Ayad Allawi, once seen as a U.S. puppet, returns to the center of Iraqi politics

BAGHDAD -- The man who was widely derided as an American puppet when he stepped down as prime minister five years ago has become a leading contender for Iraq's top job based on his strong showing in this month's elections among a group that lost more than any other with the U.S.-led invasion.

As U.S.-Israel rift continues, Netanyahu finds himself in a bind

JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was welcomed home Thursday night with signs reading "Obama, No You Can't" and "Netanyahu Stand Strong" after a trip to Washington that appeared only to widen a two-week-old rift between the close allies over Israeli housing construction.

U.S., Russia reach agreement on nuclear arms treaty

President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sealed a new nuclear arms reduction treaty during a phone call this morning, committing the two nations to a significant new reduction of the strategic missiles each side has deployed, U.S. officials announced Friday.

Drug traffickers in Mexico tighten U.S. grip, report says

MEXICO Mexican cartels, the biggest source of illegal drugs to the United States, have increased the flow of heroin, marijuana and methamphetamines into the country and consolidated their power in the past year, the Justice Department said Thursday.

Indian firms hope to cash in on U.S. health-care law

NEW DELHI -- While the contentious political battle over the new health-care law continues in the United States, in India the outsourcing industry is seeing it as a boon for business and is salivating over its prospects.

Network Solutions, GoDaddy cease registering Web sites in China

Two major Internet domain name registration companies have ceased registering Web sites in China in response to intrusive new government rules that require applicants to provide extensive personal data, including photographs of themselves.