent slide from 13,300 to 12,450 unnerving even the most experienced institutional investors. Where?s the market headed in the next six months?

However, it remains far from certain that the Scottish public even wants independence.

After winning three titles on clay this year, Nadal heads to Roland Garros as favorite, but without the long-enjoyed air of invincibility.

The cost of natural gas, which has languished for two years and last month hit lows not seen in a decade, is rebounding despite a 5.5 percent price drop earlier this week.

Faced with the disastrous fallout from the initial public offering of Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), the No. 1 social network, other technology companies that had been waiting to go next may reconsider.

As soon as the door opened, 15 men -- armed with pistols, machetes and iron rods -- burst into the house and began beating the young Angolan musicians and activists who were known for protesting against government corruption and the use of violent tactics to suppress political dissent.

Six days after the company's IPO and two months after it acquired photo-sharing app company Instagram for $1 billion, Facebook debuted a photo app of its own on Thursday, called Facebook Camera. Here, we'll break down Facebook Camera, and evaluate whether or not the new app has added value over Instagram.

On Wednesday, Somalia's interim leaders agreed on a schedule to end the current transitional period. By August, they hope, a newly elected government will lead a unified Somalia away from its tumultuous past.

Do host cities make money?

Greece, a country that accounts for less than 2 percent of the union's GDP, continues to wreak havoc among EU leaders as they plead and threaten the Mediterranean basket case to abide by a harsh medicine of tax rises, welfare cuts and liberalization.

With few presidential candidates on their side, who will Egypt's eight million Coptic Christians vote for?

Margaret Whitman, the new CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ), the No. 1 computer maker, decided to swing her ax Wednesday as the company reported dreadful second-quarter results.

Because they report quarterly results generally out of the regula,r pattern technology giants Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSC), Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) and Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) are technology bellwethers. Do their dismal dismal forecast presage downturn?

Agricultural commodities, and in particular so-called softs like sugar and coffee, fell hard Wednesday as investors, eyeing the euro zone crisis, priced in the potential fallout on consumption of U.S. farm exports.